#When the cherry trees bloom a love is born

[tautline-hitch]

"It was May of 1914, and Cambridge undergraduates were crowded in to hear A. E. Housman lecture on Horace. The trees outside were heavy with blossoms, and no doubt most of the students—so many of them soon to die in the Great War—could recite Housman’s own poem, 'Loveliest of trees, the cherry now / Is hung with bloom along the bough. . . .' Tenderest of poets, Housman was an intimidating, sarcastic teacher. The subject of his lecture that day was the seventh ode of the fourth book, one of Horace’s most famous and melancholy: Diffugere nives, redeunt iam gramina campis. Housman took it apart and put it back together in a brilliant display of scholarship. Then, the account continues, he looked up at the class—the first time he had deigned to notice them in two years—and in a eerily quiet voice said, 'I should like to spend the last few minutes considering this ode simply as poetry.' With deep emotion, he read the poem aloud, first in Latin, and then in his own peerless English translation.

The snows are fled away, leaves on the shaws And grasses in the mead renew their birth, The river to the river-bed withdraws, And altered is the fashion of the earth. The Nymphs and Graces three put off their fear And unapparelled in the woodland play. The swift hour and the brief prime of the year Say to the soul, Thou wast not born for aye. Thaw follows frost; hard on the heel of spring Treads summer sure to die, for hard on hers Comes autumn, with his apples scattering; Then back to wintertide, when nothing stirs. But oh, whate’er the sky-led seasons mar, Moon upon moon rebuilds it with her beams: Come we where Tullus and where Ancus are, And good Aeneas, we are dust and dreams. Torquatus, if the gods in heaven shall add The morrow to the day, what tongue has told? Feast then thy heart, for what thy heart has had The fingers of no heir will ever hold. When thou descendest once the shades among, The stern assize and equal judgment o’er, Not thy long lineage nor thy golden tongue, No, nor thy righteousness, shall friend thee more. Night holds Hippolytus the pure of stain, Diana steads him nothing, he must stay; And Theseus leaves Pirithöus in the chain The love of comrades cannot take away.

The students grew uncomfortable, and thought they saw tears in the old man’s eyes. 'That,' they remembered him saying in the tone of a man betraying a secret, 'I regard as the most beautiful poem in ancient literature.' He turned abruptly and hurried out of the room."

In J.D. McClatchy's introduction to Horace: The Odes — New Translations by Contemporary Poets, 2002. (Shocked I remembered where I'd read this years ago.) Latin for Odes 4.7.

[pinchinschlimbah]

Flower imagery in Kyo's lyrics - a comprehensive list

mostly taken from the DEG Wiki translations, if there's anything important I've missed or could be translated better please let me know!

--- "Together with the flower of illusion Inside the flower of illusion" Masquerade - Genkaku no Hana (1995) ""Cross"　"You"　The roses that gave light crumble." La:Sadie's - Kakou to Genjitsu… (1996) "Our encounter turns to flowers Our encounter and ironic parting…" La:Sadie's - Kuroi Namida (1996)

"The bouquet of flowers is blooming... The heart is rotten, the middle of an ugly tragedy... Atonement is a flower" La:Sadie's - Zetsudan (1996) "At the end that stings with poison, the flowers wither and the body ... A transparent future, a false world ..." La:Sadie's - Objectxxx (1996) "The prettiest flowers will be the poisonous ones (Those eyes I loved so, became abusive ones)" La:Sadie's - Shoukei Hatan Sekai (1996) "The flowers we grew together back then Now bloom in profusion beautifully by your side" Dir en Grey - Kiri To Mayu (Missa version) (1997) "I sprout my seeds into your garden, But the red, wet bud shall not bloom." Dir en Grey - Kiri To Mayu (If...trans version) (1997) "Those days that seemed so lovely, the poisonous flower garden" Dir en Grey - Erode (1997) "Always standing still in that garden, looking lonely You were watching only the falling flowers" "GARDEN I wished that one day I could meet you Always GARDEN In this season that will pass, forever… You… The sad flowers that are going to wither have seen thousands of nights, Your figure reflected in sepia" Dir en Grey - Garden (1997) "Like a poisonous flower I will show you how I bloom And I'll become a flower that will bloom once again" "And as our love crumbles I bloom with the flowers in a riot of colors" Dir en Grey - Jealous (1998) "An unreality was born within a flower OUTSIDE HUMAN VOICE" Dir en Grey - Unknown…Despair…a Lost (1998) "The bouquet of love that you gave me was a bouquet shaped from poison" Dir en Grey - I'll (1998) "From the window, I can see the cherry blossoms blown by the wind as usual. They are falling slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly, just like dancing." "I know my life will end here alone in this room. Flowers nobody can find… The flowers hurry to fall, shaken by the spring wind. The wind is also blowing into the white room of the hospital." "I'll become ash and return to the dust tomorrow. I see cherry blossoms from the window, I want to rest beneath the tree. I'm in your arms holding me with your love. I'm quietly taken from room 304. To never forget about you. I'll remember you shaking with the cherry blossoms when the wind blows." Dir en Grey - 304 Goushitsu, Hakushi No Sakura (1999) "Put together the days of pain in asphalt. "bury" If you pray by crossing yourself, the asphalt will be filled with poisonous flowers." Dir en Grey - Mask (1999) "I'm a dying flower, but I want to be in bloom just one more time, just like before." Dir en Grey - Akuro No Oka (1999) "The divine wind turns into wind And disappears into the dark Blooming in the night of our reunion The shape of the lilies The divine wind turns into wind Blooming in the night of our reunion The light of the fireflies and the lily flowers" Dir en Grey - Hotarubi (1999)

"Sucking the honey, you who loved the flowers Don't notice me as my beak comes at You blooming all over with foie gras and escargot" Dir en Grey - Macabre (2000) "Turn into a flower, turn into a butterfly and prick me with your poisonous thorns" Dir en Grey - Audrey (2000) "Getting hurt, hurting each other People hide their wounds But I will overcome mine　 And my wounds will turn into beautiful flowers" Dir en Grey - Taiyo No Ao (2000)

"In your room I put one of the flowers you used to love so, now…The light silently dyes the center of the city white The last seasonal color that you saw I shed tears　Reality is a cruel thing, isn't it?" Dir en Grey - Ain't Afraid to Die (2001)

"I am speechless as the sorrow sinks in The flowers die away I am alone" Dir en Grey - Embryo (2002)

"This is the garden of suicide. Are you having fun? Will my dreams come true at that garden?" Dir en Grey - Audience Killer Loop (2003)

"It's a garden with no pulse." Dir en Grey - Shukubeni (2003)

"Flowers bloom and flowers fall, but a flower is as it is a flower." Dir en Grey - Sajou No Uta (2003)

"In the room, on the red wall hang Rosalyn, and the scent from the petals of the flowers fills the room but you are not here." Dir en Grey - Red...[em] (2003)

"I reminisce under the late afternoon sky of the pressed flowers I miss so dearly." "One cold evening I saw her as she stood under the Cherry blossom tree, with petals that bloomed too early." "She couldn't do anything but cry as her tears bloomed like the petals." -Dir en Grey - Drain Away (2003) "The snake makes way through the sheets and goes inside the uterus. It can seem like a Yoshino cherry tree; a cherry blossom petal, that dances sadly." Dir en Grey - Obscure (2003) "And it blooms and blooms, the flower that bloomed The crazy bloomed blood makeup" Dir en Grey - Fukai (2003) "Again you reach out and ants gather around the lily under the sun" Dir en Grey - Saku (2004) "The ashes are like flower petals that rise up to the sky" Dir en Grey - Itoshisa Wa (2005)

"I hate the song game of counting petals" Dir en Grey - Garbage (2005) "Even loved ones scatter like petals from flowers in my hand So even if I engraved the meaning that I lived in my hand, it will only be known as flowers of vanity" "Let's bloom flowers of attempted suicide…………………." Dir en Grey - The Final (2005) "When the seasons come and winter sleeps, I will come visit with flowers" Dir en Grey - Higeki Wa (2005)

"Welcome to the garden of destruction" Dir en Grey - Clever Sleazoid (2007) "I carve into my heart the sins And I live on dying The sakura blossoms on my wrist" Dir en Grey - Red Soil (2008) "Spring blossoms and the petals fall, giving life to the river Swaying from side to side, where will you go?" Dir en Grey - Glass Skin (2008)

Dir en Grey - The Blossoming Beelzebub (2011) [no floral references in the lyrics but listing here for the title]

"A mistake won't change one's way of life Be proud and let the pure white lotus blossom" Dir en Grey - Lotus (2011)

"Feel it? The breeze in the field The water reaches the heart and it gives life But the bud that sprouts… is trampled on again" Dir en Grey - Diabolos (2011) "So, let us swear for ourselves tomorrow, go on No More No Goodbye, from the death of the blossoming flower" Dir en Grey - Akatsuki (2011) "The ant lion searching for the light The lost heart always looks to the future as the flowers of lycoris sway" Dir en Grey - Vanitas (2011) "Joining hands with the flower that's lost its' way Don't want to forget the vagrant past" Dir en Grey - Ruten No Tou (2011)

"Using legs as stems in this flower arrangement" "A moment of joy is like a single flower's life" Dir en Grey - Kiri To Mayu (Rinkaku single version) (2012)

"Those are the kiku flowers placed for the accident, that we're suppose to forget in a timely manner" Dir en Grey - Hydra -666- (2012) "Falling in love with a flower, you suck and suck on the sweet honey You don't even notice me Fangs out I bloom ablaze with love towards the escargot and foie gras that you are" Dir en Grey - Macabre (Unraveling version) (2013)

"You're gone The world without you The lily is not worth it" Dir en Grey - Soshaku (2014)

"Let the flag of our home country blossom" Dir en Grey - Midwife (2014)

"Counting the flower petals that burst out from this unstoppable way of life If it's going to break then … you understand right?" Dir en Grey - Magayasou (2014)

