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someartistsammy · 5 months ago

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Genesis's childhood award, the basis of pasteurization, and the supposed fragility of Banora Whites.

A take on it from a farm kid that actually specializes in growing apples.

Was talking with a good friend of mine last night about various takes in the fandom last night and was reminded of one I had seen semi-recently about Genesis's childhood genius in supposedly inventing pasteurization.

I want to believe this is a take that comes from being uninformed as to what pasteurization actually is, considering him being the first to invent it around the time of 1990 would show a stunning lack of technological advancements in the world of FF7. Let me explain.

Shinra has had a lot of technological advancements, and we can see those constantly portrayed clear as day throughout the world of FF7. However even in the time before Shinra, during the time of the Republic of Junon, it can also be assumed that they would have pasteurization, a process that in the real world was invented in the 1800s. Exploration of the world in Rebirth also reveals multiple areas that have shipment docks from the time of the Republic. This would include the assumption that this is how people both traveled as well as transported and exchanged goods.

Pasteurization is an incredibly important technological advancement as it's allowed for the easier shipment and trade of food on a global level. The definition can be found below.

In food processing, pasteurization is a process of food preservation in which packaged and unpacked foods (e.g., milk and fruit juices) are treated with mild heat, usually to less than 100 °C (212 °F), to eliminate pathogens and extend shelf life. Pasteurization either destroys or deactivates microorganisms and enzymes that contribute to food spoilage or the risk of disease, … (continued on Wikipedia)

There are different methods such as Low-temperature long time (LTLT), High temperature/short time (HTST) and Ultrahigh temperature (UHT) (also called Ultraheat treated) however that isn't super important to this, just know that HTST is the standard for apple juice.

The point in this being that if Genesis were to have invented pasteurization ~1990, the rest of the world would have been taking incredibly risky measures in transporting food and risking spoiling for decades, as well as various things being unsafe for consumption such as milk. With the advancements the world already had by this time such as phones, war artillery, windmills, and mako reactors, I find it highly unlikely that he would've been the one to invent pasteurization.

I feel as though it is important to mention that Genesis's award was first place in the National Agriculture Awards, but more specifically, an award in the processed food category. The processed category in these awards directly gives it away in the fact that food was already processed enough to have its own category for awards. Presentation on this is in relation to the presentation of a processed product, and not a form of processing itself. In the assumption that these reflect actual reward categories, there are different categories for scientific invention as well as processing systems.

Reference page for the names/categories presented. This is not the description document.

Agricultural Proficiency Award Area Descriptions.

Although there is the argument that they likely didn't use this same style categorizing, its important to note that they did use categories within the national agricultural awards, and they specifically made the choice of processed food, instead of any of the other choices. If he really made such an important invention, why wouldn't it be stated anywhere as clearly being pasteurization, something that would revolutionize the world, or for that matter why wouldn't it be awarded in the name of development of food science?

I believe its also worth mentioning that the Crisis Core Complete Guide says "Because the fruit can only be harvested in this region, it sells for a high price on the market, but the village children don't seem to know this, …" This would be due to the fact that the Banora Whites are common-place in Banora. In a similar way to how wagyu in Japan is significantly cheaper than it is in the United States, due to export; Genesis would have an easier and cheaper time attempting experimentation methods, if there even needs to be any variation for them, resulting in juice with correct pasteurization due to his being local to Banora. (Market price on them in Banora would be naturally lower due to supply likely being higher than demand, as well as not having to worry about import and export fees. Not to mention being the place where it is naturally grown).

*In the above example I used wagyu as a comparison, however this could just as easily be any other exported food that becomes considered rare when exported, another example which is actually more rare would be the black diamond apple.

While mentioning this, I also want to say that his invention is specifically upon Banora White Juice, not apple juice in its entirety of existence. In similarity to pasteurization, this feels like an over-exaggeration of what Genesis actually accomplished.

While branching through this topic, I also want to bring attention to a take I was sent a while back on the supposed fragility of Banora Whites. While going through the Ultimanias with assistance of a friend, nothing could be found on sources hinting towards Banora Whites being fragile. My next assumption is that this conclusion was likely reached on the basis of Banora Whites being mentioned to be region exclusive, and a high-price market item.

Banora Whites are called just that because of their area of growth being only that of Banora in the Mideel region. The growth of Banora Whites is actually tied to the amount of lifestream that flows through the Banora Underground, this gives Banora a very unique type of soil that allows for the growth of Banora Whites. Since Banora is the only place where the crop grows, giving it a very limited area of growth, and since it cannot be grown globally, gives it a very high market value.

Now into the technicality of things, it could also be assumed that the sale of the Banora White was likely tied to its aesthetics, similar to the way that the pink pineapple is in the real world. The difference here being that when juiced, the pink pineapple loses most of what it has going for it in terms of its aesthetic appearance and thus reducing its marketability and price. Meanwhile, Banora whites, while although losing what would make them have a unique aesthetic appearance, could possibly have a specific flavor to them that translates into the juice.

