#flowers at bottom left are amaranths

[gildedware]

fallen angel & wormwood

this guy is the main antagonist of the vtm campaign im spectating in my friend group!

[oleksissus111]

mmm.... moths....

refs under the cut

all the moths from the drawing are from here except the bottom left one, that guy is chinese moon moth

the plants in the background are different amaranth flowers

[neopronouns]

flag id: six flags with 9 stripes, with the second and eighth being smaller than the others, the first and ninth smaller than those, and the fifth the smallest.

the top left flag's stripes are pink, light silver, very light silver, bright purple, pink, bright pink, bright yellow, bright green, and blue. the top right flag's stripes are dark faded red, medium dark dull red, pale red, pale red-orange, dark red, pale purple, dull pink, dark faded red-pink, and very dark purple.

the middle left flag's stripes are brown, light red, very light red-pink, cream, dull pink, light yellow, light pink, red-pink, and very dark silver. the middle right flag's stripes are light brown, light sandy brown, very light sandy brown, cream, dull light pink, pinkish-white, very light pink, pale pink, and light pink.

the bottom left flag's stripes are bright pink-red, red, light red, very light red-orange, faded red, very light pink, light pink, light red-pink, and light brown. the bottom right flag's stripes are medium dark red-pink, faded red-pink, dull light pink-red, pale red, medium dark faded red, dull light purple, dull purple-pink, medium dark faded pink, and dark faded red-pink. end id.

banner id: a 1600x200 teal banner with the words ‘please read my dni before interacting. those on my / dni may still use my terms, so do not recoin them.’ in large white text in the center. the text takes up two lines, split at the slash. end id.

magentacolauric | amaranthcolauric pinkcolauric | rosecolauric blushcolauric | winecolauric

magentacolauric: a colorgender related to the color magenta, splattered paint, glitter, childhood friends, neon, pleather, dance floors, and crystals

amaranthcolauric: a colorgender related to the color amaranth, bundled flowers, ribbon, merlot, overcoats, gemstones, lipstick prints, and red velvet

pinkcolauric: a colorgender related to the color pink, cupcakes, sunglasses, pink sands, starbursts, pinky promises, flower crowns, and ice cream

rosecolauric: a colorgender related to the color rose, lace, blown kisses, milk tea, paper fans, pillows, ballet slippers, and fairy wings

blushcolauric: a colorgender related to the color blush, lollipops, warm cheeks, lip gloss, flowers, flamingo feathers, painted nails, and heart glasses

winecolauric: a colorgender related to the color wine, plums, nail polish, planners, theaters, pursed lips, mosaics, and sewing thread

[pt:magentacolauric: a colorgender related to the color magenta, splattered paint, glitter, childhood friends, neon, pleather, dance floors, and crystals

amaranthcolauric: a colorgender related to the color amaranth, bundled flowers, ribbon, merlot, overcoats, gemstones, lipstick prints, and red velvet

pinkcolauric: a colorgender related to the color pink, cupcakes, sunglasses, pink sands, starbursts, pinky promises, flower crowns, and ice cream

rosecolauric: a colorgender related to the color rose, lace, blown kisses, milk tea, paper fans, pillows, ballet slippers, and fairy wings

blushcolauric: a colorgender related to the color blush, lollipops, warm cheeks, lip gloss, flowers, flamingo feathers, painted nails, and heart glasses

winecolauric: a colorgender related to the color wine, plums, nail polish, planners, theaters, pursed lips, mosaics, and sewing thread. end pt]

fifth set of colorgenders based on the results of this 'what color is your aura?' uquiz for anon!

these are in the colorgender flag format with the aura color from the uquiz as the center stripe and colors inspired by the listed things as the rest of the stripes. the terms are the aura color, 'col' from 'color, 'aur' from 'aura', + 'ic'!

tags: @radiomogai, @colorgendered | dni link

[toonatic92]

[Image description: A greyscale pencil drawing of two of my characters surrounded by symbolic plants. At the top is Dandelion, a skinny bird man with long spiky hair, wearing a V-necked tunic and a laurel wreath. On his left are dandelions expelling seeds into the air and on his right is a dahlia and a globe amaranth. At the bottom is Xan, a muscular man with an ant mask on and knives for hands, wearing a large collar with carnations pinned to it and a cape. On his left is a stalk of rye and a gladiolus and on his right is climbing ivy.]

I love plants and flowers and their symbolic meanings, so I decided to do these drawings of my Daisy Bubblegum characters and their symbolic plants, since they're already named after plants anyway. I did the villains, the members of the Acolytes of Chaos cult first, but I'll do the heroes as well eventually.

1. Dandelion - The cult's chosen one, who is being groomed to face the gods' chosen one, the protagonist Daisy. Isn't particularly thrilled about this, but loves playing the dramatic villain role.

Plants: Dandelion - 'Overcoming hardship'. This is mostly due to his shitty abusive dad, the leader of the cult, who is unimpressed by his son's attitude and laziness. Laurel - 'Ambition, success, renown'. Despite his dislike of his role, all he wants to do is live up his Dad's expectations and prove everyone wrong. Dahlia - 'Elegance and dignity'. This is how he sees himself, but he doesn't live up to that high estimation. Globe Amaranth - 'Immortal love, unchangeable'. This is about his romantic relationship with his second-in-command, Xan, the only one in the cult who actually believes in him.

2. Xan - The ancient god of disasters and illness who left the realms of the gods because he was unable to fulfil his role as the causer of death and destruction.

Plants: Rye - 'Love, fidelity'. This is about his relationship with Dandelion, who he is fiercely loyal to, because Dandelion was the first mortal to treat him with kindness. Gladiolus - 'Strength of character, honour, conviction'. Honour and conviction are very important to Xan. He really wants to do what's right, but he's been convinced by the cult that they are noble rebels fighting against the tyrannical rule of the gods. Green carnation - 'Love between two men'. Again, this is about his relationship with Dandelion. Ivy - 'Dependence, endurance, faithfulness'. Loyalty is another thing that is very important to Xan, but he has unfortunately pledged his loyalty to the wrong people, and once he is completely loyal to someone, he can't just turn it off.

Medium: Pencil on paper.

Links to other versions: DeviantART Twitter Instagram

[liamade]

Eyes on Flower Lane I ; Seongjoong

»»—pairing: park seonghwa x kim hongjoong

summary: Hongjoong relives his rose-colored memories of one quaint flower shop, buying the same bouquet of flowers as he visited daily

genre: fluff, slight angst, strangers to lovers, flower shop au, miscommunication

warning(s): N/A

✧ word count: 1077

masterlist

It was like yesterday, the day I pushed open those spotless glass doors, the little bell above it ringing lightly to announce my presence. I still remember the way the gentle smells immediately brushed against the tip of my nose and my eyes filled with so much color, both vibrant and pastel.

It was like a fairytale behind those doors – a wonderland of sorts – and I was dazed, having to take a moment to absorb it all.

“Um... hi! Can I help you with anything?” Seonghwa spoke up after noticing a customer standing idle at the entrance of his store.

Hongjoong’s eyes snapped over to him, a sheepish smile taking over his features “Oh actually..” he scratched at the back of his head, “I could use a bit of help.”

Seonghwa’s back straightened as the other began to make his way over to the cash register that he sat behind. He could feel as heat started to rush to his cheeks, his eyes widening in somewhat amazement. Beautiful… The man was beautiful with his doe eyes that seemed to shine, a wide grin that was almost calming, and red hair that resembled his favorite flower.

The blond cleared his throat, teeth gnawing on his bottom lip as a newfound feeling of nervousness washed over his being. “W-what exactly are you looking for?” he slightly winced at the sound of his wavering voice.

“Well, this might get a little sappy but, there is someone pretty close to me who I’m really grateful for.. and I love them a lot obviously so they’re pretty important in my life. I don’t want to get them something generic like roses or something, so where do I go from there?”

Seonghwa shifted in his spot once Hongjoong had finished explaining, his lips parting slightly as he concluded that these flowers must be for the customers’ lover. No one who’s ever come into his shop talked about family or friends this way. Not with that little sparkle in their eyes. Not with that fond smile.

He nodded his head in understanding, gears turning as he thought over the customers’ words. He stood from his seat and made his way around the front counter before walking to a corner of the shop. Hongjoong’s brows furrowed as his bottom lip poked out a bit in confusion with how abruptly the store owner had left without any words, but he decided to just stay planted in his spot and wait for the guy to come back.

