#mineral water plant business

[midseo]

Mineral Water Plant Business | Low Budget Mineral Water Plant 4000 LPH

[luckystorein22]

Is there any difference between different brands of mineral/bottled waters like Evian, Perrier, etc.? If so what are they and how significant are they?

When it comes to quenching our thirst, there's an abundant array of mineral and bottled water brands to choose from. From the iconic Evian to the bubbly Perrier, each brand claims to offer a unique and refreshing experience. But have you ever wondered if there are any significant differences among these brands? In this article, we'll delve into the variations between popular mineral/bottled water brands and explore their significance.

Source of Water: One of the primary factors that differentiate various brands of mineral/bottled waters is the source of water they use. Each brand carefully selects specific natural springs or aquifers, resulting in variations in taste and mineral content. For instance, Evian originates from the pristine French Alps, while Perrier sources its water from a naturally carbonated spring in Vergèze, France.

Mineral Composition: The mineral composition of water varies from brand to brand, giving each its distinct flavor profile. Some brands boast higher levels of minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium, while others may have lower mineral content. These differences can impact the taste and potential health benefits associated with the water.

Carbonation: Another key differentiating factor is the carbonation level in bottled waters. While some brands offer still (non-carbonated) water, others provide varying levels of carbonation. Perrier, for example, is renowned for its effervescent bubbles, which add a unique texture and refreshing experience.

Filtration and Purification: The methods used for filtration and purification can vary among different brands. Some brands utilize advanced filtration techniques, such as reverse osmosis or distillation, to remove impurities and enhance the taste. Others might employ a simpler process, like micron filtration or ozonation. These variations in purification methods can influence the overall quality and clarity of the water.

Packaging and Sustainability: Packaging choices also play a role in differentiating brands. Some prioritize eco-friendly packaging materials, such as recyclable bottles or packaging made from renewable resources. Others focus on convenient packaging options, like smaller-sized bottles for on-the-go consumption.

Significance of Differences: The significance of these differences largely depends on personal preferences and individual needs. Some people might have a more refined palate and appreciate the subtle variations in taste, while others may prioritize the health benefits associated with specific mineral compositions. It's important to note that all reputable bottled water brands adhere to stringent quality standards to ensure the safety and purity of their products.

Conclusion: While various mineral/bottled water brands like Evian, Perrier, and others share the common purpose of hydrating and refreshing, there are notable differences that set them apart. Factors such as the water source, mineral composition, carbonation, filtration, and packaging choices contribute to a unique experience for each brand. Ultimately, the significance of these differences depends on individual preferences and requirements. So, the next time you reach for a bottle of water, take a moment to savor the distinctive qualities of your chosen brand and enjoy the refreshment it provides.

[industrialsolutioniid]

Packaged Drinking Water Business

The packaged drinking water business is witnessing substantial growth driven by increasing demand for convenient and safe drinking water options. This dynamic sector presents numerous opportunities, ranging from projects centered on the health benefits of alkaline water to the establishment of bottled water manufacturing facilities. To thrive in this competitive environment, careful planning and a deep understanding of key factors are essential.

In-depth analysis, business plans, and market reports offer valuable insights into consumer preferences, competitor strategies, and industry trends within the packaged drinking water market. Tailoring marketing strategies to specific target demographics is crucial for enhancing brand awareness and expanding market reach. Reports focusing on alkaline water projects provide comprehensive evaluations of market feasibility, aiding entrepreneurs in making well-informed decisions.

Detailed plans for establishing alkaline water plants ensure optimal equipment selection, process implementation, and compliance with regulations. Familiarity with mineral water regulations, as demonstrated through mineral water plant setups, is vital for ensuring legal and ethical operations. Accurate cost estimations for setting up mineral water plants, alkaline water plants, and packaged drinking water plants facilitate sound investment decisions and efficient resource allocation.

By thoroughly researching these critical areas, aspiring entrepreneurs can unlock the full potential of the packaged drinking water business, establishing successful ventures. According to research, the bottled water market in India was valued at approximately $22.72 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach around $36.21 billion by 2030, with an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6% from 2023 to 2030.

[o-craven-canto]

Filters in the way of technologically advanced life in the universe and how likely I think they are

1. Abiogenesis (4.4-3-8 billion years ago): Total mystery. The fact that it happened so quickly on Earth (possibly as soon as there was abundant liquid water) is a tiny bit of evidence for it being easy. Amino acids and polycyclic hydrocarbons are very common in space, but nucleotides aren't, and all hypothetic models I've seen require very specific conditions and a precise sequence of steps. (It would be funny if the dozen different mechanisms proposed for abiogenesis were all happening independently somewhere.)

2. Oxygenic photosynthesis (3.5 billion years ago) (to fuel abundant biomass, and provide oxygen or some other oxidizer for fast metabolism): Not so sure. Photosynthesis is just good business sense -- sunlight is right there -- and appeared several times among bacteria. But the specific type of ultra-energetic photosynthesis that cracks water and releases oxygen appeared only once, in Cyanobacteria. That required merging two different photosynthetic apparati in a rather complex way; and all later adoptions of oxygenic photosynthesis involved incorporating Cyanobacteria by endosymbiosis. For all that it's so useful, I don't know if I'd expect to see it on every living planet.

3. Eukaryotic cell (2.4 billion years ago?): Probably the narrowest bottleneck on the list. Segregated mitochondria with their own genes and a nucleus protecting the main genome are extremely useful both for energy production (decentralized control to maximize production without overloading) and for genetic storage (less DNA damage due to reactive metabolic waste). But there's a chicken-and-egg problem in which incorporating mitochondria to make energy requires an adjustable cytoskeleton, but that consumes so much energy it would require mitochondria already in place. Current models have found solutions that involve a very specific series of events. Or maybe not? Metabolic symbiosis, per se, is common, and there may have been other ways to gene-energy segregation. Besides, after the origin of eukaryotes, endosymbiosis occurred at least nine more times, and even some bacteria can incorporate smaller cells.

4. Sexual reproduction (by 1.2 billion years ago): Without meiotic sex (combining mutations from different lineages, decoupling useful traits from harmful ones, translating a gene in multiple way), the evolution of complex beings is going to be painfully slow. Bacteria already swap genes to an extent, and sexual recombination is bundled in with the origin of eukaryotes so I probably shouldn't count it separately (meiosis is just as energy-intensive as any other use of the cytoskeleton). Once you have recombination, life cycles with spores or gametes and sex differentiation probably follow almost inevitably.

5. Multicellularity (800 million years ago?): Quite common, actually. Happens all the time among eukaryotes, and once in a very limited form even among bacteria. Now we'd want complex organized bodies with geometry-defining genes, but even that happened thrice: in plants, fungi, and animals. As far as I know, various groups of yeasts are the only regressions to unicellularity.

6. Brains and sense organs (600 million years ago): Nerve cells arose either once or twice, depending on whether Ctenophora (comb-jellies) and Eumetazoa (all other animals except sponges) form a single clade or not. Some form of cellular sensing and communication is universal in life, though, so a tissue specialized for signal transmission is probably near inevitable once you have multicellular organisms whose lifestyle depends on moving and interacting with the environment. Sense organs that work at a distance are also needed, but image-forming eyes evolved in six phyla, so no danger there (and there's so many other potential forms of communication!). Just to be safe, you'll also want muscles and maybe mineralized skeletons on the list, but I don't think either is particularly problematic. An articulated skeleton is probably better than a rigid shell, but we still have multiple examples of that (polyplacophorans, brittle stars, arthropods, vertebrates).

