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teawithshruti · 3 years

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How did I keep myself sane amidst a pandemic - My thoughts on books, anime, and restaurants.

Yet another review of The Shining

A plot so well written you would want to go in room 217

Hi there! This blog comes to you from a bored 19 year old who has a knack for reading crime thrillers, watching murder documentaries, and loves watching MasterChef just to see Gordon Ramsay. LOL. And did I mention that she also happens to be a Stephen King fan, because who isn’t? So here is where I try and convince you that The Shining is the best book ever written and how Stanley Kubrick completely butchered the screenplay, as well as why pasta is life.

Welcome to the Rockies!

The story takes place in the town of Boulder, Colorado, where our main protagonist Jack Torrance gets a job as a caretaker of the famous Overlook Hotel. Winters in Boulder are harsh, and the hotel remains closed as travel is not permitted with all the heavy snowfall. Now Jack is a recovering alcoholic with anger issues which led to him breaking his son’s arm prior to where the story begins. This made Wendy, his wife, question her marriage and the safety of their five year old son, Danny. Danny on the other hand isn’t your average five year old who just watches cartoons and plays with toys. He is aglow with a psychic voltage, and has frequent blackouts. In the words of old Mr Hallorann, the hotel’s head chef, Danny’s a shiner. When the Torrances meet Mr Hallorann, he feels an instant connection with Danny. He warns Jack about the hotel and its sinister secrets and how the previous caretaker, Delbert Grady, killed himself and his family. But Jack is sure that this huge and lonely hotel with its splendid views is just what he needs in order to earn back his family’s trust. But going to a haunted hotel with a troubled marriage and a psychic son? Maybe not the best idea. But in his defense, Jack doesn't believe in ghosts. Little does he know that’s about to change.

Snowbound at The Overlook

The Torrance's begin settling in the Overlook. But as winter closes in and the blizzards cut them off from the outer world, the hotel seems to develop a life of its own. Meanwhile, Jack starts growing restless, craving for a friendly drink with each passing day. He also starts experiencing hallucinations, and wonders if they are withdrawal symptoms. Danny on the other hand is experiencing his own share of ghostly sightings, like the terrifying lady in the bathtub of room 217 who seems to have never checked out of the hotel. In one instance, he witnesses her climbing out of the clawfoot tub and advancing towards him with her bloated belly and dry hair as he stands frozen in fear in a blood covered presidential suite. This narrative by King with all its details is the truly the most spine tingling I’ve ever read. Later when Danny’s parents find him in the room, a thumb in his mouth, that is when Wendy truly realizes that they are not alone in that strange big hotel. Jack goes and sees the tub for himself, but the lady from before doesn't want to greet him. Wendy, in tears, sees that both her husband and her son are being tormented by this place and begs Jack to quit the job. Danny later calms his mom down, who is weeping uncontrollably, by telling her not to worry as his daddy doesn't have the shining, so there is nothing to worry about.

Have you never heard of REDRUM?

Sure you have. Read it backwards. Yes, you got it right. And so did Danny after seeing this word in his visions countless times. It so turns out that Danny is much stronger than he looks and after failing to possess him, The Overlook has turned to an easier target - Jack. As Jack slowly starts to lose his mind, he gives in and starts drinking again from the bar in the ballroom. His hallucinations keep getting worse to the point he actually sees Mr Grady, the previous caretaker / murderer, and even has a talk with him. Danny sees his changing behavior and so does his wife, who just doesn't see the man she fell in love with in his cold, distant eyes anymore. With everything going on, Wendy takes Danny to their apartment in the employee wing of the hotel and locks them inside in fear of Jack, who is slowly slipping away from reality. But turns out this move from her proves to be disastrous, as Wendy keeping Jack away from his own son is the last straw for him. In one of his many hallucinations, Jack meets his predecessor, his buddy Mr. Grady and the two have a disturbing conversation about how fun it is to kill your wife. Yes , no one trumps King when it comes to the unique combination of horror and psychological thrillers packed into one nail-biting plot!

In other words...

The only thing I liked about the movie was Jack Nicholson’s excellent acting. Apart from that Stanley Kubrick let go of many crucial parts which were essential to the story. He eliminated the hedge sequence in the book, which was terrifying to just read. The ending was just a complete mess. I get that you can’t exactly get all the details right of a 500 page book, but at least do justice to the ones you have chosen. Anyways I’m gonna go sulk in my room over this. Bye

Is it too late to start Anime?

Hi there! Good to have you back! Ever since pandemic began, everyone’s been locked in their own house. So this led to me taking up a few hobbies like sketching and painting and binging on a whole lot of sitcoms.. My personal favorite is the alluring world of Anime. Several of my friends began watching it and I cannot exactly term it as peer pressure, but I did give in and start watching Anime too. And now my watchlist includes just a bunch of 2D characters with powers that even Superman himself can't fight. So this is my take on how a kryptonian can be defeated with Jutsu, as Mr Naruto would say. Lol. This one is for all the weebs out there.

Manga and Anime are not the same!

To put it simply, manga is a Japanese term for comics and graphic novels, whereas Anime is the term for Japanese animations.. There are many similarities between them, as they both have been created by Osama Tezuka, who is considered as the Japanese version of Walt Disney. Now have you ever seen a simple comic book? The one with black and white newspaper illustrations - like Garfield. Manga is just like that - A book of illustrations. Now we arrive at the perennial question - Manga or Anime, which is better. Both of them are equally interesting, but I personally have a soft spot for anime. The intro theme songs, intense background music, and the beat dropping right before a big fight move, all these factors pack a punch. You don’t get that adrenaline rush from just a book.

My first anime - Demon Slayer

The story begins with the main character Tanjiro, who returns home after selling charcoal in town to find his entire family murdered by demons. Pretty intense right? His sister, Nezuko, survives but there’s a twist - she turns into a demon herself. This makes him vow to take revenge and he sets off to train with Sakonji, who has trained many of the elite members of the Demon Slayer Corps. After many years of training and a painful exam called the final selection, Tanjiro finally becomes a demon slayer and is off on missions along with his sister, who unlike most demons doesn’t consume human flesh. On his missions he meets Zenitsu and Inosuke, who both have excellent powers of their own. My favorite story arc was when the highest ranking slayers, known as the pillars, were introduced. But my words won’t do justice to their powers they possess. So simply get your geek on by watching this short yet amazing series.

