#Best Mineral Water Plant

[dewpureengineering]

Clean water can save lives. Yet billions of people struggle every day to get access to clean, drinkable mineral water. Contaminated water not only causes water-borne diseases but also hampers the business sector.

[phildendron]

pomegranate

Pomegranate

The pomegranate is famously known as the fruit of heaven belongs to the berry family. Pomegranate fruit is a delicious fruit and has juicy grains inside. Grow pomegranates as large, shrub or small trees.

Types 

There are 1200 different varieties of pomegranate which have unique tastes and various colours. There are purple hearts, Eversweet, wonderful, kazake, red silk, texas pink.

Purple heart

Purple heart varieties are large with dark red. Fruits begin to produce at about 3 years old. Pick fruit off a tree when it is mature. These pomegranate plants grow 12-30 feet tall and wide. Provide lots of health benefits. They are the best immune boosters and good healers.

Eversweet

The color of the pomegranate is pinkish-pale red. Eversweet seeds are a little hard in texture and are highly nutritious containing vitamins A, C and E. Pomegranate trees are glossy, narrow leathery leaves which are lance-shaped. These varieties are self-pollinated. This is a national fruit of Iran.

Kazake

Kazake varieties produce medium to large size fruit. This is the most dwarfing species. This pomegranate plant is fast-growing with drought tolerant. This is a seeded fruit and it has a thick reddish outer covering. These flowers often fall off the branches rather than converting into fruit.

Red silk

Red silk is the best pot-growing variety, which is a semi-dwarf growth habit. It has dark red flesh and red arils. Grows trees in hot and dry climatic conditions. Its contain fibre which keeps our digestive system healthy.

Texas pink

Texas pink pomegranate plant produces attractive blooming which converts pink fruits. This variety is a famous ornamental fruit plant. Texas pink is a self-fertile plant. It has large edible seeds.

Wonderful

Wonderful pomegranate plant is the most common variety grown in the low desert of Arizona. Mix a teaspoon of natural honey in half a liter of water and spray directly on the flower with the help of a spray bottle. This will attract honey bees for pollination. This tip helps to increase the yield. This fruit is too sweet and highly beneficial.

Seed

In this Punica granatum fruit plant seeds are also edible. It contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. In average one fruits can hold 1000 seeds. Seeds are covered with glowing red skin.

Soil

For better growth and development prefers to grow in well-drained loamy soil. Soil mix with 80% bone meal and 20% neem cake.

Water

For mature pomegranate tree, adequate irrigation especially during the dry periods is very important to improve growth, fruit set, yield and fruit size. 

Sunlight

Select the location to keep the pomegranate plant with plenty of sunlight. In cooler climates, plant pome tree with western exposure. Requires 6 hours’ of direct sunlight.

Fertilizer

Good organic mulch and cow manure can improve plant growth and soil fertility. Application of vermicompost at monthly intervals.

Repotting 

Repot the plant into a new pot when the root bound occurs. Normally repot the plant for two to three years. 

Pruning

The best time for pome tree pruning is late winter, after harvesting the fruits. Branch pruning can increase fruit production. Pruning the roots will help to reduce root bound. Pruned the tree before repotting.

Benefits

Daily consumption of pome gives us strength and energy

Its contain fibre which keeps our digestive system healthy.

Punica granatum helps to increase appetite.

Punica granatum is highly beneficial for pregnant women.

Reduces pain in joints and arthritis.

Keep your earth clean and green...!

[fazalkhan2914]

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[philodendronleaves]

pomegranate

Pomegranate

The pomegranate is famously known as the fruit of heaven belongs to the berry family. Pomegranate fruit is a delicious fruit and has juicy grains inside. Grow pomegranates as large, shrub or small trees.

Types 

There are 1200 different varieties of pomegranate which have unique tastes and various colours. There are purple hearts, Eversweet, wonderful, kazake, red silk, texas pink.

Purple heart

Purple heart varieties are large with dark red. Fruits begin to produce at about 3 years old. Pick fruit off a tree when it is mature. These pomegranate plants grow 12-30 feet tall and wide. Provide lots of health benefits. They are the best immune boosters and good healers.

Eversweet

The color of the pomegranate is pinkish-pale red. Eversweet seeds are a little hard in texture and are highly nutritious containing vitamins A, C and E. Pomegranate trees are glossy, narrow leathery leaves which are lance-shaped. These varieties are self-pollinated. This is a national fruit of Iran.

Kazake

Kazake varieties produce medium to large size fruit. This is the most dwarfing species. This pomegranate plant is fast-growing with drought tolerant. This is a seeded fruit and it has a thick reddish outer covering. These flowers often fall off the branches rather than converting into fruit.

Red silk

Red silk is the best pot-growing variety, which is a semi-dwarf growth habit. It has dark red flesh and red arils. Grows trees in hot and dry climatic conditions. Its contain fibre which keeps our digestive system healthy.

Texas pink

Texas pink pomegranate plant produces attractive blooming which converts pink fruits. This variety is a famous ornamental fruit plant. Texas pink is a self-fertile plant. It has large edible seeds.

Wonderful

Wonderful pomegranate plant is the most common variety grown in the low desert of Arizona. Mix a teaspoon of natural honey in half a liter of water and spray directly on the flower with the help of a spray bottle. This will attract honey bees for pollination. This tip helps to increase the yield. This fruit is too sweet and highly beneficial.

Seed

In this Punica granatum fruit plant seeds are also edible. It contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. In average one fruits can hold 1000 seeds. Seeds are covered with glowing red skin.

Soil

For better growth and development prefers to grow in well-drained loamy soil. Soil mix with 80% bone meal and 20% neem cake.

Water

For mature pomegranate tree, adequate irrigation especially during the dry periods is very important to improve growth, fruit set, yield and fruit size. 

Sunlight

Select the location to keep the pomegranate plant with plenty of sunlight. In cooler climates, plant pome tree with western exposure. Requires 6 hours’ of direct sunlight.

Fertilizer

Good organic mulch and cow manure can improve plant growth and soil fertility. Application of vermicompost at monthly intervals.

Repotting 

Repot the plant into a new pot when the root bound occurs. Normally repot the plant for two to three years. 

Pruning

The best time for pome tree pruning is late winter, after harvesting the fruits. Branch pruning can increase fruit production. Pruning the roots will help to reduce root bound. Pruned the tree before repotting.

Benefits

Daily consumption of pome gives us strength and energy

Its contain fibre which keeps our digestive system healthy.

Punica granatum helps to increase appetite.

Punica granatum is highly beneficial for pregnant women.

Reduces pain in joints and arthritis.

Keep your earth clean and green...!