7. Life on land (400 million years ago): (Adding this because air has a lot more oxygen to fuel brains than water (the most intelligent aquatic beings are air-breathers), and technology in water has the issue of fire.) You're going to need a waterproof integument, some kind of rigid support system, and kidneys to regulate water balance. Plenty of animal lineages moved on land: vertebrates, insects, millipedes, spiders, scorpions, multiple types of crabs, snails, earthworms, etc. Note that most of those are arthropods: this step seems to favor exoskeletons, which help a great deal in retaining water. Of course this depends on plants getting on land first, which on Earth happened only once, and required the invention of spores and cuticles. (Actually there are polar environments where all photosynthesis occurs in water, but they are recently settled and hardly the most productive.)

8. Human-like intelligence (a few million years ago?): There seems to a be a general trend in which the max intelligence attainable by animals on Earth has increased over time. There's quite a lot of animals today that approach or rival apes in intelligence: elephants, toothed cetaceans, various carnivorans, corvids, parrots, octopodes, and there's even intriguing data about jumping spiders. Birds seem to have developed neocortex-like brain structures independently. Of course humans got much farther, but the fact that even other human species are gone suggests that a planet is not big enough for more than one sophont, so the uniqueness of humans might not necessarily imply low probability. (We seem to exist about halfway through the habitability span of Earth land, FWIW.) The evolution of sociality should probably be lumped here: we'll want a species that can teach skills to its offspring and cooperate on tasks. But sociality is also a common and useful adaptation: many species on our list (octopodes are a glaring exception) are intensely social and care for their offspring. I mentioned above that the land-step favors exoskeletal beings, which in turns favors small size; but the size ranges of large land arthropods and very intelligent birds overlap, so that's not disqualifying.

9. Agriculture and urban civilization (11,000 years ago): Agriculture arrived quite late in the history of our species, but when it arrived -- i.e. at the end of the Wurm glaciation -- it arrived independently in four to eight different places around the world, in different biogeographic realms and climates, so I must assume that at least some climate regimes are great for it (glacial cycles are a minority of Earth's history; but did agriculture need to come after glaciations? Maybe a shock of seasonality did the trick). And once you have agriculture, complex urbanized societies follow most of the time, just a few millennia later. Even writing arose at least three times (Near East, China, and Mexico), and then spread quickly.

10. Scientific method and industrialization (300 years ago): We're getting too far from my expertise here, but whatever. The Eurasian Axial Age suggests that all civilizations with a certain degree of wealth, literacy, and interconnection will spawn a variety of philosophies. Philosophical schools that focus on material causes and effects like the Ionians or Charvaka have appeared sometimes, but often didn't win over more supernaturalist schools. Perhaps in pre-industrial times pure materialism isn't as useful! You may need to thread a needle between interconnected enough to exchange and combine ideas, and also decentralized enough that the intellectual elite can't quash heterodoxy. As for industrialization, that too happened only once, though that's another case in which the first achiever would snuff out any other. I hear Song China is a popular contender for alternative Industrial Revolutions (with coal-powered steelworks!); Imperial Rome and the Abbasid Caliphate are less convincing ones. For whatever reason, it didn't take until 18th century Britain.

11. Not dying randomly along the way: Mass extinctions killing off a majority of species happened over and over -- the Permian Great Dying, the Chicxulub impact, the early Oxygen Crisis -- but life has always rebounded fairly quickly and effectively. It's hard enough to sterilize an agar plate, let alone a planet. Disasters on this scale are also unlikely to happen in the lifespan of planet-bound civilizations, unless of course the civilizations are causing them. A civilization might still face catastrophic climate change, mega-pandemics, and nuclear war, not to mention lesser setbacks like culture-wide stagnation or collapse, and I couldn't begin to estimate how common, or ruinous, they would actually be.

****

I have no idea how common the origin of life is, but the vast majority of planets with life will only have bacterial mats and stromatolites. Of the tiny sliver that evolved complex cells, a good chunk will have their equivalents of plants and animals, most of which may have intelligent life at least on primate- or cetacean-level at some later point. At any given time, a tiny fraction of those will have agricultural civilizations, at an even tinier fraction of that will have post-industrial science and technology. Let's say maybe 1 planet with industrial technology out of 100 with agriculture, 100,000 with hominid-level intelligence, 10 million with animal-like organisms, 100 millions with complex cells, and 10 billions with life at all?

[carionto]

Too tough for paradise

One peculiar side effect of Humans hailing from a Deathworld is that their biological well-being is partly dependent on some degree of microscopic hostility from the environment and what they consume.

It is normal among most species that, should their surroundings change to more hospitable conditions, their minds and bodies would feel relief and be under less stress. However, as with any changes, if they deviate too far too quickly from their normal, you risk damage from a sudden shock to the system.

___________________________

Abigail "Abby" Hostaz had been legally grounded by the Gyin-Trov due to her, ahem, "expansion of business" without the right permits. Not that she bothered to learn that nobody outside Human controlled space in the Galactic Coalition would allow the creation of a deadly asteroid race track AND let sentient beings directly pilot ships through it.

Hell, finding an Alien crazy enough to partake in an activity even most Humans consider insane is one in a trillion. She still did find seven non-Humans, so that math actually is within a reasonable margin. Everything else is not reasonable.

The local Gyin-Trov government learned of the true nature of her activities when a rogue asteroid suddenly appeared on their threat detection systems. The unnatural change of course quickly pointed to where she had set up her latest "thrill track", which the authorities rapidly dismantled, impounded her vessel, named "Victor", and put her under house arrest in the Human embassy awaiting the conclusion of the investigation and subsequent trial.

While station based embassies are effectively fully contained perfect habitats for the respective species, planet based ones tend to adopt a lot of the local elements and integrate what they can simply due to proximity and availability.

Humans, the resourceful buggers that they are, used everything the planet had to offer (that wasn't outright lethal to Humans, which in the case of the Gyin-Trov homeworld were only a few pollen producing crops found in the poles of the planet).

A combination of a almost perfect temperature range (near constant lows of 14C at night, highs of 21C mid-day), slightly higher moisture levels, and bio-engineered local flora that made the water into this somewhat thicker soup containing virtually every nutrient, vitamin and mineral a carbon-based lifeform could ever want, leaving little for the digestive system to tackle. Heck, just being within a field of such plants lets the body absorb everything for healthy survival.

In short, the Gyin-Trov homeworld, also named Gyin-Trov, is as close to Utopia as you can get.

Aaaaaaand Abby is not having a fun time there.

It's not like she was imprisoned - she was allowed to wander around the city and surrounding area under light supervision, she even had her cat, Hector, with her. But there just wasn't enough excitement to be found anywhere.

They had arcades and various physical activities, but she never felt her body grow tired after hours of competitive gaming and contests. No feeling of hunger or exhaustion ever disturbed her focus. The only thing that kept Abby from becoming, essentially, a zombie perpetually engaged in whatever activity was most fun at the moment was the inherent nature of the Human brain - it gets... wobbly after a while and needs sleep.