It wasn’t long before Seonghwa returned to the shorter, his hands now equipped with a bundle of flowers which he placed on the counter as he spoke, “For you, I thought a bouquet of purple amaranth globes, which means ‘immortal love’ and blue campanula bells to symbolize ‘gratitude’. Of course, there is a bit of greenery to balance everything. I picked these ones with smaller leaves because of how.. interesting the flowers are in shape.” He rambled on a bit more, explaining every little detail before looking up at the other, eyebrow raised in anticipation of the others’ reaction.

From the first day he opened his shop to the first customer he had the next week, Seonghwa always had a habit of completely explaining every bit of his flower-filled thoughts, words quick and often he was met with a blank stare in return.

When he was a child, he was often dropped off by his parents to stay with his grandmother during summer break and it was a habit he picked up from watching her when he accompanied her to work on Sundays. He had always looked up to her and she was what sparked his initial interest in flowers; he learned pretty much everything he knew directly from her.

He remembers the reaction his grandmother would receive when she’d go off on a bit of a fiery tangent when explaining the bouquet to her buyers. They would smile brightly at her, nodding their heads along with her words, and even stay behind a bit longer if they couldn't quite understand everything she said. They didn't mind her tangents, simply because they could tell just how passionate she was about her craft.

But people today were different. Completely so. They don’t have a single care for Seonghwa’s passion — they find it quite bothersome in fact. Now people would rather their flowers just be quietly wrapped and handed to them in a timely manner, no words exchanged but the price and quiet thanks before the bell rang signifying their departure.

Times were much more fast-paced these days and this habit of his... it was one that Seonghwa needed to learn to shake, whether he liked it or not before he lost all business.

Hongjoong stared at him, the sudden change in demeanor from the blond taking him slightly aback. No stutters or wandering eyes, he was even slightly slouched in a chill manner.

It was so confusing to see.. You were so timid just minutes before, but suddenly you seemed comfortable.. almost confident. Your eyes had a bit of a fire behind them as you talked. Of course, I thought nothing of it though, it wasn’t worth mulling over at the time as we were just two strangers.

Seonghwa stared right back at him, slowly shrinking in on himself as he inwardly cursed himself for reverting back to his old ways and saying more than he should, worried that he’d possibly scared off another customer that will leave him with a bad review. His lips parted as he went to blurt out a bundle of apologies, but he was cut off by Hongjoong who had just come back to his senses.

“The flowers are seriously stunning.. they seem like a perfect fit. Thank you, seriously um” he looked down to the others’ shirt, slightly squinting to read his name tag, “Seonghwa! Thank you Seonghwa.”

Said boy nodded hastily, swallowing hard, “N-no problem.. Just doing my job aha..”

Hongjoong laughed slightly at his words, finding his switch back to shy kind of cute. Seonghwa was quick to ring him up after delicately wrapping the flowers in pretty light gray paper, not-so-subtly watching the red-head once he walked out the glass doors with eyes a bit brighter than they were prior to his visit.

I don’t know what it was about that store.. or what about you that compelled me to come back, but I did... only after three days of hesitation and contemplating.

masterlist

— | next

© liamade, 2022. all rights reserved.

[dreams-of-the-arcana]

Loosely based on this prompt! Tikos discovers an unexpected treasure one day!

Pairing: Kassamatik (Kassim Atesh @kassim-walks-on-air, Amaranth Silva @xvi-the-tower, and Tikos)

Warnings: Massive amounts of tooth rotting fluff, mentions of abandonment

In The Woods

“Uh, Kassim? Amaranth? Are you home? Helloooo.”

Tikos Katsaros-Yakinthos’ low voice called out as he opened the door to the trio's cottage. A small bundle held in his arms definitely resembled the shirt he’d left in. Which he was currently missing.

Kass and Ama appeared curiously and concerned. Tikos never used anything but nicknames unless it was important. Just hearing their real names coming from him was enough to put the two on guard.

“Ti? What’s wrong?” Amaranth quickly looked him over for wounds. Her golden eyes moved rapidly.

Kassim carefully reached out to place a hand on Tikos bare arm. Their eyes drew down to the bundle, it was his shirt but nestled in it...

“A baby!?”

The forest was not Tikos normal route home but he hoped that the side track would be worth it. Ilya had mentioned a patch of rare flowers appearing near the path when they’d met earlier for a drink. While Ilya was more interested in describing the medicinal properties, Tikos’ first thought was that his loves deserved a bouquet of beautiful rare flowers. Though as he walked through the steadily darkening forest he remembered why he stuck to the sea.

“Roots! Holes! Με δουλεύεις!* How do people do this to relax?” He muttered to himself as he tripped over another rock on the path.

It’d been a long time since he cursed the mob that stole his eye but he offered up a mean thought about boils and uncomfortable sitting for them. The lack of depth perception usually didn’t bother him because out at sea he compensated with his magic but the trees of the forest interfered with the air. He was about to give up when a flash of color caught his eye.

“Finally,” he muttered.

Quickly he moved towards it expecting to finally get his hands on those flowers. Or maybe run into some bandits. A beast, even. He readied his dagger. At that point he’d happily welcome anything to relieve the tension of his little hike. Something!

... except a baby sleeping soundly inside a hollowed out tree stump.

“Uh...”

After a thorough look around the area in case it was a trap, he quickly stashed the dagger back in its sheath and moved closer. Nestled amongst the moss was a baby with dark pink hair and sparkly rosy cheeks. His brown eye widened and his mind started spinning.

“Μα καλά, τι σκεφτόσουν?!* Who would leave a baby out here? What kind of parents do you have? Oh what are we going to do.”

“And so we waited for a bit longer to see if anyone came back but I couldn’t let them stay out there all night. Even with me there,” Tikos finished telling his story.

Kassim and Amaranth had taken the baby from him and sat with them on a soft rug near the fireplace. They’d recovered from the shock quickly and dived directly into protective mode. First insisting on keeping the baby warm and then properly fed. Tikos looked on from the kitchen where he prepared a bottle of milk.

“I’ll go back in the morning and maybe leave Kiki as a look-out. No one’s getting a baby back until we have a discussion.”

He shook his head at the idea of parents just leaving their baby in the middle of the forest. Who knew how long they’d been out there before he’d come along. Even worse, how long would they have stayed out there if he hadn’t taken the detour.

“Here μικρή γλαύξ,” Tikos said as he handed the bottle over to Kassim.

They picked up the baby and sat back so they could rest the baby in their arms to eat. A soft smile graced their lips as the babe eagerly took the bottle.

“Oh I know that look,” Amaranth looked at the scene and teased. “Pretty cute baby, hm?”

Kassim blushed and focused on the baby.

”Just wondering who could leave such a precious thing.”

“Someone who either had no choice or doesn’t deserve their baby back,” Tikos grumbled. “Don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of it and make sure they’re safe. Desperation can make people do things that seem cruel or odd on the outside but made sense at the time.”

He slid down to sit behind Amaranth and let his legs rest on either side of her then pulled her against his chest. His mind hadn’t stopped racing since he’d found the baby but finally relaxed knowing the three of them were doing this together now. Everything seemed better when he had them close.

Ama curled up close and the two watched Kassim and the baby quietly for a moment. It made for such a domestic scene.

The fireplace lit up the area with a warm glow as Kassim gracefully sat with this strange baby. Adoration was plain across their face at the bundle in their arms and the babe stared back with an equally content look. Curiously it looked as though their cheeks were sparkling even more now but it could just be the firelight. They’d swapped Tikos’ thin shirt for a mismatch of fabrics and clothes they could get to fit then topped it off by swaddling the babe in a clean blanket. When the bottle was done Kassim gently lifted them up to pat their back. Small burps sounded from them which only made the adults melt inside. While doing that they finally met their lovers eyes.

“What?” They asked but the deepening blush gave them away. “Um... what do... what do you think we should call them...?”

“I think it’s a little early for that, darling.” Amaranth cautioned.

Tikos and Kassim nodded. It was hard to not fall in love with the baby immediately but getting too attached would just make the separation harder. They all had to remember this baby had a family and could be missed at that very moment.

“I’ll fix up a drawer or something as a cot. That way they’ll be safe and can sleep next to our bed.”

Tikos offered and got up to start working on it. Kassim and Amaranth just smiled at each other, they knew it was already too late for their husband.

