walk with me

drunk texts:

( ✉ → sms ) plea se eh elep me im drunk and i dotn know whe re i am

( ✉ → sms ) i fukcing miss yo u

( ✉ → sms ) i look so fuckigjn GOOD

( ✉ → sms ) i csnst stop throwiging up

( ✉ → sms ) fu ck you  for hurting me

( ✉ → sms ) why dotn you ever call me anymore huh

( ✉ → sms ) stop being so fuckigjn borign and coekm to my party

( ✉ → sms ) i dropped my pzziza o nt eh floror im fuckgin pissed

( ✉ → sms ) i j sut left you a 3 mintue long voicemail singing. sorry

( ✉ → sms ) even when i’m durnk ic ant sotp thinking about oyu

hateful texts:

( ✉ → sms ) you’re pathetic

( ✉ → sms ) you make me miserable

( ✉ → sms ) fuck you. delete my number.

( ✉ → sms ) you never meant anything to me, anyway.

( ✉ → sms ) fuck your apologies, you can keep them.

( ✉ → sms ) congrats on always ruining everything

( ✉ → sms ) my life would be so much easier without you.

( ✉ → sms ) and next time you feel like calling me… don’t.

( ✉ → sms ) i don’t want anything to do with you anymore.

( ✉ → sms ) if your goal was to make me hate you, then congratulations. mission accomplished.

misc/random texts:

( ✉ → sms ) i think my neighbor is an alien.

( ✉ → sms ) help me think of a name for my new dog

( ✉ → sms ) sooooo… what was your first impression of me

( ✉ → sms ) should i get pizza or chicken wings for dinner?

( ✉ → sms ) no one’s ever made me feel the way you do.

( ✉ → sms ) i borrowed your weed. hope you don’t mind.

( ✉ → sms ) why do they say drugs are bad when they make you feel so good

( ✉ → sms ) today is the oldest you’ve ever been, but the youngest you’ll ever be again…

( ✉ → sms ) [ File Attached: 001329.jpg ] of all the drunk pictures i have of you, this one is my favorite.

A sister or two?! That was an understatement! Effie smothered a giggle, eyes widening to emphasise what she was signing, “I have many more than two sisters! I am from a blessed forest. For every tree, there was a dryad, no? Very many of us.” Her nose wrinkled up in thought for a moment. Did she have parents..? She came from her tree, so that could be her parent. Growing up, she had always considered Artemis to be a mother figure - but maybe now she was too old for that. “Were your parents dryadic too? It is unusual to hear of males blessed with our abilities!”

“I am old! Very old! I do not remember how old - I spent my young years in places where we did not count years, you see?” Measuring age had been for humans, not for the forest dwellers. It had taken a few centuries of meeting integrated supers and friendly humans before she had really started counting - and even then, sometimes she forgot years! She couldn’t help it! “I lived alongside Artemis when I was very young, so… old! Ancient, no?” Aside from the angry cat woman, Effie believed she was one of the oldest on the island. A proud place to be! And now she had this little sprout! “He is a good friend! A young witch boy - very sweet. And with a good taste in shoes!” Aspen would like Genesse, she thought. They were both very sweet, and of course, anyone with an affinity for nature was a good friend!

Effie grinned knowingly and poked at Genesse playfully. It was always a sign of a forest-dweller, to be so impatient with tourists and mainlanders. And such a forest-dweller, too! She didn’t know people lived so far away from the town - maybe, yes, the strange fae creatures, but not people living in houses! The surprise was clear on her little face, and she nodded eagerly as her hands started to move again, “I would love to see your home! I do not spend much time in mine - it does not look very lived in! I like to spend my time visiting my friends, no? Now that we are friends, you are welcome to come and use my home for your… electricity!”

Genesse smiled at the question of her parents. She was proud of them, of course, and loved talking about them when she got the chance.