"You'll get used to it Are you used to it? The bouquet placed by the road laughs" "Prayers pile up If it scatters it means it's precious The bouquet no one tries to see taught me I stared at the future" Dir en Grey - Behind a Vacant Image (2014) "there is no evidence behind those righteous words the blood-hungry beast hides inside the wide-opened mouth for whom is this garden for?" "to the garden beyond reach where you sleep" Sukekiyo - Elisabeth Addict (2014) "let the fear take over and get out of control the garden blooms in the color of flesh come here, come here" Sukekiyo - Latour (2014) "it dances tranquility comes when i see the fluttering flower with you" Sukekiyo - Aftermath (2014) "i hate you more than anyone else hydrangea for whom will you get wet for?" Sukekiyo - Scars Like Velvet (2014) "To the garden of love If you want to be heard, let's see you start crying now" Sukekiyo - Foster Mother (2015) "Repeating the words like a favorite phrase Words bloom" Sukekiyo - Maniera (2015) "Having a guilty conscience is like a pretty garden at the end of happiness" Sukekiyo - Mimi Zozo (2017)

"Spring, let me go. Every time it blooms Even I am able to forgive by having at least one thing beautiful" Dir en Grey - Aka (2018)

Dir en Grey - Ranunculus (2018) [floral reference is the title, which is repeated throughout the song]

"The clown danced like crazy and made it bloom The flower was indeed very very beautiful" Dir en Grey - The World of Mercy (2019) "Welcome to the flower garden that's now turning into the bed for evil spirits of mountains and rivers Repeat the process, insert then pull" Sukekiyo - Guuzou Moratorium (2019)

"The reserved flower garden, D.T.C.T" Sukekiyo - Kou mo Chigau Mono Nano ka, Yousuru ni (2019) "The flowers seen thru the lens See the dream without hesitation Stripping as the world opens wide" Sukekiyo - Sesshoku (2020) "You say that everyone goes through it But I don't know enough about love to compare The scar will turn into a beautiful flower" Sukekiyo - Candis (2021)

"The heart grows the lotus The infinite expansion of heaven is righteous" Dir en Grey - Schadenfreude (2022) "If you look down the 13 flight of stairs, the flowers bloom I change To whose intention?" Dir en Grey - 13 (2022) "An empty room The flower garden blooms in the field Let's make the sound of love as I think of you" Sukekiyo - Scarlet (2022) "Even though it started With a small bud The more the wish overwhelmed, the more it made me feel empty Only the love　Yes, only the love Changes me And it makes the Margaret bloom The color fades and turns into tears The wish to lose my words Sings in the spring Swaying back and forth Making the petals scatter" Sukekiyo - Margaret (2023) "The withering flower, wanting to bloom beautifully like back in the day, just one more time" Dir en Grey - Akuro No Oka (19990120 version) (2024)

[tamayula-hl]

Headcanon about Sebastian and my mc, Sakurako

NOTE ･Sakurako is a Mary Sue-like character with an unrealistic personality. Reading is not recommended if you don't like Mary Sue-like OCs! ･It's very long. To be honest, all the descriptions of Sakurako are nothing more than a product of complacency for me. I am a little embarrassed to disclose my headcanon, which is filled with these particular settings and delusions...😳 ･Read from the top right in Japanese manga style. ･And again, please bear with my poor English🤣

Until admission to Hogwarts

In 1875, Sakurako was born into a former samurai family when the cherry trees (sakura) were in bloom. In Japan, the samurai society was abolished around 1868 and the samurai were forced to take the status of commoners. Sakurako's samurai-turned-commoner father became a successful trader and took young Sakurako and his family to Britain to get serious about the raw silk trade with Britain. (At the time, there was a thriving raw silk trade between the British and Japanese.)

Her father, who had a male-dominated mindset due to his birth in a samurai society, restricted her from academic opportunities that she did not need for a better marriage. Whenever she went out of the house, local children always made fun of her yellow skin. One day, after such a depressing life, with the sudden awakening of her magical powers, Sakurako received her Hogwarts acceptance letter and became a member of the Wizarding World, a place free of sexism and racism, where she had a fateful meeting with Sebastian and formed a warped love with him.

During the relationship quest with Sebastian

In my personal opinion, I consider Sebastian to be a very calculating character. Sebastian initially comes into contact with Sakurako as a means of breaking Anne's curse. Sakurako takes an early liking to the boy, Sebastian, who is very kind and helpful to her in her first time in the wizarding world, but it is around the 'In the shadow of the study' quest that Sebastian begins to take a liking to Sakurako. Having grown up watching her parents become arrogant new rich through their success in the trades, Sakurako has a desire to be a good person who is not conceited by her talents and luck. Impressed by the fact that the wizarding world is free from sexism and racism and that everyone treats her with openness, Sakurako is so excited that she takes on any request from anyone without refusal. Sakurako feels threatened by Sebastian's obsession with the relics after "In the shadow of the study", but she can't refuse Sebastian's request and continues to cooperate with him. Then came the tragedy of 'Avada Kedavra'.

After all is over, Sakurako realises how stupid she has been. She continued to help Sebastian (and the other students) out of kindness and goodwill, but as a result she realised that she was not a good person, but an arrogant monster with no sense of right and wrong. Sebastian's mistakes were all her fault, and she blamed herself from this moment until her death, and she would have lifelong thoughts of 'rewinding time and starting all over again'. Sakurako was deeply in love with Sebastian at this point, but out of remorse she tried to distance herself from him. However, Sebastian forcefully continued to contact Sakurako, confessed his fondness and they began dating.

About relationships

Elsewhere, Sakurako had established a friendship with Anne over a number of correspondence until tragedy struck, which was disrupted by Anne's disappearance after Solomon's death. In my headcanon, Sebastian heard the news of Anne's death in the seventh year, and Sakurako was also deeply saddened and even more remorseful when she heard of her death. Sakurako kept Anne's letters and the last letter she was unable to send to Anne for the rest of her life.

Subsequent relationship with Sebastian Since she and Sebastian have been seeing each other, Sakurako has been constantly worried that the love Sebastian has for her is not genuine love, but an obsession caused by the confusion and trauma of losing Anne. She was aware that their relationship was codependent, not healthy love, yet she spent her days loving Sebastian so much that she could not reject him. She dreads every day that one day Sebastian's love will disappear and he will instead resent her and saying 'Solomon's death was your fault'. When she is in the seventh year and thinking seriously about her future life, she finally decides to break up with Sebastian.

When Sebastian realised that Sakurako was acting strangely and that she wanted to break up with him, he asked her to marry him in The Great Hall at a crowded time, in front of many people watching, in a situation where she could not say 'no'. As per Sebastian's cunning intentions, Sakurako is unable to reject Sebastian and becomes engaged to him. However, even after her engagement, Sakurako's insecurities were not exhausted. Worried that she would never be happy even if she married him in an unhealthy codependent state, Sakurako finally came to her senses and, after secretly returning the engagement ring in Sebastian's bag after the graduation ceremony, disappeared without saying anything to him. Sakurako then went to Japan and spent her days learning about Japanese native magic, which she had long been interested in. However, after about a year, she is discovered by Sebastian. After Sebastian apologises for how selfish he had been, he asks Sakurako to marry him again. After a few days of deliberation and discussion with Sebastian, Sakurako accepts his engagement with a smile.

(This is an Illustration I drew for a previous Twitter post introducing the MC's image song) Afterwards, Sakurako returned to Britain and officially married Sebastian, giving birth to their first daughter the following year, and then to male and female twins the year after that.

About the death of Sakurako Sakurako became Unspeakable of the Department of Mysteries shortly after returning to Britain. https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Department_of_Mysteries#Early_history It is official canon in the Wizarding World that the Department of Mysteries conducted time travel experiments in the 1890s and then had a serious time accident in 1899. I have built on this canon to create a head canon in which Sakurako dies in 1899.

Ever since the tragedy of 1890, Sakurako had been harbouring a wish to 'go back in time and do it all over again so that Sebastian would not make the same mistakes'. Then, she is asked by the other Unspeakables to help them with a time travel experiment using her ancient magical powers. She understands that it is a dangerous experiment, but with a strong desire to redo the past, she accepts the request and takes part in the experiment.

Then one day in 1899, Sakurako was involved in a time accident with Madam Mintumble and her existence was lost. The Department of Mysteries determined that she had died in the chasm of time.

When Sebastian heard the news of his wife's death, he despaired violently, but had no time to grieve as he had the three young children Sakurako had left behind to look after. He vowed to raise them well on his own. After his wife's death, Sebastian, who had been active in the outside world as an Auror, moved inside work and, after the twins entered Hogwarts, became a Professor of Charm, watching over his precious children as they grew up.

The consequences for Sebastian and Sakurako I consider an even more specific headcanon for Sakurako: 'She survived only her soul by the power of an ancient magic, losing her memory and trapped in an endless loop of time'.

She loses her memory but somehow survives with only her soul and travels back in time to 1890 with only her soul for her obsessive wish to 'start all over again for Sebastian'. But because she has lost her memory, she ends up repeating the same mistakes and is unable to save Sebastian, despairing and wishing to 'start all over' again. Trapped in the Ouroboros circle of time and tormented by eternal guilt… is the headcanon about her. (I love novels and movies about time leaps and infinite loops… 😳) But I also have two possible outcomes when she is able to escape the endless loop. The first is route A. If Sakurako is able to time leap without losing her memories.

(I like Butterfly Effect soooooo much!!!!!!!!) During that fateful encounter with Sebastian at DADA on her first day of transfer, when he spoke to her after class, she rejected him and said terrible things to him. Sakurako thinks that that tragedy happens because she and Sebastian have become friends, so she tries to save him by making Sebastian hate her… and so the ending goes.

And Route B. If by the power of love she accidentally escapes from the infinite loop and travels back in time to a world 100 years later. (Never mind the details. The power of love is powerful in the Wizarding World, right?)

She is miraculously reunited with Sebastian, who has been surviving and waiting for her return for all of a hundred years… and that is the ending. Having fulfilled his purpose in life, Sebastian soon dies, and Sakurako's soul, weakened by multiple time slips, also ascends.

In any case, Sebastian and Sakurako do not end up completely happy… which is my preference. I love tragic love stories 😂 But it's nice to see these tragic couples having fun in extra episodes and so on!

(The drawing on the left is part of a cartoon I drew when the Sebastian T-shirt was decided to be launched. The drawing on the right is a parody/trace of a meme that used to be popular in Japan)

These are my headcanons on Sebastian and Sakurako! I'm honestly embarrassed to reveal my brain fantasies 😳. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this long post! 😭💓 The following are the Japanese versions!