Not even a week had passed and people noticed Abby had become... different. No strong reactions to anything, no outbursts of some crazy ideas, just a general positive but not quite cheerful apathy. The Human ambassadors had experienced a much milder version of this, and it is theorized that they did not deem it as concerning due to the simple fact the ambassadors always had something to do, and more importantly - something that put their minds, if not bodies, to the test. Regular challenges, worries, and stress from work in general kept them on edge in some ways.

Abby was just waiting around, "put on vacation" as one of the ambassadors had put it. After a couple of more days of this peace, she seemed more like a automaton than anything else. Mindlessly going from place to place, trying out whatever activities were available, but clearly none offered anything close to the level of excitement and danger she had grown so used to. Not even the flawed thirty year old Human body she was in offered any surprises or discomforts.

Everything was just perfectly fine.

When the paperwork finally cleared and she was issued a fine and formally banned from engaging in any construction efforts in Gyin-Trov controlled space, she was reunited with Victor, and the personality changes she had undergone during her short time were seemingly instantly reversed.

Once she was in her ship and the self-diagnostics showed a few blinking lights, Abby immediately became energized and took action. Breathing in the recycled air with a hint of dry rust made that old bruise on her right side make itself known again. She pulled an all-nighter making repairs and "adjustments" to Victor and collapsed from exhaustion on the hard floor.

The next day, she was already near the border to neutral space when she noticed a dwarf planet with a rock formation in the shape of a trebuchet (very vaguely, if you squint really, really hard, and imagine half of the parts), and that gave her an idea.

All the while, Hector the cat did not exhibit any noticeable changes during his stay with Abby on Gyin-Trov. Maybe just a few more hours of sleep per day than normal.

[ahollowgrave]

Steer (verb): to direct the course of.  A young nun far from home. Some waterway of Vylbrand.

Wooden plants creak in protest as the ferry glides through water pushing the opposite direction. The ferryman whistles a tune as he gazes forward, his work second nature to him. You marvel at it. Watch as his arm flexes and the ferry effortlessly pivots past an outcropping of bright white stone. The canyon river is narrow and winding and he knows it well. His eyes - a velvety brown - catch yours and his big mustache bends with a smile and a wink.

You look away, embarrassed.  Lean over the edge of the boat. The water here is impossibly clear and you can see the smooth pebbles at the bottom. Schools of fish drift by, and minerals and rocks glint in the afternoon light. You spot and identify several useful water plants before the flow of water begins to make you dizzy. 

You could not bear to catch the ferryman’s eye again. Your stomach clenching at the mere idea. Thankfully, the ferry is full. Farmhands lean against one another, hats pulled low as they doze. Their hands are weathered with dirt packed under the nails, in the knuckles. They breathe in sync. A trio of adventurers in the front have a map out; they’ve been arguing in hushed voices since boarding. They talk over each other in familiar patterns. A child leans over the edge of the boat, their mother’s fingers clutching the back of their tunic. She points out a turtle sunning itself on a rock. Their laughs match.

A sharp, green shoot of yearning sprouts along your rib, pierces the soft muscle of your heart. 

Your pack rests solidly against your legs. A short but effective wall between the seat you claimed and the rest of the passengers. It isn’t personal, you try to say with your expression, you just need your space. 

The ferryman’s hands pull the rudder and the boat responds in a graceful, slowing turn. It comes to a stop with a gentle bump against the dock. There is a chorus of rough laughter from the bow and as you watch the adventurers clap each other on the back, share long-lived grins. They’ve had that argument before and they’ll have it at least twice more before it’s done. The mother and her child are the first ones off, carefully aided by dockworkers. The child squeals with laughter as a worker pulls a flower from behind their ear. You rub at your chest. Falling in behind the farmhands you shoulder your pack. You will lose your fellow passengers soon -- to the crowd and to their paths. You don’t know their names and only some of their faces yet still you grieve these minuscule relationships.

Laughter and song pour out onto the street from an open door. An tavern, bustling and busy in the middle of the day, bards reciting old favorites. From the street you glimpse skirts flaring in the steps of a spirited dance; flowers blooming with each turn. It would be easy enough to slip inside, find a corner to claim, build more tiny relationships between strangers.

The letter you carry -- carefully folded in your chest pocket -- is time-sensitive. And the address it bids you travel to is far from this harbor town. Isolated. You linger. You could delay your trip for a day, perhaps two. 

You leave the open door behind. Guided, as always, by the chilled hand of your most holy bride.

[earth-ambassador-jim]

Time Has Passed Me By

AO3 ~ Fanfiction

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

~~~~

~~~~

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

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

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

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

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

“Jim!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Finally they were sufficiently far from the village.

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

He moved to stand behind the troll.

“Greetings,” He said in trollish.

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

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

Draal hesitated and then replied: “Arcadia.”

The troll blinked and his brows went up.

“Like Heartstone Troll Market Arcadia?”

Draal nodded.

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

Draal nodded again.

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

“What country is this?” Draal asked slowly.

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

“Oh this is France.”

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

“What where you doing talking to those humans?”

Smleck cocked his head in confusion.

“They’re my friends…?”

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

“What are you talking about?”

They stared at each other for a long moment.

“Also how where you out in the sunlight?”

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

“It seems so,” Draal said.

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

“Do you know what year it is?”

“By the human or troll standard?”

Smleck blinked slightly.

“Umm, let’s go with human.”

“2016,” Draal responded.

Smleck’s mouth fell open.

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

Draal frowned.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I can do you one better actually.”

~~~~

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

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

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

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

~~~~

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

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

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

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

There were no new statues to be seen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Draal?” He breathed out.

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

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

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

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

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

“Know?” He blinked at Draal.

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

The two jumped apart as an ax fell between them.

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

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

With a roar Draal lunged forward.

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

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

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

It was bad timing that got him in the end.

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

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

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

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

“Jim?” He whispered. “But how?”

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

Draal took his hand and was pulled to safety.

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

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

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

Draal nodded.

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

“I don’t know,” Draal said.

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

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

He side-eyed Jim.

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

Jim chuckled.

“A half-troll you mean?”

Draal blinked at that.

“Half?”

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

“Merlin?!”

Jim nodded.

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

“Into a… half-troll?”

Jim nodded.

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

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

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

They stared at each other for a long moment.

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

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

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

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

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

“Oh,” Draal said, surprised.

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

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

Something settled in his chest.

“Trollhunter… Jim.”

Jim looked up at him.

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

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

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

They drew apart.

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

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

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

“With pleasure.”

[remington-the-witch]

Saturday Correspondences📜

Happy Saturday! ☁️ It's raining over here which is quite refreshing. Try to capture some water if it's raining near you as well!

Below is a list of correspondences for Saturday from my grimoire. I believe I jot this down from a book I read which should be sourced below.

