#dr flora

[namedafterflowerstournament]

Botanic Tournament : Unspecific Flowers Bracket 2 !

Round 2 Poll 3

Moobloom (Minecraft) VS Dr. Flora (A Bug's Life)

Moobloom

Dr. Flora

Show results

Voting ended onSep 8, 2023

[abugeatbugworld]

“I – can’t – do it!” she cried.

“That’s okay!” Dr. Flora said, still rubbing Atta’s antenna between her fingers. “Let’s try again together. This time, I want you to hold my hand and look at me while you breathe. Okay?”

Atta nodded again.

“Okay.” Dr. Flora reached her free hand out so Atta could clasp it between both of her own. She resisted the urge to look over at her mother and Mr. Cornelius again, instead focusing on her doctor’s eyes. They were a dark, purpley-blue color, like the desert sage that grew around the island. She’d never noticed that before.

“Ready? In, one-two-three. Out, one-two-three. In, one-two-three. Out, one-two-three.”

In, one-two-three. Out, one-two-three.

It took a couple of tries, but finally Atta’s breathing began to match Dr. Flora’s. With each exhale she felt another knot unravel inside of her, and before long her tears were gone and her heart was beating normally again.

How to Breathe

[kirieiki]

wtf why is drawing ant so hard!!

[bluemoonbeam15]

I've got about 4 different short stories in my drafts right now that I'm trying to work through a writers block.

Luckily, my inspiration for the novel hasn't dissipated!

I'm in the middle of writing chapter 4...and man, this scene that came to me hits deep.

Also, I am absolutely in LOVE with Dr. Flora's character and the way she's portrayed in the movie as well.

Here's a little snippet of a scene in the chapter that came to me from out of nowhere:

<><><><><><><>

Flik kept his gaze on the ground, slowly looking up at Hopper, “The Council already made their decision.”

He set his mouth in a fine line, “Well…I guess you came here to say goodbye,” his tone was bitter.

“You still have the two weeks,” Dr. Flora said. “That’s as long as I’m allowed to hold you here before it becomes a charge against me. As far as the Queen is concerned, I’m keeping you here solely to fulfill my job as a healer.”

Hopper quirked his mouth, “Aren’t you?”

Dr. Flora held his gaze, not answering immediately. She looked down at the piles he’d made, walking up to take one of the red berries, “You see this berry? It looks a lot like a holly, doesn’t it?”

“…Yeah,” he didn’t know where she was going with this.

“Well, it’s actually a wintergreen berry. Do you know what the difference is?” Hopper shook his head. “A wintergreen berry is used to heal wounds and treat poisons. A holly berry does the exact opposite. Eating one will make you wish they were fatal—and in large amounts, they can be.”

She placed the berry in his hand. He scrutinized the herb, “What’s your point?”

“My point is that a lot of people will walk past a wintergreen berry just because they look like hollies. Even though it won’t hurt them, they’re afraid of risking their safety over a misjudgment. But,” She lifted his head to meet her eyes, “those of us who know how to tell the difference can distinguish a deadly poison from a neglected look-alike.”

<><><><><>

I love it when the characters end up writing themselves and then I'm just here for the ride 😭

[abugeatbugworld]

How to Breathe

In honor of mental health awareness month (!), here’s a lil scene based on this headcanon. Take care of yourself, buggies <3

TW: anxiety/panic attacks

We’ll be back at the end of the season, when the last leaf falls.

Atta paced around her bedroom, her mind racing faster than her feet could keep up. The last leaf, he’d said. When would the last leaf fall? It wasn’t even noon yet and she’d counted at least five on the ground today. At that rate they were looking at roughly twenty leaves a day, and they seemed to fall faster as it got colder.

How many leaves were on a tree, anyway? A thousand? Five hundred? Mr. Soil would know. Maybe he could help her calculate how much time they had left.

Excuse me?

Atta flinched at the sharpness of the voice in her memory. Her heart began to pound as she pictured Hopper’s towering figure striding towards her, his clear eye alight with fury.

Are you saying I’m stupid? Do I look stupid to you?

