#HEALED AND RESTORED | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

reasonsforhope · 4 months

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The Klamath River’s salmon population has declined due to myriad factors, but the biggest culprit is believed to be a series of dams built along the river from 1918 to 1962, cutting off fish migration routes.

Now, after decades of Indigenous advocacy, four of the structures are being demolished as part of the largest dam removal project in United States history. In November, crews finished removing the first of the four dams as part of a push to restore 644 kilometres (400 miles) of fish habitat.

“Dam removal is the largest single step that we can take to restore the Klamath River ecosystem,” [Barry McCovey, a member of the Yurok Tribe and director of tribal fisheries,] told Al Jazeera. “We’re going to see benefits to the ecosystem and then, in turn, to the fishery for decades and decades to come.” ...

A ‘watershed moment’

Four years later, [after a catastrophic fish die-off in 2002,] in 2006, the licence for the hydroelectric dams expired. That created an opportunity, according to Mark Bransom, CEO of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), a nonprofit founded to oversee the dam removals.

Standards for protecting fisheries had increased since the initial license was issued, and the utility company responsible for the dams faced a choice. It could either upgrade the dams at an economic loss or enter into a settlement agreement that would allow it to operate the dams until they could be demolished.

“A big driver was the economics — knowing that they would have to modify these facilities to bring them up to modern environmental standards,” Bransom explained. “And the economics just didn’t pencil out.”

The utility company chose the settlement. In 2016, the KRRC was created to work with the state governments of California and Oregon to demolish the dams.

Final approval for the deal came in 2022, in what Bransom remembers as a “watershed moment”.

Regulators at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) voted unanimously to tear down the dams, citing the benefit to the environment as well as to Indigenous tribes...

Tears of joy

Destruction of the first dam — the smallest, known as Copco 2 — began in June, with heavy machinery like excavators tearing down its concrete walls.

[Amy Cordalis, a Yurok Tribe member, fisherwoman and lawyer for the tribe,] was present for the start of the destruction. Bransom had invited her and fellow KRRC board members to visit the bend in the Klamath River where Copco 2 was being removed. She remembers taking his hand as they walked along a gravel ridge towards the water, a vein of blue nestled amid rolling hills.

“And then, there it was,” Cordalis said. “Or there it wasn’t. The dam was gone.”

For the first time in a century, water flowed freely through that area of the river. Cordalis felt like she was seeing her homelands restored.

Tears of joy began to roll down her cheeks. “I just cried so hard because it was so beautiful.”

The experience was also “profound” for Bransom. “It really was literally a jolt of energy that flowed through us,” he said, calling the visit “perhaps one of the most touching, most moving moments in my entire life”.

Demolition on Copco 2 was completed in November, with work starting on the other three dams. The entire project is scheduled to wrap in late 2024.

[A resilient river]

But experts like McCovey say major hurdles remain to restoring the river’s historic salmon population.

Climate change is warming the water. Wildfires and flash floods are contaminating the river with debris. And tiny particles from rubber vehicle tires are washing off roadways and into waterways, where their chemicals can kill fish within hours.

McCovey, however, is optimistic that the dam demolitions will help the river become more resilient.

“Dam removal is one of the best things we can do to help the Klamath basin be ready to handle climate change,” McCovey explained. He added that the river’s uninterrupted flow will also help flush out sediment and improve water quality.

The removal project is not the solution to all the river’s woes, but McCovey believes it’s a start — a step towards rebuilding the reciprocal relationship between the waterway and the Indigenous people who rely on it.

“We do a little bit of work, and then we start to see more salmon, and then maybe we get to eat more salmon, and that starts to help our people heal a little bit,” McCovey said. “And once we start healing, then we’re in a place where we can start to help the ecosystem a little bit more.”"

-via Al Jazeera, December 4, 2023

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queerly-autistic · 6 months

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Screeching my way back onto tumblr to yell about the fact that Ed is clearly devastated by Izzy's death but he chooses queer joy and peace with the man he loves over running off to sea for vengeance and that's an im-fucking-portant sign of his healing and recovery.