Tikos stared down at the forest floor in disbelief. There in the dirt was his arrow marker he’d left just the night before. But now it pointed directly to a small sapling in the ground.

”So... this was... a tree yesterday?”

Tikos pinched the bridge of his nose to try and tide the growing headache.

“Yes, a fully mature tree stump that was hollow. It was filled with moss! The whole baby was in it and not even touching the edges!”

Kassim inspected the sapling closely, nothing indicated it was recently planted. By their knowledge the sapling looked to be a good two or three years old. They looked around at the trees nearby but nothing fit the description.

”Are you... are you sure, vehana? I know you can get turned around out here and your depth perception magic gets confused...”

Tikos huffed slightly and looked away, he didn’t like to acknowledge any weaknesses but coming from Kassim he knew it was well-intentioned.

“I know, μικρή γλαύξ. I made sure to mark the right one, triple checked.”

Kassim nodded, if he was confident that he checked then they believed him.

“There’s something in the air here... it’s faint though...”

“I did feel something strange last night. It’s why I was eager to get the babe home. I thought I could just come back again but I wouldn’t let them sit around any longer... forests are weird.”

Tikos crouched down in front of the sapling. Conflicting emotions flickered through his eye.

“You sprung up quick, aye? Straight from the dying tree...”

Weeks had passed since Tikos’ discovery in the woods. No one came to claim the baby in the time so the trio decided to keep her until someone did. They let the captain of the guard know and got everything sorted out. It was left unspoken that the longer time went on the less likely the baby’s family would show up. The Captain was content to leave the babe in their care, he knew they would love and care for her as if she was their own.

“Γεια*, Seffy, Firebug, μικρή γλαύξ! Who’s home?”

Tikos' voice sounded throughout the cottage as he walked in. Laughter answered him and led him into the family room where he found the three of them.

“Welcome home, darling!” Amaranth managed through giggles.

He leaned against a doorframe in the room. Kassim and Amaranth sat on the floor with baby Persephone between them, wiggling happily. Toys and entertainment covered the area and was quickly becoming the new normal for them. Persephone, as they decided to call her, had captivated them all nearly immediately. It started slow with someone bringing home a new outfit or moving something out because it had hard corners then before they knew it, she was everywhere. Bottles lined their kitchen, pieces of cloth were strategically placed around in case of a spitty baby, and the drawer turned cot was a permanent fixture by their bed. Tikos even started sleeping on the end closest to Persephone since he slept so lightly. Any noise of discomfort or discontent woke him up right away. Oftentimes Ama and Kass would wake up to find him spread out as usual but with a hand draped over in her cot. They teased him incessantly but he just smiled and said he worried she’d get lonely.

Persephone giggled away as Amaranth and Kassim were taking turns playing peekaboo. Her cheeks sparkled still, they’d quickly realized it really was her sparkling and not a trick of the light. It was a pretty clear sign that she was happy and also not an entirely normal child.

Tikos walked over to give all three of them a soft kiss before taking a seat. Persephone wriggled and reached out towards him excitedly from Amaranth’s arms.

“Oh look who’s happy. Do you want to go to Μπαμπάς*, darling?”

They all froze at that.

Ama touched her fingers to her lips in disbelief. Only Persephone was unfazed and continued to reach for Tikos. A small rare blush bloomed on his tanned freckled skin.

“Ti, I... I didn’t... uh-“

“No, it’s... it’s alright actually. I... I think I could get used to it, aye?”

Kassim and Amaranth beamed as he took Persephone.

“What do you think, Seffy? Can I be your Μπαμπάς? If so, what will we call your other parents?”

He flashed his signature cheeky grin at his lovers who both suddenly shared his blush. None of them could have anticipated how one little detour would turn out. Not even Asra predicted that the hunt for some flowers would turn into finding something so much more precious: a family.

** Με δουλεύεις - Are you kidding me?

Μα καλά, τι σκεφτόσουν - What were you thinking?!

Γεια - Hello

Μπαμπάς - Dad

[elidelochans]

Accepting You

For @nite0wl29​

Prompt 4:Accidental brush of lips

pairing: Elucien

************************************************************************

Elain rounded the corner down the open hallway and up the stairs. By the faint beat of his heart, she knew he was up in his room still. Her palm wound tightly on the cool iron rail and her other curled around the handle of a basket filled with freshly baked biscuits and jam made with exotic fruits. Footsteps echoing up the stairwell as she ascended to her destination.

Since the fall of Hybern, Elain and her mate, Lucien came to an agreement. To spend time together and get to know one another. Decide if accepting the bond was good for both of them. She didn’t want to choose him because the cauldron said so and to Elain’s fortune, he agreed. It started with small things, having tea or strolls in the garden. Soon after it had escalated into more. His heartbeat went from anxious thrumming, a woodpecker on tree bark to something more steady, like calming waves. Unknowingly they found themselves scooting closer towards each other. Fingers that ghosted over each other when they sat to eat with the inner circle. Lucien would offer his arm when walking and Elain would slip her arm into the crook of his. The small strolls in Elain’s garden lasted hours where they would sit thigh to thigh or she would have him sit on the cobblestone ground working her fingers through his fire hue locks.

 Both of them trading stories. Elain’s about her life as a mortal, cooking, and gardening. Lucien would tell her the stories of the autumn and spring courts as she weaved the strands over and under into the perfect braid. It took one of those times when she finished and he turned to look at her with a soft smile. The thought struck her like sunlight blaring into her eyes, she wanted him, wanted to accept the bond. Her decision came a little too late. For Lucien told her a day prior that he would be leaving. Going to the Spring Court once more. She had to act. Or at least tell him. She couldn’t spend cauldron only knew how long with this hanging over her.

Which brought her here. Standing in front of the tall Mahogany doors. Expertly crafted in stunning detail of stars and swirls made to be wisps of wind. Elain took a steady breath, inhaling, and exhaling deeply. Standing at the door with silence in the halls she could practically hear her nerves shaking. Then she felt it. Heard it.

Thrum, thrum, thrum

The steady beat of his heart. Months ago she found the rhythmic melody rather unsettling. Now it was a comfort, a soothing lullaby crafted perfectly for Elain. And her alone. She assumed he was most likely pacing around packing. Elain paused, fingers curled into a fist before her hand tapped on the heavy doors.

thrum, thrum, thrum

Then she noted the heavy footing of his boots moving towards the door. The beat was louder now. Closer. Elain heard the soft click of the door as it sprung open groaning as it did so. A tanned hand gripped the side of the door before pushing it opened. His golden eye whirring and the other a vibrant blend of russet and gold. Like the leaves of autumn that fell from the trees, littering the ground in beautiful jeweled tones.

His fiery strands falling past his broad shoulders. The side of his shirt curled up like he rushed it on to answer the door. Elain’s cheeks warmed at the tiny peek of solid muscle. She wondered if she touched it would his skin feel smooth like marble or calloused like someone who had put it through years and years of work.

“Came to see me off?” he grinned, “I’m honored,” nodding at the basket in her hands, “What’s that?”

“Oh shush. It’s a gift. May I come in?”

Lucien stood aside raising his arm, gesturing her inside, closing the door behind them. She’s been in here before. Sometimes odd visions plagued her mind and found herself in his bed. Cocooned from the world and surrounded in his warm, strong embrace. Other times It was simply to say hi or see him when he returned. Now there was a heaviness in the air. Not from him, but her. The weight tugging at her heart begging to be released. Elain set the basket on a small table, pressing her two lips together into a thin line staring at the floor. Lucien was there by her side in two strides.

“Are you alright?” he questioned surveying the way she shifted her weight, straightening the skirts of her blush gown.

“Yes..”

“No you’re not,” he pulled the cover off the basket inspecting the items inside, “ You know I can sense when you’re nervous right? Is this biscuits and jam?”

“It is. I made them for you this morning to take with you. The Jam I made the other day.”

He opened the jar, taking a silver knife sitting in the basket. Breaking a biscuit in two, swiping some of the jam spreading it over the bread. Still soft and warm from the hours of love and labor. Lucien plopped down in the cushioned chair behind him, kicking his feet up on the table. Elain sat across from him watching as he hummed his approval practically inhaling the biscuit. She giggled as the crumbs trickled down his shirt. Lucien gave her a pointed look. Elain leaned over wiping away the crumbs off him, her palms brushing along the soft fabric. She heard his heartbeat speed up at her touch. Matching the erratic thrumming of her own. A hand rested against his solid form for a moment before pulling away.