A reminder that correspondences can be different for everyone! Don't feel like you have to abide by this list. Anything can resonate differently for everyone. Your path is your own!! 😊

Zodiac: Aquarius ♒🏺

Solar System: Saturn

Colors: Black, Gray (dark), Indigo, Purple (dark)

Rune: Dag

Tarot: Temperance, Swords (Knight, 2)

Number: 7

Trees: Alder, Cypress, Hawthorn, Pomegranate

Herb & Garden: Morning Glory, Thyme

Misc. Plants: Mullein, Myrrh

Gemstones & Minerals: Amethyst, Apache Tears, Diamond, Hematite, Jet, Labradorite, Turquoise

Goddess: Hecate

God: Saturn

Magical: Fairies

Issues, Intentions & Powers: Banish, bind, business, death, discipline (self), freedom, justice, karma, life, limitations/boundaries, money, motivation, negativity, obstacles, peace, problems, protection, willpower, wisdom

Source - Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences, Sandra Kynes

[eywaseclipse]

What They Smell Like

Jake: 

back on Earth he grew accustomed to the many scents of ongoing pollution; so one of the ways to help cover up the pungent odors was with Axe body spray 

Now Na’vi he wears his natural musky scent, deeply earthy, like freshly fallen rain

He enjoys his bathing rituals on Pandora due to the rich minerals in the waters, doing wonders for the hair and skin 

He smells quite fresh usually, unless busy with Olo’eyktan duties so he freshens up

His kids have no problem teasing him to tell him he stinks (even though he doesn’t. They’re just being kids) 

Neytiri: 

she favors the floral scents, having been apprenticing under her mother for many years now she makes her own salves, tonics, body oils and perfumes 

mostly consisting of Kllpxiwll (lionberry) Paywll (an aloe like plant), and sometimes banana fruit from eating it

The scents she wears she writes down for kiri because of her interest in flora and fauna as well 

Neteyam: 

it’s no secret the eldest sully is well kept and put together physically, but he also takes great pride in his personal hygiene and care 

usually smelling like fresh white musk, and Tumpasuk (red-orange berry) he smells sweet and earthy 

learning to press oils together for his braids, he opts for the Tumpasuk as its potent serum helps to maintain a healthy scalp and shine 

he and Lo’ak have seen the lab guys use human hygiene products like shampoo, cologne and soap that he sometimes see Lo’ak use 

he was given some old cologne from norm that he took a liking to called “dolce& gabbana light blue” although he can’t pronounce it, it smells incredible 

Lo’ak: 

usually out in the forest causing trouble with spider, he’s adapted to more loose hygiene ways, until spider and him went to the lab to see all the human things that spider has to use when he goes back to the base at the end of the day

Lo’ak took a liking to one of the guys’ axe body spray but spider made him throw it out because “only douchebags wear that”

his fascination with sky people objects has him opting for more chemistry related smells  like old spice 

his way of smelling clean is now carrying old spice deodorant wherever he goes because he’s paranoid of stinking 

Tuk: 

Tuk absolutely adores her siblings and does her best to mimic them in many ways 

she has taken a liking to both the healing ways of her grandmother and some of the human products 

she loves the scientists who constantly give her packs of Hubba Bubba Bubblegum so she usually has a pack of it on her at all times 

she smells sweet like bubblegum from her endless supply, and the Healing Rose oil Neytiri made for her to put in her growing braids and to moisturize her skin 

Lo’ak has on occasion brought back a green apple scent 3 in 1 body wash she liked when they visited the lab too 

Kiri:

constantly exploring the forest and learning of the healing properties from her grandmother she has mastered the art of making her own shampoos, body exfoliants, balms, and cold pressed oils 

she spends much time in the grass, smelling fresh like rainfall and sweet like the flowers around her 

one of her favorite plants is the Lily Pad Tree, the leaves produce a sweet smelling flower she presses into oils and perfumes, along with the citrusy smell of the Pineapple Plant 

her favorite pastime is making shampoos and cold pressed oils for her friends and family as gifts 

Bonus! my oc Tani: 

it’s no secret the lifestyle of an aspiring hunter like herself is rigorous and action packed, but on her down time she thoroughly enjoys spending time with Kiri learning how to make the products from scratch like balms, salves and even body butters 

her favorite scent is a combination of Kllpxiwll (lionberry), musk, and the spicy smelling nectar from the Txumpaywll (Scorpion Thistle) although a deadly carnivorous plant, the nectar can be harvested and used for eating and making natural perfumes, pressed oils and more 

she takes pride in changing her braids every month, using handmade shampoos and oils to keep her hair and scalp healthy; usually using the Healing Rose oil Kiri and Neytiri make together for her

her favorite fruit is the banana fruit, which has a thick calcium rich skin that can be ground and mixed into a rich body butter one of her coveted  products 

felt like dropping this as a little treat:) as a thank you for following me and reading my work. all flora and fauna mentioned are real plants that are on avatar wiki. I have take some artistic licenses with their uses and such. but it's actually 95% canon.

[citrineandrosmarin]

30 Days of Deity Devotion - Athena

Day 10: Offerings, Historical and UPG

(Feel free to comment your own additions!)

Minerals

Sodalite, Lapis Lazuli, Fluorite, Gold, Blue Aventurine, Bronzite, Blue Calcite, Iolite, Kyanite, Lepidolite, Moonstones, Obsidian, Onyx, Smoky Quartz, Tourmalinated Quartz, Ruby, Snowy Quartz, Tiger Eye, Tiger Iron, Zoisite

Plants

Olive, Rosemary, Mint, Thyme, Orange, Cypress, Ivy, Oregano, Yarrow, Oak, Peppers, Basil, Pine, Marigold, Dandelion, Geranium, Tiger Lily, Hellebore

Incense and Candle Scents

Most aromatic herbs, Dragon’s Blood, Musk, Cedarwood, Cinnamon, Pine, Frankincense, Myrrh, Oakmoss & Amber, Blood Orange, Apple & Cinnamon, Peppermint & Nutmeg, Orange Cinnamon and Clove, Vanilla, American Rosewood, and the incenses "Tree of Life", "Pagan Spell", and "Celestial Bliss"

Food and Drink

Olives and Olive oil, Water, Diluted Wine, Grapes, Honey, Bread, Cakes, Most Fruit, Fish, Rooibos (Redbush) Tea, Mint Icecream, Raspberry, Chocolate, Red Grapefruit, Cheese, Cookies

Items

Candles (Particularly blue or white ones)

Any kind of craft such as crochet, knitting, pottery, sculpture, etc.

Books, especially non-fiction

Art of any kind

Snake shed

A playlist or moodboard dedicated to her

Any study materials such as pens, notebooks and dedicated devices

Grades and Documentation related to your studies

Any imagery of her or her symbols

Devotional Acts

Cultivating intellect - Research. Studying. Reading non-fiction. Watching documentaries or video essays. Reading essays on topics you're interested in. Learning or practicing a skill. Developing critical thinking skills. Developing debating skills. Learning about her, mythology, or ancient Greek society.

Utilizing intellect - Strategy games. Coding. Planning of any kind, especially business-related. Being inventive. Tutoring. Teaching your friends about something.

Crafting - Weaving, knitting, crochet, macrame or other textile crafts.

Physical Cultivation - Exercise. Going to the gym. Learning self-defense or a martial art. Learning stage combat. Doing an archery or sword fighting course.

Activism - Researching and supporting just causes. Attending a protest. Uplifting the voices of those who are often silenced. Signing petitions. Learn about the gender pay gap, glass ceilings, class cliffs, etc.

Justice & Law - Learn about your rights. Jury Duty. Learn about how the justice system works and how it does not work. Voting.

Miscellaneous - Using olive oil. Learn about her sacred animals. Meditation. Donating to LGBTQIA+ organizations. Colony sim games such as Civilization.

[princess-of-thebes-1995]

This is the first chapter of the series called obsession. Your yandere boyfriend was Colonel Miles Quaritch. You are both humans. Anyway, you loved him but then suddenly you got presents and been getting a secret admirer. You thought it was Quaritch. He said he never did those things.

Chapter One.

