Leo is growing into the same shape as Ron (his Better Dad)
I hope he gets to be proud of that one day
I don't know about the same shape, since Leo has a more square frame and Ron's always been pretty round. More like Leo's getting to a more natural shape for himself. Which is a bigger, healthier version of his starving, over-exerted self.
Still, being more like Ron would be a childhood dream come true :)
Greenwitch was in for trouble from the very first moment she arrived. A Pagan writer, with a propensity for puns, and chronic pain. She knew enough stories that told her not to trouble the Gentry, and so she warded herself and her room. But her knowledge wouldn’t stop her urge to interact with Them, at least a little.
She was collecting rosemary from one of the many shrubs around campus (obligatory offerings resting at the foot of the bush). She murmured praises and thanks as she snipped small bunches off. A little sprite flitted its way from one of the rosemary branches onto her jacket.
“You really want to get taken, don’t you?” snapped Bubbles, one of her first friends from here.
“What? No! I was just getting some rosemary.”
“Yeah, you were just getting noticed!” he motioned to the Crows with his eyes. Several were looking at the strange tablou. The sprites allowing collection of their rosemary? That was odd. She lifted the sprite off her jacket and placed it back in with its fellows. He tugged her up, she waved and smiled to the sprites as she was dragged away.
Bubbles, an Anthropology major, was a part of the Medieval Arts Club, which meant swordfighting. He insisted that Greenwitch start coming and learn how to defend herself with a sword, the rumored method of fighting for one of the tournaments Elsewhere. (And, even if it wasn’t, she should know how to strategize.) She took to it right away. Yes, the loaner-gear smelled like overly-peppered beef stew, but it was fun. There was finally a sport that she liked and was pretty good at. Plus, there was enough padding required that when she was in pain, she could just wrap herself extra well and it would turn into a brace.
This, of course, didn’t stop her collecting herbs and stones from around campus.
Greenwitch kept a loaf of bread, and some fixings, in her room, for those times where she forgot to eat or just couldn’t get out to the dining hall. One night, after finishing this monster of an essay, due at 10am the following day, she made a sandwich and went out to eat it in the cold night air. She grabbed her jacket and forged out into the night. She settled on one of the poorly-lit benches near the door to her residence hall. She breathed and watched the warm air float away and disappear. Much like humanity. Warm when concentrated, but when stretched out too much, it will disappear. Ooh! I gotta write that down! She punched it into the memo pad on her phone. When she looked up again, she saw a craggy old bird in the dark, hopping nearer to her.
“Oh! Hello.” she murmured, its eyes were locked on her food “Would you like some?”
It didn’t respond, of course.
But she placed half the sandwich on the ground near the edge of the light anyhow.
Its sharp beak speared the meat and grains off the bread, the very tip just darting into the light.
She whispered “So beautiful…” and “Look at that…” as she watched it with rapt interest. The birds hadn’t paid her much attention back home, so even as dangerous as feeding wild animals was, she loved being so close to a real live bird.
It finished, and hopped further into the light, noticing the other half of the sandwich. It flapped and spurred itself onto the bench beside her, she squeaked quietly, but pushed the sandwich towards it. She finally realized that it was one of the Crows. She turned her face respectfully away, but couldn’t help sneaking peeks out of the corner of her eye.
“Poor thing, with that scar…” she breathed, “Not that it makes you less pretty…”
It finished its meal and hopped down. It squawked once before bouncing back into the shadows. She noticed the bird had left a feather behind on the bench, like it had dropped a piece of the night
“Wait! You forgot a feather!” she called after it.
Another squawk.
“… Can I keep it?”
No answer.
“Thank you!” she picked up the feather “I think.”
Greenwitch slipped her new gift into the back pages of her favorite book, the place that made her happiest for her new gift, it made sense.
She left fruits and bread from the dining hall outside her room every night.
The first big rainstorm of the season came with thick fog and thundering rain, it hunched over the campus like an angry mother hen over her nest. And Greenwitch went to dance in the growing puddles, while she still could. She put her water-proof bag on a bench and took off her sweater to stuff it inside, to just feel the drops splash against her mottled arms. She was shivering, but grinning, when she turned to her bag. The smile slipped from her face as she saw the very pretty figure sitting by her things. They had golden eyes, and a dangerous smile.
“Lovely weather, isn’t it?” they drawled, dripping honey.
“It is.” Greenwitch responded, clipped. She could feel them tugging at her mind.
“Oo. So sharp… C’mon, lovely… I just want to talk.” they brushed their finger through her wet hair.
She jerked away, gripping her bag to her chest.
“P-please don’t touch me.” she said.
They smiled again “What will you give me for not doing so?”
Her eyes widened. She rummaged in her bag and pulled out a paper rose
“A flower which shall never wilt,” she said, “And another to leave me alone?”
The figure took the flowers, and put their hands up, mimicking the human surrender gesture.
“Don’t want to play yet? That’s alright, love…” They smiled again “I have other toys.”
It wandered down the path, Greenwitch very carefully did not watch where they disappeared.
She ran back indoors.
Bubbles didn’t show up for swordfighting the next night. Which was… Worrying. But not unheard of.
“Maybe he just had a test,” said Cobalt
“Maybe he had a pileup of homework,” said Grommet
“Maybe he got hurt running around campus,” said Ducky
“Maybe he got lost in the Library,” said Mamabear
“Maybe he had a date,” said Tesseract
“Maybe he’s just going home for the weekend,” said Cinderella
“Maybe he just forgot,” said Pepsi
Maybe it had nothing to do with the creature that she’d met.
But in her gut, she knew. The Gentry do not threaten lightly.
Greenwitch spent the next day gathering all the hazel branches she could find. She took off her extra iron. She gathered her favorite rocks from her paltry collection She asked her roommate to water her plants. She wrote out her desire, so she could fix all the vague language. She packed her bag with her medicine and her wraps and her folding cane, she shoved in her hazel, and at the last minute, her favorite book. Finally, she stopped the RA in the lobby.
“Can you tell me where I can find a Doorway?” she asked, but the RA shook zer head
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” ze pointed out the glass door behind her. The pretty creature with golden eyes waited outside.
“Who was it?” ze asked
“Bubbles. He’s only been missing for a day, our time.”
“Good luck, kid.”
She nodded and went out into the lingering mist, it curled in behind her like a greedy child’s hands.
“Ready to play, lovey?” they purred.
She said nothing, but nodded.
Their cheshire grin grew more carnivorous, and they swept their arm out in a grand gesture.
“Then follow me, my dear.”
The mist beside them moved, swirling into a circle, then an archway.
Hey, in the Wizard of TAZ au do they still forget their century? (If so, what if the wicked litch they're singing about is the redrobe from the cave, or rather, Lup?)
i just kinda took the characters and put them into the story of wizard of Oz, not really any of balance’s mechanics? but the liches that they’re singing about are edward and lydia! i think barry and lup are the good liches of the north and the south