“Finding reasons to touch me?” he teased. Lucien could pull out whatever flirtatious tone he’d like, but she felt it and saw the way he held a breath at her closeness.

“You eat like a child," She smiled, bronzed eyes shimmering as she met his.

He laughed. Warm and bright like the sun that rose high that day. Soon as he laughed it fell away. “What has you troubled? Tell me and then you can go about mocking my eating habits.”

The change of direction caught her off guard. She knew what she wanted to say. Knew she had to say it before leaving his room. Yet Elain couldn’t find the right words. What would he do when she told him. Accept it here and now? Then be on his way? She had a feeling that wouldn’t sit well with him. Leaving after completing the bond and having the drive and desire to be with her and not having the here say to do so. Was this selfish to say it now? To tease him this way? All of these thoughts she should have thought about before sitting here now. Elain tried to focus on anything but him. Lucien kept the open-air room quite barren. Not many belongings and nothing for her to focus on but the basket and him.

“Elain?” he asked. Reaching out for her hand.

Holding his gaze, that golden eye whirring once more. Her nerves and thoughts were wracked with anxiousness. She looked to him starring at his mouth. Lips warm and full and.. a slight of jam on the corner. A light chuckle escaped her, while touching the corner of her mouth pointing at him. His brows rose up in confusion tilting his head to the left.

“I do not follow.”

“You have- nevermind. I’ll get it,” Standing abruptly to over him.

Elain wasn’t sure if it was her nerves or the sudden jump of movements. Her legs twisted around each other caught in her skirts. Before the seer could stop herself she was falling. Crashing more likely into him. In the tumble, she felt it, as did he. His lips brushing against hers and she stilled at the moment. Tasting the fruity tartness of the jam. His lips were softer than she imagined, but warm. Like the sun kissing her skin as she worked in the gardens.

thrum, thrum, thrum, thrum

Lucien's heart quickened just as hers did. He too felt the brush of her lips. A strong palm settled on her lower back. Steadying her on his lap. Her cheeks burning and red as the deepest wines. Both of them starring for several long moments, before the words tumbled from her, “I want to be your mate. Your mate mate,” Mother she wished the cauldron would boil her alive. Much better than the ridiculousness of this moment.

Lucien squinted at her, confused by her statement, “You are my mate.”

“I want to accept the bond.”

Shock and surprise could be read from every corner of his face. A finger trailed down the scar on his face from when Amaranthe took his eye. The lid fluttered closed as the metal eye beneath it made a gentle soothing noise. Her soft palms cupping the hard planes of his cheeks, a thumb running along his strong cheekbones. She held his gaze with tenderness, a soft smile playing on her pink lips. Lucien only sat there unable to speak til he cleared his throat, firm hands resting on the curve of her hips.

“Elain,” his voice barely above a whisper, “are you sure?”

Her response was her smile widening like flowers growing from the nourishment of the sun. She curled a strand of his fiery strands in between her fingers. Honeyed eyes focusing on his parted lips. Elain could feel her heart and his thrumming in time with each other as she spoke her reassurance.

“Never been more sure of anything, I know it’s bad timing since you have to leave but, I couldn’t wait-”

He crashed his lips over hers, breaking Elain’s speech. She didn’t seem to mind as he pulled her close, arms wrapping around her tightly. Winding her fingers into his silken strands as his teeth grazed against the soft flesh of her bottom lip. Elain was surprised at herself. At how much the touch thrilled her, sending a blooming heat to her core. Arms twining around the nape of his neck deepening the kiss. His tongue brushing in between her wanting lips, caressing and tangling with hers in long strokes. The moment was like a flame that burned strong, bright, and wildly until it was put out by a strong gust of wind. In this case, Lucien pulling away. His breath heavy and ragged matching Elain’s resting his forehead to hers. She felt the warmness of his calloused palm slipping into her hand, squeezing tenderly.

“We will continue this and complete the bond upon my return."

She nodded, letting her breath catch up to her, "Don't make me wait."

He grinned down at her, his hands randomly trailing the expanse of her back. Lucien leaned to her ear. Breath hot against her creamy skin. His tone, a mix between a growl and a purr that made the blooming heat come alive like wildfire.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Cauldron this wait would kill her. She was sure of it.

************************************************************************

part two??? 

available on ao3

If you’d like to be added to my taglist or request a prompt feel free to send an ask or dm! I write for tog, acotar, tfota, and got

taglist: @hizqueen4life​ @slightlyrebelliouswriter23​ @b00kworm​ @clockworkgraystairs​

[unklarity]

Critical Role: Beau

“Click “keep reading” for more photos and a description of my Beau magic box! :)

Over the course of CR2, I was totally blindsided by how much I grew to love Beau, so I was both excited and nervous to make a box for her. I actually made the whole box on paper first (which I have never done before). I think that on some level, I was procrastinating because if I never started, I couldn’t screw it up. After having numerous Beau conversations with some amazing people (special thank you to @alemongrenade​, who helped me to turn my Beau feelings into real words), I was able to pin down some themes for her, but it took a while to flesh them out and really get to a point where I was comfortable with them. I ended up focusing on the difference between Beau’s perception of herself and how others perceive her, the way that perception influences her actions, and how that perception was developed.

I have a bad habit where I always feel the need to one-up myself, especially since I’m always learning new techniques and ways to do things, so I tend to want to incorporate all the things I learn into everything. With Beau, though, I wanted to keep it simple. “I’m a simple girl, simple needs,” to quote her introduction. I think Beau is very simple, on the outside, and I wanted the physical box to reflect that veneer of simplicity. Everyone always underestimates her, thinks there isn’t much more to her than a girl who has a problem with authority. So the box is plain, only decorated on the outside with the Cobalt Soul symbol, and yet the contents are varied and complex. (I love a good extended metaphor haha)

One of the reasons I struggled with Beau was her lack of concrete imagery at the beginning of the campaign. While I appreciated her simplicity from a fan standpoint, it was tough to come up with motifs to fit the box. I really wanted to reference her frustration with not being able to see in the dark and how much of a game-changer her Goggles of Night were. My first thought was a glow-in-the-dark message since I was having a hard time finding something more concrete, and even though I eventually did find a perfect pair of miniature silver goggles, I still wanted to include a glow-in-the-dark element, which ended up meshing perfectly with her jade All-Seeing Eye tattoo.

I painted the tattoo in the inside lid and added a clear, matte glow-in-the-dark paint over the top. You can see in the photo below how it looks in the light and in the dark! It’s one of my favorite parts of the box :)

Stones:

I wanted to stick to the Cobalt Soul color scheme of blues and greys as much as possible, so I wanted to use as many blue stones as I could. For a focus stone, I picked a gorgeous electric blue apatite tower. Apatite clears away guilt, confusion, apathy or negativity and helps expand one’s intellect and desire for knowledge and truth. It also represents positive use of personal power to achieve goals, encouraging you to accept yourself as you really are, and to gain greater self confidence. What I thought was interesting about this stone is that the meaning of the word Apatite relates to the Greek word 'apatao', which means 'to deceive'. Now, that’s probably due to the stone being mistaken for other minerals, but I thought it fit well with Beau not being easy to read, people thinking she’s shifty or lying even when she’s being honest, and her troubles with outwardly showing genuine emotions.

I also included a tiny Jade owl to represent wisdom, balance, perspective, and learning to be comfortable with showing your true self (and because I, too, wish Professor Thaddeus could have been Beau’s awesome owl sidekick).

The rest of the stones in the box are:

Fluorite- focus, intelligence, aids in meditation and helps with finding peace with oneself

Labradorite- transformation, becoming, being more true to who you are, help banishing fears/insecurities while enhancing faith and reliance in oneself;

Aquamarine - courage, freedom, and communication

Honey Calcite- clarity of insight/action, confidence, intellectual power

Rose quartz - forgiving oneself, learning to accept love, alleviating fear and sorrow/resentment

Blue aventurine - moving past trauma/letting go of emotional baggage, endurance, help saying what you mean, inner strength, passion/determination, gaining  control of anger and emotion, using it to help you

Hematite- grounding, cooperation (fighting in cooperation with spellcasters), fighting up close and personal (associated with martial artists), help talking your way out of situations

Tourmalated Quartz- hardness/tough exterior, help when feeling trapped/cornered. provides security when there is fear of failure, courage and self-acceptance in the learning process. Help with self sabotaging. Good for discipline and meditation. Help dealing with anger/self loathing/bitterness

Sodalite-help being less critical of oneself and help calming internal conflict

Celestite- clarity, intuition, and openness to things out of your comfort zone (also divine energy as a reference to Caduceus’ Holy Weapon spell)

And that’s it for stones!

