Dead Man's Fingers
Possible meep warning. It's only a fungus and Simon is a familiar, magical.
Xylaria polymorpha (Dead Man's Fingers)
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/xylaria_polymorpha.html
http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/apr2000.html
Title: Idle hands are the devil's tools
Andy & Simon drabbles
This follows from The Magic Kingdom
Author: charisstoma
Word count:358
Grabbing Simon by the arm, Andy pulled him to a halt, with a sharp inward breath. After their trip to the Magic Kingdom, he wasn’t quite sure, was he missing seeing most of the magic that could be all around him.
There, just off the path through the woods, were fingers; grey with flesh colored tips sticking up out of the ground.
“Simon,” he pointed to the 'things' on the forest floor.
“Oh sweet. You don’t get to see these often at this stage. Usually you find the blackened cat dropping like remains.”
“SIMON!”
Nodding, “Yep. Dead Man’s Fingers.”
Andy’s,“A real dead man’s fingers or a monstrous thing that rises up and grabs the unwary and eats them?” made Simon start laughing.
“Really, Dead Man’s Fingers, or more properly Xylaria polymorpha. They digest…” Simon paused, “dead wood.” He broke out laughing again as Andy whopped him. “It’s Spring, that’s a young one. By summer it’ll have turned black and look like cat droppings and easy to miss if you aren’t looking for them.”
“So it’s not a monster and not a corpse partly unburied or died at the moment it’s fingers broke through the soil.” There was uncertainty in Andy’s statement.
Grinning Simon pulled Andy against his side in a hug. “No, just an interesting, non-edible fungus that releases its spores from its fruiting body over a longer period than most fungi; hoping ... that during that time, conditions will be right for the germination and growth of those spores.” Squeezing Andy lightly, “You disappointed?”
“No. Relieved. It’s all well and good to be in love with a talented, magical person but there are many times when I want the magic to be solely in your lust-worthy sexual attentions.”
“You think my fucking is magical?” Simon lifted Andy up. “How about against that tree over there?”
Andy glanced over his shoulder, “That one,” he pointed. “The bark's not as rough.”
The ‘interesting fungal’ fingers curled in what could have been a silent growl of frustration before straightening back to their previous position, waiting… or so it seemed. Andy was too busy kissing Simon’s grin into other avenues of mischief.
Xylaria polymorpha (Dead Man's Fingers)
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/xylaria_polymorpha.html
http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/apr2000.html
Title: Idle hands are the devil's tools
Andy & Simon drabbles
This follows from The Magic Kingdom
Author: charisstoma
Word count:358
Grabbing Simon by the arm, Andy pulled him to a halt, with a sharp inward breath. After their trip to the Magic Kingdom, he wasn’t quite sure, was he missing seeing most of the magic that could be all around him.
There, just off the path through the woods, were fingers; grey with flesh colored tips sticking up out of the ground.
“Simon,” he pointed to the 'things' on the forest floor.
“Oh sweet. You don’t get to see these often at this stage. Usually you find the blackened cat dropping like remains.”
“SIMON!”
Nodding, “Yep. Dead Man’s Fingers.”
Andy’s,“A real dead man’s fingers or a monstrous thing that rises up and grabs the unwary and eats them?” made Simon start laughing.
“Really, Dead Man’s Fingers, or more properly Xylaria polymorpha. They digest…” Simon paused, “dead wood.” He broke out laughing again as Andy whopped him. “It’s Spring, that’s a young one. By summer it’ll have turned black and look like cat droppings and easy to miss if you aren’t looking for them.”
“So it’s not a monster and not a corpse partly unburied or died at the moment it’s fingers broke through the soil.” There was uncertainty in Andy’s statement.
Grinning Simon pulled Andy against his side in a hug. “No, just an interesting, non-edible fungus that releases its spores from its fruiting body over a longer period than most fungi; hoping ... that during that time, conditions will be right for the germination and growth of those spores.” Squeezing Andy lightly, “You disappointed?”
“No. Relieved. It’s all well and good to be in love with a talented, magical person but there are many times when I want the magic to be solely in your lust-worthy sexual attentions.”
“You think my fucking is magical?” Simon lifted Andy up. “How about against that tree over there?”
Andy glanced over his shoulder, “That one,” he pointed. “The bark's not as rough.”
The ‘interesting fungal’ fingers curled in what could have been a silent growl of frustration before straightening back to their previous position, waiting… or so it seemed. Andy was too busy kissing Simon’s grin into other avenues of mischief.