half a witch willow

──.🌸 ݁˖ Mimosa Tree : Albizia julibrissin ──.🌸 ݁˖ Mimosa is an graceful ⸻ fast-growing ornamental tree ⸻ admired for its airy ⸻ fern-like foliage &. soft ⸻ silky pink powder-puff blooms. ──.🌸 ݁˖ Lightly sweet fragrance ⸻ delicate ⸻ fresh ⸻ &. honey-like. ──.🌸 ݁˖ Leaflets like to fold inward at night or during rain ⸻ its an sleep-like movement called nyctinasty. ──.🌸 ݁˖ Attracts bees ⸻ butterflies ⸻ &. hummingbirds.

🌸Notes:

── Mimosa Tree ✧ Albizia julibrissin → Aura Optic ✧ Phyto-aura optica

── Aura Optic ⸻ an mutated mimosa that acts as an spiritual mirror ⸻ as it reads &. reflects ones personal aura.

── Aura Optic ⸻ about auras : they are complex energy fields created by living⸻ spiritual ⸻ emotional ⸻ &. physical states so there are multiple of colors that can represent someone.

── Aura Optic ⸻ about auras : if an persons soul or physical has been cursed ⸻ hexed ⸻ or possibly ill ⸻ colors may show differently ( up to player(s) creativity ).

── Aura Optic ⸻ about auras : if an person has trapped ⸻ sold ⸻ traded ⸻ away there soul the vibrant blooms instantly reveal pitch-black vacancy as it can't mirror ones personal-aura due to magical-interference.

He'd stuck to his meal prep, kept his portions on lock, and followed the workout regimen Dash had set up for him. But today was finally his cheat day. He had to indulge just a little.

And a supreme was his vice.

The smell of garlic butter and baking dough hung in the air, making the wait feel twice as long.

He shuffled forward with the line, head bobbing to Determinate by Lemonade Mouth through his headphones.

Someone stepped up beside him, saying something he couldn't quite make out. Judging by how quickly their lips were moving, they'd been talking for at least a few seconds before he noticed.

Max held up a finger in apology, paused his music, and slipped one earcup off.

⸻ 🌻 “ HELLO ⸻ ” SHE SPOKE GENTLY AS SHE GOT on her tippy-toes nervously.

“ Pardon me Mr. I am attempting to warn you about an immediate botanical concern?! ” She bit her lower lip as there head continued to bob. As she found her squinting smokey-quartzs looking up ⸻ as she sensed the magical-rustling where nothing of this caliber should be growing above them.

“ Excuse me! Your current location may become unsafe. ” As she was trying again as she was getting more nervous by the second. “ Please consider moving approximately one foot backward? ” Still no response? Really! While trying to catch someone's attention without touching them was harder than she anticipated.

Was this humans giant hearing-aids not working? As an mutated Mimosa Tree ⸻ Aura Optic ⸻  as it hung upside down from the ceiling ⸻ roots buried in the ceiling as trunk &. branches spreaded downward like an unfinished chandelier. Until they finally slipped one of there human hearing-aid device back. “ You are about to be struck by a tree. ” She said with the blunt force trauma of the Aura Optic that was about to hit them. As she was no longer watching there face ⸻ regardless of being blind as an bat without her glasses ⸻ the sound of the ceiling giving an dry ⸻ splintering crack.

With an sudden decision ⸻ she forcefully yanked the Mr. backwards by there clothes ⸻ as she hauled them out of the drop-zone as they man-handled them like they were one of her boys. Iron &. unrelenting force. As the mutated-tree snapped violently into full growth ⸻ growing downwards into the exact space they used to occupy.

 “ I apologize for manhandling you like your one of my own but ⸻ the alternative appeared medically unfavorable. ” She politely put as she let them go carefully. As she wouldn't be so sure she could pay for the medical-bill if they had been struck. While it would have been her fault.