“It is rare to hear of them! However, only my mother was a Nymph like me. Even though I had a human Father, my Mother passed all of her abilities to me.” She smiled, hands signing along with her words as she spoke. “ Him and my mother were such a lovely pair. Obviously she was much older than him, and you’d think a relationship between an immortal and a human wouldn’t be a good idea, but they got on so well.” She stopped, not wanting to rant too much. “They were fantastic. I was very lucky”

Genesse giggled, not surprised. She knew she was young, and Effie’s lack of knowledge of her true age did not shock her. She wondered if one day she’d reach a point where she just stopped counting. “Well, I can only hope I look as good as you at your age!” She joked, knocking Effie’s arm playfully. “I’ve read stories about Artemis, she seems wonderful.” Genesse hoped to meet her one day, but she had no idea how to even go about that, or if the legendary woman was even still around.

“As for your friend- I would love to meet him, maybe! You’ll have to introduce me.” She said, winking. She was excited for Effie to see her home. It wasn’t the flashiest of places, but she took pride in it. She had built her with her own two hands, and she loved it for what it was, and knew Effie would know hard work had gone into it. It would be hard to leave it behind when she found a home, but she knew bigger and better things were coming. She swatted playfully as Effie poked her side.

She liked Greece! Oh, yes, Effie had made a very good choice in talking to her! What a good friend - it was part of having nature abilities, she reasoned. “Yes! I love Greece! I have not lived there for many years, but sometimes I go back to visit my tree :)” Ah… Well, it would make sense for her to be related to Effie’s own kind in some way, if her abilities were so similar! Although there were nature spirits in many countries, dryads and nymphs were… unique, no? At her slight backtrack, Effie made a psh noise and waved her hand vigorously in dismissal - it was true! There was nothing wrong with coming from a tree! She loved her tree! And she was sure that Genesse loved her nymph mother, no? There was no offence to be taken. Oh! Cousins! Her very own ξαδέρφη! “I have many sisters,” she wrote, barely standing still, “but never before a cousin! :D”

The dryad watched in wonder as Genesse began to sign, her board-arm slowly growing limp and hanging by her side. It had been a long time since someone had signed with her - it was just easier to use a board, no? It was much more likely that somebody could read one of the languages she could write than that somebody could sign! Grinning and already nodding along, Effie’s quick hands burst into life, the board left hanging from her shoulder by its strap, “Yes! I do!” Her head tilted in mute amusement as she listened to the nymph, “You are so young! A little baby nymph! You are like a little sprout, and I am the big tree, no?” She was four times as old as this one! How sweet! The dryad made her boots squeak again, eyes wide with agreement, “It is so nice to be barefoot! Even here, where it is always rainy, it feels so good! My friend was worried I would step on something sharp… He means well, but he is a fool!” With an amused gleam in her eye, Effie responded to the shaking of the branches - a circle of bluebells started to grow up around her feet, clustered around her froggy rainboots. 

The dryad gave a puff of air, rolling her eyes expressively. “I usually like to spend time in the park, but some humans were using my favourite spot to have the picnic lunch, no? Always, they love to picnic - especially the tourists. But it is no matter - I have met you now! It was good luck that brought me here, so we could make friends! Good luck and… whatever brought you out here!”

Genesse was warmed by Effie’s casual way of passing over her blunder. When Effie became excited about the idea of them being cousins, it only made her smile wider.

“I’m a little jealous,” She said while giggling. “I’m an only child. Having siblings sounds fantastic. I had lovely parents, but a sister or two to run with would’ve been fun.”

She looked at Effie -amused- when she was called a little spout. “Little sprout! I’ve never been called that, I love it! I’m fairly young for a nymph, that’s for sure. How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?” Knowing how old dryads could live, she had no guess to make as to her age. Genesse looked at the girl’s boots as they squeaked along as Effie spoke, almost in agreement with what she was saying. “Your friend sounds so nice! Looking out for a friend is important, even if his worry about your feet was unnecessary.” Another smile broke out across her face as bluebells sprouted around Effie’s feet, a beautiful contrast to the green and brown forest floor.