You see, I believe Genesis's intelligence on the matter comes from not creating some life changing way of preserving things, but rather from preventing waste. Although I do not find any info on Banora Whites being fragile, it can be argued that all apples are fragile in a sense, or at least majority of them. They're truly one of those fruits where sometimes you can chuck them at a tree and only see a bruise or dent, and other times you look at them wrong and they'll split wide open.

When thinking of an apple in general, chances are fragile is not the first word that comes to mind, as many other fruits would be considered fragile long before them, and that'd be correct. However, the harvest and transportation of apples, as well as their general growth, can be littered with complications. When moving apples in a commercial wooden apple bin, when you have hundreds of them stacked together, driving faster than even 2MPH by tractor can cause shaking and damage to the fruit by rubbing damage which can create bruising.

Banora is a remote island location, and import and export of items is likely expensive, which would contribute to the income that Banora Whites would bring in (see earlier mention of wagyu and Japan vs US price) Due to being an island, the methods of exporting would have to be either by air, which would be incredibly expensive and fuel taxing, or by ocean. I mentioned earlier that FF7 Rebirth shows multiple docks and ports that would hint towards ocean being the likely way of transportation of food and people. This would require a boat to leave from down by Banora and travel all the way up the coast through the Meridian Ocean. Constant swaying of the ocean and anything unsecured likely leads to aesthetic damages which allow for even less of the Banora Whites to reach market in aesthetically acceptable shelf conditions.

Banora and in general the Mideel Region is a very coastal region that by flora alone also appears to be a very warm and tropical one. By this assumption not only would Banora Whites possibly be prone to sunburn, a reason they likely developed their darker appearance to survive, but also being internally cooked by the heat of the sun. Also being coastal could lead to strong storms brought in by the ocean leaving damage from heavy winds, pelting rain, hail, and similar damaging weather factors. Excessive rain also typically leads to apples suffering growth cracks, which also takes them off the table for being sold to market as-is.

In the assumption that the Banora Whites would survive possibly brutal conditions that are located down in that area, due to any damage caused by going across the sea, they would likely need to be packaged first while in Banora (hence the warehouse) which would also bring up the pricing on them. However, where does this leave the fruit that's been damaged? Just because it has a crack it it or an aesthetic-only scar across the skin does not mean that the fruit is ruined or inedible. This is fruit that can be used for many different things, including juicing. Juicing is a method that ignores damages that are purely aesthetic, and allows for profit where there would otherwise be none given. Genesis's invention is that of one that prevents waste, and allows for another source of income to the area.

Juicing of apples that wouldn't make it to market would keep the price of the pure solid apples that do make it to market still profitable, while also giving use to those that wouldn't be allowed onto the shelves. While its nothing groundbreaking for the world, like pasteurization would have been, it does allow for Banora to be able to sustain itself via income more, and just overall prevent the waste of more food.

Although to some its not as glamorous if he didn't do something that fundamentally changed the world as a kid, that doesn't mean that what Genesis did isn't still something that he was worth awarding for, especially as a youth. Not only did his creation prevent the waste of food, which earned him his award, but Banora White Juice also did become a famous global hit.

#ff7 #ffvii #genesis rhapsodos #crisis core #ffvii crisis core #this might feel a little jumbled in some places but I just saw the pasteurization take again #so I'm just kinda saying screw it and posting it.#like idk man I don't think Genesis's accomplishments need to be overstated.#I think what he did all by just creating a way that food won't be wasted is its own admirable feat #anyways pasteurization in real world has been around since the 1800s. its kinda a key part of modern life #i think it'd be really weird if they had all this advanced technology. and then pasteurization was only 15ish years old at the time of ff7 #also a very sincere thank you to my friend that helped me sort out all my thoughts on this mess #also posting this now because I can't in the morning because I will. get this. be busy picking apples.

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falmerbrook · 1 month ago

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Not to be too corny but the new year has got me thinking and I really appreciate this blog because this is pretty much the only site/community/fandom where I don't stress out over posting every single thing I post, afraid I'll be shit on for... something (my brain is very good at coming up with hypotheticals). I know, I know I'm way too sensitive and i shouldn't care about what others think and the internet isn't real so it doesn't matter etc. etc. but unfortunately I just don't know how to get my brain to work like that. I mean, I'm still too afraid of being cringe to draw/write/yap about everything I'd hypothetically like to, but I've been way more social and open to posting my thoughts on here than I've ever been before, and it's made me more confident online overall. So thank you all for being so welcoming and chill!