Potions:

There are 6 potions, each labeled with a number on the bottom. The first three are in the photo below, in order from left to right:

The first potion is centered around Beau’s perception of herself, and how that’s been influenced by her interactions with others. Inside the bottle are lemon balm and basil for self hatred, peony for shame and anger, yellow carnation for disdain, heather for solitude and only being able to rely on herself/carry burdens herself, marigold for feeling like she has to constantly fight to prove herself worthy of love (“love you have to fight for”), nettle for insecurity and perceived insincerity, pine for low self worth, lotus for rebelling against authority, purple hyacinth for guilt/feeling like she has to apologize for being herself, and yellow hyacinth for comparing yourself to others/not thinking you’re special. Sealed with silver wax and a lotus flower stamp with blue pigment.

The second potion is a direct contrast to the first, dealing with other people’s perception of Beau and how she really is. There’s acorn for wisdom despite youth, sunflower for wisdom/loyalty, nutmeg for intelligence/wit, cedar for resilience and strength, pansy for thoughtfulness, thyme for loyalty, affection, attracting the good opinion of others, and courage in the face of adversity, gladiolus for strength of character, faithfulness, and honor, and dogwood for deep devotion and keeping confidence. Sealed with silver wax and a sunflower stamp with blue pigment.

The third potion represents the Cobalt Soul and what it means to Beau at different points in the campaign. At the beginning, the Soul is just another cage, someone else trying to impose their will on Beau, but as the story goes on, her goals and theirs start to line up. Dairon is the first authority figure we see give Beau a real chance while also managing to earn her respect, making the Cobalt Soul something that Beau can be a part of instead of something she’s trying to run from. In this potion we have tarragon for struggling to regain independence, chamomile for shedding outside influence, anise for using knowledge as power/to protect yourself/to get what you want, gum arabic for meditation, lilac for wisdom/memory/unlocking potential, rosemary for mental alertness/perception, violet for guarding against deception, lily for freedom and no longer feeling trapped, green tourmaline for calming the mind and increasing abilities/confidence, chrysocolla chips for empowerment and adaptability, and jasmine for appreciation, calming, and developing confidence. Sealed with silver wax and a Cobalt Soul stamp with blue pigment.

The next photo shows potions four through six, in order from left to right.:

Potion number four represents Beau’s past and how it affects her life currently. Before meeting the Mighty Nein, Beau grew up with parents who constantly tried to make her into something she wasn’t; her criminal background was a direct result of Beau rebelling against that control, and we see throughout the campaign that her intense distrust of authority figures still follows her wherever she goes. As time goes on, she does do a lot of growing up and letting go, and yet the way she was treated in the past still informs many of her present decisions and actions. In this potion, there’s lavender for ingrained distrust and problems between parent & child, dandelion for overcoming hardship, sage & cypress for grief and loss, amaranth for help recovering from trauma, black salt for being controlled/told what to be, yellow rose for betrayal, yarrow for regaining agency, mint for trying to atone for the past (Specifically, her guilt and criminal background vs. adopting Molly’s philosophy of leaving places better than you find them after his death), and barberry for freeing oneself from the power/control of another. Sealed with silver wax and a rosemary with blue pigment.

The fifth potion centers around Beau’s fears and struggles (fear of people leaving her, of not being good enough, struggle with being friendly/charismatic, being soft, struggle with presentation). There’s rue for regrets and obsessing over past mistakes, poppy for carrying a traumatic period in your life with you and letting it affect your actions, hydrangea for apparent aggression and being “bad at people,” cinquefoil for desire to be eloquent/wise/self confident, snapdragon for feeling like she has to lie because that would be better than being herself, gardenia for difficulty trusting others/letting people in, violet for importance of outward appearance (being in control of your own presentation and aesthetic and how important that is for Beau), amethyst for fear of being abandoned, garnet for help shedding guilt/sharing burdens, redeeming oneself, and struggling with responsibility (taking so many of the M9’s failures as her own personal responsibility). Sealed with silver wax and a fists stamp with blue pigment.

The sixth and final potion deals with the people around Beau and how she grows by learning lessons from others, both members of the Mighty Nein and the people they cross paths with. Just as in all the rest of the M9 boxes I’ve done so far, there are cloves for camaraderie and being improved by friends, one for each member of the group. There’s also red carnation and basil for brother-sister bonds with Caleb and Fjord, skullcap for willful commitment (found family), zinnia for remembering absent friends (Molly), sweet pea for chaos and adventure (in particular the Jester-Nott-Beau “chaos crew”), magnolia for loyalty, rose quartz for learning to accept love, and bluebell for friendship and slowly growing to be comfortable with being more truthful/open with people. Sealed with silver wax and a rosemary stamp with blue pigment.

That’s it for the potions! Next are the rest of the box’s miscellaneous contents:

So before I even got a box for Beau, I knew there had to be ball bearings in it. There are about a hundred, minus any that managed to escape while I took this picture :)

In the tiny blue pouch, there are gold coins for Beau’s role initial role as group treasurer, along with aforementioned ball bearings, a worn out old Circus flyer, and a set of  21 miniature Major Arcana tarot cards - the 22nd card, the Moon, is in my Jester box. Attached to the tie of the pouch are a silver pair of goggles with purple lenses to represent her Goggles of Night.

Also in the box are Beau’s staff, and her super secret book of important monk notes. Tucked into the book’s closure is a tiny hand-stamped coin with one of my favorite serious Beau quotes, “I don’t want us to drive each other away.”

Below are some close ups of the wax seals so you can see them better:

Thanks so much for reading! That’s it for Beau. Below are some close ups of the whole box at different angles, plus the quote I engraved on the bottom: “You are a good friend to have and a terrible enemy to make.”

I really had a great time working on Beau and I hope you love her as much as I do!

You can check my “magic boxes” tag to see the rest of my M9 boxes, or you can see them on my website at unklarity (dot) com! 

<3

[thumbgarden]

How to growing amaranth in containers at home

As many people know, Amaranthus is a universal plant, on the basis of which you can make tea, add to various dishes, cook porridge with grains and even make bread with Amaranthus flour. And if everything is clear with flour and grains, you can buy it in specialized stores, because it is not a perishable product, what about the fresh leaves.

And in this case, everything is simple, you can grow Amaranthus not only in the garden or growing amaranth in containers but also on the windowsill of the apartment. This article has the answer for you.

ABOUT AMARANTHUS Amaranthus is an annual plant that grows 80-120inch (2-3m) tall. It has a rather fleshy stem and leaves that come in red, purple, or solid green. The flowers can be gold, red or purple.

Although Amaranthus is a weed, it can be grown not only to decorate a garden or plot but also for food.

Amaranthus is a rather unpretentious plant. It does not require much attention or special care. It easily tolerates drought, light frosts, and high temperatures. amaranthus can grow on any soil in any climate zone except swampy. But when all is said and done, the plant prefers light and warmth.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Amaranthus was recognized as a plant of the future at the United Nations General Assembly. At this meeting, the cultivation of the plant and its useful qualities were discussed.

It turned out that Amaranthus is a plant that is not very demanding and can be grown in almost any condition. Of course, many people in this situation may object.

HOW TO GROW AMARANTHUS IN THE APARTMENT? But this is quite possible, as long as you know the step-by-step instructions and follow them. So, to grow Amaranthus on the windowsill, you need.

1. Amaranthus seeds. You can buy them at any gardening store. 2. Soil for seedlings, because you can prepare it yourself, you need three parts of humus and one part of sterile sand. 3. the container in which you will plant Amaranthus, its height should be no less than 4inch (10 cm) and at the bottom should be made holes for water drainage, otherwise, the seeds just rotted away. The width of the container should be a little narrower than the windowsill, and do not forget to have a special holder for the remaining water that will flow down after watering. 4. Food film, a small trowel, watering can, or sprayer.

When you have bought everything you need, you can start sowing the seeds. It should be remembered that Amaranthus is a heat-loving plant, so even in an apartment, the best months to plant it are from May until the end of September. Let's proceed to plant Amaranthus seeds with step-by-step instructions.