“ You should get your hearing-aid checked. Its not working. ”

hopper hadn't come to the ball expecting to find anything worth his attention. dancing, politics, small talk. it all blurred together into the same headache. but the movement creeping along the wall caught his eye almost immediately. instead of recoiling like everyone else inevitably would, he watched the silver vines curl around the nearest decoration with quiet interest. the rose wasn't dying. it was adapting. feeding. getting stronger with every piece of metal it swallowed.

his gaze shifted from the plant to the woman standing a few feet away. she looked nervous enough to bolt, which told him everything he needed to know. "yours?" he asked simply, jerking his chin toward the flower as another vine reached for a nearby ornament. there wasn't panic in his voice, only curiosity. "looks like it's hungry."

he stepped closer, unconcerned by the twisting vines. "y'know everyone else is gonna see a problem they need to stop." his eyes settled on her, calculating rather than judgmental. another vine wrapped around a metal fixture, and hopper watched it without flinching. "is this your creation?" he paused, the faintest smirk tugging at one corner of his mouth. "or are you controlling it?" he was only curious is all.

⸻ 🌻 THE SOLSTICE SUMMER BALL IS ALIVE LIKE an warm mid-summer nights dream.

As she gripped at the floral-overgrowth that had grown all over her . . . feeling the gypsophilas ⸻ lavandula angustifolia ⸻ hydrangea arborescens ⸻ wild grasses &. meadow weeds ⸻ but unable to find comfort in it. “ Mr. Hopper ⸻ what ⸻ ” as she sounded as confused as she looked.  While she felt her heart stutter as she stayed rooted to the spot ⸻ paralyzed.  As she wanted to deny it.  To claim she was only an bystander in it all but she wasn’t built for lying.

“ It's mine ⸻ ” she said quietly.  As her magic has again slipped through her ⸻ &. acted on its own volatile-instinct. While she couldn't look away ⸻ vinemagic ⸻ stirring.  As she struggled to maintain an calm exterior while her . . . mutated gold-rose continues to consume everything in sight.  Metal-vines expanded with horrifying thieving speed ⸻ silver-thorned &. seeking out every piece of metal ⸻ glass ⸻ &. earthbound-stone in its path. “ But I never asked it to do this. ”

As she watched in growing horror as it metal-melted &. re-formed in impossible ways. But how? As she had more questions on how it metabolized &. knew. As it began building an spine ⸻ bones ⸻ an new-form ⸻ from rosegold to metallic-glittering ⸻ diamonds ⸻ sapphires ⸻ citrines ⸻ topazs ⸻ prasiolites ⸻ emeralds ⸻ crystalline-metalized peacock? As she took an step back almost stumbling over herself.

“ Curiosity is fine Mr. Hopper . . . just don't let it touch anything you want back. ” As she wasn't so sure how she would return it. “ I'm going through some magical-difficultys. So things have been a little topsy-turvy on my end. ” But control? While an heavy silence seemed to hover around her ⸻ trying to think ⸻ trying to understand ⸻ &. try to wonder how to handle the situation all at once before things get worse.

──.🌸 ݁˖ Midas : Mutated rose ──.🌸 ݁˖ Midas ⸻ an mutated rose ⸻ as petals hardened into polished rose-gold blooms while its stem slowly metalized &. twisted into vines &. thorns. ──.🌸 ݁˖ Midas ⸻ with silver-vines &. thorns it instinctively started stealing anything metal around it ⸻ coins ⸻ keys ⸻ weapons ⸻ silverware ⸻ watches ⸻ jewelry. ──.🌸 ݁˖ Midas ⸻ with every metal-piece ⸻ jewelry-piece consumed it broke it down &. twisted it into an growing-form ⸻ from an mutated metalized rose-gold rose ⸻ to an evolved metallic-peacock. ──.🌸 ݁˖ Midas ⸻ but with every metal &. jewelry-piece consumed magic &. enchantments were added in the mix of its break-down ⸻ twisting into its evolving metallic-form ⸻ gaining the ability to turn organic-matter into metal &. crystal if touched.