“Ah, tourists!” Genesse grumbled, looking back up. They were always trying to hike into the deep woods, and she had mixed feelings about them. “Sorry your usual spot was stolen, but on the other hand, it brought you out here!” A new friend was always welcome, so maybe somebody picnicking in her spot was just divine intervention.

Whoops! She had forgotten that people weren’t used to her silent approaches again. It was not her fault! Well… maybe after this long, she should start wearing bells so people could hear her. Ah, well! The girl was a forest friend, not something dangerous! Making sure that she appeared as friendly as possible, Effie beamed from ear to ear, showing off her dimples - Aspen always said that this was one of her best qualities! One arm holding her board tucked into her side, she waved enthusiastically with the other and gave her new friend some time to calm down. 

Oh! She liked her shoes! It had… taken the dryad a little while to get used to them, yes, but it was true - they were the cutest shoes that Effie had seen, too. Delighted, she wiggled her toes and nodded eagerly before flipping her board over to start writing her first message - her first message! To her new friend! Who had abilities like her! “Thank you! My friend bought them for me - I do not like wearing shoes, but I love frogs :) I am Effie! I cannot speak. I am from Greece!” She held this message up, politely waiting for her new friend - Genesse! - to read it before tilting the board back and writing some more - “I am a dryad! I can do these things too, yes? What are you?” It wasn’t always polite to ask outright what people were, but she had to know! It was probably less rude if they were similar in abilities, no? Ah well - Genesse seemed very nice. She would not mind, surely. Assured, Effie flipped the board back to Genesse again and waited.

After taking a couple more deep breaths, Genesse smiled at the girl, Effie. The girl’s smile was contagious, it seemed. After reading the message written out for her in colorful chalk, she spoke.

“Oh, Greece, how lovely! I’ve never been, but I’ve heard it fantastic! Rumor has it my kind came from there.” She laughed. “I’m a nymph by the way. Born from another nymph however, not from a tree. Uh, not that there's anything wrong with that!” She blushed, hoping she hadn’t insulted Effie. It was a little forward of the girl to ask so outright of her species, but Genesse thought nothing of it. “ If my history is correct, I’d say we’re basically cousins!’ She laughed again, nudging the girl. She took a glance at her chalkboard and smiled.

“Do you sign?” Genesse asked, signing out the words as she spoke. “I’ve been around over 350 years, it’s hard to not pick up at least a little something. I’m no expert, but I know a good bit.” She continued to sign as she spoke. “Those shoes were a good find by your friend! I agree wholehearted to the “no shoes” policy, though. The feeling of grass and leaves between your toes is amazing, isn’t it?” The branches around her shook slightly with her excitement. She loved meeting new friends! Living life in solitude was boring, and she was always looking for new friends to spend some time with.

Oh, Effie loved the forest! Her little patch in the park had been occupied by picnickers when she’d trotted into the park to spend the day lazing around with the bugs, so she’d decided to take a little trip into the woods - such a good idea! Aspen had been worried about her hurting her feet, even though she was adamant that she’d grown up in forests and couldn’t come to any harm, so her footsteps were marked by the loud squeak of her froggy rainboots. Ordinarily, she would not have gone near such a bizarre pair of foot-traps but… well, Aspen had seemed so pleased when she had pulled them on! And maybe they were a little comfy after all, no? Looking down at her new boots and wiggling her toes, the dryad paused to smile for a second before continuing her squeaky prance through the woods.

Trying to get her heart rate under control, Genesse spoke.

“Ohmygodhoney” She blurted in one fast sentence, trying to convey a sense of “what the heck” but also trying to be as nice as possible. She took a long breath before finishing. “You scared the crap out of me.” Genesse looked the girl up and down, noting the huge smile on her face and then the chalkboard in the girl's hand. She planned to ask about it but just then she looked down and spotted the stranger’s boots and Genesse was done for.

green panther

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, California