#idk hopefully this makes sense. might delete in the morning lol #mine #not tes #vent #(mostly positive one)#im working on an animation rn and im really excited about the idea and storyboard #and while i enjoy sharing my stuff on yt and to an extent im a little sad i dont do it as often there #something about posting t/es stuff on there makes me kinda dread it in a minor way #90% of the comments i get on my tes stuff have been honestly wonderful (and the 10% that hasnt has been from having an argonian nerevarine)#but also some of the things i want to do in the future are more headcanon or canon-divergent heavy and i stress out a little thinking about #potential not so kind comments relating to that. elsewhere people can just be so weird about it #and that sort of thing can take a hit to my motivation to work on animated stuff (despite being far and away my best stuff)#but everyone here is so friendly and generally open minded and it makes me less stressed about it and gives me more motivation #idk the internet has always been pretty mean and critical but i feel like its gotten so much worse in the past few years #and im too sensitive for it. and lonely. and internet addicted i think.#which sucks but this blog/community has made fandom posting genuinely enjoyable again #ok sincerity over back to scrolling

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rileys-battlecats · 3 months ago

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was trying to figure out why I feel so Wrong rn and I think it's because I didn't follow my usual daily routine like At All and now my brain is freaking out. woke up at a vastly different time, had entirely different tasks throughout the day, took a nap at a weird time (to make up for the fact I had about 3 hours of sleep last night), zero human contact for the past 15 hours, and ate different food from usual (various leftovers from social events/thanksgiving, instead of cooking for myself like normal). and before I really realized that these were all things that were Bad For My Brain I was just wandering around my house like "why do I feel like garbage?? I've literally been outside so much today my brain should be happy"

ANYWAY here's to me not remembering I have issues with unstructured living because my days have been so similar for the past 4ish years that I straight up Forgot that things being too different too fast makes me crazy ✌️

#rye.txt #I'll be fine lol #the sudden shift in my daily schedule and my generally unhealthy eating today were the big things that made me feel Bad #so now that I am actually cognizant of this I can take steps to mitigate it tomorrow #god. what the hell did I even eat #leftover soup. that was breakfast (very out of my ordinary). uhh. a lot of pie (grandma made a ton for thanksgiving).#a tangerine that miiight have been on the edge of going bad #(thought I should eat a fruit. fruit did not improve status)#reheated popcorn chicken? that was not a good decision I felt so gross after eating that #hrm. ok my issue is that I feel like I Need To Eat These Leftovers So They Don't Go Bad #otherwise i'll be Wasting Perfectly Good Food #BUT. I don't want to eat it and eating it makes me feel generally unfulfilled and kinda blehg #ough. why can't I be normallllll #I'm also not dealing with the whole 'zero human contact' very well tbh. which is weird because I'm a deeply introverted person #and usually spend my days avoiding people like the plague #but idk. it's been literal years since I've spent and extended period of time completely alone #I don't knowwww i don't know #I'm gonna invite some friends over tomorrow and get them to help me eat these dang pies #ALSO. ITS BEEN REALLY COLD TODAY. AND I HAD TO BREAK INTO MY NEIGHBORS' HOUSE #(was not breaking in; I was trying to take care of their dogs since they're out of town)#(but their door code AND their garage door code weren't working #and I didn't have a physical key to use #so I had to push my way in through a back door that'd been blocked by a pile of boxes taller than my head #and squirm into their garage in order to get inside and take care of the dogs)#(was a very stressful way to spend my early waking hours)#i ALSO had to drive to the AIRPORT this morning which SUCKED. had to drop off family #which like I'm happy to help but also airports suck so much ass I hate them #anyway. today was sort of shitty #but mostly I only have myself to blame #did not structure my day well enough

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slavhew · 4 months ago

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i finally put that "neil newbon as astarion telling you to wake up" audio as my morning alarm and now every day immediately upon waking this flashes into my mind

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #astarion ancunin #astarion #self #admin draws #fanart #at night when i close my eyes i can see a candy crush level playing on the inside of my eyelids #and in the morning i wake up to this #and then wonder why ive been sleeping weird #drew astarion pretty as usual and then drew myself looking like a sally face character #real talk i had this idea yesterday and i couldnt for the life of me remember what it was. just that its was something i really wanted #to draw. and then immediately upon waking up today i remmebered and wrote it down gjfdgksgh

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faunandfloraas · 5 months ago

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i hope whatever weird thing thats wrong with me is resolved by the concert next month bc if its not im really not seeing how i'll be able to go

#im used to having health problems and usually they dont stress me too much. im good at compartmentalizing it away into a little folder #but this time its just completely weird and nothing ive ever had before and its driving me crazy bc ive been to the doctors 3 times #no help no idea wait until october 3 and its getting more painful and weird every day i keep needing to lay down for hours #and just doing anything womens health related is already a fucking struggle like i dont want to be doing any of this usually i dont #get stressed like this but ive never experienced this so it is freaking me out bc my aunt had weird cancer and my uncles been just diagnose #with stage 4 and hes been given 18months and my grandma died last year can you just take me serious for once #anyway sorry for the monday morning vent but if i dont put this somewhere im gonna have an actual freak out

