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Aug 17, 2023

TIMING: A wiggly yesterday-ish. PARTIES: @magmahearts @closingwaters & @letsbenditlikebennett SUMMARY: Cass and Alex meet up with Teagan near the lake to enjoy a picnic. They share the story of the first day they met and get some fun news about that. CONTENT: Drug manipulation (mushroom/fairy-ring flavored)

Admittedly, the picnic basket that Alex packed had not been entirely of her own doing. It hadn’t exactly taken convincing on her part to get Kaden to help her with the endeavor even if she had to joke that stinky cheese would not be the vibe. She’d had a good time putting it together with him and she was sure the afternoon enjoying it with Cass and Teagan would be just as fun. There was an array of fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and crackers along with some different dips for all of them. Of course, there were also peach rings and hot cheetos, but she knew Cass would enjoy those too. Snacks for snaccs, it was the golden rule.

As they walked towards the lake, she had the picnic basket in one hand and Cass’ hand in the other. They were meeting Teagan at a little spot near the lake and she hoped that maybe the nix could tell Cass a little more about wardens. Alex felt bad, she knew it brought up less than pleasant memories, but she had the feeling Teagan would want to make sure Cass was safe, too.

“I made sure pineapple was included in the fruit lineup,” she said with a smile and squeezed Cass’s hand. As they neared she saw Teagan and flashed the nymph a smile. “Hey,” she greeted, “Good to see you again. I hope the food line up is ok– there’s no red meat. I got that part down.”

—

Nerves fluttered like butterflies in Cass’s chest. There were a lot of them, for different reasons. The butterflies seemed ever-present around Alex, in the best kind of way. Like a flittering feeling that made her hair stand on end, made her heart pound, made her cheeks hurt. Alex’s hand was in hers, and she felt like every inch of her was on fire. Maybe… a little less literally than, like, her usual brand of ‘on fire.’

But there were other nerves, too. There was the quiet thrum thrum of uncertainty in her heartbeat that always came with spending time with other fae, that constant question of will they like me that never seemed to be answered the way she wanted it to be. Teagan liked her for now, she knew, but how long could she hold onto that? How long could she keep that approval before it slipped through her fingers the same way it always did?

At least Alex was here. Her presence made Cass feel a little better, a little less on edge. Because Alex liked her for who she was, and kept liking her for who she was. No year-old guilt like what she worried drove Nora sometimes, no loud loneliness like what she feared kept Aria holding on. No natural fae fondness like the one Teagan held for her, either. Just Alex. Liking Cass for being Cass. If she could do that, maybe other people could, too.

“You’re the best,” she whispered quietly, squeezing Alex’s hand right back. She wondered if the werewolf could feel her pulse pick up as Teagan came into view. “Hi Teagan,” she greeted shyly. “It’s nice to see you again.”

—

Picking a spot was almost too easy. The sun had reached its peak, bright rays kissing the earth lovingly. There was a break in the trees, shadows that would be perfect for cover. Teagan skipped happily to the area she had seen at a distance, plopping herself down into the warmth of the grass and dropping the basket full of freshly baked goods. Her body formed an x, limbs relaxed and free.

She wondered how long it’d take for the two lovebirds to arrive, and she propped herself up, leaning back into her palms. Not much time passed by the time Teagan heard the telltale signs of footfalls only meters away. Perking up, the nix stood up and trotted over to the hand-holding duo, quickly pulling them both into a tight embrace.

She happily groaned as she squeezed, “Oh it’s been too long, you beautiful oread.” With kiss to Cass’s head, Teagan looked to Alex, and booped her nose. “And you. Lovely as ever.” She pulled away and waved the two over to her to the perfect spot, gesturing to her basket. “I’ve brought the yummiest blueberry pies. They’re cupcake-sized! Picked the blueberries myself and baked it all from scratch.” She clapped her hands together, “Oh, I love picnics. Need to have one with my lovely soon, but for now,” Teagan tucked some loose hair behind both of her ears, “You beauties have my full attention. Shall we sit?”