[websubmission]

Water Treatment plant manufacturer in India

[azzayofchaos]

Since my other Nether worldbuilding post was received pretty well... I'm back on my bullshit!

This time featuring zoning and biomes of the Neath: Lore below cut

Nether (noun): the formidable hellscape straddling the boundery between the Fragments of the Overworld and Death's Realms.

Derived from Beneath -> Neath -> Neth -> Nether.

The Nether is most easily accessable through outer regions of the nether, regions that are comparatively closed-off, and lacking in biodiversity compared to the Deep Nether where most Neath civilizations are centered.

The Neth is divided into three primary zones, distinguished by altitude and general climates.

The Calfactory Zone: the largest and most icon of the three, the Calfactory zone is blisteringly hot and bone-dry, it's most prominent features are its abundant seas and lakes of magma, and the massive Supermagmas atriums that are common above the magma. In the largest of these atriums, the ceiling may be so high above as to be completely invisible from the ground, obscured by an ever present smog of toxic vapor and minerals formed in the self-generated micro-climates that are generated from the rising heat of the lava that begins to cool at a higher altitude.  

In the Basalt Deltas and other biomes around the edges of these lakes, massive pillars of rock and crystals bulwark the more-visible ceiling. 

The most common of this zone’s biomes is the Crimson woods, home to hearty thermal-philic fungi and plants that grow on the minerals and vapors of the lakes. Many are carnivorous in their lack of access to water or sunlight, and these forests contain many sub-biomes and ecosystems of flourishing life. 

The Wastes are perhaps the most desolate regions of the Neath, irradiated deserts of red-rock, brimstone, and sharp sand. Even the vast majority of nether-folk avoid these deserts due to the leftover radiation that rots and destroys anything that waits too long. The only forms of life are particularly robust lichens and bacteria that are happy to sit by the pools of boiling pools of sulfur and mud and toxic sludge that dot the landscape. Growing within the rocks themselves are colonies of amorphous fungus, called geocorpus molds that get their spores into cracks in the soft netherack and slowly feed on it, a delicacy in nether cuisine. 

The Temperate Zone: Cradled in the heights of the Neath’s atriums and sat bellow the roof is the temperate zones, the rising heat of the zone below begins to cool and forming distinct weather patterns in this zone and leaving it, while still sweltering, a cooler though much more humid climate.

The main biome are the luminescent warped-fungal rainforests that collect the high-rising minerals and odd moisture from the lakes. Liquid is actually precent here, though if it’s not safely filtered through the innards of the various plants and fungi, this water is usually aggressively corrosive, and it is best to shelter from the  acidic precipitation to avoid chemical burns. The nether folk and ender local to these rainforests are suited to deal with these conditions and the ender especially do not have trouble with the extreme pH of the water here like they would in the overworld. The zone is lit almost exclusively by the biolumincense of the organisms there and have often been described as false-stars.

In the Deep Nether, the ceiling may give way, allowing one to pass onto the plateaus of the Nether Roof and the yawning void above. The bedrock of the nether roof is jagged and layered in huge slabs, sometimes broken up my mazes of pillar-like structures and shallow, thermal pools of crystal-clear liquid. The kind you don't want to touch of course. fogs may hang low to the ground, but when its clear, or above the fog, the entire universe seems to spill out into the sky. The nether roof was culturally significant and a source of much knowledge and inspiration in the early days, but I'll get more into that in a later post 0.0

The Rime Zone: Plunge deep enough and one might find themselves bellow the lava beds. Here, where the heat can't quite penetrate, the temperatures will drop rapidly to sub-zero.

Namely, the Rime Zone is made up of the soul valleys, flat steppes of cinder and clotted sand, you can imagine it almost with the blindness effect, a fog that pools by your feet, and a heavier darkness hanging from the sky, it feels massive and endless and claustrophobic all at once. Frost collects as crystals on the irradiated, soul-soaked barrens, and the bones of the massive nether wyrms lie fossilized, breaking up the landscape. The sands are also split with patches of crazing on the ground and vents of blue fire that spills out and sets the sand ablaze.

These same wryms can be found sometimes, ancient things that dig through sand and soft rocks and the magma lakes, far and few between and treated with both fear and reverence.

And in the deepest pits of the Neath are the glowing frozen lakes that are colloquially and rightfully called the Gates to Death, glowing blue from beneath their surfaces. Indeed, any further down and you pass into limbo, the edge of Death's Realms.

Extra Notes??:

Soul sand/soil is tread on carefully or not at all, is one form of remnants from the apocolyspe. Like the general radiated rubble present through the Nether, it's a fault of nuclear fallout. Unlike other areas of radiation, its also been infused with the souls of those who didn't survive the joining of worlds.

This infused quality is also precent in Nether Debris, resulting in a material that takes magic particularly well.

Iron cannot be found in dense veins and crystals like gold or quartz in the nether, but it's a pretty rich mineral a lot of netherack, giving it its ruddy coloring.

Sorry for this massive rant that no one asked for. If you have questions please feel free to send an ask, I may not have an answer yet but I'll certainly come up with one if I can.

I'm also hoping to do a pass on my headcanons about history and culture in the Nether and then we might start talking about character headcanons since this is also an actual AU.

If you read this far, here's some notes on striders and ghast

[bogleech]

Hey Bog! Just got some Venus flytraps and was wondering if you had any advice on how to take care of them, what to feed them, etc. Any help would be appreciated!

Unfortunately, I'm not good at keeping them alive! They're a tricky thing to master. All fly traps technically need to be allowed to go dormant during the winter, which means they turn black and look like they've rotten away but the root bulb is just hibernating.

Since they also get sold as novelty plants with only minimal care instructions, there's probably millions of people a year who just think their fly trap "died" and throw it out at this stage. What you're meant to do is keep them cold and damp all winter, like wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator, then bring them back out in the spring and let them revive, though I've never gotten one to come back from the dormancy myself; I think fungus always kills mine, or the area I live just doesn't get bright enough because they like INTENSE direct sunlight. The #1 rule with fly traps and almost all carnivorous plants though is that they grow in bogs, so their roots want to be completely soggy at all times. It's best to keep a potted flytrap in a slightly wider pot and fill that pot with water. But it also has to be exactly the right kind of water!

Carnivorous bog plants evolved for high acidity, low nutrient, low mineral water and that can only be replicated with either store-bought "distilled" water, water from a Reverse Osmosis device, or freshly collected rainwater. Literally any other water will just kill a carnivorous plant completely! Even water from a thriving pond or swamp if it's not exactly the right type of wetland!

