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solarpunkani · 1 year

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Hi! I love your blog! I live in California and I was wondering if you had any advice on native plants in the warmer areas, or book recommendations on that topic. I have a bit of yard space, but not a lot of time to dedicate to the project.

Hey! Thanks so much, I appreciate the kind words!

I'm not in California (I'm actually way off in the opposite coast, I'm East Coast Floridian lol) but I can do my best with what I've found to be the case for me!

I can confidently say that a lot of native plants grow... kinda slowly, especially from seed. Hell, I've been growing Sandhill milkweed seeds since February, and those suckers still aren't an inch tall all the way into April! You're gonna need patience. Other plants I've heard grow really quickly and can spread fast, so you're gonna want to know which do what and prepare accordingly. In the very least, have a contingency plan for if things get out of control--maybe uprooting and repotting volunteer plants to give away could be a good strategy! Of course, if you're worried about a native plant spreading more than you'd like, you can grow it in a pot!

Either way, the thing about native plants is that they're most likely going to get better with time and care. If something looks really wimpy and sad in year one, in year two it may come back and be a superstar! Sometimes they'll surprise you--I thought a lot of my coreopsis flowers got decimated by snails last year, but this year they're coming back strong, and I've only been planting more of them! With that being said, do try to remember where you planted what--I think I accidentally destroyed my Aquatic Milkweed plant last year digging around to put something else in the ground (though my soil isn't very aquatic in the first place and I'm surprised it survived 2 years).

All that being said, I'm most knowledgeable about native plants in the Florida area (and honestly, the more I poke around on iNaturalist, the more I realize... I barely know anything lol), but! I hope I can provide some resources on California native plants for you to refer to!

I probably don't have to be the one to tell you that California is very big. It has a lot of different climates and growing conditions, so your mileage may vary with any of the sites I give you. But hopefully at least something helps!

Here is a link to the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy's guide to native California wildflowers! It's also downloadable as a PDF! They also have a guide for planting and watering California native plants that may be helpful!

Califlora is a nonprofit database providing information on California native plants, and they seem to also have a growing guide to help you find what plants grow in what area and with what care needs!

The California Native Plant Society will likely be a good resource! They have 36 chapters state-wide, each with their own website, so checking out the chapter that serves your area will likely be a fantastic resource for you! If they're anything like the chapter in my district here in FL, they'll likely have monthly meetings and may even host field trips and plant sales! Pro tip, if they're hosting a plant sale, show up early--I missed out on milkweed because I showed up on time and not 10 minutes early. I am still salty about that, but I regaled the tale on my gardening blog, so I won't bring that here. Here's a page that'll help you find out which chapter serves your area! Their main page also has a tool to help you pick native plants by location and water needs, providing information and tips, and finding nearby nurseries that may have the plants you're looking for! Fingers crossed there's relevant nurseries in your area, my city... doesn't have much.

Across the United States, there's land grant universities that have a mission to make agricultural research accessible to growers in their state, and they'll likely also provide information on native plants as well! To the best of my ability, I think this is the extensions office website for California--the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources website. I did however find the University of California Cooperative Extension which... is either what I meant to find, or something else, I'm no longer sure. Or is it this site that we need? I don't know what's going on anymore.

SFinBloom is a... group? Team? Pair? That's gotten popular for guerrilla gardening in the San Francisco area (but they'll also travel to other places? I lost track). They sell native seed blends on their website, and have five for California! Which makes sense, since most of the work they do is in California. I haven't tried their Southeast mix any, but they sell seed blends and shakers that one could use for on-the-go seed scattering, but no one's stopping you from buying the seeds and using them in your yard. I'd highly suggest double checking the list to be sure they're all native, which is honestly something I'd recommend when it comes to any seed mix being sold, but feel free to give it a shot! They provide the common name and the Latin name, which in my opinion is always a good sign. They have a very popular Tiktok account you can check out if you feel like it too, and an Instagram!

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife lists resources on California native plants. I've listed some already, and some others I do not have the braincells to check out at the moment.

Regarding books, I think of all my gardening books, I only have 2 that specifically talk about native pollinator plants. One is a purchase from Barnes and Nobles, which was published by the Florida Native Plant Society, so it's extremely Florida-specific. I do also have The Xerces Society Guide to Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies, which does have a list of Pollinator and Nectar Plants in the back few pages, including a section for California and the Southwest. The rest of the book talks about why you should pollinator garden, special considerations for gardening in different places, and different kinds of native bees so let's be real. Here you go.

