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operationslipperypuppet · 9 months

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out of all the broken trios, Jolene/Marabelle/Cobb is a little bit the most interesting.

to start, they're basically the second one introduced overall. they establish that Alanis/Thiala/Ulfgar is the beginning of a pattern, not an isolated incident.

second - we know the most about them the fastest. while it takes a while to build to backstory as to the why and how other heroes separated, Cobb explains what happened to his adventuring party the first time he's asked. they are also visited in narrative flashbacks more often than any other trio, iirc. we get to see Jolene fighting alongside her daughter in the endgame, saving the One Hells. Cobb is basically a member of the Boobs for two entire arcs, and comes back at the end for a bit. we see the most from them when it comes to fights and supporting new heroes.

third - their reconciliation is poignant and immediate. but it's also possible. Aryox is long gone, and Telaine likely wouldn't have heard him out. Thiala was a fascist, Alanis will never forgive her (nor should she). there is reconciliation possible and that happens for other trios, but not in the same way. when Cobb leans down it's because he's already forgiven Marabelle's mistake. Moonshine knows she can pretend to be Jolene because Jolene, too, would immediately forgive her sister. and when the context is explained to Jolene, all the ill will she ever had for her sister (which was likely low at that point) washed away.

fourth - Cobb and Jolene clearly and without exception remain a duo, friends, together, even without the third member of their party. Marabelle's assumed betrayal hurts them, certainly, but it does not have a long-term effect on their friendship. we don't exactly see independent duos with the other broken trios. not from the outset. when Jolene takes her place as the MeeMaw, Cobb remains. he's a stalwart defender of the Crick. there's nothing anyone could say to get me to believe he wasn't sent to Galaderon on Jolene's request, as he does in the later episodes when he travels to Irondeep and helps the Goo Gone Gang. he's an institution at the Crick, he makes the best fireworks shows (non-magical) and is someone everyone knows and cares about, in a place where someone he could have avoided due to baggage is in charge. but they don't really let the issues break apart their friendship. not that we can see.

and finally - it's the one that, now, we see as the most broken. Jolene was always going to outlive Cobb. it just happened tragically, and likely sooner than she expected. when we return to the Crick in campaign 3, an argument could have been made (by me, to me, at least) that Cobb was out on a scouting mission, and that Murph did backflips to get the Boobs to leave him behind in C1, so why would he tempt them with him again (this is a joke, to be clear). but that's not the case. he's gone, and Jolene is alone. the only member of her party to remain. Alanis let the breakup of her adventuring party crumble her: she meddled with the world for centuries, trying to right her wrongs; she’s still doing work to make sure Thiala’s actions don’t destroy the world and she may never be finished. Jolene would never fall into that path. she keeps working toward the advancement and protection of her community, even when it's threatened. she stays the defender of the Crick that she always was, the woman we know as an audience. she won't rain arrows down from her towers, she will always shine a light.

broken trios break the people in them. we have seen most of the other broken trios as shattered parts of the whole, where the individuals, even if they come back together, continue to show the baggage of their break. Cobb, Marabelle, and Jolene are the exception to that second half of the rule. and a little bit that’s because of the Crick and how they were raised and continue to live, but it’s also about who they are as people and how they (Cobb and Jolene) seemingly actively chose to not let what happened ruin that.

and if you were to ask me? the band of boobs will follow their path, especially given that hardwon is on his way back to them.

#naddpod #not another dnd podcast #bahumia #jolene cybin #marabelle cybin #ol cobb #ba2mia #I’ve waffled on posting this for hours bc it’s not a fully fleshed out thought but fuck it fine

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littlegreenmp3 · 10 months

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I choose to interpret Jolene Cybin having hundreds of kids as her being the matriarch of The Crick rather than having hundreds of actual biological children because 1. I know it’s fantasy and the joke is that Crick elves are really fertile but hundreds of kids is insane. Like MeeMaw wouldn’t spend a moment not pregnant and 2. I think if Moonshine had a bunch of siblings she would like. Talk about them all the time. But rather she talks about her relatives that are sort of cousins. 3. Where the fuck are Moonshine’s siblings they’d be powerful as shit 4. MeeMaw and Moonshine’s very sweet and meaningful relationship feels kinda messed up if MeeMaw has hundreds of other kids she barely talks about