A lot of people also make the mistake of thinking something like a brita water filter will work, but those don't remove enough minerals. There's also a myth that just leaving water to sit will "distill" it but that's not true either sadly! It basically has to be water that evaporated, then condensed again without ever touching any soil or anything yet. The natural peat bogs they evolved for are just big giant puddles formed from condensation and rain, without a spring or a stream feeding them. :) If fly traps don't work out for you I really find tropical sundews to be the easiest carnivorous plants! They just don't have the adorable toothy mouths is all :(

[spoonguy]

Light Underwater

Pairing: Deep Sea Alien x Gender Neutral Reader

Word Count: 1255

Synopsis: Shipwrecked on an alien planet, miles underwater, you are rescued by a lonely alien.

Content Warnings: Claustrophobia, emetophobia, thalassophobia

They couldn't get over how soft you felt, how warm you were to the touch, the fine hairs coating your skin. They pulled you closer, flush against their gelatinous body, and enveloped you in their countless tendrils. You hummed and traced a finger lazily across their membrane, watching the bioluminescent trail that followed. They hummed as well, and cascades of warm, orange light rippled over their body.

The tidepool you were reclining in was warmer than any back on your home planet, and the air was muggy and hot, so you couldn't say you didn't enjoy the feel of their smooth, cool skin.

When you first crash landed, the air was nearly too thick to breathe, but by now your lungs were mostly accommodating for the lack of oxygen. You inhaled another deep, measured breath and sank further into the embrace of your rescuer.

Their real name was an incomprehensible combination of burbles, hums, and clicks, but they seemed happy enough when you called them by your best approximation, Qila. They had picked a name for you, also, a wavery melodic hum layered with the sound of a bubbling stream. Their native language was so beautiful, it almost made you forget about the oppressive, dark cave you were stuck in.

Your ship had crash-landed, leaving you stranded miles below the water’s surface, leaving you to watch the oxygen levels slowly diminish until a pair of tendrils wormed their way around the seams of the airlock and pulled you to safety. They had come to investigate the noise, only to have their echolocation clicks drowned out by the panicked beating of your heart. Since they had first laid their 

A few of the more prehensile tendrils wrapped around your waist and pulled you gently towards the underside of their gelatinous body. You were pulled into an air-filled pocket they had formed inside themself lined with glowing fluorescent algae from above the water’s surface. It seemed to do an alright job converting your expelled carbon dioxide to breathable oxygen, but you couldn't go more than an hour before you started to get lightheaded. Qila seemed to pick up on your lethargy whenever this happened and was sure to begin to surface shortly after.

The ride to their cave was mostly uneventful, albeit slow. Qila seemed to be even more susceptible to pressure changes than you were, ascending at a snail’s pace. The view was less than spectacular, inky black darkness stretching out for eternity, broken up only by plankton the size of your fist that Qila would ensnare with barbed tendrils that unfurled with uncharacteristic speed.

Their cave was small and far from any other members of their species, or anything else for that matter. Anytime they took you out of the cave, the only thing you could see for miles was ocean. It was always a relief when the opening of their cave came into view, decorated with algae and various aquatic plants. You slipped back out through their permeable skin and swam towards what could be considered your room. It was closer to a pantry than anything, housing materials that could not be stored in water. The walls were coated in the same glowing algae that made it possible to breathe inside of Qila’s body, but the greater volume allowed you to stay here indefinitely. You pulled yourself up onto a ledge, careful not to knock over onto the nearby cubes of salt, sugars, and other soluble minerals, wrapped in hydrophobic coatings.

You turned back to Qila, watching as the vesicle you had traveled in slowly healed itself, closing over until you could no longer see any break in their outer membrane. Only the top part of their bell-shaped body was above the water; the thirty or so feet of tentacles below them were submerged, well past the extent of your vision. They bobbed gently in the water and let out a series of clicks undercut by a high-pitched buzzing.

Well? A single thought resonated in your head, the result of the translation device embedded in your auditory cortex.

“I’m fine, just a little winded. Give me a second.” You weren’t sure if they could actually understand the words you were saying, but they seemed to be able to pick up on the general meaning of your most prominent thoughts and even better from your spoken words. “Can I get some food, though? I’m getting pretty hungry.”

Wait. Will return. Qila disappeared below the still water, leaving you in complete darkness without their bioluminescence. You sat in unlit silence for only a few minutes, listening to the periodic drips of condensation falling back to break the still surface. They returned holding half-a-dozen semi-opaque spheres, each containing a different plant or creature.

The first sphere held what looked to be some sort of crustacean. You peeled open the sphere and pulled out what might have been an arm or leg, encased in a thick black carapace. The shell was easier to remove than you expected, pulling it off in fragmented chunks, which you set beside you in a pile.

Discard. Why?

“The shell—I think that’s what it is, at least—is too sharp for me to swallow. It will cut up my mouth.”

You sniffed the meat and decided that it smelled close enough to crab that it was probably safe enough to eat. A tiny nibble let you know that the taste was at least palatable, if not a little sour.

Acceptable?

“Yeah, for now. Let’s wait to see if I get sick, though.”

The other containers held food that Qila and you had already vetted through trial and error. Who would have thought you could get food poisoning from seaweed? But the purple kelp-looking leaves had left you vomiting and feverish until you bounced back. After that, Qila had become extra cautious in monitoring you for symptoms of food intolerance.

“Thank you; I appreciate it,” you said after you had finished. Qila vocalized happily. “I appreciate you, also. I would have died without your help.”

Enjoy presence. Alone before. Now partner. Happy.

“Partner?” you questioned.

One to share thoughts. To sing with.

“Like a friend?”

Qila was quiet for a while before they responded.

Unsure.

“Qila, are there others like you?”

Far. Inaccessible.

“You can’t see them?”

Correct. Population too large. Exiled.

“Oh. I’m sorry.” You placed a hand along their body.

Request?

“Yeah, what’s up?”

Sing? Together? Qila let out a tentative hum.

“Of course. Um, what do you want me to sing?”

Important song. Meaningful.

You softly began to hum the melody of your favorite song before you broke out into the first verse. Qila began to harmonize, adding percussive clicks and ethereal droning. The muted light inside them grew brighter, more brilliant, until it illuminated the whole cave. Each note their produce lit up different spots on their skin, only to fade as the sound faded. As you came to the end of the last line, you let your voice trail off, and the echos grew quieter until they were inaudible.

Qila was glowing; mesmerizing swirls of bioluminescence cast warm light throughout the dark cave. They continued to murmur bits and pieces of the melody that had stuck with them.

Request?

“Anything.”

Stay. Here, together.

“You know I can’t exactly leave. My ship is broken.”

Unimportant. Promise.

“Absolutely.”