The Tale of Naruto Uzumaki

The hidden leaf village is not so hidden anymore! The series I am currently watching is one of the most popular anime from 2020 - Naruto. The story is set around the shinobi villages and their ninjas and how Naruto Uzumaki plans on being the next Hokage [the most powerful shinobi] of the leaf village. He is trained by some of the best ninjas the village has ever seen. Before graduating from the academy, he was a hyperactive boy with lots of energy who just wanted to be the best. After graduation, he was placed in team seven, along with Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha. This team was trained by Kakashi Sensei who is known for wielding his Chidori and even the Sharingan. The sharingan, to put it simply, is a trait passed down in families. The Uchihas are known for their sharingans and hence it naturally comes to Sasuke as well. The mystery still remains unsolved as to how Kakashi got his sharingan, as he is not an Uchiha. But Naruto does have a super power as well. Not technically his powers per se, but we can cut him some slack. After all it's not everyday you get to see a beast like the nine tailed fox sealed away in an 11 year old boy. In my opinion the story picks up Orochimaru’s entry, and it paves the way for Sasuke’s powers in the future. My favorite character has to be Sasuke Uchiha. With his effortless fighting skills and sarcastic yet cool personality, he definitely is an excellent shinobi. You have to start this show right away because once you have seen him use his fire style fireball jutsu.....the world just doesn't look the same anymore.

In other words...

My current watchlist includes Naruto Shippuden, Black Clover, One Piece, and a few other naruto spin offs. Anime was something I never thought I would like, but now as it turns out I can't get enough of it. So bye for now, if you need me I'll be at Ichiraku’s eating ramen with barbeque pork. And if you get this reference, have a bowl of ramen on me. K bye.

Home in a faraway land

Good to see you again ! Do you ever get that feeling of an intense craving for your favourite dish? Like say pasta or pizza? My favorite is pasta, but being raised in India, I can’t say no to a classic plate of butter naan and chicken tikka with a glass of buttermilk or chaas if you please. Of Course you can’t beat the taste of a home cooked meal, but let me tell you about the time I went to this amazing little Indian restaurant in Dubai with my family, and how the food there was absolutely heavenly.

Out and About in Dubai

Skyscrapers, Sleepless nights, Gold Souks and gigantic malls - these are the visions you'd usually get when someone mentions Dubai. Well, they're mostly right! I went there with my family about 5 years ago. We stayed at the Ramada, which was right next to the Dubai Mall. The mall happens to be strategically placed next to the Burj Khalifa and we got lucky enough to see mesmerizing musical fountain shows night after night. The streets are spick and span, and everyone follows the traffic regulations dutifully. We also went for the desert safari, which was no less than an actual roller coaster ride. We also visited the Gold Souk, and oh boy. The name definitely fulfills its purpose, as the entire street is occupied entirely by gold stores. Huge gold ornaments are on display like clothes on hangers. I personally don’t have a thing for gold jewellery, but my mom had the time of her life there fawning and gasping over every store we came across. Shortly after our visit here, we came across this beautiful little Indian restaurant, and you can call me old school but at the end of the day, this girl needs a desi meal, because trust me room service gets boring after a while.

Peshwa - Not your typical 5 star restaurant

Situated away from the hustle of the main city, this place still remains quite underrated. We stumbled across this hidden gem which saved us the efforts of getting back to the hotel for an overpriced lunch. As soon as we entered the restaurant, we could smell the aroma of a classic dal makhani [ a simple gravy consisting of lentils infused with aromatic spices and hints of burnt chillies ] in the air. So we got a table and had a look at the menu and it was almost like being back home. The endless variety of gravies with paneer in almost every single one of them, to at least 6 different types of rotis, a little piece of heaven in this concrete jungle! We went ahead and ordered a simple meal of rotis and some paneer delicacy, along with dal and rice. Apart from the taste of the food, which was just heavenly, the overall ambience of the place in one word, was exquisite. The restaurant lived up to its very ethnic maharashtrian name. The food was served in those traditional style cutlery, reminding us of a simpler time.

A dish you just can’t miss

If you have a sweet tooth like me, you definitely have to try the coconut barfi from this place. Made from desiccated coconuts, sweetened condensed milk, a finely ground cardamom, and a hint of saffron, this dish is a match made in heaven. It was freshly made and we could tell it by the intoxicating aroma of pure ghee [clarified butter]. So just for a day, give yourself a break from watching calories and try this mouth watering dish because here’s something to live for.

In other words…

The next time I’m in Dubai, the first thing I will do is find out if the restaurant is still there. And probably avoid the Gold Souk this time. I will most certainly go for the desert safari, because it’s not everyday you get defy gravity and drive through the sand dunes like in a Fast and Furious movie. Lol. Also thanks for bearing with me throughout this blog. See ya!

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fanfics4all · 4 years

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Running After Him

Request: Yes / No 6, Emily prentiss Anon

Send me a request, please look here first! <3 Have a nice day/night

Emily Prentiss x Male!Reader

Word count: 2133

Warnings: Almost dying, talk of injuries

Y/N: Your Name

Prompt(s): Get the same injuries as your soulmate does

PLEASE DO NOT STEAL MY WORK, I WORK HARD ON MY FICS AND IT’S NOT COOL TO STEAL SOMEONE ELSE’S WORK!

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Masterlist

(Not my photo, credit to whoever made it!)

Ian Doyle was back and after Emily. She ran away to do this on her own, but I was worried about her. Her team had contacted me to see if I knew anything, but I didn’t know how much I should tell them, after all this was a dangerous mission. I wanted Emily safe, of course, but would she be upset that I gave the team information? That’s a risk I’ll have to take. I told them about Ian and what Emily did in the past, just enough for them to get the ball rolling. I had to stay out of this, but they wanted me to come with them. After all, I was her soulmate and they were pretty much just going to use me as a way to see if she’s hurt or not. A few hours into it I got two large bruises on my stomach. Which Garcia answered the question as to why. Emily was shot, but had a vest on to protect her.

Emily’s POV

Ian took me to his hideout, I supposed. He tied me to a chair and left me in a room. I’m not sure for how long, but I heard his footsteps behind me, coming closer. He came up behind me and gently grabbed my neck.

“Where’s my ring?” He asked.

“I flushed it.” I said and he chuckled, and I laughed with him.

“I spent seven years in hell because of that ring. So now, I’m going to give you another gift, one you won’t get rid of so easily.” He said unbuttoning my shirt.

“A four-leaf clover should be a nice addition to your other tattoos.” He said bringing a tattoo machine over.