You were told to meet the Squad at the bar of the base. You never went there before you dated him. The Head of Security. Colonel Miles Quaritch.

The second in command of base.

In reality, he was the real leader of the base. Selfridge was just rich. He didn't know how to operate computers or do paperwork and more.

Which was why he would make you do it.

You were a medic scientist in the lab department. And sadly, even Selfridge's secretary.

He saw your reports and deemed you organized and eloquent.

So, he "asked" you to do some errands.

You didn't mind helping out. You were a kind person. But sometimes, like a spoiled brat, he would throw tantrums and would yell and scream at you in public.

He would verbally abuse you with sexist insults.

That was when you first met him. The colonel stepped in and reminded him to not be rude to a lady. You were smitten by his chivalry and his charm.

"Thank you for earlier, sir."

The Colonel nodded. He asked you for your name. You heard of the Colonel but never seen him.

You heard he was a mean brute. But that rumor was wrong.

He then invited you to dinner. Your first date. He was a gentleman. You felt safe with him.

Soon. He stole your heart. You were so in love with him. The first man you loved. You didn't know you were attracted to older men before you met him.

He made you move to his room. And he helped the science lab with money and equipment. And his Marine soldiers would help out the scientists. By going on field trips in the jungle to gather plants and study and do more stuff.

So to return the favor. You gave the Colonel your v card. You submitted to him and he seemed to enjoy your company.

Sadly, thanks to the attack on the base by Navis. The Colonel and Selfridge had more work and drama.

You still pleasured him at night. But he would leave in the morning and you would never see him since.

Now, after months. The work was finished. To celebrate. The Colonel invited you to the party. You wore a gold sequined dress you ordered from earth in the catalog.

You were walking towards the bar and heard a voice. It was Trudy. You greeted your friend. The two of you giggled and chatted. Finally, at the bar. It was crowded. There were heavy drinkers jeering and acting foolish. Trudy pointed to an empty table.

She ordered a drink. You didn't drink alcohol because of your religion. So you ordered water.

As you were busy with your friend. You didn't the Colonel. He was talking to a subordinate. Nicknamed Strider.

Strider then noticed you and Trudy walk in the bar. He whistled and looked at the Colonel. "That girl in the dress is so fuckin'fine."

The Colonel narrowed his eyes. He felt fire in him. He looked over at you and you didn't notice him. Then Spellman joined the table and kissed Trudy.

The Colonel looked at Strider with stern eyes. "She's mine. She belongs to me."

Strider's eyes widened in fear. He then slightly bowed his head and walked away from the Colonel.

The Colonel chugged down his remaining beer. He was pissed again. He was sick of the murmurs. The ones who knew about you and him would whisper how he was too old to date.

And that he was a dirty old man. A pervert. Pedophile even though you are a young new adult. The worst was that you were using him for money. Like a gold digger. And you would leave him for someone younger when finished with him. And the men who doesn't know of you would flirt with you.

Trudy and Norman left the table and you were all alone.

The colonel saw some soldiers and other staff like miners ogling at you. That's it.

He put down his glass on the table of the pub and walked to you.

You were surprised to see the Colonel walk up to you looking so mad. You gulped. Before you could say anything, he grabbed your hand and led you out of the bar.

He walked ahead of you down the halls.

"Colonel where are we goi-?"

The man looked over his shoulder and cut you off with a scary glare.

You shut up and followed. He was walking so fast. You lost one of your sandals as you tripped on the floor. He grabbed you up and led you to his room.

He pushed you inside.

....

You stared at the ceiling with wide eyes. The Colonel was never rough. He was not soft in bed. But this time. He almost choked you with his tongue. He pumped inside you harder than usual. You bled like a virgin again. And he gave you painful love bites.

Like he was a rabid beast.

The Colonel rolled off of you tired. He normally would kiss you and gather you in his arms and sleep together. He just ignored you.

What did you do wrong?

....

You were sad over what happened that night. Quaritch became more controlling. He would follow you more around outside the room. He would not let you go to the supply store or garden without him.

As if he didn't trust you.

You still loved him. But you missed the old Quaritch. Was this the end of the honey moon phase.

"what are you thinking about?"

You looked across the table to see him studying you with suspicion.

"nothing important, my love." You smiled.

He sighed. "Please don't lie to me. I hate that shit."

"I am scared I might get into trouble by you."

The Colonel gave you a hard look. "Fine. I won't be mad. Just say it."

You shrugged. "You've been mean to me lately. Did I do something?"

The Colonel blinked. He sighed as if he was tired. He rub his temples. " I know. Lots of shit has been going on this to blue monkeys."

You dropped the subject. You found the Navis rather cute. You liked their way of living in the natural world. You hated city life.

You then decided to unwind him. You pleasured him in the bed and he fell asleep.

....

It was four in the morning when you heard rustling. The Colonel's back was towards you. He was dressed in his Marine uniform and was sitting on the edge of his side of the bed putting on his boots as quietly as possible. Your heart melted when you realized he didn't want to wake you.

He must have a mission in the jungle with his soldiers. You were scared for his safety due to predators.

You slid your delicate hands under his armpits and placed your hands on his chest. You pressed your naked body against his muscular back. You kissed his neck. You felt him stiffen.

"please don't go."

The Colonel continued getting dressed. "Don't be stupid. I got a job to do."

You asked him when he will be back.

"I will be back as soon as I can." He stood up and then turned to you.

You smiled and walked to him. You grabbed his face gently and kissed him. Suddenly. He then placed a hand on the back of your head and kissed you roughly.

You moaned and his dick started to be filled with semen. Then the Colonel forcefully pulled away from you then left without looking at you.

Fuck. He was tempted to lie and say he was sick to take a day off. He didn't want to look weak. So, he had to leave you to avoid temptation. He couldn't wait to fuck you when he gets back. Having a no talent boss who can't do shit on his own but do golf in his office and his job was tiresome as hell.

He feels pity for you to be a medic scientist and Selfridge's secretary. But, he was scared Parker would fire you and send you to earth. If the Colonel had his way. You wouldn't have to work.

Life is a bitch Indeed.

[pancakeke]

plant store had one of these terrariums on display plus some product brochures and let me tell ya I was crying and punching drywall cause I could not justify the expense.

its light seemed kinda sus though. the one on display was not especially bright. and the brochure was weirdly deceptive about random stuff. like it said the body of the terrarium is acrylic because acrylic is a superior material compared to glass because glass has a green tint. except there are different formulations of glass? standard glass has iron in it that results in a green tint but low iron glass exists and is nearly as colorless as acrylic. fish and reptile people find low iron glass products easily enough that it can't be particularly uncommon in manufacturing. I don't understand why the brochure felt the need to mention glass color in the first place. there was a whole page with a big graphic about it.

a part of the brochure about the terrarium's misting system was a lie + deceptive in a way that really pissed me off too. it said regular water would permanently cloud the acrylic surface. bizarre and untrue statement. any potential clouding would be comprised of calcium + other mineral deposits which are easy to remove. tho you shouldn't put water containing minerals in a sonic humidifier in the first place. mineral buildup would add additional stress/wear to the unit plus you'll have to regularly descale it cause enough scale might prevent mist from forming

this section also pushed bottles of special mister water (which they sold). it said they were the only water that should ever be added to the mister. they're just selling distilled water without elaborating on what it really is so you don't know you can buy the same shit for cheap at any grocery store.

ok you know what actually made myself really mad now and I don't like this thing anymore. fuck off with business practices like this.