When Zheng offers him revenge, he sort of half-heartedly agrees with 'yeah I suppose I wanna kill that guy', and that half-heartedness comes from the fact that he's not feeling it. He's feeling SAD, he's feeling GRIEF, but rather than quashing them under the boot of anger and violence, he's letting himself sit in those emotions and FEEL them, properly.

ED IS SAD AND HE'S SITTING WITH HIS SADNESS AND ALLOWING HIMSELF TO BE SAD AND THEN HE CHOOSES LOVE AND AN ATTEMPT AT SOME SORT OF PEACE RATHER THAN BLOODSHED AND VENGEANCE I DON'T THINK YOU UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS.

#also something about the radical restorative healing power of queer joy and queer love in the face of death #but i don't have words for that yet #ofmd #ofmd season 2 #ofmd s2 #ofmd s2 spoilers #ofmd spoilers #our flag means death #ed teach #blackbonnet #gentlebeard #it's been so long since i did tumblr please forgive my attempt at tagging

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faygelehh · 7 months

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CRINGETOBER 2023

DAY 2: SELF-INSERT

Ft. Bluey & Bingo! (or… Bingir? Bingo/Gir?)

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theshadowrealmitself · 22 days

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Harvey: Take care of yourself, your health is very important to me 🥺

Farmer: *immediately dives back into the mines to fight supernatural creatures*

#I’ve only gotten healed by this guy once #apparently if you enter his office your health immediately gets restored?#never been able to check it because his office hours are so inconvenient for me #the only healing done was when I passed out in the mines #stardew valley #stardew valley farmer #stardew valley harvey #spoilers?#he says something along those lines when you get higher hearts with him #not in a cutscene #just as dialogue

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mewtwo24 · 4 months

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I finally finished reading the fourth volume of svsss in full, and thing is--the first time through I only read the bingqiu content because I was ravenous for more of their happy ending.

Turns out that was a perilous mistake.

Because I started reading the airplane extras. And I swear to god. MXTX is trying to kill me

What do you MEAN demon lord Binghe was sitting on his big fucking throne. All stoic and forbidding. Surrounded by his demon generals who don't know shit about human courtship. Asking them what he should do, fully demoralized by constant rejections from sqq, only to have airplane tell him to act more pathetic and needy. Which is already hysterically funny and insane, UNTIL LBH'S RESPONSE IS THIS, KILLING ME INSTANTLY:

LUO BINGHE. WHY DOES HE SAY IT LIKE: "I already tried that, didn't work--nothing works :/ not mean, not maidenly, not housewife, not spicy, not capable disciple. Is doubling down on clingy really all it will take? What's a born hater with only one love in his life to do????"

The dichotomy of him sitting there like 'how can I reach the unfathomable depths of shizun's heart?' A HEART HE'S ALREADY WON OVER, MIND and then in the Holy Mausoleum solving the puzzle without blinking and being like 'oh yeah you just have to hit the acupoints, no sweat.' Literally the comedy writes itself I'm so--

How am I supposed to be normal about this. MXTX understands the juicy quintessential queer joy of a person with the world's power at their fingertips wishing only for love. Willing to do anything to earn that love, when unbeknownst to them it's already been freely given. Totally not screaming and yelling and clawing at the walls

And that's not even touching airplane's uproarious account of events. The way he's like 'lol what's next, lbh and sqq are best friends now? smfh' only to see lbh TACKLE SQQ LOVINGLY. FOR SQQ TO BE BASHFUL ABOUT IT BUT SO SO FOND OF THE LITTLE SCAMP. This when we've been experiencing sqq's constant inner monologue of 'I'm so cool and so dignified about my role, truly the epitome of propriety and poser-level fortitude.' Meanwhile, in their universe:

Airplane constantly flaming???? Sqq and lbh in his observations????? His absolute bewilderment and confusion????? Legendary. No notes every single second of this shit was hilarious.