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semiotomatics · 2 years ago

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i have a ~dream question~

#this has been an original post #my pollies #polls #dreams #driving #i realized today that while im obvs not the driver in my dreams im also not specifically on public transit most of the time #im just. a passenger #no concept of other passengers or a driver or even what kind of vehicle it is #my dream logic is very much ''if its not relevant to the situation who cares''#also ''why generate actual human beings when you can just have the vague sense that a place is populated''#idk why im thinking abt this this morning specifically since last nights dreams didnt even involve being in a vehicle #not the ones i remember anyway #i was just thinking abt patterns in my dreams in general #cause my brain does this weird thing where in all my anxiety dreams im living in the apt i lived in through elementary + part of high school #like yes its the place ive spent the most time in but also. i havent lived there in TWELVE YEARS #and i mean i did hate that place but its not like ALL my trauma was experienced there #its just weird #dreams are weird #clouds dreams

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kumezyzo · 2 years ago

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i was rewatching the dream team all stars MCC and was thinking about streamer!reader cause im actually sick in the head :) so now everyone else has to deal with it 😌 so, as much as i love bad, reader does happen to be an honourary Dream Team member according to bf!sapnap.....

i like to think during this time (Nov. 2021) reader and sapnap are well into their talking stage and like, reallyyyy close to dating (they prolly start dating two weeks after this stream of sum). so this is technically crush!sapnap [so cutee]

also just bsf!george and dream moments cause why not (and cause i need some more fluff to feel gud)

lots of swearing (particularly fbombs lol)

so enjoy.... or dont lol :) m.list

crush!sapnap who cant help but giggle when you text him about the 'serpnerp and gerge' bit he did before the event started. when you ask about the fake kisses they gave eachother, he would be tempted to text you back with "i could give you real ones if you want" but refrains from it.

crush!sapnap who secretly had your stream pulled up on the side just so he could see your face as you hyped yourself up for the event.

if youre faceless, he'd just want to listen to you and hear the way you pause to read a text he sends you. he'd feel so cocky if you happened to quietly giggle at something you he sent you.

crush!sapnap who forgets youre on the call for a moment when he makes comments about needing to take a shit...

"if i really wanted to, i could insta-shit"

"ew wtf 😭"

"i actually forgot you were here for a moment, my bad" (he would be blushing so hard)

crush!sapnap who hypes you up so much during parkour tag (and makes sure youre not getting tagged) when youre the last person to be tagged

bsf!george who also hypes tf out of you when youre tagging people. he gets so loud that you have to tell him to stfu at times

crush!sapnap who subconsciously tries to protect you during the first round of sky battle until you call him out for it

"sapnap, dont worry about me! just try to get the other fucking teams. holy fuck..."

"y/n is getting toxic~"

"george shut the fuck up."

(it was mostly cause dream was getting heated at you but dw sap gets it 😌)

bsf!dream who blames you for a block placement glitch during sky battle

"Y/N!"

"WHAT?! WHAT THE FUCK DID I DO?!"

it led to a strange disagreement about where you were standing before crush!sapnap interjected and told you guys to leave it be. (we stan)

crush!sapnap who feels his heart flutter when you giggle about heated dream was getting over you standing on a rail in grid runners.

bsf!george who gets very hyped when you dont mute yourself during ace race.

"y/n are you muting yourself?"

"nope, are you?"

"LETS GOOO! ITS JUST Y/N AND GOGY"

"Lets go!!!!...... but shut the fuck up a little"

crush!sapnap who tries to gather your materials whenever you need them during buildmart and ultimately pisses off dream when he doesnt bring back what people need.

"Sapnap, how the fuck are you leaving but not bringing back fucking anything we actually need!?!?"

"okay! okay, what do you need?!"

bsf!dream who gets wayyyy too heated at you during battle box.

"y/n just use the fucking bow!"

"i am you dumb fuck!"

"oh my-"

crush!sapnap who gets annoyed too, but tries to not direct it towards you.

"george if theyre building to middle, block them!"

"y/n is supposed to be covering me!"

"they are, so pull your weight!"

bsf!dream who gets yelled at by his chat for yelling at you.

'say sorry to y/n'

"what? you know what, fuck y/n! ive known them for over 5 years, im not saying sorry!"

"good! i dont want your apology anyway! we are no longer friends!"

"good!"

(literal toddlers lol)

crush!sapnap who says a small 'hi' when he passes by you in sands of time. even if youre in the same call. and have been for 2 1/2 hours.

dteam who just lets you do youre own thing in the last to games of the event (sands of time & tgttos).

"i actually havent hear y/n speak in like five minutes," george said with an impressed smile. "i thought they just left the call for a moment, ha."

"me too for a second-"

"both of you shut the fuck up, im tired and tryna get this over with."