[im-writing-extra]

finally finished chapter four and I’m going to do some good work on chapter five. that one is my fave so far

I am sorry that’s we’ve been slow to the romance. We’ll get there I PROMISE and then there’s no going back🤭

table of contents

chapter 4 - reference this open part of me

The humming gets louder with each step and with each crunch of dirt under your boots, you become more of the cave.

Ghosts of Jelucani miners pass by you, going about their business at first. You hear the clang of their picks and taste metal on your tongue. The peaceful visions soon transform into horror, as the ghosts rush past you with faces distorted by fear. 

You feel it, terrible and visceral. Your heart’s beating faster than it should, and you grip your lightsaber tighter. The blue light mingles with the yellow from Yord’s, casting a not-quite green glow but the only thing really keeping you grounded is the sound of the nearby kyber crystal.

“We’re close,” you grit out in response to Yord’s unasked question. “Turn here.”

“It’s off the path,” Yord says, but he follows anyway.

You turn a sharp corner and find yourselves in a large cavern with multiple outlets. The two of you switch off your lightsabers; the cavern shines with a luminous glow from the kyber crystal, embedded on a wall of fogstone.

“Well,” says Yord. “We found the crystal. But no monsters. I wonder if there’s a toxin in here that’s been causing hallucinations.”

You shake your head, eyes fixed on the kyber. “Absolutely not. Just because we haven’t seen anything doesn’t mean it’s safe. We’ll get the crystal then we’ll keep going.”

Yord isn’t paying attention. “I hear something,” he says. “I’ll be right back.”

“No, wait, Yord-“ you say but it’s too late, he’s disappeared. You sigh. So much for all his talk about sticking together. Oh well. He’s not far off, and you’ll join him in a moment. 

The kyber crystal is high out of reach, but it’s going to be an easy enough climb to get it. You take a step and in the space it takes to blink, you’re in a desert.

Navy blue sand forms large, barren dunes under a bloodied sun filtered by clouds of smoke. The air is stifling, and reeks of death.

You can feel the cave no longer. Yord’s heartbeat is far from you, and for a brief moment you wonder if you’ve died.

But no. This cannot be what it means to become one with the Force. There is no peace, no serenity.

There is only emptiness.

No.

I am one with the Force.

You spin, lightsaber ignited against an arm swinging toward you. They meet with a buzzing clang and for a moment, your blade crackles. For the first time, you are really and truly afraid.

This has nothing to do with the nervousness you felt the night before. This is fear, real and palpable.

The arm pulls away, fades into smoke, and reforms into a being.

“Jedi,” it hisses.

Your lightsaber is still in a defensive position. This is the Force, corrupted as the Sith of old. Chills spread up your arms, and your chest tightens. You have no frame of reference for what stands before you but as you will dark sand out of your eyes, you know.

There is no way out but through.

“Let me go in peace,” you say despite the fear settling in your chest, “or we will continue in violence.”

The entire desert shakes in laughter. You watch as the sun descends, splitting into two as the smoke being grows to fill the air around you.

The ends of your hair begin to singe with the heat, but you dig your heels into the sand. The newly-formed twin suns blink and you realize they have become eyes.

“You cannot kill me, Jedi. I know who you are. You serve a cause that does not care for you. One of hypocrisy. One that turns a blind eye to way of the world. I exist to bring order to the galaxy. Your fear consumes you. I am inside of every living thing. I am inside of you.”

You smile. The being has made a critical mistake. You are no longer afraid as you breathe in, feeling the desert plants gasping for water and the buried bones of those come before you. All are one.

“You’re wrong,” you say simply. You think of Master Yoda and of Yord. Sweet Yord who has been there from the beginning; so inflexible with his ideas of propriety, but never once has he let you down. “The Jedi do care for me. You, however, do not. I feel the bones of Jedi beneath this sand; you would consume me as you did them. You say you know me, but who are you?”

The being rumbles, “I am Death.”

“I am one with the Force. What is death but a different sort of life?”

The being laughs, distorts, multiplies. “Then I am mistaken,” it choruses. “I am Nothing. I am the End.” Smoke races toward you but you don’t swing at it; instead you hold your lightsaber high as a beacon. You’re listening, straining your ears.

One of the most useful things Master Yoda ever taught you was that if there is at least one way in, there is at least one way out. You’re certain your step toward the kyber crystal is what brought you here, so you listen until you hear exactly two things:

The first is Yord, breathing in and out.

The second is the low hum of the kyber crystal.

You close your eyes, smoke clogging your lungs and vision as you press forward toward the sound.

In your mind’s eye, you see the cavern. You see the crystal shining with a dim glow on its fogstone shelf.

Hands grab at your shoulders, waist, and legs, pulling you back. You choke.

You holster your saber and muster all your strength to break free, kyber crystal clear in your mind.

I am one with the Force.

In desperation you reach for the crystal. It trembles, loosens, but a yell from deeper in the cave causes it to overshoot; slicing a deep line in your palm. “Kriff,” you swear, uncaring that you’re a Jedi and foul language is beneath you. 

You clench your palm into a fist, feeling a flash of pain as the crystal is pressed into the gash. You swear again then drop it into your right hand. 

It’s warm, no longer the cold piece of rock kyber remains until united with a Jedi. 

You watch in fascination as it pulses with a dull blue sheen before it absorbs the blood from your hand. It swirls inside the crystal, turning it a brilliant white that illuminates the whole cavern. 

I am one with the Force.

The light turns inward, traveling in a blaze up the veins in your arm through your chest and spilling out your eyes.

Someone’s screaming; whether it’s you or the being, you can’t tell. Maybe it’s both. 

It doesn’t really matter because the light streaming out of you is blinding, so bright that you try to close your eyes despite the fact they’ve been closed this whole time. You wrench them open to find your self back in the cavern, kyber crystal clenched in your left hand. You’re not sure how it got there, but it’s pressed into the very real gash in your hand.

You slip it into your pocket and shake your head in an attempt to clear it. You’ll try to make sense of what happened but for now, you need to find Yord.

Another yell echoes through the cavern.

“Yord!” you shout, running toward the noice.

He calls your name and you follow it. “Yord!”

You come to a fork in the road and turn right without hesitation. You could find him anywhere. You’ll worry about getting out of here once he’s safe.

Yord’s kneeling on the ground beside a stream, head tilted back to the ceiling. As you get closer, you see his eyes are rolled back into his head. He opens his mouth to groan and black smoke spills out. The same kind you saw in the desert.

On instinct, you grab his face with both hands. The smoke disappears with a hiss, and Yord’s eyes come back to normal. He blinks, shakes his head; a mirror of you a few minutes prior.

“What happened?” he asks. “I was- I don’t know. I’ve never- We have to inform the Council.”

“We have to get out of here,” you say, exasperated. The Council is low on your list of priorities at the moment. “Come on.”

You turn back the way you came and are met with a stone wall.

You mouth kriff, and spin around to Yord.

“We’re stuck.”

He grimaces and opens his mouth to respond, but is silenced by a sound down a fogstone corridor you hadn’t noticed before.

“Yord!” calls a voice. “Yord, I’m down here! Where are you?”

He looks first at you then toward the voice.

“Yord!” calls the voice again, the one that’s identical to yours.

