#spiky foliage

[holybibly]

𝔇𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔳𝔢𝔯 𝔲𝔰 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔩 | 𝔚𝔬𝔬𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔤 𝔵 𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔢𝔯

𝔊𝔢𝔫𝔯𝔢: smut, Priests!AU

𝔚𝔬𝔯𝔡 ℭ𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱: 9,9k

𝔖𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔶: It is said: "The best way to get forgiveness for sins is to repent." Priest Wooyoung will tell you how to do this.

𝔚𝔄ℜ𝔑ℑ𝔑𝔊: Priest!Wooyoung, Hierophilia, church sex, religion kink, dirty talk, masturbation, humiliation, blow jobs, rough oral, power play. spanking, fingering, orgasm delay, overstimulation, dom/sub and more.

𝔄/𝔑: And so it is that I have come to please you with something wicked. I don't know why I get so inspired, but I don't care. My opinion is that Priest Wooyoung is hot as hell, that's all. There will probably be another work released this weekend, but I won't tell you what it is. Of course, the unholy hours are available as usual. It's time to repent for the sins, bunnies, and, as the saying goes, Hell's empty, all demons outside.

You have never thought of yourself as a religious person, not under any circumstances whatsoever. You never knelt down in front of your bed, covered your eyes with trembling eyelids, and whispered softly, "Hail Mary,"  before you went to sleep in your cold and lonely bed. 

Never asking God's mercy and forgiveness, you were as far from faith and piety as you could be. The last time you had been to church was years ago, when you came to communion with one of your distant relatives.   The feeling was all too familiar, yet as alien as the shattered fragments of a mysterious dream you remembered having long ago. You walked slowly up the rain-slicked stone steps of your hometown's old church, as smooth and dreary as the weather today. The thin branches of the dead trees, devoid of the usual green foliage you knew wrapped around them at the beginning of each spring, reached up to the sky as if in prayer—brittle and outstretched—like the hands of a sinner. 

"What am I doing here?" You asked yourself as you wrapped yourself more tightly in your soft cashmere coat and let out a convulsive sigh.

You didn't know how to answer that, and you couldn't seem to find the right one. That place... it seemed to call your name, and you couldn't resist the mysterious magnetism. The church was old and gloomy—the kind of church that people do not tell you the most pleasant stories about. Your eyes wandered over the faded, dark boards and the pointed spire, topped by a crooked, spiky cross that looked almost sinister as the rain swirled around it. The place had an air of desolation about it, and for a moment, you wondered if it was haunted. 

It was the same church that your mother had gone to when she was a child, always dressed in her most beautiful clothes and with ribbons of silk woven into her hair. 

"Did this place always look as spooky as it does now?" you asked her once. 

The cold wind whipped through your long hair as you pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the church and made your way in. The rusty metal hinges sobbed pitifully at the sound of your action. The inside of the church was musty and smelled of incense, and visually, it was the same as millions of other churches: furnished with rows of wooden pews, with dusty Bibles lying in compartments attached to the backs of the pews. Narrow Gothic windows, decorated with the faces of sexless angels, stretched up to a vaulted ceiling.

There was no one there, which was what you would have expected, considering that there were only a few cars in the car park when you arrived here. You felt stupid for being here, completely unaware of what the purpose of your visit was in the first place.

The echo of your footsteps on the dark, faded midnight-blue velour floor was the only sound in the church. As you walked towards the back of the church, where the neatly decorated altar stood, your fingertips glided weightlessly along the cool edges of the old pews. Dark and full of suffering, the heavy crucifix hung over the altar like an unbearable sacred burden. There was a small confessional not too far from it.

One day, when you were a little girl, your grandparents took you to the church and insisted that you have a confession of your sins. Sitting behind the curtain, you felt so grown up; the small room seemed so much larger in comparison to your petite body. With your head bowed, you solemnly told the priest that you sometimes took a few extra biscuits when your mother wasn't looking, and he, in turn, instructed you to recite the Hail Mary a few times.

As you approached the confessional, you lazily tugged at the heavy velvet curtain, running your fingers over the faded fabric, which was worn in places. You wondered what sins you could repent of now; you didn't often reflect on what you'd done or seek forgiveness, at least not from an all-powerful divine being you weren't even sure existed. You opened the curtain and jumped at the sharp sound of metal rings as they scratched against the beam on which it was hung. The inside of the cabin was dark, and there was a smell of dust in it. You coughed and breathed in the small particles that stuck to your tongue in an unpleasant way.

"Hello, my dear."

You jumped at the slight echo of the soft, melodic voice that came from behind the metal bars of the confessional. Leaning against the door, you pressed a hand to your chest, feeling your fast heart pound. Squinting, you hoped to get a better look at the dark figure of the priest on the other side.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone was here." You said it quietly. "I... I was just lookin' around."

"You're new, right?" The voice was beautiful; with every vowel the person formed, you could hear some kind of melody, low and languid, almost seductive, and you suddenly realised that your hands were covered with goose bumps. Was the temperature in the little cabin any cooler than it was in the rest of the church? You couldn't be sure, but you found yourself unconsciously pulling the tails of your coat closer to your body.

Intrigued by the man on the other side of the small grate, you took a step further into the small room and looked around.

"Something like that."

"You don't come to places like this very often?" The voice made more of a statement than a question.

"No." You agreed with it. "I can't remember when I've been to church lately." You whispered in reply, so quietly that you could hardly be heard.

Silence fell between you, and, not quite understanding what you'd done, you reached out and pulled the curtain, shrouding yourself in darkness. Through the metal bars, you saw a slender man's figure and carefully sat down on the velvet bench.

"So why did you come here today, then?" The priest asked, although there was something in his tone of voice that told you that he already knew the answer, perhaps even better than you did. Was all this small talk a normal part of confession?

"I... I'm not really sure, just an instinct." You crumpled the soft fabric of your cloak between your fingers, growing more nervous with every second of the small talk between you and the mysterious priest.

"I understand, of course." He replied with a note of familiarity, as if he heard the same thing every day of his life.

Feeling even more insecure than before, you raised an eyebrow and shifted into the uncomfortable seat beneath you. There was something special about this priest, but you couldn't put your finger on what it was.

"Is something bothering you, dear?"

You bit your lower lip as you tried to process what he said. Was something gnawing at you? Was there something that was bothering you to such an extent that you were beginning to feel pangs of conscience? Deep down inside of you, in the depths of your mind, where you didn't dare to go?

"Maybe?" You finally managed to say it, but it sounded more like a question. Your whole body was on edge, and you couldn't understand why it was so. You weren't afraid, no, but there was definitely a sense of something out of the ordinary. Something that was forbidden.

"You've been doing a lot of thinking lately, haven't you?" The man asked you a question, and all of a sudden you found yourself with your eyes half closed in bliss as you enjoyed the silky texture of his voice. It sounded like an angel was singing, but with a dark undertone. "You have been asking yourself questions, perhaps even too alarming ones."

You nodded weakly in acknowledgement of his words; despite the barrier between you, he seemed to be aware of your silent response.

"You're afraid you're bad." He said simply, and you could almost swear that he was laughing at the last two words, there was a hint of mockery in the tone of his voice.

Hearing him say that made your mouth dry up and you coughed slightly, trying to clear your throat.

"Holy Father, what makes you say things like that?"

"Are not all of us afraid of something like this at some point in our lives? We are afraid of ourselves, afraid of our sinfulness."

There was a blink of confusion on your face, a complete bewilderment at the strange turn this conversation had taken. And yet, somehow, you felt compelled to go on and hear more.

His voice dropped to a hoarse, velvety whisper that sent waves of heat down the length of your spine and caused you to squirm in your seat. Was this how you were supposed to feel at this moment?

"Let me tell you a little secret, dearie."

"I-am I listening?" Your heartbeat quickened as a single streak of pale light fell on the man behind the small bars, and for a moment you saw a dark, fox-like eye.

"We are all bad men. Every single one of us."

A shiver ran down your entire body, and you could feel the stuffy air in the confessional getting hotter and hotter.

"Even you, dearest child." He moved closer to the mesh holes in the barrier that separated the two of you, and you could make out the shape of his lips, diabolically curved and full. "Especially you."

"F-Father…"

"Wooyoung." He fixed you. "My name is Wooyoung. "

You repeated his name softly, sliding your tongue over each letter; your voice was barely above a whisper, but you could hear the man inhale sharply as his name came out of your lips. His name was sinful and sweet, almost wicked, like a serpent that tempts you to do the most evil of deeds. This man cannot be a priest at all. But if he was not a priest, who was he then?"

"You are," he began, and you could almost feel the smirk on his beautiful lips as he spoke. "Very naughty girl.

Oh, my God. This wasn't really happening. Was it? No, he couldn't have meant it. He was a priest, for God's sake.

"And what is your suggestion that I should do about it?" You asked shyly, looking down at the palms of your hands, which were now covered in shallow marks from where your nails had dug themselves into the damp skin. You couldn't see Wooyoung, but you were sure that the look in his eyes would be nothing less than piercing and malicious. "Should I say the Hail Mary several times? Pray for atonement for what I have done? You haven't even told me why it is you think I'm a sinner."

He let out a dark, dry chuckle, and you heard a muffled sound as you guessed that the palms of his hands were making hard contact with his thighs.

"Shall I show you?"

"Show me what?" Your eyes narrowed and a strange sense of anticipation began to well up inside you.

"How do I have the knowledge that you are a sinner?"

You chewed on your lower lip in thought, and then you cleared your throat with a kind of self-assured finality.

"All right. But I'm beginning to think that you're a little overconfident." You added that last part in an attempt to lessen your sense of vulnerability in front of this man. You had doubts that anything would change, but something told you that you would need all the confidence you could have.

Hearing your words, his hand reached out and pressed against the grating metal, and he let out a low purr. Up close, you could see the prominent veins that ran down Wooyoung's slender hand, his long fingers adorned with a number of expensive rings, and you tried desperately to suppress a certain feeling that threatened to force itself upon you.

"Go on, touch; don't be afraid." He called to you, and you stretched out obediently, repeating what he said, carefully placing your fingertips on the grating's metal.

Instantly, your entire world was enveloped in a bright, unholy light, and with each turn of your head, you saw clear images of unspeakable darkness, depravity, and longing. You recognised them as your dreams, as fleeting thoughts that you tried to push away, as shadows that danced on the walls of your bedroom in the late hours of the night. All of these images had been ripped right out of your mind.

You jerked your hand away from him as if it had been burned, and you cried out in pity as tears streamed uncontrollably down your cheeks. You blinked and suddenly found yourself back in the dark confessional, multi-coloured spots dancing in front of your eyes as if they were mocking you and your mind.

"What the hell was that?" You wanted your voice to be aggressive and forceful, but the words sounded weak and pathetic as soon as they left your soft lips.

"You see?" The coldness in his voice burned like a fire within you.