Atta closed her eyes and clenched her fists around her antennae, shaking her head as though she could dislodge the images from her brain. No, no, no. This couldn’t be happening now. She had a council meeting to lead in less than ten minutes. They couldn’t see her like this. Mother couldn’t see her like this. It had been almost a full season since the last one, and Atta had finally convinced her mom she was getting better.

Why am I even talking to you? You’re not the queen. You don’t smell like the queen.

She could feel Hopper’s antennae dancing along her cheeks, her forehead, her eyes, a tickling sensation that made her stomach lurch even now. Atta took a sudden gulp of air as though she’d been holding her breath.

Ah, ah, ah, first rule of leadership. Everything is your fault.

His clawed hand grips her shoulder, forcing her to sit on the cold stone as he begins lecturing her about the circle of life. She has to strain her neck to look up at him, and even then all she sees is a dark, four-armed silhouette framed by the sunlight streaming in from the hole in the ceiling. Atta can feel the light’s warmth on the parts of her skin that aren’t covered by Hopper’s shadow.

Listen, if you don’t keep your end of the bargain, then I can’t guarantee your safety, and there are insects out there that will take advantage of you.

Atta was doubled over now, one hand wrapped around her stomach and the other clutching the corner of her bed. She needed to pull herself together before Mother came to find her, but it was just so hard to breathe. When did the room start spinning?

Someone could get hurt.

An awful screech echoes through the anthill. Atta can see the monster so clearly, his gnashing yellow teeth slowly growing closer to her little sister. She wants to reach out, to order Hopper to stop, but every muscle in her body – tongue included – is frozen in place. The only part still moving is her heart, thumping harder and harder against her chest until its drumbeat of fear is the only sound she can hear.

Atta! Princess Atta!

The new voice sounded muffled, like it was calling to her from the end of a long tunnel full of tree sap. Unlike the other voice, though, this one was kind.

Atta, dear, look at me. Come back.

Atta tried to swim through the tunnel towards the voice, but it was hard to move when every breath filled her lungs with sap.

“I…can’t,” she choked out, folding further into herself. All she could see were Hopper’s eyes: the right one clouded by a scar from a blue jay’s beak, the left one boring into her like it could read her every thought. Like he could see just how scared she was.

She became aware of a hand resting on her shoulder, its touch so different from the one she’d felt earlier. It pressed down, gently guiding her to the floor as another hand uncurled her fingers from around her stomach.

“You can,” the voice said, a little closer this time. A little less sappy. “Just follow along with me, okay? In, one-two-three. Out, one-two-three. In, one-two-three. Out, one-two-three.”

Suddenly Atta was seven seasons old again, hugging her knees to her chest and gasping out incoherent words between sobs that shook her entire body. She’d been in the middle of taking her first exam as queen-to-be, a simple history test on the royal family tree. Atta had flown through the first half of the test, proud that all those nights of secretly studying past her bedtime seemed to have paid off. Maybe if she finished early her tutor would let her go outside and play with the other ant children.

And then she got to the question about her great-great-great-grandfather. And no matter how long she stared at that blank space on the leaf parchment, willing the answer to come, she just couldn’t remember his name.

Atta’s cheeks grew warm and her heart began to pound. The tears came hot and fast before she could stop them. She tried her best to discreetly wipe them away, but it was too late.

“What’s wrong, Princess?” Mr. Cornelius demanded, stabbing his cane into the ground. “Why are you crying?”

Atta opened her mouth to explain that missing this answer meant failing the test, and failing the test meant failing the training, and failing the training meant failing as queen, and failing as queen meant failing as daughter.

But instead of words coming out, air rushed in. And it just kept coming, in and in and in again, and the more she tried to speak the faster it filled her lungs. Could she die from too much air?

At a loss for what to do, Mr. Cornelius finally sent for Atta’s mother. As soon as her mom stepped into the room, Atta noticed the crown on her head as though she was seeing it for the first time. It was twice the size of a grownup ant’s head, and the only one allowed to wear or even touch it was the queen.

It’s too big for me, Atta thought, and then she started crying harder.

“Atta, dear, look at me.”

This wasn’t her mom’s voice. Atta raised her head from between her knees and cracked open her eyes. Through a haze of tears she saw the colony’s physician, Dr. Flora, smiling at her.