“Yord,” you say slowly, “that’s not me. I’m me. I don’t know what that is, but we have to get out of here.”

There’s a deep crease in his brow as he studies your face. “You feel different,” he says.

You can’t believe this. There is no way he thinks the voice is you. There’s no way he’s going further into the mine, further into the vergence instead of looking for an exit with you.

“Yes, Yord, we’re in a cave on a vergence and something weird happened with the kyber crystal and I’ll tell you about it once we get out. But we need to go and call the Council.” You’re beginning to feel exasperated, frustrated by the fact that he doesn’t trust you. It’s unnatural, in a way. He always trusts you.

“Yord, help!” shouts Not-You and before you can stop him, he’s gone again.

“Kriff,” you say, short and swift. You run after him, lightsaber ignited and trailing behind you.

You come to an abrupt halt. The path has widened into a cavern, much larger than the first and although you’ve been going downhill, you’re almost certain it’s near the entrance.

Yord has stopped in the middle, staring at a shadow. 

“Yord,” the shadow says again, moving out of the darkness. It’s shaped like you, walks like you, talks like you. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Not-You steps into the light, all gray skin and limp hair.

“I told you that wasn’t me,” you gripe. “Now look what you’ve done.”

Yord throws a worried glance at back you, hesitant to take his eyes of Not-You for more than a moment. She laughs, bouncing of the stone and ignites a lightsaber. It crackles filling the air with the same energy you felt in the desert.

Yord ignites his in kind, running to swing at her.

You take half-a step to follow him, but are stopped by a hand on your shoulder. On instinct, you shrug it off; whirling around to come face-to-face with Not-Yord.

Time seems to freeze as you take him in, frozen with the shock of seeing rotting, but a shooting pain from the cut in your left palm brings you back to reality.

Not-Yord swings and you block, but he’s stronger than you. As he bears down, you’re caught in his hauntingly hollow eyes. It takes all your strength to prevent his lightsaber from pushing yours into your face. As you struggle to overpower him you notice his lips are black. 

Blood spills out as he laughs.

You duck and break away. Not-Yord cackles as his lightsaber buzzes past your ear. It all seems to be happening in slow motion, your movements weighted as if you are underwater.

Dimly, you’re aware of Yord fighting the Not-You. She fights in a parody of your style, just a bit more blunt and a bit more sloppy.

But you can’t focus on that now. You have to trust Yord and fight your own battle so you assess; if Not-You is fighting like you do, then it stands to reason that Not-Yord would fight like real Yord.

And you know all of his weaknesses.

Yord primarily stays in Form III, Soresu; effective for deflecting blaster fire with applications in close combat, but repetitive in movement. 

As you block and parry, you take note of Not-Yord’s strikes. He lands a powerful blow, knocking you into a stalactite. Blood runs down the side of your head and you will it away from your eyes. You count, one, two-

There it is.

His lightsaber meets yours and at just the right moment, you switch yours off. Not-Yord is thrown forward, off balance, giving you the perfect opportunity to strike.

His head falls to the dirt with a howl and a stream of thick smoke. As soon as his body hits the ground you turn, leaping on a rock for height as you bear down on the horrible facsimile of yourself. She’s so busy attacking Yord that she doesn’t notice your lightsaber slicing her in half until it’s too late. She falls apart in the same smoke as Not-Yord, and you watch as their bodies dissipate entirely.

“Well,” you say, breathing heavily, “I think it’s time for us to go.”

next chapter

[delightingintragedy]

Mercury Correspondences

From Christian Astrology by William Lilly

(It is mostly word for word. I tried to format it to fit into a nice correspondence list, but the information itself is untouched.)

Zodiac: Rules Gemini and Virgo. Exalted in Virgo, Detriment in Sagittarius and Pisces, Fall in Pisces.

Nature: We may not call him either Masculine or Feminine, for he is either the one or other as joined to any Planet; for if in Conjunction with a Masculine Planet, he becomes Masculine; if with a Feminine, then Feminine, but of his own nature he is cold and dry, and therefore Melancholy; with the good he is good, with the evil Planets ill; In the Elements the Water; amongst the humours, the mixed, he rules the animal spirit: he is author of subtlety, tricks, devices, perjury, etc.

Profession: Generally signifies all literary men, Philosophers, Mathematicians, Astrologians, Merchants, Secretaries, Scriveners, Diviners, Sculptors, Poets, Orators, Advocates, Schoolmasters, Stationers, Printers, Exchangers of Money, Attorneys, Emperor's Ambassadors, Commissioners, Clerks, Artificers, generally Accountants, Solicitors, sometimes Thieves, prattling muddy Ministers, busy Sectaries, and they unlearned; Grammarians, Tailors, Carriers, Messengers, Footmen, Usurers.

Sicknesses: All Vertigos, Lethargies or giddiness in the Head, Madness, either Lightness, or any Disease of the Brain; Phthisis, all stammering and imperfection in the Tongue, vain and fond Imaginations, all defects in the Memory, Hoarseness, dry Coughs, too much abundance of Spittle, all snaffling and snuffling in the Head or Nose; the Hand and Feet Gout, Dumbness, Tongue-evil, all evils in the Fancy and intellectual parts.

Colour: Mixed and new colours, the Grey mixed with Sky-colour, such as is on the Neck of the Stockdove, Linsie-woolsie colours, or consisting of many colours mixed in one.

Savours: A hodgepodge of all things together, so that no one can give it any true name; yet usually such as do quicken the Spirits, are subtle and penetrate, an in a manner insensible.

Herbs & Plants: Herbs attributed to Mercury, are known by the various colour of the flower, and love sandy barren places, they bear their seed in husks or pods, they smell rarely or subtlety, and have principle relation to the tongue, brain, lungs or memory; they dispel wind and comfort the Animal spirits, and open obstructions. Beans, three leaved-grass, the Walnut and Walnut-tree; the Filbert-tree and Nut; the Elder tree, Adders tongue, Dragonwort, Twopenny grass, Lungwort, Aniseeds, Cubebs, Marjoram. What herbs are used for the Muses and Divination, as Vervain, the Reed; of Drugs, Treacle, Hiera, Diambra.

Beasts: The Hyena, Ape, Fox, Squirrel, Weasel, the Spider, the Greyhound, the Hermaphrodite, being partaker of both sexes; all cunning creatures.

Birds, etc: The Linnet, the Parrot, the Popinian, the Swallow, the Pye, the Beetle, Pismires, Locusts, Bees, Serpent, the Crane.

Fishes: The Fork-fish, Mullet.

Places: Tradesmen's shops, Markets, Fairs, Schools, Common Halls, Bowling Alleys, Ordinaries, Tennis Courts.

Minerals: Quicksilver.

Stones: The Millstone, Marcasite or fire-stone, the Achates, Topaz, Vitriol, all stones of diverse colours.

Weather: Delights in Windy, Stormy and Violent, Boisterous Weather, and stirs up that Wind which the Planet signifies to which he applies; sometimes Rain, at other times Hail, Lightning, Thunder and Tempests, in hot Countries Earthquakes, but this must be observed really from the Sign and Season of the year.

Angel: Raphael

Planetary Alliances: His friends are Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn, his Enemies all the other Planets.

Week Day: Wednesday

Correspondence posts for the other planets: [Sun] [Moon] [Venus] [Mars] [Jupiter] [Saturn]

[vezlayfood1]

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[yourbodymyarchive]

Hi!! The angsty gardening jmart fic, as promised! I'd love to hear any feedback you've got! (also I am incapable of writing plain angst, I have to give mine at least hopeful endings so I don't like cry myself to sleep lol) Here you go!