"Those... those are not my thoughts." You murmured in fear as the confessional seemed to grow colder and colder by the second. "They were not in mine."

Were they?

Now you could see your own breath steaming, and in one quick, desperate movement, you rushed to the curtain, tore it aside, and stepped into the light. As soon as you were out of the stall, you slumped limply into the front pew of the church, your heart pounding in your chest as you tried to figure out what the hell had just happened.

There was a rustling sound in the cabin before the door on the priest's side of the room opened slightly, and a man stepped out of the darkness—Wooyoung. He was of average height and was dressed entirely in black, like a second skin, with the exception of a crisp white collar. His black hair flowed like silk down to his sharp jaw line and framed the chiselled features of his face. With fierce dark eyes and full lips that curled into a wickedly seductive smile, he was handsome—beautifully handsome.

You should have been afraid of him after what he had just shown you. You should have turned around and run away and never looked back—away from this church and away from Wooyoung. As you have always sworn, you should have left your hometown forever.

But you didn't. The man in front of you, whose eyes seemed to have an even greater darkness in them, had completely hypnotised you.

"You are not the Holy Father." Your breath caught in your throat as he came closer. There was an unreadable expression on his handsome face as he looked down at you. "Who the hell are you?"

He smiled mischievously, and you saw something completely evil in his eyes.

"I am the man who is going to rid you of all of your sins." The sound of his voice was like sugar itself—hilariously sweet.

"W-what? Are you going to make me say my prayers?" At this, he laughed uncontrollably, vulgarly, and at the top of his voice.

"Oh, poor, sweet child." He said this in a drawl, dragging the toes of his immaculately polished black shoes along the floor and carefully folding his hands behind his back. "Absolutely not. I am going to make you repent for all of your sins."

He came to a halt just a few feet in front of you, tilted his head, and looked down at your body. There was a sense of nakedness and vulnerability under his piercing gaze. You felt completely helpless.

"Throughout your entire life, you have committed so many sins that it will take me a long time to get you to repent for them," he said. Wooyoung was talking about it as if it were the most common thing in the world.

"All right. But I'm beginning to think that you're a little overconfident." You added that last part in an attempt to lessen your sense of vulnerability in front of this man. You had doubts that anything would change, but something told you that you would need all the confidence you could have.

Hearing your words, his hand reached out and pressed against the grating metal, and he let out a low purr. Up close, you could see the prominent veins that ran down Wooyoung's slender hand, his long fingers adorned with a number of expensive rings, and you tried desperately to suppress a certain feeling that threatened to force itself upon you.

"Go on, touch; don't be afraid." He called to you, and you stretched out obediently, repeating what he said, carefully placing your fingertips on the grating's metal.

Instantly, your entire world was enveloped in a bright, unholy light, and with each turn of your head, you saw clear images of unspeakable darkness, depravity, and longing. You recognised them as your dreams, as fleeting thoughts that you tried to push away, as shadows that danced on the walls of your bedroom in the late hours of the night. All of these images had been ripped right out of your mind.

You jerked your hand away from him as if it had been burned, and you cried out in pity as tears streamed uncontrollably down your cheeks. You blinked and suddenly found yourself back in the dark confessional, multi-coloured spots dancing in front of your eyes as if they were mocking you and your mind.

"What the hell was that?" You wanted your voice to be aggressive and forceful, but the words sounded weak and pathetic as soon as they left your soft lips.

"You see?" The coldness in his voice burned like a fire within you.

"Those... those are not my thoughts." You murmured in fear as the confessional seemed to grow colder and colder by the second. "They were not in mine."

Were they?

Now you could see your own breath steaming, and in one quick, desperate movement, you rushed to the curtain, tore it aside, and stepped into the light. As soon as you were out of the stall, you slumped limply into the front pew of the church, your heart pounding in your chest as you tried to figure out what the hell had just happened.

There was a rustling sound in the cabin before the door on the priest's side of the room opened slightly, and a man stepped out of the darkness—Wooyoung. He was of average height and was dressed entirely in black, like a second skin, with the exception of a crisp white collar. His black hair flowed like silk down to his sharp jaw line and framed the chiselled features of his face. With fierce dark eyes and full lips that curled into a wickedly seductive smile, he was handsome—beautifully handsome.

You should have been afraid of him after what he had just shown you. You should have turned around and run away and never looked back—away from this church and away from Wooyoung. As you have always sworn, you should have left your hometown forever.

But you didn't. The man in front of you, whose eyes seemed to have an even greater darkness in them, had completely hypnotised you.

"You are not the Holy Father." Your breath caught in your throat as he came closer. There was an unreadable expression on his handsome face as he looked down at you. "Who the hell are you?"

He smiled mischievously, and you saw something completely evil in his eyes.

"I am the man who is going to rid you of all of your sins." The sound of his voice was like sugar itself—hilariously sweet.

"W-what? Are you going to make me say my prayers?" At this, he laughed uncontrollably, vulgarly, and at the top of his voice.

"Oh, poor, sweet child." He said this in a drawl, dragging the toes of his immaculately polished black shoes along the floor and carefully folding his hands behind his back. "Absolutely not. I am going to make you repent for all of your sins."

He came to a halt just a few feet in front of you, tilted his head, and looked down at your body. There was a sense of nakedness and vulnerability under his piercing gaze. You felt completely helpless.

"Throughout your entire life, you have committed so many sins that it will take me a long time to get you to repent for them," he said. Wooyoung was talking about it as if it were the most common thing in the world.

"What if I have no desire for repentance?" You said it in a defiant tone. You wanted to be brave; you wanted to be strong and confident, but something deep down inside of you told you that Wooyoung was not the kind of person that you couldn't help but obey. His whole aura told you that if he wanted to, he would fold you up like an origami piece. But there was nothing you could do about it; you had to test the waters to see what would happen if you refused to bend to his will.

He looked at you so intently that you felt he wanted to eat you alive right then and there.

"But I have a feeling that's not the case, is it?" He said this as he ran the tips of his fingers along your jaw. You tensed as he touched you, feeling a cold shiver run down your spine as Wooyoung lazily ran his thumb over your lower lip. "I think you want to get on your knees before me, child. You wish to repent."

Your eyes widened at the sound of his words, and a smirk of arrogance spread across his perfect scarlet lips. Why haven't you fought back?

He leaned forward so that his gorgeous face was only inches away from yours. You squeezed your thighs together as warm wetness began to pool between them, realising he was even more beautiful up close, like sin itself.

"I could smell the sweetness of your cunt from the moment you walked into the church, you little slut." His voice dropped a couple of octaves, and you shivered at the feel of his hot breath on the skin of your body.

The vulgarity of his words made you gasp, but you couldn't deny how your mouth watered at the sound of his velvety voice saying the words 'cunt' and'slut'. God, he was doing something to you, but you were... You were attracted to it.

"I smelled that smell when you walked into the confessional, when you heard my voice, when you said my name." His eyes sparkled in a devilish way, trapping you in his gaze, and if you hadn't been so excited, you would have noticed the black shadows dancing along the edges of his irises.

He was speaking to you in an almost patronising manner now, and you froze in place as he pulled your lower lip down and gently ran his thumb along the inside of it until the pad of his finger was slick with your saliva.

"Wooyoung..." You exhaled, looking down at your hands, fidgeting aimlessly in your lap. Your cheeks were hot and flushed, and by the way Wooyoung looked at you, with a predatory hunger woven into the perfect features of his face, you could tell that your shyness was only turning him on even more.

"There's never been a girl in my life that has been so desperate for a fuck as you have. Your desires ... they are almost tangible." He was so close to you now that his hot lips touched the round of your cheek, sending a wave of electricity through your body as he spoke. "I have met many sinners in my life, as you can imagine."

"Are you going to punish me for that?" He raised an eyebrow before straightening up and looking down at you, seemingly completely satisfied with your answer. A majestic expression of all-encompassing power was frozen on his face as he spoke.

"No, darling, of course not. I wouldn't want to punish you, but I am going to make you repent. And the first sin you will have to do penance for will be lust." Wooyoung said, and you found yourself biting your lower lip at the commanding tone of his voice. "Stand up." He gave you the order.

You did as he asked you to, got up from your seat, and stood in front of the so-called priest. He moved around you in a circle, as if considering what to do with you, never allowing you to escape his dark gaze. His tongue stretched out to lick his plump lips in a sensual way; finally, he sat down on the spot where you had been a few seconds before and ran his hands over his muscular, thick thighs.

You were standing in front of him, completely at his mercy, your head bowed in respect as he looked at you like a predator from his seated position, your skin burning under the weight of his gaze. You could almost feel his eyes as they crawled over your body, peeling away layer after layer until they reached the very core of your soul.

"Get undressed." There was a metallic edge to Wooyoung's voice as he crossed his legs and leaned back, his long hair falling over his handsome face, making him even more vicious. "Now."

You opened your mouth to speak, words of protest hovering on the tip of your tongue, but you closed it immediately, realising that it was better not to protest. The feeling of submission came again, sharp and clear, and you quickly pulled off your cloak and threw it to the ground behind you. The soft fabric pooled on top of the midnight blue velour. Then your jumper and your jeans joined it, your hands shaking as you unbuttoned them and pulled them down to your hips.

As you shyly wrapped your arms around yourself, you suddenly realised that your nipples were hard and swollen and could be seen peeking out from under the thin white lace of your bra.

Wooyoung leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees and his sharp chin resting on his palms, before he glared at you.

"You have to undress completely, darling."

You nodded obediently, reached behind your back to unhook your bra, and with timid reluctance, pulled the lace straps off your shoulders. You lowered your eyes in shame and looked down at the floor, while Wooyoung kept his gaze fixed on you.

"In atoning for our sins." He began to speak softly, reaching out to your face and gently guiding your chin so that you looked up at him. "We do not have the luxury of being modest." Wooyoung patted your cheek in a condescending manner before he hooked his fingertips into the waistband of your panties, which were nothing more than a thin piece of white lace. He let out a sweet moan as he slowly pulled them off of you, inch by inch, revealing the smooth skin and the wet folds of your pussy.

You blushed as you watched him rub the lace between his fingers, and a thoughtful look came over his handsome face as he said.

"They're wet, darling." He finally said it in a sarcastic tone, his lips curling into a disgusted grin. "You really are a whore, aren't you? You walk around in wet panties and have depraved thoughts, and no less so than about a person who wears holy garments." Despite the roughness and harshness of his words, you could still see the mischievous gleam in his eyes. He tucked your panties into his trouser pocket.

"It's really pathetic, isn't it?" His tongue flicked over his plump lower lip until it was glistening with saliva, and a quick glance down at his crotch showed that he was hard. "You are so lucky that I am here to help you rid yourself of all the sins that you have committed, my child."

The humiliating nature of the situation was turning you on far more than you were prepared to admit. Your clit was throbbing with pain, so intense that it was beginning to distract you, and your thoughts were constantly wandering off in a thick, lustful haze.