1. Pour the soil into the pot where Amaranthus is growing and mix it well, making sure there are no clumps of soil. 2. Take another bucket, but one-fifth of the soil into it, pour the seeds there and mix well. 3. Spread the remaining soil in the pot evenly and sprinkle it with a little standing water or spray it with a sprayer. 4. Scatter the soil with seeds into the pot and spread it evenly, then water it in the same way or spray it with a sprayer. 5. Cover the pot with plastic wrap. 6. Place the pot on a windowsill. Amaranthus is a light-loving and heat-loving plant, so a windowsill is an ideal place to grow it.

Don't forget to moisten the soil daily. If you do everything as instructed, the first buds will appear in 4 to 5 days. When Amaranthus grows 1-1.5inch (2-4cm), it is ready to eat.

GROWING AMARANTHUS ON A WINDOWSILL If you want to grow a mature plant on your balcony, it is worth having patience. When Amaranthus seeds germinate and 3-4 leaves appear on the buds, this is a sign that the plant can be transplanted to a separate pot. Plastic cups can be used in this case. To transplant seedlings.

1. In a plastic cup or small pot, fill it with soil and water it gently. 2. Make a small depression in each pot and plant a seedling there. 3. Water the plant. 4. Pinch the tops of the sprouts slightly, a process that helps strengthen the roots of each plant.

Although Amaranthus is used to dry climates, don't forget to water it regularly and spray it with a sprayer. Also, tamp down the soil in each pot regularly. When the plants are about 8-10inch (20-25cm) tall, they are ready for use as food.

Amaranthus leaves are an important part of a healthy diet. Modern research has confirmed that Amaranthus contains a large number of plant proteins that are not inferior to animal proteins in their properties. Amaranthus leaves also contain another rare Amaranthus component called squalene. It helps to prolong youth at the cellular level.

Amaranthus leaves have applications in many different fields and are very popular in cooking. Growing a few Amaranthus bushes on your balcony will not only diversify your diet but also improve your health.

GROWING AMARANTHUS FROM SEEDS To grow Amaranthus in a plot, simply sow its seeds in a bed, or plant seedlings.

SOWING IN THE OPEN GROUND Only in areas where warmth has arrived in April, you can sow directly into the bed. During this month, sow the seeds into the ground. The ground should be sufficiently heated.

The first shoots appear in about 10 days. If the planting is too dense, the seedlings should be thinned. After that, be sure to loosen the soil.

GERMINATION AT HOME More often, the seedling method is used. It is not difficult to grow Amaranthus seedlings independently. It is only necessary to follow the recommendations of some experienced gardeners.

1. Sowing seedlings is best to start sowing in March. 2. It is best to sow seeds with a mixture of humus and sand. This mixture must be warmed up before planting to protect the future shoots from fungi and pests. 3. The container in which you intend to sow Amaranthus should be high enough, not less than 4inch (10cm). 4. You should make small holes in the boxes and pots so that excess water can flow out of them. Otherwise, it may cause the seedlings to rot and die. 5. Sow the seeds at a depth of 0.6-0.8inch (1.5-2cm). Moisten the soil lightly before sowing. 6. Cover the container with aluminum foil and place it in a warm place away from light. 7. The time of the first germination in the home depends on the temperature in the room. At 71°F (22°C), sprouts have appeared in 3-4 days. At temperatures below 60°F (16°C), seeds will germinate in no more than 10 days at the earliest. 8. Be sure to thin the seedlings. 9. After 3 or 4 leaves appear transplant each plant into a separate container. Immediately after transplanting, prune the top of the seedlings. This will help the roots get stronger faster.

PLANTING SEEDLINGS Start planting seedlings in the open ground in May, when the average temperature is around 4 degrees. At this temperature, the soil is already warm.

Choose a sunny and warm place for planting. Prepare the soil for sowing in the fall. Turn it over and apply mineral fertilizer and humus. The very seedling itself must be hardened before planting. Then it will be able to withstand a little frost.

AMARANTHUS CARE Caring for the plant at home is easy. It consists of the following.

1. Watering: It should be regular and also moderate. 2. Weeding and hoeing. 3. Tying the stems. This procedure should enable the stems to bear the weight of the flowers without breaking under them. 4. Pest and disease control. 5. Fertilization with mineral and organic fertilizers.

In June, young plants are pruned at the very top of the stem. This helps the plant to grow well. The stems will become thicker and produce a large number of ovaries.

Important: Amaranthus takes 3-3.5 months from sowing to full maturity. This is true for both species as vegetable plants and as ornamentals.

SEED COLLECTION You can start harvesting seeds in the fall. They are not difficult to collect. the roots of Amaranthus are cut. The clusters should be spread out on any flat surface and left to dry. The whole drying process should last for about 2 months.

After that, Amaranthus is sifted through a fine sieve. The sieved seeds are also spread thinly on the surface and left to dry for some more time. Normally, the seeds will dry out in 10 days.

Place the prepared seeds in a paper bag. Already next year, they can grow new plants. Their storage period is 4-5 years.

SOWING AMARANTHUS SEEDS IN OPEN FIELDS. Amaranthus should only be sown directly into the ground in the southern part of the country. Choose a sunny, dry, and sheltered place when sowing. Keep in mind that the plant does not tolerate stagnant water in the soil. Site preparation before sowing depends on what you are after.

If Amaranthus is to be grown as an ornamental, even the loosest stony soil is suitable for it. But if it is to be used for food - make sure the soil is light, well-drained, moderately acidic, and rich in useful substances.

WHEN TO SOW AMARANTHUS SEEDS IN THE OPEN FIELD? The sowing time is from the end of April to mid-May. It is important that this is when the weather is warming up and the soil has warmed up to 50°F (10°C). In the fall, turn the soil by adding compost, peat, or fertilizer.

Repeat digging in the spring to add mineral fertilizer and loosen the soil thoroughly to even out the soil. amaranthus is particularly important for the phosphorus and potassium content of the soil. If growing Amaranthus for food, avoid fertilizers with high nitrogen content, as these can turn into dangerous nitrates.

Be sure to water well and prepare trenches 16-20inch (40-50 cm) apart and about 0.6inch (1.5 cm) deep. Then sow the seeds in them, cover them with a thin layer of soil and compact them slightly.

In case of frost, the young plants should always be covered. During the first month after the seedlings are born, weed and loosen the soil frequently. Be very careful when using a hoe or mattock, as Amaranthus has very shallow lateral roots.

When Amaranthus grows, remove weak plants: for healthy growth, the shrubs should be at least 12-16inch (30-40cm) apart. As an adult, Amaranthus is not very demanding and does not require constant care.

In colder regions, you can sow Amaranthus in the open ground in a greenhouse near the end of May and transfer it to the open ground in June. You can also sow Amaranthus in the winter and wait for the ground to freeze before planting.

The crop is covered with sawdust or fleece. In spring, the cover is removed, but in the bed must be put arc and stretch film.

CULTIVATION OF AMARANTHUS SEEDLINGS Starting germination of Amaranthus seedlings can be started in early March. Since the plants take a long time to germinate, soak the seeds in advance to allow them to germinate slightly, but not to sprout.

Amaranthus soil can be made from a mixture of leaf rot, peat, and garden soil in equal proportions. Add some superphosphate or wood ash. If you do not want to prepare your own soil, you can buy peat pots for Amaranthus, a plant that really likes a loose, nutrient-rich environment.

Seedlings must be kept at a temperature of at least 68°F (20°C) for germination. It is best to cover the box with a plastic sheet and place it in a warm, well-lit place. During this stage, watering should be moderate and regular, preferably using a sprayer. Sprouting will occur in about two weeks, after which Amaranthus should be thinned to allow the seedlings to develop fully.

AMARANTHUS GERMINATION When 3-4 leaves appear on the buds, each seedling should be transplanted into a separate pot. The pots should be at least 5inch (12cm) in diameter. Fill each pot with soil. It is best to use the same soil as when the seeds were germinated.

Wet the soil where the seedlings will grow beforehand, and only then gently remove each seedling. Make hollows in the soil and plant the seedlings in them. Water the plants. Pinch the tops of the shoots after each seedling is transplanted into a separate pot.

This will help the roots become stronger. Before planting, feed the seedlings in two stages: when the first true leaves appear and after 10-15 days. As a fertilizer, you can use any complex mineral fertilizer.