Shhhhh don't tell Xerces.

Speaking of native wildflowers, it would be remiss of me not to mention milkweed specifically. It's My One Thing. Milkweed4Monarchs has lists of native milkweeds arranged by state, which is what I've been using lately to recommend species to people. It provides 18 names, but I'll tell you right now, I envy anyone who can grow Heart-leaf milkweed (A. cordifolia) naturally in their region and as such. Please. Do it for me. This site also sells seeds, which I haven't purchased personally but a friend in my gardening server has successfully grown Purple Milkweed (A. purparescens) from this shop and that's honestly a pretty high recommendation in my book.

Asides from that! All I can say is that I hope this is helpful! And if any California gardeners want to chime in with their favorite resources and plant lists/plant sources, by all means go ahead!

#gardening #california #native plants #native gardening #resources #out of queue #ani rambles #answered asks #against-all-0dds #ok im gonna go garden now peace out byeeeeee

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brightgnosis · 1 year

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The Hidden Dangers of "Seed Bombs"

Items that have become known as "Seed Bombs" have become popular in the last decade. These are generally made from biodegradable or natural materials, and contain seeds (and sometimes organic fertilizers)- typically with an emphasis on food crops, flowering plants, and / or herbs; the point of them is to provide a quick-start plant growth kit that one can essentially throw into a field and just walk away from.

Predominantly they're used for an action known as “Guerrilla Gardening”, an eco-politically driven form of activism; as activism, Guerilla Gardening is a direct action against Land Neglect, "Lawn Culture" (which is itself often poorly defined by individuals with no actual understanding of what constituted a real lawn- and with little actual distinguishment between the individual concept of Lawns, and the Lawn Culture which actually causes the issues), and other interrelated issues --- most of which concerns what is considered "wasted land" that could otherwise by put to good use, ecologically, communally, or otherwise.

As the Valhalla Movement once states about one particular company (whose name and information I've since removed due to their political affiliations):

Seed bombs began as a fun and friendly tactic for greening abandoned lots in urban spaces. “Guerrilla gardeners” throw balls of seeds and fertilizer into fenced-off spaces that are otherwise neglected, such as brownfields or land in zoning limbo.

Now, a California company is using seed bombs as a strategy to fight the disappearance of bees. [Founders] started [Company] with the aim of spreading bee-friendly wildflowers in neighborhoods around the country.

Overall, the idea is a novel one that, admittedly, had the potential to do a lot of good. This can be true especially with the problems our pollinators face ... There are more than a few issues with it, however.

Firstly is that, despite its positive potential, Guerrilla Gardening itself is most often illegal. Not that anyone actually cares about that, however (and frankly neither do I); intentional land hoarding and land neglect is, it's safe to say, a noble enough cause to say "fuck the law" on, I think. However, that doesn't ignore the facts.

More important than the legal issues one can get into by far, though? Is that Seed Bombs aren't actually as “fun and friendly” as they're typically marketed as being ... In fact, they have a chance to be incredibly damaging to the ecosystems they’re introduced to- something which is the exact opposite of its claimed intent.

To understand how, though, you have to understand that no plant is created equal. Regardless of where you are in the world, each region; each state; each local area … Every ounce of land existing on this planet, really, has three important classifications of plants which exist within it: Native, Nativized (or Naturalized), and Invasive.

⭢ Native indicates that a plant evolved within that region on its own in some form and grows there naturally. Because of this, Native Flora often has an often incomparable and unique ecological relationship with the native Fauna; they're important food sources for local insects and animals (and sometimes the only food source at all for particular species). And because they're already a part of that specific environment in the first place, they have the lowest negative ecological impact on the ecosystem of that area- although this isn't always the case, as seen by the Eastern Red Cedar situation here in Oklahoma.

⭢ Nativized or Naturalized, on the other hand, indicates that a plant does not naturally grow in an area and was actively introduced to it. Unlike Invasive plants, however? Naturalized plants fit within the existing ecological structure instead of competing against, disrupting, overtaking, or destroying it. And like with Native plants, sometimes Naturalized species also become important sources for local fauna as well without outcompeting other sources. This means that, for all intents and purposes, these can be considered beneficial- or at least neutral- inclusions to the environment.