Airplane's comment that sqq + older adolescent lbh traveling together was just watching a couple in their honeymoon phase. OR the fact that lbh is exceedingly petty and refuses to share their food in the wake of airplane's interruption of their time together, until sqq relents sheepishly and insists airplane eat what's left (ONLY AFTER PLACATING LBH WITH MORE FOOD FROM HIS PLATE, SOBBING)

Watching airplane salivate over Mobei-Jun and acting like that's totally normal behavior. Finding out mbj and airplane got together first. Finding out sqq encouraged airplane. LIKE THIS. WHILE HE IS STILL IN DENIAL ABOUT HIS OWN FEELINGS:

Mobei-jun clearly thinking their arrangement is a forever thing, heartbroken his human abandoned him with all the hapless fury of a scorned wife swept away by false promises of fidelity. Airplane writing demons to be the type to beat up their crush lovingly and still unable to connect the dots about mbj's feelings. Mbj letting him go and respecting his wishes, only relenting when there's indication airplane was poorly processing his own feelings and didn't actually want to leave. Mbj caring for him and listening to him as soon as airplane voices what he needs directly and with clarity. None of these gays are functional and it's everything to me

Unrelated, but I physically can't hold this information in anymore:

I'm still reeling from younger lbh having his sexual awakening from the image of sqq wrapped in the immortal binding cables. Condemn me as you like he was so, so real for that.

And no I will not be taking any comments about how luo bingge couldn't bear to see luo binghe cherished in ways he never got to have and all the haunting implications of that. I will also not be taking any comments about luo binghe's instinct to look for sqq in that alternate universe, only to be shaken to the very core to be unable to find his shizun anywhere. The unspeakable and latent horror of his relentless mind likely piecing together what happened, but unable to say it; to suspect what is true, and live with the harrowing confusion of his double's actions. To blame himself, to assume that he had let his anger get the better of him in that world and result in unspeakable folly...

I also refuse to talk about how heartrending it is to hear Tianlang-jun weakly say "In the end, I really can't bring myself to hate humans." The implication that the foolishness of that hope and bright-eyed fondness--the very thing that put him through such unspeakable agony--couldn't be beaten out of him entirely. To discover that his faith in Su Xiyan hadn't been misplaced, to the contrary: his beloved hadn't scorned him at all, but rather fought to the miserable end to protect the fruition of their genuine feelings of love when she couldn't protect tlj or herself.

How MXTX has sqq deliberately draw parallels between their situation and that of ygy+sj and tlj+sx; desperately wishing it might not be too late for them. The concept of breaking cycles of abuse and harm pervasive throughout the newly devised story, how it evolves for the better only when love takes the place of power, pride, and domination. How the moment sqq chooses vulnerability instead of saving face, the genre shifts to the so-called "cringe" girly genre where most if not every character is more fulfilled, more true to themselves. How the "male-oriented" former genre was aimlessly sensationalized and sexualized, how it was a sustained performance of aspirational toxic masculinity. How men objectify other men without end. All of the unspoken gendered implications that come with that.

Anyways. Going to go put my head in a sandbox and try to process everything I just witnessed because even a second reading is not enough to find a modicum of closure.

#svsss #bingqiu #moshang #i swear to god this series is just 'gay man who doesn't know shit inflicting his delusional reality on everyone else and inciting chaos'#and literally it's slapstick levels of hilarious every single time; mxtx never change #also i fully agree that we did not get NEARLY enough mobei-jun and sqh/airplane content #the amount of mental illness to mental illness communication going on there was astonishing #mobei-jun being afraid of his uncle and bringing sqh because that's the only person he trusts fully (WAILING NOISES)#sqh having a tantrum but running away because for the first time he was honest about his needs + his dissatisfaction with catering to other #how that reflects his narrative compulsions and how he felt forced to warp more creative story paths for the sake of survival as a writer #how sqq's restoration of much of his original intent--as well as mobei-jun's acceptance of his needs--helps airplane begin to heal #how his happiness begins; how just like sqq he wanders in such confusion and denial before he's forced to realize what truly matters to him #SHREK VOICE: STORIES HAVE. L A Y E R S #it feels like modern day shakespeare and when i say that i don't mean it in a hollow elevating sense i mean it more like #mxtx just hits that perfect balance of poignance but also hilarious concentric circles of botched communication and brainworms #okay but real talk for a minute? .........;-;#the way lbh constantly struggles with such a crushing feeling that he'll be abandoned over any little mishap/thing/problem #really hit me where it hurts??? if only because its so clearly an anxiety that stems from original goods' upbringing #the way it becomes even more heartrending when you think back to all the sect leaders clamoring that he should have been killed as an infan #that he should have been aborted as a fetus--insisting right in front of him that his birth was a mistake and a disgrace #over having demon blood in his veins. like my god that scene is so viscerally upsetting i struggle to read it #the way its so easy to see the demons as a manifestation of otherness in precipitated form #how both sqq and sqh are influenced by human rhetoric without evening meaning to--assuming the worst against their better judgment #how both sqq and sqh both struggle with their own otherness in different ways and only find solace when they begin to accept who they are #how their lovers (lbh and mbj respectively) both are willing to navigate those confusing waters with them #how both demons love them as they are--accept them as they are despite how difficult forgiveness of perceived betrayal is for them #ty mxtx for changing my brain chemistry #as i get older i have such a fondness for the messiness of thematic queer self-discovery and growth into self-acceptance #that and how youth can so easily be defined by perfectionistic self-harm and the violence of repression