[earthtodora]

just realized i forgot to share my post-epilogue fic on here!! so basically i was just completely enamored with yuuji's childish innocence after everything that happened. and, pissy about the fact that megumi was barely featured in the epilogue. here i am, fixing it.

Summary: Ozawa confesses to Yuuji. Megumi is jealous.

"Unlike Yuuji, Megumi isn't a fan of the snow. He doesn't find it mysterious or beautiful. In fact, it makes him nervous.There's a certain darkness in the world that seems to come alive when the temperature drops. That darkness has always been there, lurking just below the surface. But, during the winter months, it seems more prominent.

Maybe it's because the weather is bleak and depressing, and everything is covered in a blanket of white. Maybe it's because people spend more time inside and they have more time to think. Even curses seem to get stronger during the winter.

Born out or people's loneliness and despair.

Megumi hates how vulnerable the season makes him feel. He hates the memories it dredges up, the helplessness and fear.

He hates that his emotions are so out of control.

Megumi likes the early spring best. There's something hopeful and optimistic about it, even though the world is still a bit drab and grey. He likes the sound of birds singing, the freshness in the air.

He likes the way the trees bloom, how the color slowly returns to the landscape. The cherry blossoms are his favorite. He's always loved the delicate pink petals that seem to dance in the wind. Tsumiki used to bring him to parks late March when the sakura were just beginning to blossom, and they would watch the petals fall and float in the air.

Yuuji reminds him of the cherry blossoms. Bright and colorful, with a sweetness that can't be ignored.

And he's just as fleeting."

[the-danmei-multiverse-and-angst]

Danmei I've read & Love and My Ratings (mostly angst with happy endings)

MDZS/Mo Dao Zu Shin (Angst) /5🌟 TGCF/Heaven Officials Blessing (Angst) / 5🌟 Yuwu/Remnants of Filth (❤️‍🩹🥹 Angst) /5🌟 Sword Named No Way Out (Angst) /5🌟 Would You Like to Have A Drink /4🌟 Wu Chang Jie (Angst🥹) /5🌟 War Prisoner (Angst) /5🌟 Cold Sands (Angst/Bittersweet Ending/not a HE but not a bad ending) /5🌟 The Ugly Empress (Angst) /5🌟 Swallowing the Seas (Modern/Angst) /5🌟 Mo Du/Silent Reading (Modern/some decent Angst) /5🌟 Cherry Blossoms Upon a Wintry Sword ( Some Angst) /5🌟 Nan Chan (Angst) /5🌟 Misvil (Mistakenly Saving The Villain/Angst but with comedic tone...hard to explain but has TWs) /5🌟 Blind Concubine (Angst/No HE, Bittersweet? Haven't read in a long time) /5🌟 Spring Trees & Sunset Clouds (Angst) /5🌟 Huitian /5🌟 Ballad of Song & Wine (Qiang Jin Jiu)/ 5🌟 Peerless /Wushuang /5🌟 Can Ci Pin/ 5🌟 Kaleidoscope of Death/5🌟 Global University Entrance Exam/5🌟 Mist /5🌟 Copper Coins ( A little bit of Angst to me, but still a great story, HE)/ 5🌟 Governor's Illness /5🌟 Faraway Wanderers /5🌟 It's Not Easy Being a Master (Angst)/5🌟 Record of the Missing Sect Master (Angst) /5🌟 Stranger (KR novel) /4🌟 Thrive In Catastrophe /5🌟 The Legendary Master's Wife /4🌟 Rebirth of The Supreme Celestial Being /4🌟

I wrote a poem for Cold Sands danmei novel years ago, right after I finished the novel because I was so inspired by the story and it made my heart ache. Here is the poem:

Wings clipped by truth The fall swift and harsh Lies unveiled  Fate strung a web of deceit  A trap, snaring the victim This bird, tied down Voice cut-out -silenced Never to sing Never to cry out Never to sing its beautiful melodies once more Never to give sound to its pain The world itself, what a beautiful cage- A big and wide unknown, and sometimes deceitful place Freedom- is only a short illusory image  Unobtainable- A Mirage in the desert when one is dying from thirst Just out of reach, as though grasping at sand as it slips through your fingertips And as the dark begins to unravel Twist and unwind- Mighty is the weight thrust upon the heart, Subduing its pulse, the beating drum- a strangled ba-thump...ba-thump...ba-thump... An anchor drowning the soul, Just as as heavy as one that bears a crown upon their head,  No escape is possible now  As the strings of fate tighten, the birds wings are broken Fragmented and shattered Unable to never fly Never again to soar the skies

(End/ Extra below)

......

Did you ever once hear the Greek tale of a boy, the boy who wanted to fly close to the sun?

His father created wings of made wax for his child and warned him, told him not to fly to high, to not fly to close to the sun.

However, the boy, Icarus, didn't listen to his father's words.

He flew, soaring higher, and higher, as close as he could get to the sun. His wings made of wax were melted away by the suns brilliance and Icarus fell to earth.

To his end.

And the Lotus flower, that blooms at the bottom of a lake, steeped in mud, struggles and craves, longing and yearning for the suns brilliance, but they can never touch the sun.

And a bird, born with wings to fly, can only fly so high, but never crossing that line, that boundary.

And sometimes love is just the same.

Not every story can have a happy ending, no matter the toil, the strife, the pain.

And some times, no my matter how much you love someone, you may forever be enemies, on opposing sides, love hidden deep in your heart, and all you can do, is to stare wistfully at the horizon, yearning until the end.

[elliebyrrdwrites]

The Marriage Law Trope part 4

The little guest house is nestled into the far south corner of the property. There’s a pathway that leads from the front gates, winding around the manor, through the gardens, and past the quidditch pitch. It goes along the pond mother had installed before I was born, filling it with koi fish and lining it with cherry blossoms that are charmed with the perfect temperament year round. Every season, the cherry blossoms bloom. Snow and ice cling to the thing branches and the delicate flowers and even I have to appreciate the sheer beauty of it all. Because the pond freezes over and when my mother was younger and I was just a boy, she’d ice skate and pull me around on a sled tied to a string. I don’t remember it, but she swears I loved it.

The path, it snakes its way through the luxurious estate that I was raised on and it leads to a cottage style home that the earth clings to. The moss grows up the side of the white wood slats of planks and the windows are trimmed with aqua green paint and sweet peas that sprout and bloom along the vines that crawl up the sides of the home.

The guest house has three bedrooms. Only the master bedroom has a bed. I can see mother has been inside. Because, while she does her duty as a good little pureblood wife, what she really wants, is the chance of a grandchild. She wants to see me become a father and I can’t, for the life of me, figure out why. Because I’m the worst. I was raised by the worst father in history.

But, she has come into this place and gutted the two spare bedrooms. She’s taken away the opportunity for us to both gravitate toward the only room with comfort to sleep in.

You enter the cottage and you find yourself in the middle of a space of clean, white furniture that opens up to a large kitchen with white countertops, white cabinipetry and aqua green accents hidden throughout. Like the thin little lines of x’s that are pressed into the white subway tiles behind the stove. Or the little salt and pepper shakers, or the jar meant to hold flour.

But it’s all white and clean and I look at the inside of this cottage and I want to see splashes of colors that don’t make you feel clean. I see the inside of this house all whit and blank and empty and I have to fight the urge to cut open my hand and smear blood against the walls or the couch.

Down the hall, there’s several doors. First, there’s a bathroom, all white and black tiled with a little picture hanging over the toilet that is an old advertisement for soap in French.

Across from the bathroom, is a guest room that is barren. Just wooden floors that are meant to look old and worn but really, they are brand new. The wood planks continue throughout the entire house and down the hall is a laundry room, beside that is another guest room that is full of boxes.

But at the end of the hallway is the master bedroom. It’s where the large, king sized bed is. The bed sits in the middle of the east well. Night stands on either side. Everything in this room is warm earth tones because on the west wall is a wall made entirely of glass that over looks the woods crowding the edge of the house. There’s a sliding door that opens up to a wooden deck. On the deck, there’s a table and two chairs. There’s a hammock attached to the two moderately young oak trees.

And this is where we will live.

This is where our story will take place.

Because, for now, this is our home.

Granger must hate this. Her entire life has been ripped apart and broken down. It’s been broken down and stuffed into boxes with labels that don’t tell you anything about what she has done or what she had been through.

Her life has been broken down and stuffed into boxes like an after thought.

Books, kitchen. Photos, more books.

There’s boxes of clothes, and boxes of shoes. There’s boxes of Knick knacks and sports equipment. I didn’t even know Granger liked sports.

But her life is here, compartmentalized into boxes and they’re lining the hallway of our new home and it’s fucking frightening. Because it’s me and it’s Granger and she’s my wife and I feel the need to snoop through her boxes because I know nothing about her.

Yes, she’s the Golden Girl.

Yes, she’s a swot.

Yes, she’s bossy and had big hair.

Yes, her tits are superb and her lips could kill me.

But, I know nothing else.

Since we were forced to get engaged, I’ve seen her cry over the idea of marrying me, only to kiss me on our wedding day like it was a long time coming. She kissed me like she’s been doing it for years. I’ve seen her stand up to my father, as if they have some sort of ancient history of rivalry.

And now she’s stomping into the master bedroom where I’ve been checking for traps or bugs meant for spying and she’s pouting like a child.

“What are you doing?”

Currently, I’m checking the floorboards for any trap doors or hiding places. So, I roll onto my back and I blow out a sigh before folding my arms under my head.

She standing over me in her little cut off denims and her big baggy sweater and she’s chewing on her fat little lip and all I can do is recall the way it felt to have it against my mouth.

“What?” I ask and she rolls her eyes and uncrosses her arms. They fall to her side and her eyes roam over me. The way my plain white shirt rides up, revealing the course hairs that lead from my navel, to below the waistband of my pants. They roam over the tattoo that is branded into my arm. They bounce from my eyes to my cheeks. Theirs sallow and sunken. My skin is pale, my eyes are dark and my lips are almost always chapped. I think, once upon a time, I used to be considered attractive, pretty even. But even the most beautiful sculptures made out of the finest stone can wither away if left out in the elements.

But Grangers eyes are hard to read. They’re always bright and sunny, though something tells me they are dulled, worn down from how they used to be. They’re always guarded.