In my heart Deadeye and Moonshine are MeeMaw’s only biological children but of course the rest of The Crick ARE her children as well

#naddpod #bahumia #Jolene cybin #moonshine cybin #deadeye cybin

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emiko-matsui · 9 months

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#BALNOR IS A PC #naddpod #not another dnd podcast #brian murphy #polls #jolene cybin #cooter cybin #luna naddpod #barrett brisden #mawmaw cybin #marabelle cybin

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kyeree · 22 days

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Doodle dump again <3

#yes young Albin is based on Sora #because being a boy wizard with a frog sidekick is the most KH thing ever #Lucanus awakening Mawmaw #Lil baby vance #naddpod #not another dnd podcast #jolene the green #jolene cybin #lucanus aer'tea #vance cybin #albin pembroke #gregor kilde #gowen kilde #ba2mia #kyeree art tag #doodle dump

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corn-cuties · 1 year

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Lucanus simply has two hands

#naddpod #not another dnd podcast #jolene cybin #Jolene the green #meemaw #lucanus aer'tea #erdan #does he have a last name #also this has probably been done before but I had a strike of genius #also I completely spelled Lucanus’ name wrong. but that’s a stupid spelling.

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heytherecentaurs · 1 year

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The tone of Emily’s voice in episode 99 of campaign 1 when Moonshine’s talking to her MeeMaw about the timeless body. It’s the quiver in it. The holding back of tears. The mix of emotions she’s experiencing.

It wrecks me.

#naddpod #not another dnd podcast #not another d&d podcast #Emily axford #moonshine cybin #Jolene cybin #Jolene the green #bahumia #hey there centaurs

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buggleboos · 1 year

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memaw? 0:

YESSSSS!!!!

#asks #meemaw #Jolene the Green #jolene cybin #bahumia #generic art tag #naddpod #LOVE her never drawn her before. would put more colors in her hair if i had space

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whamber · 2 months

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dirty daddy origins

#naddpod #jolene the green #lucanus aer'tea #joluc #jolene cybin #not another dnd podcast #bahumia #my art

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exc-lsior · 1 year

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“i know people who’ve killed gods before” “who” “it’s my daughter, and her friends, i’m so proud of her” 😭😭😭

#naddpod #naddpod spoilers #ba2mia #ONFG I CANT HANDLE THIS RN IM IN PUBLIC #i can’t be on the verge of tears 🥺🥺🥺#this is wonderful 🥹#jolene cybin #naddpod lb #c1

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ginger-canary · 8 months

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New Rules (And Why They Exist)

Chapters: 1/1

2459 words

Fandom: Not Another D&D Podcast (Podcast)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Lucanus Aer'Tea & Jolene Cybin | Mee-Maw, Alanis & Lucanus Aer'Tea, Alanis & Jolene Cybin | Mee-Maw, Alanis/Jolene Cybin

Characters: Alanis (Not Another D&D Podcast), Lucanus Aer'Tea, Jolene Cybin | Mee-Maw

Additional Tags: Listen read into it how you will, Based on one interaction, Character Study, for Alanis maybe

Summary: Vibe check Alanis in College I read too deep into the interaction between Lucanus and Alanis when he went "Well I was blasted into space " and now the history expanded. Read into the relationships however you want because I sure don't know.

For @lovevalley45 happy birthday here’s the Alanis Jolene fic where Lucanus continuously loses his mind.

Follow the link up top to AO3 or check it out under the cut

Alanis was not really made for university life. Or- in some ways- she really really was. She enjoyed long nights in the large library and experimenting in the laboratory, going out on the town at night and making friends. But the strange competitive energy between different schools of magic and the envy between classmates who did better than the rest was absolutely not for her.

