#That's the whole reason plants grow tasty fruit

[cryptidcalling]

Watching a space exploration anime where the characters are stopping on unknown planets to forage, and I think knowing basic college-level ecology is making it less enjoyable to watch lol Like, watching these people hunt apex predators for food instead of collecting more fruits and vegetables and ignoring signs of obviously carnivorous plants is a little infuriating.

[homunculus-argument]

One positive that growing your own fruit and vegetables as opposed to just getting them from the store is that it takes the choice of having to make the purchase out of the picture. Sure, yes, all added together, the materials for the whole gardening thing roughly cost as much as the produce you get as the outcome so you're not really saving money, but there's still the benefit of already having the vegetables in your house once they're ready.

Would I have ever in my life actually gone out of my way to buy a whole box of cherry tomatoes just to spend half an hour chopping all of them up to make a litre of nice tasty homemade salad? No. Absolutely not, I'm not goind to work that hard just for a simple meal. At least not unpromptedly. The reason I managed to make myself a 1,3 litre box of salad and am eating it from the container right now is because the tomato plants on the balcony keep making 'em and we gotta use them up somehow.

[omies-odd-writing-spot]

Little Library Mouse: Fallout idea 01

[Full chapter on Ao3]

The young woman loved the smell of the fresh blossoms. The spicy-sweetness of the big purple tato and radish plant, or the earthy mellow of the split bean and the pumpkin. Or the rich sweet floral of the hub tree, they were always amazing. And tasty too!

In the quiet of the early morning, Cassidy could relax in the warm filtered light coming through the window before doing her task of hand pollinating the two tato plants at this window. Holding her flask of still warm tea, Cassidy kicked her legs in the air rocking a bit with her rope seat. Watching out the window as one of the pregnant ground squirrels was waddling by, not seeing her. 

She really did like the early mornings of spring, was able to watch where the animals came from and went too. From her current spot, Cassidy could turn and look over the library that was her family's safe home. It was so much bigger than anyone in her community had imagined. A rarity that there was only one safe, hidden entrance and a stable building.

Cassidy was a lot younger when they had moved here, so much so she only had faint memories now of not being in the library. She knew that someone, or another family, used to live here. They had left several things but never returned as far as she knew. They had tried to save as much as they could, just in case that someone, or a decedent came looking.

It had been so many good years here, the elderly of her community, including her own grandparents, could likely rest for their last years without the stress of constantly being on the move. Even though the last winter outside had been harsh, they had fast growing crops inside the library to help them through the worst of the weather. It was more than enough space to grow things without hurting all the wonderful books. 

Cassidy was so thankful her grandmother had taught them all how to read and write. Though they had to be very careful with the old books, it was still so much fun to explore the bookshelves. There were old display planters that her parents had thought might have had rare plants before the bombs dropped. Now the biggest had their own pride and joy plants. The mutfruit trees and hub trees had gotten so big in the heathy being sheltered inside, with help from clean water they could get, and the extremely solid window up high that let sun in but not let anyone see inside. The fruit trees were not nearly as big as other trees outside, but they still had a nice thick trunk that was almost four inches thick! These trees had fruit all of last year now too, as long as there was fresh, clean water. Enough fruit that the whole community could and did make jerky out of the excess.

Where Cassidy was this morning was one of two almost ground level windows, and they just kept the tatos here to get the light. From where she was sitting, the young woman could almost see the ground a foot below the windowsill. A planter outside and a short wall after that. The day was promising to be a good peaceful one. She could pollinate the flowers, harvest the pedals for dinner and make some tea. Maybe see if there was some easy to get to grain as well. Then she could finish reading a chapter in her current book.

The young woman kicked her legs out to get herself to swing a little bit back and forth. The gentle movement felt so nice with the sun beam and freshly opened tato flowers above her. Cassidy watched as her feet brushed the thick old growth stem of the tato plant. This was the one plant that was already here when her people had moved in. It was the main reason they had food way back when. 

Again it was just hazy memories for Cassidy herself, she remembered everyone being so happy. It was one of the first really good meals they had before everyone had been able to sleep safely. It was such a luxury to be able to sleep safely, they still had night guards, but did not need to be as many as there once was according to the stories that were told about when traveling. Cassidy swung a bit more, touching the stem of the tato plant, pushed off at an angle. Spinning herself in the rope seat one way, then everything unranked the other was. Giggling as she just had some low impact fun before settling and shifted to stand in the seat. Reaching to pull a line free to hock into her climbing gear. Swinging again until she left the seat and was in the climbing gear proper, away from the swing almost at ground level. 

Climbing up to the first old growth branch, Cassidy pulled herself up on top. She did not have the same upper body strength as some others in her community, or even her dad. It took her longer to climb the tato plant to the first flower. She untied the permanent line and started to make a new harness to wrap around the stem, sitting down with legs on either side of the branch as she worked. 

Cassidy took several deep breaths, making sure the harness was secured. Getting ready and then tipped to the side, rotating off the thick stem and… and was caught in the harness. The young woman sighed in relief as she was supported from her shoulders to her thighs in the harness. Able to relax suspended and using two lines to slowly let out slack to drop a bit. This gave her plenty of room to work. Reaching out to grasp the nearest purple peddle of the tato flower. Scooting herself closer and only once sure she was nice and secured could Cassidy focus with confidence. Taking a hook and another line, piercing the peddle and anchoring it first, and then started cutting it free. 

Cassidy made sure to do neat, clean cuts before pushing the pedal away from her and watched it fall free. Mostly. Attached to the line it put some pressure on the harness, but that line would fully disconnect after the last petal was cut free and the joint weight of them all would pull all the knots out for that line.

The young woman carefully scooted closer to the now opening inside of the flower. Reaching for one of the small bags at her side and her knife before reaching back in. Cassidy gasped in delight at finding new tiny petals inside the edge of the flower. “Ooh, those are going to be sweet, I need to get some after this.”

She had to be very careful with cutting the whole staman off, not wanting to lose the pollen. Cassidy carefully put each filament in one bag marked with a ‘1-1’ for this plant’s first flower. Once all the pollen was collected, Cassidy got another bag with the pollen from another plant, dipping her fingers in to coat them and reach to pat the pollen on the… pistil. The inner stem, that was what it was called according to the book. Cassidy made sure not to waste any pollen but also made sure she would not have to come back to do it again. Then she could start to get the rest of the petals harvested.

Taking her time partly to inspect the bigger petals. Cassidy ran her hands over the softness of the pedals. Wondering what it would be like to sleep on the softness. Feeling something like the silk in the stories and books, Cassidy imagined it would be like new flower petals. So soft and smooth, would silk have a smell? Like the flowers that were sweet and spiced.

The tato flowers always smelled exactly like how the tea made from the petals did. Same with the hub trees in one of the ornate planters, their flowers and hips were sweeter and a bit earthy. 

Cassidy gasped to herself as she started to harvest the petals, realizing that she still had some hip jam in her room. She would be getting her own home soon too! After the harvest of the hub flower hips in the next few weeks. Her dad had been definitely doing something with his spare time with his adopted brothers. 

There were the two whole winter melons that would be ready after that. The small pumpkin would be ready after that, at least Cassidy was pretty sure it would be ready for them to try and get inside! She missed fresh pumpkin seeds. Having them roasted or ground up for a nutty past was… really such a comfort this last winter. 

So was their attempt at making pie from the books with what they had for substitutes. 

Cassidy reached out, to get the last petal and cut it free, making sure that line was disconnected from her harness. The collected pollan bag was tied and attached to her hip. Then as no one else was up on the desk, Cassidy carefully scooted closer to reach into the flower to carefully cut out the little baby petal leaves. She had three that she could relax back in the harness and get the pollen left over carefully off her left hand and onto one of those little white petals. 

Nectar, that’s what was a part of the flower that soaked these little petals. Sweet and spiced, and with a bit of pollen inside the rolled up petal… it was a wonderful breakfast after all that work. It was also a treat as a pollinator job to be able to enjoy this treat. The other few petals were stored carefully in another bag. Cassidy would share some with her family, but wanted to try and see if she could bake them.

Make… candy. That’s what it was called!

Cassidy finished her treat, looked around the flower to be sure that nothing was missed. Getting herself backwards and up to climb back on the branch, the young woman could go back to the main trunk of the old tato plant and the climbing line to the next branch with a flower. Going through the same process and saving the little petals and it was nice and warm now from the magnification of the sunlight.

[foodfactfitness]

Global Food Consumption-what the world is actually consuming!

Global food trends are undergoing significant changes influenced by health awareness, sustainability concerns , and cultural shifts. Still there is undeniable popularity of ‘Packaged Food’ , let’s dive deep and understand ‘what the world is actually consuming’.

In today’s fast-paced society, the food landscape is marked by the ‘dual popularity of Healthy and Packaged Food’ The growing awareness of health issues linked to diet, such as obesity and chronic diseases, is leading to an increase in healthy food consumption. However we cannot deny that processed foods still dominate global diets

Studies indicate that globally, around 30% to 40% of people are actively trying to consume healthier foods. This includes a focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.However these stats also indicate regional differences there is- higher percentage of people consuming healthy foods in developed countries compared to developing countries ,

Processed foods are becoming more common in developing countries, can you guess why?

Here is your answer: Changing Lifestyles, Urbanisation, Limited accessibility, because of these reasons there is increased consumption of sugary snacks and fast food in Developing nations.

The Dual Popularity of Healthy and Processed Foods in Today's World-

Reason behind this duality:

1) Health Consciousness- An increasing number of consumers are prioritising health, because they desire to stay healthy, combat diseases and improve overall well-being. As a result, there’s increase in the demand for fresh produce, Many people are turning to organic foods and supplements, eager to invest in their health. However, this consciousness often coexists with the convenience of processed foods.

2)Easy Accessibility-Processed food are easily accessible, plus they are easy to make and Pre-packaged meals, snacks, and instant options save time and effort in meal preparation. While these foods are often criticised for their nutritional value, many brands are responding to consumer demand by creating healthier versions.

3)Urbanisation and Lifestyle changes-In todays fact pacing society its kind of tough to keep up with traditional cooking, so processed food serves the purpose, Yet, many urban consumers are also seeking out healthier options .

4)Innovations in Food Technology- Advancements in food technology have made it possible to create processed foods that are both tasty and nutritious.

Innovations like - plant-based meats, cater to health-conscious consumers while providing the convenience they seek. This blending of health and processing meets diverse dietary needs.

Conclusion :

• The parallel popularity of Healthy and Processed food shows how with increasing health consciousness still there is huge and popular market for Packaged Food because of – Accessibility, Urbanisation and Cultural Fusion, people specially in ‘Developing countries’ are opting more of packaged food , while there is a huge market and popularity for healthy food in ‘Developed Countries’

However this does not mean that people in developing countries don’t consume healthy foods but percentage is less compared to developing nations.This evolution suggests a future where healthy and processed options can coexist harmoniously, meeting the diverse needs of a global population.

‘We can stay healthy and happy all we need is just balance’

[withered-tears]

You ever stop and think how fucking weird fruits are.

Like

This living thing, thru years and years of evolution, came to the conclusion that the better chance of survival was to grow part of itself specifically designed to be eaten by other organisms.

And its not like, small lizard tails or those sea critters spilling their guts to give them a chance to run away from predators, no no.

Their continuous existence, their reproduction, is extremely dependant on other creatures finding these weird fleshy growths tasty as fuck, to the point they make and keep making more of them.

Sure, you got plants like peppers that did the whole "imma evolve to be spicy as fuck to keep animals from eating me" (which kinda, backfired cuz humans enjoy the pain fruit for some reason) but fruit trees just went. Mhm how do i get as many creechures to spread my seeds thru a whole ass area around me... oh i know. Flavor flesh balls.

Fruits are so fucking weird.

I love em.

[7serendipities]

Fairy Witching Update!

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post titled “The Less Mystical Side of Fairy Witching” , and I thought today I’d offer an update!

I did, in fact, find a tree and get it planted — well ahead of schedule. I went with a variety of crabapple that is considered “edible” (technically most crabapples are “edible”, they’re just not very tasty or nutritious) and should grow crabapples the approximate size of a golf ball. I’m told they make good jelly! And I’m sure the critters will love them. It had a couple of flowers on it the day it got planted, and then bloomed vigorously for about a week, and is now setting fruit! So, mission complete.

I think my local Fairy Queen is satisfied, too, because her rosebush is blooming up a storm! I call her the Rosegay Queen, and when we first moved in and I was examining the property, it became apparent very quickly that the strange little rosebush (which was barely more than a forked stick then) had an Otherworldly quality to it. I have put offerings near it since then, and that seems to be her preferred location for omens, as well — I once found a strange little antique watch face nearby. Once the crabapple started setting fruit, the rosebush started blooming, which in itself is not very significant because the timing is following the weather, but I have never seen it bloom this much before, and we’ve been here three years now, and this spring we were under drought conditions. I have not watered, fertilized, pruned, or done anything to encourage this rose to bloom, and I’ve watched my grandfather take care of roses my whole life, and they seem to take a lot of particular care, much of the time. I've never seen this one have more than two or maybe three blooms at a time, before. But this rosebush is currently blooming in abundance, and there’s a sense of satisfaction permeating it that I believe is coming from the Rosegay Queen.

I started calling her that after I first spoke to her and she suggested it. I tend to ask for a name I can use and share freely when I begin relationships with the Fair Folk I encounter, and those names are very often drawn from the landmarks or flora of their territory. When I had earlier explored her territory, which follows a nearby stream, I had found that the streambanks are overgrown in many places with wild roses, which seem to be her particular emblem. She claims to be Daoine Sidhe, which hail from Ireland, though she did not explain how or how long ago she came to be here — and I have not asked. I do tend to ask those I encounter what kind of fairy they are, with the intention of better understanding how to interact with them. I cannot be sure that the folkloric understanding of types of fairies actually matches their own experiences of themselves at all, but I try to communicate my reasons, and most of the beings I’ve encountered can at least take a couple of the terms in my head and mash them together or give me qualifiers for a sort of ballpark framework. The Rosegay Queen was very clear on being Daoine Sidhe, though, and claims a connection to Una and Finvarra, whom I have since begun to get to know better.

[priteshwemarketresearch]

Vegan Food Market Business Segmentation by Revenue, Present Scenario and Growth Prospects 2034

Exploring the Vegan Food Market: Trends, Benefits, and Delicious Options

The vegan food market has been gaining significant traction over the past few years, reflecting a growing awareness of health, sustainability, and animal welfare. As more people adopt plant-based diets, the variety of vegan products available continues to expand, making it easier than ever to enjoy delicious meals without animal products. Let’s delve into the current trends, benefits, and some must-try options in the vegan food market.

Request Free Sample PDF :https://wemarketresearch.com/reports/request-free-sample-pdf/vegan-food-market/729

The Rise of the Vegan Food Market

The shift towards veganism is not just a fad; it's a movement. According to recent studies, the vegan food market is projected to reach billions in revenue as more consumers choose plant-based diets. This growth is fueled by various factors:

Health Awareness: Many people are adopting vegan diets for health reasons. Research suggests that plant-based diets can lower the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.