The wave of light that radiated off of Qila was so bright it hurt your eyes. They warbled happy melodies, only parts of which your translator could pick up.

Joy. Companion. Here. Together. Always.

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

Can you rank the sdv bachelors/bachelorettes on who would adjust the best/worst to farm life? I'm curious on your opinion :))

Sure thing, let's do a ranking on our marriage candidates 😃 Thanks for the ask, dear anon! 🫰💕

Also, I think it's worth saying that I think all candidates will adjust well to their new life on the farm. This is where I described and judged candidates when they first moved onto the farm, from day one. This is just my opinion, so if you think differently, feel free to write about it here in replies!

_____________________________

SDV bachelors:

Shane gets a confident 8.5/10. After all, he didn't get the nickname "chicken man" for nothing, as he takes excellent care of hens on his aunt's ranch. So much so that he's bred his own breed of blue chickens! Plus, I'm sure Shane has helped Marnie take care of other animals while in the barn, and knows a fair bit about growing crops (at least his favourite hot peppers). So he will adapt almost instantly!

I'll probably get some hate for this, but I'll give Elliott a 1/10. With all due respect to our gallant writer, he literally has a quote where he says he "won't water the plant with salt water this time." ...Who would ever think of watering a freshwater plant with salt water, even without a background in gardening? So it's going to take Elliott a long time to adjust to life on a farm, especially if it's a Beach Farm ("Don't water the tomatoes with seawater!").

Normally Sam's mother, as she herself claimed, didn't make him and Vincent do house work, and there's no garden or hint of anyone in the family taking care of the houseplants (most likely Jodi doing all the work). So Sammy jumps from the life of a carefree musician to one full of farm chores, at least partially. In fact, he doesn't mind giving it a try, just doesn't know where to start ("Honey, help me"). 3/10, he's a little confused, but he got the spirit.

Being constantly busy working with patients, despite the small size of the town, and a bunch of other things to do in his clinic, certainly doesn't leave Harvey enough free time to do much gardening. But at least there's some time to read books, and the library just happens to have a couple of interesting ones about farming. I think it will at least give him the opportunity to grow tomatoes in a pot (albeit decorative ones). It's going to be a lot harder with farming, but Harvey even likes it. Still, 3.5/10, he's trying.

Similar situation with Sam, Sebastian will jump from a life of freelance programming work to the farm work. Of course Farmer won't force Sebby to work for them, after all they love him for who he is, not as free labour. But emo himself feels he should help his spouse with their work somehow. He's so-so at growing crops, but taking care of the chickens and goats is much better. 4/10, the black hens are his favourite, btw.

Oh, Alex will fit into farm life quite nicely. The athlete may have difficulty tending crops, watering potatoes and garlic with too much water, but in terms of physical tasks he does just fine. Drag heavy bags of seed/hay? Heck yeah! Load heavy pumpkins into the shipping bin for sale? Easy, he'll do it with one hand! It's like a workout for him. 6.5/10, go Alex!

SDV bachelorettes:

Penny may not have had the opportunity to grow melons or have a small garden near her house (well, trailer in this case), she was constantly reading books about foraging and farming, overflowing with dreams of having her own green place. Soon her dream came true, and all the theory they read was not wasted. Of course, the young teacher will definitely have difficulties, as this is not a small garden but a huge farm, but she will adapt quite well. 7/10, very nice.

4.5/10 for Maru. Actually, she's been a great helper on the farm from the beginning, only her area of expertise was different. Maru will easily fix any broken oil maker or calculate the proportions of minerals for fertiliser, but when asked to take care of the vegetable garden, the young inventor will definitely fall into a stupor. Still, I'm sure she will get used to it, because Maru is a genius, and if she can create an intelligent robot, she can handle growing strawberries as well.

I was going to give Haley the same number of points as Elliott, but I thought her trying to learn how to interact with cows and my idea that she wanted to learn about growing sunflowers deserved another point. So let it be 2/10. Yes, very low, but Haley used to be squeamish of any dirt and smells, so farm life, which is just full of dirt and smells (especially from the barn) will be a bit difficult for a girl.

In general, Leah's knowledge is closer to foraging than to farming, but the talented artist is definitely not afraid of hard work, and has a basic knowledge of growing crops. She definitely offered her then (future) spouse help on the farm several times. Yes, it was flirting, but Leah was actually willing to help carry seeds and water the plants, even had something to share about growing mushrooms on stumps. 7.5/10, she's a great fit.

On the one hand, Abigail has some experience in farming, as Pierre definitely asked her for help in his small vegetable garden behind the shop. On the other hand, the purple-haired girl didn't really show much interest in all this and she seemed to lack patience with plants and flowers before. It's different now, but Abby thought at times that her father and mother's chatter about plants was for a reason after all. 4/10, not too great, but not all bad either.

Emily takes care of the flowers in the house, so some knowledge she has. She loves nature and being outside, that's undeniable. Farming skills? Well... yes and no. Emily is a hard-working bee, but almost all of her time has been taken up at the Saloon, cleaning the house, and a passion for tailoring, so she doesn't have much experience. Still, it's there, and I'd give it a 5/10, but more because of the fact that Emily definitely takes good care of the animals ("My friends")

_________________________________________

So, from best to worst (SDV bachelors):

№1: Shane; №2: Alex; №3: Sebastian; №4: Sam; №5: Harvey; №6: Elliott.

From best to worst (sdv bachelorettes):

№1: Leah; №: Penny; №3: Emily; №4: Maru; №5: Abigail; №6: Haley.

[breelandwalker]

Flower Moon - May 22-23, 2024

Ready your gathering baskets and your best shoes for traipsing, witches - it’s time to greet the Flower Moon!

Flower Moon

The Flower Moon gives us the fulfillment of the first flush of the Pink Moon, with fragrant blossoms greeting us at every turn and heralding the merry month of May. The floral name for this particular cycle is shared by a number of indigenous nations, include the Algonquin, Anishnaabe, and Dakota. Other names include Budding Moon and Frog Moon (Cree), Planting Moon (Dakota and Lakota), and the Moon of Mulberry (Choctaw).

European names for this moon include Milk Moon (Anglo-Saxon) and Hare Moon (Celtic, allegedly). Some modern pagan circles also call it the Grass Moon as well, since the flourishing of grasslands is more common in some areas than the appearance of flowers.

This full moon peaks during daylight hours in the Western Hemisphere (around 9:53am EDT), so the moon may appear to be full on both the nights of the 22nd and 23rd.

What Does It Mean For Witches?