"Show me how you touch yourself at night when you are alone with all those sordid thoughts. I want to see you give yourself over to sin." Wooyoung ordered you as he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest in a casual manner. It was impossible to ignore his erection in this position, and your mouth fell open a little when you noticed just how massive the bulge was.

"Y-yes, sir." You whispered. Your mind was spinning with lust as you parted your legs slightly for easier access, your hand hesitantly touching the warm, soft flesh of your inner thighs, shuddering as you discovered the abundance of your juices running down it.

"Keep going, darling. Don't be shy." In response to his words, your fingers touched your neglected, throbbing clit, spreading a sticky, warm wetness and massaging it in slow, firm circles. You whimpered softly, partly from pleasure and partly from the thick humiliation that was blooming in your throat, to which Wooyoung only gave a wicked grin.

"Come on, we both know that you can do it better than that." He reproached you. "I'd like to see you fuck yourself, darling."

You swallowed hard and hesitantly let your fingers slide between the wet folds of your pussy. Your behaviour was beginning to irritate Wooyoung, and all the playfulness was gone in an instant, and a venomous bitterness appeared in his voice. With the silver of his rings digging uncomfortably into your skin, he reached out and wrapped his fingers around your wrist. His gaze was as intent and as dark as the night, and you shivered at the sight.

"Didn't you hear what I said? I said, fuck yourself."

It was such a rude and vulgar thing to say, especially coming from someone who was a priest, and it took your breath away. In obedience to his command, you immediately slid two fingers through the soft, wet folds and into your cunt. You let out a long moan as you felt your silky walls stretch around your fingers, and, trying to get more of the feeling, you began to move them back and forth. Trying desperately to keep your balance in this awkward position, your knees were getting weaker by the second, and you could feel yourself starting to orgasm.

"You don't expect me to believe that your slutty little cunt can only hold two fingers, do you?" Wooyoung mocked him, biting down on his plump lower lip with her perfect set of teeth. 

Gritting your teeth against the invasion, you sighed heavily and added another finger. The soft walls of your vagina squeezed your fingers like a velvet vice with every move you made. You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to push away the shame that was quickly engulfing you like the flames of hell. The wet, squelching sound of your fingers moving in and out of your pussy was nothing short of vulgar.

"Harder, show me all of it." Wooyoung's sharp command came out, and you did your best to obey, curling your fingers and rubbing them roughly against the small, spongy bundle of nerves inside you. You were breathing heavily, your forehead and neck glistening with sweat, and your lips red and swollen when Wooyoung finally told you to stop. It was cruel, the way he waited patiently and calculatedly until you were about to come, only to deny you, but you couldn't bring yourself to complain; it was your punishment after all.

Your fingers picked up the glistening wetness that flowed from your cunt, and as you looked at Wooyoung, you brought it to your mouth and wrapped your lips around your fingers, licking it and sucking every last drop of it.

He rose sharply from where he sat, shading you and towering over you like the very embodiment of God—or the Devil? Wooyoung wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed on your hairline, with a look of genuine affection on his handsome face. This tenderness did not last for long, however, and after a few seconds, he was back in his unrelenting position of authority.

"On your knees, dear." You did so without hesitation, your knees immediately touching the faded and discoloured velour.

"Look at you, stripped of all your dignity, on your knees, writhing in despair, like a bitch in heat. Aren't you a sight to see?"

You blinked slowly, looking up at him with a fawn's wide-eyed innocence, squeezing your legs together as another wave of excitement surged from your needy cunt. Wooyoung taunted you; there was no way he would show you mercy—you could see it in his eyes as he looked at you coldly, his pretty mouth pressed into a thin line.

"You have no pride, my dear, but you must still do penance for that, to be sure you will have forgiveness for that too." He lifted one foot and placed it on the seat of the bench, presenting you with a polished, expensive-looking shoe. "Clean it for me. With your mouth, my dear."

You raised an eyebrow at Wooyoung but didn't argue, for fear that he would punish you more severely and in more subtle ways if you didn't comply. His boot looked clean enough; not a single scuff could be seen on the shiny leather, and as you moved closer to the bench, you ran the tip of your tongue along the leather in an experimental way. It didn't taste like much, which was a relief to your anxiety, and soon you were flattening your tongue and licking the hard material as if your life depended on it.

"Good girl." He cooed, but there was very little in the way of kindness in that reassurance. As if you were nothing more than a pet, his hand stroked your hair. You were relieved when Wooyoung pulled away and removed his foot from the bench, shuddering at the thought of all the dirt you were putting in your mouth.

"Look at me, my darling."

Your eyes fell on the large bulge at the front of his dark, neatly pressed trousers, and you moved away from the bench so that you were now level with his crotch. A beam of red light shone through the stained glass behind him, reflecting off the black stone of his ring as Wooyoung ran his fingers over his belt. As he slowly unbuckled the belt, the church was silent, except for the faint jingle of the metal buckle. Your gaze lingered for a moment on the image of the Virgin Mary that stood in the corner of the church. Was there judgement in her eyes? Was there a sense of disgust? Her face was as divinely serene as ever, and you couldn't tell.

Too handsome to be a saint, he bowed his head towards you, long strands of black hair falling down to frame his face. Wooyoung unzipped his trousers, taking a moment for a lewd touch of his bulge before pulling out his hard cock. The head of his cock was wet and turgid; a thick drop of pre-cum rolled down its length, and you wanted to follow its movement with your tongue.

"What do you crave, huh?" He asked, hissing as his hand slid up and down the length of his thick cock.

"Do you crave something that can't be satisfied?" His words flowed in a rhythmic flow, and his tone was so soft that you could almost swear that he was singing to you. It was the voice of an angel that was calling out to you. "Do you take all that they give you, only to find that you're still starving to death?" You bobbed your head up and down, desperate and needy, and parted your lips as he rubbed the head over your lips, staining them with pre-cum, making them slick and shiny. You were giddy, stunned by the pure, erotic beauty of this man, this stranger, whom you had so willingly allowed to pollute you in this house of God.

"You're a greedy little animal, aren't you?" Wooyoung taunted you with a throaty grunt as he slapped his cock against your cheek. You kept your hands on your hips, waiting obediently for further instructions. You grew more and more restless by the second, not having his dick in your mouth or in your hand.

God, you were one hungry little thing, you really were.

From where you were on your knees, he looked ethereal, his full lips moulded into a perfect, sensual shape. It was fascinating to watch such a man let himself fall apart like that, his chest rising and falling and sweat forming on his forehead as he moved his hand over his thick cock.

He let out a low, guttural moan as he picked up the pace and came closer and closer to the edge, throwing his head back towards the vaulted ceiling. You were so turned on that you were sure your juices were already dripping onto the carpet beneath you, forming a small puddle, a dirty declaration of your desire. The unpleasant throbbing of your cunt only intensified as you witnessed Wooyoung's approach to orgasm, his breathing choked and ragged.

He looked down at you and licked his luscious, almost sinful, lips.

"Open your mouth, dear." As if you knew he wanted it, you parted your jaw and lowered your head to his cock. Wooyoung jerked his cock a few more times before he released a silky stream of hot, salty cum into your open mouth, an animalistic roar of pleasure escaping from his lips like music. "Don't even have a thought about swallowing."

You felt the thick stream of his cum begin to flow down your tongue and into the depths of your throat, but you ignored the instinctive urge to swallow. Wooyoung pulled his trousers back on, buckled his belt around his waist, and sat back down on the bench with a cold indifference. There was not a single trace left of the erotic image that you had seen just a minute ago.

He patted his muscular, thick thighs and looked at you defiantly, and you obediently walked over to him and sat down on his lap.

His warm thigh pressed against your cunt without pity as soon as you sat down, and you pressed against him desperately in pursuit of the pleasure he hadn't allowed you to have yet. At the same time, Wooyoung slapped your bare bottom with the palm of his hand.

"You have been impertinent to me, which means you have an anger that makes you want to sin. And that is one of my favourite sins, my dear. Wooyoung said as he put his hands on your hips to stop you from squirming on his leg. "To see all the terrible things people can do just because of a little anger is both fascinating and funny."

He lifted you slightly and placed you on his lap. You obeyed him without saying a word. He manipulated you like a doll, positioning you so that you were completely on top of him, your long hair falling in your face and your head tilted forward. You clenched your jaw as hard as you could, terrified of what would happen if you let a single drop of his sperm come out of your mouth. You winced and whimpered as he wedged his knee between your legs again, his hand brushing the tender junction of your ass and thigh.

"I can feel the rage burning deep inside you, my child." Wooyoung held your hands behind your back as he restrained you, tears welling in your eyes. He used his other hand to press down on your lower back and used his knee to press down on your wet cunt. You let out a scream, the piercing sound muffled by your closed lips. The texture of his cum seemed to get thicker the longer it remained on your tongue, and you had to clench your jaw tighter, praying that nothing would accidentally drip out. You couldn't afford to be disgusted by how bitter and cold it had become, coating your mouth with every slight movement you made.

"Isn't that so? Answer me, dear." He growled as he began to massage your ass so hard that you could feel his nails digging into your soft skin.

All you could manage was a pitiful "mmmm.".

"Angry, naughty girl." He said, his voice full of fake sympathy as he ran his fingertips along your thighs in preparation for what was to come. "We can't let this pass unnoticed, can we? You need to repent."

Without warning, he slapped your ass so hard you almost forgot the cum in your mouth. Your body jerked forward before he caught you and brought you back. He didn't give you any time to recover from the blow, as he landed a second one on the opposite side of your ass. Your eyes welled up with tears and concentration as you struggled to keep your mouth shut. Tears started streaming from your eyes down your flushed, hot cheeks as he hit you again with even more sadistic aggression than the first two times. Wooyoung continued his merciless assault, each blow harder than the last, until he landed a particularly hard blow that you were sure would leave a bloody handprint on your skin. The force of the blow was almost enough to bring you to a scream, and for a moment, your lips parted. A small stream of cum ran from the corner of your mouth and down the side of your chin.

You hoped that he hadn't noticed, but you realised that you were out of luck when he let go of your wrists and took a firm grip of your hair instead. As he leaned down to speak roughly into your ear, he dug his nails into the battered, red skin of your ass as he pulled your head back.

"I will have no choice but to extend your punishment if you make a mess, my dear." When he warned you, Wooyoung's voice was deep and quietly ominous, like the ocean on the brink of a storm. He waited for a nod of understanding from you before he let go of your hair and returned to his previous position, running the palm of his hand lovingly over the swollen expanse of your ass.

You closed your eyes and took deep, slow breaths as Wooyoung spanked you over and over again without stopping. You would probably have enjoyed the spanking if it hadn't been for the added responsibility of holding a tonne of cum in your mouthYou s you squirm under his touch. His knee was still pressed relentlessly against your cunt, and his trousers were no doubt slippery from your excitement, the friction sending jolts of pleasure through your body every time you jerked in response to another loud slap against your skin. The sound was almost deafening, echoing off the walls of the old church in a dull echo.