──.🌸 ݁˖ Blue Butterfly Bush ✧ Buddleja mutata → Miraculous 🦋 ✧ Papilio miraculosus. ──.🌸 ݁˖ Miraculous 🦋 ⸻ is an mutated Blue Butterfly Bush with blossoms that transform into enchanted-butterfly's that eventually return back into flowers. ──.🌸 ݁˖ Miraculous 🦋 ⸻ when these enchanted-butterfly's see there own reflection ⸻ they will burst into there petals instead of remaining intact. ──.🌸 ݁˖ Miraculous 🦋 ⸻ ⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎ ⸻ during the petal-burst it will release its ⸻ enchanted floris-pollen. ──.🌸 ݁˖ Miraculous 🦋 ⸻ ⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎ ⸻ &. when this enchanted pollen is inhaled effects like ⸻ confusion ⸻ time slowing down ⸻ heightened awareness of colors ⸻ scents ⸻ &. sounds ⸻ an dreamy ⸻ floating feeling ⸻ wandering to imaginative thoughts ⸻ to physical relief &. relaxed muscles. ──.🌸 ݁˖ Miraculous 🦋 ⸻ with every enchanted-butterfly that does burst by seeing its own reflection ⸻ an new bud will emerge &. bloom within an few hours ⸻ allowing the bush to replace what was lost.

Billy couldn't remember the last time he'd been to a ball. Maybe never. The music drifted through the gardens beneath strings of glowing lanterns, couples danced beneath the stars, and everywhere he looked people were laughing, talking, or simply enjoying the warm summer evening. It was the kind of event that reminded him why he liked Elias so much. For all its mysteries and impossible magic, it was still a city full of people who knew how to celebrate.

He'd been meaning to ask someone where they found the courage to dance in front of this many people. He hadn't worked that part out yet. Instead, Billy had settled for wandering between the refreshments and the dance floor with a glass of sparkling cider in one hand, happily people-watching. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as another couple spun past.

⸻ 🌻 WITHOUT HER GLASSES ⸻ THE SOLSTICE SUMMER BALL has become an enchanted-watercolor painting that has been left out in the rain.

As every reflective surface deceived her ⸻ &. this wallflower sought sanctuary from the relentless &. overwhelming sensory assault &. retreated beneath one of the nearest refreshment-tables with her knees pressing tight against her chest &. floral-growth. Taking shelter from the invasive ⸻ Opaline Wisteria ⸻ &. its relentless ⸻ suffocating shower of frozen-cold white-glitter before she was an frosted-over Willow.

“ I don't think dancing started with confidence ⸻ ” she spoke gently from beneath the table “ ⸻ I think confidence may have came afterward? ” Maybe? “ I think dancing is a language ⸻ ” she spoke as if she was carefully- thinking about it. “ Witch's have been using movement in rituals ⸻ &. magical-combat for longer than I can remember. ”  As body's can warn ⸻ answer ⸻ challenge ⸻ surrender ⸻ without making an verbal-sound.  As trust reveals when someone allows another person to set the pace ⸻ knowing the possible risks.

“ In an magical-fight . . . Or an combative-dance ⸻ it tells whether you trust enough to lead ⸻ or enough to follow. ” 

──.🌸 ݁˖ Japanese Wisteria : Wisteria floribunda f. alba ' Shiro-noda ' ──.🌸 ݁˖ ' Shiro-noda ' Wisteria is a spectacularly long-growing vine ⸻ famous for its dramatic ⸻ cascading white flower clusters and highly sweet ⸻ distinct perfume. ──.🌸 ݁˖ Sweetly aromatic honey scent ──.🌸 ݁˖ Clockwise Climber

🌸Notes:

── Shiro-noda ✧ Wisteria floribunda f. alba → Opaline Wisteria ✧ Wisteria florinivea

── Opaline Wisteria are long-growing vines with cascading white flowers that happen to produce an soft-glow.

── Opaline Wisteria has an more mutated floral fragrance that captures the essence of an endless midnight-summer ⸻ intoxicating rush of creamy coconut-honey ⸻ molten amber ⸻ smooth-vanilla ⸻ irresistible &. natural warmth of an midnight summer.