Most of the time, Alex liked to try and tune out the sounds of people’s hearts and breathing. In the day to day, it could become a little overwhelming, but she liked being keyed into Cass. The steady thrum of her heart was a nice reminder that she was real and there and liked Alex for who she was. The slight increase in pace of Cass’s heartbeat wasn’t missed by her, so she kept her hand firmly around the oread’s in a show of support. While the other girl hadn’t said much, Alex knew people were always abandoning her and she had mentioned nymphs back home. She hoped Teagan would never do that to Cass and she had a good enough feeling, the nix herself had been cut off from her own family and seemed to be understanding, but she understood Cass’s nerves all the same.

The small boop on her nose brought a small smile to her face. Despite the fact it was a canine-like gesture, Alex found she didn’t mind it because well, it was kind of sweet. The mention of pies only made her perk up more. “Oh, blueberry pie is my favorite,” she exclaimed, “Can’t wait to give them a try.”

She took a seat on the blanket and patted the spot next to her for Cass to join. It was the perfect spot with a little bit of shade from the trees and a perfect view of the sun sparkling on the lake. It was quiet and they could talk among themselves without having to worry about others hearing. Alex couldn’t have asked for a better setting to spend time with the two nymphs. Needless to say, she did not want to sour the mood right away with questions about wardens and she had hoped Cass already asked about that stuff. Instead, she grinned. “Well, you already know I think Cass is the greatest… But how did the two of you meet? I was so excited to realize you knew Cass that I forgot to ask before.”

Teagan pulled her into a hug and called her beautiful, and Cass was far too heavy to float but in that moment she felt as if she was walking on air anyway. Light and joyful and worry-free, because how could she be anything but? Alex liked her, Teagan liked her. She was finally the kind of person that people could like, the kind of person that they might stick around for. Her heart felt like it was doing somersaults in her chest, excited just to be here. There was a thrum in the back of her mind, a chaotic energy that she’d felt every time she was around Alex ever since that first walk through the caves. This, she thought, must have been what having a real crush felt like. Everything she thought she’d felt in the past was just a warm-up.

Teagan had pies, and Cass grinned at the thought of them. “Well, I already know I love your baking!” The food Teagan had made the first time she’d met her was so good that it had stayed with her ever since. This town was so full of people with cooking skills that, to Cass, seemed unmatched. When you’d spent most of your life eating whatever you could find, any kind of homemade meal tasted like something fit for royalty.

Eagerly, Cass settled onto the blanket next to Alex, sitting as close to the wolf as she could. Their thighs brushed together in a way that kept the oread’s heart pounding with that same excited energy, her mind buzzing with both the crush and the feeling of being around another fae. It was something that had once made her uneasy, but now made her feel more at ease. Grinning as she leaned into Alex, she looked at Teagan. “I was, um, walking by one day while she was swimming in her true form. She thought I was human at first.”

Watching Alex and Cass all but melt into each other was a sweet sight. They seemed to be absolutely smitten with one another, unable to keep themselves from parting much farther than an inch or two. Teagan chocked it up to puppy love, though the phrase seemed offensive when Alex was quite notably a werewolf. Perhaps wonderlust was better. The urge to know the depths of someone, discover their idiosyncrasies and sink into who they are so that maybe, just maybe, you could finally be close enough to them.

Teagan understood the feeling, if she were being honest. Most of the time, now the her and Arden were no longer hiding behind lingering touches and longing looks, Teagan found herself trying to melt into her lover. Be encased in her warmth and scent so that anyone that crossed her path knew exactly where she’d been.

It wasn’t a whirlwind romance by any means, and it definitely wasn’t love at first sight, but the familiarity they both shared upon meeting was impossible to ignore. Both Arden and Teagan had to answer the call their hearts made for one another. It left her breathless if she thought about it too long, and she was thankful the young lovers had conversation topics that could take over.

“Aye. I was on edge, and jumped at the chance to stop a human from trespassing,” Patting Cass’s leg, the nix gave her an apologetic smile. “Luckily though, the moment I stepped out of the water, I could feel her.” A smile painted on Teagan’s lips, fond and warm, and she looked at Alex as she explained the meeting joyfully. “I couldn’t resist them. I had to get to know her.”