In full truth she just wanted to do magic, eat pizza, go on adventures, and get high. But the rich high elves were so fucking annoying.

So she’d played a few pranks, confusing her stuck up roommate into using a sharpie as eyeliner by saying that it was the newest invention in makeup for royalty. She kept transmuting the arcane chalkboard wipers into water filled sponges when bullies slapped them together, water going all over them and the runes on the board. Most frequently she confused everyone by casting Message in the voice of the king of the elves and telling them things like “I accidentally transformed myself into a rock, please help me”.

Headmaster Lucanus was not particularly affectionate towards her to say the least. He seemed to have good intentions but his sense of humour needed work and his punishments did too. If she had to spend another month working on the university gardens she was going to study druidism. Though that wasn’t the only reason druidism tempted her nowadays.

Alanis looked down at the angry Venus Trap she was tasked with wielding into obedience (or as Lucanus put it, “make it stop snapping at those just taking a walk”) and zapped it with a ray of frost. The plant momentarily crystallised in a pale blue. She wiped the sweat off her brow and moved out of reach, taking a sip from her lime flavoured soda. While she continued to complain whenever Lucanus made her work in the gardens because of her pranks, the dozens of interesting and rare plants did give her a sense of calm.

Then she spotted Lucanus and a red-haired freckled crick elf walking between the Grasping Vines and the Catnap- a catnip that caused every cat to curl up and fall asleep near the plant. As the crick elf held the Grasping Vines back from a flustered Lucanus, a large possum crawled out of the crick elf’s satchel and started chewing on the Catnap. Then it started hacking and coughing up the catnap before curling up underneath the plant, next to two cats.

Alanis snorted. She watched as Lucanus bent down to pick up the possum and put it back in the satchel only to be hit on the ass with a stray vine. Instead of picking up the possum he fell straight into the Catnap, tripping over the edge of his robes as he tried to get back up. Alanis and the crick elf burst out laughing in tandem.

They made eye contact from across the garden and Alanis lifted her soda in greeting. “Sup,” she yelled. “I’m Alanis.”

The woman grinned and shouted back, “I’m Jolene. What’re ya up to, youngin’?”

Behind Jolene, Lucanus managed to dust himself off and pick up the sleeping possum. He shot a disgruntled look at the Grasping Vines before turning to Alanis. “I would like to remind you this is your punishment for casting grease on the gym floor when the royal elves were forced to do the shuttle run test.”

“I’d like to remind you it was funny as hell.” She would never forget the yells of the royals as they slid right into the wall after making fun of the other elves.

Lucanus and Jolene walked towards her now that she’d decided to go in on their conversation- or rather their yells. “You cast Grease on the rich high elves?” Jolene asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Yeah.”

The Venus Trap chose that moment to return to its unfrozen form and snapped at Lucanus’s ankles. Alanis absent-mindedly slapped the plant with a Chill Touch. “I told you you can’t eat the humanoids,” she hissed. The plant hung its trap in shame.

“Here, let me see.” Jolene crouched down and cast Speak With Plants, spending a few seconds chatting in a strange language that sounded like leaves on the wind. “So I hear y’all used to feed it jerky but lately it’s been getting cat food?” Jolene and Alanis turned to Lucanus who blushed.

“We were out of jerky! The next shipment is late.” When the two women continued to stare at him he added, “last I heard it was taken by some gnomes.”

“You know it could just eat meat, right?” Alanis went through her bag, pulling out her sandwich and took the bacon out. She tossed it to the Venus trap as you would to a dog and it seemed much happier.

Jolene suppressed a grin. “Ye are a wizard, right Lucanus?”

“Yes?!”

She smiled and playfully punched him in the arm. “So why couldn’t you put together that the meat eating plant wanted better meat?”

Lucanus stood for a moment clearly firing on all cylinders to find an acceptable excuse. “I… have a lot going on. I’m not actually in charge of the garden, okay?!”

Alanis felt a tug at her lunchbox only to watch the now-awake possum attempt to steal the rest of her sandwich. “Hey!” She tugged it free from the possum paws.