Environmental Concerns: The environmental impact of animal agriculture has led many to reconsider their food choices. Vegan diets generally require fewer natural resources and result in lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Ethical Considerations: Animal welfare remains a significant concern for many consumers. Choosing vegan products allows individuals to support humane treatment of animals.

Trends in the Vegan Food Market

Innovative Products: From plant-based meats to dairy alternatives, the vegan food market is thriving with innovation. Companies are continuously developing new products that closely mimic the taste and texture of animal-derived foods, making it easier for non-vegans to make the switch.

Convenience Foods: Ready-to-eat meals, snacks, and meal kits are becoming increasingly popular, catering to busy lifestyles while still adhering to plant-based diets. This convenience has helped to normalize vegan eating in mainstream culture.

Sustainability: Many brands are focusing on sustainable sourcing and eco-friendly packaging. Consumers are becoming more conscious of the environmental impact of their food choices, pushing companies to adopt greener practices.

Culinary Diversity: The vegan food market is also expanding to include a wide range of cuisines. From Asian-inspired dishes to Mediterranean flavors, there’s something for everyone. This diversity allows for a more exciting culinary experience, encouraging even the most devoted meat-lovers to try plant-based options.

Benefits of Choosing Vegan

Opting for vegan food can offer numerous benefits:

Improved Nutrition: A well-planned vegan diet is rich in nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It's typically high in fiber and low in saturated fats, contributing to overall health.

Weight Management: Many people find that a plant-based diet can assist with weight loss and management, as vegan foods are often lower in calories.

Increased Energy: Many individuals report feeling more energetic after switching to a vegan diet, likely due to the abundance of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Must-Try Vegan Products

If you’re looking to explore the vegan food market, here are some delicious options to consider:

Plant-Based Meats: Brands like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods offer burgers, sausages, and ground meat alternatives that are perfect for grilling or adding to your favorite recipes.

Dairy Alternatives: From almond milk to coconut yogurt, the variety of dairy-free products has never been better. Brands like Oatly and Kite Hill provide delicious options for those looking to reduce dairy consumption.

Vegan Snacks: Explore options like chickpea chips, kale chips, and nut bars. Companies like Hippeas and RXBAR have created tasty, healthy snacks that satisfy cravings without compromising on nutrition.

Frozen Meals: For those busy days, frozen vegan meals from brands like Amy's Kitchen or Gardein offer convenient, ready-to-eat options that are both tasty and satisfying.

Conclusion

The vegan food market is a dynamic and exciting space that continues to evolve. With its myriad of health benefits, ethical considerations, and innovative products, it’s no wonder that more people are embracing plant-based diets. Whether you’re a long-time vegan or just curious about incorporating more plant-based meals into your diet, there’s never been a better time to explore the delicious options available in the vegan food market. So, why not take the plunge and discover the vibrant world of vegan cuisine today?

[hookerspage]

More significant Investigation on Call boy's everyday work-out: Call boy jobs around India

A healthy eating routine is important for everyone, no matter how they live their lives. It's even more important for people who live busy and active lives, like a playboy who asks for a shorter work week. A diet that is both healthy and well-balanced improves overall performance and mental clarity. While fostering a working day smart dieting plan for a playboy, it is vital to find some kind of harmony between taste, some type of solace, and significant advantage. A playboy in a hurry needs to eat a healthy breakfast because it gets them ready for a productive day. Consider having a substantial breakfast that includes a healthy combination of solid fats, lean proteins, and complex sugars. An incredible decision could be made with new ordinary food varieties like cut bananas and berries, which give a rich wellspring of fibre, improvements, and cell strength. Add some nuts or seeds to your grain for a delicious crunch and potent fats that make you feel fuller for longer and give you more energy throughout the day. callboy job.

To guarantee a reasonable function, consolidate a protein source into your morning dinner. This can be accomplished by placing bubbled eggs or Greek yoghurt close to the oats. Greek yoghurt not only has a lot of protein in it, but it also has probiotics that help bacteria grow and die. Sunk eggs naturally contain essential amino acids for muscle maintenance and repair. For those searching for a plant-based other option, a tofu and vegetable scramble can be a tasty and protein-rich choice. Amidst a clamouring typical working day, immediately in the day snacks expect a fundamental part in extra mindfulness of energy levels and impeding the enticement of miserable food decisions. Choose small, nutrient-packed bites that are nutritious. In a small serving, mixed nuts like almonds, pecans, and pistachios provide the majority of omega-3 unsaturated fats and cell strongholds. A unique fruit or vegetable, like an apple or a lot of grapes, can be paired with the nuts to improve stomach health and provide common pleasure. call boy job.

For faster daytime combat and improved mental health, think about making a small serving of weak chocolate into a nibble. The dull chocolate's flavonoids, caffeine, and theobromine all aid in enhancing mental capacity and perspective. Regardless, moderation is essential due to the possibility of consuming an excessive amount of calories. Vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins should all be included in a balanced lunch. Barbecued chicken or tofu salad, various greens, chime peppers, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers can all provide a filling and nutritious meal. When an entire grain is combined with quinoa or generously tinted rice, complex sugars, fibre, and additional protein are added. In a bespoke vinaigrette, sprinkle olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a few flavours over the serving of leafy greens for an explosion of flavour without compromising health. call boy service.

A wrap made of entire grains, lean protein like turkey or hummus, and various vegetables is a decent and simple choice for individuals who need something else for lunch. Whole grain wraps are a respectable wellspring of fibre, further creating stomach-related prosperity and staying aware of energy. When given hummus, cut carrots, celery sticks, or cherry tomatoes give a great crunch and lift the improvement content. In the early evening, when energy levels may drop, an incredible and nutritious body can revive the body and the brain. Make a protein-rich choice to help energy all through the rest of the overall typical working day. Sweet cravings are satisfied, protein and healthy fats are delivered, and chia seeds and honey are sprinkled on top of Greek yoghurt. Naturally, a rehydrating and supplement-rich option is a protein smoothie made with common ingredients like spinach, protein powder, and almond milk. Hydration is sometimes overlooked despite its central role in overall prosperity and well-being. Focus on drinking water over the course of the day to remain hydrated. call boy job salary. It is possible to combine average teas, such as peppermint or green tea, for enhanced flavour and potential clinical benefits. Instead of sweet beverages, choose water or unsweetened standard teas to maintain ideal hydration levels without the empty calories associated with sweet rewards. As the workday continues into the night, dinner ought to be a sensible and filling meal that keeps recuperation going and gets the body ready for sleep. Salmon prepared on the barbecue is a good source of protein and omega-3 unsaturated fats and can serve as the focal point of a grand event. For a satisfying and substantial meal, select the salmon and serve it with stewed sweet potatoes and broccoli. There is a lot of complexity in sweet potatoes. carbs, supplements, and fibre, and broccoli is a decent wellspring of significant micronutrients. A hearty vegetarian meal that is rich in protein and delicious is a chickpea and vegetable curry served over coarse rice or quinoa. In addition to chickpeas, which are an important plant protein source, the curry contains a variety of vegetables. call boy job part time

[unimother]

Aquaponics Fertilizer and Nutrients Deep Dive

We must go deep into chemistry to understand how the aquaponics system turns fish waste into plant fertilizer. Here is the short form for those not interested in that. 

Input = Output - Aquaponics Fertilizer: 

What you feed your fish will also feed your plants. Suppose you provide protein-rich feed to your fish. In that case, your plants in the aquaponics system will receive a lot of nitrogen because amino acids are made of a lot of nitrogen, and plants can even absorb amino acids directly. Carnivore fish, therefore, will grow leafy greens and herbs well. On the other hand, fish that you feed herbivores will grow great flowers, fruits, seeds, and vegetables in your grow bed because of the overabundance of the excreted potassium and phosphorus. Plants use these three nutrients most besides carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. They are called macronutrients.

Compared to them, micronutrients are only required in small amounts. Still, they are essential, and there are over 20 of them to create enzymes, photosynthesis, and many plant processes that will affect health, immunity, taste, and fragrance. Further below is a table of the most important macro and micronutrients and how you identify the symptoms of your plant being deficient or maybe the excess of one nutrient is blocking the adsorption of other nutrients like trace minerals. 

So, how do you ensure that your plants have sufficient micronutrients if so many exist?

Mother made it easy for us. She ensured that all essential micronutrients were mixed in the earth's magma, and each time there was a volcanic eruption, the ash would fly worldwide and fertilize the whole world. 

Nowadays, we don’t have to wait for an outbreak to get sufficient micronutrient levels. Instead, we can use rock dust to get tasty and healthy food.

Rock Dust as Aquaponics Fertilizer

Over time as plants absorb minerals, they exchange them for hydrogen (H+) ions, naturally reducing the pH levels more and more in acidic areas. This is called biogenic acidification and can be reversed by adding minerals like rock dust.

Rock dust is essentially ground-up rock, containing a wealth of trace minerals and micronutrients essential for plant growth. In aquaponics, it can be an invaluable addition for a few reasons:

Diverse Mineral Content: Rock dust contains many micronutrients, especially from volcanic sources. These include but are not limited to Boron, Calcium, Chlorine, Cobalt, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Molybdenum, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, Silicon, Sodium, Sulfur, Zinc, and many more. Each of these plays a vital role in plant health.

Improved Soil Health: While aquaponics systems don't rely on traditional soil, the growing medium can still benefit from adding rock dust. It can improve water retention, enhance microbial activity, and steadily release micronutrients.

Enhanced Plant Growth: With a more diverse range of nutrients available, plants can grow more vigorously, produce more abundant yields, and have increased resistance to pests and diseases.

Tastier Produce: Plants grown with the right micronutrients often taste better. This is because they can synthesize the compounds that contribute to flavor more effectively.

Simple use: Add rock dust to the water or the grow bed. The right amount of minerals will naturally dissolve and provide micronutrients over time.

Rock dust will also supply your fish or shrimps with micronutrients and is an excellent micronutrient supply in livestock feed for all vertebrates. This theoretically includes human consumption, but ask your doctor or nutritionist for advice first.

How Plants Absorb Nutrients in Aquaponics

Plants mainly absorb nutrients from the soil through their roots.

Soil Solution: When nutrients are dissolved in water, they form a soil solution.

Root Hair Absorption: The fine root hairs of plants absorb the nutrients from the soil solution. This is primarily an active process, meaning it requires energy.

Transport to Other Parts: Once inside the roots, the nutrients are transported upwards to stems, leaves, and other parts of the plant through the xylem (a type of vascular tissue).

Factors ensuring effective nutrient absorption in plants:

Soil pH: The pH level of the soil affects the availability of nutrients. Most plants prefer slightly acidic to neutral pH levels to absorb nutrients effectively.

Soil Moisture: Adequate water is necessary to dissolve nutrients and make them accessible to plant roots.

Soil Aeration: Roots need oxygen to respire and generate the energy required for active uptake of nutrients.

Soil Texture: The size and arrangement of soil particles (sand, silt, clay) can affect water retention and nutrient availability.

Presence of Beneficial Microorganisms: Certain microbes help break down organic matter, making nutrients more accessible to plants.

Absence of Soil Contaminants: Pollutants or contaminants can interfere with nutrient uptake.

Healthy Root System: A robust and extensive root system increases the absorption surface area.

Balanced Soil Nutrients: An excess of one nutrient can inhibit the uptake of another due to antagonistic effects.

It's essential to maintain a balance of these factors to ensure that plants can absorb and utilize nutrients effectively.

An Overview of Key Components in Aquaponics Fertilization:

Transforming fish waste into a form that's usable for plants.

Evaluating the energy levels of fertilizers.

An anaerobic environment (lacking oxygen) will lower the pH because the bacteria will consume all oxygen and increase the (CO2) which will create carbonic acid (H2CO3) in the water. During nutrient reduction, the bacteria will remove oxygen compounds from oxidized chemical connections to get oxygen, making them more readily available for plants. 

In contrast, oxidation processes require plants to expend more energy to access nutrients, and this usually corresponds with increasing pH levels.

Interestingly, conditions that are more toxic for fish tend to make nutrients more available for plants. Striking a balance is crucial.

To convert a grow bed into an anaerobic environment, consider using sandponics with a layer of 2 - 4 inches (5-10 cm) sand. Incorporate clay pebbles on top to capture debris and introduce worms to clean the medium and make more nutrients accessible to plants.

These worms possess a micro gut biome, which includes beneficial fungi and bacteria, an essential part of the nutrient-releasing process.

Chemistry Of Aquaponics Nutrients and Fertilizer 

What are pH - levels?

pH level measures the acidity and alkalinity of a solution.

pH levels of 0 - 7 are acidic.

pH levels of 7 - 14 are alkaline.

The lower the pH, the more hydrogen (H+) ions.

The higher the pH, the less hydrogen (H+) ions.

The lower the pH, the less hydroxide (OH-) ions.

The higher the pH, the more hydroxide (OH-) ions.

At pH 7, the (H+) and (OH-) are the same.

Infographic of plant nutrient availability in relation to the pH level.

The decay process of organic matter will result in bio-acidification, where, over time, the pH level gradually decreases as small amounts of minerals are needed for degradation. This process also increases the speed of acidification of the oceans and destroys current ecosystems like coral reefs by revoking calcium structures. Adding a mineral mix like rock dust can raise the pH levels of your aquaponic system. Generally, acids reduce the pH level, while minerals, salts, and metals raise the pH level. This knowledge can help you naturally stabilize your system. 

Understanding Anions and Cations in Plant Nutrients Absorption 

The electrical balance in the roots must remain balanced. To take up nutrients, plants have to trade protons like hydrogen (H+) to absorb a cation like potassium (K+). Increasing proton concentration reduces the pH to a more acidic (0 - 7) level.

In the same way, plants also have a way to absorb anions. For example, to absorb nitrate (NO3-), the plant roots release bicarbonate (HCO3-), which increases the pH to more alkaline (7 - 14) levels.

Plants can also directly absorb intact amino acids and thus bypass microbial mineralization of organic nitrogen. Recycling of amino acids is the reason aquaponics is superior to soil-grown plants because a small amount of fish feed will always dissolve while the fish eat. Instead of wasting those amino acids, plants can reuse them as building materials.

The ammonia(NH3), which fish and bacteria release, in acidic pH levels below 7 picks up free hydrogen (H+) ions in the water and reacts to ammonium (NH4+). Contrary, in alkaline pH levels above 7, there are higher levels of free hydroxyl molecules (OH-) and ammonium (NH4+) is converted back into ammonia. A sudden pH change from below 7, for example, 6.5 to above 8, can turn a lot of less toxic ammonium into more toxic ammonia, which could kill your fish. Ammonia (NH3) can diffuse through the plant roots because it’s not electrically charged. Inside the plant, the ammonia will quickly find a free (H+) ion and react to (NH4+), which the plant can use and store.

Certain factors must be ensured for plants to absorb nutrients, like mineral availability, soil temperature, the energy state of the nutrient, humidity levels, photosynthesis, pH of roots/soil, and the relative concentration of minerals in the water. 

High levels of one cation will block other cations from being absorbed. Logically high levels of anions will also block other anions from being absorbed.