The meeting between the two nymphs was easy for Alex to imagine. Both of them in their true form were truly something else, something extraordinary. She may have been more than a little biased, but something about Cass’s form especially fascinated her. Even when she wore her glamour like she was right now, Alex swore there was a glow to her that shone through. She could recall the ferocity Teagan possessed when they first met too, before Alex confirmed who she was. A truly fierce protector of the lake who of course immediately softened for Cass because how could she not? There was more than a hint of awe in her eyes as she turned to look at the oread with a smile. “I get that,” she brushed her thumb over the oread’s, “I think Cass just has the effect on people. Who could not want to know her?”

It felt important to emphasize. While they hadn’t gotten fully into sharing stories of their past, Alex knew people had a tendency to leave Cass, so much so that the oread seemed to question her own worth. They both thought Teagan was great, so Teagan also seeing what was obvious to the werewolf felt important for Cass to know. Given what Teagan had gone through and the implied estrangement with her own family, Alex couldn’t see the nix abandoning Cass like other fae had done. Teagan had even been sure to warn her to treat Cass well— she hoped that meant the nix would always be there for Cass. She wanted Cass to have people in her life who would stay, who would make her feel like she was worth staying for, because she was.

“I kind of met her talking online like I did with you, Teagan,” she explained, “Except we didn’t know what the other was when we met. We were just talking about rocks online and decided to go on a spelunking date.” She could still remember seeing Cass for the first time, how thinking the other girl had been cute and fun to talk to would make for a nice afternoon of pretending she was the kind of person someone could love, but that notion had slipped away so quickly. She didn’t need to pretend with Cass. “Obviously I thought she was pretty, because like, I have eyes,” she grinned, “But the way her face would light up when she explained how different rocks were formed felt extra special. Then she went with my cheesy movie magic moment when I asked her to dance in a ring of bioluminescent mushrooms and I think I was pretty much hers.”

An orangeish blush glowed under Cass’s skin, the mixture of Teagan’s fondness and Alex’s affection making her grow warm in a way that had very little to do with the magma bubbling beneath her rocky exterior and everything to do with the way Alex was looking at her. She didn’t think she’d ever been adored before. There had been lust, sometimes — she’d had boyfriends and girlfriends in her teenage years, even if most of them took her wallet with them when they left — but never anything like this. The way Alex looked at her, the way she touched her so gently and smiled at her like she’d hung the moon and the stars in the sky… It made Cass feel like she was something precious. Like she was finally worth looking at.

She leaned into the werewolf now, letting her head drop gently against Alex’s shoulder as she spoke. The discussion of their first encounter online made her heart flutter, because wasn’t it funny? You never knew how much someone would grow to mean to you the first time you spoke to them. Things had moved so quickly after that date to the cave, both of them all in by the time the party at Van’s came along. Relationships like that were often compared to fires that burned hot and fast, but volcanoes weren’t forest fires. They burned hot, but they didn’t burn out. They kept going for thousands of years. Cass liked Alex now, and she’d still like her tomorrow. And, for once, she wasn’t paranoid that the feeling wasn’t returned. Alex liked her, too. She knew that.

“She’s a really good dancer,” Cass added eagerly. “You should have seen how she twirled. The mushrooms made it look really cool.”

How smitten the two were, and after only one date? Love worked in many ways, the likes of which were difficult to understand. Teagan had a love, and even she hardly knew how it all operated. It varied from person to person, from couple to couple, no two ever being the same but having similar roots. Love was a tether that connected everyone eventually, even someone as walled off as Teagan.

It was—wait. Had they really said what she thought they said? Perhaps the pink and orange dust on their cheeks wasn’t just a connection built on a spark, but something artificially put together with the help of some magic. Now, that wasn’t to say the two young women couldn’t find their way to each other, but Teagan knew most people didn’t like their mind or hearts altered by another force. A natural, less magical route was usually preferred.

“Did you say mushrooms?” Quirking a brow, Teagan leaned in and looked to and from Cass and Alex. “Were they in a circle? Did you feel silly afterwards? Did you—” A finger was pointed toward Alex. “Have a wish to listen to every one of Cass’s words?”