Your punishment turned Wooyoung on once more, his hard cock pressed against the side of your body.

"It's turning you on, you little bitch." The tone of his voice would have been venomous, but it still remained angelic in some way. "I shouldn't be surprised about that. It doesn't matter what kind of touch you have, is it? You're such a needy slut that even the most innocent of touches makes your cunt wet." He ran his fingers through the tangled hair at the back of your head and let out a mocking chuckle. "You can swallow now, darling."

You swallow the cold, sticky cum, gasping in relief as it slides down your throat, immediately following his request. You could still taste it on the inside of your mouth, a faint hint of savoury sweetness tickling your taste buds. After he had spent a few seconds stroking your battered bottom in gentle, soothing movements, he grabbed hold of your sides and lifted you up until you were back in a sitting position on the edge of his lap. For the second time that night, he unbuckled his belt, sliding his trousers and boxer shorts halfway down his hips and freeing his thick cock.

Your stomach churned at the sight of Wooyoung's big, thick cock, but you knew better than to give in to your dark desires. All you could think about was how much you wanted to feel it—to run your hand along its veiny member, to curl your lips around its warm, velvety length, to jump on it and take it so deep into your cunt until you were sure you could feel it deep inside your belly. Wooyoung was absolutely right: you didn't care how he touched you at all. You were longing to feel his touch in any way that was possible.

"Pampered little sluts like you are always too used to being given everything they want without having to lift a finger to get it." He said this as he used his thumb to massage the wet head of his cock. He lifted you up and guided you to straddle him, his hands gripping the soft curves of your hips. Your breath caught; you were so close to your desire that you could almost taste it on your tongue.

"Is that what you wanted, darling?" Wooyoung hummed sweetly as he wrapped his long fingers around your wrist and pressed your hand down onto his cock. Instinctively, you grabbed hold of it, sinking your teeth into your lower lip as you ran your fingers along the prominent veins that adorned the length of his cock.

"Yeah, Holy Father." You said it breathlessly. "God, yes. This is what I have been craving so much."

"You little whore, you ought to know better than to take the name of the Lord in vain in the presence of a priest." Wooyoung teased, and you could feel his hot, cinnamon-scented breath on the back of your neck. The pleasure rippled through your body.

"Please, Wooyoung, please, I want to repent." You came close to whimpering. Your hips jerked in Wooyoung's tight grip in search of some kind of relief, and he reached forward to hold you tightly.

"You must try harder, darling. I want to see you try to repent." He placed his hands on either side of you, and the corners of his sensual lips curled up slightly into a wicked grin as he leaned back against the bench and looked at you from under his half-closed eyelids. You leaned forward and held his cock upright by the base. Sitting up, you rubbed the flushed head along your soft, wet folds, pushing it past your entrance and stretching the small hole with his thick, hot cock. Your heart pounded in your chest, pounding against your ribs as you slid on top of him all at once. At the obviously intense pain of his thickness stretching your narrow, silky walls, tears streamed from your eyes.

"Dear Lord." You let out a loud moan and rolled your eyes back as he suddenly filled you to the brim. Wooyoung didn't move, maintaining a majestic coolness, but you could see him sucking his plump lower lip into his mouth when he could feel your pussy enveloping him, a soft hiss coming from the back of his throat.

"That's it, my darling." He praised you, not being able to control himself, and he began to knead your plump tits in his hands. You squealed and barely moved your hips, still trying to get used to the idea of having something so massive and so hot inside of you. "I want you to fuck yourself on my dick. Can you do that for me like a good girl?" he asked.

"Yeah, Holy Father." You replied breathlessly. You leaned over Wooyoung's shoulder and grabbed hold of the edge of the bench with both hands to prop yourself up. As you began to move slowly, up and down on his cock, Wooyoung pressed his mouth to your sensitive nipple and ran his tongue over it.

You were starting to sweat, but you continued to fuck yourself as ordered, gaining momentum with each thrust of your hips.

The lewd sound of skin slapping against skin echoed through the empty church and mingled with the muffled, lascivious moans that escaped from your throat. You had never experienced ecstasy like this before, and you were not sure if you would ever be able to experience it again. You were insatiable, moving your hips in an almost painfully hard rhythm, your knuckles white from the force of your grip on the bench. The head of Wooyoung's cock reached your cervix, and you saw stars, unable to think of anything else but your inevitable orgasm and the devilishly beautiful man beneath you.

"Fuck, oh, fuck, Wooyoung, please..." You screamed out the words in an incoherent manner, completely consumed by the intense pleasure you were feeling. Wooyoung was a lot less eloquent than you and tried to control himself, but it was obvious that he was going crazy as well, judging by how hard he was pressing down on you. You could be sure that the marks that his hands had left on your body would be there for a long time to come.

He growled as he lifted his hips up towards you, and streams of tears began to run down your cheeks with renewed force. It hurt, but you loved the pain, you craved it, and you knew you wouldn't be able to forget it for weeks and weeks.

"I'm so close... oh fuck, I'm... I'm..." You let out a loud moan and threw your head back.

With that, he pushed you away from him with such force that you fell off his lap, your ass touching the cold velour carpet, his cock coming out of you just as you were about to come. You sobbed pitifully and looked up at Wooyoung with your eyes wide and glassy as he rose to his feet, his cock glistening with the wetness of your cunt.

"I don't think you're sincere enough in repenting; you're still full of sin, full of forbidden and dark desires, my dear." Wooyoung said it in a dismissive manner as he looked down at you. He leaned down and ran his long fingers through your hair, pulling you up until you were kneeling. "I know what you want, negligible girl. You want to cum. But unfortunately for you, today I'm the only one who can do it."

He mocked you, taking pleasure in the look of misery on your face as he forced your mouth open. He then shoved his cock into your mouth, letting you taste the arousal of your own as it covered him, and without any warning at all,, he began to fuck you in the face at a fast, merciless pace. Gagging on his cock and taking shallow breaths through your nose as he pushed down your throat, using your hair as a rein to guide your head, there was nothing you could do but take what was given to you. You felt his cock twitch, and then your nose was pressed against the smooth, hot skin of his pelvis, one hand holding you in place as warm ropes of cum shot down your throat. He released you and threw you on your side like a rag doll when he was sure you had drunk every last drop.

Too humiliated to look into the eyes of the gorgeous man who had brought you to this state, you began to sob, pulling your knees to your chest. There was no more holiness in Wooyoung than there was in the devil himself. Like the wolf in sheep's clothing, he wore a robe. At the moment, you were nothing more than a whimpering mess, bruised and humiliated, with a sore throat and trembling lips.

And yet somehow your cunt was throbbing and leaking, desperate for filling.

"Please, Wooyoung..." As the words left your lips, you felt numb and didn't even know how you could speak. "Please."

From where he was standing, he looked sinfully delicious, towering over you like a fallen angel dressed in black and sin as you lay on the floor, and you watched in disappointment as he tucked his dick back into his trousers. With what little strength you had left, you tugged at the hem of his trouser leg, and he tilted his head questioningly, a sensual smile crossing his plump lips at the sight of your hopeless state.

"Please. I don't know what you want me to repent for, but please.... Just... please. I'll do anything for you. Wooyoung..." You were on your knees, pressing your cheek against his thigh like a cat begging for food.

"What do you want, my child?" He asked in a voice that was patronising and majestic. He gently stroked your cheek with his thumb, wiping away some of the tears that had partially dried as he did so. "Wasn't that enough for you? Isn't it enough that my cock fills your mouth and your cunt? Are you going to ask me for more when I have already given you so much?"

You lowered your eyes in shame.

He grabbed you roughly by the shoulder and jerked you to your feet, throwing you onto the bench as he did so. Wooyoung licked his lips as he admired the sight of your naked body as it lay on the wooden bench, the angry red marks on your skin, and the blackened bruises that adorned your thighs.

"Do you want to cum? Is that what you want, you little slut?" Wooyoung asked you as he dropped to his knees and spread your thighs wide open. When you didn't answer, he smacked you hard on the inside of your thigh. "Answer me, bitch."

"Oh my God." You sighed, melting at the teasing sensation of the cold air of the wind on your hot and needy cunt as he spoke. "Y-yes Holy Father. That is what I want."

"Isn't it?" Wooyoung purred, holding your hips in place so that they would remain open for his pleasure. "I will be gracious to you, because that is what God commands us to be."

Suddenly, he lowered himself forward and buried his gorgeous face in your pussy, stroking vigorously between the folds of your pussy and collecting your sticky secretions on his tongue. You moaned wildly, one hand tangled in his black silk hair, reflexively rubbing your pussy all over his face. He wrapped his plump lips around your clit, sucking just enough to leave you stunned, and ran his tongue between your soft folds, swollen from his previous actions. Squirming helplessly under his ministrations, you cried out as he let go of one of your hips and slipped two long fingers inside you.

It was brutal—the way he moved his fingers inside you in a merciless way, his mouth working fervently over your clit. The edges of your vision became blurred, and soon you could feel the walls of your pussy beginning to contract, a sign that your climax was nearing.

"I... I... damn!" He flicked your head once more with the tip of his tongue, and then you came, throwing your head back in euphoria as you were consumed by your orgasm. Your cunt vibrated as Wooyoung laughed mockingly, and it was then that the whole situation became clear to you: you had been fucked, well and truly. He wasn't going to let you breathe; instead, he continued to play with your throbbing clit, a third finger thrusting into you with a dirty, lewd slurp.

"This is too much..." You whimpered as his tongue moved quickly around your sensitive clit, and his fingers spread you lightly as they went. You had no choice but to accept what he was giving you—the pleasure coursing through you so strongly that it became unbearable—but you were sure that was what he wanted—to punish you with what you craved so much.

He ran his fingers inside of you, guiding them so that they hit the deepest places that no one else had ever been able to reach. He twisted and turned them, brushing against something that was spongy and sensitive, and for a moment all you could see was white as you came for the second time. Just as you had feared, Wooyoung had no intention of stopping; now he was sucking on your clit with such passion that you could barely move, and you fell limply to the back of the bench, your legs twitching under his tight grip. He continued to push his fingers deep into you, your body shuddering weakly each time the tips of his fingers made contact with your cervix.

"Wooyoung, please stop." You begged, but all he did was laugh maliciously and spread his fingers out inside of you, stretching you even further. He pulled away from your clit with a loud pop, and you were on the verge of a sigh of relief until he removed his fingers from your core and replaced them with his sinful lips.

"N-no, that's too much, please!" Now you were sobbing openly as he lowered his head to lick the stripes between your folds, his thumb circling your defenceless clit, his long silken hair tickling the sore skin on your inner thighs.