Anions:

Hydroxide (OH-), bicarbonate (HCO3-), chloride (Cl-), nitrite (NO2-), nitrate (NO3-), dihydrogen phosphate (H2PO4-), phosphate (PO4-), sulfate (SO4--), tetraborate (B4O7--), dioxido(dioxo)molybdenum (MoO4--), hydrogen phosphate (HPO4--), phosphate (PO4---)

Cations:

Hydronium (H3O+), hydrogen (H+), ammonium (NH4+), potassium (K+), sodium (Na+), calcium (Ca++), manganese (Mn++), zinc (Zn++), nickel(II) (Ni++), cobaltous (Co++), magnesium (Mg++), iron(II) (Fe++), iron(III) (Fe+++)

In the same way, low levels of certain anions can create excess nutrients for other anions in the plant, and low levels of cations will make extra nutrients for other cations.

Also important to know is that single-charged ions are more easily absorbed than double-charged ions. Triple-charged ions will, therefore, require the most energy.

For example, this means that high levels of the single-charged nitrate (NO3-) will block the absorption of double-charged molybdenum (MoO4--) and boron (B4O7--).

The same goes for high levels of potassium (K+) will lead to a deficiency of iron (Fe++, Fe+++), calcium (Ca++), magnesium (Mg++), manganese (Mn++), and so on.

All plants can absorb nutrients from the roots and leaves. Therefore, a nutrient shortage can be explicitly applied to a plant as a foliar spray or added to the roots.

Table of Essential Elements for Plant Growth

continue reading:

[thuzycheebum]

Unveiling the Mystery: Can Hamsters Eat Clover?

 Can a hamster eat a clover leaf? As devoted pet parents, we are always looking for the best ways to take care of our cute hamsters. With its lush green leaves and delicate flowers, clover might look like a good choice, but is it good for hamsters? This guide will tell you everything you need to know about clover for hamsters, including what it is made of, its possible benefits and risks, and how to add it to your furry friend's food in a healthy way.

The Mystery of Clover: Nature's Little Wonder

Clover is a common plant that grows in gardens and fields. It has always been interesting to people who own pets. But what is it made of and how does it fit into the food of your hamster?

What does a clover look like?

Clover is a flowering plant with roots, leaves, and small, brightly colored flowers.

Clover's nutritional make-up:

Can a hamster eat a clover leaf? Clover is a source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber that our bodies need. It has things like vitamin C, iron, and protein in it.

Can a hamster eat clovers?

Before putting clover in your hamster's food, it's important to know what it contains and how it might affect your pet.

Can a hamster eat a clover leaf?

Yes, hamsters can eat a small amount of clover as part of a balanced diet.

How come hamsters can eat clover?

Clover is a natural and healthy food that can be added to your hamster's diet. But because it might affect digestion, it should only be taken in small amounts.

Clover is good for hamsters and here's why:

Can a hamster eat a clover leaf? Clover can be a good addition to your hamster's food for a number of reasons.

Why it's good for your hamster to eat clover:

Variety: Clover makes your hamster's food taste and feel different.

Addition of Nutrients: The vitamins and minerals in clover can help your hamster's health as a whole.

Risk of Giving Hamsters Clover

Can a hamster eat a clover leaf? There are risks when hamsters eat clover, just like when they eat anything else.

Risks of Giving Hamsters Clover:

Digestive Problems: Clover has fiber in it, which may not be good for the digestive processes of all hamsters.

Chemical Exposure: Clover that comes from outside may have chemicals or pesticides that are bad for hamsters.

How hamsters get sick from eating too much clover

Can a hamster eat a clover leaf? When hamsters eat too much clover, they can show certain signs.

Signs that a hamster has been poisoned by clover:

Diarrhea: Loose stools can be a sign of digestive trouble.

Lethargy: A hamster might get sleepy if it eats too much clover.

Loss of Appetite: If your stomach hurts, you might not want to eat as much.

How Many Clovers Can a Hamster Eat?

Clover should only be eaten in small amounts to avoid stomach problems.

The hamster's diet can only have so much clover:

Can a hamster eat a clover leaf? A small amount of clover, about a gram, can be given as a treat once in a while.

Different options and extras

Can a hamster eat a clover leaf? Even though clover can be a nice addition, it's important to make sure your hamster gets a varied diet.

Alternatives that are good for your hamster's health:

Fresh herbs like parsley, basil, and cilantro can add taste and nutrition.

Safe Fruits: You can eat a small amount of apple or blueberry.

Commercial Hamster Pellets: A well-balanced meal of pellets gives hamsters the nutrients they need.

In conclusion, if you give clover to your hamster carefully and in small amounts, it can be a tasty and healthy treat. By knowing the possible benefits and risks of eating clover and mixing it with a well-balanced diet, you can help your hamster stay healthy and enjoy seeing it do well in its cozy home.

[catchycourtfood]

Buy Vezlay Plant Based Kebab - Catchy Court

Vezlay Plant Based Kebab are a tasty and healthy option to meat made from only plant-based ingredients. These kebabs are carefully made to taste, feel, and look like traditional meat kebabs, but they don't contain any animal products. People who are vegetarian, vegan, or just looking for better alternatives to meat-based products should try Vezlay products. Plant-based meals have become more popular in recent years for a number of reasons, such as health and the environment. People are becoming more aware of how the food they eat affects their health and the world. This has led to the development of alternatives that taste and feel like meat. Plant based kebabs are one of these new ideas. They are a tasty and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional kebabs made with meat.

The Rise of Plant-Based Diets

Health and Environmental Concerns:- At a time when long-term illnesses are on the rise, people are looking for ways to improve their overall health. Plant-based meals that are high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes have been linked to many health benefits. Most of the time, these meals are low in cholesterol and saturated fat. Because of this, they are good for your heart and lower your risk of getting heart disease. Also, plant-based foods are full of important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that give the body all the nutrients it needs. They are also known to help you keep a healthy weight, lower your risk of getting type 2 diabetes, and help your immune system work well. People also eat more plants because they worry about how raising animals affects the earth. Livestock farms cause a lot of greenhouse gases, trees to be cut down, and river pollution. People can lower their carbon footprints and help make the future more sustainable by picking alternatives that come from plants.

Growing Popularity of Veganism

Part of the reason why plant-based diets have become more popular is that vegetarianism as a way of life has become more common. Vegans don't eat anything made from animals, like meat, milk, eggs, honey, or honey. Vegans who miss the tastes and textures of traditional kebabs can eat Plant Based kebabs, which are easy to make and taste good. Vezlay Online is a good place to buy Plant Based Kebab, Veg Shawarma, and Buy Soya Chaap Sticks online on Catchy Court.

Benefits of Vezlay Plant Based Kebabs

Health Conscious Option: Vezlay's plant based kebabs have a lot of health benefits. Most of the time, they don't have much saturated fat, cholesterol, or trans fats. You can enjoy the taste of a standard kebab without putting your health at risk by eating these kebabs.

Nutritional Value: 

Protein, vitamins, and minerals are often added to Vezlay Plant-Based Kebabs to make them more healthy. They can be a good source of plant-based protein, which makes them a great choice for people who want to eat more protein but don't want to eat animal products.

Versatile and Flavorful: these kebabs are made from plants and come in a range of flavors, from basic to exotic. Vezlay has a wide range of flavors to fit every taste, from the traditional taste of a Mediterranean-style kebab to the spicy kick of a tikka-flavored option.

Sustainable Choice: Choosing Vezlay Plant Based Kebabs instead of traditional kebabs made with meat helps protect the earth. The creation of plant-based alternatives uses fewer natural resources, releases less greenhouse gas, and helps reduce the carbon footprint of animal agriculture.

Plant Based Kebab can be a good choice for people who are worried about their health. Compared to standard kebabs made with meat, they may have a number of advantages. If you want to try more products then so should try Vezlay Foods Products.

[katarascape]

A list of all the Australian plants I know of that are bush food just because:

Bunya Pine

[Image ID: Two large green, very round, pinecones against a white background. Shown in the foreground are some small very spiny-looking green twigs, the ‘leaves’ of a pine cone which are brown and green, and five pale pine nuts. End ID]

Bunya Pine cones. A lot like your American or European pine cones except they’re as big as your head. The nuts taste a bit like chestnuts, can be ground into paste to make bread, boiled, roasted, fermented, eaten raw etc. and have a bit of heft to them so like. Good food. They grow naturally in South East QLD and can be seen in some old gardens and parks.

The species itself is the only surviving member of an extinct prehistoric genus and traditionally the Wakka Wakka people (the custodians of the Bunya Mountains, named for obvious reasons) would host massive festivals with the ripening of the pine cones and people would come from miles around.

Macadamias

[Image ID: A close up picture of Macadamia nuts in their shells, which are warm brown and almost perfectly round. One is split open to show the white nut inside. End ID]

Macadamias are pretty well commercialised, to the point I grew up not even really realising they were a native plant. But my siblings and I have spent whole weekends picking macadamias from a tree in my aunt’s yard and cracking them open on the footpath to eat like possums so.

Lilly pillies

[Image ID: A close up photo of a large bundle of bright pink grape-sized fruits amongst light green, glossy leaves. End ID]

There’s a few varieties of lilly pilly but as far as I know they’re all safe to eat and the ones I’ve had are super tasty. They’re a shrubby kind of tree and are a staple of private gardens and parks alike in Southern QLD and, I can only guess, but probably the Southern states as well. They have a few little seeds inside them and are very attractive to native birds too.

Though I’ve confused them for cheese trees before (which taste like tomatoes, not my favourite) the ones I’ve had have a kind of sweet gingery taste.

Cheese Tree

[Image ID: A close up picture of small pinkish fruits clumped on twigs with dark green, glossy leaves. The fruits are much like a flat pumpkin in shape and texture. End ID]

Only seen one of these before, lived in the yard of one of my aunties. Tastes like tomatoes so I only had one. Also a shrubby kind of tree, large seeds.

Finger Lime

[Image ID: A picture of two elongated limes against a black cloth. One fruit has been split open and the pale green inside is spilling out. The inside is of a texture much like fish eggs, tapioca pearls etc. End ID]

Comes in a few different varieties and colours. The bush itself is kinda like a domestic lime tree but with smaller leaves and many, many spines. Tastes uhh...like limes. Obviously.

It’s common for gardening enthusiasts to have a few plants so you can buy these relatively easily (which is how I got them).

Winter Apple/Berry

[Image ID: A slightly grainy close up picture of round pink berries growing along a plant with long, narrow green leaves. End ID]

My most recent bush food ‘discovery’. I found it growing in my backyard and thought that it was obviously gonna be some introduced english weed or something and was delighted when one of my local museums had a planter box full of it with an information plaque and everything.

Anyway, there is a weed very similar in appearance I’m not game enough to try. But the berry itself, probably not much bigger than your standard garden pea. It’s got a tart kind of taste, I’d liken it a little to passionfruit, and has a very large seed. So like. It hasn’t got a lot of nutritional value but I eat it just because.

I’ve had no luck trying to reproduce it via seed (the internet says it has a funky inhibitor chemical in it? idk why) but it reproduces from cuttings beautifully, just like a succulent.

Anyway, there’s a couple more I know of that I haven’t added yet because this is way too long already but uh. Here :)

[hollyhomburg]

Reasons Wretched and Divine (Pt.5)

Genre: hybrid au, polyamory au, Hurt/Comfort, Recovery, Pregnancy

Parings: Snake hybrid! Yoongi x Dog hybrid! Jimin x Dog hybrid! Namjoon x Pregnant! Reader, Platonic Vmin, allusions to 2seok,

Summary: You live on an isolated but sprawling farm with your abusive husband, but things start to change for the better when your husband adopts a retired police dog hybrid named Namjoon.

Tags: hurt/comfort, panic attacks, past abuse, food-related anxiety, Post-traumatic stress disorder, low self-worth, bonding over trauma, Jimin has self-esteem issues, internalized victim-blaming, mute characters, scent-marking, brief gore, but don't be fooled- this is equal parts angst and fluff

W/c: 13k

Song Rec: Talos - to each his own

SERIES MASTERLIST (5/10 parts complete) 

A brief interlude on hybrids pack behaviors, romantic attachment between hybrids, hybrid polyamory:  

Though pack forming behavior is the strongest in canine type hybrids- pack behavior (also known as grouping behavior) is seen in every species of hybrid. It doesn’t seem that species has much of an influence on which hybrids will choose to form a pack either- as interspecies groups are incredibly common accounting for around 50% of all hybrid packs.

Though polyamorous behavior might seem strange to human owners; to hybrids, it’s a natural extension of the pack dynamic. It’s what keeps pack bonds strong and reinforces existing dominance structures within the group. That doesn’t mean that love between hybrids within a pack is any different than the love that hybrids might have with their owners or love between humans.

Packs that are decided in juvenile periods of development more mobile and eventually break apart as hybrids age, and then re-solidify in adulthood. In many cases, hybrids without packs tend to be better adoptees as removal of one or more hybrids from a pack can result in many of the same markers associated with removing an imprinted hybrid from it’s imprintee. for that reason, the modal age from 16-22 is the best age to adopt hybrids.

Though one might assume that because of imprinting- that humans would exempt from being apart of hybrid social structure; this is untrue. humans usually seem to be on the more alpha side of the dominance structure, however evidence of this is anecdotal at best and will further statistical significant results in order to be proven.

When packs are settling and a new member is being admitted, this can often result in a period of turmoil in the group dynamic where stereotypically alpha members may act more submissive, or vise versa, where the new pack member is being admitted into the social structure and dominance is questioned.

- Yoongi tilts his head at your words staring Jimin down, before he juts his chin out at him, glancing back at you. “Oh I forgot! you probably haven’t been introduced. Yoongi this is Jimin, Jimin this is Yoongi. If you haven’t guessed Yoongi is a snake hybrid- one of the very few of his kind.”

- Jimin tries to recoup some of his politeness and struggles to smile at the hybrid; Jimin holds his hand out for Yoongi to shake, “it’s nice to meet you.” Yoongi stares at Jimin’s hand for a moment and makes no move to take it. It hangs there for a palpably awkward moment before you grip Jimin’s hand and pull it down to hang in between the two of you. Giving it a reassuring squeeze, not letting go of it.

- Jimin feels flustered as Yoongi lifts the bag of gardening equipment that Jimin had missed by his side and gestures towards a field. You must have some sort of established language because you answer his question. “Yes, we will be doing the veggie garden today Yoon,” Yoongi makes a huffing noise in agreement, and heads down the path. You tug Jimin after him.  

- Jimin is perplexed at the lingering silence, even as they reach the far vegetable garden (and Jimin realizes you haven’t let go of his hand with a flush and makes to detangle it or risk feeling like a creep). You’re not trying to feed the whole of the farm with the produce, but that’s certainly an eventual goal of yours. 

- It’s large, probably 30 by 50 feet at the very least. You have rows of tomatoes, potatos, carrots, and a half plot of butternut squash and tiny watermelons nothing more that flowers. You start to instruct Jimin on how to tie up The tomato’s that have started to sag with the rain and their continuing growth away from their circular cages. Instructing Jimin how to do the same with the green twine.

- “Gardening is easy,” you tell Jimin, “You have to have some patience, nothing grows overnight.”

- The smell of the wet earth seems to lul the three of you into a hazy silence, He purses his lips, brain running full of information before you turn to him, “got any questions?” 