"PFFFT-"

bsf!george who could help but cackle when you yell at him during dodgebolt.

"george if you dont stop talking about the arrow, i will fly to london and shove it so far up your ass-"

crush!sapnap who calls you after both of you end your streams to talk about how you feel after the event.

"how are you doing, you seemed..."

"angry? annoyed?"

"tired..."

crush!sapnap talks with you until either one of you has to hang up. you feel like youre back in highschool talking to your crush for hours on end.

ngl, i dunno how i feel about this one. it might be too much tbh but im tired asf writing this and dont wanna change much. and i got a little carried away having fun writing it....sorry... -Nony

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chiimeramanticore · 15 days ago

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waow

#before anything else i must warn this is going to be. unorganized thoughts mostly #in the last year or so ive tried to regain confidence that i am in fact plural and am not just faking it #or mistaking other symptoms for DID. shake off the denial y'know. as is so signature for this damn disorder #a diagnosis probably wouldnt even make me feel more sure lol. and also getting diagnosed for this specifically is like #the final boss of psychiatry to put it lightly lol #but when it quiets down in headspace ur always gonna feel like. maybe its over. whatever that was #it was just me and brandy for a while #but guess who had a godawful night and then a godawful morning and split a new alter ‼️‼️🔥🔥🔥🔥#he hates it here! he might hate me for creating him! im not sure !#hell im not even rly sure if im juno or brandy rn lol. my mind is just so messy today #i woke up.. when did i wake up. like 9:30 i think and its 1pm now and i haven't gotten out of bed #i don't even remember all that time passing . i couldve sworn its only been like an hour. two at most #on the one hand this has all been kinda terrible and mentally exhausting but at the same time. hey cant say im faking now LMAO #the other hand is brandy. the other hand is absolutely brandy. i am tired lol #im only posting this here so i can just like. process it i guess #ive had a weird time finding an outlet to just spew random thoughts into since leaving twitter so. sorry #idk if anyone's expecting this of me but i always kinda feel like i need some level of professionalism on this account #keyword some. i know this is tumblr #but idk if these very open posts are. annoying? weird? uncomfortable? entertaining somehow?#i know I know theres no point in worrying abt how others percieve you . knowing that hasnt stopped me from doing it lol #i dont remember where i was going w this. maybe i didnt have a goal in the first place #idk if you read this far i dont rly need u to act like u didnt see it cuz like. wouldnt have posted it otherwise #but idk why i am posting. idk what i want out of anyone who has read all this #maybe just. interact w this post in some way idk. it's actually kinda grounding for me if you can believe it #bleghh im thinkin of cheating on my weed break just to treat myself after all this. weed + a long walk would fix me

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bunnyboy-juice · 8 months ago

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stink monster appreciation post 💕💕

#personal #so about this little stinkies #she hid into herself for a few years after i got her back from my family #and she has never been particularly good at being A Cat/doint the things cats do to clean themselves #and she wasnt mine to start with (she was my sister's originally so she didnt really get As close with me esp cause she became mine-#-while i was in college so i wasnt really Home) but like over the last few years of having her her personality has not just come back out #but also has morphed into the most beastly stinky beast (affectionate) that ever lived #and all of this is to say: she wont let me pee alone anymore in the mornings. everyday no matter what the first time im in the bathroom+#+she runs to come pee with me. i swear she's holding it. its so obnoxious and also so cute #and she did it again today ofc and it made me a little irritated at first bc like she insists on weaving through my legs b4 going to her bo #(tickles my legs weird) but then i got emotional thinking about how much she's come out of her shell over the last few years #i love my stink monster so so much #bun.life

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silverskye13 · 28 days ago

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Had a really bizarre nightmare(?) last night.

#spazzcat barks #the dream journal #cant remember if that was the dream tag? its been a loooooong time since ive tossed one on Tumblr #anyway i dreamed my hometown was burning #i turned down a street in the downtown and saw police everywhere and a skyline on fire #crashed my car because of the suddenness of it and had to try and run to safety #met my boss?? like my general manager??#and was asking him how to get home #but i couldnt tell what street i was on there was too much smoke and sparks #and he basically just wished me luck and walked away #i wandered around town until morning when everything was mostly just ashes #and i still couldnt figure out where i was #eventually i found like? a fountain? a bunch of statues?#and sat down and waited to see if i saw anyone i recognized #and then i woke up #very weird dream

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voidbeau · 3 months ago

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🌿Promises, Promises🌹

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Thorn x Mr. Flower fic i wrote spontaneously for me. i need.

so sorry if some things don't make sense lmaooo

Mild hurt/comfort, mild angst, some fluff, mentions of blood and injury.

Thorn and Mr. Flower have a conversation about some things.

---

As per usual, when it happened, he hadn't been told much.