As we pass the spring rites and move toward the summer season, it’s the perfect time to celebrate your growth and the ways in which you want to flourish. This is the season for romance and love, and not just that which comes when we put on flower crowns and go a-Maying. This is a time to love ourselves as much as each other, to celebrate our bonds, and to be reminded of our own beauty and strength. Remember the things you love about yourself and consciously take a moment to remind your loved ones how much you care for them.

It is also a time to celebrate fertility, be it animal, vegetable, mineral, or spiritual. Put new plans into action, start that project you’ve been meaning to do, embark on that new hobby or activity you wanted to try. If you have a long-term goal or a big project, now is the time to outline your path to completion and plan how to direct your energy so you don’t burn out halfway through. Don’t hold back - break through the walls of imposter syndrome and anxiety, indulge in your creative urges, and let your inspiration soar. What you choose to plant and nurture now determines what you will harvest later in the year. And above all, remember to have FUN!

What Witchy Things Can We Do?

If you’ve been feeling the urge to do some flower-related magic, now is the perfect time! Familiarize yourself with the wildflowers in your area and if possible, maybe grab your basket and scissors and go on a��foraging trip. Remember to properly identify flowers before picking them, don’t overharvest, and don’t take anything from private property without permission or from national parks full stop. You can press the flowers with a notebook and something flat and heavy, or you can dry them in hanging bunches, in a cardboard tray, or in a low-temp oven for later use.

This is also a good opportunity to get your hands in the dirt and connect with the land where you live. If there are plants in your care, take a little time to do some pruning and watering. Check them for spring pests and treat where needed. Give them some love - talk to them, sing to them, encourage them to grow tall and strong and abundant. Bless them as you tend their plots and reaffirm your commitment to be a good caretaker.

As an exercise, try making flower crowns, garlands, bouquets, wreaths, or centerpieces using plant correspondences, flower language, or color magic for a desired effect. This can be done with real flowers or silk ones, depending on how long you want to keep them around. Try your hand at making flower water with roses or other blooms - it makes a wonderful base for moon water!

Experiment with recipes for dishes and drinks that use edible flowers too! Whether it’s color-changing butterfly peaflower tea, sweet and peppery nasturtium, adorable pressed pansy shortbread cookies, or the tried-and-true comforts of chamomile, flowers have many tasty secrets to offer. Don’t be afraid to add botanicals to your health and beauty routine as well! (Just make sure nothing’s going to negatively interact with your meds or irritate a pre-existing condition. Safety first!)

Whether you do so with your near-and-dear, your witchy circle, or by yourself, celebrate everything that blooms - including you!

Happy Flower Moon, witches! 🌕🌼

Further Reading:

Additional Lunar Calendar posts by Bree NicGarran

Flower Moon: Full Moon in May 2024, The Old Farmer’s Almanac

Moonrise and Moonset Calculator, The Old Farmer’s Almanac

Flower Meanings: Symbolism of Flowers, Herbs, and More Plants, The Old Farmer’s Almanac

Floriography, the Language of Flowers, AllFlorists.co.uk

Flower Power: Flower Moon Spiritual Meaning and Stunning Magic, The Peculiar Brunette

How to Dry Flowers 5 Ways, MasterClass, June 7, 2021

DIY Floral Water or Hydrosol, Patti Estep, Hearth and Vine, July 4, 2021

17 Edible Flower Recipes, Better Homes and Gardens, March 8, 2022

Everyday Moon Magic: Spells & Rituals for Abundant Living, Dorothy Morrison

(If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊)

[xxdemonicheartxx]

The flights and their major exports

Ice: furs, fish, culinary or food grade ice, unique and seasonal herbs, spices and flora that only grow there in the spring, super rich culinary culture has formed here and it attracts tourism and foodies, cooking oils and fats, seeds and nuts for consumption

Nature: lumber, meats, spices, fertile soil, insect cuisine, perfumes, freshwater fish, houseplants, seeds and shoots for farming, decorative plant or wood working, plant based oils for cooking or fuel

Light: wheat, plant based fibers and fabrics, paper and or papyrus, chalk and marble, huge bread and baked goods industry, baskets, porcelain, exotic percivore cuisine, pigments, seasonal fruits

Earth: cactus fruits, minerals and stones, gemstones, terracotta creations or construction pieces, ceramic work, glass tile work, roots and tubers, fossils, pigments,

Wind: rice, grains, construction grade bamboo, paper, rice paper, fabrics, plants and small birds for consumption, instruments (specifically wood-wind), silks, ribbon, sonorous sculptures

Shadow: fungal harvests, wire craft, tactical suits and mantles to conceal the body, iron weaponry with decorative detailing, insect and plant exports, huge root farming industry, lantern exports, candles, woodturned tools/utensils/decor/etc

Water: shells and abalone, fish, seaweed and kelp cuisine, boats and boat blueprints, crustacean cuisine, huge huge huge provider for the pescatarians, opal

Lightning: machinery parts, batteries, cactus harvests, insulation for both heat and electricity, exotic insect cuisine, dried and aged foods, electricity is produced in excess enough to provide immediately to the surrounding territories

Arcane: stained glass, lumber from the starwood strand (has unique properties and could be used for construction or artistic works), magical batteries made from the crystals, tomes and books, lenses, exotic herbivore cuisine, luminous pigments, tapestry work

Plague: immunizers/immunizations, craft and construction grade bones, leather, ale/mead/wine/whiskey/etc because they have the most intricate and detailed brewing and fermenting processes due to the understanding they have surrounding bacteria, pickled foods and pickling kits, surgical grade tools, cheeses, dry aged meats, medical practices unlike any other

Fire: weapons and armor, exotic carnivore cuisine, glasswork and glass blowing, obsidian and basalt export, geothermic energy(they can provide power enough to the surrounding territories) intricate mosaic and tile work, mineral exports, ceramic exports, blackened foods, metal shells and armor for vessels and vehicles and mounts

These are just what I can think of by examining the map and element at face value, there are millions of things these places can produce and export but I think these are the big ones or what they are known for, maybe even just the best quality versions of the export! If you want to use these ideas or add your own feel free!

[metamorphesque]

Not the anon who asked about the typical lunch but it's very interesting! I live in an area in America that has the largest population of Armenians outside of Armenia so now I'm A) hungry and B) looking forward to trying some things!

Well, my friend, in that case, let me recommend a couple of gems:

I’m sure you’ve already heard of Armenian barbecue (khorovats) and kebab. However, I’m still going to mention them because, vegetarian or not, I’m Armenian hehe.

Dolma – Meat, spices and other ingredients rolled into cabbage or grape leaves. Do yourself a favor and dip this in matsun (sour yogurt) with garlic. Not to toot my own horn, but I’ve been told I make some good dolma.