⭢ Invasive, however, means that the plant was introduced to an environment and has had an actively negative and detrimental impact on the ecosystem after said introduction- typically by outcompeting, taking over, and ultimately destroying the Naturalized and Native plants within the area. See: Kudzu in the American South.

So what does this have to do with Seed Bombs? Well, it concerns the seeds which are found in them, and whether or not they're actually even the right seeds for the environment in which they're being planted --- and in whether or not the people planting them are actually going to come back and pay attention to any specific management needs they may have if not ... And unfortunately? Not only is the entire act of Guerilla Gardening completely counter to active management practices that are required for non-naturalized (and even actively invasive) species, should they be introduced? There is almost no emphasis placed on Seed Bombs being safe for local environments during the manufacturing process.

While some larger manufacturers of Seed Bombs may occasionally list the plants they contain seeds for (with or without their appropriate Latin names), and will produce packages which are supposedly tailored to certain regions? Not all manufacturers do this even on the large scale manufacturing level. And even when they do, I've personally found through intense scrutiny that, even then, many of them are not actually formulated correctly for the specific environments which they claim to encompass.

Take the company Seedle, for instance. While they do provide regionally specific seed packages, my own state of Oklahoma is incorrectly listed regionally; according to their company, Oklahoma is included in the "Southwest" regional designation- which is entirely inaccurate. Oklahoma is a Southern (not Southwestern or even Midwestern) Transition State ... But the major problem, however, is that Oklahoma is also the most environmentally diverse state in the entire United States- containing more unique ecosystems per square mile than any other state in the nation (including Texas and California). It's only the western portion of our state (roughly the vertical strip of land West of Enid) which actually shares related fauna with the generic "Southwestern" region.

If I wanted to be properly accurate? I would need to buy either the Midwestern of Southeastern package for my area. Likely both. Because Oklahoma as a whole, being a Great Plains state, shares the majority of it’s native flora and fauna with Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas- not states like Arizona and New Mexico.

This problem doesn’t only present itself with larger manufacturers, however. Smaller manufacturers (such as shops on Etsy) may not always list the plants, either. And with the increased emphasis on Seed Bomb DIY, even fewer of those guides place any emphasis at all on making sure to include only native or naturalized plants- and being careful not to include any invasive ones. In fact, many of the recommended herbs and flowers in many lists are outright invasive in most areas of the United States!

But the only reason I personally actually know all of this? Is because I personally spent half a decade working as a Civilian Conservationist, actively working with real professionals in these fields ... If you didn't have my background or an equivalent, you'd have no idea- and that's the rub: The average person doing these things, even in activist circles, is a regular ole' Joe kind of civilian --- and the average civilian is simply not often well enough educated on actual scientific and ecological matters. Especially not the need to be incredibly careful about what we plant and the reasons why. Worse, they often don’t know there's even a need to be educated about this kind of thing in the first place.

And when you do educate them? In my direct and very personal experience over the last decade, there's frequently a lot of hostile pushback because their idea of ecological activism is often ingrained in their minds as "more important" and "more valid"; there's a very big "do what I want, how I want to do it" energy- even from people who claim to actually want to "help the Environment". And this often extends outright to big name organizations behind these movements, too.

While that lack of education is certainly no fault of their own in many an individual's case (though companies themselves can no longer be excused in my eyes)? This knowledge is still incredibly important. And that's what makes this kind of ignorance so dangerous.

Invasive plants, specifically, can very easily destroy entire ecosystems wholesale; the environmental problems they can cause can rang from a dwindle in local plant populations, to the complete and total ecological loss of entire local species. And if the plants go? Then the fauna that relies on them go with them- damaging entire ecosystems which're interconnected and interdependent on these different facets; even smaller invasions in one neighborhood can cause problems across an entire area.

Thus comes the potential for a destructive nature, though: If a Seed Bomb contains plants which are known to be invasive to an area, and those are introduced via well-meaning Seed Bomb scattering by uneducated civilians? It can wreak havoc on a local ecosystem. That havoc could be small and easily manageable, or it could be disastrous depending several factors- and it’s incredibly hard to know which direction it could go unless you have the education to know or control impact (and the time and ability to do so).