Workers in the manor sprinted to and fro and much to Mr. Flower's annoyance, grew hushed whenever he'd draw near.

It was all the same vague answer.

"There was an accident." Said the maid, the nurse and even the bodyguards who were often the ones dragging a half beaten Thorn in from god knows where.

And never did the explanations come with any further details.

So there Mr. Flower stood, in the middle of the foyer, body as tense as his face was stern.

Nurses stood at the ready, quietly and uncomfortably whispering to each other.

It seemed they were called on short notice and they themselves had only been apprised of so much regarding Thorn's recent situation.

Or so Mr. Flower was told, which of course only made him that much more tense.

The gnawing anxiety that made his mind race and his stomach flip were never not the driving force behind Mr. Flower's insistence on trying to get as closely involved as possible and to drag out every detail possible from whoever he could.

Because he knew he wouldn't be getting it from Thorn.

But that wasn't going to stop him from trying and he had a few choice words for the rose man for making poor Mr. Flower worry so often.

The heavy double front doors crashed open almost at the same time the thunder rolled from outside, pulling Mr. Flower from his thoughts.

His eyes widened as he watched the now wide open front entrance intently.

The biting winds cut through the foyer and the heavy rains speckled the cold marble floor of the manor.

There, with either arm draped over the shoulders of two of his bodyguards, Stag and Leo, was Thorn.

He was a mess. Rips in his suit like he'd been attacked by a wild animal, blood dripping from freshly torn wounds, bruises on his face. His neck appeared to be missing a few of his protruding thorns as well.

Mr. Flower winced upon seeing his partner stumbling through the doors as he was.

While Mr. Flower had certainly seen Thorn, Stag and Leo struggling up the driveway, to see Thorn up close was a different matter.

Mr. Flower's ear petals closed up tightly against his head. Simultaneously, Thorn in his half alert state seemed a little startled to see Mr. Flower there with everyone else and Mr. Flower knew it was because Thorn had no intentions of letting Mr. Flower see this.

Much as it irked and confused the floral creature.

As Thorn was being held up by two different people, it was clear Thorn was unsteady for the moment. But he seemed well enough to flash Mr. Flower one of his typical toothy grins.

"Sorry I'm home so late babe, there's a- was an accident." He slurred, before completely slumping over unconscious.

Anything Mr. Flower was about to say was gone. His stomach dropped almost in tandem with Thorn's battered body. His expression had instantly gone from stern to scared.

Wordlessly, Mr. Flower rushed towards Thorn, along with the private nurses who had been notified a little earlier to be on stand by.

Nothing was said in that moment, aside from shortly phrased and direct instructions from the head nurse to promptly get Thorn to the medical wing and start treating his wounds.

It was a bit of a blur from there for Mr. Flower, all he could do was try to keep up. Admittedly he did feel somewhat under foot the entire transition from the foyer to the medical wing, but he didn't want to leave Thorn's side.

For a mercy, it seemed like most people in the manor understood that now. Especially when Mr. Flower was allowed to linger when so many times before he'd always be gently escorted out.

He wasn't sure if it was because the nurses were distracted as things were, or if everyone was aware of the nature of Mr. Flower's involvement with Thorn.

It wasn't exactly a secret, the budding romance that had grown between the two, but it wasn't something that was outwardly broadcasted either.

At least not on Mr. Flower's part. There was never any doubt of interest on Thorn's end and as such, their relationship always held a kind of ambiguity among manor staff.

But of course, folk gossiped.

Mr. Flower sighed, sitting stiffly in a chair in Thorn's room, off to the side but where he could watch the nurses as they worked.

According to one of them, Thorn had lost quite a bit of blood and on top of it was going to need to have some of his wounds stitched shut. But it seemed his private set up here in his own home was well equipped to deal with that.

No doubt that was a detail that was among the many, myiard questions Mr. Flower had for Thorn.

For now though, the rose monster was still very out cold on his hospital bed, hooked up to an IV and carefully patched up.

All that was left was to wait.

And wait Mr. Flower did- Or at least he tried.

It was already late into the night as things were and somewhere along the way, Mr. Flower had drifted off in his seat. But when he had awoken, things had quieted down considerably.

It was just him and Thorn for now, though no doubt someone would be in and out periodically to keep tabs on Thorn's vitals.

Mr. Flower yawned, quietly stretching his arms and legs out in his chair.

He scanned the room for a clock and then patted himself down to see if he had his phone on him.

Thankfully he did, flipping it open to read, "2:33 am".

Seemed Mr. Flower had been out for at least an hour, a fact backed up by the stiffness in his neck which he tried for a moment to fruitlessly massage out with his free hand.

The creature snapped his phone shut, tucking it into his back pocket as he rose to his feet.

His eyes fell upon the still unconscious form of his poor monster.

Mr. Flower approached, with almost careful steps, as if the state Thorn were in were fragile enough to be disturbed by one wrong move.