── Opaline Wisteria flower-petals that fall dissolve into an shower of white-glitter that is cold to the touch that happens to be edible &. taste either like ⸻ vanilla ice-cream ⸻ or cold vanilla frosting.

⸻ 🌻  THE SOLSTICE BALL HAD ALREADY BECOME AN smearing-blur of golds &. silvers by the time an voice cut through the music.

While without her glasses ⸻ smokey-quartz couldn't distinguish exists ⸻ melted shapes ⸻ wounded lights ⸻ or where she was going in the first place ⸻ let alone stepping. “ I'm incredibly sorry ⸻ ” as she feels her stomach tighten lifting her foot immediately. “  ⸻ I can barely see where I'm going. &. I didn't mean to step on your dress. ” Unfortunately . . . stepping on there blurred unabashedly-pink dress was not the only piece of her that has found its way onto there dress.

As heat gathered beneath her cheeks ⸻ suddenly embarrassed ⸻ slightly ashamed ⸻ what's even worse than her sudden blindness was the suffocating presence of the Opaline Wisteria. Starting with its perfumed fragrance that sticks to one ⸻ as an creamy coconut-honey warmed by molten amber &. smooth vanilla. While the strange sweetness of an midnight-summer that never reached morning. But its the long-white blossoms glowing softly above them was the bigger problem.

As the mutation has been shedding loosen petals above her that dissolve into cold ⸻ white-glitter from the falling blossoms tracing icy-constellations on the polished-marble floor of the ballroom . . . trailing &. blooming behind her every uncertain step she took. While cold-white glitter was drifting over the stranger ⸻ &. getting . . . in there tulle to. An soft sigh escaped her ⸻ as an blind wallflower ⸻ the one that didn't want to bloom in time to matter right now.

Was heavily from head-to-floral-growth covered all over in that cold white-glitter. “ &. that is . . . also mine. ”

“sorry about that, willow.”

she calls his attention back to the hoop, to the task at hand. the feat happens too quickly; vines wrap around the basketball in a flash of green, spotted only from his peripherals, before he hears a clean swish. perplexing, he thinks, as the ball bounces once, twice, thrice against the plastic panelling below. and he’s not wrong, either — he knows that, unless the world in its totality has sped up somehow while he and the basketball are a few frames behind, and the light breeze has suddenly acquired the applied force of a human hand, then something weird just happened. of course, only for a few seconds, until time and space snap right back into place.

or maybe willow’s just broken the rules of physics. equally as likely, if not more. he wouldn’t expect anything less.

“yeah, i was.” dipper narrows his eyes at her briefly, trying to decide whether to call attention to the fact that she definitely, probably, absolutely did something there, before turning to the seemingly equally perplexed booth operator. his shoulders lift in a small shrug as he gestures vaguely at the hoop, expression settling into something expectant rather than smug.

⸻🍂 WILLOWS HANDS CLENCHED TIGHTLY AROUND THE STRAP of her adventure-bag.

As the panic took longer to leave than she liked to admit.  While for several seconds ⸻ she could still hear her own pulse loud within her ears.  As Dipper was unaware of her inner chaos &. for that brief second it felt like mercy. It felt good to stand beside someone who honestly doesn't know enough about botanical-plants to recognize when something was going . . . wrong ⸻ like it's evidence in an case against her.  

“ Don't apologize Pines! That hoop looks like it has personal issues. That's ⸻ probably the important part. ” She replied back keeping her tone light &. airy masking the panic ⸻ inner-chaos. While she shifted her adventure-bag behind her ⸻ gently pushing the tyrant-kudzu with its new thorns down away from sight. As her magic wasn't evolving ⸻ but mutating plants into something she couldn't control?

Biting her lower-lip as . . . Arcane-Hollow had come back to mind in an very quiet ⸻ unpleasant ⸻ unwanted ⸻ but practical thought. Maybe she should admit herself for the rest of the summer ⸻ maybe her magic was not evolving alongside her but mutating dangerously ⸻ maybe she could get this all under control before it gets worse &. impossible to hide if she did?