“I can’t transfigure anything into a bed.”

I suck through my front teeth. “McGonagall would be disappointed.”

“I know how to do it, you arse, but nothing will take.”

I sniff and stare up at her. From here, I can almost see up her shorts. There’s enough of a gap between her skin and the denim that there’s an alluring shadowy space that makes me want to reach my hand out and touch her. It’s enough of a gap and enough shadow to let my imagination go wild. I can imagine a freckle on her inner thigh, oddly shaped like a heart.

Fuck.

I’m not supposed to want to fuck my wife. Not when I was going to marry Astoria and definitely not now that I am married to Granger.

But that kiss.

This witch had cursed me and blessed me. Because despite the never ending attack of ants fueled by anxiety, I feel like I’m alive.

Granger is giving me life and purpose and I hate her for it.

I love it.

It feels good, great even.

She’s looking down at me, expectantly. She’s looking at me like I’m supposed to fix this.

“That,” I prop myself up onto my elbows. “Is most likely due to mother’s meddling.”

“What?” She almost laughs at the idea. Because, yes. Narcissa is a dutiful wife and she does her best to back up her husband but, more than anything, she wants a grandchild.

Something tells me that if I were to have a child, it would somehow give her a chance to do things differently.

Like, shower their child with love and protect them from the patriarchal dictator of a father.

“There is only one bed in this house, for a reason, and something tells me that if one of us was to fall asleep on the couch, it would likely kick us off of it.”

Her lips do that thing, again, where it turns into a little rosebud. She’s staring down at me with unreadable emotions flashing quickly, across her face before she sighs and turns to observe the room. she looks at the wall of windows. She looks at the massive bed. The only bed in the entire house.

“I prefer the side closest to the door.”

Grangers head jerks down and her big golden eyes look down at me with that same unreadable expression. That’s when I realize something.

Granger is occluding. And from what I can tell, it’s only something she’s learned how to do recently.

And I know, I know, it’s because she’s married to me.

And that is when I realize that I’ve been letting my walls down and the longer I’m around her, the harder it is to keep them up.

Trust me, I know.

And now I’m living with this witch. It’s like being behind enemy lines, only the war is over and we have been forced together. We’ve been forced into a new kind of war. One that is all our own and we are the only soldiers, the only collateral and I can’t figure out if there’s even a chance of a winner or a loser.

Granger looks at the bed, the only bed, and I see her swallow as she fights to build those walls back up.

I need to stop her. I need to make this a fair fight. If I cannot keep mine up, then neither can she.

I shift onto one elbow and my other hand lifts to her ankle. My hand wraps around it. Her entire ankle fits inside of my hand. It’s a perfect fit.

And she jerks and her eyes return to me. She takes her eyes and she gives them back to me as I tighten my hold on her.

“This is the chain.” I say, glancing back to my hand. “And me,” I look at her and she’s all wide eyed and her lips are parted as she inhales deeply. “I’m the ball.” I slide my hand up, allowing my fingers to open up as it reachers her calf. “You’re stuck with me.”

I tighten my grip on her calf and she jumps out of my grasp. I grin up at her as she takes a step back and glares down at me.

And before she lifts her chin into the air and stomps away, going back to unpacking her life that has been divided and stuffed into boxes, she almost smirks as she says, “This isn’t going to go the way you think it is, Draco.”

Trust me, I know.

Because she slipped again.

To Granger, I am not Malfoy. To Granger, I am not just the boy who teased her in school.

To Granger, I am something else.

[very-lonely-ghost]

Samurai and a Wrighter

Parring: Modern! Mizu x Foreign! Elish teacher! Fem! reader - non established relationship

Warning: Not proofread, SFW, Fluff, Mizu motioned as a guy,

About: you move to Japan to become an English teacher. One day you meet Mizu. You both form a strong bond that one day blooms into something more.

Word count: 1.4k

A/N: Hellooooo Thank you for the idea. I made it more into a story then head canons, so I hope you like it Thank you and let me know if you want more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You moved to Japan to become an English teacher at a small school. In your spare time you were a journalist. You liked living in Japan though you had only been there for about only 2 ½ months. You had learned Japanese before moving but almost every day you learned a new world from the locals in the small town you work in. 

Whenever you journaled, you had a place in the woods you would always go to. There was a grand cherry blossom tree that you loved and a river going almost all away around it in the opening. It was beautiful and you loved it. 

Though one day you meet a person. 

~~~

It was a normal Saturday as you sat under the grand cherry blossom tree writing. It was the cherry blossom season, so the blossoms of the tree were beautiful. You took pictures and a few of the fallen flowers and had put it in your journal that you were now writing in. 

You sat there listening to the sound of the animals and the calm river running. After a minute or two you hear someone. You looked up from your writing to see a person. They were carrying a sword and had their hair tied up. 

For a moment you got a bit nervous that they were going to attack you. 

“Ummm… Hello, may I help you” You spoke to them in Japanese, stuttering a bit.

They looked at you through their orange tinted glasses and were a bit surprised to see you there. They stopped walking and just looked at you. They tilled their head at you as if surprised that you spoke Japanese. 

“I- umm… you're not here to hurt me right” You asked nervously of what they were goanna do with the sword. They followed your line of sight to the sword and then understood. 

_________Pov Shift 

Mizu had walked to the clearing to practice training. Something she hadn't done in a while being too busy. When she arrived there, she didn’t expect someone to be there. 

As she walked into the clear she saw a girl. A very pretty girl she had to admit. Though she could tell you weren’t born in Japan. Based on (Skin tone), (hair color), and (eye color). Though all of those things caught her attention in a way. 

I- umm… you're not here to hurt me right” The person spoke out. As she followed their line of sight, she realized she was carrying a weapon in her hand. 

“Oh no I'm not goanna hurt you I was just coming here to train.” Mizu responded to their question. It seemed to put them at ease. 

“Do you want me to move so you can train?” The girl asked out to her. 

“Ummm nah you're all good. Maybe you could give me some motivation.” Mizu responds playfully. 

_________Pov Shift

The tips of your ear turned a light shade of red as they said that. You couldn’t help it; they were very pretty, and they just said that. Though you just met this person god damn it there is something about them. 

“May I ask your name, Samurai?” You called out. The nickname matches with the blade that they held in hand. 

_________Pov Shift 

Mizu didn’t expect the nickname; she was a bit taken aback by it. 

“Mizu” She responded to the girl's question.

“Mizu” She said, pondering. “Mizu, like water. That's a pretty name” They smiled at her. 

“Yeah, I guess” Mizu said a little waver in her voice from the complement. “What's yours?” She asked. 

_________Pov Shift 

“Y/N” You said. 

“Y/n? It matches you” The person you know as Mizu said. Though there was something about how they said your name that made you breath hitch for a second. 

~~~

After that day the both of you became good friends. Best friends as you would say but Mizu isn’t into that type of stuff. The both of you did everything together even eventually moving in together. 

Though this time feelings were starting to be fluid. Though Mizu was a girl as you found out it didn’t drive you away and Mizu appreciated it. 

Also, whenever you had trouble with something whether it be chopsticks or words, she always helped you. She was so soft with you, and it made you feel safe. 

There were sometimes when she visited your class so you students could learn about what it's like to wield the blade for their story they were writing. 

~~~ 

“Hay Samurai” You say never forget the nickname. Mizu looked over to you from her spot at the table eating. 

“What's up?” She responded before eating more of her food. 

“Could you come to my class tomorrow pleassss????” You asked her with the best puppy dog eyes you could. 

“Why would I” She said before she met your eyes. 

________Pov Shift 

Fuck the puppy eyes. Mizu was a sucker for their eyes, not being able to say no. 

“Well, I gave them an assignment for writing in English about writing a story about samurai. I know you aren’t like a full one but please. They would love it.” They plead to her. Even without them explaining she would have done it with those stupid eyes. 

“Ok I’ll Go” She said, shaking her head. 

_________Pov Shift 

You started dancing around in excitement at Miu agreeing to go. 

“HURRAYYYY Thank you Mizuuuuu” You said before quickly kissing her on the cheek and running off.

___Pov shift 

Mizu was shocked at what you just did. She put her hand to where y/n kissed her as blush took over her face. They had never done that before. Does that mean? Noooo it couldn’t, right???

—---------------(Time Skip) 

You and Mizu walked to your classroom. You buzzed existent as Mizu looked at you smiling still with the thoughts of what happened last night in her head. 

As the classes started you introduced Mizu and let your students and then gave them time to work on their writing. It went pretty well.

Once when classes were changed and Mizu was saying goodbye to the student, one of them had asked Mizu if she was their Husband. Mizu bushed a bit at the idea but told the kid no and sent them on the way. 

The day went on without any trouble. Though Mizu was deep in thought about you for some of it. 