AMARANTHUS: OPEN FIELD TRANSPLANTING OF SEEDLINGS Amaranthus seedlings can be planted in the open ground in the Urals in late May when the average daily temperature is above 41°F (5°C). At this time the ground has warmed sufficiently and there is no danger of frost. It is best to do this on cloudy days or at sunset. Prepare the seedbed in the same way as for sowing.

Dig holes about 8inch (20cm) deep at a distance of about half a meter apart. Plant three to four plants each. After that, water extensively and apply the foliar cover. To acclimatize the plants better, it is worthwhile to harden Amaranthus buds outdoors daily for about a month before planting, gradually increasing their stay in the open air.

OUTDOOR CARE FOR AMARANTHUS Amaranthus is fairly unpretentious in terms of care; it does not require much water or any special conditions. However, in order to make sure that the plant does not die and gives a good harvest, you need to follow some rules of its care.

Throughout the summer Amaranthus needs organic and mineral fertilizers. Although Amaranthus is drought tolerant, it must be watered frequently during the very hot summer months or it will stop growing. Weed and soak plants as needed.

Be sure to tie up tall Amaranthus so that its branches do not break under the weight of the flowers. Prick the top of the plant in June, then the shrub will be lusher, the stalks will be stable, and the number of ovaries on the branches will be greater.

AMARANTHUS: DISEASES AND PESTS Amaranthus can be attacked by aphids. Amaranthus can only be damaged by aphids early in its life - mainly during the humid and rainy summer months. To avoid this, preventive measures must be taken on the plant.

The same preparations are also very effective against weevils, whose larvae develop in the plant stems and retard their growth. If too much water accumulates in the soil, Amaranthus can become sick from fungal diseases. Treatment is provided by spraying the plants with fungicides - colloidal sulfur, copper sulfate, copper chloride, and similar preparations.

OBTAINING AMARANTHUS SEEDS In order to grow Amaranthus, seeds can be bought in any specialized store. But it is also possible to obtain Amaranthus seeds yourself. To do this, cut Amaranthus at the very base and hang the panicles for 2 months to allow them to dry completely.

The drying room should be dry and well ventilated. after 2 months, sift the panicles through a sieve with a very fine mesh. Place the seeds on the surface of the same well-ventilated room for another 7 to 10 days. Stir the seeds regularly.

Make sure that no rodents come into contact with the seeds. Spread branches of elderberry around the seeds. Place the dried seeds in a paper envelope or box. They can be stored for 4-5 years.

Amaranthus was, until recently, a plant of little interest to amateur gardeners. As information about its unique medicinal properties emerged, interest in it increased dramatically.

Thanks to scientific breeders obtained ornamental varieties, successfully used to decorate gardens and homes. Amaranthus is a great decoration for any garden: low-growing varieties are suitable for decorating flower beds, squares, and containers, and tall-growing varieties look good in the center of hedges and flower beds.

#Tips #Howto #Ornamentals #Cutflowers #Driedflowers #Decorative #Seeds #Overwinter #Flower #Garden #Flowerbed #Urban #Harvest #Fertilize #Potted #Watering #Plant #Care

Author: Ms.Geneva Link: https://www.thumbgarden.com/growing-amaranth-in-containers/ Source: ThumbGarden The copyright belongs to the author. For commercial reprints, please contact the author for authorization, and for non-commercial reprints, please indicate the source.

[vol-carnage]

I HEARD IT WAS CANDLENIGHTS????? Happy Candlenights from your secret santa @hysterical-random-things!!!!!! I hope I did Nina and Thaan justice/captured something of them with these. Also Im love them both and would die for them. Nina’s Flowers: Queen Anne’s Lace (top, left) symbolizes A Haven/ Sanctuary Roses (top, right) symbolize Love Protea (bottom, left) symbolizes Courage Iris (bottom, right) symbolizes Hope Thaan’s Flowers King Protea (top, left) symbolizes Transformation Globe Amaranth (top,right) symbolizes Immortal Love Begonia (bottom,left) symbolizes A Fanciful Nature Hydrangeas (bottom, right) symbolizes Frigidness/Aloofness

[fbwzoo]

My Crabby Pantry

Okay, here’s the post on what’s in my hermit crab food pantry, as there were a few people interested in it! It’s going to be a rather long post, so I’m going to put it under a read more. If you have trouble accessing the post via mobile, let me know & I can try to link you directly to it. :) Site links for where I bought things are at the bottom of the post!

Left side of the pantry! This side is mostly the extras of a bunch of things that were bought in larger amounts. Hemp seed, chia seeds, and celery seed were all bought on Amazon, I believe. Stuff like the 8 grain mix, lentils, quinoa, brown rice, bean mix (lower shelf), dried peas, and whole corn were all bought from a farm market store in MI, easy enough to find in a regular grocery store or possibly a health food store if you have difficulty. All of those could be soaked & cooked if you wanted - I used a coffee grinder to make the lentils, bean, and corn into powders. You can also pop corn in a paper bag in the microwave and dust powders onto it. Popcorn is really popular with most crabs! :)

A lot of the extras are parts of my seaweed mix or my leaf & flower mixes. Ingredients in the mixes are listed below under the second picture!

Let’s see...Some of the other extras on this side are coconut oil, organic plain peanut butter (nothing but peanuts & some olive oil), crystallized honey (a very rare treat - it’s really just fancy sugar!), and some various interesting calcium sources - crab carapace, mussel shells, cuttlebone pieces, and a chunk of deer antler. Most of those were ordered from Alaska Hermit.

Right side of the pantry! Top shelf has some various supplement type powders that are easier to sprinkle on top of other things than to just include in the dish - astaxanthin, spirulina, hibiscus powder, and barley grass powder. I have all of these sprinkled on millet puffs, and also want to make some popcorn with them. Astaxanthin is from a crab store that shut down, I think, but you can buy it on Amazon too. Same with spirulina, which is also found at health food stores &  pet stores (fish food). That one is really worth getting - it’s extremely nutritious and the best option if you can’t get any other sea vegetables. Hibiscus and barley grass powders are from Mountain Rose Herbs.

I also have some freeze dried fruits in here, bought at a grocery store - they include pineapple, mango, tangerine, cantaloupe, apple, banana, and asian pear. The third bag is a dried veggie mix bought from Hermit Crab Garden. The little bags off to the right are little cookies that are also from HCG.

The metal tins are a handful of various meal mixes from an Etsy store, the Happy Hermit Supply. My crew seem to like them pretty well! Next to those are containers with seaweed salad (bought at health food store), dandelion root (from Mountain Rose Herbs), amaranth (grocery store), and minnows (cat treats). 

Bottom shelf is stuff I put into their foraging dish, plus some flat shells to hold food, and some extra bowls. There’s a birch bark round, from Alaska Hermit, and a bit of one of my ball python’s skin sheds. And obviously the front bag has dry eggshell halves, which I sometimes put fresh/frozen food in. I like to leave a couple shells in the tank at all times as one of a few calcium options. 

The bags have more birch bark, elm bark, extra raspberry leaf, some kind of seed pods or something that I can’t recall what they are (oops... XD), sea grass and oak twigs, acorns, and moose poop! Most or all of those were also from Alaska Hermit. One more bag has a flower mix from Hermit Crab Garden.

The plastic containers have my flower & leaf mixes! The ingredients are listed below, along with the seaweed mix.

Seaweed mix: Bladderwrack, dulse, Irish moss, kelp, sea lettuce, and wakame.

Flower mix 1: Peony, sunflower, dandelion, violet, borage, elderberry Flower mix 2: Chamomile, comfrey, fireweed, tulip, cherry Flower mix 3: Clover, hibiscus, honeysuckle, jasmine, rose Flower mix 4: Pansy, marigold, lilac, thistle

Leaf mix 1: kale, chard, dandelion, basil, carrot tops Leaf mix 2: clover, raspberry, blackberry, crabapple Leaf mix 3: chickweed, nettle leaf, plaintain leaf, alfalfa leaf Leaf mix 4: oak, birch, birch bark

The ingredients for these mixes were either dried by me, or bought from Alaskan Hermit or Mountain Rose Herbs. To feed the mixes, I typically do several pinches of one flower mix & one leaf mix into their foraging dish. Then I add a few bits of some of the other stuff, and a couple pinches of crushed oyster shell. This gets left in for 1-3 weeks, however long it takes them to go through a good portion of it. I dump the leftovers onto their substrate so they can keep nibbling at it if they want & it won’t hurt if it gets mixed into the substrate either.

