lorelei has the ability to feel/see someone's innermost self, their very being, sometimes even their thoughts and desires, through touch. this is mostly because their a mushroom, its part of their innate ability to create ''hive minds'' (like mother mushroom, kind of) and connect with other beings. they can do this with about any living thing, which is why they tend to wear very modest clothing. it does require a fair amount of focus but even a simple handshake can at least give them a sense of intention.

when they officially met fern it was in the middle of him trying to detach himself from finn, and define himself as fern. he didn't originally know about lorelei's power, as they tend to try and keep such a thing to themself, and otherwise are less publicly known then their older siblings. its at a party the mushroom kingdom threw celebrating the birth of the newest princess that they meet and spend a bit of the night together.

of course Fern is Strange. being half demon half pure hero is a very mixed message, along with all of the inner turmoil was.. an interesting (2nd?) impression.

i cant think of much of in between here. i know for a moment in the confusion, fern thinks this is another rejection- he'd just made a fool of himself in front of royalty- now they thing hes an idiot, yada yada yada. lorelei on the other hand is embarrassed they got caught up in the confusing little mess that is Fern the Human, completely without his permission or knowledge. big no no, y'kno?

within their powers, fern can see an opportunity to learn more about who he is, a way to get help piece together who he is now.

fern and lorelei agree to meet a couple days after the party, so that lorelei can work their magic and tell fern what they see.

"you can start by relaxing," Lorelei peaked an eye open, a comforting smile tugging on their cheeks. Fern relaxes his shoulders, releasing the tension in his jaw. he mutters an apology as the prince closes his eyes again and seems to focus more. their hands tighten their grip on his own. "You are... struggling to except yourself. Mourning a life you can't get back," they trailed off. their words are halting as they read more into who Fern is, trying to piece together the stranger's history. "There are two sides of you, struggling to work together. This feels like a demon." Lorelei opens their eyes. "-do you know anything of your parents? or- the circumstance of your creation?" Fern glances to the distance. he can't pick out if their gaze is accusatory, or just confused. The prince had been kind to him so far, and he came to them for answers. "its a long story. The grass wizard made me because of a pun, but I'm also from the Finn Sword... I don't really get it either." "So.. you come from both of them. There is a demon here, a curse. it is.. violent, parasitic in nature." Fern's grip tightened in the prince's hold. "But there is a force of good, too. the heart of a hero. loyal and true, pure. and.. angry. You want to be good. You want your life back. You are frustrated with what you've lost, and frustrated that you can't " the prince paused. "You tell the story of a very complicated creation, I hope you know."

as their friendship grows, Lorelei goes deeper into trying to figure out Fern's existence. they call it a personal project, and say it is good for Fern to know the nature of his creation and what it means for who he is. acknowledging and accepting the different parts of himself are the first steps to building his new identity, and building a life as himself. he struggles, with getting used to who he is, with dealing with his bouts of anger and other such amplified emotions, with the idea that he can never go back to the life he remembers. he mourns himself and his friends. Lorelei tries to find food he could eat (fertilizers, various soils, and other such plant food) but it never is the same as his memory. his relationship with his Grass Demon almost improves, but he struggles to find harmony within himself.

L: There's a duality to this. differing relationships between your mind and body. do you see yourself as only Finn, with the Grass Demon as a different entity, or are you a product of both? F: what does that mean? L: You see yourself as your memories, as Finn. This is default because you are human and you see yourself as your conscious. But that doesn't mean your mind is all you are. Finn makes up your head, but the Grass Demon makes up your body, so are you only your brain or do you see yourself as all of your parts in a culmination? F: I don't know, what do you see me as? L: Thats not up to me to decide. It's for you to figure out, to define who you are. To define Fern. L: I feel like most of the answer is in that vault of yours, and I encourage you to try and look through it. F: The vault is where all the stuff I can't handle goes. Looking through it would like, defeat the purpose of the vault. L: I guess I dont get it because I dont have a vault. if I really can't handle something i shove it in a closet... F: How do you get anything done that way? I'd have to board it up. L: keeps away the clutter. I don't know how you get anything done with everything in an inaccessible vault.