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mikakuna · 2 months

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he's so small :(

#☹️☹️☹️☹️#he's literally just a baby :(#firm believer that he would've been so small without the pit's healing abilities restoring his stunted growth #he was so tiny trying to survive all on his own #probably so confused #and just wanting his dad #AHHH #jason todd #red hood #batman #dc #bruce wayne #talia al ghul

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wingedblooms · 3 months

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A promise of spring

Years ago, I noticed this little detail and was too nervous to share it, but we know more now. This could just be a hint for Lucien and co, who show up later, but I do think we might see spring come to the heart of the Night Court at long last.

Elain is first revealed to the Illyrians by Mor, whose power is Truth. She is a blooming flower in Illyria, and her focus is not on the warriors, but the rocky ground.

Even in the middle of winter, she is a bloom of color and sunshine.

And in the House of Wind, she is a promise of spring.

So, maybe Ramiel and the land around Illyria don’t need more death and destruction, but life and joy and beauty from a gardener’s hands.

Thanks to @silverlinedeyes for encouraging me to share these connections! 💕

#elain archeron #a promise of spring #in illyria #the heart of the night court #elriel #healing the land #restoring the Cauldron

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solomon-revisited · 1 year

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some mountain goats lyrics are like prayers to me

#there are brighter things than diamonds / coming down the line #if not by faith then by the sword / i'm going to be restored #he gets most healed that waits the longest #and of course. i am gonna make it through this year if it kills me #the mountain goats

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tarantula-hawk-wasp · 5 months

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I saw this angel drawn by Moebius and saved it bc the blocky jaw and expression and general vibes screamed Glorfindel to me I went for a woodcut kinda style which is quite a departure from my usual, and then imagined all the variants you could make from a woodcut

#glorfindel #tolkien #lotr #the silmarillion #silm #fantasy art #artists on tumblr #my art #lord of the rings #elf #if i had more time i might have turned off pressure sensitivity to try and really get it like cuts in a wood block or smth but alas #my favorites are the red on orange one and the gold leaf on white #i love him so much and i missed drawing him i feel healed i feel restored #my glorfindel art

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runraerun · 5 months

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Imagine Cas and Sam and Dean all searching through lore books for a way to help restore Jack's human soul, and they come up with natta/goose egg/bupkis. But then Cas is standing in line at a gas station check out with Dean when he spots a Woman's World magazine with a blurb on the cover that reads, '10 Ways to Revitalize Your Body and Soul!' So he quickly grabs it and makes Dean pay for it, and he's reading off a list of things while they drive home in the Impala like: try yoga! Go to the beach! Eat a home cooked meal! Don't be afraid to share your feelings with your loved ones! Redecorate your living space! Have a spa day! Start a garden! Hug someone at least once a day! ect. And Cas figures he's been spoken to by the divine feminine and he's going to trust the universe with this one and decides that they all need to try this new ritual, for Jack. (Much to Dean's dismay.)