Yet not all plants are invasive to every region; a plant’s status can change from one region to the next one- and hardly any plant will have the same status or impact in different environments. This is why it's important to be educated, and to know where to look for this information (or who to ask).

Ensuring that our Seed Bombs contain safe plants is not the only thing, though. Another is the issue of Commercial Plant Stock vs Native Plant Stock in general. And your standard Commercial plant stock? Just isn't going to actually cut it if you want real ecological impact; commercial plant stock has a much smaller ecological impact compared to those wild plants that are genuinely native to the area and evolved alongside the local fauna- even if those plants are considered naturalized to your area, not invasive, and are cheaper for you to obtain.

More than that, is microfocusing and which areas of our ecosystems we are microfocusing on; taking the Bee-specific seed bombs we spoke about earlier, and using it as an example: Commercial products and guides tend to microfocus on the Honeybee, but they are only a small cog in a greater machine- and they're not even the ones actually endangered or at risk. In fact, there are 20,000 known species of Bee- not all of which are found in every area, and not all of which pollinate the same plants- and microfocusing on the Honeybee happens to be further endangering every last one of them.

Knowing what species of Bees are in your area, and what native plants they often pollinate, helps greatly when choosing or creating Seed Bombs … But even this isn't including the thousands of other insects that are just as important as pollinators; though roughly the most important, Bees are not the only pollinators with importance. Some of these additional pollinators have very specific plants that they pollinate, or use for food or reproduction- such as the Beetles which are necessary to pollinate Magnolia Trees, the Monarch which requires Milkweed, or the Swallowtail which requires plants from the Apiaceae family (Parsley, Carrots, and related plants).

Not all plants are created equal. It is absolutely imperative that if we want Seed Bombs to truly be “fun and friendly”, we take great care to tailor them to our individual microlocations instead of opting for Seed Bombs with unknown or generalized content- or relying on highly commercialized product stock. We also have to consider other animals, as well- such as those that feed on certain insects, those herbivores and omnivores which eat certain plants, and more. This is especially true if we want to garner the greatest ecological impact with such actions.

Doing that, however, requires us to have a much broader line of sight than just basic feel-good activism; it's important that we look beyond the relatively small minded, single point activism of Seed Bombing itself, and into the larger and more broad action of Civilian Conservationism: Learning about, getting hands on with, and studying our local environments as a whole in order to figure out how to best benefit it as a whole– as opposed to risking the potential loss of such ecosystems through microfocusing on specific species, general carelessness, and an overall lack of education (even if we meant well).

That's not something everyone can achieve, and that's okay ... Everyone is obligated to do work to build a brighter future- and there is work for everyone to do ... But we must also acknowledge that not everyone is obligated to do all work; that it's ok, actually, to take a back seat to some forms of activism- particularly those that are out of your reach, because you can't do them correctly ... And proper ecologically based change actions is certainly one of those things we must get right, or become comfortable with not doing when we can't. The risk is too great otherwise.

This is from my own notes during independent study both before and after my formal Master Gardener Training. If you found this helpful or interesting, please consider Tipping or Leaving a Ko-Fi (being Disabled, even $1 helps); you can see my other "Original Content" here.

#Old Blog Reposts #2016 #Original Content #Original Herbal Content #Master Gardener #Master Gardeners #Community Gardening #Lawns Aren't Bad Lawn Culture Is #Green Witch #Green Witchcraft #Witchy Gardening #Gardening #Gardenblr #Plantblr #Natural Connections #Prairie Magic & Medicine #Oklahoma #Casual Reminder That Oklahoma Is NOT A Midwestern OR Southwestern State

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czenvs3000f23 · 7 months

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Unit 5 Blog

No prompt for this week!

Since this week's unit focuses on nature interpretation through science, I thought it'd be nice to reflect on some of my experience with this lens applied. To me, science is a huge part of nature interpretation and without it, I don't think we would be necessarily able to interpret effectively.

I'm a big advocate for southern Ontario's natural heritage. I know typically this isn't a specific hotspot that environment lovers bend over backward for, but I would actually beg to disagree. Sure it's not as visually stunning as some other biomes around the world but I would say that it's just as dynamic.