~~~

After that day the only thing Mizu could think of was you. It also didn’t help that she saw you every single day. She tried to push her feelings to the side, but they kept coming back. She didn’t know what to do so she thought for a long time till she had an idea.

~~~

“Mizu, where are you taking me?” You asked Mizu as she led you somewhere. 

“A special place” She responds, holding you hand as she guides you through the woods. 

She led you by the hand till you all got to spot then regretfully letting go of your hand. 

“You can look now” You took off the blonde fold which was a bandana. You looked around to see Mizu holding a bouquet of (favorite flowers). Around her you could notice it was the place where you met each other. 

“Will- Will you be my Girlfriend?” She asked, blushing creeping up to her face. 

You couldn't control yourself as you ran to her smiling big and hugging her. She even stumbled a bit back and made sure you didn’t crush the flowers. 

“Yess Yess a thousand times yessss!!!!” you cheered in her arms. Mizu smiled at your acceptance and let you over to a little place she made.

Under the Cherry blossom tree there was a little pile of blankets and comfy things and fair lights all around. It was so cute and made your heart feel warm. 

You both sat down with Mizu’s laptop and watched a movie. You were both comfortably in each other's arms. Slowly sleep started to take over you as you fell asleep in Mizu’s arms. 

You felt her kiss your head and whispers...

“Good night my Writer” You could hear the smile in her voice as she said it.

“Good night my Samurai.” You said in a tired voice. With that you fell asleep as Mizu held you as tightly in her arms, never wanting to let go of you.

Her Writer

You Samurai

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thannnnnnk you I hope you liked it I did my best and again let me know if you want. more.

[rune-writes]

Ephemerality

Fandom: Love and Deepspace

Word count: 1827

Rating: G

Pairing: Xavier/MC

Summary: In the outskirts of Linkon City, there is a park listed as one of the Top Ten Romantic Parks of Linkon City. Xavier invites MC out for a Valentine's Day date.

Notes: A belated Happy Valentine's Day~

I wanted to write a cute Xavier/MC fic for Valentine's, but alas, I could only finish it now, and... it ends up not being very Valentine-y either haha.

Read on AO3.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Mind your step.” 

Xavier offered his hand as we came to a slope, pebbles rolling loosely over a steep incline. It wasn’t particularly treacherous. At least, not for me. I was a Hunter, and I was equipped with hiking boots and pants. A measly slope couldn’t outdo me. So I ignored his hand and said, “I can manage just f—” I couldn’t finish my sentence before I felt my foot slip. 

The wind rushed out of me and the world upended—

Xavier caught my wrist and pulled me up, giving me leverage to fix my posture and land on his side. I gasped, heart racing within my ribcage. 

“What did I tell you?” he said. His voice was carefully leveled, but when I chanced a glance, I caught the mirth behind his pressed lips. His eyes couldn’t lie. 

“Thanks,” I said tartly. 

He released a playful scoff under his breath, then shifted his hold to my hand, his long fingers enveloping mine in a secure grasp. His smile finally on full display, he said, “Don’t let go now.” 

Any counter or retort I had ready evaporated instantly at sight of his disarming face. 

This hike had been his idea. Well, mine if we’re talking about technicalities, but I had only made a passing comment on a passing article I was reading—Top Ten Romantic Parks in Linkon City. I knew most of the ones listed; some were popular spots in the city proper even for single people, which I had been one until recently. The tenth one on the list, however, was a place I had never heard of. A clearing out on the hills in the outskirts of the city; it was a hike at the end of an hour train ride. I’d asked Xavier if he knew the place.

“I do. I often pass by it on my way home,” he’d replied. I had learned not to pry exactly where he had gone. As far as I knew, there weren’t any no-hunt zones in the area. He’d leaned over the couch and I’d shown him my phone. He’d nodded, confirming the place. “It’s a bit far, and you need to climb a fair distance. I can see why it’s not a popular date spot.”

“It looks pretty,” I’d said, looking back at my phone. Rosalea Park: a fenced-in clearing with beautiful cherry-blossom trees overlooking the entire city. It’d make a perfect spot for flower viewing, if they were in the cherry blossom season. I’d looked at the panoramic photographs the writer had attached before I closed the tab and noticed Xavier’s gaze. I’d met his eyes.

“Do you want to go there?” he’d asked.

And so our plan had been born. Fast forward one week later, I now found myself holding Xavier’s hand as he led me down the trail with groups of cherry-blossom trees flanking us on both sides. It’d take another month or so to see the pink buds bloom and grace the crown of every tree on this hill. Apparently, some decades ago, someone had planted an entire grove of cherry blossoms on the hills outside Linkon, providing the citizens a magnificent view when spring came around. I liked to watch them from the window of my apartment. It was like being surrounded by an endless, undulating pink sea. Magical. But the flowers didn’t last long. The blooms would fall once the season passed and be replaced by an ocean of verdant green. But that would take another couple weeks. Now, however, the trees around us bore white flowers, small and delicate, creating a sort of mystical mirage with their ephemeral beauty.

I gazed at them, transfixed. I didn’t realize Xavier’s stare until I heard his breathy laugh. 

“Do you like them?” he asked. 

“They’re pretty.” I reached up and caught a falling petal on my palm. “They remind me of you.”

“How so?” 

“They’re quite hardy, and they foretell the coming of spring,” I said. “But they’re also brittle. A single touch could make them fall from their branch. Blink once and you’d miss the beauty they offer.” 

He paused, then said, “Do I seem brittle to you then?” 

I looked up and met his backward glance. I couldn’t quite read the expression on his face. I didn’t think my nonchalant observation would catch his attention. But then a breeze caught the petal in my palm and I watched it dance in the wind alongside other loose flowers. One landed on Xavier’s head, and I giggled, reaching up to brush it away. 

“You’re not brittle,” I told him as I picked the stray petal from his hair. Holding it between my thumb and forefinger, it quivered as the wind fought to keep it aloft. And then it broke free, and I felt a part of me fly away with it. “You’re…elusive. I fear that if I close my eyes, you’ll be gone from my side.” 

Xavier didn’t break his gaze away from me. I looked ahead and found that we’d reached the edge of the treeline. I tugged his hand, urging him to go faster. And then we were outside, and the view took my breath away. 

We were at the top of a hill: Rosalea Hill, judging from the sign they’d propped just outside the line of trees. But the trail didn’t stop there. It went on past the sign and into the clearing, winding around a plethora of flowerbeds in circles, squares, or crescent shapes. A mingle of scents greeted my senses. It felt like I was back in the flower shop Xavier liked to visit, except the smell was richer here, the colors more abundant and vibrant. 

We weren’t the only ones visiting the park either. Couples were already setting up picnic mats and several were taking pictures on the benches or by the wall overlooking the city. I let go of Xavier’s hand and rushed over to it, leaning over and peering down the stone structure. We were so high; the park ended in a steep slope that could easily break someone’s neck were they to fall over. Or, well, at the very least sprain their ankle. The slope wasn’t too sheer that your feet couldn’t find purchase, but I could imagine someone slipping over the terrain.

Like I had just moments before, to my mortification.

Xavier entered my line of sight and I grinned up at him. “Look,” I said, pointing at the entrance to the hiking trail at the bottom of the hill. “That’s where we came in, huh?”

“It appears so.” 

”Doesn’t seem like this place is unpopular,” I added, noting the crowd that was still trickling into the entrance. 

Xavier chuckled. “I never said it’s unpopular. I only said it might not be a popular date spot.”

Well, there were a lot of couples. Either Xavier was wrong, or they’d all fallen victim to the same article I’d read.

I followed the road, all its winding way back to the nearby train station, then finally to the city in the distance. Under the sun, Linkon City’s numerous skyscrapers glinted brilliantly, towers upon glass towers piercing the sky all the way to where Skyhaven hung with its gilded spires. I could spot the parks—clusters of little green dots sandwiched between rows of buildings. I could hazard a guess where our apartment was, though I couldn’t very well see the building from so far away. I saw the river, a sparkling blue line winding through the settlement, cutting right at the heart and finally draining into the sea beyond. Pristine ivory shores rimmed the city’s western edge. 

The place where I grew up looked so different from above. So serene and timeless, as though we had crossed over a threshold and were now gazing at a frozen sculpture. “It’s so beautiful,” I said breathlessly. Too beautiful, in fact. I couldn’t help the slight pang in my heart knowing that one day, things would change.

I pushed myself from the wall and took a few steps back, breathing in the scent, absorbing the view. I might have stayed like that for all eternity if I hadn’t heard the shutter of a camera going off. I looked to my right and saw Xavier directing his phone camera at me. He smiled sheepishly at being caught. 

“Let me borrow your phone,” he said, stashing his away.  

I blinked. “What for?”

He didn’t say anything, only held out his hand in silent inquiry. I indulged him, fishing my phone from my bag and placing it on his palm. 

“Now come here.” He drew me to his side, maneuvered us so that we had our backs to the city, then directed my phone at us to take a selfie picture. “Smile.” 

The shutter went off again. 

Even with the impromptu nature, it was still a pretty good picture. He managed to capture the city in the distance while also still capturing our smiles. He fiddled around with my phone for a while longer before giving it back to me. I looked at the screen—

—and realized he’d changed my home screen wallpaper to the photo he’d just taken. 

“Now even if you close your eyes, I’ll always be by your side.” 

I stared at my phone, then at his cheeky smile. “I want another one.”

“What?”

“It’s not good enough. Better yet, I’ll just take a picture of you ‘cause you already took mine.”

“Wait—”

I pushed him to the wall, had him pose for me several times. After a while, Xavier could only smile in resign. 

“Happy now?” he asked after his photo session ended. “You know, I only took one photo of you.” 

“And I took five.” I scrolled through my album. I couldn’t quite keep the grin out of my face. He looked so handsome in his jacket and turtleneck, and so cute when he pouted at the last picture because I couldn’t decide what pose I wanted him to do. I decided to use that for my homescreen wallpaper instead. 

“Why are you grinning at a picture when the real one is in front of you?” 

I glanced up, and true enough, the hint of a pout was already forming again in his otherwise poker face. I beamed from ear to ear. “Oh please, as if you wouldn’t look at my picture when I’m not looking.”

His response was a guilty, breathy laugh. 

I grabbed his hand and led him away from the wall to a quieter area. “Come on, then. Let’s set up our picnic mat. I made a lot of delicious meals this morning. I can’t wait for you to try them.” 

Later, Xavier told me that the park was even more romantic at night. They had lights stringed around the flower beds, and around the paths and walls as well. Like artificial fireflies, he said. He promised to take me here again to see it. Perhaps, when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. 

~ END ~

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 1 Pt. 10 (Reaffirmations of Love)

Even as they gained new wrinkles with softened physiques as they aged, Neal and Daisy still found each other irresistible. They could steal more romantic moments than they had in years, and rarely wasted an opportunity. They knew their good fortune to have found one another, as friends expressed disappointment with their own spouses. And then, of course, there was Bob. He showed up hours late to the barbeque, and soon the reason why became apparent. He had only recently started seeing Annette Rhoads, Henford’s mayor, though they tried to keep their relationship under wraps for the sake of town gossip. But when Annette found out she was expecting, she stepped down from her mayorship and moved in with Bob and his family.