“Are we having some trouble catching our breath?” Dr. Flora asked, reaching her hand up to stroke the end of one of Atta’s antennae.

She hiccupped, then glanced over to where her mother and Mr. Cornelius stood watching them from the corner of the room. Her stomach coiled at the look of annoyance on her tutor’s face, then twisted even more when she saw the worry on her mom’s.

“Not them, love. Just look at me right now. Can you do that?”

Atta turned her gaze back to Dr. Flora, who had the same expression on her face as before. Even her eyes seemed to smile.

“That’s it. Now, I want you to close your eyes and take a deep breath with me. We’re going to go in, one-two-three, and then out, one-two-three. Okay?”

Atta nodded.

“Okay. In, one-two-three.”

Her first attempt to inhale turned into a bunch of tiny gasps, almost like her lungs were shuddering. Tears of frustration spilled over her cheeks.

“I – can’t – do it!” she cried.

“That’s okay!” Dr. Flora said, still rubbing Atta’s antenna between her fingers. “Let’s try again together. This time, I want you to hold my hand and look at me while you breathe. Okay?”

Atta nodded again.

“Okay.” Dr. Flora reached her free hand out so Atta could clasp it between both of her own. She resisted the urge to look over at her mother and Mr. Cornelius again, instead focusing on her doctor’s eyes. They were a dark, purpley-blue color, like the desert sage that grew around the island. She’d never noticed that before.

“Ready? In, one-two-three. Out, one-two-three. In, one-two-three. Out, one-two-three.”

In, one-two-three. Out, one-two-three.

It took a couple of tries, but finally Atta’s breathing began to match Dr. Flora’s. With each exhale she felt another knot unravel inside of her, and before long her tears were gone and her heart was beating normally again.

She couldn’t remember why she’d been so upset over a test in the first place. She even remembered the answer. Her great-great-great-grandfather was named Andrew.

“How’d you do that?” Atta whispered.

Dr. Flora laid her hand on Atta’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “I didn’t do anything, Atta dear. That was all you.”

In, one-two-three. Out, one-two-three.

They were matching breaths again, she and the ant who’d witnessed almost every one of her attacks since that first one. Eleven seasons later, Atta still needed someone to remind her how to breathe.

She waited for her heart to slow to its regular rhythm, then opened her eyes to see a pair of purpley-blue ones looking back at her. Even after their colony was invaded by grasshoppers, Dr. Flora still had a smile on her face. This one, though, had the softest tinge of sadness.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.

Atta hesitated, then shook her head.

“I can’t,” she whispered, motioning to the bright pink flower atop her doctor’s head. It was what all the council members wore during their meetings. “I have to go be a queen now.”

Dr. Flora nodded. Then she clasped Atta’s hand in her own and pulled her to her feet.

“You’re always a queen, dear,” she said, gesturing to the crown on Atta’s head. “But when you’re ready to talk about it, you know where to find me.”

[bluemoonbeam15]

A Monster Part 3

"Sweetheart, please, just one bite."

"I can't," Hopper ground his teeth. The twist in his gut felt nauseating. After so many attempts to keep something down he had opted to give up. He was doubled over now, arms draped around his legs and head buried in his arms. Gypsy was rubbing his back, trying to encourage him.

She sighed and set the leaf of food beside her. Dr. Flora pursed her lips as she inspected the different medicinal herbs. There had to be one that could ease the nausea. But all the ones they'd tried made it worse. "We're running out of options, Gypsy," she ran a hand over her antennae.

"There has to be something," she muttered to herself.

Flik was sitting on the bed, wracking his brain for any ideas. For once, he found himself void. He looked up questionably, "Could it be a virus? Maybe his body is trying to get rid of something."

The nurse pondered, "He hasn't shown any signs of being sick. The herbs we've tried would have worked on an illness."

"Well, no, I mean maybe we have to induce the sickness. Whatever is making him sick would be gotten rid of eventually, right?"

Hopper shuddered and curled in on himself further, "Is there anything else?"

"You might have a point," Dr. Flora rummaged through her supply. She grabbed something green and kneeled down beside Hopper and Gypsy, "Here Dear, try this."

He lifted his head slightly, eyeing the plant with a glassy look, "What is it?"