There's a certain joy I get when I'm able to correctly identify a native wildflower or tree. It's a little bit of a pat on the back, and an assurance of my knowledge. However, it creates this connection between me and the landscape I call home. Appreciation for the little things, like certain ecosystem dynamics, migratory birds that are due south for the winter, and local carnivorous plants that you can find in your own backyard, culminate into this profound feeling of astonishment. I live in constant awe that we get to live in a place where we experience four seasons. Right now in the heart of October, the leaves are turning into vibrant hues of orange, deep crimson, and bright yellow. There's a chill in the air, hallmarks of colder weather ahead as we broach December.

I think my favourite season is actually the absence of seasons. I love the transition of when it's not really summer but it's also not really fall or when winter melts into spring. Here at this time, we really see change. Physical, behavioral, you name it. Things are growing, things are dying-- it's really fascinating to see.

Being able to harness this knowledge and relay it in an interpretative manner is critical for gaining support for climate change mitigation movements. People aren't going to feel a compulsion to conserve something they don't care about. That's why we have to start fostering this connection in children early. I feel like there's this big lack of environmental education within schools in general. I remember in grade 6 science there was supposed to be a unit on ecology and I was so excited to learn about this in a traditional school setting. However, we spent so much time on other units (planes, and electricity I think) that we had to skip ecology altogether. My peers who might not have the same passions as me probably didn't seek this knowledge for themselves. Which later in life, could lead to indifference to climate issues just based on ignorance.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that learning about the science of where we are right now, is instrumental for nature interpretation. Really emphasizing the majesty of northern temperate forests will hopefully inspire members of the community to take more active roles in terms of education, activism, and appreciation.

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rixxy8173571m3w1p3 · 6 years

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The Little Big Things (3/4)

So like we had done not too long ago, me, @hoodoo12 @porkchop-ao3 @rickstexaschick are doing the same prompt cause we all loved the idea. And I didn't mention it before, but this story references Labyrinth, and it follows the events of this fic As The World Falls Down.

Many thanks to @xerxezra @hoodoo12 @porkchop-ao3 for some writing advice that helped me get through this chapter. I love you all.

This is part 3. If you haven't read part one or part two then read it here. (Part 1, Part 2)

_______________________

Chapter 3: Saudade

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was a scientist, whom after trying all that he could to wake up his unconscious girlfriend had began to wonder if the only thing he hadn't tried would work; for while she appeared to be in a coma, she was merely in a deep sleep like sleeping beauty, but prettier.

“I'm sorry Rick.” you interrupted by poking his cheek. “I appreciate your lovely words, but I can't say that I'm beautiful while snoring, so you better stop that. No embellishing.”

Giving your hand a squeeze, he said softly. “But y-you are. I even have a-a picture on my phone somewhere.”

“If it's of me drooling, then it's going to magically disappear. You always like the bad pics.”

“Hohoho, there a-aren't any bad photos. I like th-them all.”

Which he meant, even if you felt contrary to the statement. “Whatever you say Rick. So, before I interrupted, you were going to explain why you used the dream inceptors. Right?”

“Mhm,” he nodded. “that's right. You see, physically there was nothing the - the matter with you, but y-you did have a bit of a fever. And monitoring your vitals, I had come to realize you already p-passed the first hour or so of sleep, during which brain waves slow down. This period of - of slow wave sleep is accompanied by relaxation of the muscles and the eyes. Then, over the next half hour or so, your br-brain activity altered drastically, and you entered the REM stage. During that stage, there is atonia or p-paralysis of the body’s muscles. Only the muscles th-that allow breathing and control eye movements remain active. I thought, that well - since nothing else worked it couldn't hurt t-t-to try using the dream inceptors.”

If your memory served correctly, you had woken up in your own bed. Which meant, he carried you, portaled into your home, and set up the monitoring equipment on your computer desk. “So, you brought me back to my home, laid me down on my bed, and plugged those earbud thingys in my ears.”

You knew what they were called, but it was always worth listening to him laugh, and feeling the happy noise reverberate through his body; this was your reward. “Those th-thingys allowed me t-to enter into your dreams. I ugh - I used t-t-to wonder what it would be like, and if y-you would welcome me in your dreams.”

“I welcome you into my home. Isn't it about the same thing?”

“N-n-not exactly. Dreams are more private. They can r-reveal or disguise our innermost thoughts and inclinations. Neither of us have th-the same dream, and our subconscious is free t-t-to play its short clips and feature length imagery.