Somehow Cass could make her feel like she was floating and ground her in the same motion. The weight of the oread’s head on her shoulder was welcomed and her hand found its way the soft waves in Cass’s hair. She gently stroked them and smiled at the ease of it all. Her normal hang ups and fears weren’t there with Cass. No matter what she shared with the oread, she was met with understanding and care. It gave her the crazy idea that she was someone worth loving and she couldn’t deny the domino effect it had on the rest of her life. So while it all felt too good to be true, the feeling of Cass resting against her shoulder brought her back down and reminded her this was all real. Someone could see the parts of her that she wanted to hide from the world and still find hers to be a good shoulder to rest on.

Her own cheeks took on a pinkish hue at the mention of her dancing, which objectively, was far from good, but it was nice Cass enjoyed it. Maybe that mattered more than whether or not it was good. Alex thought it did. “It helps to have a good partner,” she grinned while running a hand through Cass’ hair, “And Cass is the best.”

The questions from Teagan were a little unexpected, but the scene had been so perfect that giving the nix a little slice of it felt right. “Oh,” she said looking at Cass, “They were, yeah. Part of why I asked her to dance, it practically looked like a little dance floor just for us.” The next question caught her a little off guard. Had she felt more silly than normal? Maybe a little bit, but that was more the giddiness of giving into idea that maybe Cass wasn’t just an afternoon distraction from how much she hated herself. She knew Cass wasn’t that now— Cass saw her and always tried to understand her and still liked her. “Uh,” she started uncertainly, “I think so, yeah. I mean, I felt a little silly and wanted to make Cass smile before, but the whole dance thing did kind of feel like metaphorically diving in?”

Alex’s hand was in her hair, and Cass didn’t think she’d ever felt as whole as she did now. Like she was someone. No, more than that — like she was someone worth keeping. Alex spoke about her like she was good, like she was precious, like she was worthy, and how could Cass not feel like it was true? How could she not accept it, believe it? Alex said it so easily, like it was simple. There was never any doubt in her words, never a hint of hesitation. Cass hadn’t bound her to get her here, hadn’t manipulated her way into the affection. It just was, just had been from that very first night with the mushrooms in the cave.

Teagan’s line of questioning was… weird, though. Like she knew something. Cass shifted, brow furrowed as she glanced over to Alex. She nodded in confirmation when Alex spoke of the circle, trying to think back. “I guess?” Wasn’t feeling silly part of having a crush? People did all kinds of funny things in movies when they caught feelings for someone; entire episodes of sitcoms were based around it. Multi-episode arcs, sometimes! “Why do you ask?”

Oof…How did one go about telling a blooming relationship it might be built on something otherworldly? Something out of their control. For a few moments, Teagan was quiet as she mulled over how to approach everything. On one hand, the two very well could like one another without the mushrooms, and on the other, it would be wrong to let them exist in a lie.

“Well, you see, mushroom circles, while pretty and fun, can have other side effects too.” Teagan gestured to Cass and gave her a warm smile. “They make anyone feel happy and silly. Like a high. And when you’re with fae, like Cass, crossing that boundary connects you to them.” She reached forward and took each of their hands in hers, hoping to reassure them.

“For you, Alex, you’ll want to do everything Cass says without her binding you, and feel amazing. And Cass, you’ll feel just as amazing, as you can see. On the bright side, that doesn’t mean there isn’t something actually here between you two. Just means the mushrooms pushed you two together without you knowing.” Planting a small peck on both hands, Teagan looked between Alex and Cass, reassurance written all over her features. “I assume this is your first time running into a mushroom circle, sweet oread?”

As Teagan spoke, it felt as if someone was vacuuming the air straight from her lungs. The notion that what she shared with Cass could be manufactured made her feel sick, not that she found herself able to pull away. If it made them feel happy and silly, that meant the whole way Cass saw her could be skewed. Now that promise to stay felt like one Alex couldn’t hold the oread to, not when all the acceptance she’d shown the werewolf could have been clouded by the mushrooms because apparently that was a thing. Of course it was a thing. How else could something this magical fallen right into her lap? It seemed to confirm the notion she was unlovable even if Teagan was saying something about a real connection being able to be present, too.