- he has a lot, so many, they spill out. “How many different types of plants do you try to grow? Which one is your favorite? Do you grow any flowers or do you only have your garden for those? What about like seasonings and stuff? those are plants right?” 

- Jimin asks a lot of questions, but you seem happy to answer them. Especially once you start harvesting the tomatoes. “You mean you’ve never had one fresh?” Jimin shakes his head “no, most of the food I ate was like, chips and other dried stuff- if he ever bothered to feed me at all”  Behind you Yoongi snips through some twine angrily, the older hybrid huffs, shaking his head at that, but still dosent say anything. 

- It’s the most communicative that he’s been the whole day, but his displeasure at that is clear. Yours too, Jimin hadn’t even realized he’d said something concerning until he hears your dismayed noise and looks up from what he’s doing to see your jaw tight, that familiar anger in your eyes.

- Before he starts to feel like he’s done something wrong, messed up another job just like he’d done with all the others, you smooth away his worry. “Here, you can try one if you want” you hand him a half dozen tomatoes that are so dark they’re almost purple, then add a few more for good measure until they’re almost spilling out of Jimin’s hands. They’re still warm from the sun Jimin can tell, you give him an encouraging nod “go on- they’re sweet I promise”  he slowly lifts one to his lips and bites down. 

- The tangy fruitfulness explodes on his tongue- He actually yips, his floppy ears lifting up in his sun hat and his tail wagging so quickly you think he might just take off. By the time he’s done with the first, he’s already reaching for the second, and then looking at the other unripened ones around them hungrily. 

- You and Yoongi laugh, though for Yoongi it’s only the twitch of his shoulders and a strange hissing sound as he opens his mouth, gums on display as well as his slightly elongated incisors (and they look sharp, Jimin feels ghoosebumps erupt on his arms). Jimin shyly hides his blush under the brim of his sunhat. “They’re so good! I didn’t think they’d be so tasty- it doesn’t taste anything like ketchup at all!” 

- You wince when you think that he’s never had anything other than ketchup to compare what a real tomato tastes like. You and Jimin lapse into a comfortable companionable silence and you don’t say anything when Jimin sneaks a cherry tomato here and there. Though you do hide your smile when he makes a sound of disgust when he decides to try a green one after he’s eaten all of the ripe ones in his area. You catch his cheeks puffed up more than once when you turn to ask him to do something, and your heart melts a little at his chubby cheeks. 

- When Yoongi leaves soon after to grab some fresh seedlings for the herb garden you’re quick to explain to Jimin about Yoongi. You want to make sure Jimin is comfortable, but part of the reason why you’d asked him to help in the gardens in the first place is because of how genuinely friendly Jimin is, and how closed off Yoongi is from the rest of the hybrids at the farm. 

- Yoongi is the only other hybrid besides Namjoon that stays in the main house with you. You explain to Jimin that he has issues regulating his internal body temperature and need a heater and several heated blankets even in the summer. “Some of the others see this as preferential treatment- when really it’s just what he needs, and it doesn’t help that he doesn’t talk to any of them.”  

- “Does he talk at all?” Jimin asks, just as his ears start to pick up on returning footsteps of Yoongi back over the field. “Not that I’ve heard” your whisper hushes when Yoongi comes close with the 12 packs of herbs, gestures to Jimin to follow him. 

- Jimin’s heard more than one of the teenage hybrids bemoaning the lumps in their mattresses and their envious rants of how comfortable the beds in the big house are. (Apparently, there’s a closed-off second apartment suite in the side part of the house where the hybrids are allowed to spend their heats when they have them, though you’re working on fixing up what once a stable house to make a more private place for that) 

- Jimin thinks that the other hybrid obviously hasn’t spent enough of his life sleeping on the floor because Jimin’s bottom bunk below Taehyung’s is more than comfortable enough. But he keeps that particular opinion to himself. 

- He’s also sensed how conversation comes to a halt whenever the snake hybrid comes near for the lunch line or to get a tool from the shed or get Namjoon for something (Namjoon always ends up supervising the more technical chores, having a knack for mechanics and putting things together, like the soaker hose system that will enable some of the vegetables to get more consistent watering as the summer tugs on). Jimin dosent know how he didn’t notice the hybrid before now, but he must have been there the first few days, Jimin was probably just too overwhelmed. 

- Even Taehyung seems to quiet down in the Yoongi’s presence, whenever he comes to visit Jimin on his break in the gardens or brings them watermelon from the big house for a snack (though when Yoongi hungrily scarfs down a few pieces Jimin does see a small smile play at the edge of Taehyung’s mouth)

- Jimin never catches any sort of aggressive behavior or meanness from Yoongi beyond a roll of his eyes at those who quiet when he walks by, turning to Jimin so that he can see. 

- Jimin decides after the second day that he dosent mind yoongi at all. his presence is comforting even next to Jimin in the dirt, help you dig holes for sprouts and seeds. Jimin holding the latter when Yoongi goes up to check on one of the peach trees (you have a full orchard tucked back into the side of the property- accessible only by walking through the woods and Jimin can’t wait for summer when the fruit is ready if fresh peaches taste anything like the canned kind that Jimin is used to- he thinks he’ll like them). 

- But Jimin does see Yoongi’s shoulders tense and his hands tighten a little at times, especially when he sees the other hybrids engaging in leisurely time. Jimin sees Yoongi’s yearning look at the dog hybrids throwing a Frisbee in the empty field between the barn and the main house when they call for Jimin to join, or the cat hybrids grooming each other in the shade all cuddled up or the pair of tiger hybrids stretched out nuzzling into the grasses and flowers.  

- Jimin figures the hybrid must be lonely, and he can’t blame him, being surrounded by a community like this and somehow set apart from it doesn’t sound nice at all. Sometimes Jimin wants to reach out and tug a stick out of the elders hair- but even you seem to be careful not to be physically affectionate with the snake hybrid, and Jimin has seen you scratch the ears or hug just about every hybrid that lives at the farm. 

- Jimin doesn’t realize Yoongi’s caginess might be for a deeper reason until Jimin accidentally touches him.

-  It’s a hot day and you’ve just gone inside to get all three of you some sweet tea from the pitcher, and He swears he was just asking for a shovel. Jimin had accidentally touched his arm. His fingers ghosting over the line of dark scales gently. And before jimin had realized his misstep- Yoongi had started shaking so violently. 

- His hands clenched and his shoulders quivering- shivering. Looking strange in the heat of midday and the too-bright slant of the noon sun. Jimin has seen Yoongi shiver in the slightest breeze before, but this, this is so much more than that. And it’s hot, but Yoongi doesn’t look like he’s sweating at all which almost seems more dangerous. 

- “Hyung? Are you okay? Hyung?” he gets nothing in response- not a small shake of his head or eye contact, just Yoongi’s unfocused gaze, little huffs of breath coming out from his clenched teeth.  

- Jimin didn’t think- just ran to get Namjoon, working in the field closest to them, almost falling after he heaves himself over the fence. Namjoon is already running to meet him when he’d heard the younger shouting his name. Looking panicked- Jimin can barely get the words out, “it’s Yoongi he’s- I think he’s having a panic attack or going into shock or-”

- “Take me to him Jimin,” Namjoon says dropping his shovel and easily keeping pace with Jimin as they dash back to the vegetable garden. Namjoon steadying Jimin with a hand fisted in the back of his shirt when his foot hits a divot in the ground and he almost trips.

-  They find Yoongi in the same spot, still quivering like a willow in a thunderstorm. At the sound of his name coming from Namjoon’s lips, Yoongi sharply looks up, his eyes focusing after a moment before they go hazy again and he starts to cry in Ernest. 

- Namjoon had quietly led Yoongi back inside the house, you set the pitcher on the table hard enough that the dark tea spills over the side when you see Yoongi and namjoon in the doorway, the elder hybrid sagging when he sees you, his knees weak. You say his name, and Yoongi’s eyes focus again, You don’t touch Yoongi. You’re very clear and careful with your intent grabbing onto the edge of his sleeve before you tug him, speaking in a low voice and guiding him up to the second floor and back to his room- probably the direction of the shower to cool off.  

- Namjoon puts a hand on Jimin’s shoulder, smoothing it over the back of his neck. “Jimin- hey pup- it’s fine” Jimin looks up at Namjoon, panicked and imploring, tears in his own eyes and adrenaline in his system for the first time in weeks. Fuck- he’d forgotten how terrible it felt to be afraid “I didn’t mean to trigger him I swear-“ 

- “Jimin- it’s okay, Yoongi will be fine he just probably needs to sleep and to cool down a little, it probably wasn’t even your fault- we should have known this would happen on such a hot day.”

- Namjoon’s voice is honeyed and soft, expression torn as he looks down at Jimin from the upper step. “This just happens to him Jimin, it’s not your fault.” Namjoon reaches up to thumb away a tear on Jimin's cheek that he hadn’t realized he’d let out. 

- it shocks him almost more than the sudden affection does. Enough that he lets out a low whine. Not knowing what to do with his hands until they close around the hem of namjoon’s flannel, jerking the larger hybrid towards Jimin, making his pine scent settle over Jimin like a comforting blanket - strong  and alpha and everything Jimin wants to press himself into-

- A  cat hybrid bustles through the entryway carrying a crate full of something- headed for the basement refrigerators, and Namjoon straightens, his mask of careful control back in place- (like it always does, Jimin thinks a little sourly) as Jimin steps away and shakes off. Jimin wonders if he had dreamed up the brief heavy look in his face or if it had never been there at all. 

- Both of them hear the sound of you upstairs, lingering “Do you want me to stay?” a pause, and then you continue, “okay, I’ll come to check on you later- don’t turn the shower on too cold or else you’ll go into shock okay Yoon?” 

- If Jimin did know any better (and he certainly knows better) he would have mistaken Namjoon’s look for the same one he gives you when you reappear at the top of the stairs, Namjoon and Jimin spill onto the landing to make room for you. Namjoon’s hand hovers on your arm, tugging you in close for a moment, he can audibly hear the swallow you let out as Namjoon buries his face in your shoulder, tension locked in every muscle of his body until he exhales. 

-  “I’ll help you with the garden for the rest of the day just let me grab my hat Jimin.” You say, smiling at him, but Jimin can see the clenched worry in the set of your mouth. Namjoon gives your retreating form a withering look and he tells Jimin under his breath, “make sure she rests when she gets tired okay?” Namjoon asks, to which Jimin nods, his tail swishing between his legs. “I heard that!” you shout from what must be your and Namjoon’s room. 

- You and Jimin spend the rest of the day watering the cutting garden, and Jimin finds himself asking you what kind of plants these ones are. They’re large and pretty. A little ruffly and torn looking but beautiful none the less with a strong floral scent that sort of reminds him of how you smell. Jimin likes them, especially the light pink ones that are the same color as the blushing sky. 

- “We planted these for a local florist, they’re called peonies, and those are dahlias,” you say, pressing your face into one, the soft petals brushing against your cheeks as you rub your face into one, and Jimin feels his heart flutter like a butterfly. “hang on- you’ve got a little” he brushes away the Pollen on your cheek, “Thanks Minnie” 

- Minnie- the butterflies in his heart flutter harder- probably causeing a tornado  somewhere elce. He hides his blush by turning away to snip off some of the dying leaves with his scissors, trying to slow the thundering pace of his heart. 

- Later that evening when the skin is purple-tinted dark blue, you stand in the cutting garden with Namjoon. Armed with a pair of scissors you snip the most beautiful blooms. Though it will be a few more days till you drive another shipment into town to the florist and you know the few blooms you take won’t be missed. 

- “What are you doing?” Namjoon asks, taking the fist-sized blooms from you as you cut more. “Just making someone happy.” You say, And Namjoon just shakes his head. He knows what you’re talking about and who you're picking them for, And it might be for the puppy who always picks a wild cosmos and puts it on the strap of his sun hat, and looks at the two of you like he wants to be affectionate or dote on, but might not know-how. 

- “He hasn’t had an easy day has he,” Namjoon says, voice low, you shake your head, because no- Jimin hasn’t and you’re only trying to make him a little happier.  He seemed a little too shaken after the incident with Yoongi.  a small act of kindness goes a long way. 

-  He finds them the next day shortly after breakfast, about to change into a  pair of shorts so that he can swim in the stream with Taehyung and some of his other bunkmates before work starts. He finds the pink, white, and purple blooms stuffed into a jam jar on the small side table next to his bed. Blushing as his fingers skim over the edge. Unable to handle the sudden rush of hope and affection because he knows- he knows these must be from you- but he can’t imagine why you’d left them for him to find.  

- “Someones got a secret admierer~” Taehyung teases with a sing song voice from where he changes- almost tripping as he steps into his red swim trunks. Jimin blushes and tries not to let him see. 

- But when he really thinks about it- all he wonders is why. He’d hurt Yoongi yesterday- Someone who seemed special to you. He’d been half-expecting you to punish him at some point- not reward him with these flowers that he gets to look at when he falls asleep. Jimin hugs his pillow to his chest and lets the scent of you (because yes- you do smell like peonies) lul him into sleep. 

- Yoongi appears by the middle of the next day to help Jimin twine up the lines of peas. Yoongi looks no worse for wear, if not for the bags under his eyes that seem a little shadowed, the elder doesn’t look like he’s gotten a wink. 

- (Later- when you break for lunch- you and Jimin find Yoongi asleep underneath the shade of one of the oak trees that border the vegetable garden, His sun hat pulled low over his face to shield his eyes from the sun, and decide it’s better if you let him be for the rest of the day)

- Jimin is so puzzled by the flowers that he asks Yoongi about them. But the elder pauses, and shakes his head, making an X with his hands. And points to the other side of the garden where you stand, whistling a little and watering some of the carrots (the few that have managed to avoid the hungry bellies of the bunny hybrids)

-  Jimin blushes and swats his hands at Yoongi’s small smirk. Saying “oh shut up!” even as Yoongi rolls his eyes, I didn’t say anything he can almost hear the other say.

- Late that night Jimin wonders what Yoongi’s voice sounds like. Then when the days press on, he starts to doubt that he’ll ever find out. But that's fine, they don’t have to talk to be friends. Not when he comes back from a bathroom break with a glass of water and ice for Yoongi only to find that the elder has filled his discarded sunhat to the brim with sweet Tomatoes and green beans. 

- Namjoon makes a brief appearance one day to lug in a few bags of mulch in your private garden. Eyeing Jimin and Yoongi in the field, as Jimin points energetically to a small bright blue bird that seems very interested in some of the pees. neither of them makes to scare the bird off or pounce like a cat hybrid might, merely straightening up to watch, still as to not startle it, as it twitters and is joined by another bright blue bird and then two more.

- they fly away, and Jimin shouts excitedly and hops over to the fence, stoops to pick up a tiny bright blue feather. Jimin chats animatedly to Yoongi, who doesn’t respond but holds it up to the sky to compare the color. Both of them leaning around the light to see it, their straw hats bumping into each other. 

- Jimin must ask Yoongi because he’s dropping the feather into his hand and tilting his head down so that Yoongi can stick the blue feather into Jimin's hat, right in-between an orange snapdragon and a dried pink clover. 