It's - it's not like anyone c-could enters another person's dream, but I have just like other Ricks have in their own respective realities. I'm s-sorry that I did, especially w-without your permission.”

“You did what you had to, and I trust you. You never have to doubt that.”

The lilting tune around you softened to the gentle sounds similar to that of a kalimba or music box; possibly both. Kissing your temple, he admitted quietly, in a tone you hardly recognized. “Dreams they can - can be intimate as well. Did y-y-you know that?”

“No,” you blushed, his anxious heart beat making you both nervous and giddy. “but I think I'm starting to get an idea. Why,” you teased. “do you dream of me?”

Covering his face, he groaned in embarrassment. “Gosh, I-I-I do, but not in the way that y-you'd think.”

“In what way then?”

Sneaking a peek at you, he said sheepishly. “It's - I dream about how y-you help me with experiments. Sometimes I dream a-about what we normally do, and how my life is w-with you. I um - I have even dreamed that w-we switched places, and that I'm just a regular guy and you - you are this demi-goddess of science, pulling me away from my average life t-to that of adventures.”

“Demi-goddess?” you giggled, watching as his blush went from a dusty pink to a dangerous shade of red. “That's so flattering, but I'm not like that. I'm not perfect.”

“Y-you are to me.”

Poking his cheek again, you smiled. “And you are to me.”

And for a while he kept quiet, absentmindedly playing with your hair. He did that thing with his eyebrow, when he was thinking too hard for his own good; lost in his thoughts, overthinking his actions, afraid of his words which came out of his mouth. When he found the courage to speak again, his voice was colored with the usual sincerity. “I um, b-because you're sweet, I wondered if your dreams - if they would be just as sweet. M-mi corazón,” he softened, “what I'm trying t-to say is I wanted to know if - if maybe you……oh n-never mind.”

“Rick, what is it? If it's important, then you can tell me.”

Shaking his head, he relinquished his previous thought, this time giving your hand a kiss and continued with his original explanation. “At first, I um - I found myself amidst a-a parched land, where the wind whispered doubts, and the sky flashed visions of the past. I knew th-this wasn't the central point of activity, so I started w-walking.”

__________

Miles upon miles there was nothing, but a desert; not even cacti or wildflowers. It made him worry a bit, but he held onto the hope that he would soon enter the active part of the dream; wherever that might be. Later, when he came upon the people in the nearest village, he found that they were in need of water and had been digging deeper and deeper in search of it, but all their wells were dry. As they had explained, by now the melted ice from the mountain should have fed their rivers and streams, but as yet, it hadn't.

Because his heart compelled him to assist them, he borrowed the necessary supplies to go on a quest, up the mountain, where there was a castle carved out of ice and stone. And there he found a comely young man seated upon a throne of clear quartz; he was the king of the mountain, who had been withholding the water, for the village leader had refused to relinquish his fair daughter, on the grounds that the king was immortal. After an in-depth discussion, the two came to an agreement, with the king abdicating the throne and returning to the land of mortals in hopes of wooing his lady love. Now, a deal was a deal, and the moment the scientist placed the crown upon his head, he gained the power beyond his current understanding, and was able to extend his sight; allowing him to see what occurred across the land he reigned over and beyond. And it happened, that when his eyes found his beloved, he was shocked to find she was but a babe.

You sat up, pulling yourself out of his grasp.

“Hold up! You mean to say that you had to wait for me to grow up?”

“Again?” he frowned a little. “Y-y-yes, I did.”

Your heart sank at his reply. “What do you mean again? Oh God, don't tell me this happened before.”

Scratching the back of his neck, he sighed. “N-n-not exactly the same way, but that's a-a story for another time.”

“Alright.”

This was common with him. If he wasn't ready to talk about something, then he'd promise to tell you later; whenever that would be. Oh, but a different thought occurred to you. What if he had waited for you to grow up in your reality? Why, that would have been absurd, unless he had met you before, but when? At the moment, you were too tired to go through the whole list of theories. He continued. “In your dream, I had t-to, because time travels differently in - in dreams, and if I-I hadn't had the powers which were granted me, I would have…y-you know.”

“Goodness, you could….. you would have died… before we ever met again. Right? Oh Rick, I know you explained how the dream inceptors worked before, but I sometimes can't wrap my head around it.”