Pasuc dolma – The vegetable-filled version of traditional meat-filled rolls. Since its recipe is entirely plant-based, it’s a very convenient dish to serve during the fasting period. It is made of 7 different boiled grains, such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, cracked wheat, rice and maize peas (though the recipe can vary). All of the grains mentioned above are then wrapped in pickled cabbage or grape leaves. Pasuc tolma can be served hot or cold. My grandma used to make the best pasuc dolma.

Harissa – A “porridge” made from ground wheat and pulled meat (it can be chicken, lamb, etc.), usually served with butter. It’s especially good in cold weather and pairs well with vodka.

Khash – Now, khash is not your ordinary soup – it’s a whole tradition and a half. Even the toasts are well-defined and announced in a specific order. It even has its own season. Khash season in Armenia begins in late autumn, during the first cold days, and continues until the beginning of spring. The process of preparing khash is quite long and tiring, but the result is worth it. It’s made by boiling bovine shanks for hours until the tendons fall off the bones and the broth becomes thick. Sometimes, cooked stomach pieces are added. No salt is used during cooking, but it is seasoned with salt and crushed garlic once served. Cold vodka, mineral water, radish, pickles, peppers and dry lavash are all served alongside khash. Crushed garlic, greens, cheese, and, of course, salt must also be on the table.

Khashlama – Usually made with lamb and vegetables, the meat is so tender it falls off the bone.

Ghapama – A dish so mouthwatering that there’s a song dedicated to it. Ghapama is prepared by removing the insides of a pumpkin. The top of the pumpkin is cut off, and the ingredients (boiled rice, nuts, and dried fruits) are added inside. The pumpkin is closed on top with the cut lid, wrapped in foil and placed in the oven. Cooking times vary, usually taking from 40 minutes to 1.5 hours. The pumpkin is baked until soft, then served. Before serving, the pumpkin is cut from top to bottom into slices.

Jengyalov hats (Armenian bread with jengyal – greens) - a flatbread filled with about 25 types of greens. The recipe and the variety of greens used differ depending on the region.

բարի ախորժակ!

[a-roguish-gambit]

Dragon Gambit thoughts

So a lot of reptiles need specific environments for proper shedding otherwise they get stuff like stuck shed which is irritating at the best of times and can potentially cause gangrene at the worst, and dragons aren't much different.

Gambit being from the hot and humid bayous of Louisiana especially has difficulty with this because he needs a very specific set of parameters for a good shed or it will be hell for him.

So there are two options rogue can take to help him :

1.set up the most luxurious bath: Water just at 85° F, a sauna stove with perfumed water of pine, lavander, mint, and sorrel extract; bath salts, made with minerals from Appalachia mountain range and Caribbean sea salt; special mud scrub over his whole body plus face mask; organic water herbs floating in the water and sleeping in it for at least 20 minutes; special protein powder natural pine tar soap; and natural plant loofa for scrubbing.

2. Take him to a southern swamp and let him roll in the muddy, mosquito infested water like a pig and let him scratch himself against a moldy log.

Its expensive but she always chooses the fancy bath

[fazalkhan2914]

Chlorination Systems for Water Treatment:- Rock Spring Tech is a total technical solutions company that offers a wide range of products and services. Whether you are looking for technical solutions like electrical, water cooler, or plumbing, or online solutions like digital marketing, we have you covered. Contact us today. https://www.rockspringtech.com/chlorine-controller-system.html

[tears-of-amber]

15 Day Crystal Spirit Devotional Challenge

This is inspired by @cardicoven ‘s plant spirit devotional challenge. I got permission to do this spinoff. This challenge is to help you bond with a crystal of your choice and its energy and spirit!

DAY 1: Introduction to the Crystal you’re choosing to focus this challenge on.

DAY 2: Research and share where this crystal is naturally located (mined etc)! If it’s mined in multiple countries, list them!

DAY 3: Research and share the Crystal/Mineral’s structure and formations. Does it naturally form in a cubic formation or something different! Get specific!

DAY 4: Research and share historical or ancient uses (if any). If it’s a newly discovered crystal, when was it discovered, and by who?

DAY 5: Do your best to create art inspired by the crystal you chose.

DAY 6: Research and share the Magical Correspondences!

DAY 7: Research and share folk tales, myths, or stories associated with the crystal! If there isn’t any pre-existing story, make your own (but be sure to mention it’s something you made up).

DAY 8: Research and list deities and spirits associated with the crystal.

DAY 9: Share a tarot or oracle card YOU feel embodies this crystal’s energy!

DAY 10: Create a sigil to invoke the power of this crystal’s energy/spirit. You can trace this sigil on the crystal with your finger to activate its strongest power or your connection with it.

DAY 11: Meditate or focus on the crystal for five minutes. Then journal afterwards how it went!

DAY 12: Write about your current relationship with the Crystal and its spirit!

DAY 13: Personal goals when working with this crystal spirit!

DAY 14: Research ways to safely cleanse the crystal without damaging it. (Is it sun safe, water safe, salt safe, etc)

DAY 15: Exercise conclusion, main takeaways, and final overview!

[earth-ambassador-jim]

Time Has Passed Me By

AO3 ~ Fanfiction

Finally answering this fic request from @rosemaidenvixen . It's been hanging out in my WIPs almost finished for the past 3 years or so.

~~~~

~~~~

Awareness returned slowly: the sound of rushing water, faint flickering white light, the taste of minerals, the smell of damp earth, and the press of hard stone. He wasn’t sure how long he lay there, simply existing as part of his surroundings.

He grew restless and attempted to stand. His first attempt failed but he eventually struggled to his feet and stood there, weak kneed and uncertain. He was in a cavern. Water flowed over the grey stone beneath him and clear crystals hemmed him in from every side. Some of them glowed with a faint white light, most were grey and dead. He stared for a while before his attention turned to himself.

He… Draal… yes that was his name… Draal looked down at his hands and found the blue of his stone crisscrossed with clear white crystal that matched those surrounding him. It reminded him of something Nomura had shown him in her museum one time: a broken vase that humans had repaired with gold.

He looked at his other hand and found that the prosthetic was still there but spikes of white crystal where growing out of it. He tested it and found that it still moved.

Feeling a little more awake now Draal looked at his surroundings again. Where was he? Where was…

“Jim!”

He remembered then: being controlled by Gunmar and forced to fight his friends. Coming to Merlin’s cave and being freed from the spell. Jim finding him. The fight against Gunmar and Angor Rot. Sacrificing himself to save Jim. And finally falling as the poison swiftly claimed him.

Now he was properly awake. Draal wasn’t sure how he was still alive but he had to get out. The Trollhunter needed him.

Eventually Draal had been able to follow the flow of the water to an exit. Unfortunately the sun was still high in the sky so he was forced to wait until it set before he could continue.