The possum looked at Alanis then held up it’s front paws and said “reer.”

“Alright I think we’ve solved this problem, you, come here.” Jolene scooped her possum back into her bag where it instantly fell asleep. She straightened and held out her arm for Lucanus. “Nice meeting you, Alanis.”

“Ah, um. Yes, let us continue our walk.” Over his shoulder he yelled, “see if you can grab some more bacon from the cafeteria. For now you can feed it bacon.”

Alanis shrugged and looked down at her now sad sandwich. “I wasn’t even in charge of feeding these plants to begin with, this was my detention,” she muttered.

The Venus Trap made a swipe for the rest of her sandwich.

“Fine, fine! I’ll go rob the cafeteria.”

~~~

Another day, another good natured prank. She could actually defend this one- it was good for the environment! She was putting the frogs back into the large pond that existed near the divination tower. The pond was filled with lily pads and koi fish, weirdly shaped fountains and no frogs. It was simply not right. She’d even done the research to make sure the frogs could live with the koi- there had been no reason for the royals to get rid of them. Other than a weird hatred towards frogs.

“Don’t let Lucanus see you do that.”

Alanis almost dropped the entire bucket of frogs on her toes when she was spoken to by one very large koi. She looked around then leaned in closer. “Are you a prisoner of the king? Did they turn you into a fish?”

She was met with a face full of water. When she’d wiped her face with her cloak, in the fish’s place was Jolene.

Sitting in the middle of the pond, a lily pad with a frog on her head, she grinned. “Sup. I was just chilling with your fish.” She stepped out of the pond, dripping water everywhere. “Why are you fillin’ the pond with frogs?”

“Well, uh. There always used to be frogs, the high elves just kicked them out for no reason. I even checked some books on whether they could live with the koi. It’s fine! So, I’m putting them back.” To demonstrate she carefully took the lily pad and the frog from Jolene’s head and put them back in the pond.

“Where did you get these frogs?”

Alanis put on a shitty high elf voice. “From our ancient moat.” She dropped it. “I cleaned them and everything. The frogs- not the moat.”

“Usually I say nothing’s wrong with a little dirt but even the fish in this pond seem stuck up. Won’t you get in trouble again when the others complain?”

Alanis shrugged. “Nothing in the rulebook that says you can’t help frogs.” She continued placing frogs on the rim of the pond, watching them leap into the water one by one.

Jolene snorted. “I doubt there’s a rule against casting grease on the gym floor but ya still got punished for it, huh?”

“Okay, true.” She held up a finger. “But there’s probably one now.” Placing the last of the frogs in the pond, Alanis grinned. “If there’s no place where a rule has been invented because of your actions, have you lived?”

She held out her arm waiting for Alanis to take it. “I’m seein’ now why Lucanus complains about you so much.”

Alanis raised her eyebrows. She tossed the remnants of the water from her bucket then placed her arm in Jolene’s. “I’m in his head rent-free.”

“I don’t think he dislikes you,” Jolene laughed. “He’s definitely frustrated that you’ve chosen to use your powers this way.”

“So what do you think?”

“Me? I think it’s funny as hell.”

Alanis grinned as they slowed to a stop in front of one of the student towers. “So you’re a crick elf, right?”

Jolene’s expression became guarded. “Yeah?”

“How do you feel about weed?” Alanis bumped her hip against Jolene’s.

“Oh! Weed’s great, we love all the drugs Melora gives us.”

“Wanna go smoke some?”

Jolene opened her mouth to respond but before she could, Lucanus appeared- his robes dishevelled while he breathed heavily.

“Alanis!” he wheezed.

“Uhuh, wassup?”

“Manners! You’re not supposed to have drugs in your dorm- this is a no drugs school.”

Jolene lowered a flask. “Huh?”

He scrambled, “uh, okay listen. You’re not a student here.”

“Wow. So it’s only a no drugs place for students? Buzzkill.” Alanis crossed her arms.

“You’re here to learn!”

“About drugs, yeah, among other things.”

Lucanus put his face in his hands and started muttering in Sylvan as if she couldn’t understand it. “She’s top of her class, you can’t suspend her. She’s the best wizard in the transmutation tower, it doesn’t matter what she does in her free time.”

“...Thank you?”

Jolene just sighed and passed Alanis her flask. “Here, huff, don't drink. It’s what I do when he goes all highfalutin on me.”

“Ooh okay.” Alanis didn’t hesitate and huffed the mystery liquid, grinning as it hit her. “Oh, that’s good.”

“You bet your ass it is, it’s crickwater.”

Lucanus groaned. “Okay both of you. Stop getting intoxicated right in front of all the other students. I came here for something else.”

Tentatively, Alanis held out the flask for him.

“Not that!” Then quietly, he added, “maybe later.”

“Well then what? You wanna smoke some pot too?”

“Boundaries!” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Alanis, did you put frogs in the pond near the divination towers?”

“I mean, yeah.”

“Why?” He sighed.

“‘S good for the ecosystem.”

Lucanus closed his eyes. “The royals are complaining.”

“Okay and? When are they not complaining?”

“Just… I don’t fuckin’ know. Don’t do it again.”

Alanis shrugged. “Okay.” She turned back to Jolene with a sly smile. “So do you wanna go smoke?”

“Alanis!”

“Fine, fine.” She put her hands up, handing the flask back to Jolene. “I’ll leave you two to your… whatever this is.” She bumped her hip into Jolene’s with a grin. “See you around.”

She entered the transmutation building feeling like she’d at the very least gotten away with her frog move.