“You still have two, right?” He asked.

“Yep. And that’s enough ink, thanks.” I answered.

“Ink?” He asked with a laugh.

“The North Koreans can’t afford ink. No, no. They brand themselves. Your soulmate will love this.” He said with a smirk. He walked over and grabbed me by the hair, hovering the pen over my chest.

“The more you fight, the more this will hurt.” He said and started burning my skin.

Y/N’s POV

We landed and the team was all over it. They even brought in Jack Fahey. I knew this was going to get interesting. Rossi was sent to interrogate him. I started feeling pain on my chest and Garcia noticed my discomfort. I opened my shirt up and there on my chest was a four-leafed clover burned into my skin.

“Son of a bitch.” I growled and Garcia’s eyes widened.

“Oh dear, poor Emily.” She said and helped me deal with the bit of blood that came with it. Rossi and Seaver asked me to step outside with them, they thought it might throw Jack off to see me.

Emily’s POV

He finally finished and was buttoning my shirt again. I thought about Y/N and how he must know who was doing this to me.

“Why are you doing this? Why are you keeping me alive?” I asked.

“Hey. FBI grabbed Fahey.” Someone said walking into the room.

“Her people. It won’t be long before he started squealing and they’re banging on our door.” He said and I heard him pull out a gun.

“Do what you have to so we can get the hell out of here.” He said. Ian got up and stared at him.

“I know what you want.” I said.

“Do you, really?” He asked.

“You want Lauren Reynolds back. I can do that. I can be her.” I said and he looked down at me.

“You think that’ll save your skin?” He asked and I shook my head.

“I have no illusions. But I’m tired of this. Of being afraid.” I said.

“We don’t have time for this.” The guy said.

“We’ll make time.” Ian said.

“What about Fahey?” He asked.

“I’ll take care of Fahey. He smokes, right?” Ian asked.

“Aye.” The guy answered.

“Looks like you earned yourself a reprieve.” He said and I watched him leave. After a bit he returned and sat in front of me.

“What is it you do, Lauren?” He asked and I smirked.

“I’m looking to get into business with a former I.R.A. Captain. Who’s gone freelance. Valhalla. But since this is sensitive… il vaudrait peut-être mieux en discuter en privé.” (It might be better to discuss this privately.) I answered.

“Vous êtes juste plein de surprises, n'est-ce pas?” (You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?) He said with a smirk. I smiled and giggled.

“Laissez-moi sortir de ces derniers.” (Let me out of these.) I said motioning to the ropes.

“That’s not how it went.” He said, smirking.

“Je ne peux pas te rendre heureuse avec des menottes.” (I can’t make you happy in handcuffs.) I said as he got up and walked around me. He grabbed my neck and placed his mouth against my ear.

“You really think I’d let you fool me twice?” He asked.

“I just wanted…”

“I know what you wanted- A way into my head. But I changed the locks. So you’re gonna suffer the way I suffered. This won’t be the first time you’ve killed an innocent, but it will be the first time you have to watch.” He said and I was confused.

“Liam!” He shouted and he walked in with a laptop. There was a sniper pointed at Rossi, Seaver, Y/N, and Jack.

“You got him?” Liam asked.

“Acquiring. Which one’s the target?” The man on the radio asked.

“No! This was about you and me! That’s what you said! You and me!” I shouted.

“Then why is your team here? ‘Cause I didn’t leave a trail.” He asked.

“Ian… Whatever you want to do to me, I accept, but leave them out of it.” I begged.

“Yes, except I didn’t bring them into it, did I?” He asked. I felt my heart clench and I didn’t care about looking strong anymore.

“What are you thinking?” Ian asked Liam.

“Y/N first, then the woman, and then the goateed fella. Then Fahey if he has a shot, if not, he’ll shut up.” He answered.

“Yeah, sounds about right.” Ian said.

“Shoot Fahey. If he dies, my team doesn’t have anything.” I said and I heard Ian chuckle lightly.

“Hello, Lauren. Good to see you again.

Y/N’s POV

Fahey was loosening up and it was only a matter of time before he spilled where Ian was hiding. That was the one thing I didn’t know. But he was hurting Emily and I needed to find her.

“Wow, I bet you’re his hookup, aren’t you? I mean, after all, you’re the man.” Seaver said in a slightly flirty tone.

“I could show you how much of a man I really am.” He flirted. Rossi walked closer and he backed off a bit.

“Alright, alright, alright, jeez. What’s with the sexy cop/ bad cop routine?” He asked with a laugh.

“What do you three think-” He was cut off by a bullet going through his shoulder. He looked up at us in shock.

“Down!” Rossi shouted and pushed Seaver to the ground and I ducked. He was shot again in the chest and I looked to see where the bullet was coming from, but the person was already gone.

Emily’s POV

Ian had left with Liam once Fahey was killed. I was left in that room to think about how I just killed him. No he would have killed him anyway. I did it to save Y/N and my team.

“When Fahey told me you were in the city, he said you already knew where I was. If that;s the truth, you know what this is about.” Ian said, returning.

“Game’s over, love. Time for your last confession.” He said and pointed a loaded gun at my head.

“Take me to where he died. I want to see it.” I said. He uncocked the gun and started untieing me.

“Breath. Just breath. 4...5...6...7…” I whispered and remembered when I found out Declan was actually Ian’s son. When he asked me to be his Mother. I remember I wanted so badly to be my soulmate, but when I met Y/N I knew all of that was a mistake. Ian was walking me down the halls, I knew this place now.

“”Go to your father.” that’s what you said. I never told anyone the truth about Declan. You were the only one and you put him in your profile, didn’t you?” He asked.

“Yes.” I lied.

“For two years, I didn’t talk. The North Koreans used everything you gave them against me. It wasn’t until they showed me these…” He said, pulling out pictures of Declan and Louise bound and looking scared. I remembered those so well.

“They laughed at me as I wept. And you cause all of this, didn’t you?” He asked.

“Yes, I did.” I said.

“That corner right there, that’s where he died. And that’s where I’m going to kill you.” He said and pushed me against the wall and pulled out his gun.

“There’s something you don’t know, about those photos.” I said.

“After your arrest, I relocated Louise and Declan. And then I got a call. Interpol had sent back our profile. The head of the terrorism division wanted more dirt on you so they could break you.” I said.

“So you used my son as a promotion.” He said.