"Stinging nettle. It should induce vomiting to help your body get rid of whatever it doesn't like in there."

Well he didn't like the sound of that. He scrunched his face at the plant. Gypsy took it from the nurse and turned his face toward her, "Please take it. I know it's going to be uncomfortable but if it works in the long-run then it's worth trying."

"And if it doesn't work?"

He tried to not let their silence worry him. They exchanged a look before Gypsy took his hand to place the plant in it, "Please take it." Hopper looked down at the plant. There wasn't anything left in his stomach at this point. If his body was trying to get rid of something it should've been long gone by now. Everything just hurt. He felt weak and shaky. His heart felt like it was racing just to keep him conscious. From what food he'd already retched, the aftermath left his throat raw and swallowing was becoming a task. A hand brushed the side of his face and he glanced up at Gypsy, "It'll be over before you know it."

There weren't many option anymore. If this was all they had...

The plant stung a bit as he swallowed. He scrunched his face and nearly coughed it back up. Gypsy handed him a dew drop to help. "How long until is takes effect?" she asked Dr. Flora.

"Give it a few minutes. We should get him to the Springs," she put away some of the herbs on the table. Gypsy grabbed Hopper's arm and lifted him to his feet. Manny came to the other side and draped an arm around his shoulders.

It was a position he'd never thought he'd be in. His legs felt ready to give out as he took a few steps forward. He hated it. The vulnerability. The weakness. It was everything he'd been raised to hate. Having to depend on someone else was humiliating. A part of him was ready to tell them he could do it, just to at least try making it on his own. He'd force himself to walk.

"It's okay," Gypsy moved to put his arm around her shoulders, "we've got you, Sweetheart."

But...

Hopper took in a deep breath, looking up at Flik who was trying to stand as well. It seemed as if he was about to follow them. Atta tried getting him to sit but he was determined to keep an eye on Hopper. Slim took some supplies from Dr. Flora and waited by the entrance for them. Rosie took some cobweb and soaked it in a dew drop, reaching up to wrap it around his neck, "There, that should keep you from getting sick before we get there."

Dim and Heimlich waited in the hall, keeping any ants from passing through so they could get to the Springs smoothly. Gypsy and Manny guided him into the hall slowly, Tuck and Roll walking closely in case Hopper lost his footing. Francis smiled small up at the grasshopper, "You still look cute." Hopper huffed a weak laugh. Atta helped Flik as they headed down the tunnel.

Molt kept a hand on Hopper's back, "Just hang in there, Hop. We'll get ya better in no time."

His chest tightened and a short breath escaped him. Gypsy tightened his arm around her, "Are you okay? Do you feel sick already?"

"No," he quickly shook his head, "I'm not sick yet." Hopper blinked the water out of his eyes. Molt reached down to take one of his lower hands in his own, rubbing a thumb over the back of it.

But...

If he was being honest, there was no one else he'd want to depend on than the ones with him now. Everything he'd been taught...be strong...trust no one...never let them see you weak...fight your own battles...

He took a shaky breath, smiling small as he look ahead.

This would be over soon. The pain would go away. The fear was already melting off his shoulders as his friends supported him on theirs. The word...that word...it was silenced at their words of encouragement. Their promises that things would get better.

Those things he'd been taught were nothing short of lies. He could trust them. He could lean on them. He felt safe...to just be weak. To not be strong enough.

And now he couldn't imagine himself facing another battle without them...

<><><><><><>

I'm writing a part 4 cause we still need to see the aftermath of Dawn. But this part took a different direction and I wanted to work more on the emotional level before going on to the events again.

[bluemoonbeam15]

Scout Leader: Day 1

"Absolutely not."

"It's just for one week until Francis gets back," Atta pleaded.

Hopper looked at her appalled, "Well get someone else to do it! Aren't there any ladies that would like to watch the little heathens?"

The Queen clasped her hands together, "Well..."

**

"Please?"

"I'm busy."

"Hey Cla--"

"Sorry, can't talk!"

"Would you mind--?"

"Oh, man, I'd love to...really...but, uh...I have plans...this week."

**

Atta pursed her lips, "We're a little short-handed at the moment."

"Sounds like a personal problem," Hopper turned to walk away. The last thing he was doing this week was watching a bunch of dramatic little girls.