He waited over twenty years in a dream. Who does that? Not anyone you had ever known, but Zeta-7 wasn't just anyone. It spoke volumes about his affection for you, and further about his determination. Looking down at his lanky form, you felt tears pricking at the back of your eyes. He didn't look a day older, but that was the magic of dreams wasn't it? There was always a way. “Thank goodness you're still here. I don't know how I'd live with myself if you had died because of me.”

Giving your hand a light squeeze, you couldn't hold back your tears anymore. You really were were a horrible person. If he wasn't so kind hearted surely he would hate. Your idiocy time and time again had brought him hardship and pain. Why did he love you if your were like this?

You heard the rustling of clothes, and felt his warmth all around you. Pulling you close, he squeezed you tight, telling you it was going to be alright. And all you could do was drown in his unconditional love which is as vast and limitless as the furthest reaches of space. You two remained like this until your tears dried up, and all that was left was comfort. When you found your voice, as sniffly and girlish it was, you wondered. “What did you do with your time? Over all those years?”

With a voice colored with relief, he answered. “All th-that I could.”

___________

The previous king had left the land in disarray, so he did all he could in his power to make things right. Immediately, he made sure the water flowed at a steady pace, and the once dying land in due time was fertile again due to his guidance. And when the people were no longer hungry, and the village prospered, many came to show their devotion and gratitude to the new king. They wondered how they could repay him, but the king didn't need anything. However, when they saw that he needed assistance in planting, and covering the land with flowers, they got to work immediately.

Hybrid blue roses, forget-me-nots, morning glories, night-sky petunias, and any other flower he could conjure would be planted. Only one side was dedicated for those blue flowers; the side with the best view. And the rest of the land that wasn't used for farming was covered with giant sunflowers; all of them for his beloved. Time, it wanted to make him a dreamer, and even if logic told him otherwise, it took a little longer than usual to accept it. Time would pass, and it would all happen soon. He could wait.

“I remember the lovely flowers along the rolling hills.” you commented. “I saw them my whole life and longed for the places I couldn't go. They couldn't be found where I lived because of the climate, but you wanted me to remember, didn't you?”

“I-I did. You see, the last time you thought of blue it was connected with something toxic. Therefore, you a-a-associated the color with something bad, and I hoped you - you would remember your life w-w-with…..”

“With you?”

“With everything y-you cared for.”

He always gave himself too little credit. This man was worthy of so much, and you'd worship the ground he walked on if he'd let you. Tilting your head up, you pressed a kiss on his cheek.“Which is mostly you.”

“R-really?”

“Of course Ricky.”

Tucking a lock of hair behind your ear, he was about to say something, but his ioculus stretched themselves to kiss you before he had a chance to. Wherever they could touch, they kissed, and no matter how much he'd scold them, they were as eager as could be. You'd say they had a bit of a rebellious streak. Not wanting Zeta-7 to worry, you gave into their whim, kissing each bud of theirs on the head, to which made them bloom, and pull away. Honestly, they were adorable, but to Zeta-7, who was naturally reserved and cautious, they were disrespectful, and naughty.

“Gosh,” he blushed. “I'm s-s-so sorry. I didn't - I don't know why they do that.”

Again, you had your theories, believing that they acted upon the true inclinations of the heart, but you kept this to yourself. “It's okay,” you reassured him. “they're not bothering me.”

“They r-really do have a-a mind of their own.”

“So they do.” you giggled. “I um, what I was going to say was that I only remember bits and pieces of the before times. It's funny to call it that, as though I've lived separate lifetimes, but that's how I think of it.”

“Fascinating.”

“You think so? Well, maybe it's like chapters, or alternate dimensions, but that wouldn't explain it either. The before times was from the time I was born and ended when I met Jareth. After I met him, my memory of before got kind of hazy.”

“I-I see. Well, that's - that's perfectly natural. It's like any other dream, which most of - of us can't remember when we wake.”

Then, how come you kept on remembering?

___________________

Over and over, you encouraged him to go on. No detail was too small. Whether it was about the time the villagers tried to offer him a bride, or the creatures he made of ice and stone to be his companions in his castle. Though, there were other things you wanted to know.

“Where I lived it never rained, but it often rained on the mountain. Was it natural, or was it because you cried?”