#jack kline #destiel #castiel #supernatural #Sam would be so down #because this all sounds very healthy #its just so fluffy #I swear I'm usually very angsty and brooding #but this idea just won't leave me alone and I don't have time rn to write a fic about it #future fic ideas #dadstiel #dragging Dean kicking and screaming to a place of mental healing #and for once being forced to treat himself with kindness and respect #like deans soul would also be restored #let’s be real

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lotus-pear · 22 days

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LOTUS !!!! lotus. what is wrong with you i saw that last skk art and sat in silence for a good few minutes just staring. so cute. why is your art so tender. i will take it and give it a smooch on the forehead

JUST LIKE HOW IM GONNA TAKE YOU AND GIVE YOU A SMOOCH ON THE FOREHEAD RHEI,,,,,,,,,YOURE SO SWEET HELP 😭😭

#rhei compliments 100000 restored 500000 healed 15000000000000 revived #lotus’s asks

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slythereen · 6 months

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austin gp 2023 you are a beauty ❤️

#lestappen #nice red white and blue for the home race !!!!!!#world healing nature restored etc etc #charles leclerc #f1 #max verstappen #austin gp 2023 #*delphi

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haunted-xander · 1 month

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Thinking about the parallels between Riku losing himself to darkness because he (believed) his life-long friendship had been broken and replaced and Terra losing himself to darkness because he wanted to protect his friends/friendship more than anything else

#they were both driven by love and bonds but riku was driven by the hurt of it being broken #whereas terra was driven by the anger at his loved ones being threatened #love is healing but its also corrupting if its too strong/if its threatened......#oh and they also both lost their bodies and hearts!! to the same guy even!!!!!#and they could only fully return to themselves once they had been safely reunited with their loved ones and their bond restored!!!!!#aqua was right when she said darkness was anger and hatred #but what then is anger and hatred but the pain of having loved?#of having something you cared about be broken and torn apart #darkness is obsession and hatred and anger but also love #because love feeds all of these things #anyway im getting carried away i could write an essay on the delicacies of emotions #as portrayed in a lot of medias tbh but especially kh #bc everything always is driven by emotions all the time!!!!!!!!#riku #terra #kingdom hearts #kh #xander rambles #i finished replaying terras route in bbs today btw.

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patchwork-crow-writes · 6 months

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Transcendental Teatime Taste Test

(in which Kris has a new flavour tea for Ralsei to try)

You knock on the door a third time, parcel stowed inexpertly behind your shoulder cape. Could he have actually gone out somewhere? But he never went anywhere without you or Susie to accompany him... well, certainly not without You, at any rate.

But you needn't have worried, because a few moments later you hear the latch click and the door creaks open to reveal Ralsei. He is somewhat surprised to see you, but he is also unable to hide the joy in his expression.

'Oh, Kris!' he chirps. 'What... an unexpected surprise! To what do I, um, owe the pleasure of this visit...?'

You say nothing, taking a moment for the prince to stew in the awkward silence. Waiting for him to notice the strange way you're holding one arm behind your back.

It doesn't take him long to put two-and-two together, and his snow-white face darkens a deep red. His smile is shy as he asks you, 'D-do you have s-something back there for... for me, Kris...?'

You consider saying "no", just to see him sqirum a bit more... but you have something you want verifying, something a little more important than pulling petty pranks like that. And so with a flourish of your cape you reveal the neatly-wrapped box, presenting it to Ralsei as though it were a ceremonial weapon. Your theatrics do not go unnoticed... or unappreciated

'Ooh, Kris!' he exclaims, puffing himself up in an attempt to look as princely as possible. 'What gift is this you have brought? Surely a mysterious trinket from far-flung lands, the likes of which no darkner has ever laid eyes upon!'

The caprine boy giggles, somewhat mortified by his own earnestness. He takes the package from you, taking care not to crease the delicate multicoloured paper it's wrapped in. Almost at once his eyes widen, the aroma emanating from the box unmistakable to his quivering nostrils.

'Y-you brought me a... a new tea to try!' Ralsei's eyes sparkle like diamonds beneath his cola-bottle glasses, and he is visibly torn between shredding the packaging into ribbons right there and then, and throwing his arms around you to articulate his joy. 'Th-this is so... I've never... th-thank you so much, Kris!'

His unbridled excitement spooks you a bit, despite the fact that you had actually anticipated this reaction. You calm yourself, remembering that this is just the way that Ralsei is built. It would have been no different had Susie been the one to give it to him.

...well, mostly, you reason.