While smokey-quartzs blinking behind glasses as she couldn't help but smile. As Dipper was holding ⸻ inspecting an prize thoroughly as if they had won something they must have desired? &. with Dipper so blissfully unaware she is strangely finding herself comforted by that. Because sometimes escaping doesn't mean running away ⸻ it just . . . means standing still in an chaotic-world. &. forcing herself to breath ⸻ enjoy the moment. “ I started the day cleaning the beach ⸻ marking turtle nests ⸻ normal-under-the-sun-summer-stuff ⸻ ” as she spoke gently ⸻ her face brightened as she adjusted her dark-green bandana quickly “ ⸻ but came to the pier for some quirky ice-cream choices. The basketball situation was just an unexpected detour. But come with me Pines!!! ” “ Oh ⸻ please come with me!? We can celebrate beating the rigged-system with me? ”

now a days the city just felt different. not wrong in any sense. just... different. maybe it was because he had been gone for so long, or because people looked at him differently?? regardless, he couldn’t put his finger on why?... he kept expecting things to feel the way they used to and finding that they didn't...he was still hearing whispers..still having weird dreams with no reason..and for whatever the reason, he'd stopped trying to figure out the why behind it all...at least for now.

king found himself perched on a weathered bench tucked along one of elias' busier paths, watching the city drifting around him as the evening began to settled in. the sounds of distant conversations mixed with the hum of passing traffic, lights beginning to flicker awake one by one. clover sat comfortably atop his head, completely unbothered by any of it. lucky bird. king leaned back against the bench, arms folded loosely across his chest. "y 'know"  he murmured, glancing upward. "i think you're only here because nobody's told you i'm a terrible influence." a chirp. "woooow. okay." another chirp. he snorted despite himself and for a while, that was enough. the quiet and the company. the simple comfort of not having to explain himself to anyone. then clover suddenly perked up and king noticed immediately. “...don't.”

the bird ignored him. "clover." with a delighted chirp, the small creature launched himself into the air as king watched in slow-motion horror as clover beelined toward the nearest unsuspecting passerby. "ooh, no..not again...you can't just adopt people you don't know" he pushed himself off the bench and started after him, already rubbing at his temple. the bird chirped happily, disagreeing of his remarks.

⸻🍂 OLD ELIAS WAS CROWDED ENOUGH TO MAKE her honestly desire to disappear into the gaps in-between.

But that isn't how life works no matter how polite you ask it. While her book-bag strap was cutting into her shoulder &. an tote-bag bit down on the other shoulder with its heavy-contents. As the Enchanted Forrest was still an long walk away as the trees ⸻ the vines pulse secrets ⸻ as the summer-woodland creatures where hungry ⸻ &. the nature-spirits were quite . . . lively.

Until Clover darts &. bee-lines in an yellow-blur landing against her midnight-jade dutch-braid. ' Clover ⸻ ' she began softly ' ⸻ you can't keep flying of leaving people like that. ' As she doesn't turn around right-away at first. Pausing ⸻ slowly turning on there heel to finally face them. “ Hey ⸻ ” she politely said in measure ⸻ distant ⸻ to King.

Right now . . . it all felt shallow between them in an way she couldn't quite explain because shallow water has an way of showing everything clearly from the ⸻ pebbles ⸻ leaves &. petals ⸻ pale scars in the riverbed ⸻ as it offers nowhere to put the parts that hurt. As she stands in it &. feels exposed bracing for every passing current because there is no depth to steady them when the current becomes rapid.

As Luz loves them both ⸻ as she makes space between people seem survivable. But she spent wondering for an while whether King simply accepted her because she arrived attached to someone he already cared about. &. there so called friendship was built on patience ⸻ tolerance ⸻ &. force. As that wasn't something she ever wanted in an friendship.

No one should feel forced into something. As the thought of it left an quiet pressure behind her smokey-quartzs behind glasses. While she shifts her book-bag higher against her shoulder &. tightens her grip on the tote-bag strap. As Clover circled back over Kings head ⸻ &. settled against the top of his head ⸻ fluff of hair ⸻ with such uncomplicated delight that made her happy for Clover.