This is most of their supplement type foods! Four bags of cuttlebone...heh. That will last ages! I currently have a large flat shell filled with a bunch of the powder & small chunks from the box. I may stick a whole bone in at some point for them to pick at.

Middle containers are mealworm castings, earthworm castings, their seaweed mix, reptile calcium powder (with no vit D), and montmorillonite clay. The worm castings have various nutrients & such, especially the earthworm ones (a favorite). Seaweed mix doesn’t get much attention, but I’m planning some different ways of adding it to their diet since it really would be good for them. I’ll probably replace the calcium powder with powdered cuttlebone once it runs out. The clay is a mineral supplement & they went nuts over it for ages when I first introduced it.

The big bags are crushed oyster shell and green sand. Green sand is another mineral supplement, an ocean based one. They also went nuts over that when first introduced! I plan to continue alternating them occasionally.

You can buy earthworm castings, montmorillonite clay, green sand, and oyster shell all on Amazon. The castings & sand are both sold as fertilizers and may be sold at garden-type stores as well. Oyster shell can be found at farm stores for chickens. Cuttlebone is found at pet stores, I bought a bulk box from Amazon. The mealworm castings were just from my old mealworm colony, but Rainbow Mealworms sells it as well.

This is their main selection of foods that I put in their main dry food bowl. I got the tins from Mountain Rose Herbs, they’re the 4″ ones. I was super excited to find the holder - it’s a drink cup/lid dispenser! It was a bit expensive (like $50), but it’s perfect. The tins fit just right in it, it makes it easy to see what different things I have in each section, and I can rotate through the selection really easily. I take tins off the top to use (typically 3 of each section), then put them back in on the bottom. I had pictures of each section, but they take up a lot of room so never mind!

Proteins: Bean mix, grain mix, spikes (maggots), beef liver, brine shirmp, pollock/whiting/swai fish mix, chicken, mysis shrimp, mixed crushed nuts, krill, anchovies, insect mix (mealworms, crickets, red shrimp), bloodworms, and plankton.

Veggies: Corn, beet root powder, peppers, beets, greens mix (kale, dandelion, some others), sorghum, broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes, celery, cucumber, eggplant, zucchini, pickles, bok choy.

Fruit: Coconut, goji berries, berry mix (blue, rasp, goji, pumpkin seeds), grapes, raspberry [not many options here because I also have the bags of freeze dried fruits]

Extras: Bee pollen, hibiscus millet, coconut popcorn, seaweed millet, spirulina millet, red lentils, deep sea mix, cookies, seed mix (chia, hemp, celery), astaxanthin millet, himalayan pink rock salt, coconut nectar, and flaxseed.

This stuff came from various places including etsy stores, Hermit Crab Garden, grocery stores, drying things myself, etc. 

Store links: 

Alaska Hermit

Mountain Rose Herbs

Hermit Crab Garden

Happy Hermit Supply 

Rainbow Mealworms (I also get insects here)

Let me know if you have any questions about a specific food or anything! :) 

[pointlesspoetryy-blog]

The girl with kaleidoscope eyes

maybe it was the way she looked at me. or how her puffy bottom lip rested perfectly against the top, as she opened her mouth and allowed sweet phrases to trickle out softly alike rain dripping off a flower petal. perhaps her cheekbones which i touched so tenderly with the rough patch of my index knuckle is what got me so lost in irises of deep melonite hues, hints of vivid cobalt and livid lilac dancing upon the pigmented creases of her pepper-flecked pupils. all i know is that when i peered into these cauldrons of jet ink mixed with yellowjacket, amaranth, and honey-brown speckles my own optic nerve started to dance, and i was thrown into a future of burnt sienna sunsets and skin against skin. toes dipped in washed-out turquoise waters as sunburned knees gently touched, arms loosely draped around her creamsicle skin, freckles on her face closely resembling flecks of stardust clustered around the planets of her orbic gaze which captivated me so frantically. coffee-coloured curls cascaded down her shoulders like black honey, cathartically brushing against my chest as invisible wind carried her slender hand into mine.

i looked, once again into her inky waterfalls, jasmine trees aligning the circumferences of her rivered pupil and was once again transported into the future. fingers in my hair, gentle breath grazing my scalp ever so gently. i wondered then why i fell so soothingly for the soft-spoken soliloquy which she was, leaking into my ear-drums and singing forevermore. such a song, that even if she left, her honeyed voice would live inside my ears for a colourful Millenium, drumming its way sweetly into my skull until i could forget her no more. and i would wonder why i let myself crumble so suddenly for this dangerous goddess of amber darkness, jade and sapphire sunsets, bubblegum clouds. maybe it was her speckled skin which melted in the sun, or her apricot lips, or her gunpowder-coated tendrils of effortless eyelash. it could have been her warm, delectable nature. maybe it was the way she looked at me. maybe it was just her kaleidoscope eyes. maybe it was the

- 7/9/19

[le-halcyon-blog]

                                               HUNT

Small spikes of grass pinched my foot as I walked above them. The road was long but stationary, I remember not if I turned or even felt a slight turn within it. as grass turned to garble I saw but a silhouette of a tower. Blood painted grass with the most vibrant Amaranth red as my foot lifted for another step. Unmovable I stood for seconds, I stared down at my foot. Flashes of stinging pain rose by the second. I was not in the conditions to continue onward, I kept telling myself, yet for the several miles I’ve walked my body knew not what to do but move forward subconsciously.

I continued forward, my vision began to blur yet not to a point of worry. Walking turned to running, I knew if i was to make it somewhere I required speed. The faster I ran however, the faster the blood rushed down and exited my veins. It was wrong of me to run away, maybe if I hadn’t i wouldn’t be in a situation such as this. I collapsed moments after, the tower still had a bluish tint. My head immediately cracked at the skull, luckily not enough to kill me, but enough to cause me to look at nothing but an abyss.

I awake slowly, my eyes heavy and and my head pulsing. The ground was filled with dark leaves and vibrant flowers that all flew through as my face lifted and fell. Moving caused my hands to feel an odd texture, glutinous yet smooth. Suddenly, the movement became slowed until a halt. Dragging myself, I fell and landed upon tall grass. I adjusted my vision, rubbing my left hand on my eye, Looking up I notice nothing but the giant eye staring directly at me. It’s skin hosted black patterns that covered its entire body. a small saddle was hooked upon its back, skulls and several leather blankets were stacked on the saddle as well.  I stood from the grass, yet still it covered my body under the neck, looked upon the beast and noticed it’s familiarity.

The creature was noticeably the same as a toad yet its enlarged body gave its shadow a different form. It’s back legs were huge, even for his enlarged body, and its eye was kept on me. After a while it bowed its head down, rays of light shimmered upon my eye from one of the leather blankets. after a while a long sword fought through the light, impaled deeply into the stack of blankets. I grab the hilt, struggling I pull out the sword. The sword’s blade was covered in green, as I looked up I noticed the toad began twitching. I cut some of the grass that surrounded us. The sword was impaled into the frogs side, this became more apparent as the grass began disappearing. I rearranged the leather blankets and reached into a pouch on my right hip, then grabbed a small cable connected to my left pocket. The cable provided heat, enough to burn the wound yet not enough to provide much pain. Attaching the cable to the right of the toad and into the wound itself caused a bit of difficulty, the frogs skin and movement made it a difficult task.

once the cable was attached inside the wound I turned the small radiator on, the cable lit up slightly. The toad then began to rise once more and stared directly below my feet. blood still trickling down my feet, I stare at the toad  and notice a cloth underneath the dwarve’s skull on its saddle. I grab a needle from the back of my chest-plate and lunged forward to grab the cloth. Once the cloth rested on my left palm I began to sew the wound on my foot. The needle pierced my skin with the feeling of an icicle. The pain sent shocks through my body that pulsed, yet the needle’s cold sensation made the shocks rise until my entire foot felt like it had small stinging cuts all over. I sunk my teeth on my bottom lip in hopes of easing the pain yet it lingered. After I reached the end of the wound the needle felt as if the sun shined on it for hours, and its tip pierced the skin ever so roughly that I began to need a second push to sink it. the tissue around the skin of the wound was grassed with the hot needle making the stinging sensation of it arise with the pain. Once done I laid stationary for a few moments, my eyes began pulsing and blurring, the headache appeared even stronger. I rested my body back and looked straight at the aero sky. The clouds began moving as my eyes slowly rested and closed completely.