Mr. Flower knew Thorn better than that of course, but it was still difficult to see him in such bad shape.

It had been one of the worst conditions Thorn had ever come home in since Mr. Flower began working with him months ago. Every time Mr. Flower struggled to extract details from Thorn and every time Mr. Flower was met with insistence that he needn't be so concerned over the incidents.

"It was just a minor scuffle! Don't you worry your pretty little petals over it, alright?" Thorn's voice rang through Mr. Flower's head as he recalled a conversation they had had during the first few weeks of Mr. Flower's employment with Thorn.

"Well these minor scuffles seem to be happening more often. Just this week you've gone through two different vehicles because one was covered in bullet holes and the other was almost completely shredded!" Mr. Flower replied, his voice raised slightly, "it was like a beast had sunk its claws into it! What on earth are you doing out there?" Mr. Flower demanded, arms crossed as he stood before Thorn's desk.

The rose monster scoffed, flashing Mr. Flower an unbothered grin as he shrugged in response.

"What can I say, Void's a wild place." Thorn said, all too casually, reaching into one of the side drawers of his desk and retrieving a pack of smokes.

Mr. Flower was not the least bit amused.

He watched with a frown and knitted brows as Thorn lit a cigarette for himself, taking a long drag as he remained reclined in his large leather office chair, bandaged and bruised for the fourth time in almost a month.

"You'd think by now you'd learn to at least be a bit more careful." Mr. Flower muttered, the intensity of his gaze barely waning.

Thorn's however expression however, did soften from an almost teasing grin to a much more empathetic smile as he happily gazed back at his fiery flower.

"C'mere..." Thorn said, sitting upright in his chair as he beckoned Mr. Flower over.

Mr. Flower hesitated for a moment before he dropped his arms and made his way around Thorn's desk to stand before him.

Without warning, Thorn reached for Mr. Flower's hands, gripping them in his own gloved ones as he looked him in the eyes with such a reassuring smile.

"I promise you love, if it there was anything you needed to be concerned about you'd be the first to know."

That was what he had the gall to tell Mr. Flower all those months prior to this moment, but as Mr. Flower looked on the unconscious Thorn, one hand gripping his other arm nervously, he felt ill.

Whatever was driving Thorn to keep putting himself in these dangerous situations felt like something Mr. Flower should already know about.

"So much for that promise..." Mr. Flower said under his breath, his petals falling slightly just as his shoulders did.

It was late enough as it was, and it seemed to Mr. Flower that Thorn was likely going to stay out for the rest of the night.

Seeing as Mr. Flower was confident the nurses had things in order the tired creature felt he had no further reason to stick around.

Thorn was for the moment safe and that was all Mr. Flower could ask for but, just as he turned to make his exit he felt a firm, warm grip encompass the wrist closest to Thorn's bed.

Mr. Flower's ear petals perked and he jumped slightly, but quickly composed himself as he turned to face Thorn who still lay with his eyes closed.

His chest rose and fell steadily, then expanded in one big inhale as the wound riddled monster took a deep breath, as if he were just waking up from a harmless nap.

Thorn turned his head towards Mr. Flower, his spiral eyes fluttering open and he dared to greet Mr. Flower with such a soft smile.

It was of course, quite irksome for the creature then to find himself responding with such an overwhelming wave of affection and of course, true relief to see the rose monster awake again.

"How long was I out..?" Thorn asked, yawning as he spoke.

So annoyingly casual as usual, but perhaps that was a good thing in this case.

"Couple of hours." Said Mr. Flower. He looked at Thorn's blood bag, roughly a quarter of the way gone. "A nurse will probably be in soon to check in on you."

"Great. What time is it?" Thorn asked, head lolling back onto the bed as his eyes fluttered shut. Drowsy most likely.

"Almost three in the morning." Said Mr. Flower.

A thoughtful and affirming "hm" left Thorn's chest as the hand that rested on Mr. Flower's wrist gently and ever so slightly, worked its way up and down the creature's forearm.

Mr. Flower's ear petals twitched at the warm sensation of Thorn's hand on him. He almost wanted to grab the stupid thing and intertwine those fingers with his own.

But he had his priorities.

"It's late. You should be resting." Thorn mumbled.

Mr. Flower tensed lightly at that. "Can't. Needed to be here to make sure you were okay." He said. His voice still soft, quiet, but there was a subtle bite to the statement.

Thorn's eyes opened again, his hand stopping but still lingering on Mr. Flower's wrist as he met with Mr. Flower's sullen gaze.

Thorn seemed to contemplate something for a moment and for that moment, Mr. Flower braced himself for Thorn to make light of the situation as he normally did.

"I'm sorry." Were the unexpected words to leave Thorn's mouth, leaving Mr. Flower noticeably stunned for a second.

He quirked a brow as if questioning the validity of the simple claim or to wait for some sort of addendum. But nothing of the sort came.