The kids were wary of their new stepmother as no one had forgotten the memory of their mother – least of all Bob – and Annette was deeply in love but still frustrated that a lovechild had spoiled her political ambitions. But Bob was over the moon to be expecting again – he wanted more but Eliza wasn’t keen – and the Nesbitts celebrated the excitement of new life when little Elizabeth was born.

Daisy finally became a PhD of Pollen, among the top botanists in her field and certainly the best in Henford-on-Bagley. Her yard bloomed with perfect plants, and she loved basking in the smells and sounds of the chickens and bees while she meditated under her cherry trees. She truly lived an Outdoorsy life and loved it. She’d achieved so much, but she still yearned for more. She wanted to try to grow the largest crops the Finchwick Fair had ever seen. And she hungered for that UFO fruit.

To celebrate the end of summer, the Nesbitts again travelled to their favourite vacation spot, Granite Falls, where Neal delighted in the ways his growing children could interact with the natural world he’d loved since childhood. Holly fished beneath the falls for hours while Heather and River went for hikes together, and Daisy stayed close to Hazel at the campground. They were blessed this time with great weather, too. While Neal and Daisy took the tent, the kids pulled out sleeping bags and drifted off under the stars. Neal finally befriended the old hermit in the deep woods; once he got beyond the hermit’s rough and curmudgeonly exterior, he not only gave Neal and Holly plenty of fishing tips, but he also taught Neal a recipe for insect-infused fertilizer that Daisy was all too happy to test on her garden crops.

On the way home from Granite Falls, Neal and Daisy made a detour to Oasis Springs. Now that their kids were older, they wanted to show them the place they married thirteen years ago. The first time, only Heather was “there” in Daisy’s belly, but now all their kids could watch their loved-up parents renew their vows at the little chapel in the desert.

Daisy and Neal had both achieved so much. But what was in store for their next thirteen years together? ->

<- Previous Chapter | From the Beginning

[caramelmochacrow]

ive been thinking about yuka and esora's parents a lot for the past few days so im making a headcanon post on them. yay.

SO MANY WALLS OF TEXT IM SORRY--

esora's father plays go in his free time. i like to think he likes board games (shogi as well) but because of his schedule w work, he doesnt have much time to be able to play. he wanted to be a pro go player when he was younger, but eventually he had to take up the shimizu group and drop that dream. he feels a bit regretful, but if he didn't he probably wouldn't have his daughter. if he had more time with esora when she was younger, he would want her to know how to play go or shogi. he also sounds like the type to wear glasses. that's why esora needs reading glasses (got the slight astigmatism from him lol) he doesn't understand his daughter from time to time, but does his best. he and his wife are happy for esora having peaky and rei but also feel a bit bad bc they were there when they weren't. they regularly want to spend time together as a family when they can, sometimes taking trips together and stuff. that or they stay at home and play go or shogi together. lol. out the entire family, mr. shimizu's the best player, his wife second and esora -- sadly -- last. she's trying to learn more go when she can to be able to beat her father.

esora's mother sounds like she would enjoy taking care of flowers and stuff. i remember one of esora's menu lines saying that her parents planted a cherry blossom tree when she was born and she always feels happy seeing it bloom because it reminds her how long she's lived. i think it'd be sweet if esora's mother was the reason why that tree was planted. she gave bouquets to her husband when they first met and still does it. when it's their anniversary she does a flower stand. her husband always thinks it's cute and keeps one of each flower used in the bouquet and puts it in a vase in the house. i also think she rlly likes giving presents when she can to esora because she feels bad for not being able to be there for her much when she was growing up. (sometimes flower themed) also she's a menace behind a car, do NOT let mrs. shimizu drive. thisis why they have chauffeurs lol (joke) she and esora sometimes go to the beach and spend time together driving jet skis and go diving. mr. shimizu just likes swimming whenever he's invited (he knows that his wife and daughter drive a jet ski like crazy.)

im not sure how they would get together (arranged marriage probs.....?) but i think it took a bit for them to really fall for each other. they had to take time to learn about the other before eventually they reach who they truly are and fall in love. esora's father's rlly chivalrous, like, he would be rlly princely and stuff to his wife when they first met. (mostly bc he just wanted to be kind) that was one of reasons mrs. shimizu fell for him. he still does this but it's almost natural he doesnt realize it a lot until people point it out. she also thinks he looks cute playing go and handsome when playing shogi. sometimes it switches, but that's her usual answer. mr. shimizu rlly liked how his wife -- when they first met -- was quite assertive with where she wanted to go. at first he thought she was a little spoiled, but some of the places they went to or saw were rlly pretty. eventually he lets his wife decide where to go for their dates, which left most of his date ideas being "bland" or "boring", but his wife thinks it's still special all the same. as long as she's by his side, the dates they go to are special. the one who fell first was esora's mother, but the one to ask the other out on a date first was esora's father.

because esora never got to spend much time with them, she actually doesnt know how they met and got together. she only knows from the stories her relatives tell her or the chauffeurs and servants. i think she would want to eventually learn how they got together, causing her to compare the different stories instead of asking her parents because she belives that it isn't "worth their time" even though, in actuality, they do think it's worth their time because their daughter wants to know why they got together. yeahhhhhh <3

yuka's parents........

well, first of all. i think he was from new jersey or washington. one of them. new york maybe. idk im not american idk what vibe he gives off. maybe he's from the southern states for all i know. anywya, like yuka he does photography on the side. it was one of his school assignments to take a few pictures in his art class in elementary school or something and eventually that caused him to gain a small interest in photography. a lot of his friends found his hobby odd but eventually they grew to love it because of the fact they could make mr. sasago the designated photographer. it allowed him to get small jobs from time to time but during those times he realized he doesnt rlly want to make photography his job and stopped. he still takes photos though, but not as much compared to the past and yuka. he regularly went to the gym and loved p.e, even though he wasnt part of any sports. a lot of people wanted him to be in some of the sports, but he always declined. eventually he grew an interest in working out and got to work at the gym he frequented in. yayyyyyy.

sometime later he wanted to go to japan and spread the joys of working out there too. he studied japanese as much as possible, some of his friends thought that he was going a bit too far with his dream, but he kept going. after spending a few months or something in japan, he met his wife, yayyyyy. on his appearance.... he's definitely blonde and blue-eyed...... he likes having those, like, very short but slightly spike-y cuts. like, close to a buzz cut but not really. idk how to explain it lol-- anyway, he's the one w the thick brows and passed that gene to yuka and maika.oh, one thing that isn't exactly a headcanon, but just sort of an explanation for why yuka's last name is sasago instead of, like, whatever the hell mr. sasago's last name is. i think when he married his wife, he sort of realized that he's going to, you know, spend his whole life in japan now. when they were choosing which last name to choose, i think he wanted to go for his wife's name instead of his because he knew his children would struggle with fitting into japan's society w his last name. i think he was even more glad when he realized yuka was a full blonde and blue-eyed. (and eventually maika) he has a brother (not sure older or younger yet) that stayed in america. he eventually goes on to take a care of maika when she goes there. he has an alright relationship w his brother, but they both struggle w keeping touch. oh one time at the beach, mr. sasago carried yuka by the leg (by accident) bc she was abt to go to the deeper part of the ocean. this led to yuka wanting to be carried like that a lot as a kid bc she felt like spiderman or a monkey. lol. when she grew up, mr. sasago teases her by asking if she wants to be carried like that again, yuka just gets embarrassed abt it and stuff. they have a photo proof of this happening.

yuka's mother, i think, really likes scrap booking. it's her hobby ever since she was a kid because her mother and grandmother taught her how to. this eventually caused her to have one of the first few connections with her husband because she likes making photo albums of his photos and eventually yuka. she taught yuka and maika how to scrap book as well. she never liked being sick, so she eventually started exercising regularly because of a heart attack scare w her grandmother. it's sort of a family thing that her family has a low immune system or struggles fighting against specific illnesses. some classmates in the past teased her over working out and stuff, saying she'll be a muscle freak and no one will like her and something similar, but she didn't care and kept going because she wanted to stay healthy. this eventually led to her meeting her husband. she has brown hair and has a few moles on her body. a notable one is the one on her neck, near her ear. mr. sasago thinks it's super duper cute and likes kissing where those moles are. waugh. maika thinks they're a bit cringey but yuka thinks they're sweet, lol. unlike her husband, she was part of the girl's basketball team in her middle school and high school. she was point guard, probs...

the way they first met was because mr. sasago wanted to find the gym she goes to so he can have a job interview there. she struggled because she wasn't that good at english at the time but mr. sasago was able to have a conversation with her in japanese. she thought he was a little cute but never thought of it afterward. idk what else that could happen but yeah. this is their meet cute. ewwww. (<- word maika would say) eventually they reconnected again and hung out a few times (they were having dates without knowing). then mrs. sasago learns of his photography hobby and connected w her love of scrap booking. she made their wedding album and stuff. uwahhhhhh. also maika and yuka's baby albums. eeeeeeeee!!! ahem. yuka knows how they got together because maika, as a kid, always asked because she kept forgetting. maika knows it vaguely. amnyway, OH mrs. sasago paid more attention when learning english so she could break the language barrier w mr. sasago, even though he already knew japanese. they probs visited america before yuka and maika were born once and she met his brother and family. yippeeeeeeeeee even though they speak japanese at home, mrs. sasago doesnt want to forget english for the sake of her husband.

when yuka was first born, mrs. sasago was rlly careful and worried yuka would get the illness thing (she did, yuka sucks ass w fevers) but her husband always made sure to take care of yuka as much as possible whenever she got sick. when maika was born, she was relieved she didn't get sick easily, but was still careful whenever she got sick as well. yuka picked up this worry and also made sure to take care of maika. at first it was good, but this lead to yuka fussing over maika a lot and eventually yuka's habit of being worried over maika occurred. they made sure to give attention to both of them when they were younger so they wouldn't fight much (mr. sasago knew from experience) but maika and yuka still fought from time to time. mostly maika being whiny as a kid. every time yuka brings up those times, maika is very embarrassed abt it.