Upon exiting the cave he found himself in an open area ringed about by dense forest. He frowned trying to remember what he could from his time under Gunmar’s control to get some idea of where he was. They’d taken a gyre so he was likely far from Arcadia. The question was how far?

Eventually he gave up and just followed the river. It would likely lead him to a human town and he could figure out where he was based on the language. He really wished he had taken Jim up on his offer of a cell phone.

He walked all night and halfway through the next day –keeping to the shadows of the forest- before he came upon a town. It was small. Humans bustled about going about their daily business. Draal crept closer, trying to hear what language they were speaking. It was just then that the couple he was watching turned their attention to the left and waved at someone approaching them.

Draal’s eyes widened with shock when he saw that the newcomer was a troll. They stood unaffected in the full light of the sun, wearing strange clothing, and struck up a conversation with the humans before them as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

The humans and the troll chatted for several minutes before going their separate ways, the humans into one of the buildings and the troll toward the forest. Draal quietly followed.

Was this strange troll an impure? That would explain its tolerance to sunlight.  Perhaps the whole village was changelings. In the time they’d been together Nomura had once joked that maybe changelings should just abandon both humans and trolls to form their own culture.

The maybe-changeling had now entered the forest. Draal followed patiently. It was best to wait until they were far enough from the village that they wouldn’t be heard.

The young troll it seemed was foraging for wild herbs. Every once and while he would stop and pull out his scissors to carefully take some plants.

Finally they were sufficiently far from the village.

Draal’s initial thought was to pounce on the troll from behind, pin him down and force the truth out of him, but something made him hesitate. He felt like the might be more to the situation. A puff of air left his nostrils as his lips quirked up slightly. It was Jim’s influence no doubt.

He moved to stand behind the troll.

“Greetings,” He said in trollish.

The troll let out a surprised yelp and spun around, mane fluffing up.

“Holy shit dude! Where did you come from?” He paused and looked Draal up and down before frowning. “Actually where did you come from? I haven’t seen you before and our town isn’t really a big tourist destination.”

Draal hesitated and then replied: “Arcadia.”

The troll blinked and his brows went up.

“Like Heartstone Troll Market Arcadia?”

Draal nodded.

“Lively!” He said, now looking interested. “Do you live in Trollmarket?”

Draal nodded again.

“Wow. I’ve always wanted to visit. I hear the Heartstone is wicked awesome. I’m Smleck, by the way. So what brings you to this neck of the woods?”

“What country is this?” Draal asked slowly.

He was a bit offput by the young troll’s strange way of talking. He talked more like Jim and his friends than any troll Draal knew.

“Oh this is France.”

It was going to be a long trip home it seemed.

“What where you doing talking to those humans?”

Smleck cocked his head in confusion.

“They’re my friends…?”

“But humans aren’t supposed to know about trolls,” Draal said irritably. He had the distinct feeling he was missing some important point.

“What are you talking about?”

They stared at each other for a long moment.

“Also how where you out in the sunlight?”

Have you been living under a rock?” Smleck asked incredulously.

“It seems so,” Draal said.

Smlech set down his basket and leaned up against a tree. He tapped his chin.

“Do you know what year it is?”

“By the human or troll standard?”

Smleck blinked slightly.

“Umm, let’s go with human.”

“2016,” Draal responded.

Smleck’s mouth fell open.

“What the heck. That’s… that’s… Have you been just living on your own all this time? Or did you get caught up in some time magic or something?”

Draal frowned.

“I was injured and just regained consciousness… Why?”

Smleck ran his hands through his mane and took a breath.

“Okay.. so don’t freak out but… You haven’t been out for a day or two… you’ve been out for over a millennia. It’s 3032 now.”

Draal froze and for a moment all he could hear was the roaring in his ears. His first thought was that the fight with Gunmar was probably over. Then he remembered that Smleck had mentioned Heartstone Trollmarket, so they must have won.

His next thought was to ask Smleck if the Trollhunter had survived, but then he remembered that humans rarely ever lived over a century. So whether Jim survived the war against Gunmar or not he was…

Then it occurred to him that after a millennia had past then most of even the trolls he knew would be gone now. He was well and truly alone then.

“Is there a gyre near here?” He asked. “I would like to return to Arcadia.”

Smleck was giving him a pitying look that made Draal want to punch him but he refrained.

“I can do you one better actually.”

~~~~

“One better” Turned out to be a portal. Not one of dark magic like Claire used but a vortex of glowing blue energy created from what Smleck told him was Akiridian technology. Apparently all he had to do was have the station master set his destination and he would just have to walk through the portal and he’d be in Arcadia.

He was a little wary of the device but it turned out to be painless. A welcome change from the nausea inducing gyre.

Draal readjusted his bracelet as he exited the station. On their way there Smleck had dragged him over to the local hospital to get it. Apparently it was a “UV” blocker. All trolls wore them now. It allowed them to safely walk under the sun. Draal shook his head. It was truly a strange world.

Trolls and humans walked the streets that were once familiar to Draal and other stranger creatures besides. Following his instincts more than his eyes he made his way to Trollmarket.

~~~~

Heartstone Trollmarket was the strangest part of this future world to him. The changes to the outside world where somehow less jarring. A myrid of beings, some familiar, some the likes of which he had never seen before, walked side by side on its streets and argued over wares in the stalls.

Still despite the strangeness there was familiarity to the paths he’d spent so long walking and he found his feet taking him to an opening in the stone over which hung a glowing sign shaped like the Sword of Daylight. He stood for a moment wondering at the lack of change but then passed under it and through the tunnel into hero’s forge.

The outside world may have changed but the forge was as he remembered. Automatically he eyes searched the forms of the past Trollhunters to find his father. Kanjigar still stood where he had last seen him. Draal pressed his fist to his chest and bowed his head for a moment.

He then started to look around for another form. Jim should have a statue somewhere around here. He knew that humans did not turn to stone like trolls when they fell but the tradition was too strong for him to have left unremembered so Draal expected to find a statue carved in the likeness of Jim. He was curious what sort of a man the boy he knew had become.

There were no new statues to be seen.

A frown traced his lips. If trollkind had failed to honor Jim just because he was human…

It was just then that he heard steps sounding in the entrance. Draal quickly moved into an alcove out of sight.

A troll wearing some sort of human uniform walked into the forge. He walked on two legs and was lean and lanky in proportion. A mane hung thick all around his face and neck like Aaarrrgghh’s but blue-black in color. He had a long leonine tail and three-pronged curving horns. His eyes and nose where strangely human.