-

The hyacinths are flowering well this year. 

Jon practises this over and over in his head, tossing and turning the syllables between his teeth. It is the truth. He likes that it is the truth. The truth is biteable, it goes down his throat and settles into his stomach. It does nothing to ease the ache of hunger but it is there. The hyacinths are the only thing flowering well this year -  the rest had withered into the dirt, heads bowed in what seemed like shame. Jon knows it’s not that. It’s more like they had curled in on themselves, tight with pain. He doesn’t know how he knows this. The only truth is this - the hyacinths are flowering well this year. 

He’s not thinking about everything that happened. Everything That Happened is just that - a capitalised, half-formed phrase that hangs in the stale safehouse air. It sags, making it sometimes very hard to breathe. So Jon gets his oxygen from outside in the garden. His hands are busy in the dirt, smooth repetitive movements of digging, pruning, watering. Gardening was never something accessible to him before. A London flat doesn’t exactly have the materials and it had just never crossed his mind. He revels in his lack of skill. It means that he can try and fail and try again. Not like with words, no, those were pushed out and they stumbled as they arrived prematurely into the cold air. They caused Martin’s face to scrunch up in hurt or in gentle mirth and Jon wasn’t sure which one felt worse. The guilt is encapsulated in the Everything. Martin had been saved from the Lonely only to be plunged back into a different type of gloom. An almost man-made one. They exchange cups of tea and glances and pick at the half-formed phrases, unsure where or even how to start. Jon wishes he can be More for him. Part of him knows that this is all he can be. 

Martin finds him in the garden, deep in thoughts and mud. The dirt is gratifying, cooling on his skin and almost alive. There’s worms, water, minerals and he has had all of those things inside him at some point. He feels almost alive. Almost human. He is yet to encounter a spider. This seems unusual, but with Martin’s help they spent a whole afternoon spraying the garden with spider repellant they had found in a nearby farm shop. It was Martin’s idea. He even paid for it, all of which left Jon feeling slightly dizzy, standing beside him in the middle of rural Scotland.]

He is currently standing behind him. Quiet, watching. This is usual, a clear, simple tone that settles like snow. There should be snow. But there isn��t and Jon knows this because the hyacinths are flowering well this year. He picks at the dirt under his fingernails, having placed down the shovel. He’s waiting for Martin to announce himself. Martin knows that Jon knows that he is there. Jon appreciates Martin’s pretence. Jon appreciates Martin. 

“The hyacinths are flowering well this year.”

It comes out robotic, not at all like he rehearsed. The emphasis is all wrong and Martin deserves good emphasis. He deserves well flowered hyacinths. 

“I see.” 

He is soft, in his knobbly sweater and his words and he is trying to help. All he has done since they had arrived in Scotland is try to help. Jon doesn’t want softness. He wants Martin to hate him, he knows that Martin should hate him. All Martin does is see, vision glazing at the edges with fogged up glasses and quiet offers of morning tea. Jon hasn’t planned for Martin to stay this long. There’s no other words revolving around his mouth. Martin is full of words in a restrained buzzing and Jon thinks that this is wrong. Dams should break. Snow should fall. Silence should lift. 

“Jon, I-”

“None of the others have done well this year.”

“The, the what?”

“The plants. The gladiolus and other black eyed susans and the others. They’re all gone.”

“Oh.”

Martin takes a second to survey the garden. It is derelict, one step away from barren, the rotting fences doing nothing to actually fence anything in or out and the soil is greying at the edges, hardened in patches and utterly unbearable. His hands are sore with welts, from working himself to the bone, in a more literal sense than he’d like, blood weeping into the soil from freshly open cuts but the soil doesn't want blood. The sweet pea and the cyclamens didn't want blood. There is nothing here to be deserved. Apart from the hyacinths. Martin sees this garden. Martin sees Jon’s garden. He takes a breath before he speaks and Jon can feel the Truth sitting dull in his stomach, another breath away from clawing it out of his throat. 

“Jon, are you ok?”

The question has too many answers. The Everything that Happened has been bitten and Jon has never been good with eating. (Martin brings him soup on the days his stomach feels full of eels. Jon doesn’t know where he gets the soup from. Jon doesn’t want to know.) Decision paralysis is what he wants to call it. He likes naming things, categorising things, he likes knowing. He hates that he likes knowing. Paralysis gives way to fatigue which gives way to an overwhelming urge to cry. Fat droplets roll off his face, into the soil he is still standing in. Minerals taken from him, added to the earth. He stops feeling almost human. 

Martin won’t have that. He strides over and takes Jon in his arms. It anchors him, holding him to the earth below and to the skin above and Jon thinks he could stay like this forever. His tears have become sniffles and he’s leaking snot onto Martin’s jumper but he doesn’t want him dead, he’s not full of hatred, he’s not angry, he’s just - Martin. He releases him and Jon immediately hates this. He settles for a hand on his arm. It sits there pleasantly, not burning or setting off fireworks in his stomach. Just a hand that’s slightly on the colder side, with callouses and soft fingers. 

“The hyacinths have flowered well this year.”

Jon jerks his head up to finally look at Martin’s face. He is also crying, tears glistening, caught on the edge of his glasses and his face is full of something akin to relief. Jon almost hates himself for causing him such pain that could warrant such relief. Instead, he takes his dirt crusted hand and places it on Martin’s cheek. He rubs into it, creating mud from the mixture of tears and soil. He looks beautiful. Jon wants to tell him, but Martin beats him to it -

“When the others flower, you’ll come to me?”

Jon nods, shakily. He couldn’t save the thyme and the southernwood and the windflower and the petunias. He couldn’t save Sasha or Tim or Daisy or Basira. But maybe he could grow a garden. Maybe he wasn’t rotting inside and maybe the spiders won’t be back tomorrow and maybe Martin will stay a little longer and they can sit and garden together. He might still be Lonely and Jon might still want to Know but maybe the hyacinths will wither. 

Maybe Something Else will bloom. 

-

I hope you enjoyed it and I'd love to hear your thoughts!! Your flower ideas helped so much honestly and it was so much fun writing this :)

God fucking damn. This was so beautiful, really genuinely.

I loved the following parts enough to quote them:

"All he has done since they had arrived in Scotland is try to help. Jon doesn’t want softness. He wants Martin to hate him, he knows that Martin should hate him." Because this is really fucking painful, the knowledge that Jon has that Martin is not doing great and he doesn't even get to be angry at things anymore."

"Martin had been saved from the Lonely only to be plunged back into a different type of gloom. An almost man-made one. They exchange cups of tea and glances and pick at the half-formed phrases, unsure where or even how to start. Jon wishes he can be More for him. Part of him knows that this is all he can be. " So fucking painful, again, you really captured the angst so well like. What do you do when the man you have loved for so long comes back to you a ghost of himself? How do you get him to love you fully again? Can he, really? Can he even love himself anymore? Jon wants him to love himself and to love him but there is so much unsaid between them and I AGGHHHHHH. It gives so much damage.

The flowers work so beautifully in this concept of Jon trying his best to save innocent things where he couldn't save innocent people.

AND ALSO THAT LAST LINE WAS INSANE!!! I LOVE IT!!! ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!