Tash hikes through a winding mountain trail, hauling her camping supplies with her as she moves through the towering trees. She is dressed in a pink shirt, a black leather jacket, and hiking jeans. The straps of her backpack are littered with all kinds of pins. Her messy long brown hair is tied up in a bun, all held under loosely as it bounces with each step she takes.
The deeper she moves, the darker the shade of the canopy grows. The thicket that she's pushing through, growing thicker and thornier with each moment. The trail starts to peter off into nothing but overgrown lush grass and plant roots.
Tash continues on as the trail ends, looking around confused for a moment and the slowly changing scenery. "I... I don't remember this trail ending here..." She mutters as she pushes deeper in, eyeing the slowly changing flora carefully. Her mind stuck on where exactly she was, and how she got here.
After a few more minutes of pushing through jagged brambles, Tash stumbles out into a sudden clearing. The overbrush disappears, as the canopy breaks open allowing glimmering rays of golden sunlight to display a large field of tulips and daisies. A single large oak tree sits in the middle, its roots extending out and intermingling with the flowers that press up against it.
"Wow..." Tash says as she breaks into the clearing, spinning around to take in each bit of it. She places her bag down carefully near the tree, sitting down and basking in the sunlight. "This is the perfect spot..."
As she relaxes, the sun continues to dangle in its spot in the sky. The lovely smell of flowers surrounding her, encouraging a growing sense of security with each passing second.
Tash sighs happily as she leans back against the tree, smelling the flowers happily as she slowly closes her eyes. The growing sense of safety and security makes it easy to live in the moment, to just let time pass. After a few minutes she opens her eyes again, reaching out and gently plucking one of the tulips to smell.
The scent of citrus and honey fills Tash's senses, a light staticy feeling starting to wash over her. While each flickering sunbeam sends a light comfortable warmth through her body.
Tash shudders as the feelings slowly overtake her, laying out to get more of the sunlight on her skin. The warmth and static pushing her to smell the flowers more. "So nice... how have I never seen this clearing before?" She mumbles to herself as she stares up at the sky.
Eventually, during her dissociative musing Tash hears a rustling at the edge of the clearing before a light sing songy voice chirps out. "Oh hello there! I don't believe I've met you before~"
Tash slowly opens her eyes and looks towards the source of the voice, still laying sprawled out in the flowers. "Oh um hello, I was walking up the trail back there when I came across this wonderful clearing. I was planning on camping here tonight." She says before slowly sitting up, rubbing a little bit of the fogginess from her eyes.
Across the clearing from her stands a gaunt ethereally pale woman who has bright tulip red hair, and eyes that seem to flicker between colors every time Tash tries to focus on them. As Tash's eyes trail downward, she notices the woman's dress is made from a set of oversized tulip and daisy petals. "Well that's completely understandable! I mean this clearing is truly wonderful!"
"Wow you look quite beautiful." Tash says as she slowly stands up, moving closer to the woman. "I love your dress, but how exactly did you get up here in that?" She smiles weakly, trying to hide her growing anxiety and worry about this stranger appearing out of nowhere.
"Oh I actually live near here, you're currently napping in my garden~" The woman giggles as she walks with an excited sway, the flowers around her seeming to bloom whenever she comes near. "But where are my manors, may I have your name?"
"Um sure, I'm Tash." She says as she slowly picks up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder before slowly walking towards the edge of the clearing. "I'm sorry, I didn't know this was your garden. I didn't mean to intrude, I can find somewhere else to camp out tonight."
"Oh no it's perfectly alright you don't have to go anywhere." As the now nameless wanderer starts to walk away. Tash skips over, putting a hand on her shoulder, spinning around in her flower dress. "And Tash is such a lovely name, I'm happy to keep it~"
"I'm sorry, keep my name? But..." The nameless person blinks slowly as she is spun around, finally starting to understand what has happened as she can't remember her own name. "You're a fae... aren't you?" She takes a large step back, trying not to panic.
"Why of course my deer girl!" Tash skips forward, tapping the traveler on the nose. Watching as it starts to extend out slightly, light brown fluff starts to grow out as well. Spotted with little dots of white that makes it look like she's growing freckles. "And now you are mine!"
The nameless wanderer blinks confused for a moment as her face extends, her now black nose twitching nervously. "What... What did you just do? What do you mean I'm yours?" She says as she steps further away from the new Tash, starting to panic and freak out as the fluff grows across her body.
"I mean you gave me your name, and now are mine!" Tash giggles and snaps her fingers, pollen suddenly puffing up all around the wanderer. It starts to coat her body with that inescapable scent. "Hmmm... but what will I call you..." She tilts her head from side to side. "Oh I know! Since you like them so much
your
name is Tulip now!"
Tulip coughs as the pollen starts to coat her body, the scent starting to seep in as she stumbles. "I'm... but im... w-why are you doing this to me?" Tulip says as she falls to the ground, the static sensation from the pollen making it harder for her to think.
"Because it was a trade, you picked one of my flowers after all." Tash kneels down in front of Tulip, gently pulling a daisy out of the ground before tucking it under Tulip's newly grown set of antlers. "And now I get something of yours! So I took your independence!" While she speaks Tash still has that same polite smile on her face, seemingly unphased in the slightest by Tulip's confusion and light panic.
Tulip tries to crawl away from Tash, the still slowly changing body making it hard for her to move right. "My independence? But why am I... changing?" she says as her new deer ears start to flick with anxiety as she stumbles to get away, the tips of her fingers starting to blacken and harden like hooves.
"Because I like my companions cute and soft! Like
deer
! Or well in your case a precious little doe." Tash reaches out, starting to swirl her finger in circles in front of Tulip. A spiral of pollen starts to swirl in front of Tulip's face. "Now just take a deep breath for me, and watch the pretty spiral. Everything will feel better soon~"
Tulip gasps as the pollen starts to swirl, the smell making her eyes flutter as she stares into the spiral. She takes a deep breath and leans closer to the pollen spiral, the anxiety and panic slowly starting to fade. "Doe... I'm a doe..." she mumbles out.
"Yes you are, you're the most adoeable little thing I've ever seen." The pollen starts to swirl faster, pressing closer and closer to Tulip's snout. "So just take a deep breath for me, I'm here for you the whoooole way."