“No. I wouldn’t let him be a pawn. The things they would have done to him to get you to talk… But I knew even if I didn’t cooperate, they were gonna find him eventually. So I had to-”

“Had to what!?” He growled moving closer to me.

“I had to end his suffering before it could begin.” He said and smacked me.

Y/N’s POV

“Hey, we think we know where Doyle took Emily and we’re preparing to get her back.” JJ said walking into the room I was in.

“He’s hurting her.” I said, staring at the floor.

“We know, just stay here, I’ll be with you.” She said and I nodded. I knew there was no way I’d be able to go, I’m not trained, but I wanted to see my Emily again, safe and sound.

Emily’s POV

Ian grabbed me by the neck and lifted me up.

“You put him in the profile. What else did you do?” He growled at me.

“I put him in the profile, after the pictures were taken.” I said.

“You don’t know when those pictures were taken. You don’t know that.” He said.

“Yes, I do. I’m the one holding the gun.” I said. He stared at me and I saw his anger growing. He tossed me into a shelf and then slammed me to the floor.

“You want to hear his last words to me?” I asked, I just needed to buy more time. He kicked me in the stomach, hard. I’m so sorry Y/N…

“He said, “I looked pretty good for a dead kid, didn’t I?” and then he got on the plane and I never saw him again.” I said.

“He’s alive!?” He shouted and kicked me again.

“Just because I held a gun to him. Doesn’t mean I shot him. I only had to make you and the North Koreans believe he was dead.” I said and he grabbed me by the neck and slammed me into the wall.

Y/N’s POV

I felt another one of my ribs crack. He was really beating her. My nose was definitely cracked, there was a large cut on my cheek and I felt a good amount of bruises forming. But the worst thing was when a large stab wound appeared into my stomach. JJ and Garcia started freaking out and they quickly got me to the hospital.

Once Emily and I were out of surgery JJ had come to the both of us and told us she was going to help us go into hiding so Emily could get Ian once and for all. We were to meet her in a few weeks, once the two of us were officially pronounced dead to the world.

Finally that time came and JJ sat down and placed the folder on the table. We were in a little cafe in Paris.

“Passports from 3 different countries, and a bank account in each one to keep you comfortable.” She said.

“Thank you.” Emily said.

“Good luck.” She said and we walked off.

“Where to first?” I asked.

“There’s a lot of options, we’ll have to explore them all.” She said and I smirked.

“Sounds like we have a lot of work to do.” I said and she nodded with a smile.

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idiot-with-a-cat-pen · 4 years

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Day 1: Semblances

So I literally just finished this because I’m an idiot, but anyway Winter is helping because Qrow and Clover are dumb, and this is a soulmate au.

I will now add a break because it might not be that long, but it’s long enough.

Clover stares at his wrist in anticipation, counting down the seconds in his mind. It’s 8:15 right now, and at 8:17, he’ll see the words appear. Just two more minutes, and he gets to know his soulmate’s Semblance.

“You know, staring at your arm for that long isn’t going to make his Semblance show up any faster,” Robyn drawls, flopping over the chair she’s been lounging in. “So you might as well have some cake.”

“First of all, I haven’t been staring for that long. Second of all, cake? Where did you find cake?”

Harriet appears in the doorway, staggering as she tries to balance a cake stand on one arm. Cursing, Robyn rushes to go help her and barely catches the cake before it hits the ground.

Clover blinks. “Lucky catch?”

“We’ll never know with you around, will we?” Ari sighs as she follows Harriet into the room, the tips of her braids covered in green globs of frosting and crumbs.

Raising an eyebrow, Clover asks, “I take it your baking skills aren’t as good as you thought?”

Ari crosses her arms. “I could have done it if Harriet hadn’t insisted on speed-decorating-”

“There’s a minute until his soulmate’s Semblance shows up,” Harriet says, mimicking Ari’s pose as Robyn carefully sets the cake down on the table. “We had to get it done fast, so I did.”

Clover takes the opportunity to look at his cake. It’s clearly been haphazardly cut in the shape of what he thinks is supposed to look like a four-leaf clover, and the green frosting seems to be sliding off. On top of the mess is a message that’s nearly impossible to read, but Clover’s seen enough bad handwriting to decipher the words Happy 17th, Clover!

“Haven’t you ever watched Cake Wars?” Ari demands. “You have to wait for the cake to cool unless you want the frosting to look like that.” She points at the frosting, which is still sliding down to the base of the cake.

Harriet waves her away and checks her Scroll. “It’s fine. Clover, thirty seconds.”

Clover stiffens and turns back to his wrist. His teammates sit down in the chairs around him, their eyes on the cake. Ari pulls out one of her swords and carefully cuts a huge slice. She barely manages to balance it long enough to put it on a plate, but she doesn’t hand him the cake. Not yet.

“Twenty-five,” Robyn says distractedly, her attention split between the cake, his wrist and her Scroll. She accepts the next piece of cake and starts eating while they wait for the seconds to tick by.

“Twenty,” Ari mutters through a mouthful of cake. She gags almost immediately. “Harriet, are you sure this recipe was a good one?”

“I got it off the description of a baking hacks video, don’t ask me.”

“Why would you trust a baking hacks video-”

Harriet swallows her bite of cake, clearly not finding a problem with its taste. She gestures with her plastic fork as she responds, “They said seven quick and easy hacks for baking, so I figured it was a good idea. Besides, I knew you would mess something up.”

“That frosting exploding was your fault, but whatever,” Ari replies, setting her plate down. She checks her watch. “Ten seconds, Clover.”

“Nine,” Harriet says, putting her cake to the side so she can perch on the armrest of Clover’s chair.

Robyn, still with her cake in her hands, jumps over to the other armrest. She and Harriet lean close to his wrist and wait.

“What if it’s the other wrist?” Ari asks as she balances on the top of the chair like a gargoyle.

“It won’t be,” Clover replies. The confidence he tries for doesn’t quite make it into his tone. He’s always felt like the words should be on his right wrist.

Ari pulls out her Scroll and positions the camera so she can take a picture of his wrist. “I’ll send it to Elm and she can get it filed for you,” she says.

“Thanks.”

“Three,” Harriet says, her voice almost a shout.

Robyn does shout. “TWO!”

“One,” Ari screeches even louder than Robyn.

“Zero,” Clover finishes as everyone’s Scrolls hit 8:17:07. The members ofTeam CHRY lean as close as they can to his wrist and wait.

Red letters start to appear, one by one. MI

“Mist,” Harriet suggests.

“Mirror,” Robyn says.