Perhaps sensing your slight discomfort, the prince composes himself a bit, though his face remains flushed with happiness. 'Ah, sorry about that... it's just I, um... don't really get gifts from anyone, so it... it really means...'

He looks like he's on the verge of tears, but a moment later he realises his error. 'O-oh, I'm sorry! W-we should give this tea a try, shouldn't we, Kris? I can't wait to try it out!'

Neither can you... but not, you suspect, for the same reason as him.

Ralsei ushers you into his room, urging you to sit at a small table laden with the most ornate crockery you have ever seen - even more ostentatious than your mom's Good China. You note the three places set around the table, and that two of the three chairs are already occupied by plush effigies of you and Susie. The stitching on them is well-worn, white stuffing poking through the loose lining. Ralsei gathers them up with one hand, mumbling an embarrassed apology, gesturing for you to sit where the Kris doll had once been.

'I'll j-just prepare the tea, so please, um... be patient a moment. Ok, Kris?' And with that, he zooms away, leaving you to your racing thoughts. The chair is a little small and digs into your back, despite the armour you always wear in the dark world.

Could there be any chance he'd figure it out before you had an opportunity to see his reaction? It didn't seem likely, considering how difficult it was to acquire this particular blend, but... well, Ralsei was pretty good at knowing about things he shouldn't.

Like your name, for instance.

Of course, there was that whole "prophecy" thing, wasn't there? It wasn't entirely unreasonable to suppose that both your and Susie's names were etched upon it somewhere - that was a pretty common thing to happen in prophecies, right? If the stories were anything to go by, anyway.

But you can't completely shake the crawling suspicion that somehow, he just Knows. That all this is a big game and he's just... playing along. Your heart - your actual heart and not the You that wasn't you - thumps an anxious beat against your ribcage. Your palms run clammy with sweat. But surely, there was nothing to worry about, was there? Ralsei was your friend, after all. He liked you.

Well, you'd find out in a moment, wouldn't you?

And then, almost as if on cue, the prince returns, carrying a large tray groaning with every type of cake you could possibly think of - rich red velvet cake, dense and moist carrot cake, fluffy and colourful angel food cake. In its centre sat a large and colourful teapot, its spout blowing a gentle tail of steam through the air behind him. You swallow, force a small smile, do your utmost to present as, and indeed to be, Normal.

'S-sorry that took so long!' he says, setting the tray down between the two of you. 'I, um, might have gotten a little carried away with the cakes, haha. But I figured you wouldn't mind! ...Err, hopefully.'

You shift your glance from Ralsei to the colossal pile of cakes in front of you. Many of them, you now see, are some variation of chocolate flavour. Your stomach rumbles, despite your unease. Perhaps you really were just overreacting. Gingerly, you take a fudgy brownie - it is studded with glossy milk, white and dark chocolate chunks that ooze slightly from the still-warm cake.

'Now how about we try this tea, Kris?' says Ralsei with a sweet smile, proffering the teapot to you. You nod, mouth full of gooey sweet brownie, and he pours out a small cup for you, before seeing to his own. The liquid is a deep dark caramel colour, but you also suspect you can glimpse the occasional flash of deep crimson as the light dances across its surface..

'Ohh, doesn't it smell heavenly?' he continues, lifting his china cup to his nose and inhaling the steam, before giving off a contented sigh. 'Give it a sniff, Kris!'

Curious, you copy Ralsei's gesture. The steam wafting from your cup hits the inside of your nostrils, and you are taken aback by how hot it feels. Once you acclimatise, however, you take a tentative sniff...

...it smells like nothing you have ever experienced before. An aroma that teeters on a fine line between rotten and sweet, like the faintest whiff of fermenting fruit, or of the manure spread over the fields in spring. Not entirely unpleasant... but not what you would call "appetising", either.

'...you know, Kris,' the prince says, peeking over the rim of his cup at you, 'I didn't really, um, have you down as enjoying this... sort of thing.'

You raise an eyebrow. Ralsei gives you a nervous chuckle, an endearing bleat-like noise.

'Well, I suppose I don't... I don't really... know you all that well, do I? F-for all I know, you could actually really like... this. Am... am I making any sense, or...?'