thats all i can think of now. uh,,,,,,, bye.

[poemstoimmortalisehim]

Garden and her lover

Before you met me , I was a barren land, neglected and ruined. My trees were stripped bare of their luscious green leaves,picked apart and trampled on by the ghosts of past lovers. Not a single flower was in sight, every last one had wilted in misery crushed by the venomous wrath of hatred and agony trapped within my soil.

Even when some semblance of a seedling formed, she cowered her head in melancholy afraid to trust the warmth of love for fear of being burned again. The once flourishing myriad of fauna that thrived my grounds were now reduced to prickly thorn bushes stinging with painful memories of betrayals and broken hearts.

It was then you came into my garden like a drizzle of hope after a starving drought of despair. Like a mother's delicate touch you tended to my dirt with patience and planted the seeds of your love.

Even during the days when I was plagued with self-doubt and would conspire with the wind to scream at you that I may not bear the fruits of your painstaking labour,you would sit with me in silence and run your hand healingly through every insignificant shrub and weed that grew.

The once blush pale beating heart of my garden was turning crimson red with a newfound purpose just like the roses you planted.Soon arrived the morning glories always in awe of your beguiling smile ready to whisper sweet nothings and extend their vines with gratitude to feel your soft enduring palms.

Then came the lavenders with their saccharine fragrance that would send me into a childlike whimsy and entrance my head with thoughts of you. The lavenders were my favorite because it reminded me of your face that glistened with purple hue and purple meant passion,the sheer unwavering passion of yours that turned my disfigured soil into the Eden the gods blessed your kind with.

The edges of your temple wrinkled like the swirls of an old tree stump but unlike the sophisticated spirals of your exterior your heart remained guarded like a shy tulip worried if the world would mock the way the petals of your mind unfolded.

Yet, during the winter nights when you would rest your weary head on my grass patch saying your musings to the moon, I would listen clandestinely to the wisdom you gained from travelling treacherous rocky paths, how they scarred your feet but disciplined your mind.

You taught me humility so I won't gloat over my vibrant carnations but appreciate their impermanence as with the ever-changing unforgiving seasons and immerse in their exquisite beauty even if, just for a moment.

And just like the notion of love even if the cherry blossoms I cherished so dearly in spring were to wither I would console myself knowing that camellias in the winter would await me.

Like a sunflower that lifts up her glowing yellow petals with cheerful exuberance your perseverance taught me to look adversity in its monstrous pouncing eyes such that even if the sky in her envy were to send ravenous thunderstorms or the sun were to scorn upon us with his scorching glances I would not falter but continue to bloom in rebellion.

Yet I knew, when the vicious hearsays from ravens turned my spirits down you would let me revel in the shade of your strength like a tall and mighty banyan tree.

The butterflies who would travel from lands far away would be swayed by your lustful charm. And while my most eye-catching petunias and freesias would seduce them with sweet nectar and striking petals the fluttery beings would insist on sitting upon the throne of your nose and staring into the alluring blooming irises within your eyes.

My poppies would dance devotedly to the melodious cacophony of your voice and my lilies would wish for a trickle of your sweat to fall upon them so that they may taste salvation and shimmer with pollen of adoration in your presence.

The flowers in my garden shall forever be a testament to the unrelenting love and kindness you showed me and every last seed shall be born praising your name. Alas, my dear remember that when the nights get too lonely and the days filled with drudgery lean your tired frame against my branches so that I may caress your face with dandelion kisses and help you find the courage to sprout again just as you did with me.

-A.N

[kururu418]

Branch Future AU Facts

Children in the tribe love to gather around Branch as he tells them stories and tales about the tribe. Some of them still exist today, while some were lost to time and are brand new to them. Branch enjoys it since it was something his sister used to do. 

Branch can sense that the Great Tree has a strong connection with both Wisteria and Azalea, which he finds odd since only Azalea was born from the Tree. The Great Spear seems to learn more towards Wisteria while the Great Shield leans more towards Azalea. 

Branch was very protective of Bloom during her pregnancy with Wisteria. Since natural pregnancy is incredibly rare within the tribe many weren’t sure how to handle it. Bloom thought it was sweet and simply let him and the others dote on her, especially since it made Slick feel better whenever he had to leave. 

Branch thinks Slick can be a bad influence on Wisteria and Azalea. He blames him for Wisteria’s rather reckless attitude. 

He can tell Wisteria is rather distant from the rest of the tribe and tries to reach out to her so she doesn’t feel too isolated. He doesn’t want her ending up following in his footsteps, though he knows it’s not likely either way. 

When she was getting married, Bloom insisted Branch be the one to give her away and conduct the ceremony. Branch didn’t believe it was appropriate given his past, but Bloom refused to have anyone else do it. 

Branch tutors Wisteria and Azalea on how to use the Great weapons. For now he never lets them take them outside the village since they're too powerful to risk using in regular combat and he doesn’t want them to lose control. 

When he found out about Azalea’s crush on Vander he was… concerned. He thinks Vander is a nice kid but, between him and Slick he is worried that the women in their family may have an odd taste in men. 

Conversely he thinks Wisteria’s interested in Dorado is a good thing and encourages it since he finds Dorado to be an upstanding young and virtuous young man. 

He very much admires Astro’s garden, impressed at how immaculate it can be without any connection to the Great Tree. With his permission he put in a cherry blossom tree within it as a gift. 

Branch was pleased to learn that F5 is still around and functioning. He’s appreciative of Rosetta keeping up his maintenance. Sometimes the golem comes by and they chat. 

Branch is honestly surprised at how many half breed Nymphs there are now. In his time it was unheard of for people to marry or mate outside the tribe. He believes it’s a good thing overall, but is concerned about some of the traditions of the tribe being maintained. 

[a-world-of-whimsy-5]

Changes afoot

Day 3 prompts: Family | Loyalty

For: @silmarillionepistolary

Rating: General Audience

Characters: Maedhros, Fingon, Nerdanel, Maglor

Epistolary format: Journal entries and letters

Themes: Soft | Fluff | Hints of Russingon

Warnings: None

Wordcount: 2.2k words

Summary: Fingon writes to Maedhros telling him to expect a visitor. A feast is held in honor of this guest, and both Maedhros and Maglor write their observations of what takes place before and after it begins. Maedhros later writes to his mother about their new guest, and his fears about his father.

A/n: OC name meaning

Indilien, wife of Maglor - Indil (Lily) | ien (suf. feminine ending; feminine patronymic).

This is also available on AO3

Letter from Findekáno to Nelyafinwë

249th day of Y.T. 1492.—

Beloved,—

I trust I have not wounded you by my delay in sending this letter, for my tasks have been many of late. Father cloisters himself often with my uncle, talking, but I fear such talk will bear little fruit. My uncle has grown weary of the many quarrels between your father and mine; he wants no part in them, and I am beginning to think he is wise to keep away. My mother, however, is afraid. She believes this all portends to some dark and terrible doom that is yet to reveal itself, but my father does his best to comfort her, saying all will be well in the end. Perhaps he is right, but my mother’s words weigh heavily on my thoughts. What if she is correct and my father is wrong? What if there is something dark and dreadful hiding in the shadows, biding its time until it is ready to consume us all? I try not to think too much about such matters, and I will write no more on them. Morgoth’s lies have already poisoned what we once had, and I will not give him the power to taint what we have slowly begun to rebuild. 

The cherry trees are in full bloom. My mother’s garden is aflame with brilliant little white flowers. Soon, that white will give way to crimson fruit. Do you remember, my love, how we would lie beneath those flowers while the others were away? How we admired the stars and talked and laughed and loved each other without a care in this world? I still go to those trees and lie beneath their laden branches. I think of your hand over mine, your lips warm against my own. I try to make myself content with the memories of you and me, but I find it is not enough for me. I will try anyway and bear up as much as I can until your father is released from his exile and I can take you into my arms again.

Yours in all things,

Finno.”

P.S.—My love, pray do not allow your heart to grow troubled when you find this letter being borne to you on swift wings. A change is afoot, and whether it is for good or bad, I cannot say. A visitor rides for Formenos even as I write this letter, and you will see them standing before the gates of the great keep your family calls home soon enough.

Letter from Nelyafinwë to Findekáno

251st day of Y.T. 1491.—

Beloved,—

I am not wounded in the least, my love, by the delay in your last letter. You are your father’s oldest, his heir. You cannot shirk your duties toward your family; it is something I understand. I must confess, your forewarning has roused my curiosity as to who this visitor might be, but I will not press you for more on their identity. We will learn of it soon enough, and we have room enough to spare in Formenos for a great many people. I hope my father will be pleased with this intrusion into our lives. Few things bring him joy now, save for us and the hallowed jewels. Forgive me for not writing more on this score. Fëanáro is my father after all, and he would not think highly if I revealed too much of his struggles to you.

I, too, think of the blissful moments you and I spent beneath the branches of those cherry trees. Sometimes, I sit by the window of my bedchamber and look at the sky and the many stars that adorn it. I think of the stars you and I would try to name whenever we caught sight of one we had not seen before. Then I wonder if you are looking at the heavens at the exact same moment as I am and if you are looking at the same stars as I am. I feel your absence so keenly, my love. I cannot rest or eat, or set my eyes on any task; you are a constant in my thoughts. I will try to endure our separation as much as I can until this dreadful exile is over and we can see each other again. Pray do not allow yourself to be troubled by talk of dark portends and signs of doom. Morgoth’s treachery has been exposed, and we are whole and well. Once we are reunited, I intend to show you that you had no cause for fear.

Written by the hand of he who loves you,

Nelyo.

Maitimo Nelyafinwë’s journal

258th day of Y.T. 1491— Just as my beloved wrote in his letter,a visitor rode up to the gates when Telperion reached his greatest bloom. It was grandfather, no less. He decided to come to Formenos and live with us after father sent him word of its completion. Other members of his household, his steward and household guard, and other servants mostly came with him.

Father was delighted. “Our family is now complete again!” He cried and embraced his father, our king. “Just as it should be! Come, my lord. Come with me, and I will take you to your chambers, so you can rest.”

Grandfather was just as pleased, though I thought it all rather strange. He left his queen and their children in Tirion and followed my father into exile. True, his other children were all grown and they were no longer elflings in need of a father’s guiding hand, but it still left a strange taste in my mouth to see grandfather leaving his other family behind so easily. And it must have wounded Uncle Arakáno to see my grandfather choose my own father yet again. Still, I kept my own counsel; now was neither the time nor the place for such questions. It would darken everyone’s mood—my father’s chief of all. Nevertheless, I will still listen to what they say; perhaps I will hear something useful.