The troll looked around for a moment and then pressed his hand to his chest. With a flash of blue armor materialized around him. Draal stilled. So this was the new Trollhunter.

He wandered over to the edge of the forge and pressed the bottom to set off the blades and platforms. His movements where quick and graceful and he danced around the traps with casual ease, going through strikes and parries as if he was battling some imaginary foe.

A smirk curled across Draal’s lips. He couldn’t leave the new Trollhunter to practice on his own. He grabbed an ax from the weapons pile beside him, waited until the troll came a little closer and then rolled up and shot out from his hiding place.

The Trollhunter had his back to Draal when he uncurled and brought his ax down on him but his ears twitched back and Daylight came up to redirect the blow so the troll could move out from under it. Draal was rather pleased.

The troll put some space between himself and Draal before actually looking at him. When he did, he went dead still, eyes widening.

“Draal?” He breathed out.

Draal blinked, caught off guard by the familiarity in the voice of this troll that he’d never met before.

“Impossible,” The troll muttered to himself. “It can’t be…”

Something about this rubbed Draal the wrong way. He let out a growl and lunged forward putting the strange troll on the defensive.

“Don’t drop your guard Trollhunter,” He rumbled narrowing his eyes. “How do you know me?”

The troll was still staring at him but not yet fighting back, only blocking.

“Know?” He blinked at Draal.

His mouth formed and “o” and his eyes widened.

The two jumped apart as an ax fell between them.

“I forgot that you weren’t there,” He said. “You know me Draal. It’s me: Jim.”

At that anger coursed through Draal. How dare this troll take him as a fool? How dare he pretend to be Draal’s friend?

With a roar Draal lunged forward.

“Don’t you dare pretend to be Jim,” Draal snarled, now attacking in earnest. “He was twice the Trollhunter you are.”

Draal may not know this Trollhunter but Jim would have never pretended to be a fallen warrior to fool their friend.

The new Trollhunter back pedaled but finally started counter attacking. They ranged across the forge vaulting off platforms and dodging blades. The troll looked like he wanted to answer Draal’s accusation but at the speed they were moving there was no room for talk.

It was bad timing that got him in the end.

Draal was just bringing his ax down on his opponent when a blade came out of the wall and launched him across the forge over the edge of the cliff. He managed to grab the edge but was left dangling over the deep. The new Trollhunter appeared above him. He stared down at Draal with his sword raised…

And then with a chuckle he drove it into the stone beside him.

“Come on,” He said holding out a hand. “Don’t make it weird.”

The breath seemed to leave Draal’s lungs as he stared into familiar blue eyes.

“Jim?” He whispered. “But how?”

“I think we both have a bit of explaining to do but this would be a better conversation to have on solid ground,” The Trollhunter… Jim said pointedly.

Draal took his hand and was pulled to safety.

The forge was still active around them, so Jim detached a glaive from his hip and threw it across the room striking the off button with easy precision. The center platform dropped back to the floor and the blades vanished into their alcoves.

Jim sat down on the edge of the forge, feet hanging into the abyss and patted the ground beside him. Draal sat. For a moment they stared into the depths in silence.

“So you really are Draal right?” There was a quiet waver in the troll’s voice.

Draal nodded.

“How are you alive?” He asked. “Angor stabbed you through the heart. I saw you fall. There’s no way you didn’t shatter.”

“I don’t know,” Draal said.

He showed the other troll his hand with the veins of clear crystal running through the deep cracks in his stone.

“I think that I did. I don’t know how I survived but perhaps the magic of Merlin’s Cavern put me back together.”

He side-eyed Jim.

“What about you? How did you become…” He waved a hand at Jim’s body. “This?”

Jim chuckled.

“A half-troll you mean?”

Draal blinked at that.

“Half?”

“Indeed,” Jim said. His eyes turned back to the cavern before him, but his gaze was much farther away. “After you… fell. We lost the staff to Gunmar, but… deeper in the cave we found something else… someone else: Merlin.”

“Merlin?!”

Jim nodded.

“He was in some sort of enchanted sleep and we woke him. A… a lot happened after that,” Jim frowned. “Gunmar used the staff to free Morgana from her prison so she could bring the Eternal Night… and,” He sighed. “Merlin and I talked. He didn’t think I was strong enough to take on Morgana… let alone her and Gunmar and Angor Rot. So he made me an offer: A potion that would change me.”

“Into a… half-troll?”

Jim nodded.

“Yes,” He said. “It was an adjustment. In the end we defeated Gunmar and Morgana. Angor actually helped us.” He added quietly. There was regret in his gaze. “He died a hero.”

There was a moment of silence between them. Draal studied Jim’s face as the boy… no man… stared off into the distance, dark brows low and pensive. There were scars crossing his face that the troll didn’t know. He wondered what battles he’d fought… what other comrades he’d lost.

Then Jim drew in a breath and let it out slowly. His shoulders relaxed. He gathered his legs under himself and stood. Draal also stood.

They stared at each other for a long moment.

“You’re a lot smaller than I remember,” Jim said finally.

Draal let out a surprised and offended snort at that but before he could respond Jim moved forward and wrapped his arms around him. Draal blinked in surprise and then reciprocated.

“It’s funny.” Jim said softly. “I knew you for a fairly short amount of time but it was such an important time to me. You taught me how to fight….” He trailed off for a moment. “Back in the cave I said you were a friend to me… and you are but in the centuries since…”

He hesitated again and pulled back to look Draal in the eyes.

“Well… I don’t know how you see me,” He finally continued. “But I’ve always thought of you as my brother.”

“Oh,” Draal said, surprised.

He blinked and then rubbed absently at his prosthetic. It was a bit of a strange thought. He hadn’t thought of it before.

He remembered when he first met Jim. And then their fight. –It was shameful in hindsight. Especially seeing the man he’d become. Jim had been a mere whelp who had just picked up the sword. - Despite that Jim had accepted him into his life. The way he had come to respect Jim. Training him. Fighting alongside him. Talking about small and silly things with him.

Something settled in his chest.

“Trollhunter… Jim.”

Jim looked up at him.

“I would be honored to consider you my brother.”

Jim’s face lit up in a wide toothy smile. Draal huffed in amusement. He tilted his horns forward and Jim also bent his head. The Rested their horns together for a moment.

It was good, Draal thought. It was good to have family again.

They drew apart.

Draal eyed Jim for a moment and then dropped to all fours abruptly.

“So, Trollhunter, I hear it’s been over a thousand years. Why don’t you show me what you’ve learned?”

Jim blinked and then a fierce and toothy smile lit up his face. His tail lasted in excitement. Draal couldn’t help but to think that being a troll suited him. In a flash he was armored again with Daylight in his hands.

“With pleasure.”