~~~

Another day, another summon to the principal’s office. They’d stopped trying to literally summon her there after she made duplicates of herself which piled atop Lucanus’ receptionist.

She sighed and kicked the nose of her scuffed boots against the wall. As far as she knew, she hadn’t even done anything to get detention this week. Too busy hanging out with Jolene.

Eventually Lucanus stuck his head around the corner. “Let’s get started.”

With a shrug, she walked in and took a seat in front of his desk. “So I just want to say whatever it is I supposedly did, I didn’t actually do it this time. Oh, hey Jolene.” She grinned at Jolene sitting on the edge of the desk.

“...What?” Lucanus shook his head. “You’re here so we can discuss your summer internship. “You had said you wanted to work in the garden?”

Alanis blinked and scratched the back of her neck. “Ah, right. Yes.”

He sighed. “This is a big responsibility, Alanis. I’m only considering it because you already have quite a bit of experience with our plants.”

Jolene rolled her eyes. “What he means is that he’s trusting me because I told him I’d love to help you out. Kinda be your guide.”

“Yes, that.”

Alanis grinned and wiggled her eyebrows. “My guide, huh?”

Jolene winked at her.

“Jolene, please… that is a 20 year old elf.”

“And? At least she flirts with me!” She slapped him on the arm.

“Should I be here for this?” Alanis slowly stood up from her chair. This seemed like their personal drama.

“You’re not done with this appointment!” he waved his hands.

She shrugged and sat back down, leaning toward Jolene. “So are you free tonight, or…”

“Yeah!”

“No!” Lucanus turned beet red. “Gods give me strength… Alanis. Do you agree to work in the garden as your summer internship with the help of Jolene and agree to do whatever she tells you to while in that garden?”

“Hell yeah man.”

“Great.” He signed a scroll then turned it towards Alanis. “Please sign this and leave my office.”

Alanis scrawled her name across the dotted line and handed the quill back to Lucanus. “A’ight dude, see ya.” She slipped out of his office with a wave to Jolene.

In the hallway, she leaned against the door. She didn’t have to- it was easy enough to hear the pair argue through the wood.

“Jolene, please. I know crick elves are poly but don’t hit on my student. She’s like 20!”

“Hey I meant what I said, at least she’s flirting with me!”

Alanis grinned and opened the door again. “So, are you free tonight or?” She put her head around the corner.

“Yes.”