You don't respond right away. Thankfully, you aren't required to give an answer, because a moment later, You nod. His shoulders sag a little, and a small smile spreads across his face again.

'O-okay... that's good, haha,' he says. 'I... I was worried that you were just... just humouring me, I suppose. N-not that it would matter if you were, or are! It's nice just being here with you, Kris.'

A paw reaches out across the table, alabaster fur gently tickling your fingers. His smile widens, his eyes go soft... and then he seems to realise what he's doing, and sharply withdraws his hand, almost as though you'd burnt him. There's a slight stab of rejection close to your heart - it's not clear which of You the feeling originates from. Perhaps both.

'A-anyway-!' says Ralsei, tucking his offending paw into his robe and turning his face away slightly. 'Wh-wh-why don't we t-try some of this lovely tea you've brought for us? If it tastes anywhere near as g-good as it smells, then I think we might be in for a real treat...!'

You nod enthusiastically, grateful for a distraction from the awkwardness. You waste no time and take a long, slow sip from your teacup, bracing for something truly stomach-churning...

...but that's not what you taste. You were expecting something like spoilt milk, or toast so burnt it's unbearably bitter, but instead all you can identify is... chalk. Not awful, but not pleasant. It seems to coat your mouth and throat as you swallow, and you're reminded of the milk of magnesia your mother used to make you drink when you had an upset stomach.

You're almost disappointed at how bland it tastes. You were expecting something a bit more than this... whatever it is.

(HP + 10)

'Well?' asks Ralsei. 'H-how is it, Kris...?'

You make a show of thinking about it. Take another sip to add to the effect - strangely, the chalky flavour is starting to grow on you. You worry a little about what that implies.

'Yeah it's pretty good,' you're able to say; it's always a slight shock when You're permitted to speak. You wait a moment to see if more words are forthcoming, and when they are not, you gesture the prince to follow your example.

Finally. Now you'll be able to see which You he thinks he's talking to. Your breath catches a little in your throat as he raises the cup daintily to his lips, as the first drop of manna falls onto his tongue.

You wait as he takes a sip. And then another. And still another. With each gulp, he tips the cup further and further, until you wonder how he could possibly hold it like that without drenching himself with hot tea. And still he is not done. In fact, he fully upends the cup, draining it to its very last dregs.

'...oh,' the prince says, setting the china back down upon his saucer. You note the trancelike glaze in his eyes, the cogs whirring in his fluffy head as he struggles to quantify and comprehend what it is he has just experienced.

'Oh,' he says again, voice lower this time. 'Ohhh.'

You'd ask Ralsei if he was alright, if you were capable. But you don't need to. You know exactly what's happening. It's exactly as you'd always suspected.

'This... K-Kris, this is...!'

He is unable to finish the sentence before he is pouring himself a second serving of tea, china rattling as he picks it up and downs it all in one go. A third cup is poured, which joins the others in the pit of Ralsei's stomach. And you watch it all unfold, expression flat, inscrutable.

'...still can't...' the prince breathes, smacking his lips together. 'It's... it's like nothing I've ever tasted before...! The... the sweetest sugar would taste like bitter salt next to this... the richest cake, as bland as tofu! It's... the closest thing to... to heaven I've ever...!'

(HP + 451)

He is enraptured, seeming to forget you are there entirely. You can't even imagine how anything could possibly taste so good - not even your mother's posh chocolates could elicit that kind of a reaction from you. It's a little uncomfortable to watch, and not just because of the implications.

After a little while, however, he starts to come back to earth. Ralsei blinks, apparently mortified that you witnessed him losing control like that. He takes off his glasses to polish them, and you note that his eyes still have that slight faraway look to them.

'O-oh, I'm sorry, Kris,' he mumbles into his scarf. 'That was rather, err... unbecoming of me, wasn't it...? B-but that tea really was so... um, th-thank you for bringing it to me!'

Slowly, you nod. His gaze slides off of you, as if he is ashamed of what he had just done - yet still, he cannot seem to help looking pointedly at your half-full teacup. You pretend you don't notice, and he doesn't make anything of it. And so the minutes pass awkwardly by until it is time to go.

'Oh no, don't worry about that!' he says hurriedly as you offer to help tidy everything away. 'I've... e-everything's under control here! A-and I enjoy tidying up, anyway!'