The Queen flew and hovered in front of him, "As your Queen, I order you to watch the Blueberry Scouts."

Hopper merely tapped her nose, "That's cute." He moved around her, "I hope you find someone, princess."

She gaped, watching him walk off. The audacity to defy--wait. Atta straightened in her hover, "If you don't watch them for the week...I'm keeping you on patrol for a month."

He scoffed, "Is that all?"

"With Molt," she finished with a smirk.

The grasshopper froze before turning quickly, "You wouldn't."

"Oh, I would." Atta landed and confidently walked past him. It was his turn to gape as she passed by, "It's called a hustle, sweetheart." She tapped his nose and walked off. Hopper growled.

<><><><><><>

"Alright, girls. Hopper will be your new Scout Leader until Miss Francis returns from her trip," Dr. Flora informed the children. Her sister, Lily, tried smiling encouragingly at the kids.

If the situation had been different, Hopper would've found humor in the nurses' misconception. The children looked up at the grasshopper. He had his arms crossed, eyes lidded, face stoic. Not too different from how Francis usually presented himself...just a bit more intimidating, all things considered.

Dot, not having any problem with the situation, giggled and beamed up at him, "You're leading us?"

"Apparently," Hopper rolled his eyes. She bit her lip in excitement. Hopper decided to stop that train in its tracks, "Just for the week, got it? Don't get used to it. Same goes for the rest of you little demons."

They blinked up at him, exchanging nervous looks. Dot was unfazed, "A whole week? Even better!" She swung on his leg.

Hopper made it a point to ignore her. The other children would believe they could fool around too if he acknowledged her. Set the example. Dr. Flora awed at the child, defeating his purpose a bit, "Well, I have the plans laid out for them," she handed him a leaf packet. "I know you'll do a great job." He rose an eyebrow at her, silent, as she walked out.

Lily waited until they were farther down the tunnel, "You really think he can do it?"

Flora took in a breath, "Let's just pray."

"For Hopper?"

"No, the children."

Hopper skimmed his gaze over the packet. Everything seemed so mundane. Fire making? Simple. Shelter building? Child's play. Was there nothing more extensive? Where was the looming presence of danger to drive them for survival? He tossed the packet to the side, "Let's get this over with, then. We're headed to the river."

The Blueberries looked at each other as he walked out, Dot still hanging on his leg. Jasmine, the oldest in the group, hurried to fall in step beside him, "Um...Mr. Hopper? That's not on the packet."

"The packet isn't going to prepare you for the real world, tiny--"

"Jasmine."

"Whatever. We're going for some swimming lessons."

The girl squinted up at him, "But...the fish are out this time of day."

Hopper stopped walking and bent down a bit to her level, hands behind his back, "Well guess what?" his smile dropped suddenly, "the fish won't change their routines just because you find yourself stuck on a rock in the middle of a raging river. The winds are blowing too fast for you to fly to safety, no one knows where you are, and you have no supplies with you. That being said, you have roughly an hour before you starve to death. So, will you starve or swim?"

Jasmine struggled to find the words, spluttering for a moment.

He straightened and continued his path, "We're going for swimming lessons."

[bluemoonbeam15]

Prompt 30

This is a short story for the Hurt/Comfort Dialogue Prompts I posted a few days ago. The dialogue is "It hurts, it hurts, it won't stop, please-"

Also, I've realized that almost all of my short stories involve Hopper being injured and Flik's reaction to it. So this time I'm writing Hopper's reaction to Flik getting hurt.

<><><><><><><>

It seemed to be working just as Flik had hoped. With the rainy season drawing near, some of the elders were anticipating more flooding for this year. With that in mind, Atta had her mind focused on getting the boulders down from what used to be the offering stone.

And of course Flik was the first to jump at an opportunity to help his Queen.

Dim, being the most built, was steadily climbing in the air at a decent hover. A thick strand of cobweb laced around each of his legs so the weight of the stones wouldn't throw him off balance. The biggest of the stones had been moved without any complications. Naturally, the colony assumed the smaller ones would be a breeze.