“Dope. Can I see you at like eight?”

Lucanus loudly sighed and put his head down on his desk.

“Sure.” Jolene pat Lucanus on the head. “I’ll see you at eight, youngin’.”

“Cool, bye! Bye Lucanus.”

“Gods give me strength…”

Alanis walked to her room with a big grin on her face. She wasn’t going to get involved with whatever Lucanus and Jolene had going on but she was going out with Jolene. Or at the very least do some drugs with her.

#writing tag #naddpod #not another dnd podcast #lucanus aer'tea #jolene cybin #alanis #behold the most normal ship i've written in a while

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operationslipperypuppet · 7 months

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Jolene and Cobb had a conversation about death, the night before he left for the astral plane. He made his intentions clear - that he would never outright plan to die, but he would allow it to happen if it had to. And that she wasn’t to try to bring him back. He was ready to go.

Jolene made a deal then, with Melora. That if any of her people died away from home, and their souls were unwilling to be resurrected in any way, their bodies would be sent to the GrandMaw Tree. She’d take it from there. There was no discussion of details or logistics, but she knew it would work if it had to.

She felt it, when Cobb passed. It was a deep feeling within her gut, it impacted her as though she had been punched. But she also felt his relief. She raced to the GrandMaw Tree, tears in her eyes, knowing exactly what she’d find. She had never wanted to be wrong more.

A few days later, when she’d been able to communicate with Moonshine, and after Hardwon had arrived, shaking, at the doorway to her stump, sobbed into her arms for three hours, then promptly announced he’d be living in the crashed Stormborn but to not talk to him, she knew what she had to do with the body.

Burial ceremonies aren’t a thing at the Crick. It’s usually between the dead person and their best friend, deemed at some point during life. Many people choose to incorporate themselves back into the cycle, and allow the magic of the Crick to do its thing in decomposing their body.

Jolene was that person for Cobb. She knew what he wanted. She grabbed Big Bev, knowing her grandson wouldn’t bear to miss this, and dragged Hardwon out of his ship to assist. “Just this once, big guy. Then you can go about your mopin’ business.”

They walked in silence, the dragon carrying the body, MawMaw making sure they weren’t followed.

Jolene picked a spot in the Western Crick. There was a large group of mushrooms, circular and somehow deliberate, right where Cobb had told Jolene was the spot Marabelle had died. She knew it was perfect.

When Big Bev placed the body near the ground, the mushrooms reacted immediately. Reaching out, grabbing at it. The motley crew watched as it was overtaken and disappeared completely. One by one, they dispersed. Hardwon was first and fastest, Big Bev when he got the nod from MawMaw, the possum when she decided her mother would need more time, alone.

Jolene stood, tears refusing to fall, for hours. When a tiny plant sprouted from the center of the mushrooms, she finally made her retreat.

A week later, a single stalk of corn had sprung up in the mushroom garden. Jolene would smile sadly whenever she passed it. Content that while her sister and best friend may not have been able to grow old together, they could cause something to grow. Together.

#this was inspired by tarragons ‘she may have rotted but she’ll make good soil’ and my need to acknowledge Jolene’s relationship w Cobb #I was gonna write this as like a full fic but it was too short so here’s just a post #naddpod #ba2mia #not another dnd podcast #jolene cybin #marabelle cybin #ol cobb

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lovevalley45 · 7 months

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#fictober23 day twenty-nine

"That's all? Easy."

fandom: naddpod (campaign 1/bahumia)

word count: 789

tw: referenced drug use

a/n: timezones are a menace so this is technically a late birthday fic for @ginger-canary, and i am uno-reversing you with alanis/jolene as a spiritual successor to the bday fic u wrote for me (which frankly i recommend everyone read bc it's so good). enjoy the rarepair bc where would we be without f/f ships that are literally for an audience of two

Spending a summer watching over the university gardens wasn’t something Alanis ever thought she’d enjoy. Of course, the plants in there had grown on her - no pun intended, but being under the tutelage of Jolene the Green certainly made it worthwhile.