Wooyoung sucked one of your labia into his mouth before he pushed himself deeper into your entrance and began to fuck you with his skilled, long tongue. You felt the familiar tightness in your stomach once more, and the muscles in your thighs clenched as he pinched your clit with two fingers. The coil in your stomach snapped without warning, and then you came, but this time everything was different: a wave of clear liquid burst from your overstimulated cunt and soaked Wooyoung's face and the front of his perfect shirt.

Eventually, he pulled himself away, his lips curling into a wicked grin as he looked down at the mess that you had made.

"You filthy little thing." He laughed as he wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve and licked his wet fingers at the mess. "So, what do you think? Have you come to understand how you can repent of your sins?"

"Y-yes, Holy Father." You said you were clenching your legs in a protective manner in case he decided to go for another round.

"Good." He rose to his feet again, looking just as untouched as he had been the first time you had seen him, except for his hair, which was slightly dishevelled.

Your whole body was aching, from your sore ass to your swollen cunt, from your hips to your back. You were sure that for the next few weeks, Wooyoung would be the only thing on your mind.    "I will be waiting for your return, my child. I need to be sure that you have understood the righteous path and that you are living without sin. Do you understand me, dear?"

"Yes, Wooyoung, I am definitely going to come back to confess."

[breelandwalker]

Witchcraft Exercise - Creating Correspondences

There are dozens of plant species in the arsenal of the green witch. Commonly-used varieties and usage varies somewhat between traditions, but most of us are fairly familiar with industry standards like basil, bay, rosemary, sage, and so on.

But what do you do when faced with a plant that has no listed magical correspondences anywhere that you can find in your witchcraft library? Simple - you create some.

Allow me to demonstrate with a little plant I found in my own backyard. It's a common weed called Virginia copperleaf (Acalypha virginica). But despite it's widespread range and abundant growth as a field weed, there are surprisingly few references to the plant in regional folk medicine and none at all that I could find in contemporary witchcraft.

So in order to incorporate this hardy little weed into my practice, I set about creating some correspondences for it.

First, I researched the physical properties of the plant. It is a small annual spurge with long taproots, a resistance to drought and many herbicides, and a reputation for fast growth and being difficult to eradicate from fields due to prolific seeding. The leaves turn coppery-red in the fall and small spiky flowers bloom among the foliage. It is also mildly poisonous. The juice of the plant may cause contact dermatitis or a mild rash in some people and if ingested, it may cause GI symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.

Next, I researched references to the plant in folk medicine. I could only find a single reference that cited copperleaf as a possible diuretic and expectorant. That does track with the previous mention of GI symptoms, but it doesn't mean the plant is safe to use. I did discover that an alternate name for the plant is three-seeded mercury or mercury weed, likely because of its' tendency for fast growth and the fact that it is propagated by the wind.

So now comes the business of creating the correspondences, using the physical properties of the plant as a basis.

The first and most obvious association is strength. Any weed that is resistant to drought and herbicide and uprooting is bound to be useful for spells involving tenacity and fortitude. Prosperity is also a likely use, both because of the name copperleaf and the way in which the plant grows and spreads quickly. Because of the alternate name mercury weed and the wind propagation, it could be used for wind magic or communication spells. (I often associate the element of air with communication and the name of a messenger god is right there as well, but your mileage may vary.)

The plant could also be used as an ingredient for baneful magic, either to bind and frustrate someone's efforts by consuming available ground where their ambitions might grow, or in its' capacity as a mild poison, to cause physical discomfort and stomach trouble.

So in the end, I have a handful of copperleaf and a listing in my witchbook that details the properties of the plant and notes that it could be useful for spells involving strength, tenacity, prosperity, wind, or communication, as well as possible baneful uses including binding, discomfort, and sickness.

This is my system for assigning correspondences to previously-unknown plants, and I encourage readers to use it as a template for their own practices or to create their own system. Either way, I recommend the use of a field guide or plant identification app like PlantNet to properly identify plants as you find them. Remember to forage and harvest responsibly, be a good steward of the land around you, and always label your plant cuttings.

Happy Witching! 💚🌿

(If you're enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. You can also check out my show Hex Positive wherever fine podcasts are heard. 😊)

More witchcraft exercises here:

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

I'd never heard of Tropidophiidae until your post and I'm fascinated! How does their pigment shift work, and why are their little faces so spiky?

Aren't they so cool?

Tropophiids have these little structures in their scales called pigment granules. They're these subcellular things that kinda just hang out in the scale cells.

During the day, the dark pigment granules hang out away from the surface of the scale cells, giving the snake a lighter-colored appearance. This is when the snake is active, so they blend in nicely with the leaves on the forest floor and riverbeds.

Then, at night, the dark pigment granules move so they're more visible. The snake's coloration looks darker, and they have an easier time staying hidden while they're asleep!

As for why their faces are so cute and spiky...we're not totally sure! Those two pictures above are northern eyelash boas (Trachyboa boulengeri), and not all snakes in the family have them! In fact, there are only two eyelash boas (T. boulengeri and T. gularis). They primarily eat fish, so it's possible that the protrusions help them blend in with river foliage or even help them to detect fish moving in the water!

Tropidophis melanurus, for example, doesn't have the cute little spines, even though their head shape otherwise is nearly identical:

Additional tropophiid fact! They have a really unique defensive behavior: they can voluntarily bleed from their eyes, nose, and mouth to deter predators!

Cool, funky little snakes.

[prismaticpichu]

Hhnnn for the fic ideas...

Zack takes Sephiroth to Gongaga and Zack, of course, accidentally gets turned into a frog... Seph has to take care of him until it either wears off or he finds another touch-me to turn him back, or a potion, whichever comes first lol

LOL YES THE TOUCH-MES!!! 😂😂💚✨ Ty ty ty Errant!! This is adorable!!!

Here’s a lil’ snippet!!

~

“Zack?!” Sephiroth’s booming voice called again, what was normally a tone as smooth as velvet now whetted into jagged concern, eyes frantically scanning the deviously-similar terrain of wood and flora and foliage. “Answer me! ZACK…!”

There was no response, only the thick flutter of wings as he scared off birds with his roars.

The man’s heart grew more thunderous.

Gaia… this could not be happening. It couldn’t. He couldn’t have lost Zack. This was Zack’s home—how could he let this happen? Ribbit! He was supposed to protect him, for Mivera’s sake…! Ribbit! Was he going to have to return home without him…? Ribbit! No… he would search until the end of the planet for him. RIBBIT! But what was he going to tell his parents—?!

The man’s spiraling was cut short by the sharp, mildly-reverberating sound of something… metallic, and Sephiroth lowered his gaze to find he had stepped on what could only be described as a toy-sized Buster Sword embedded in the dirt.

And, just beyond it, just mere inches away—

The thunder in Sephiroth’s heart was quelled all at once.

Ribbit…!

To immediately be eclipsed by complete and utter unsurprise.

“So…” Sephiroth folded his arms in mock-authority, gazing down at the spiky-haired frog donned in First Class SOLDIER attire, its muddy pauldrons the approximate size of his smallest tooth. “Is this a part of the ‘authentic’ experience you promised?”

The young Frog just danced.

[pinksnorkmaiden]

Thistle, my moomin oc of a fanspecies i’ve been working on called mocktrolls.

mocktrolls are a species of spiky plant-reminiscent mammal that evolved to look like trolls over time as a form of defensive mimicry, they’re prey animals whereas trolls are predators. mocktrolls are herbivores and enjoy solitary lives in jungles far away, they don’t build any sort of comfortable houses as moomins do, they prefer to curl up in dense foliage to rest.

[casp1an-sea]

Cassander “Cas” Armyn My Spidersona

(the second one is what Ey looks like in Eir universe. Scroll all the way down to see more outfits and character designs)

Age: 18

Gender: Transmasc

Height: 5’1.75”

Pronouns: He/Him/Ey/Em

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none of these are completely 100% accurate to how I view them in my head because I am always changing his character and universe

———————————————————————— Universe: 131313

best described as an abstract art piece that is alive. Gravity shifts changing up to down and down to up. like in the art piece “Relativity”. It’s almost like a normal city, but the gravity shifts cause it to look like skyscrapers are jutting out at random angles, or even just floating in the sky. (kind of think mirror dimension from Doctor Strange) color, ships and changes as if it’s a separate being creating, a black-and-white inky world with the floating colored shapes. some are small while some are big covering home buildings but they never stay in one place or stay the same shape or size for long. The color of this universe is almost alive. (Similar to the color in “Sith” the first episode of season, two of Star Wars visions) for example, touching an object, would push the color of the object away as the color of your hand displaces it. The color that comes off with your hand when you touch things is unique to every person. And it seems like it has a mind of its own, making constantly shifting works of art around you. Technology is about the same as our universe but the animals and foliage is otherworldly and everything has a painterly feel and the “line art” is always sketchy and smudgy similar to my own. The grass is purple and liquids float.

Canon Events:

Spider bite

Close person death

Commander death

—————————————————————————

Extra:

Has been Spider-Man for roughly 4 years, in the Spider Society for 2

Movement signature: Uses alot of elements of acrobatics and gymnastics so tends to do complex jumps and flips. Enjoys falling as long as possible before catching Emself.

Goes by both his first and last name

Flaps hands when nervous or excited

Has Eczema and psoriasis

His color is bright orange 

Produces web naturally so doesn’t need web shooters but in order to continually produce silk he does eat it

Has fangs but has no clue what they do as he has no desire to bite anything 

Can see extremely long distances and also see in UV color spectrum 

Carries a spiky shield on his back resembling a yellow kite spider (can also use it as a weapon by attaching a web to it so he can throw it and pull it back) (I swear I made this up before I got obsessed with Captain America)

Shoulder panels lift up on the suit and can shoot out small needles, inspired by the tarantula; they act similar to whistling birds from Star Wars, however they just knock people out rather than exploding

Suit is decorated in paint markings to resemble real life spiders; like most art in the universe they shift and change