But Flik, in his proud stupor, failed to see that the cobweb was gradually wearing thin from the weight it was subjected to. He stood close to guide Dim to its potential destination. As luck would have it, the cobweb loosened inch by inch until there wasn't enough to hold the stone a second longer.

Most the ants around the scene rushed back despite not being close enough to get hurt. The stone dropped quickly and Dim found himself being thrown off balance from the inertia.

"Ah!"

The rest of the workers harvesting stopped cold at the scream. Atta saw Flik pinned down by the leg. "Flik!" she flew to crouch in front of him, "Oh my gosh!" Vainly, she pushed against the stone, knowing the effort would be fruitless, but she tried nonetheless. "Help! Someone help!"

Flik couldn't bite back the screams as all the bones in his legs seeming collapsed and broke. Tears overflowed his eyes. He tried to think. To allow rationality to kick in. The weight of the stone on his legs, however, was a lot stronger than his pain tolerance.

"Hold on!" Hopper rushed over, not wasting any time. He hooked his claws beneath the stone and tried lifting it up. Molt landed beside him and began lifting as well. Between the two of them, the stone scraped back against the ground as they pushed it off and away from the ant.

Dr. Flora kneeled down beside him, inspecting the damage. "Oh dear, we need to get him something for the pain! Fast!" Molt bolted not a second later to get whatever necessary.

"Please make it stop!" Flik dug his fingers into the dirt, crying. Atta reached down to touch his legs, nearly black from the lack of circulation and damage. He screamed louder and she pulled her hand back quickly.

Hopper gently turned Flik onto his back, causing him to choke on a scream. "We hear you, kid. It's alright. Molt'll be back before you know it. Just breathe, alright?"

"It hurts, it hurts, it won't stop, please--!"

"Woah, woah, woah, you're alright, kid," Hopper ignored the panicked look the colony was giving him. He lifted Flik's upper body onto his lap and gave a small laugh, "Everything's fine. See? I wouldn't be smiling if it wasn't." The grasshopper gave him a toothy smile, anything to make Flik feel secure. He couldn't have the kid in distress. If he could make Flik believe everything was alright, then he wouldn't risk passing out on them.

Flik squinted up at him, seeing the relaxed look Hopper was giving him. Far be it from him to know it was fake. Slowly, Flik forced himself to calm down. The agony was unbearable, but perhaps the situation wasn't as dire as he thought it was. He dug in fingers into the most solid things closest to him.

It was a good thing the kid didn't have claws, or Hopper's arm would be the next injury. He grabbed Flik's hand, "Just relax. It's not as bad as it feels." The ant tilted his head up to see for himself, but Hopper lifted his head back again, "Don't focus on it. You just concentrate on breathing right now, alright? You have to trust me that everything's okay."

Flik grunted through another wave of pain. Inhaling shakily, he nodded, "O-Okay..."

"Do you trust me?"

The ant nodded again, "Yeah."

Atta stood when Molt was seen headed their way, "What took you so long?" she snapped.

Molt held his hands up in defense, "There were a lot o' plants. It took me a while to find the right one." He handed Dr. Flora a poppy seed. She managed to get Flik to chew it up and swallow. It would take a few more minutes for the adrenaline to wear off.

"Will he be okay?" Atta wrung her hands together.

Dr. Flora furrowed her brows, looking down at Flik's blackened legs, "Well--"

"He'll be fine," Hopper gave them pointed looks. He grinned down at Flik, who was beginning to relax a bit, "Right, kid? You're tough for a lightweight."

Flik laughed shakily, "I learned from the best." His grip on the ground and Hopper's hand eventually loosened.

"Darn right you did," Hopper laid Flik's arm across the ant's torso. Carefully, he picked him up, "Now, let's get you to the infirmary. I think you did more damage to the stone, though, than it did to you."

The kid's eyes drooped a bit, becoming tired from the seed, "Ya think so?"

Hopper grinned, "Think so? I saw that thing split in half. If anything, we need to take that stone to the infirmary."

Flik gave a tired laugh, "Thanks, Hop." He knew the grasshopper had to be lying now. But it didn't matter. The poppy seed was already taking the pain away, and he was just thankful everyone wasn't swarming around him in a panic.

"Don't mention it, kid." The ant lasted a few more heartbeats before drifting asleep.