Most people would be intimidated having the Meemaw of the Crick serving as their mentor. Even those who didn’t think of the Crick in the highest terms couldn’t deny her impact as an impressive druid. But when she and Alanis weren’t in the garden, they spent their time stressing out Headmaster Lucanus or smoking weed.

All in all, she could think of many, many, many worse ways to spend her summer.

She hadn’t spent much time studying the magic that kept Gladeholme afloat - that was a complicated weave of spells, charms, and enchantments she wasn’t advanced enough to untangle - but she supposed the fact that they floated closer to the sky meant it got much hotter. She had tied her thick curly hair out of her face and stripped off most of her robes, but she still wiped sweat away from her face as she listened to Jolene.

Or, tried to. Alanis knew the Crick was a much more humid environment, but Jolene had too doffed her forest green cloak. She knew that her mentor was over 300 years old and had reached the druidic feat of slowed aging, but damn. Lucanus was one lucky man - how he had ever secured such a catch still baffled her. Talk about Meemaw, she still had her childbearing hips and-

Alanis forced her brain to shut up. Seriously, what good was a wizard’s intelligence if it still stumbled into phrases like ‘childbearing hips’ about her mentor?

“Alanis? You still there?” Jolene asked.

“Oh. Yeah. Totally.” She shoved her hands into her pockets. “What was that again?”

“I said, I want you to cast a cantrip on this here flower.” Jolene patted the bloom beside her. It was nearly as big as she was, petals spiraled out in a rainbow of colors.

“That’s all?” Alanis snorted. “Easy.” She danced between the opportunity to impress her mentor, or to keep things simple. The former won out as she cast Lightning Lure, a line of lightning twirled out of her fingertips towards the receptacle of the flower.

She yanked, trying to pull it in. But the flower had other ideas, pulling her forward instead. Alanis tried to regain her footing and failed as she flew towards the flower, right into Jolene. As if she couldn’t be more humiliated, the shock of lightning damage from the cantrip went through her instead.

“You alright there?” Jolene asked.

Alanis nodded, before she realized how she’d landed. Her hands rested on Jolene’s waist, their torsos pressed together. She pulled her hands away as she backed up. “Yeah. I’m good.” With an air of casualness, she wiped her forehead again. “So, that some kind of magic repelling flower? Some kind of abjuration magic, no doubt.”

Jolene grinned and rested her hand on the head of flower. “Yeah. This is the Counterbell. This is right from the Crick. Some druids enchanted it to serve as a guardian for their group of stumps, but it got screwy and just bounced back any damage it takes instead. Still effective as hell, if people thought to attack a flower out of the blue.”

Alanis ran a hand over one of the violet petals. “That’s metal as fuck.”

“I know, right!” Jolene said. “All these highfaluting wizards don’t have proper appreciation for the flora ‘round them, right in their backyard.” She was still grinning as she turned back to Alanis. “Too bad there’s no kind of menagerie or aviary here.”

“You could probably get Lucanus to start one. He’d do anything you’d say,” she said.

“I know, I know, but then he’d bitch and moan about not having enough elves around to take care of all them.” Jolene huffed. “Unless you wanna volunteer for zookeeping duty, too.”

She held her hands up. “I’m cool with all the flora and shit, but I’ll leave the fauna for the druids.”

“Fair enough.” She turned to look at the sky. Alanis didn’t quite know what she was looking at, but Jolene said, “Okay. Lesson’s over.”

“Alright.” She was a little disappointed, but she wouldn’t mind getting out of the heat. “Wanna smoke some weed back in my dorm?”

“As your mentor and supervisor for your internship, I should refuse.” She rested her hands on her hips. “But as someone who’s not getting paid by the university, I can do whatever I want.” Jolene slung her arm around Alanis’ shoulders. “It’s time for our next plant lesson - marijuana.”

There were definitely much worse ways to spend a summer.

#alli writes shit #fictober23 #naddpod #alanis #jolene cybin #spiderman meme but it's just us writing niche gay shit for each other

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