“Mirage,” Ari offers.

“Misfortune,” Clover says, getting weird looks from the others. It’s an odd guess, but the letters forming do nothing to prove him wrong.

MIS

“Damn it,” Ari and Robyn say at once. Harriet waits with bated breath, but she can’t even come close to matching Clover’s level of excitement.

This is it. Sure, he’s not exactly meeting his soulmate yet, but at least he’ll have a hint. For all he knows, he’s already met them and didn’t notice.

MISF

Harriet sighs in disappointment, but Clover has a feeling he’s right that sticks with him as the next six letters appear. When he reads the full word, he’s not surprised.

MISFORTUNE

Robyn wheezes, drops her cake and falls off the armrest. Ari loses her balance and crashes to the ground, while Harriet has to put a hand on the back of the chair to steady herself.

“Well, that’s ironic,” Ari says when she picks herself up.

“How did you guess that?” Robyn groans from the floor.

Clover shrugs. “Lucky guess?”

“Of course,” Harriet sighs. She stands up straighter. “Do you think he’s naturally unlucky, or does he just make everyone else unlucky?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care,” Robyn cackles. “Misfortune. They’re never going to be able to do epic Semblance combinations like that.”

“Yeah, like Matter Absorption could ever work with your Semblance.” Ari reaches for her cake before she thinks better of it and stops. “What if he’s just not a Huntsman?”

“Then he’d get Words instead, genius,” Harriet says. She turns to Clover. “Are you going to see if anyone in the school has misfortune?”

“Later,” Clover responds, his mind elsewhere. The rest of his team might find it funny that their Semblances are opposite, but he can’t help but think about Harriet’s question about the specifics of his soulmate’s Semblance. What if he affects the people around him? He’s always been glad that he’s able to help change the outcome of things for the better, but what if it’s the opposite for his soulmate? Would he be forced to stay distant to keep the people he loves safe? Looking around at his team, Clover can’t imagine the loneliness of staying away from everyone.

Gods, he hopes that’s not how his soulmate’s Semblance works.

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The announcer- a teacher from Shade, he thinks- leans into the microphone and says over the cheers of the crowd, “Clover Ebi and Harriet Bree of Atlas versus Qrow and Raven Branwen of Beacon!”

Clover takes a second to thank the gods that his outfit doesn’t have sleeves as the parts of the arena click into place. A glance behind him tells him that they have an area of fire Dust and an area that looks like it was cut straight out of the desert. Combined with the sun’s heat, he can bet that their half will be unbearable. Then again, sunburn might be worse.

Behind the two members of Beacon’s team STRQ, a pirate ship rises along with a biome made of ice that glistens in Vacuo’s heat. Clover and Harriet send each other meaningful looks- they’re definitely going over to Qrow and Raven’s side.

“Three…”

Kingfisher snaps out to its full form while Fast Knuckles extends around Harriet’s arms and hands. Across from them, Raven pulls out a long red blade, while Qrow puts a hand on the handle behind his back.

“Two…”

Clover slides one foot in front of the other and raises Kingfisher. Harriet curls her fingers into fists. Raven brandishes her sword, but Qrow’s only movement is a slight shift forward.

“One…”

Glancing at Harriet, Clover tries to indicate with his eyes that she should fight Qrow. She nods, smirking confidently, and turns back to their opponents.

“Go!”

Harriet takes off in a burst of speed and punches at Qrow’s face, and to her evident surprise, he ducks it with speed rivaling hers. Her second punch strikes metal as he yanks out a huge sword to block it.

Clover doesn’t see any more of their fight as Raven shoots in front of him with her sword slashing down. He raises Kingfisher to block it, just barely catching the blade before it hits him. Clover tries to kick her, but she leaps away. He uses the opportunity to grapple over to the pirate ship, and she follows him.

Swinging around the ship, Clover’s acutely aware of how quickly Raven follows him. He manages to turn at the last second to kick her away, but her sword is so long that when she jerks her arm, it still makes contact with Clover’s hand. He loses his grip on Kingfisher and lands hard on the deck of the ship.

Raven moves the second she lands, returning to attack again while he’s disarmed. Hastily, Clover flicks his pin and amplifies his Semblance. He holds out a hand, and Kingfisher drops into it. He blocks her sword just in time.

Harriet’s shout of triumph reaches him when she finally lands a hit on Qrow and swings another punch at him. Raven spins and slashes her sword through thin air, opening up a red portal. Its twin appears under Qrow and drops him right next to Raven. With Harriet too far away to attack, they both focus on Clover.

Just my luck, Clover thinks. He doesn’t have time to flick his pin again as both of them spin and bring their swords down on him with so much strength that he almost collapses from holding them both back.

Qrow frowns, and Clover’s about to grin when his sword starts to change. Gears start to whir as Qrow’s massive sword curves, its handle extending. Clover doesn’t have time to process until Qrow angles the scythe downward and shoots him in the stomach.

Flying backward, Clover sees Harriet leap over the edge of the pirate ship and hit Raven in the face so hard that the deck collapses under her. As Raven falls, Harriet catches Qrow’s scythe and tries to throw him in after her, but he dodges her attack.

Clover staggers to his feet and casts Kingfisher towards Qrow’s scythe. He tries to yank the weapon away, but Qrow only raises an eyebrow and jerks his scythe so that Clover gets dragged closer.

After that, it’s a mess. Qrow manages to dodge Harriet’s punches and kicks her right into the path of Raven’s blade. Somehow, he and Qrow start fighting in the ice Dust area.

As Clover slides over the ice, it starts to crack. Panicked, he tries to use his Semblance before he realizes that he’s so low on Aura that it’ll probably break before the ice does. At least Qrow’s at roughly the same level of Aura- if he can just get one more good hit in, he can finish him.

The ice starts to crack even more under Clover’s feet, but he does his best to avoid it as Qrow closes in. The cracking follows him until Clover’s sure that this has to do with Qrow’s Semblance.

On cue, the announcer says, “It looks like Qrow Branwen’s using his Semblance- Misfortune!”

Clover hesitates with Kingfisher inches away from Qrow, but his opponent doesn’t. Qrow spins his scythe so fast that it catches Clover and throws him against the ice so hard that the entire area rumbles.

The buzzer blares across the arena and Clover sighs, watching his Aura tick down to 0% on the screen. He remembers why he hesitated in the first place and looks up, trying to see if anything is written on Qrow’s wrist.