“Jeez, where d-do I begin? If I-I tried to lessen the importance of a memory, then it - it became somewhat manageable. I thought I would have gotten used to it, because I've spent many years of - of my life alone. But, being with you, I let go of m-my habit of detachment, and without it, how does one forget s-s-so easily?”

“I don't know.” You answered, cause you were still trying to figure that out as well.

“There ugh - there were times when th-the loneliness was almost too hard to bear, and I-I-I couldn't - there was nothing I could do, but I had t-t-to carry on. Still, without trying, the memories lingered, and life seemed to come out of focus.”

“Hmm, I used to wonder about what was going on up there, and what living in that kingdom was like. In your skilled hands it must have been beautiful.”

“It - it was.”

“I used to cry sometimes, because I had heard many sad stories about lonely mountain king. Now, with everything that you told me, I guess it means that a great deal of the stories were true.”

With a nod, he agreed. “Th-they probably were.”

_______________________

“Did you always know where I was?”

“N-n-not always. I could only see so far, even if I - I walked to the edge of the kingdom. However, our first meeting was serendipitous t-t-to say the least. I ugh - I was surprised when y-you found me.”

“I did?”

He raised his brow then, his eyes laughing at the memory. “Yeah, it was while I was resting by the river, after a long day of research. Your mind is such a-a wonderful, fascinating place. I-I never got bored of exploring it, though it - it did make me lonely. My perception of you changed over all this new information. And on that day I-I had been thinking about you when you happened t-to show up. You - you were on your way home, after a-a day of playing in the field, the one nearest to my kingdom. Hohoho, you were holding a daisy chain, and y-you gave it to me.”

“How old was I?”

“Hmm, probably about six or - or seven. I told you that y-you should go home, but you wanted t-t-to play.”

“That does sound like something I'd do. Man, I can't believe you had to deal with a brat like me.”

“No, it - it was no trouble at all. I um - I carried you on my shoulders, until w-we were near your home. And w-waited until you went inside before I went back.”

And you remembered, as fuzzy and foggy as it was, you remembered.

Day by day, you kept having visions of the life before, when you still walked amongst the mortals, and your older male slave was your dearest companion. Why? It didn't make sense, he hadn't even been handsome, but he was kind, loyal, generous, and soft hearted.

Through streams and meadows, with eyes still full of stardust, you followed him as a though you were his humble maidservant. On his sleeves were comet’s hair, his soul made of sunshine, and he too made you very happy. Oh, but it didn't matter anymore; they were simply girlish dreams. Or were they?

“I used to think that you were only a dream, but I saw you near the river a few times over the years after that didn't I?”

With a soft smile, he replied. “Th-that's right.”

“Then why didn't you say anything?”

“Because I wanted y-you to have a choice, and when you got older, I-I-I decided to stay away because the villagers began to talk. I didn't want anyone to be given reason t-to think badly of you.”

That was exactly like him, to look out for your best interests. As a child, at least in your dream living out this second childhood, you did feel funny. Though childish sentiments aside, you had adored the quiet intelligence of his, and the calm, sweet temperament; even when you hadn't the words to match the emotions felt, you carried a strong attachment. “I had missed you, I….it was my favorite part of the day. Why couldn't we have run away together or something?”

Scratching the back of his head, he sighed then looked you dead in the eye, more serious than he had ever been, answering without a stutter. “Because it would have been wrong.”

“I don't understand. It was only a dream.”

“I mean, if I-I would have brought you to my kingdom, you would’ve been given your own wing, and everything y-you desired, but you - you would have stopped aging. That's why I-I never kept any servants, and why you couldn't have come because you would have remained a…you know. ”

“A child.” you finished, and you realized that morally, he would have had to be patient, and focus on the attainable things. “So,” you continued. “you stayed away to keep things appropriate.”

“Mhm. I - I still thought of you as my friend, and I was grateful for even th-that much. I-I knew you wouldn't be a child f-forever, and that I couldn't make time stand still, but neither was I moving along with it. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, into months; it was passing along, and I-I remained the same, but you - you had t-t-to survive, and it would've been selfish to make things harder for you. So, I had to wait.”

TBC

#doofus rick #doofus rick x reader #j19z7 #rick j19z7 #rick j-19-zeta-7 #j19zeta7 #j19ζ7 #rnm fanfic #rick j19zeta7

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