- Namjoon sees the smile tugging at Yoongi’s lips and feels deep satisfaction. Later that night, curled up in your bed with your form propped up on many pillows, Namjoon tells you that you made the right decision to try and push Jimin and Yoongi to be friends. He’s gotten so much better; less twitchy and easy to startle. Both of them have really. They’re good for each other.   

- you fall asleep with a soft smile on your face, cheek pillowed against the soft cream bedspread. Namjoon nuzzles his face into your stomach, resting his cheek below your breasts as you sleep on. You’re so used to his movements next to you that you barely startle. “Things are complicated little one,” he murmurs to the bump. 

- Pressing a kiss to it through your large sleeping shirt (an old one of his) one of namjoon’s large work-roughened hands smoothing over it. “Only a few months now and you’ll be here. I can’t wait to meet you but I’m also scared.”  He shakes a little as he thinks about it- about being a dad, about being parents with you.

- And then he thinks of the others, “We’re both going to need so much help, but I think you’ll like them too.”

- after he showers and before dinner time Jimin helps you and the few other hybrids set up the long table in the largest barn that serves as the dining room for all of the hybrids. As you hand out napkins, More than one of them asks you to get off your feet. 

- He spends dinner on Namjoon’s left side and you on the other side and Yoongi next to you. The hybrid files in after everyone has already started at the line for the buffet of food. Keeping his head ducked and making himself as small as possible. Jimin tries to catch his eyes in hello but doesn’t manage too. 

- - As April fades into may, Jimin starts to feel disconcerting comfortableness slip under his bones, the day’s aren’t exactly the same, but they do become familiar. And it doesn’t comfort him- it just makes Jimin anxious. the planting comes to an end, and the three of you find yourselves coming in earlier especially once it starts to get hotter. Because of the absence of work, Jimin often finds himself wandering the property without a task. 

- The less work there is to do in the gardens, the more he looks to find something that will occupy him- any way to contribute more. He keeps helping during dinner time, to set out the tables and the dishes. And goes back and forth to the house to get anything he might need, unable to sit down until everything is done, even then, he barely gets a few bites in before he’s standing up to help bring the dirty dishes back to the house. 

- You notice, Namjoon does too but you both quickly get dragged off to deal with another call that you’ve gotten to pick up another hybrid. And though Jimin might be hungry when he goes to sleep, it’s worth it to stay up to watch your car lights pull back up the long road to the main house. The anxiety in his chest is abated enough to where he doesn’t feel the hunger.

- That might be a bit of a lie, but really, he was hungry for so many years that he doesn’t mind.

- the presence of a new hybrid makes it worse. It’s the first house call you’d made since Jimin- thought you tell him that it hadn’t really been a house call at all. The locals in a beach town had seen a stray here and there lingering in the lagoon and the ocean waters.

-  The otter hybrid named Hoseok looks like he’s been living on his own for a number of years. He’s Grubby, his hair overgrown but cut short by your hand in your kitchen the next day. And though he leans away from your hand when you try to touch his head, he eventually relaxes under your calm soothing voice, “That’s a good boy, there we go- now you look all clean and pretty!”

- “You think I’m pretty?” the otter hybrid has the Gaul to ask- shy- his eyes wide, and Jimin’s blood wants to boil. He sits with Yoongi at the prep table, helping the cat hybrids de-stem some of the peas and early spring greens that they’d harvested from the garden, and he almost nicks his hand on the knife he’s using. Next to him, Yoongi makes a noise and gestures at him to hand the knife over, he can see the scolding look on his face, “be more careful”

- He’s bubbly and happy after the first day, his little curved ears cooed at by the cat hybrids in the kitchen. Everyone likes Hoseok, Jimin should like Hoseok- but he can’t help but feel a little jealous at how he immediately fits in. He finds his place the first day when Jimin and Namjoon take him to see the sheep and other farm animals, immediately taking an interest in the thick skeen of bright red wool that Seokjin was hanging out to dry,

- The alpaca hybrid turns bright pink when he first sees Hoseok, all the way from his dye stained hands to the tips of his white ears. Jimin can hear the nervousness in the way he says “you can stay as long as you want- all day- it would be nice to have some company” which is funny because seokjin hates company- likes to be left alone with his radio and his pets. 

- “Of course!” the otter says, ears flicking rapidly in happiness in his shiny curly hair, “can you show me how you dye the wool?” Jimin hasn’t ever heard the alpaca hybrid say so many words at once. 

- Jimin wishes he didn’t feel jealous.  

- But he realizes- as one of the cat hybrids comes to asks him which of the herbs in the garden are which, and finds that he does know how to differentiate between the different kinds- At least he’s earned his place here, for a little while he can pretend that he belongs here. He feels a little dizzy like he used too, unsteady with the pounding in his chest- he gets startled over the littlest things, Yoongi standing up too quick next to him or Taehyung’s loud laugh when he walks into the bunkroom.

- The next stage of his anxiety makes him annoyed, his will power worn down by his own inability to relax. He snaps at one of the bunny hybrids after she drops his clothes after they were freshly laundered, ignoring her apology when she drops it.

- He helps the cat hybrids who work in the kitchen making dinner one night and growls when they keep thanking him for staying “Jesus it’s nothing please drop it” and then immediately feels guilty afterward.

- He can’t be this way, Needs to stop being so easily irritable and taciturn. he remembers what his other bunkmates had said on The first day: Namjoon will throw anyone out who makes problems. Jimin dosent want to leave, can’t help the thudding breathlessness that fills his chest when he thinks about the possibility. 

- He knows that Namjoon likes him, it’s the only fact that logically makes sense: that he acts differently around Jimin than the others. But he can’t shake the feeling that he doesn't really know for sure. And once the thought has fit its self into Jimin's head he can’t shake away the lingering feelings of dread- like he’s going to somehow lose his place here and have to leave. 

- Jimin starts to gather snacks here and there, shoving them into the drawer of his side table, just in case so he has some when he gets thrown out of the farm. 

- He even snaps at Yoongi at one point, when he splashes Jimin's feet accidentally with a hose, he grumbles and heads off towards the cutting garden mumbling about something that he needs to check, sequestering himself there for the rest of the day crumpling dried peony leaves in his fist. He misses the pregnant look that Yoongi shoots you- a worry you return.

- You can tell something’s wrong with Jimin- there isn’t any other reason why he’s suddenly started to withdraw from all of you. No longer lingering as much over the flowers and the fruits of your labor in the garden.

- You and Namjoon talk about it one morning after breakfast. Watching where Jimin’s sat on the grassy hill waiting for you and Yoongi to come out. Usually, he’d wait inside or sit on the steps but he hasn’t lately. You watch from the back of the house, looking out the window at him. Namjoons arms clasped around your middle. “Is it bad to assume that he’ll come to us if he wants to talk?” you ask Namjoon.“There's something wrong and I feel like I’ll just make him feel attacked if I ask”

- Namjoon looks conflicted, his fingers playing with yours, lacing and unlacing- your hands are so small His rough callouses feel good against your skin- rough in a nice way. “I’m worried too- but I think- maybe everything here has gotten to be too much for him, you know how overwhelmed he got in the first few days, maybe he just needs distance.” You nod against his shoulder, and though neither of you likes it. You think it’s what Jimin needs.

- It’s not really, so much of what's bound to happen could have been fixed by a little more care on your part- and you’ll never make the same mistake of leaving Jimin alone again.

- Over the next few days, Jimin can feel himself getting more and more annoyed- but he can’t for the life of him figure out why.  He sequesters himself on the other side of the cutting garden trying to find some comfort in the flowers. But the peony rings just won't stay upright, the Dalia stakes too, and the daisy poles, the green garden twine won't stay tight in Jimin’s shaking fingers.

- Nothing feels right, he feels listless,  skin feels itchy laying over the bit of pudge, he’s gotten since he came here and started eating 2 square meals and snacks every day. The tensegrity over his bones, never quite able to stretch, out the hot sun on his back. He feels sharp, his mind teetering on the edge of something he dosent understand. 

- And like an idiot, he tries to ignore it.

- Jimin gets to his breaking point a day later- when you finally turn in from outside. It’s hot, and Jimin feels overheated and sticky with sweat, but he doesn't feel like he can leave yet and take a shower like he so desperately wants.  One of the hybrids gave him a weird look when he was showering mid-day yesterday and he’d like to avoid that again if he can. 

- Most of the hybrids wait until after dinner to shower but Jimin didn’t want to deal with vying for hot water. It was just another thing that made him frustrated. And he’s unsure if he’s more frustrated at the hybrid or at himself for making another social miss-step.

- It hits him there in your kitchen the reason why he’s so frustrated. He’s been here for a little over a month now and still- still he dosent understand the rules, the socal rules are still escaping him just as much the physical ones. In his old home- he got a shower whenever time allowed it- here it was seen as lazy to take one before the day’s work was truly done. 

- There is sweat dripping down his back even as you get both him and Yoongi a glass of ice water from the pitcher on the table. “Do you want some watermelon?” Jimin shakes his head, unsure why he’s refusing when hunger aches in his belly.  But someone else might want the watermelon on the table, someone else might need it so Jimin can’t have it- can’t intrude any more than he already does. He might break another fucking rule- it’s better, isn’t it? to just not take up space and resources when he can avoid it. 

- “I could reheat some of the food from this morning if you’d rather have that? or we could make something else before dinner?” you proffer, washing your hands in the sink, running over them with the brush to get the dirt out from under your nails. 

- “No you don’t have to” he answers too quickly. You let the silence sit for a moment before you’re turning to Jimin, And he feels something that feels suspiciously like fear spark and itch underneath his skin. You look a little put-out, biting on your lower lip and for some reason it makes him feel even worse. Which doesn’t make any sense- 

- Why would you be upset that you can’t help a dumb puppy like Jimin? who can barely garden right let alone do anything like a normal fucking non-damaged hybrid could do. He’s not Namjoon, gorgeous tall and capable Namjoon, or even like Yoongi who doesn't even talk but finds himself more needed than even Jimin- the most replicable hybrid on the farm. 

- Why does he feel like he needs to placate you- why don’t you just fucking get it already. You dry your hand on a towel and lean back against the sink. Jimin takes a deep sip of the ice water but finds it makes him feel sick. “What’s wrong?” you proffer gentle and kind.

- “Nothing’s wrong,” he says, he sets the water down too hard and he tries to turn away but you don’t let him, grabbing his wrist. “Jimin,” you say, and he doesn’t know if it’s a plead or a command from you. Maybe if you did command him Jimin would understand better, would know what you wanted better than all of this- all of this assuming that drives him crazy. 

- He rolls his wrist out of your grip, suddenly whirling around, his voice a growl. “Would you just leave it- fuck- I’m fine,”  Jimin can hear dimly, the footsteps above which must be Yoongi. Pausing and then rushing when he hears Jimin’s elevated voice.

- You pause for a moment, picking your words carefully “Jimin, you don’t seem okay- I know something’s been bothering you. Come talk to me about it, tell me about it,” Jimin’s scoff feels acrid in his lungs. “No thanks, don’t want to feel like more of a burden than I already am.”

- You recoil- shocked “Jimin what? you really think that? you’re not at all! please don’t think that, don’t think that you’re a burden! We love you- we care about you- we’re just worried”

- Jimin shakes his head, angry, he’s not even sure why he’s fucking angry,  “You don’t love me” Maybe it’s the frustration, the frustration at all the heavy looks and all the kindness- none of which Jimin knows how to interpret or how to decipher. 

- He dosent know why he said it- even though deep down he’s sure it’s true. He knows you love him. And suddenly the words are spilling out of him along with all of the fear and anxiety and petty anger. Even though deep down Jimin knows that he really doesn’t have anything to be angry about

- “I hate when you walk on eggshells like I’m going to go fucking awol because I can’t fucking adjust to living like this- and then go on treating me with so much affection like I fucking deserve it.” 

- “Jimin- you’re not- we don’t walk on eggshells around you because we want to keep you far away, we do it because we want you to feel comfortable, we don’t want to force anything on you-” 

- “Force me to do what? Force me to help out even if not doing so would make me a freeloader, but if I help too much then- it sets me apart and I just don’t fit in- I’m not even like apart of everything here- when I’m fucking suffocating under what no one says- no one tells me. So what? What can you possibly say that will help? That won’t hurt?”

- For once, you fall silent. Your hands drop, and Jimin feels the guilt swell up, strengthening to a crescendo before he falls falls falls and has nothing but the anger to comfort him, even as tears cloud his vision. 

- “You treat me like this- like I’m fucking worth anything at all and it drives me crazy- I’m not like you- You ask me to confide in you but you wouldn’t fucking understand if I tried- I’m the fucking dregs of what anyone wants and I’m never going to be like the others- I’ve already fallen too far behind and you might as well give up-” 

- “Jimin” its Namjoon at the door, his voice full of caution, not anger- Jimin expects anger but when he looks up all he sees in Namjoon biting his lower lip and looking like he’s about to cry. He reaches out to try and touch him but Jimin flinches back, namjoon freezes, eyes wide and worried. Jimin’s tail drops low, and he pushes past Namjoon without a second thought, leaving you there- you let out a strangled aborted noise in your throat. 

- His beat-up second-hand shoes thud against the wooden steps and the adrenaline is still firing in his system telling him to get away from you. Namjoon calls his name and he breaks out into a run across the field, his ankles almost failing when he stumbles in some of the holes. The tears in his eyes burning as he runs and runs and runs. 

- I’m never going to be like them, I’m too damaged for a life like this, I’m never going to understand how to function because- because I wasn’t raised like them. And it’s too late to learn- it’s too late for the life he wants- even though he never wanted it until they showed him what life could be like.  

- Jimin feels terribly alone. 

- Taehyung finally finds Jimin in the paddocks, deep in the barn with a baby lamb in his lap. It’s little soft pink and white body sitting in Jimin’s lap. Docile at his pets even as the hybrid sniffles, nibbling cutely at his fingers. He puts a hand on Namjoon’s arm, wordlessly telling him to stay behind with Seokjin. “Thanks for getting us Jin” Jimin hears him whisper. Even if he dosent sit up or stand to acknowledge his bunkmate's presence. 

- “That looks a little nasty,” Taehyung says, gesturing at Jimin’s hand. He’d fallen on his mad run, his knuckles grazing the ground. And they’re a little bloody and dirty. It’s not that bad though- Jimin has felt worse pain. 

- “You want to talk about it yet?” 

- “No,” Jimin says too quickly, worried that Taehyung would leave and also- that he would stay. “But I think I should?” The little lamb seems to tire of Jimin’s restless pets and migrates over to Taehyungs lap.  “Where were you before you came here Tae?” in all his weeks at the farm Jimin has never asked Taehyung about his own origin story. But the hybrid dosent look surprised or unwilling. The lamb lets out a little bleat. 

- “You know the story probably, its the same one a lot of us rare breeds have- rich family- bought me as a present for their youngest son- never knew my parents, you know- the classic hybrid trifecta of angst” 

- “I didn’t know my parents either,” they shift to sit back against the wall of the barn. “How did you end up here?” 

- “He wasn’t always violent, but by the time his parents realized it had gotten out of hand, they barely cared he was hurting me only that I bit him back- they didn’t tolerate it and sold me to a circus.” Taehyung gets a faraway look in his eyes. 