As the Enchanted Forrest was waiting? Forests don't technically wait for say buut it was all she really could think of to excuse herself in the heat of the moment. “ I ⸻ I don't really have time to stand around today. I should keep going. Yeah . . . I'm just going to go now? Uhm ⸻ bye. ”

it was always hit or miss if someone recognized him by sight or his name. he knew that meant he needed to be cautious for everyone’s sake, but dewey didn’t have a cautious bone in his body. which was likely more of a problem than it was a solution to a problem. still dewey really didn't care. "donald duck is my uncle, that does mean that i am related to scrooge." he looked around the museum. "i probably helped find a dozen or so of the items in here. not that my name's on any of them." dewey didn't care about that as much as he cared about the adventure, sure he wanted to be known, but it wasn’t like people would put the name to his face from a museum plaque.

"i don't know why i came here." at this point, he didn't like complaining about his problems. well, that was a lie, he loved complaining about his problems. dewey didn't think that people cared about the problems he was complaining about. there, that was better. being concerned about a great uncle's name on half the town was such a privileged thing to complain about. it was especially bad to complain about when his uncles had raised him perfectly fine. still it hurt knowing the truth.

"willow park," he repeated, nodding his head. he'd remember that. there was something curious about the other that he couldn't quite put his finger on. "no, i think it does. knowing someone's name absolutely makes them not a stranger. like maybe the person i buy breakfast every morning doesn't know my trauma or anything, but he knows what fruit i like and my name and that i have some what of a routine." although sometimes his "breakfast" was at 2pm. dewey liked to say he never met a stranger.

he thought for a second. "let's do pit stop diner. i want good coffee." dewey did not like nor need coffee in his system and yet that was not going to stop him from drinking a bunch with a ton of diner food. he turned to go, keeping a slower pace than he'd normally have. "do you like living here?" he asked.

⸻🍂 WILLOWS SMOKEY-QUARTZ BEHIND METAL-GLASSES CAREFULLY gazed among the glassed-relic displays:

As each artifact ⸻ each relic ⸻ held secrets from an past. While her smokey-quartz gaze behind glasses settled on an obsidian orb. As it reflected everything around it. &. she found herself studying it as much as she was listening to Deweys words echoing in her mind ⸻ stirring an restlessness deep within her burning-self. However ⸻ the pieces he helped find . . . pieces someone else decided were important enough to label &. place beneath an spotlight?

She felt an growing heaviness in her chest tighten. Despite being surrounded by all these artifacts from the human-realm &. wonder ⸻ the weight of her thoughts threatened to pull her under. Suddenly thinking about . . . the savage ages &. the corrupted knowledge ⸻ as she felt her mind spiral back to the history of the demon-realm: How in bloody titan did there ancestors even exile giraffes to the human-realm? While the standard history-book always glossed over the banishment. But now the horror of it all spiraled entirely out of control as she felt it was rather suffocating her with unanswered questions.  Did Hunter know how there ancestors did it?  Maybe . . . she should ask Amity first ⸻ as she bit her lower lip.  Did . . . there ancestors have some specific relic ⸻ artifact ⸻ ruin-gate hidden away by time in the human-realm that happens to be magically in Maine? Was that the reason why King was suddenly lured that far away? “ Even if your name isn't on the little card ⸻ you still have the memorys you made finding them ⸻ this is just one-chapter of your story. " While her mind kept going back to her own questions about the Demon-Realm. “ I get that you're struggling⸻ it's okay to feel lost sometimes. ” She said as she understood that feeling more than she liked to admit ⸻ especially right-now. “ How do you know I won't hurt you? How . . . are you so certain I won't do something horrible? ” As she was worried about them an tad-bit as she could honestly be some horrible-person &. Dewey wouldn't even know it until it was far to late. “ Sure! That sounds perfect. ” While she said as she followed along. “ No . . . but thank you for asking ⸻ ” as she said it as politely as possible but it was bluntly-put. As her mind went back to the bizarre geographical-riddle between the Demon-Realm ⸻ The Savage Ages ⸻ Wild Magic ⸻ Human-Realm &. the banishment of giraffes. As it wouldn't stop consuming her thoughts. Until she realized Dewey has lived his entire-life in the human-realm!!! “ Can I ask what do you know about Maine?! ”

on a summer day like this, paradise pier is bustling with people. clouds adorn the sky as if they were painted against a backdrop of cerulean blue, with the sun shining brightly on the crowds. despite being above open water, they’re boxed in: by seaside food stands, bright attractions, and carnival game vendors — many of whom stand to benefit and have upgraded their prizes accordingly.