Clover notices two things at once- that Qrow’s wrist is covered by a black band, and that a large chunk of ice is separating to fall on him. He tries to get to his feet, but he can barely stand up on the slippery, cracked ice. “Shit.”

Luckily, Qrow notices too. Eyes lighting with alarm, he doesn’t even hesitate to leap for Clover, throwing his scythe aside. The chunk falls as Qrow tackles him, making them both slide across the ice.

The ice chunk explodes into smaller bits that fly everywhere. Qrow sees them and positions himself over Clover so none of them hit him. By the time the ice has settled, the buzzer sounds twice- once for Qrow, whose aura is at 19%, and once for Harriet, who’s clearly been distracted enough for Raven to knock her off the ship.

Qrow sighs, his face so close to Clover’s that he can feel his breath shift his hair. The red-eyed boy pushes himself up, slight disappointment in his expression as he helps Clover to stand. “Sorry,” he rasps. “You okay?”

Clover just stares at him. Now that he thinks about it, Qrow’s kind of hot, and his face was just so close to his, and he’s still holding his hand, and he might be his soulmate- Clover nods mutely, unable to form a single word.

Looking relieved, Qrow turns back to Raven, who uses another portal to come over and high-five him. Harriet zips to Clover and gives him an I-know-what-you’re-thinking look.

When they leave the arena, Robyn and Ari are already there, standing at the exit with identical shit-eating grins. Clover gives them one alarmed look before Harriet runs over to join them.

“So,” Robyn begins.

“You lost,” Ari continues.

“To a guy whose Semblance is exactly what’s written on your wrist,” Harriet finishes. She practically bounces as she asks, “Are you going to go talk to him?”

Clover hesitates. “I couldn’t even talk to him the first time,” he finally says. “And I don’t think he likes us that much. Not to mention if I ask about his soulmate’s Semblance… that kind of implies that I think it’s me, doesn’t it?”

“Your choice,” Harriet shrugs. She turns to the exit. “Let’s go get ice cream and cry over our loss, okay?”

Ari shoots a glance up at the bright sun and back down at her long sleeves. “That is something I can get behind,” she agrees, following Harriet.

Robyn starts walking after them, but she pauses when she sees Clover stay still. “Are you coming?”

“In a sec. I’ll catch up,” he replies, and Robyn shrugs and walks away.

Clover turns around to where he can see Team STRQ celebrating. Qrow is talking to his teammate, who wears a long white cloak. Her back is to Clover, but Qrow’s isn’t. Staring just a little too long, Clover knows he’s bright red when Qrow looks up, smirks and raises an eyebrow.

He turns and hurries in the other direction, his entire brain screaming at him. Clover doesn’t know if Qrow’s still looking at him, but he doesn’t want to find out.

As he leaves the arena, he runs into Harriet, who seems to have seen the entire thing. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk to him?”

“I’m busy trying to banish that from my memory, thanks.”

“...Good luck with that.”

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General Ironwood reads the report again. An unauthorized Manta has landed somewhere in Mantle, and now they’ve taken out their weapons. Great. At least there aren’t too many. If he sends the Ace Ops and maybe Winter, they should be able to-

His Scroll beeps. Ironwood looks down and clicks on the picture from one of the drones. It’s blurry, but he recognizes dark hair and a torn red cape. Qrow.

“Sir?” Winter speaks up from across his desk, reminding him that she’s there. “What do you want us to do?”

Something clicks in his brain, and Ironwood looks up as fast as he can. “Do you have Clover’s file?”

Winter nods and extends her Scroll, where Clover’s picture pops up on the screen. He scrolls down to the bottom part to a picture of Clover’s wrist. And the word written on.

MISFORTUNE.

“Oh, this’ll be hilarious,” Ironwood mutters. He looks up. “Just send the Ace Ops. Tell them to be stealthy.”

Winter follows his gaze to the picture of Clover’s wrist. “Oh.”

“How long do you think it’ll take for him to figure it out?” Ironwood smirks.

“Knowing both of them?” Winter shakes her head. “I’ll have to drop hints every day.”

“Something tells me that might not even do it,” Ironwood sighs.

Winter shrugs. “I’m doing it anyway.” She leaves the office.

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Clover turns to Qrow. “Thanks for the call-out. That could have been bad.”

The Huntsman sighs, frowning. “I wouldn’t thank me,” he says, and Clover has the briefest flash of a fleeting memory, one about his Semblance. “My Semblance brings misfortune. Sometimes I can’t keep it under control.”

Thanking the gods that he’s learned to (somewhat) control his levels of gay panic, Clover says, “That so? Well, hey. Don’t beat yourself up about it.” He can tell that Qrow definitely has been beating himself up about it. So maybe his soulmate’s Semblance really does just affect others. Hardly daring to breathe, Clover manages to continue, “My Semblance is good fortune. Lucky you, huh?” He even winks, although that might be overkill.

This is it. If Qrow has his Semblance written on his wrist, he should react, right?

Qrow looks shocked, and although Clover can’t describe his next expression, it’s almost heartbreaking. The hope alone is enough to make him think that maybe, just maybe this is it.

He doesn’t say anything else, and Clover turns away, disappointment pooling in him. Of course. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up.

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“You know,” Clover says, causing Qrow to look up from his Scroll. “General Ironwood admitted he sent the Ace Ops to arrest you all on purpose. Do you have any idea what that’s supposed to mean?”

“Maybe it’s because he remembers when I kicked your ass in the Vytal Festival.”

Clover gapes at him. “First of all, why do you remember that? Second, I would have won, I just got… distracted.”

Qrow raises an eyebrow. “Distracted? By what?”

“At this point, I don’t even remember,” Clover admits. “I tried very, very hard to forget what happened, and I think it worked.”

From the hallway, Harriet screams, “YOU WERE LITERALLY ON TOP OF HIM, THAT’S WHY.”

Both of them look up to see Harriet streak by the doorway, electricity crackling in her wake. In the blink of an eye, she’s gone.

“...What?” Clover and Qrow ask at the same time. They both shrug and go back to their Scrolls.

After a few more minutes, Winter walks into the room. She pauses when she sees them together and starts backpedaling out. “I’ll just… leave you two to it.”

Qrow gives her a suspicious glare. “What do you want, Winter?”

“Oh, nothing,” Winter replies just a little too casually, but she returns to the room. Clover knows her well enough to know that she’s definitely up to something and that her plan is working perfectly.

“Did you want to stay?” Clover asks, watching her badly hidden smirk grow wider.