-“I refused to perform, and they put me out in the sun without food or water until I agreed, I escaped within the first week, they didn’t realize that the chain was rusty enough for a hybrid to break.” Tae’s softness has always been disarming, but Jimin has also seen the bear hybrid lift 50-pound bags of flour like they weighed nothing. 

- Jimin thinks about his next words carefully, “Do you ever, think it would have been better if you stayed? sometimes I think I deserved it.” Taehyung’s inhale is jagged- “No- Jimin- you shouldn’t- you didn’t deserve what you got I promise you” 

- Jimin looks down and tries not to feel upset because- he feels like he deserved it even if Taehyung is telling him he didn’t. The bear hybrid has never lied to him and maybe, just maybe Jimin didn't- maybe he really hadn’t deserved it.

- “I don’t miss it not really- but- sometimes I think- my body does or maybe my head? It’s hard to explain.” Jimin knows Taehyung is trying. Tae puts his arm around Jimin’s shoulder, his wide hands rubbing up and down Jimin’s spine.  Jimin tucks his face close to his knees and lets Tae touch him. The repetitive pets feel nice. 

- “Why do I feel so scared Tae? Why is everything so hard? why do I feel like I don’t deserve anything good? There are so many things that I don’t understand or don’t know- so many things I never even knew I didn’t know.”

- “I think I might know someone who understands how you’re feeling Minnie.”

- Jimin tries to turn away when Taehyung leads him up to the front porch where you sit with Yoongi, but his hand is strong on the back of Jimin’s neck. Jimin is a little startled to see Yoongi’s hand withdraw from yours quickly. “It’s okay Yoongi, wanna give us a minute?” you say, standing along with him as Jimin rises on the steps, hands clenched by his side. 

- Neither of you talks, Jimin can’t look up to meet your eyes. Taehyung and Yoongi sigh at the same time. “I left some of my beekeeping gear down at the bottom of the hill- if you help me carry it up I’ll give you some honey?” Yoongi scoffs but shows a small smile as Tae turns and starts off with him down the hill. Yoongi sends Jimin a single pitying glance before he does. 

- “I think the squash is probably done cooking by now, Come inside.” The ground floor of the farmhouse is empty but filled with a mild sweet scent. All of the other vegetables are already set out, The carrot, celery, And onion already chopped. It doesn't look like there's enough to feed the whole farm and Jimin is about to ask when you clarify. “I thought it would be better if we all ate together tonight, and this soup is a little specialty of mine.”

- You go to the cellar door and opening it. “Go downstairs, look at the floor- and tell me what you see.” Jimin listens- he’s always been good at following instructions. 

- The cellar smells musty and cold he’s careful not to trip over the extension cords that wind down the stairs, the industrial-sized freezers and refrigerators hum and buzz. There is a barely-there stain in the concrete, rust-colored, fading like someone had tried to wash it away but hadn’t been able to it. 

- “Why is there a bloodstain on your floor?” Jimin says as he comes up the stairs, taking them two at a time. You're just stirring vegetables in the pan. “iI’s mine,” you say, turning the heat down and covering it. Jimin's breath catches. You start fiddling with the other burner, “You’re not the only one who's been through some shit Jimin,” 

-“Who hurt you- when.” Yimin pulls out a place for you at the prep table and you make a noise when you see his bloody hand, “my late husband,” Jimin's eyes hover on your stomach for a second before you flinch, turning away to retrieve the first aid kit from below the sink.

- “Why did he hurt you?” Jimin asks as you pull his hand close to you to rest on the table, carefully and gently dabbing at the broken skin with a cool cloth to clear away the dirt. You’re so gentle that It barely stings. A lock of hair falls in front of your face, and Jimin reaches across the table to tuck it behind your ear. 

- “Honestly? I have no idea. Maybe some people are made rotten- maybe it’s easier to hurt others than hurt- but regardless- I hate him- hated him- But I also loved him at one point. And I think- until Namjoon came- I honestly was dependent on his approval, did you feel dependent on your old owner?”

- “Every day. I don’t miss him- I hate him too- but” Jimin’s hands are shaking when he looks down at them. ou steady them a little- rubbing ointment into the scrapes “I think that I miss understanding everything that was going to happen, knowing what my purpose was.” 

- Your face is shadowed and dark as you keep working- you might not be able to fix Jimin’s mind- but you can help this- the wounds on his body that ache in time with the pulse of his heart. “People like us- we miss abuse because we get dependent on it- because it ran your life and now- you can’t make any choices without-” 

- “Without thinking you’re making the wrong one because choices have consequences and now they don’t- not really- not in the same way. It was like that for you too?” you nod, starting putting bandaids across Jimin’s knuckles. The onions in the pan smell good and start to sizzle. Jimin is almost breathless when he asks- cuz now you’ve helped him put it together he needs to know “How did you get out- how did you learn?” 

-“Namjoon was really patient with me, he gave me what I needed without letting me fall back into the cycle- I’m lucky to have him.”  We’re lucky to have you, he wants to say, he’s never heard of a human who had been through the kind of abuse that hybrids do. But he thinks that maybe it would be wrong to say especially after the words he’d shouted at you. He winces, and you look up from his hand worried you’d hurt him. “I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier- you didn’t deserve it.” 

- You shrug, “We’ve been expecting you to be okay- and I’m sorry- I should have been more communicative. It’s kinda been a hard transition for you and I should have been there to help more.” 

- “Why does doing what I want not feel free all the time? Why do the choices make me feel like im suffocating?” 

- “Because if you don’t have a choice- you can’t make a wrong move.

- “Did you know- neither Namjoon or I can go into that basement without having a panic attack? There are other things too- like if something comes at his face too quick he growls- even if it's me. The smell of motor oil makes him feel sick and I still have nightmares- We’re still learning. The people we love don’t negate our trauma, but it helps at least when they try to understand it with us.” 

- You set the last bandaid over his nuckles, and he reaches out to grasp at yours and give it a squeeze. You take his hand and lift it to your mouth all of the scrapes covered. You press a kiss to each bandaid and Jimin feels like he’s going to cry for a whole different reason- he feels so undeserving of your care and of your affection, especially after today. 

- “I want to help you Jimin- I care about you too much not to try and make you happy,” Jimin can’t argue- not like he did before when he was too anxious not to perceive anything close to him as an attack. “What do you want? There are no wrong answers” 

-“I want-” before he can answer, Namjoon and Yoongi walk through the door, the younger hybrid prattling to yoongi about the restorations currenly underway at once of the little chicken coops on the sothern edge-  and then he looks back at you- your face a little tired, but truly truly imploring, Jimin feels a strange kind of acrid black hope lurch in his belly. 

- Both of them smiling softly, Namjoon saying something and Yoongi nodding while makeing a so-so motion with his hands. When Namjoon looks up and sees the two of you sat on the kitchen table his tail wags and then falls still, then wags again when he sees both you and Jimin sitting close. Your hands still tightly clasped in each other. 

- “I want to help you cook- can you show me how you make the soup?” Jimin lies. But you don’t catch it, even as you smile at him, and reach your hand up to touch his ears. Pull gentle scratches over them. “That we can definitely do,” you say. Namjoon and Yoongi don’t look upset with Jimin when they come close, Yoongi opening up the pan on the burner and sniffing the air. making a pleased noise in the back of his throat, “squash soup” you clarify and Yoongi smiles.

- Namjoon lifts Jimin’s hand up for inspection, “You okay?” Namjoon asks, his tail hanging low, he doesn't like to see the younger hurt- doesn't like the shyness lingering. “No,” Jimin says quietly, “But I will be,”

- Namjoon pulls him up with a whine, scent-marking along Jimin's shoulder- the other hybrid freezes and then whines when Namjoon’s scent puffs up fanning out to comfort Jimin. The other hybrid is so much larger than him, he makes Jimin feel so small. Namjoon’s hands on both of his shoulders holding him still. Jimin is breathless even after Namjoon pulls away with a faint blush on his cheeks- because Jimin- Jimin smells like Namjoon now.

- Every hybrid is going to know what Namjoon did that when he walks out. And it’s intimate- so intimate- because hybrids the only scent mark each other when they- Jimin's breath catches in his throat- when they belong to the same pack.

- That means Namjoon wants Jimin to belong here. 

- “Can I-” Jimin knows his face is bright red, “Do me?” Namjoon proffers, and though Namjoon has to stoop for Jimin to rub his cheek all over Namjoon he does and looks happy, his dimples poking out. 

- “What do I smell like?” Jimin asks, because honestly- he’s never known- never had another hybrid scent mark him. “Something flowery but more like- citrusy?” Namjoon says, taking in a deep breath at Jimin’s throat that makes a shiver run down his spine.

- Yoongi makes a noise and holds out a lemon- tapping it for a moment and nodding sagely, The visual makes you all giggle. You smile too, “What do I smell like?”

- “Flowers,” Namjoon says instantly, at the same time Jimin says, “Peonies... and cream?” Namjoon blushes- gesturing at your stomach, “that wasn’t there before- yeah” his dimples are so pronounced when he absently rubs a hand over your bump, You can't resist getting up on your tippy-toes to peck them. 

- Jimin learns that even though he had asked you to teach him how to make butternut squash soup, that didn’t mean you were going to let him do any of the work involved. You explain how to do everything sure- but Jimin is banished to sit at the table with namjoon and watch. 

- You and Yoongi cook, dancing around each other in a dance that seems almost choreographed. You must cook together often because Yoongi seems to anticipate your movement, handing you a wooden spoon to stir the vegetables. 

 - Namjoon pulls him back to lean against his chest facing where you cook, Namjoon’s back up against the wall the older hybrid combing his hands through Jimin's hair. Jimin would think it was weird had he not seen countless other hybrids cuddle the same),

-  Yoongi brings Jimin spoonfuls which he presses to Jimin's lips and makes him taste. And Jimin wants to yip when the savory tang of the soup hits his tongue, makes a happy grumble as his eyes flutter closed. “Wait- that's so good- how is it so good?” you look happy at his praise. 

- When it’s finished, the four of you eat out on the porch. Jimin licks his bowl clean, he catches Yoongi watching him, a small satisfied smile on his mouth, he even gets up and gives Jimin seconds. The warm soup fills his belly like liquid comfort. and after so many bowls he ends up listing to the side, nose pressed to the hard part of your shoulder, lulled further to sleep by the rub of your fingers up and down his skull.

 -The kitchen starts to buzz with the noise of dinner preparations but jimin is full and happy, his sun-warmed skin soothed by the dropping temperature. You don't say anything when he starts to cry, his face hidden in your shirt, you just keep running your fingers through his hair scratching his ears. Namjoon and yoongi get up and go upstairs, leaving the two of you to sit side by side. 

- No one hears the words you whisper into Jimin's ear, “You’re not broken beyond repair Minnie, help me- help me fix you- tell me what I can do to make things easier for you.” 

- Jimin's eyes are half-lidded when he opens them, “Can you just- tell me things? Not order me- I’m not asking for you to like- control me- but I think if you just all told me what you want it would be better- take out the guesswork you know?”

- Jimin is so sleepy Namjoon ends up having to carry him back down to the bunks. his strong hands gripping Jimin under his thighs The smaller hybrid on his back, Jimin’s hands around Namjoon's neck. The younger hybrid nuzzling his nose into Namjoon's shoulder to get more of the pine scent on himself. They pause on the steps. The last thing Jimin is aware of is a puff of your scent and soft lips on his hairline.  He wakes up in his bed the next day, his pillows smelling like Namjoon. His bunkmates give him strange looks. 

- The next few days are better, and slowly but surely, the anxiety he’d felt dissipates. You give Jimin little moments to latch onto. the Stability of clearly communicated consent. You say “sit next to me” when dinner comes. Yoongi and Tae across from you at the table. “It makes me feel better the more you eat- I like seeing you full and chubby Minnie” 

- The other hybrids help too- so you must have told them. Namjoon brings Jimin one of his old button-downs, a thick flannel that smells like the other hybrid. “This is too small on me now- so here- it’s yours.”

“Enjoying your courting gifts? Taehyung teases after he sees Jimin wearing it, making the younger splutter, “this? a courting gift?” Tae shrugs, “that's the only reason why he would give you something of his to wear- and both of us know it the alpha of a pack that initiates the courting.” 

- The clearly communicated wants and desires do wonders for his level of comfort. Even Yoongi tries- writes down what he wants on a napkin at dinnertime. I want to help you in your garden today. No offering for Jimin to decline, no wiggling out of it. And slowly, Jimin finds himself becomes more comfortable with his place here. 

- You try to keep the satisfied smile off your face when one day you ask Jimin to come up to the house- cuz it’s just too hot today- and he’s struggling to put together a trellis, “one second, I want to finish this before dinner” and he sits up with a jolt- realizing- he’d actually articulated his own wants for once, he’d asserted his own wants into a conversation instead of just- reacting to everyone else's. 

- Your satisfied smile warms his heart too, you notice the slow change. jimin beginning to heal. “no- I don’t need that it’s okay” “yes you do jimin just take the fancy soap,”

- “Are you sure it’s okay if i-” “Yes it is I promise.”

- The change is slow but one day, He gets to the point where he can say “Tae and I are going to go try and find some berry patches down by the river so I’m going to meet him after we get done with the ground cherries” without fear

- Jimin takes a bucket and he brings back a quart of wild blueberries. You make blueberry muffins with them while Tae, Namjoon, Yoongi and Jimin sit at the prep table. Yoongi carefully plucks thorns out of Taehyungs hand as Namjoon tells Jimin that even though Yoongi can cook- you’re the only one in the house that can bake. He even gets a pat on the head for his work and a soft “good boy” from you, and it makes Jimin's heart feel light and blooming like a flower. 

- The afternoons stop making him anxious, and after the first few days, he’s inclined to relax rather than go in search of more work. He goes to visit Taehyung by the bee hutches, hovering a few meters away as Taehyung brings him a spoonful of honey. Or if he dosent feel like doing anything at all- he plays cards with you and Yoongi on your back porch, Namjoon too- if he finds out that you’ve all turned in for the day. 

- Yoongi always wins during the afternoon card games. Whether it is poker or rummy the snake hybrid comes out on top- even when it’s something like Uno, and the elder will just shuffle the cards again for another round and smile a little, more than he does ever. And the three of you will shout and grumble in dismay when he shows his winning hand, round after round until dinner preparations start to pick up enough for someone to need help.  

- One afternoon, you look so sweet in your loose taupe frock, the stretchy material pulled over your belly and your hair free from its fixings spilling over your shoulder Jimin sees the way that Namjoon has his palm placed against your round stomach and can’t stop himself from asking. 

- “Can I?” Jimin asks, and you look up from your hand of cards and place them on the table before taking Jimin’s in yours, and oh, your baby bump is warm and soft and surprisingly more solid then Jimin expected. He wasn’t expecting to immediately feel like he was going to burst into tears, but he feels an incredible well of fondness well up in him. It must have something to do with the way that your peony and cream scent seems to tug at his heart like strings on a marionette. 

- He wants to lean forward and press a kiss there- or nuzzle it and scent mark it the way he knows Namjoon does- but even that feels like too much. You must know what Jimin is wanting as you look down at him, smiling a little even as he blushes. 