Has heat receptors over the eyes on the suit

—————————————————————————

Backstory: In Cassander’s  universe Alchemax was a company that closed down years ago. Casander grew up with his parents and younger sister in brooklyn. They always had a strained relationship. When Cassander way 15 Ey moved into Peter Parker’s house where he was living with his aunt and uncle so that he could attend Peter’s school. Cassander was best friends with Peter and later Harry Osborn. Peter was often bullied at school and wanted nothing more than to be popular. He used his friendship with Harry as an In to the popular kid cliche but they really only ever teased him and Cassander often had to deal with the aftermath. Cassander never hung around Harry at school much because Harry was still friends with the popular kids like Ned Leeds and Flash Thompson. While Harry did try to get his popular friends not to pick on Peter they often gave him too much slack which is something he and Cassander argued over a lot. One day the  popular kids told Peter that if he wanted to join their click he had to do an initiation ceremony. He had to stay the night in the abandoned alchemex building. Cassander tried to tell Peter that this was just to make him look stupid and asked him not to do it because it was dangerous but  Peter refused. Cassander tried to get a hold of Harry but he wouldn’t answer so instead Cassander decided that he had to go in as well and make sure Peter stayed safe. That was the night Cassander was bitten after brushing the spider off of peter. They also stumbled upon a laboratory Norman Osborn had been using to make the green goblin serum, but saw nothing because of green fog that filled the room. Peter got cut on some glass So Cassander talked him into leaving. When they exited Harry had arrived. The next day Cassander discovered Eir spider abilities. That night Cassander snuck out and decided to return To Alchemax alone to try and find the spider. Instead He had his first encounter with a Green goblin. Cassander decided he would forget about his powers and try to live normally. Harry stopped hanging out with Ned and him and Cassander got together. The next Peter looked a little strange and was acting weird.  Throughout the week peter began to act stranger and stranger. Finally one night Cassander realized he was acting like a green goblin and assumed the cut had become infected. Cassander revealed this to Peter, revealing Eir spider powers in the process. Peter wanted to return to Alchemax but Cassander said no. The next day Harry asked Cassander to go out and eat dinner with his Dad (Norman aka green goblin). Harry ended up running out of that dinner cause his dad is a bitch. Little did Cassander know he was going to Alchemax because he had stayed after Cassander and petter had left the other night and discovered his dads lab. Norman asked Cassander to stay in the desert. He reluctantly agreed but things got tense and. Norman started acting strange, violent even, Cassandee ran away in fear accidentally stumbling upon Norman’s green goblin mask. He rushed home to tell Peter but when he got home Peter wasn’t there Cassander knew that he  had gone back to Alchemax. It was too late he had been killed by green goblin, Who Cas did not know was not Norman this time but Harry. Peter's death inspired Cassander to become Spider-Man. As spider man he often worked alongside police captain Gwen Stacy until she was ultimately killed when Cassander couldn’t save her. Norman Osborn as green goblin accidentally killed himself in a fight with spider-man who hid Norman was green goblin for Harry’s sake. Harry believed spiderman had killed him. infected by the goblin serum became mad hunting down spider man. The two ultimately found out each other's identities and it was revealed that Harry killed Peter not Norman. They’re relationship is on an indefinite break, but they haven’t technically broken up, it’s complicated. —————————————————————————

Other Cassander Outfits, I was too lazy to edit the pajamas

—————————————————————————

Harold “Harry” Osborn “Green Goblin”

Unlabeled gender, He/They

—————————————————————————

Peter Parker

Male He/Him

—————————————————————————

DR. Chuwi Quispe Mamani

(This universe’s Dr. Strange)

Agender They/Them

————————————————————Aaron Davis

—————————————————————————

@xen-blank, @thehollowwriter, @l7k-a, @ferris-the-wheel, @keii-starz

@krenenbaker @elenauaurs @the-banana-0verlord @edith-is-a-cat @dove-da-birb

@theosb0rnway @fizzydreamz @ravenwing0110

@diabollicallyangelic @xentari94 @tomatette

@dragonflies-draw-flame @sunshinechildskywalker @silly-little-goober-core

[cboffshore]

second Dragons Rising location-based couture design is done - this one is inspired by the Mother Garden! Appropriately, she's giving "going to steal your seat at the garden party and you'll thank her for the privilege," and now it's time for a few notes:

The pale pink minidress and glitter fringe/tassels all over the dress are inspired by the Impossible Path! It looks white onscreen, but color picking did reveal some lavenderish baby pinks. I cranked up the saturation on those to make this a little more colorful and help the crystalline elements stand out.

I took a TON of liberties with the floral shapes present in the garden to add some visual interest. For instance, the purple foliage and blue bubble flowers got decidedly spikier on the gloves, neckpiece, shoes, and hips to offset the gentle mossy texture I chose to cover the general greenery. The most faithful flowers are probably the hanging yellow ones on the overskirt, hat band, and hips, although I did add a backing glow to spice those up a bit.

The impractical bubble clutch... No comment on that beyond I forgot how fun rendering bubbles is, and I think this really looks great. I very nearly put tiny bubbles on the shoes ala Tinker Bell, but I liked the little spiky flowers better there. I did slice a bubble in half for the shoulder flounces, though!

These aren't the exact ref pics I used, but they have all the same elements, so I'll just provide them for reference.

[grundos-cafe]

Customizations.

[ image description: a smiling blue Jelly Aisha from Neopets wearing a mechanical Cone of Shame, mechanical suit, and glowing blue contacts. In front of him is a hologram projector displaying a green arc-shaped grid with symbols representing an alien, a space station, a spaceship and a planet. In the background is a spaceship hangar bay filled with snow with a transparent ceiling showing the stars and planets. Clouds in the shapes of Neopets fly by. ]

[ image description: a smiling yellow and blue Plushie Aisha from Neopets sits in a wheelbarrow full of autumn leaves and pumpkins. She is wearing a blonde wavy wig with nuts and sprigs of seeds on it. There are leaves on her face and tail. In the background is a street with Tudor-style houses showing autumn foliage. One of the houses has a sign shaped like a pie hanging from it, while a broom with a pile of leaves is leaning against another. ]

[ image description: a pale blue-grey Halloween Gelert from Neopets is holding a purple teapot in his fanged mouth. He has white hair that covers his eyes. He is wearing a black cape, white shirt, and gold embroidered vest. In the background is a dark castle with cone-topped towers. Lightning crackles across a dark sky with a red full moon. There is black mist in front of the castle and bats flying in front of the moon. The gelert is inside a circle of candles and candelabras float in front of him. His front paws glow with blue fire. ]

[ image description: A grey Elderlygirl Orgrin from Neopets dressed in a pink turban, purple earrings, purple horn-rim glasses, and white dress with a purple polka-dotted skirt. In the background is a grassy area with trees and a black, spiky castle. In the foreground are camping supplies including a picnic blanket, a lantern, a grill with hotdogs, soda cans, cooler, and tongs. A bee-like creature perches on a nearby branch. ]

[ image description: A purple 8-bit Scorchio from Neopets under a trellis of purple wisteria flowers. There are purple bubbles floating in the air and potted flowers and neggs in the foreground. ]

[ image description: A green Faerie Eyrie from Neopets dressed in a braided brown wig, denim jacket, ripped blue jeans, and plaid shirt tied around her waist. There is green makeup on her face. On her right is a plushie of AAA the Blumaroo. In the background is a cafe with hanging plants, brick walls, large window, and a lighted green tent with clothes hung over it. There are books and pillows in the tent. ]

[regretisstoredintheme]

So I saw you said you've been writing oddly specific headcannons-?

And I'm just here to say-

y e s

I would like to see them plz XD

-T

Omg do I..??? Have an anon..???? :0

HIIIIII :DDDD

The handholding/blush hcs were the oddly specific hcs I had mentioned— HOWEVER— HAVE MORE THAT I THOUGHT OF OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD

Leo had a lisp for a while — it wasn’t very noticeable and he hid it well, but Mikey thought it was cool so he copied it, exaggerating the lisp. it became “Mikey’s thing” (as it usually goes when the younger sibling copies 😭)

Donnie doesn’t like grass. Not like plants in general- he loves plants- he just hates the feeling of grass. Considering they’re in New York, he had never really felt it until April took them on a road-trip, in which Donnie had quite literally hissed at the spiky foliage.

Leo will randomly sing/yell at the top of his lungs and will not relent until one of his brothers copies the stim back.

“AAAAAA”

“AAAAAAAAAAA”

“AAAAAAAA, THERE NOW WILL YOU SHUT. U—”

Raph has nightmares; like— a chronic nightmare kind of thing, it’s why he’s an early bird. when he wakes up from them and can’t go back to sleep— he goes to Leo. “Leo?? Why Leo!?” you ask? Well, my friend, Countless reasons! 1. Leo is the one who cares most about Raph’s fear of being alone, and I feel like waking up in the dark without anyone awake would KICKSTART THAT MF. 2. Leo has insomnia, anyway, and usually he’s awake when Raph has a nightmare. 3. Leo talks in his sleep, and it’s really hard to feel alone in the when there’s someone in the room being loud as hell. 4. LEO MAKES JOKES?? IN HIS SLEEP??? Raph gets to chuckle a little through tired tears, feeling more comfortable in his own shell. 5. Leo and Raph are constantly fighting for control of the team as leader, however, when the team isn’t involved, it seems like they can both just relax and enjoy the quiet. 6. Leo is the lightest sleeper unknown to man. Even if Raph just peeked through the curtains, the slightest fabric movement has Leo jutting awake, looking around before recognizing his brother, a tired smile replacing the shock on his face. 7. Leo doesn’t judge him or make him feel any less of a hero for having a nightmare. All he does is smile, ask “What’s up, bug guy?” with gentle understanding, and offer a place on the floor to sleep. THAT ONE WAS LONG SHSJSBSJBD

Raph has teddy bears. Many. Many teddy bears. I feel like this is mostly canon considering his frequent buyer gift card, but I just feel like it had to be said 😤

Mikey is FLEXIBLE as FUCK. “Psycho-acrobatics” is right.

Donnie offered to give Casey Jr. braces, but the time traveler declined, saying he thought they looked cool.

April, Cassandra, Casey Jr. and Sunita will sometimes call themselves the “protesters quartet” as they often go out to advocate for rights of certain minorities.

April knows how to temper chocolate. She rightfully abuses this power.

[rebeccathenaturalist]

How to Identify American Holly

Click here to learn more about the How to Identify article series.

Name: American Holly (Ilex opaca)

Range and typical habitat(s): Typically southeastern United States, from eastern Texas to the Atlantic coast, southern Missouri, and central Florida to scattered portions of New England. iNaturalist observations also place it in portions of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Oklahoma, showing some expansion compared to the 2014 BONAP map, so its range may be expanding in response to climate change. In most of its range it is an understory tree growing in the shade of larger species. However, in Florida’s scrub habitat it grows as a shrub.

Photo by Derek Ramsay, GNU FDL 1.2

Distinguishing physical characteristics (size, colors, overall shapes, detail shapes): At first glance American holly looks quite similar to the European holly (Ilex aquifolium) so commonly used got holiday decorations (more about the differences between the two below.) It has medium to dark green oval-shaped leaves, sometimes with a yellowish tint, whose margins (edges) have concave curves between sharp points that are regularly spaced; large leaves may reach three inches long.

Photo by Famartin, CCA-SA-4.0-INTL

The American holly’s leaves have a leathery, stiff texture, and may appear waxy, and the underside is paler, often yellow in color. Each leaf has a central vein (midrib) that is depressed, appearing almost like a deep crease. Thinner veins branch off of both sides of the midrib. Some leaves may display smooth margins instead of the more typically spiky ones, especially when they are high enough to be out of the reach of browsing herbivores like deer.