But how could it be? How could someone like Cass look at Alex and see anything but a pitiful monster? Maybe the oread would be too kind to look at her with the disgust she had expected when she first told her the truth about the werewolf thing, but even a gentle letdown scared the hell out of her. The hope that Teagan offered felt dangerous. She so badly wanted to believe she was really someone Cass could care for and eventually fall for. “Mushroom rings,” she repeated slowly, “Oh.”

She had been the one to lead them right into that and Cass seemed just as clueless about all of this. Had Alex really been that foolish to think that the ambience of the cave could be anything good just because walking hand in hand with Cass had felt so good? “I don’t… I’m sorry I didn’t know. I just thought it looked cool and it seemed like a romantic thing to do.” She looked down at her lap and tried to take in what it all meant, but none if it really made a whole lot of sense to her.

Alex said oh, and it felt like the world was falling around her. Immediately, the oread’s mind began to catastrophize. If the mushrooms had been affecting them, it meant none of this was real. From what Teagan said, it seemed like it was affecting Alex more than it was affecting Cass, like Alex was stuck in a never-ending promise bind that Cass hadn’t even intentionally trapped her in. And Alex said oh, and wasn’t that a thing of disgust? How could she feel anything less than disdain towards Cass now.

Except… Except she couldn’t feel that, could she? The mushrooms wouldn’t let her. She probably still felt drawn to Cass, even knowing the truth. She probably still felt like she wanted to do whatever Cass asked of her. Even now, even knowing that none of it was real, Alex wouldn’t be allowed to feel her feelings, because that stupid mushroom circle had scooped them out and replaced them. That mushroom circle had fooled Alex into thinking that Cass was someone she liked. And she wasn’t. How could she be?

Alex was apologizing, but it must have been because of the mushrooms and their influence. Cass looked at Teagan, wide-eyed and frantic. “Yeah. Yes, this is my first time running into…” She turned to look at Alex, desperation etched into her features. “I didn’t know,” she said quickly. “I swear, Alex, I promise, I didn’t know. I didn’t — I wouldn’t have let you do it if I knew. You have to believe that, please. I wouldn’t do this on purpose, I’m sorry.”

The efforts to quell any worries seemed for naught, Cass’s obvious need for acceptance already twisting the gears in her mind. Teagan didn’t know much, or even the extent of the young oread’s pain, but she knew how abandonment looked in someone’s eyes. “Wait,” She lifted her hands, bidding the two to slow down. Apologies weren’t necessary, not when neither of them knew what would happen. And at the very least, the romance was there. Alex made that obvious.

“Listen to that there, Cass. I see the worry and fear in you right now, but Alex just said she thought it’d be romantic. She knows you're sorry, and neither of you two could have known.” Scooting closer to Cass and Alex, Teagan smiled with comfort in her eyes, hoping the two would listen to reason.

“Now, the mushrooms may have done a few things and made you two jump and skip a few stages, but the feelings were already there. Things that are tangled can still be reset.” Teagan brushed her thumbs over each of their hands, looking back at her basket of goods. Letting go of them, she plucked two blueberry pies and offered them to Cass and Alex. She kept her smile warm and light, trying to give them any comfort she could. “The mushrooms will wear off eventually. After that, you two can start over and frolic somewhere without the mushrooms. ‘Cause believe me, feelings are only amplified and if you wanted to be romantic before, you’ll want that without the ring.”

There were apologies and reassurances both being lobbied her way and Alex found she was just confused by all of it. The information didn’t necessarily make her feel any differently, but maybe it wasn’t able to. Cass seemed worried though and was promising she didn’t know about the mushrooms beforehand. That hardly seemed like the oread’s fault so she wasn’t sure what the big worry was. She nodded along with Teagan because she had felt the crush before they ever stepped into that mushroom circle. “It’s not your fault,” she assured Cass and gave the oread’s hand a squeeze.