“Not really,” Winter grumbles, glowering at Qrow. He returns the look. “Just out of sheer curiosity,” she begins, her words sounding forced, “Have you two ever thought about finding your soulmates?”

“Obviously,” Clover says. “I’ve only met one person with my soulmate’s Semblance, and they know mine, so it can’t be them.”

“Same,” Qrow sighs. He holds his covered wrist out to Clover and pulls the band away. “You wouldn’t happen to know someone else with good fortune as their Semblance, would you?”

Clover blinks, staring down at the teal letters on his friend’s wrist. “Your soulmate’s Semblance is-”

Winter forcibly grabs his wrist and holds it out to Qrow, shifting her gloved hand so he can read the single word written on it. Qrow’s eyes widen.

Agonizingly slowly, Qrow looks up at him. “And your soulmate’s Semblance is-”

“Yes, yes, you’re soulmates, everyone else knew, you’re idiots, and you can thank me later,” Winter huffs, releasing Clover’s wrist and standing up again. She leaves without another word, the sound of her boots audible for a good minute as she walks away.

Clover looks back to Qrow. “Um. You wouldn’t happen to be looking for a romantic soulmate, would you?”

“I..” Qrow trails off, but the way he stares at Clover answers the question for him. Clover suddenly realizes just how close Qrow’s managed to get.

Oh.

All Clover can think of in that moment is how badly he wants to kiss Qrow.

So he does.

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Clover dials General Ironwood with shaking fingers, looking between Qrow and Tyrian and Robyn. The general picks up after a few rings.

“What is it?”

“Uh, sir?” Clover asks, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He feels a hand wrap around his and looks up to find Qrow holding his hand. Qrow gives him an encouraging nod, so Clover continues, “Are you sure that arresting them is a good idea? Especially-”

“I’m aware Qrow is your soulmate,” Ironwood interrupts. “But I need you to arrest him and bring him back immediately. If he cooperates, no harm will come to him.”

Clover resists glaring at the Scroll. He turns and addresses everyone else in the airship. “Right, guys, let’s get Tyrian to prison and then we’ll go down to Mantle.”

“What? Clover, I gave you an order.” Ironwood sighs louder than it should be possible to sigh. “Clover, please. This is for the good of Atlas. Arrest Qrow.”

“First of all,” Clover replies, letting his contempt shine through, “That’s bullshit.”

“Clover-”

“Second of all, no.”

“Clover-”

He hangs up.

----

uh I hope you liked it? It’s also on ao3 here?

#fair game #fairgameweek2020 #I literally just finished

56 notes · View notes

gothify1 · 5 years

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blockheadbrands · 5 years

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Aloha Green Apothecary is Growing Stunning Legal Medical Bud in Hawaii

Danny Danko of High Times Reports:

There’s nothing quite like bud in paradise.

At the center of the Pacific Ocean, America’s 50th state has finally begun producing medicinal pot in this Polynesian archipelago. Take a trip inside Aloha Green Apothecary, the first state-licensed facility cultivating and selling medical marijuana for the patients of Hawaii.

Pot in Paradise

Nobody knows when marijuana first appeared in Hawaii, but the remote islands have been inextricably linked to the legend of the pakalolo, or numbing leaf, for centuries. The combination of rich volcanic soil, plentiful sunshine, tropical breezes and abundant rainfall proved irresistible to resourceful locals looking to produce their own tropical cannabis. Guerrilla weed growers thrived in their camouflaged hilltop plots, growing cannabis crops year-round for the insatiable appetites of the laid-back island populace.

Over time, strains brought to the islands from across the oceans adapted and acclimated to Hawaii’s unique environment and were passed down from generation to generation. These exotic varieties, such as Kona Gold, Puna Budder and, of course, the legendary Maui Wowie, inspired generations of surfers and hippies looking for the signature “electric” buzz. Old-timers still rave about the uplifting aspects of these sativa-dominant strains, eagerly reminiscing about their mildly hallucinogenic high with no “ceiling”—a toker could keep puffing and puffing and yet still reach new heights of blissful euphoria.

Recent research has found that these varieties are especially rich in THCV, dubbed the “sports car of cannabinoids” by Steep Hill Labs, due to the quick onset and relatively short duration of psychoactive effects. Strains with higher levels of THC come on quite strong and can induce panic and anxiety in some users if they aren’t careful. Some patients also report that THCV works as an appetite suppressant, which, if true, imparts this compound with tremendous potential from a pharmaceutical perspective.

Hawaiian Punch

Hawaii’s marijuana history, however, took a turn for the worse in the 1980s with Operation Green Harvest, a decades-long campaign that saw federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies using assault helicopters, masked officers with AK-47s and more in an attempt to eradicate domestic cannabis cultivation and lock up farmers. This aggressive effort devastated the islands’ cultivation community as well as pot consumers, and many say the misguided fiasco helped lead to an epidemic of hard-drug use and a methamphetamine crisis that continues to this day. The dark days for Hawaiian dankness would continue for years until the voters finally decided to make a change.

Although Hawaii legalized medical marijuana for qualified patients and caregivers in 2000, it wasn’t until almost 20 years later, in 2016, that the state finalized the rules governing its dispensary program. These new regulations require eight state-licensed dispensaries to grow, manufacture and sell their own products to eligible patients with a valid state registration card. The one I’m visiting, Aloha Green Apothecary, opened in 2016 with a traditional Hawaiian blessing ceremony in downtown Honolulu on the beautiful island of Oahu. Everything it sells must be lab-tested for cannabinoid profile, pesticides, mycotoxins, heavy metals, moisture content, microbial impurities and solvents (when applicable).

The strict guidelines also require an FBI background check for all employees or visitors, which means that for the first time in my cannabis-cultivation reporting career, I have to apply for permission from the government to visit a legal grow. As Aloha Green’s director, Helen Cho, assists me through the process, I joke about how the times have changed: When I first started covering clandestine indoor pot farms for High Times almost 20 years ago, I sometimes had to ride in the trunk of a car or wear a blindfold. Now I was politely asking the feds to allow me to pay a visit to a licensed facility!

Aloha Grows Green

Aloha Green Apothecary produces its flowers and extracts on the island of Oahu on land that was formerly part of the massive Dole Plantation. I drove out to meet this dedicated team of locals to find out more about their commitment to creating quality medicine using locally sourced materials. Upon approach, the tropical landscape gave way to a well-protected seven-acre plot surrounded by ample security fencing and cameras. The rich, dark-red volcanic soil and bright sunshine reveal this as a place where agriculture has thrived for ages and will continue to do so.