-  Little does Jimin know that this is nothing particularly new to you, every time Namjoon gets a whiff of your pregnancy hormones- he’s gotten simultaneously possessive and cloudy eyed with protectiveness. Yoongi seems to be the only one who doesn’t have that reaction. But you bet he’s spared that particular embarrassment by his admittedly more human sense of smell.

- The rest of them don’t notice Jimin’s wave of emotions, or at least they pretend to be interested enough in the third round of hearts that you’ve played this evening. Though Jimin does catch a small smile on Namjoon’s face when Jimin scoots closer. Reluctant to let go now that he’s felt the soft pleasure of feeling your baby bump.

-  The endorphin response alone has his voice husky, he’s a goner the second you lift your hand up and rub his ears, letting out a whine and putting his cards away- much more interested in begging affection off of you now.  

- “How far along are you?” “Around 5 months now I think- nearly 6 now that I think about it.”

- The four of you decide to eat dinner out on the patio instead of joining the others in the barn. The older cat hybrid sees how slumped you are and how you’re near to sleeping on Namjoon’s shoulder, and brings the four of you out dinner plates, much to the thanks of Namjoon and Jimin, Yoongi nods gratefully when she hands over his plate. 

-  By the time Jimin reluctantly so steers his way back towards the barns, the common room lights have finally turned out. A lone fox hybrid sleeps on the couch in the common room, her head tipped back and the light from the tv blue across her face. 

- He goes up to his bunk bed, the other hybrids sleeping soundly around him, perplexed to find his bed disturbed, his pillow gone and his blanket missing from his bed. He figured someone might not have wanted to get up to grab one from the linen closet downstairs, but when he goes down to the ground floor he finds it empty, not uncommon on a cold night like tonight. Jimin’s bare feet are already feeling the brunt of the cold stones, and the cozy but still slightly drafty barn. 

- He goes up and notices that the hybrid that shares the bunk to the left is the one that’s taken his blanket. “Hey give it back” Jimin hisses hushed, fighting with the half-asleep hybrid whose eyes still haven’t opened, he’s clutching the extra warmth to his chest. “I need that to sleep” the dog hybrid on the bunk above them grumble and turn over in his sleep. 

- Jimin puts a hand on his shoulder to really wake him, The hybrid, a wolf hybrid named Minhyung, wakes up with a start, arms already swinging, his foot kicks out at Jimin’s stomach.  The sudden violent reaction tosses him onto the floor with a thump, waking those in the vicinity.

- Jimin tries not to let the stinging feeling invade too much even as his ass goes numb, and he flushes with anger, especially when one of the others whose woken by the brief scramble laughs at Jimin. Minhyung does too, looking barely contrite with half his hair messy and a little bit of drool on his cheek. 

- Minhyung smiles showing his teeth. “Thought you’d be warming up that snake boy by now. Have fun sleeping in the cold.” He says, and turns to his side, ignoring Jimin. Jimin tries not to feel ashamed or rejected or any of the other nasty emotions singing in his chest at the indifference of the other hybrids in his bunk.  

- A glance at Taehyung’s bunk, the only one who might come to his aid, confirms both that the bear hybrid was the only one without an extra blanket and is also still asleep. 

- Jimin doesn’t even stop to think, he just knows that he doesn’t want to stay here on the bed, feeling cold and alone and like everyone in that room hates him. Feeling his head spinning, and his heart thudding erratically, he leaves the bunkroom and the barn and stops just outside. The cold is worse here and he tugs his fluffy cardigan around his shoulders before he starts walking slowly up the hill to the main house. 

- The lights on the ground floor are all but turned off, but the glowing he can see in the living space foretells that of a television. He deliberates on the front porch for a second, wondering If he should even bother, momentarily worried that you’ll keep him out in the cold too. 

-But he shivers and hopes beyond hope that you won't. And when he knocks on the door it's only a few seconds before he can hear someone get up. It’s not nearly enough time for him to think of a good excuse as to why he can’t sleep in his own bunk. 

- It’s Yoongi that answers, bundled up in a pair of very warm flannel pajamas and a sweater, his hair curling against the nape of his neck from a fresh shower. The bright green tartan does wonders for Yoongi’s scales, making the ones on the back of his neck look brilliant even in the half-light of the porch. He’s a little wide-eyed and taken aback by Jimin’s presence, but he waits for Jimin to speak.

- “The others- they-” Jimin’s words fail him at the worse time, throat closing off into a whine, his ears pressed into his skull. “Is it okay if I sleep up here tonight?” Yoongi’s eyes are dark and half-lidded, but he steps aside instantly nonetheless. Jimin slips into the warmth of the house closing the door behind him.  

- There is an old fashion black and white movie playing on the tv but Yoongi clicks it off and goes into the ground floor bathroom. Making a noise for Jimin to follow, he rummages around in a drawer and pulls out a toothbrush and a washcloth for Jimin to use to wash his face and leaves Jimin to wash up in peace. And comes back a few minutes later lugging a blanket with too many cords to seem logical.  

- Jimin realizes what it is when Yoongi fluffs it out on the couch and a wave of Yoongi’s scent- like the crackle of heat and something that kind of smells a lot like marshmallows fluffs towards him- Yoongi’s scent. Taehyung’s words about courting gifts suddenly ring in his ears.  

- “Yoongi, I can’t take one of your heated blankets on the coldest night of the season” Jimin protests. But Yoongi just shakes his head, putting his hand on his chest while keeping eye contact with Jimin meaningfully, then pushing his palm to the floor. jimin takes it to mean “I don’t need it.” 

- Yoongi ignores Jimin’s protests and stoops to plug it into a surge protector anyway. The couch, which already has a pillow on it, looks even more inviting now.  

- Jimin feels like a broken record uttering thank you after thank you even as Yoongi heads towards the landing, and up to where his room must be in the house, after nodding what must have been a goodnight at Jimin. 

- The couch is so comfortable that jimin gets cozy quickly (even if it is a little squishy). His heart feels a little heavy with the events of the day. He’s sure you’ll ask in the morning, and probably Namjoon too. He falls asleep easily, sighing into the warmth of the blanket as it heats up. 

- A story above, in the master bathroom, you’re pressing giggles and kisses into Namjoon’s bare chest. “Oh my god - we have to sleep it’s so late,” you already can tell waking up tomorrow at the crack of dawn is going to be brutal, but you can’t help it, Namjoon looks so soft and fluffy. He’s punch drunk and smiley with his hair ruffled at the back from the countless times you’ve tugged on it or ran your fingers through it in the past few hours.

-  He nuzzles into your shoulder and hums. A strong arm clung over your waist that draws circles over the spot where your baby bump meets your hip. He pulls you snug against him, always closer- as close as he can physically get you. 

- Namjoon whines, he never wants to sleep when it’s you in his bed- or more correctly- him in yours. Though it’s been months since he even thought about sleeping in his old room downstairs, and months since it was unoccupied by Yoongi. 

- The only good thing about going to sleep is that he gets to wake up to you. The thought always has him going to sleep like a kid on Christmas, almost too excited to sleep at all. What a dichotomy love was, making you soothed and calm and at the same time too elated to dream at all.

- You try to get out of bed, prompting immediate grabby hands and a low whine that tapers off into a growl from his throat. You're immune to his display of possessiveness, and it only makes him melt into the sheets further. “Oh you big puppy,” you tease happily in response to his whines, Tying your fluffy pink robe around your waist concealing your nakedness as you head downstairs for a glass of water and leave the door open.

- Namjoon whines again with no one to hear and burrows into the warmth you left, getting impatient pretty quickly, kicking his feet a little when he presses his nose to your pillow and gets a particularly strong wif of your scent. his tail thwacking against the covers. 

- The ground floor is dark, almost dark enough that you don’t see Jimin asleep on your couch. The blanket all but making him blend in. You only see him when you are already on the way back. 

- You’re not exactly surprised to see him asleep on your couch as he hadn’t exactly looked like he wanted to leave earlier but there is something about the tense pull of his eyebrows that tell you there must be some deeper reason why he’s here. Oh well, you’ll find out in the morning, for now, you’ll let him sleep. 

- The whining behind you and the sheer familiarity for Namjoon’s body is the thing alone that keeps you from being startled when his arms snake around your waist to rest on your baby bump. Namjoon stills for a second when he sees the figure on the couch. Jimin’s blonde curls puffed against the pillow, his thick lips pouting in his sleep. 

- “Yoongi must have let him in.” Namjoon murmurs over your shoulder into your ear, hushed so as to not wake him, you make a noise in the back of your throat in agreement taking in the delicacy’s of Jimin’s face as he sleeps, unable to resist running the back of your hand softly over the top of his cheekbones. 

- They’re so much fuller than they used to be you notice appreciatively. Brushing over his puckered lips, finally pushing back the blonde curls at the top of his head and running through his hair a little. Jimin tilts his face up, his cheeks flushed, Plush lips parting in a sigh as he chases your hand, needy for affection even in sleep. His ears twitching in the direction of your movement. 

-  “He’s so cute” you murmur. Namjoon stifles his laugh in your shoulders. “Yes” he agrees, his hands tugging on your waist, “now stop ogling the pretty pup and come to bed with me.” You grumble something like “you’re ogling too” but let Namjoon pull you back upstairs.  

- On the couch, Jimin sleepily opens his eyes to the darkroom, hearing the thud of your retreating footsteps on the creaking steps.  unsure of what he just heard was a dream or reality, the tide of sleep quickly pulling him down. The memory of the moment to be lost in his dreams by the next morning.  

- When the four of you wake in the morning, it’s too a muffled shriek on your front doorstep. One moment namjoon is asleep curled around you and the next he’s vaulting down the stairs in only his pajama bottoms. Hauling opens the front door, splattering blood everywhere before Jimin can do more than stir and rub at his eyes. 

- “Jesus what the fuck!” Jimin cries, rushing to the door while Namjoon blinks, Still half asleep and barely awake. One of the cat hybrids that usually come to cook has fallen back against the steps, disgust roiling in her face, hand against her heart in shock. “I promise it wasn’t me I just- I just was gonna get breakfast early and I came up and it was already there”  

- Namjoon turns to the door, touching his face where the blood sticks smearing it against his cheek. Yoongi skitters down the stairs after Namjoon, socked feet sliding on the floor. 

- “Fuck-” Namjoon growls out- turning to Yoongi, “don’t- Yoongi you shouldn’t-”  Yoongi makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat, goes pail,  and Jimin makes the split-second decision, turning to him to block his view and asking him to go get a rag from the bathroom to wipe the blood off of Namjoon’s face. Anything to get him away from this. 

- You're standing bleary-eyed at the top of the stairs in your Pajamas, “What is it Joon? what's wrong?”  None of them knows how to say it, or what to say. 

- Its blood has dripped down the blue chipped paint of the door and pooled on the porch beneath- its scales black and pearly just like Yoongi’s. 

- On your front door, a dead snake hangs, gutted. It’s head nailed to the wood. 

My Kofi

[evolutionsvoid]

Readers of my work should know that I have constantly brought up the fact the Underworld is not some endless labyrinth of fire and brimstone. So often people think that this land is just like the purgatory it shares its name with, but that is quite far from the truth! That is why I always make a point to talk about their unique biomes and rich habitats, to help spread information and get people to think of this land in a different light. However, this entry is a bit different. Though I have been saying this for a good long while, and will continue to do so, I must point out that never did I say that they didn't have fire and lava. They totally do, it just isn't as prevalent as many people believe. Indeed, there are regions of the Underworld that have rivers of magma and temperatures so hot that I can't even visit them without bursting into flames! These are places only the demons and shades can inhabit, as many surface dwellers could not withstand the sheer heat! These two species, however, are not the only life found in these natural infernos! It is incredible to see (from a safe distance)! What swims through the molten streams, what basks upon the white-hot shores! A common sight you will find in these fiery places are the groups of Flastrix that lay near the burning rivers, soaking up the intense heat as if it was simple sunbathing! The Flastrix are peculiar creatures, especially when you try to determine what they are. With armored plates, tough hides and spiky growths, many are quick to call them reptiles. See how they bask in the heat and warmth, just like any other lizard! However, studies have shown that these beasts may actually be more related to amphibians, rather than reptiles. Despite lacking many of the characteristics associated with these creatures, the few connections they have are strong and hard to ignore. Some believe they are earlier members of this group, or perhaps a primordial offshoot. Regardless, the Flastrix dwell in the Underworld, and are frequently found in these smoldering regions. Obviously they lack the moist skin amphibians are known for, instead sporting hard plates and a leathery hide. Short limbs let them climb across the jagged rock, and this tough skin keeps them from getting carved up from it! The long head can give the impression of a beak, but it bears more resemblance to a highly modified salamander skull. But what really catches folks' attention is the tall flat sail that sprouts from their back. This impressive structure is supported by elongated vertebrate and tough cords of cartilage, allowing it to stick straight up, but still have some flexibility to it. Stretched between these posts is a thin skin that seems to flow with bright colors, like liquid fire trapped within a pane of glass! When you watch them bask near the molten shores, you will see how the colors of these sails swell and boil, rapidly changing and dancing within the sweltering air. Surely this show is just an illusion, or perhaps created by mere pigments, much like a chameleon! This is not the case, as the answer is much more fascinating. When living in a world of fire, some must wonder why the Flastrix bothers to sit and soak up the heat. These places are always hot, so why would they need to waste time to take it in? This is because the heat isn't just for the Flastrix! While the sails are made with skin, they are not the only component. Squished between two thin layers is a jelly-like substance, flattened to such a degree that is barely thicker than a piece of paper! It is in this gel that something incredible happens! It appears this layer is actually home to some living reaction that we cannot fully perceive (or at least not yet)! Something within this gel soaks up the extreme heat and uses it to fuel itself, which then creates a byproduct that is directed towards the Flastrix. It seems they gain nutrients from this system, allowing themselves to be fed by mere heat! So by warming themselves up, they get a meal, as well as a rush of energy! However, this is not enough to sustain them. As a dryad, I know what they are going through. This passive method of feeding can sustain a being, but only if they are ones that don't do a whole lot. Normal plants do just fine with photosynthesis, but once you add in moving and fancy organs, it isn't enough. For the Flastrix, they must add to this nutrition by the tried and true method: eating stuff. When not soaking up heat, they are hunting for tasty bugs and worms to feed on. Some of these critters can be found in the hot regions, while others need a cooler place to live. This causes the Flastrix to regularly wander away from the fiery rivers, in search of tasty prey. Eventually, though, they will return, because they will need a recharge!