dipper knows well enough the tricks and trappings for these games, how most are rigged against the player from the start. but it’s a pair of sound-isolating headphones that catch his eye, which he desperately needs after leaving his only pair at the shack. first, he wonders what the stand’s budget is, if it can afford to stake studio-level gear.

and next, the gears in his brain begin to spin.

wind pressure, launch angle, the low and sagging canvas roof — dipper’s never been the most athletically inclined, but there’s a workaround. the brain is just as much of a muscle as biceps, and the work he’s put into the former can surely close the distance. not to mention, it’s been years since his last disaster at a carnival; he’s gained enough experience now to hopefully not give someone a black eye.

⸻🍂 WILLOW HAD ONCE FOUND JOY IN HUMAN-summer days that blended into warm afternoons.

While filled with 6am beach cleanups with sand stuck to her ankles ⸻ careful attention marking turtle-nests ⸻ collecting strange little materials from the beach &. tide-lines ⸻ as wild ⸻ breathless crash of surfing until her arms &. legs ached. As the cleaning still happens ⸻ the turtle nests still get marked &. protected.  While materials still get collected to.  But the surfing is completely out of the question without them because the missing space of them keeps walking with her ⸻ as there friends absence has left her entirely out of place &. questioning why she hasn't found them yet.

What kind of friend was she to let them suffer . . . 227 days ⸻ 5,424 hrs? As each step-taken in Paradise Pier ⸻ was like dragging invisible chains ⸻ as each game ⸻ each ride ⸻ was an reminder that she was no closer to solving there disappearance ( Oct. 31, 2025 ). Leaving an gaping absence of failure. While the smell of sunscreen ⸻ salt ⸻ &. bonfire-smoke further down shore didn't help comfort her like she thought it would. As midnight-jade hair hanged in tight dutch-braids ⸻ an rusty hair clip that caught weak sunlight brushing against an forest-green bandana.

With an oversized &. faded Cosmic_Frontier shirt that dragged heavily just above her knees while her adventure-bag dangled from her shoulder feeling heavy-er than usual. As she wandered around Paradise Pier like she had forgotten were she was meant to go. It didn't help that she was also trapped in her own thoughts not knowing where to put herself inside it all ⸻ summer school ⸻ her magic evolving in ways she couldn't understand.  Who could she even tell ⸻ who would even understand what it felt like to be pulled in 2-different directions?

While it all happened so fast ⸻ as an warning broke out. As time seemed to slow- down as she froze ⸻ instinctively ⸻ as smokey-quartzs stared widely behind metal ottoman-glasses at an basketball coming towards her.   She felt panic creep in like un-invited vines as an thick-thorny ⸻ Pueraria Montana ⸻ Kudzu ⸻ tendril tyrant-ly erupted out from her adventure-bag. Like the tyrant Kudzu that it was wrapped around the basketball ⸻ altered the trajectory by sheer-whipping-force &. violently sent the basketball towards the hoop.

The bell screamed the tyrants-victory while she ended up standing there still in . . . shock. Dipper Pines has always been charming ⸻ in an clumsy sort of way. As she lost control of her magic that responded to fear faster than intention . . . again. &. maybe . . . Dipper won't notice the evolved-species-of-plant &. the new-thorns? “ That was scary ⸻ ” she hummed calmly as she could feel her heart-beat pounding hard she could feel them in her wrists. Looking from the thorny-tyrant ⸻ to Dipper &. tried to distract Dipper first ⸻ then question if they noticed later. “ ⸻ I think you won Pines! You were aiming for that hoop ⸻ right? ”