Thorn sighed as a sad half smile brushed across his face and he shrugged somewhat.

"Well don't look so surprised, sweetheart." He said, "Look, I know I put you through a lot, and maybe things seem hard to understand right now, but I promise it'll all make sense." Thorn said, trying to adjust himself in his bed so that he might be able to sit upright, but was impeded by the sudden sharp and searing pain of his wounds.

Thorn grunted in pain and Mr. Flower grimaced along with him, as he sighed and shook his head.

"I don't understand why you can't just tell me what you're doing." He said in exasperation. "Do you not trust me? Have I not been good enough for you in all of this?" He went on, sounding more desperate as he spoke.

Thorn wanted to stop him, but struggled to get his voice out over the pain as he tried to settle back down in his bed.

He was forced to sit and listen, his hand leaving Mr. Flower's wrist to rest on his stomach.

"It's been almost two years since I met you, and almost a year since I started getting involved in your 'work'", Mr. Flower spat, "...but the only thing I've understood is that you don't want to tell me the full story of what it is you're actually doing around here! What is it all for!?" Mr. Flower went on. "And is it really worth all this?" Mr. Flower desperately questioned, motioning to the entirety of Thorn's bruised and tattered form as the rose monster sighed pathetically in place.

Thorn winced, finally finding a comfortable position, then looked up at his angry flower and simply smiled through knitted brows.

"Well, I think you make a lot of things worth it honestly" He said simply, and Mr. Flower's frown deepened.

"Don't. Don't make this out like this is all for me." He said bitingly, shaking his head as he spoke.

A soft breathy single laugh left Thorn's lips as he barely had to think about it.

"In a sense." He said, his gaze wandering to the floor for a bit, "I would have given up a long time ago if I hadn't met you." Said Thorn thoughtfully, fondly even.

Mr. Flower's frown softened and while his crown of petals drooped sadly, his ear petals had perked ever so slightly.

He was already feeling the creeping, annoying defeat crawling up his back as he looked at Thorn, who looked back with sudden unwavering enthusiasm.

"Maybe it was better we never met then." Mr. Flower tried to say, but the horribly optimistic look in his monster's spiral eyes ignited that terrible, comforting warmth inside of Mr. Flower. Like for a second, he could believe that maybe things would be okay.

"Can't really imagine things without you love." Thorn had the gall to say. "And that's why I need you to trust me." He said so boldly, so confidently. That ambition that fuelled Thorn constantly day in and day out was hardly obstructed by the state he was in and by whatever encounter had put him in it.

The way Thorn always looked at Mr. Flower made him wonder if he really was somehow at fault for that awful inextinguishable flame.

"I-... You're not giving me a lot to work with." Mr. Flower sighed, "not when you constantly leave me in the dark and leave me wondering if the next time I'm going to see you is in a body bag." He said with a heavy sigh, crossing his arms as his shoulders fell.

"Ha! you're not getting rid of me that easy." Thorn said as his usual sharp toothed grin returned to him in full.

Mr. Flower took a moment to take it in, feeling some tension leave him as he did. And still...

"I wish I could believe that."

Thorn's grin softened to a warm smile as he reached out for Mr. Flower's hand, who acquiesced after a moment's hesitation, ear petals pulled back yet still fanned out slightly.

"Well sweetheart, I haven't died yet," Thorn said matter-of-factly, "and I promise I have no intentions of dying before my plans are through." He finished with a grin, ending the claim with an assuring squeeze to Mr. Flower's hand.

The creature sighed and allowed himself to give way to a soft smile, still adorned with knitted brows but he smiled all the same. To the best of his ability.

"Fine, but that's a promise." Said Mr. Flower, and as Thorn planted a kiss on his hand he replied, "That's a promise."

Just as their conversation had come to an end, one of the nurses entered the room, her heels clicking steadily against the tile floor.

She came to an abrupt and slightly startled halt when she saw Mr. Flower with a very awake and seemingly alert Thorn.

"Oh-! I hope I'm not interrupting." She said, her eyes flicking between the two lovers. "I just came in to check up on things.

"Oh of course. I was just leaving." Mr. Flower said with a polite smile.

"It's probably for the best. It's late and you should get some rest." Thorn added, "I'll see you in the morning?" He went onto question, still holding onto Mr. Flower's hand, caressing it with his thumb.

"Yeah, of course. Good night." He said gently, giving Thorn one last affectionate gaze. But Thorn wasn't entirely satisfied with that, not until he abruptly pulled Mr. Flower forward and down enough for a quick kiss and a quiet "I love you" between them, knowing Mr. Flower wasn't always the fondest of open displays of affection.

So Thorn kept it brief and chuckled a little when he watched his flower exit the room a little bit flustered as the border collie nurse looked on with a stoic face but a wagging tail.

No doubt she'd have a lot to tell the other nurses later.

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