As if to demonstrate his enthusiasm, he sweeps everything up onto the tray and hoists it into the air with both hands before you can object. As he whisks all the plates and cups back where they belong, you think you spot him surreptitiously sip from the cup you drank from - desperate for one final taste of godly manna. You wait patiently for him to finish, and then stand up to go, stowing away another delectable brownie for later.

Ralsei walks you to the door. 'It was lovely to see you again, Kris! And, um... thank you again for the wonderful gift.'

He seems to look through you as he says this. You'd seen that look before, but now it holds much more significance as you realise - Ralsei has literally been looking through you the entire time. Through to the You residing in your very SOUL. The You that no-one else could see.

As you say your goodbyes and leave the darkness behind, you start to wonder if this had been such a good idea. If maybe you should have just left things as they were. If maybe, it would have been easier - better, even - not to know about these things.

You might have at least been able yourself into thinking that any of it was for you in the first place.

---

The alleyway was deserted when you arrived. No-one came this way unless they absolutely had to, and with good reason; a terrifying host of unearthly creatures made their home in this place - beings that could offer the curious and the credulous deals to attain their heart's desire. But all transactions were made at the purchaser's own risk.

The figure you were after resided at the very back of this hellish locale. As you passed by several dilapidated stalls, voices whispered to you, as insubstantial as cobwebs in the darkness, imploring you to browse the various goods and services they could provide. More than once, you were forced to turn down something referred to only as a "Single Sneaker" - a cursed trinket of unfathomable origin, no doubt.

A lone creature sat at a small table, upon which rested an item that looked very much like an ordinary household kettle. The demented runes scrawled underneath this shabby display told of its power: "FLAVORED TEAS MADE HERE".

The figure noticed you approach, springing to life like a motion-sensing anamatronic. Its angular nose and rictus grin unsettled you - though you couldn't quite understand why.

'Care for a sample?' the Addison spoke, its voice dry from lack of use. 'Teas specially made bespoke, tailored to YOUR unique flavour profile!'

You did not respond, but stopped directly in front of them.

'Just you today, Sir and/or Madam?' they laughed, nerves showing.

You swivelled your head from left to right, sweeping the alleyway for signs of anyone there aside from the two of you. It didn't hurt to be absolutely sure - you didn't want any more people knowing about this than was absolutely necessary.

Then, very slowly, you nod.

'Great! Then I'll just-'

The Addison had no time to continue their sentence, before you raised an arm into the air, clenching and unclenching your hand in preparation for what had to be done next.

Your screams were silent as you struggled against Yourself - a well-rehearsed mime show of internal pain and anguish. The darkner's eyes widened in mute terror, their smile frozen in place. They could not look away as you gripped hold of something lodged deep within yourself, yanking at it once, twice, thrice...

And with a sickening wrench, it came free: a heart-shaped object, the colour of blood, pulsed weakly in your hands. It was You. It was not you. Both and neither of these things were true at the same time.

You proffered the SOUL to the quivering Addison, gesturing with your free hand towards the kettle. Somehow, they understood what was required, and set to work brewing a tea. Satisfied, you returned the object back where it belonged, and waited patiently as if nothing interesting had happened.

The resulting liquid shimmered uncannily in the faint darklight, shivering as if possessing a life of its own. Wordlessly, the salesperson decanted the tea into a canister, wrapped it up in gift paper, and handed it to you with trembling fingers.

It felt lighter than you thought it would be. Almost insubstantial - as if it didn't have a physical presence. You spotted a small tag tied to the gift bag, with a single word scrawled upon it:

SOUL.

You tore it off and discarded it. No need for him to know what this was. Now you would know for certain, just what he actually thought of You.

#writing #fiction #fanfiction #deltarune #kris dreemur #Ralsei #Addison #tea #fluff #some horror towards the end #Flavoured tea is cool right?#Always interested me how both Kris and Susie tea heal Ralsei for 120HP #Even though Noelle proves that 120HP is far from the maximum HP value it can restore #And considering how sweet Ralsei appears to be for Kris its kind of odd #So I came up with this #Suffice it to say - sometimes ignorance really is bliss #drabble

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