The foliage stays green throughout the year rather than being shed in fall; a given leaf may stay on the tree for up to three years before being displaced by a new replacement leaf. The leaves grow in an alternate pattern along a twig, with each leaf growing a little further along the twig than the last. The tree’s branches and trunk are covered in pale gray bark that is relatively smooth, but may have horizontal and vertical striations, along with various nodes and bumps, and might also play host to white patches of microlichen colonies. Other lichens, as well as mosses, also may add color to the American holly’s bark.

Photo by Krzysztof Ziarnek, CCA-SA-4.0-INTL

An exceptional specimen of American holly can reach almost 100 feet tall when mature, though it grows slowly. Such large trees are generally a century or more old, and the oldest on record was just a few years shy of 150.

The flowers of American holly are small (1/2″ or less across) with green centers and four (sometimes six) white petals that are broad with a rounded end, and whose tips curve back toward the plant. They grow in clusters of several flowers sprouting from one spot. American holly is dioecious, meaning that there are female and male plants; the males tend to reach sexual maturity a few years earlier than the females, but they all are generally reproducing by the age of ten.

When fertilized by insects the female flowers then turn into the well-known red berries. Technically these are drupes rather than true berries, with four seeds apiece, and while they start out green they ripen to a bright red. The berries are popular with birds like cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum), but are toxic to humans and our pets.

Photo by Douglas Goldman, CCA-SA-4.0

Other organisms it could be confused with and how to tell the difference: Due to their similarity, American holly and European holly may easily be confused at first glance, and both prefer the understory of a forest. However, the European species does not grow as large. The leaves of European holly are darker and have a glossier appearance; the edges may also be more warped where those of American holly lie comparatively flat. Moreover, European holly grows more commonly along the west coast of North America, and is more sparse throughout American holly’s native range, especially outside of cultivated spaces.

European holly (Ilex aquifolium)

Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) is another species native to the southeastern North America, particularly the Gulf Coast states and the southern third of the Atlantic coast. It is a much smaller shrub that rarely exceeds thirty feet tall, and its leaves are round with serrated or scalloped edges rather than the pointed margins of American holly. The petals of the flowers may not curve as much as on American holly.

Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria)

Dahoon holly (Ilex cassine) also grows in the extreme southeastern United States, from Louisiana to the southern tip of North Carolina, and primarily along the coastline except in Florida where it can be found across much of the peninsula. Its leaves are longer and more slender than those of American holly, and the margins are almost entirely smooth except for a series of very small spikes.

Dahoon holly (Ilex cassine). Photo by Douglas Goldman, CCA-SA-4.0

Possumhaw (Ilex decidua) has long, slender leaves with a gently pointed tip and serrated edges. This deciduous plant drops its leaves in fall, unlike the evergreen American holly.

Possumhaw (Ilex decidua)

There are other plants that have similar leaves to American holly but that grow out of its range, such as the various species of Oregon grape (Mahonia spp.) in the Pacific Northwest, and holm oak (Quercus ilex), for which the genus Ilex was originally named.

Further reading:

USDA: American Holly

North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Ilex opaca

Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder: Ilex opaca

Native Plant Trust: Ilex opaca – American holly

University of Connecticut Plant Database: Ilex opaca

Did you enjoy this post? Consider taking one of my online foraging and natural history classes or hiring me for a guided nature tour, checking out my other articles, or picking up a paperback or ebook I’ve written! You can even buy me a coffee here!

[bumblebeeappletree]

Australian native flowers are in high demand for cut flowers, and can cost a lot in the shops, so why not try growing a few of your own? Clarence suggests some top varieties to try.

But first a word about what is an Australian native - we’re talking here about plants that are from Australia originally, not their ancient Gondwanan relatives such as proteas and leucadendrons, which are native to southern Africa.

Banksias: there’s one for nearly every corner of Australia and they make great cut flowers.

Hakeas also last well in the vase and, while some can be a bit spiky, H. francisiana and H. bucculenta has softer foliage and spectacular flowers. The woody seedpods also look great afterwards. When cutting back, make sure you don’t cut back to bare wood - the stem is more likely to grow back if it still has some foliage on it.

Waratahs are truly spectacular but need shelter, consistent moisture and good drainage so they won’t grow just anywhere. But you could always try a pot using good quality potting mix.

Grevilleas - many hold well in a vase but the sap of some grevilleas in a common allergen so use gloves and eye protection and place them somewhere indoors where they can be admired but not touched.

Short-lived annuals such as Pelargoniums are lovely in a vase, too, and will generously self-seed in the garden.

Kangaroo paws are a classic cut flower, but beware of the hairs on the flowers, which can be an irritant.

Everlasting daisies will grow almost anywhere in southern Australia and their papery flowers dry beautifully as well as bringing colour to a traditional posy.

Foliage - don’t’ forget some grey and green leaves to offset the colour, and growing a few at home can save you a lot of money.

Grasses - their soft, elegant foliage and seedheads can add interest to any bunch.

Picking is a good form of pruning, so don’t be afraid to cut!

How to arrange:

If in doubt, pick a central stem as the main focus, then slowly build up around that, turning the bunch as you go and adding another stem at each point as you turn.

Featured plants:

Protea (Protea sp.)

Leucadendron (Leucadendron sp.)

Firewood banksia (Banksia menziesii)

Coast banksia (Banksia integrifolia)

Grass-leaf hakea (Hakea francisiana)

Red pokers (Hakea bucculenta)

NSW waratah (Telopea speciosissima)

Austral storksbill (Pelargonium australe)

Kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos sp.)

Rosy everlasting (Rhodanthe chlorocephala subsp. rosea)

Paper daisy (Xerochrysum bracteatum ‘Dargan Hill Monarch’)

Kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra)

Filmed on Dharawal Country in Heathcote, NSW

[todaysbug]

December 18th, 2023

Thorny Devil Stick Insect (Eurycantha calcarata)

Distribution: Found in Australasia; New Guinea, New Caledonia, and the Solomon Islands.

Habitat: Prefers warm, humid rainforests. Found mostly hidden in foliage and ground litter.

Diet: Herbivorous; feeds on the leaves of plants including Ficus, bramble, raspberry, rose and guava.

Description: Like other stick insects, thorny devil stick insects are masters of camouflage. They ressemble bark or rotting wood and, when sensing danger, stay completely still until it feels safe enough to move again. If the camouflage isn't enough, these stick insects also have a tough, spiky exoskeleton and, when threatened, may use their spine-covered legs to clamp down on a potential threat. If all that isn't enough, they also have glands behind their head that can emit a strong odour to deter predators.

Unlike other phasmids, thorny devil stick insects have a tendency to form groups during the day, when they're at rest (as they are a nocturnal species). Clusters of these stick insects will hide in hollow logs and trees, providing safety in numbers.

(Images by Greg Hume and Drägüs)

[katiajewelbox]

Dragons of the Plant World

Happy Lunar New Year of the Wood Dragon! The Lunar New Year is a major cultural event celebrated in Asia and across the world. The year of the wood dragon begins on February 10th 2024 and concludes on January 29th, 2025. The Asian dragon or “Loong” is a noble, benevolent creature unlike the destructive monsters of Western folklore. Let’s meet some plants named after dragons!

A whole genus of monocot trees is named after dragons, namely the genus Dracaena which includes 120 species of trees and succulent shrubs native to Africa, South Asia, Australia, and Central America. The name Dracaena is derived from a Greek word meaning “female dragon”. It is unclear why these trees are named after dragons, but their spiky foliage and scaly trunks may recall the typical traits of western dragons. Additionally, the Socotra Dragon Tree (Dracaena cinnabari) yields a red resin known as “Dragon’s Blood” which was harvested from these trees since ancient times and used in the Mediterranean and the Middle East for dye and medicines. Several Dracaena species including Dracaena marinata are popular houseplants since they require minimal water and can tolerate low light levels in indoor environments.

Dragonfruit is a tropical treat that comes from a cactus. The Dragonfruit cactus is a general name for one of three species in the Selenicereus genus and is commonly known as the Pitahaya or Moonlight Cactus. These night-blooming lanky cacti are epiphytic and lithophytic, meaning they grow on trees and stones instead of rooting directly into the ground. Their hot pink or yellows fruit have dragon-like fleshy scales and an interior that can be either white or red. Although they were originally cultivated in South America, Vietnam is now the main producer of Dragonfruit. The fruit is rich in dietary fibre, vitamin C, betalains, and carotenoids.

Snapdragons (Anthrrhinum genus) have flowers with cute dragon-like snouts that open and close like a mouth when pressed sideways. These perennial flowers add fiery hues like yellow, orange, red, and pink to cottage gardens of Northern Europe and are a favourite of bees. The Snapdragon (A. majus) is a model organism for plant biology research, especially biochemical studies and developmental biology as well as research on plant-pollinator interactions.

I hope the Year of the Wood Dragon brings new growth to you and your plant collection!Features photos from Wikipedia along with my original AI-generated art made with DALL E.

[warriors-rewritten-chaos]

Warrior Cats Prefixes- M

I had a WC Name Generator on Perchance that I made but I don't seem to have access anymore, so I'm remaking it here as just a simple list. The definitions used are the ones that Clan cats have for those things, and thus are the origins of the names. Definitions used are whatever I found when I googled it.

Maggot-: "[noun] a soft-bodied legless larva, especially that of a fly found in decaying matter"

Magnolia-: "[noun] a tree or shrub with large, typically creamy-pink, waxy flowers"

Magpie-: "[noun] a long-tailed crow with boldly marked (or green) plumage and a raucous voice; [noun] used in similes or comparisons to refer to a person who collects things, especially things of little use or value, or a person who chatters idly"

Mallard-: "[noun] the most common duck of the northern hemisphere and the ancestor of most domestic ducks, the male having a dark green head and white collar"

Mallow-: "[noun] a herbaceous plant with hairy stems, pink or purple flowers, and disk-shaped fruit"

Mantis-: "[noun] a slender predatory insect related to the cockroach. It waits motionless for prey with its large spiky forelegs folded like hands in prayer"

Maple-: "[noun] tree or shrub with lobed leaves, winged fruits, and colorful autumn foliage"

Marble-: "[noun] a hard crystalline metamorphic form of limestone, typically white with mottlings or streaks of color"

Marbled-: "[adj] having a streaked and patterned appearance like that of variegated marble"

Marigold-: "[noun] a plant of the daisy family, typically with yellow, orange, or copper-brown flowers"

Marrow-: "[noun] a soft fatty substance in the cavities of bones"

Marsh-: "[noun] an area of low-lying land which is flooded in wet seasons or at high tide, and typically remains waterlogged at all times"

Marten-: "[noun] a chiefly arboreal weasel-like mammal found in Eurasia and North America"

Mayflower-: "[noun] a name given to several plants that bloom in May, especially certain hepaticas and anemones and the trailing arbutus"

Meadow-: "[noun] a piece of grassland; [noun] a piece of low ground near a river"

Meadowlark-: "[noun] a ground-dwelling songbird of the American blackbird family, with a brown streaky back and yellow and black underparts"

