3rd Prayer [Text + Photo]

[cethflayn]

Hello again, everyone!
This is Flayn. I have not been doing too much as of late, but I did realize recently that this would be an important month where I am from!
In Fodlan, this "March" would be the Lone Moon, the very last month of our calendar year. During the Lone Moon, we are meant to reflect upon past partings and new acquaintances as winter draws to a close. It prompted me to think on how many new friendships I have made in arriving here, and the great potential that spring holds for new things! Especially when I have yet to see so much of this world.

Did you know that many flowers of this world are similar to those in Fodlan? I did not! And yet, when I took a walk this morning, my Pokemon and I found some wildflowers already in bloom! True, many of them were dandelions, but I thought it would be nice to make some garlands out of them!
We had a very delightful time together, and I encourage everyone to do the same while the weather holds, even if the wind is still a little chilly.

[At the bottom of the post are pictures! They are...not taken well, the angles somewhat off and most blurry, but you can still get the gist of what's going on. There's a Chikorita proudly wearing a too-large crown of dandelions, the chain lopsided on its head; there's a Meowstic critically eyeing a collected bundle of clover flowers, both white and purple; there's a Snom idly gnawing on blades of grass as an Applin dozes next to it in a patch of sunlight.

And, lastly, there's a selfie of Flayn! This one is actually a pretty good picture; she's laughing, her eyes crinkled, her twin curls of hair speckled with daffodils stuck into her locks.

Is it an important piece of news, or something revolutionary? No, of course not. But for Flayn, sharing such a simple moment in time is incredible.]

Comments

[forsaintcecilia]

It's really nice this time of year, isn't it? This is about when the sakura would be blooming back home. I haven't been to a hanami since I got here, and I kinda miss it.

[cethflayn]

Is a sakura a kind of flower?
What does it look like?

[forsaintcecilia]

Yep! It's the blossom of a Japanese cherry tree. They're small and delicate, and a really light pink color. People go out in droves to have picnics underneath the cherry trees every spring!

[cethflayn]

Oh, a cherry tree!
Do you think they bloom on cherry trees not from Japan?

[captainash]

Nice garlands you've made there! It's nice to hear that some things, even simple flowers, can still be familiar in a different world. Have you seen any Grass-types that match plants you know yet?

[cethflayn]

Well, Mac lives in an apple!
We do indeed have apples where I am from.

[captainash]

Good to know. Though I have to admit that imagining a world without apples is difficult.
Then again, none of the berries here match the ones I know, so what's stopping fruits from being different?

[cethflayn]

That is very true.
I am not too surprised that there are different breeds of fruits and vegetables, though. That makes perfect sense.
There are different places and conditions from which food grows, so the things that are similar still have some slight differences, perhaps in shade or size or shape, or even the subtlest flavors.
But they are still similar enough that we can understand them!

[captainash]

Yeah. After nearly two decades living in a colony where all forms of agriculture were strictly controlled for maximum productivity, getting to taste natural fruits on Earth and seeing how much variety there could be was a bit of a shock.
The similarities can be dangerous, though, if a fruit is safely edible in your world, but the closest local equivalent is not.

[cethflayn]

Oh dear...I had not considered that!
In such a case, one could find themselves in quite a bit of trouble.
Imagine eating what you think is a perfectly good tomato only to find yourself ill!

[captainash]

You might find yourself wondering if you just happened to eat one that was spoiled, at first...
The you'd try again, get sick again, and realize that your dreams of delicious tomato sandwiches will remain unfulfilled as long as you stay here. Terrible.

[cethflayn]

But surely there must be something like a tomato that is safe to eat sold in the markets here!
I cannot abide dreams of lovely sandwiches being for naught!

[captainash]

Luckily for us all, it turns out that there is!
But that option is NOT the Tamato berry. Which is sadly not the simple bumpy tomato it appearss to be. And not fit at all for human consumption. Stay away.

[cethflayn]

I do recall being given a guide about berries with my equipment when I arrived, and how they are not safe for people to eat.
Though, I suppose when a food is particularly noted as a berry, and not as a vegetable or fruit of the non-berry type, we ought to be wary of it.

[captainash]

It's good that you've read the guide! Every year, some people don't bother, and that's how we end up with unpleasant cases of food poisoning.
Makes looking for proper strawberries and blueberries a pain, though. Vendors always assume I'm looking for the Pokémon-safe equivalents.

[cethflayn]

What? Whyever would someone not read a guide if it was made available to them?
That is most foolhardy!