Nutrition isn't the only thing they gain by basking in the extreme heat. While it takes a whole lot of heat for the process to run, the end result is still pretty toasty! A boiling hot, gooey substance is created and stored in special organs, unleashed in times of need. Though the beasts that roam the fiery lands are not intimidated by hot spit, a lot of creatures outside of this realm are not equipped to handle it. When roaming to cooler regions of the Underworld, the Flastrix will barf up this substance whenever they are threatened. What comes out is essentially magma snot, which clings to an opponent and burns hotter than a flame! Sounds pretty terrifying to me, though that just might be my plant side talking! This weapon is quite useful, as they travel to these cooler areas not just for eating, but also for laying their eggs. It is a good way to keep predators at bay, but it is not bottomless. After frequent use, its temperature will drop and the ammo will be depleted. They must return to the lava shores to charge it back up again. For the people of the Underworld, the Flastrix is a rather unassuming creature that gets lot of attention. It seems their ability to feed off heat and flame has garnered interest, and it is the reason it is well-studied by the denizens of these regions. Some think they have a connection to Pyrogohna, the Goddess of Fire. Perhaps these creatures received a blessing from her, and are now fueled by her eternal fire. Certain groups are convinced that the unlocking the way to harness such a "gift" is key to reaching the Gods Below. If one can find a way to make their bodies grow and thrive off of the beloved flame, then they may be closer to descending (Remember, in the Underworld up is bad and down is good) and achieving their true potential. So far, none of this has bore any fruit, but that isn't to say it is a dead end! I personally don't think this will lead to the creation of some higher (or, lower) being, but I think incredible knowledge can be harvested from it. How does this process work, what is responsible for it? Can we recreate this same reaction ourselves, or is it only for nature to wield?   Chlora Myron Dryad Natural Historian     --------------------------------------------- About time the Underworld got some fiery monsters! This fellow here is based off of...uh...it uh.....hmmmmmmm (quick Google search) the Platyhystrix! Totally didn't forget what this was supposed to be!

[bwglifestyle]

Superfoods – What Are They, And Why Should You Eat Them?

Who wouldn’t want their foods to be super? The term “superfoods” is fairly new and refers to foods that offer the maximum benefits possible, with minimal effort. They are generally packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. They often are very low in calories too. Most superfoods are plant based, although there is actually no standard criteria or legal definition that would classify any food as being a superfood.

There is actually no real difference between a superfood, and just eating healthy items that are rich in nutritional compounds and beneficial to your health. Despite this being said, we have put a list of some of the healthiest “superfoods” together, with a list of the benefits you could gain by eating them.

  Oats

An extremely filling breakfast choice, oats are a complex carbohydrate that takes your body longer to digest. This is actually good for your body as they need to break down the complicated mesh of molecules. The health benefits of eating oats are weight loss, lower blood sugar levels and a reduced risk of heart disease. If you are bored of the everyday bowl of oatmeal, why not spice it up and add some fresh fruit or Cinnamon for taste alternatives.

  Spinach

This dark and leafy vegetable is full of nutrients such as iron, potassium and fibre. Known to help maintain good vision, support energy levels, heart health and bones, spinach can be enjoyed in a variety of different ways. Besides the usual cooking methods, you could also use them as a bed for a salad, or sauté them in some butter and garlic as a tasty side dish. Other green leafy superfoods include kale, Swiss chard, beet greens and collard greens.

  Salmon

Rich with omega-3 fatty acids, salmon and other fatty fish (such as trout or herring can actually reduce cholesterol, decrease the risk of heart disease, and they are a great source of protein too. Selenium is a mineral found in soil and certain foods, like salmon. It is a trace element which means you only require small amounts, but may support bone health, improve thyroid function, and protect against cancer.

  Eggs

Eggs are a rich source of selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and other minerals such as zinc, iron and copper. That’s a lot of goodness in one small food item! Eggs are also really high in cholesterol but eating eggs does not affect the cholesterol in the blood. They have also been known to reduce the risk of heart disease.

  Blueberries

These beautiful dark blue berries are almost as gorgeous as they taste and pack a powerful punch in terms of health benefits. Containing the highest antioxidants count of all foods, they also deliver 4g of fibre per cup, which helps you in feeling fuller for longer. Extremely low in calories, they reduce DNA damage, which may help protect against aging and cancer.

  Seaweed and Spirulina

Seaweed is in fact packed with micronutrients like iodine, iron, calcium and magnesium. There are many different varieties of seaweed which include dulse, nori, kombu, hijiki and wakame, and all are worth your time. It can help with blood sugar control, relieve the symptoms of arthritis and contain probiotics that can assist with gut health. Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that grows in both fresh- and saltwater. Also loaded with nutrients and antioxidants, it is known for benefiting your body as well as your brain. It fights free radicals and inhibits production of inflammatory signalling molecules thus providing antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects.

  Soy

Soyabeans have shown to possibly prevent age-related memory loss thanks to the high concentrates of isoflavones, which is a type of phytochemical that occurs naturally in plants. They help to reduce the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood and have also been known to reduce bone loss and increase bone density during menopause.

  Greek Yogurt

Instead of choosing a low-fat or no-fat yogurt, rather try finding a 2% or whole milk Greek yogurt to get your fill of carbs, proteins and fats. It helps in keeping you feeling fuller for longer, and can be used in place of mayonnaise in a chicken or potato salad. Packed with probiotics, it can help boost your immune system and decrease stomach issues, such as diarrhea and pain.

  Chia and Flax Seeds

These tiny seeds are like dynamite in a small package. Just one tablespoon of chia seeds contains roughly 4.5g of heart-healthy fats and 5.5g of fiber. And just like their cousins, flax seeds are also extremely high in fiber and good-for-you fats. The nice thing about these little seeds is that they can easily be added to smoothies, into salads and you can even incorporate them into your baking.

  Dark Chocolate

We saved the best for last. Imagine a dessert that is a superfood. Chocolate is made from cocoa. Cocoa contains antioxidants called flavonoids, and the higher the percentage or cocoa, the darker the chocolate and the more flavonoids you’ll get. Dark chocolate has been said to improve blood flow and lower blood pressure. It may also reduce heart disease risk and the flavonols can protect against sun damage, by improving the flow of blood to the skin thus increasing the skin density and hydration. It could also improve brain function. Are these reasons not enough to reach for another block of dark chocolate?

 To sum up

At the end of the day, it is important to eat everything in moderation. It is also imperative that you eat a healthy balanced diet. By adding some of the above superfoods to your diet, you’ll be assisting your body in getting all the healthy nutrients, vitamins and minerals it needs to keep you healthy.

There are many other “superfoods” that have not been listed here, but are also very beneficial to you and your body.

[andersunmenschlich]

Genesis 2

That’s the end of creation! That’s how absolutely everything got created, bar none, creation finished, over, done, finito. No more creating. Bible says this “everything done” day is the seventh, so I guess the time before light and darkness got separated actually does count as a day. Who knew.

The gods, that’s who.

Anyhow, the gods made the seventh day a holy day, set apart as super special because that’s when they finished all the creating. The first day ever that they didn’t do any creating at all. They were done.

And now, suddenly, in verse four, the writer changes.

No, I’m not kidding. It’s a very abrupt shift. Most noticeably, we’re not talking about the gods in general anymore: “אֱלֹהִ֖ים” is now always prefaced by “יְהוָ֥ה”—Yhvh, a specific god! “Gods” gets used like a last name now. It’s like, instead of “the Millers did thus-and-such,” now it’s “Alex Miller did thus-and-such.”

New writer. Real obvious.

Anyway! Our new divinely inspired writer takes us back to before the gods told the earth to sprout plants.

This writer tells us that the reason there weren’t any plants was because Yhvh God hadn’t made it rain or created Adam to aerate and fertilize the ground. Strange. I’d gotten the impression that there weren’t any plants because the gods hadn’t created them yet.

Our new writer also tells us that mist rose from inside the earth and watered the ground. Huh.

That would seem to make the lack of rain unimportant. Why say that there weren’t any plants because there was no rain when rain wasn’t needed?

Weird.

Anyway, Yhvh God took some dirt and shaped it into a kind of golem, then breathed into its nose, and poof! Adam.

Uh.

The plants still haven’t been created. I definitely remember Adam coming after the plants.

Land, space, water, and darkness—light, night, and day—sky—sea, dry land, plants—sun, moon, and stars—sea creatures and flying things—land animals—then Adam. And after Adam, nothing except deciding what everything but the sea creatures are going to eat.

Adam was last. I remember that very clearly (it was only ten or eleven verses ago). What kind of divinely inspired contradiction is this?

Ow, no, don’t throw things.

I’m just confused, that’s all. I don’t know how Adam could be created both before and after the plants. Probably I’m stupid. The Bible couldn’t be wrong, after all! Somehow, I’m sure, the gods created Adam male and female on the sixth day and Yhvh God created Adam plain old male on the third day. I don’t know how that’s possible. But the Bible says it happened, so it must have.

Ah, I know. The first writer messed up the plurals and singulars. Divine inspiration ruined by mortal stupidity! There’s only one god—Yhvh God—and there were two Adams, one male and one female.

...Except that still leaves the problem of those two Adams being made on both the third day and the sixth. Uh.

And wait, this new writer says there was only one Adam, one single male Adam.

...Okay, so the first writer messed up hard, then. They wrote “gods” instead of “god.” They said one intersex Adam… or maybe two Adams, one male and one female… were created on the sixth day instead of one male Adam being created on the third.

That’s… that’s some serious error right there.

Ow! Ow! Quit it!

Look, it’s not my fault! I’m not trying to make the Bible inconsistent! It’s just, look! First the Bible says man was created after the plants and now it says man was created before the plants!

This isn’t my fault! I didn’t make it say that! It just says it, all on its own!

Ow!

All right, all right!

So maybe I misread? Maybe the first part wasn’t meant to be read in a strictly linear way? I know it’s all “this happened, then this happened, then this happened—the first day. This happened, then this happened—the second day.” But maybe you’re supposed to skip around? Maybe the things that apparently happen in one day are actually happening in another?

…That’s stupid! No! I can’t convince myself of that at all!

Ow, ow, okay! Maybe I just don’t understand it because I’m the stupid one, and I’ll never be able to understand it no matter how hard I try—not because it’s dumb, but because I am. Fine, fine, you win, I give up.

So, after creating Adam, Yhvh God creates a garden in a place called Pleasure (“עֵדֶן,” Eden), and sticks Adam in the garden. Yhvh God also makes all kinds of trees that are pretty and/or produce tasty fruit grow in the garden, as well as the tree of Life and the tree of Being Able to Tell the Difference Between Good and Bad.

Side note to tell us about a river that runs through the garden, then splits into four rivers, each of which runs through or along a different place.

The original river doesn’t get a name, but the other four are Increase, Bursting Forth, Rapid, and Fruitfulness. Increase runs through the land of Circle (which has just the best gold, you guys, and awesome gum resin and precious stones, too). Bursting Forth goes through the land of Black. Rapid runs along the east side of Assyria. And we all know Fruitfulness, everyone knows the Euphrates, no need to explain that any further here.

Why this is important, I don’t know. Scene-setting? Nobody’s been able to find the garden of Pleasure using these directions, so it can’t be for that. Anyway, I’m sure Yhvh God knew perfectly well, when he was inspiring this writer, that a worldwide flood was gonna seriously change topography later on.

So the idea is that Adam will be a gardener.

No, this is obvious. There were no plants because there was no man to cultivate the ground? Adam gets put in the garden to tend and keep it?

There’s a reason man exists, and it’s to look after Yhvh God’s plants.

Ow! What?

Oh, the whole “dominate every living thing and even the earth itself” thing? Look. I’m not sure how much I want to trust that first writer, what with their gods and adams and plants being created before humans and all.

Yeouch! Dagnabbit, what?

I can’t throw out any of the Bible? I have to make all of it make sense, all together?

But it contradicts!

Ow! Stop it!

Okay, okay, it doesn’t contradict! I’m stupid! Men exist both to look after plants and to dominate everything, they were created on the third day and on the sixth day, they were spoken into being and they were dirt brought to life, they were male and female and they were just male!

Yhvh God told Adam he could eat fruit from every tree in the garden except anything off the tree of knowing the difference between good and bad, because if he ate anything from that tree “מ֥וֹתתָּ׃ מֽוּת”—he’d be as dead as dead gets that very day.

Then Yhvh God gets to thinking that maybe it’s not great for Adam to be alone.

Uh.

Don’t hit me, but didn’t Adam have Yhvh God? Like… was he really alone? God was there! I grew up hearing that when God’s with you, you’re never alone.

What good is “I will never leave you nor forsake you” if, even with God there, you’re still alone?

Augh, no! I’m sorry I asked!

[nervous breathing, cough]

Okay. So.

Since it’s not good for Adam to be alone (and he’s alone even with God), Yhvh God decides to make a suitable helper for him. Which Yhvh God does by forming animal golems out of dirt and bringing them to life.

….

I… look, I know I’m dumb. But I swear this contradicts what we were told in chapter one.

“Let birds fly above the earth across the face of the sky” on day five, before Adam was ever made, and “let the earth bring forth living creatures” on day six, also before Adam was made, is not compatible with “out of the ground Yhvh God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them.”

Don’t you try to tell me Yhvh God had formed every beast of the field! “וַיִּצֶר֩” is a consecutive imperfect verb just like “וַיָּבֵא֙” (“and brought them”)! They’re the same tense!

Ow! Fine, I’ll move on.

So, being as God isn’t good enough company, he figures maybe a horse will work as a companion for Adam. Or a cow, maybe. How about a dung beetle? Pigeon?

Yhvh God seems kind of stupid, honestly.

Aaah! Fire! No! Bad! Put down the—where did you even get those pitchforks?!?

Right, so, Yhvh God makes all the animals and birds out of dirt and brings them to Adam, in the garden of Pleasure, and whatever Adam calls each one is the name it gets. This is probably a real long process, on account of how many different animals there are, but even after Adam’s named the very last glyptapanteles wasp, he and Yhvh God still haven’t turned up any lower animal suitable to be Adam’s companion and helper.

So Yhvh God goes ahead and makes a more appropriate lower animal.

Ow! Dangit! Look, I’m just saying! It’d be one thing if Adam and Eve were made at the same time, in the same way, like they maybe were in Genesis 1:27, but this is Genesis 2:22, and Eve is obviously not Adam’s equal here!

She’s a tiny part of Adam, a bit he can do without. Yhvh God puts him in a coma, pulls out a single rib. That’s Eve.

Like Adam says when he wakes up and sees her, she’s one of his own bones, a piece of his own body. She’s not her own being as such, she’s a little chunk of him that was removed so he’d have company.

Don’t look at me like that!

What other conclusion are readers expected to draw when one person is literally a single bone pulled from the other one? Especially when the bone-person was made specifically for the sake of the original human.

Anyway, the new writer says this is why a man leaves his parents and is joined to his wife such that the two become one flesh: because that’s what they were in the beginning, one body. The man goes looking for his missing rib and clings to it—the rib gets absorbed by the original body. Man is not complete without woman (woman is never complete, any more than a gear is complete with or without a clock: it’s the clock that’s complete with the gear, and incomplete without it).

Stop hitting me! What is wrong with you people? This interpretation was accepted just fine for hundreds of years, and you know it! This new idea that the Bible would never say women were created not on their own merits but rather for the sake of men—it’s completely ridiculous because look, Bible!

Don’t like the idea of women being lesser than men? Too bad! Leviticus 12:2 and 5! 1 Corinthians 11:9! Ephesians 5:22! Deal with it!

And now another side note: they were both completely unclothed, and it didn’t bother them psychologically. No shame, no embarrassment, none of that. No word on how they felt re: weather, plants, bugs, etc.

End of chapter.

Anyone else feel like these chapters end a bit awkwardly? Like they were randomly slapped in by people who weren’t actually reading any of it?