“So they’ll wear off,” she repeated, “Then we’ll be back to normal and I’ll just have the regular crush I had on Cass before we encountered them? That doesn’t sound so bad. We can take care of the mushrooms and then figure us out, right?” She hoped that was the case. She may have had been riding a crush before stepping into that circle, but what about Cass? Did the mushrooms make her overlook all those parts Alex had been so sure she’d hate about the werewolf? There was a hint of worry, but Teagan seemed confident things would be okay and she wanted Cass to know things were okay, that she still cared for the nymph. “It’s gonna be ok,” she confidently stated, “We’re gonna fix and figure this out.”

She listened as Alex and Teagan spoke, and her heart picked up a bit at the question of the mushrooms wearing off. She was afraid of it happening, and guilty for being afraid. If this thing they had wasn’t of Alex’s own free will, Alex deserved to know that. If she was manipulated into this, even unknowingly, she deserved to have an out. Still, Cass was afraid. She liked what they had. The idea of losing it, after everything she’d lost already, made her feel a little sick. And that was terrible of her, wasn’t it? That was wrong.

But Alex was saying it would be okay, was recalling the crush she’d had before they’d stepped into that circle, and Teagan was saying that feelings could only be amplified and not changed. And maybe they were both right, but even if they weren’t… If this was temporary, Cass would cling to it for as long as she could. She’d stay with Alex for as long as Alex would let her, and when the mushrooms wore off, if Alex changed her mind, Cass would accept it. She offered a smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes, nodding her head. “Okay,” she said softly. “Okay, yeah. We’ll figure it out.”

With both minds at ease, it was easier to smile, easier to breathe. There were lingering worries, of course, but Teagan was more than confident in her ability to extinguish whatever concern began to spark. That was one of the many benefits of providing sugar and having a bit of experience with the chaos that came with mushroom rings. She’d been in quite a few, each ending slightly more chaotic than the last. For a moment, her mind trailed away, thinking of what it’d be like to walk into one with Arden…

“Right!” She shook the idea away. “It’ll be okay. And look on the bright side…” Teagan set the blueberry pies aside and wiggled back a few inches to have enough room to slide her skirt down. She revealed part of the skin on her bottom, a small mushroom tattoo adorning it. “At least you didn’t get a random tattoo during the escapades. I won’t even disclose the bad decisions I made with women that week…” Her eyes widened with embarrassment and a bounce of her brows, and she laughed as pink dusted her cheeks.

“Now, come on.” Teagan waved Alex and Cass over to the food. “We’ve got a picnic to get to.”

Truthfully, Alex wasn’t sure if the mushroom thing really made sense to her, but the way Teagan described it didn’t sound so bad. The thought of amplified feelings was a bit unnerving, she already preferred to keep her feelings close to her chest, but Cass had shown time and again she was a safe person to share with. She could only hope that would continue to be the case when all of this wore off and she wouldn’t be met with disgust for everything she was. She could see the nervousness in Cass’s features and she wished she could offer some sort of reassurance, but this was just as surprising to her as it was to the oread. She laughed a bit, hoping it would lighten the mood a bit. “I mean,” she smirked, “It’s not too late to get a tattoo. But probably best to save that for… later. After?”

The older nymph seemed confident that they’d be alright and Alex decided to believe that things could be okay. At least for now. Cass was still sitting right next to her which always made her feel a little brighter and Teagan was hosting them for a picnic. It was a beautiful day and the sun was casting shadows through the branches of the trees. By all other indications, it was the making for a perfect afternoon with two amazing nymphs. “Right, let’s enjoy our picnic. I’m so ready for those blueberry pies.”

Teagan was right, wasn’t she? It could have been far worse. Nothing they’d done up until this point was anything that wasn’t… reversible, even if that thought made Cass’s stomach churn a little. She didn’t want to ‘reverse’ anything they had, but… If Alex didn’t want it after the mushroom haze was over, Cass would understand. Even if she ached with it. “Maybe after,” she agreed, though it sounded like a pipe dream. Alex still having any desire to get a matching tattoo with her, after this, was painfully unlikely. But a girl could dream, right?

For now, though, Teagan was right — they had a picnic to enjoy. They could ride this high to the end of the line, and then they could deal with whatever thoughts and feelings and painful ramifications came after. But at this moment… all they had to do was eat pie. “Right,” Cass smiled. “Let’s dig in.” And maybe, just maybe, Alex would still like her when all this was over.