My tour begins with Aloha Green’s head grower, Daniel Richardson, excitedly explaining his philosophy for growing artisanal cannabis for the community of patients in Hawaii. The goal is to tread lightly, making use of as much local material as possible while taking advantage of the natural environment by using greenhouses to grow some of Aloha Green’s flowers. By reusing whatever they can, the Aloha team strives to treat the community and their patients with the respect they deserve.

In fact, Aloha Green is the first state licensee to use several greenhouses to grow its flowers, which has cut the cost of production by a third—all the more important as Hawaii has the most expensive electricity in the United States. The company also has plans to convert to solar for much of its power usage in the future as well. Aloha’s growers are even experimenting with cover crops such as clover to provide nitrogen while also acting as a mulch to conserve water potentially lost to evaporation. Wood chips on top of the growing medium acts as insulation from water loss as well.

Moms and Clones

Mother plants at Aloha Green are nurtured under fluorescent and HID (high-intensity discharge) lighting and hand-fed with a nutrient solution to keep them thriving. Mother-plant vegging rooms are climate-controlled with fans, ensuring that air is circulating and not stagnant. The moms are grown in large containers so that their roots can find plenty of space and expand. This ensures that the plant up top stays healthy and continues to create new growing shoots from which to take and root clones.

Clones root in plugs in meticulously labeled plastic trays with clear lids under fluorescent lighting tubes to maintain heat and humidity for ultimate rooting success. They’re cut from healthy mother plants, dipped into rooting-hormone gel and then gently secured into their individual rooting cubes. The larger fan leaves are then trimmed down to alleviate the pressure on the cutting to maintain life. Once they’re showing healthy white roots from the bottom of their plugs, they’re ready to plant into larger pots filled with premixed growing medium and move into the vegetative stage of growth. Lower branches and leaf growth are removed to increase airflow beneath the canopy to avoid possible humidity buildup.

Light, Soil and Water

In all, there are four indoor flowering rooms and four greenhouse sections at Aloha Green for a total of eight separate growing chambers. The indoor plants are grown under Gavita double-ended HPS (high-pressure sodium) 1,000-watt lights on a staggered flowering schedule and harvested every two weeks. Plants in the greenhouses are supplemented with lighting as well when sunlight isn’t sufficient.

For the growing medium, the team at Aloha Green make their own “supersoil” mix. It’s a combination of rich local soil plus compost from a nearby school. Because of the many microclimates on Oahu, the soil Aloha Green uses is unique and diverse with 10 of 12 soil varieties on the island represented. Volcanic pumice is added instead of perlite to loosen up the soil. This airy loam is then amended with local Hawaiian chicken manure, worm castings, fish waste, and seaweed. The company has even experimented with turning macadamia-nut shells into biochar.

Aloha Green’s goal is to use no added nutrients, and it utilizes drip emitters to provide mostly plain water directly to the root zone. Local mulch from the wood of the monkeypod tree keeps the soil surface cool and reduces water waste from evaporation. Ideally, Aloha Green will reuse its soil over and over in a closed-loop system that improves the growing medium with each growing cycle. Each plant is tagged from seed to harvest with its strain name and germination date, and wooden stakes are used to hold up branches that become weighed down with heavy flowers.

The water itself comes from a 1,000-foot-deep well tapped on the premises. The water is filtered naturally through lava rock and comes out with very low levels of any minerals or contaminants. Multiple drippers in each growing container also provide redundancy in case of a clogged tube or emitter. Wet walls and swamp coolers reduce heat in the greenhouses on really hot days and desiccant-based dehumidifiers remove moisture in the air when necessary. Plants sit on trays that allow airflow underneath the canopy to reduce the probability of mold or mildew collecting in moist air pockets. Excess water and nutrient solution easily drain out of the bottom of the containers to prevent the pots from sitting in stagnant liquid.

Insect Controls

Chief operating officer Tai Cheng and director of integrated strategy Helen Cho explain the strict governmental regulations to me, which include requirements to grow all plants indoors, lab-testing all of the products and using only state-approved pesticides on the crops. In fact, as Cheng tells me, “We can’t have testing show more than 1 ppm [part per million] in the finished product of any banned pesticides, which is essentially the same as none. We’re also not allowed to use beneficial bugs because they are not available in abundance on the island. Strict [agricultural] controls don’t allow for them to be delivered. So we have the strict pesticide regime of Oregon without the help of beneficials.”

Aloha Green growers use beans as indicator, or trap, plants, and rosemary and other deterrent plants to repel insects as well. Workers and visitors alike wear full-body protective suits including booties and hoods to avoid any potential contamination, and yellow sticky pest strips are everywhere in order to get an early warning as to any potential pest invasions. A strict integrated pest-management system ensures that the flowers and concentrates produced here are clean and pass their tests with flying colors.

Faded Flush

As the plants at Aloha Green approach maturity, they’re aggressively flushed with plain pH-balanced water. Head grower Daniel Richardson emphasizes the importance of a proper flush in order to produce flowers that can be considered proper medicine for patients. He insists that whether Aloha Green’s end product is used for flowers, concentrates, edibles or tinctures, it’s clean and free of excess chlorophyll and nutrient-salt buildup.

As I walk around the growing chamber next to be harvested, I can see the fall colors of the fan leaves on display. These fading hues are a sure sign of a successful flush, and the end result will be buds that burn cleanly to a wispy white ash—perfect for connoisseurs and patients alike. The properly flushed plants are now in the final stretch, during which their trichome gland heads will swell with essential oils in preparation for harvest.

Hawaiian Harvest

When the time to take down a roomful of vegetation has been determined, the plants are pre-trimmed while still alive. Large fan leaves are removed by hand from each plant in preparation for the drying process. Then branches are individually hung to dry in rooms environmentally controlled by Argus climate systems. Sensors maintain specific temperature and humidity while UV light kills off any potential pests or mold spores, and Airocide filters purify the air.

The indoor harvests are all hand-trimmed dry prior to curing, while the yield from the greenhouses is machine-trimmed using industrial Twister units and then dried on individual racks. Trim and leaf leftovers are set aside for ethanol extraction to make RSO (Rick Simpson Oil) for oral ingestion. The company also produces oil, shatter, rosin wax, balms and tinctures, so there’s something for every patient on the shelves of Aloha Green Apothecary.

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