Melody-: "[noun]  sequence of single notes that is musically satisfying"

Merlin-: "[noun] a small dark falcon that hunts small birds, found throughout most of Eurasia and much of North America"

Midge-: "[noun] a small two-winged fly that is often seen in swarms near water or marshy areas where it breeds"

Midnight-: "[noun] the middle period of the night"

Milk-: "[noun] an opaque white fluid rich in fat and protein, secreted by female mammals for the nourishment of their young"

Milkcap-: "[noun] a species of mushroom characterized by the milky fluid they exude when cut or damaged"

Milkweed-: "[noun] a herbaceous American plant with milky sap. Some kinds attract butterflies, some yield a variety of useful products, and some are grown as ornamentals"

Milky-: "[adj] resembling milk in color"

Mink-: "[noun] a small semiaquatic carnivore resembling the stoat, native to North America and Eurasia"

Minnow-: "[noun]  small freshwater Eurasian cyprinoid fish that typically forms large shoals"

Mint-: "[noun] an aromatic plant native to temperate regions of the Old World"

Mire-: "[noun] a stretch of swampy or boggy ground"

Mist-: "[noun] a cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere at or near the earth's surface that limits visibility"

Mistle-: "[noun] a bird common to much of Europe, temperate Asia and North Africa"

Mistletoe-: "[noun] a leathery-leaved parasitic plant which grows on apple, oak, and other broadleaf trees and bears white glutinous berries in winter"

Misty-: "[adj] full of, covered with, or accompanied by mist; [adj] indistinct or dim in outline"

Mite-: "[noun] a minute arachnid which has four pairs of legs when adult, related to ticks"

Mockingbird-: "[noun] a long-tailed songbird with grayish plumage, found mainly in tropical America and noted for its mimicry of the calls and songs of other birds"

Mole-: "[noun] a small burrowing insectivorous mammal with dark velvety fur, a long muzzle, and very small eyes"

Moon-: "[noun] the natural satellite of the earth, visible (chiefly at night) by reflected light from the sun"

Moor-: "[noun] a tract of open uncultivated upland; a heath"

Moorhen-: "[noun] a small aquatic rail with mainly blackish plumage"

Moose-: "[noun] a large deer with palmate antlers, a sloping back, and a growth of skin hanging from the neck"

Morel-: "[noun] a widely distributed edible fungus which has a brown oval or pointed fruiting body with an irregular honeycombed surface bearing the spores"

Morning-: "[noun] the period of time between midnight and noon, especially from sunrise to noon"

Moss-: "[noun] a small flowerless green plant that lacks true roots, growing in damp habitats and reproducing by means of spores released from stalked capsules; [noun] a green color like that of moss"

Mossy-: "[adj] resembling moss; [adj] covered with moss or something like moss"

Moth-: "[noun] a chiefly nocturnal insect related to butterflies. It lacks the clubbed antennae of butterflies and typically has a stout body, drab coloration, and wings that fold flat when resting"

Mottled-: "[adj] marked with spots or smears of color"

Mountain-: "[noun] a large natural elevation of the earth's surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level"

Mouse-: "[noun] a small rodent that typically has a pointed snout, relatively large ears and eyes, and a long tail"

Mud-: "[noun] soft, sticky matter resulting from the mixing of earth and water"

Muddy-: "[adj] covered in or full of mud"

Mulberry-: "[noun] a small deciduous tree with broad leaves; [noun] a dark red or purple color"

Mumble-: "[verb] say something indistinctly and quietly, making it difficult for others to hear; [noun] a quiet and indistinct utterance"

Murk-: "[noun] darkness or thick mist that makes it difficult to see"

Murky-: "[adj] dark and gloomy, especially due to thick mist; [adj] (of liquid) dark and dirty, not clear"

Mushroom-: "[noun] a fungal growth that typically takes the form of a domed cap on a stalk, with gills on the underside of the cap"

Myrtle-: "[noun] an evergreen shrub which has glossy aromatic foliage and white flowers followed by purple-black oval berries"

[steampunkserpent27]

Don't Eat Those

for @hdcandyheartsfest 's prompt: Surprise rated: G CW: Deer-Centaur Draco A sequel to this

He was observing a young tree, one that had just started to bear fruit. Its leaves were short and spiky, reminding him of wide pine needles. They ran down the length of the stems, giving the green foliage a dangerous and hostile appearance. Growing in small clumps were round, red berries. Only these berries had a hole in the front of them, revealing the seeds inside. They were strange berries, ones he had never seen the likes of before. He plucked one of the berries free from the stem and rolled it around in his fingers. It was smooth and soft, crumpling, as he crushed it, staining his fingers a dark red. “Don’t eat those. You’ll die.” He flinched, completely surprised and turned to find Draco watching him from behind a large shrub, before he stepped out into the open, his white fur glistening in the sun. Draco looked annoyed, as if he was about to scold a disobedient child. He wiped the juice off on his trousers. “I wasn’t eating them.” Draco crossed his arms over his chest, as he trotted over to him, his short tail flicking up and down, as if agitated. “No. You were just about to. Don’t you know anything?” “I was not.” He fought against the urge to roll his eyes. “I wasn’t raised in the forest, how am I supposed to know which berries are safe and which ones aren’t?” “Even fawns know not to eat yew berries. They’re one of the easiest to identify.” Draco stomped his cloven hoof into the dirt. “And there’s not even any flowers this time?” “What?” “You didn’t bring me flowers. You brought flowers last time.” 

“Oh. No, I didn’t.” He ran his fingers through his hair, pulling a loose curl out of his eyes. “I didn’t think you’d want more.” Draco turned away, sticking his nose into the air. “Whatever. I didn’t want any anyway.” “Don’t be cross. I’ll bring you flowers next time.” Draco continued to walk away, as he refused to look at him. “Okay. I’ll get you flowers now.” He suggested, unsure of what to do. There was a brief pause, before Draco stopped and glanced back at him from over his shoulder. “You’re clueless, you know that?” He shrugged and leaned against a pine tree. “I’m trying my best, but it’s not like you’ve told me much about yourself or your customs.” “Well, I’m not really meant to.” “Why?” “Because you’re an outsider, and I’m just not meant to.” Draco gestured wildly with his hands. “Would you be punished?” Draco looked him up and down, his eyebrows furrowing. “No, but they might delay my…” He fell silent, his expression turning to annoyance. “I’m not meant to be talking to you about this. Stop asking questions.” “You’re very secretive. I have to ask questions.” He pointed at the bow slung around Draco’s chest. “What do you use your bow for?” Draco continued to glare at him. “What did I just say?” “Not to ask questions?” “Precisely.” “But why? It’s not like I’m a threat to you. You’re like the size of an ox.” He opened his arms wide, indicating how large Draco was. “What part of ‘I’m not meant to’ do you not understand?” He let out a huff, mumbling under his breath, “It’s just stupid, is all I’m saying.” Draco repositioned his bow, as he shook his head. “I’ve got to go.” “Already?” “I’m not even meant to be out here. They’ll come looking before long.” Holding back a sigh, he pulled away from the tree, moving closer to Draco, although he remained a respectable distance away. “I was going to get you flowers.” Draco paused by the edge of the clearing, one foot-step away from the foliage. “I like bluebells the most.” Then he was gone, and Harry was left wondering what bluebells looked like and how exactly he was going to find them. 

[harmonyhealinghub]

Cultivating Ecosystem Harmony: The Best Flowers to Plant for Insects and the Environment Shaina Tranquilino April 6, 2024

In a world where biodiversity is increasingly threatened, every little action to support our ecosystems counts. One powerful way to make a positive impact is by planting flowers that not only beautify our surroundings but also serve as vital resources for insects and other creatures. As we delve into the realm of gardening, let's explore some of the best flowers to plant to foster a thriving ecosystem.

Understanding the Importance of Planting for Insects

Insects play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. They pollinate plants, decompose organic matter, and serve as a vital food source for various animals. However, habitat loss and pesticide use have led to a decline in insect populations worldwide. By choosing the right flowers for our gardens, we can provide essential resources for these beneficial insects, helping to sustain their populations and support overall biodiversity.

Top Flowers for Supporting Insects and the Environment

Lavender: Loved for its fragrant blooms and drought tolerance, lavender is a favourite among gardeners and insects alike. Bees are particularly drawn to its nectar-rich flowers, making it a valuable plant for pollinator gardens. Additionally, its aromatic foliage repels pests like mosquitoes and moths.

Sunflowers: With their towering stems and vibrant blooms, sunflowers are not only a sight to behold but also a magnet for pollinators. Bees, butterflies, and even birds flock to these cheerful flowers to collect nectar and seeds. Opt for native varieties to provide the most benefit to local wildlife.

Wild Bergamot (Bee Balm): As the name suggests, bee balm is a bee favourite, attracting a variety of pollinators with its colourful blooms. This native perennial not only adds beauty to the garden but also provides a valuable food source for bees and butterflies throughout the summer months.

Goldenrod: Often unfairly blamed for causing allergies (it's actually ragweed that's the culprit), goldenrod is a powerhouse of nectar for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Its bright yellow flowers light up the late summer and early fall landscape while supporting diverse insect populations.

Echinacea (Coneflowers): Coneflowers, with their distinctive spiky centers and daisy-like petals, are not only visually striking but also highly attractive to bees and butterflies. Their sturdy stems and long-lasting blooms make them a low-maintenance addition to any garden.

Milkweed: No list of insect-friendly flowers would be complete without milkweed. As the sole host plant for monarch butterfly larvae, milkweed is essential for supporting declining monarch populations. Planting milkweed provides a critical habitat for monarchs to lay their eggs and nourishes caterpillars as they undergo metamorphosis.

Yarrow: Yarrow's flat-topped clusters of tiny flowers are a favourite among pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and beneficial wasps. This drought-tolerant perennial is easy to grow and adds a delicate beauty to gardens while supporting local insect populations.

Tips for Creating an Insect-Friendly Garden

Choose Native Plants: Native plants are adapted to the local environment and provide the best resources for native insects. Research native species in your area and incorporate them into your garden.

Plant a Variety of Flowers: Different insects have different preferences, so aim for a diverse selection of flowers that bloom at different times throughout the growing season. This ensures a steady supply of nectar and pollen for pollinators.

Avoid Pesticides: Pesticides can harm beneficial insects along with pests. Instead of relying on chemicals, practice natural pest control methods and encourage a healthy balance of predators and prey in your garden.

Provide Shelter and Water: In addition to flowers, consider including other elements in your garden, such as shrubs, trees, and water features, to provide shelter, nesting sites, and sources of hydration for insects.

By planting flowers that support insects and the environment, we can contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and create havens of beauty and life in our own backyards. Whether you have a sprawling garden or a small balcony, every patch of green can make a difference in nurturing our precious ecosystems. Let's cultivate harmony with nature, one flower at a time.