Father commanded that we have a great feast in honor of grandfather’s arrival. There would be fine wine and delicate pastries, roasted deer and boar, and even fish caught from a nearby lake. Káno and his bride will sing and play the harp for us. Our little songbird and his wife, the Lady Indilien, ensconce themselves in their chambers, composing music and a series of verses in honor of the occasion. Once, I stopped by the door to listen. Káno was singing, and his lady strummed the harp for him while he did so. What I heard moved my heart in a way I could not imagine. My brother truly is the most gifted among minstrels—he is an elf who could rival the Vala ómar himself. 

His skill with the sword also improves. I teach him as much as I can; one never knows when one will need the use of one, now that Morgoth has escaped and returned to Endorë. During the first mingling of the lights, we make our way to the sparring yard before our other brothers have even opened their eyes, and engage in swordplay. Lady Indilien often joins us, but only to watch. My sister-by-marriage has little interest in hunting and fighting; music and singing are her greatest delights. She keeps herself content by sitting on the side and cheering for her husband. Káno made a wise choice, I think, by taking the lady to be his wife. She is patient and uncommonly kind, traits my brother desires greatly. I pray their marriage will be a happy one and that no misfortune darkens their doors. Now I must set aside my quill and ink. The hour of the feast is almost at hand, and I must prepare myself for it. 

Makalaurë Kanafinwë’s journal

259th day of Y.T. 1491— The feast was splendid. Everyone dressed in their finest robes, and even Tyelko conducted himself in a manner befitting a lord of high birth and rank for once. The cooks surprised us all by setting a tasty table. There were rich stews, soft bread, and fresh fruit, as well as meat and mead and wine for anyone who desired them. Father said little. It displeased him to hear that my uncle Arakáno now rules Tirion as its regent, for it was supposed to be him ruling in grandfather's stead, not his half-brother. Nevertheless, his mood revived not long after. Grandfather joining us in exile cheered him in no small measure. Perhaps he thinks that this is yet another victory over my uncle, another sign of how he will be first in grandfather’s eyes even when he is in exile, even after he threatened my uncle’s life. I like it not. Strife within our family grows day by day, and I fear it bodes ill for us all. My lady urges me to take no part in the quarrels of others. Alas! If only I could do such a thing. Fëanáro is my father. He is my father, and I love him just as much as I love my mother. I must, however, hold onto the hope that he will free himself of his anger and resentments and that our family can be whole again once this dreary exile of ours is at an end. Now I must go. There is something father wishes to show all of us. 

Letter from Nelyafinwë to Nerdanel

261st day of Y.T. 1491.— 

Beloved mother,—

We were told of uncle Arakáno’s change of station. Pray offer him felicitations on my behalf, and tell him I wish him nothing but success.

Mother, you will be pleased to hear that grandfather arrived safely and that all is well with him. There was a splendid feast. Káno sang for us, as did Lady Indilien. You should have heard them. They sounded so sweet together. Everyone cheered and asked them to sing and play for us again. The day after the feast, father took us to the cave that was found during the building of Formenos, and threw open high, iron doors to reveal a great vault. 

“After toiling many a day, it is now finished,” he declared with a great flourish, and he led us inside. Father had labored over the vault in secret, and none of us witnessed its transformation until he opened the doors for us. I wish I could write more on its many aspects, but father forbade us from doing so. Forgive me for saying this, mother, but father’s sense of mistrust has deepened even more. He bid Lady Indilien to wait outside while he brought forth the silmarils. Káno was ill at ease with this, for father’s wish sounded more like an order and less like a kindly appeal one would make to another. Still, he held his tongue, perhaps for his lady’s sake. Lady Indilien, however, did not seem to be offended by father’s command. 

“It is quite all right, my love,” she said, squeezing Káno's hand. “I am content to wait outside.”

After she took her leave of us, father revealed the hallowed jewels. They were as glorious as always, and their radiance was a wonder to behold.

“My greatest work,” father said, lifting them one by one for us to admire. Each jewel glittered like they possessed the light of a thousand stars, and their light shone like gold and then silver, and they bewitched us all with their beauty. “They must be guarded at all times, for never again shall I make anything to match their likeness and glory.”

We admired them one final time before father returned them to their secret chamber. The vault felt strangely darker in their absence, and the air grew a little colder. Then father rejoined us, and we departed.

Write to me when you can, mother. I long to hear more from you and of the great city I once called home.

Your son,

Nelyo.  

Letter from Nerdanel to Nelyafinwë

263rd day of Y.T. 1491.—

My son.—

The days seem to last longer here in Tirion. Perhaps it is because I am here, and you are all in Formenos. I miss you all so very much, but it heartens me to know your father is not alone, and you are all with him.

I rejoice to hear that Lord Finwë is safe and that his journey was without trouble. I have also passed on your kind words to your uncle; it lightened his heart to hear them. His task is not an easy one; the lies and false counsels of Lord Morgoth hold sway over many hearts, and discontent is still strong. We help him as much as we can to ease the many burdens that have been placed on his shoulders.

Queen Indis has taken her place as one of my students, and she is proving herself to be an apt pupil. We spend many wonderful hours together, and I am pleased to claim her as a friend.

As for your father, pray do not take his actions and disposition to heart. Lord Morgoth’s lies brought about a profound change in many who gave an ear to his false counsels, your father most of all. Perhaps, with him no longer under the influence of Lord Morgoth’s words, your father’s nature will return to its former self. I will write to your brother and I will counsel him as best as I can. I am also glad Káno has Lady Indilien, and I am glad you can call her sister. Listen to her, my son, and take care of your father. Write to me about anything that troubles you, and I will do what I can to aid you even from afar.

Your loving mother,

Nerdanel

[archester-creations]

Rated: T

Pairing: Jaune Arc & Cherry Arc & Cardin Winchester, Jaune Arc/Cardin Winchester (background), Velvet Scarlatina & Cardin Winchester (background)

Word Count: ~1k

A/N: implied past mpreg

It happens while they’re away. Because of course it does. If Cardin was there, it would’ve never happened. (Or it would’ve and Velvet would’ve simply been very sneaky about it.) They’re out on a date. The first they’ve had since Cherry was born six months ago. He’d refuse to admit it, but the only way Jaune had been able to drag Cardin out alone is because of Velvet. There’s no real separation anxiety for either of them because of Velvet. Velvet loves Cherry and vice versa. Besides, the plan is for two hours tops. In reality, it's only an hour. Both are tired, lately. Jaune moreso because of hunting, Cardin fully because of Cherry, who is a joy but is a lot of work and is still being given aura.

When they return home, Velvet smiles at them, Cherry in her arms. Maybe if his brain was firing on all cylinders Cardin would've questioned that smile. It's not rare for Velvet to smile. But it's a half formed thing. Something small and teasing that Cardin had grown to learn meant ‘trouble’ in more senses of the word then he knew existed. That when his sister smiled like that, it meant he'd either lose months off his lifespan or a number of other things. (Money, once, when he had to bail her out of jail. He'd still never gotten the full story for how she'd gotten there. He still wasn't sure he really wanted to know.)

“She said her first word, I'm sorry you guys missed it.” Velvet’s smile turns apologetic as she hands Cherry over to Cardin.

“It's okay, they'll be other firsts,” Jaune says. Though Cardin knows he is disappointed, too. It was only by sheer luck he'd been home the first time she crawled. “I wonder what it was.”

So does Cardin. With Velvet there is really no telling what it was.

Velvet shrugs and that half formed smile forms a little more, so one of her dimples shows, and her eyes shine the way they only do when she knows more than someone else and is trying not to laugh about it, because that would give it away. It makes Cardin suspicious, but his brain refuses to parse what she could've done. Maybe they'll find their sugar and salt swapped. That was something she'd done once, when they were younger. She's not much more mature now. (None of their group is.) "Maybe she'll say it again. Kids tend to repeat their first words a lot."

With that, Velvet leaves. Cardin thanks her again at the door and she says it was nothing, because she loves her niece, and then the door closes and Cardin and Jaune turn curiously to Cherry. Jaune pokes her in the stomach so she giggles.

“So, my little bloom, what’s your first word?” Jaune asks. Cardin nods at her, hoping she will say it for them.

She looks up at both of them with bright, pink eyes, and repeats her first word enthusiastically for her parents. “Fuck!”

Jaune bites his lip so he doesn’t laugh or smile and looks at Cardin out the corner of his eye.

Cardin can feel something inside him crack, like glass. He takes a breath and screams Velvet's name so maybe she can hear him.

(Of course, she does, where she is lingering near some trees close to the cabin. After all, she knew exactly what she was doing while she spent several minutes trying to get Cherry to repeat her.)

Quietly, eloquently, and fittingly if Cardin gets his hands on his sister anytime soon, Cherry says another "fuck".

Jaune nods in agreement.

  Velvet, of course, was truthful when she said Cherry would likely repeat her first word multiple times over the coming weeks.

(And even after she learns more, it’s repeated for all the following years and decades as well.)

[jonquildove]

southronflower:

||♙|| ♔ ||

“Lady Sansa! Mother said I would find you here.” Amongst f u l l y bloomed flowers && under the cherry trees; she was as much of a S U M M E R child as the royalties. Born to enjoy peaches & lemon cakes, not build for the harshness of north. Mother had said as much. “Have you broken your fast yet? You know, Mother was concerned about you, she said that you ought to feel at home. I do hope you feel as much; this is your new home, after all.”

Sansa turns, when she hears the sound of Myrcella’s voice. She had been admiring the beauty of the flowers and cherry trees, they were so exciting in their abundant presence. Fragrant cherries and blossoms generously adorned the otherwise bare lengthy branches, nearly erasing visual evidence there were branches. “Lady Myrcella!” She thought it a kind thankful gesture, that the Queen Cersei was considering her feelings, a queen that she strived to be like one day. The concern especially made her happy, as she still was getting to know Cersei, as more than mere polite acquaintances. “I have, yes—a meal of lemoncakes and tea.“ It had been lovely eating them here, and her fingers were still sticky, lemon residue demanding to be on every inch of them. "Thank you for your and your mother’s well wishes. King’s Landing is wonderful, living up to what I always imagined. I already love it so, although I do miss home– Winterfell, that is.” As she spoke, some wayward cherry blossoms started to drift down from the long tree under which she sat, akin to a snowflake’s nature. The blossoms sneakily settled down to sleep on top of her auburn hair, which she did not feel. “And, have you eaten?”

[dorothyrichwanders]

Barcelona in April: When the City Blooms and Breathes

okay so barcelona in april is literally EVERYTHING i needed and didn't know i was missing?? the city has this perfect energy where winter is definitely gone but the crushing summer heat and tourists haven't arrived yet.

woke up my first morning to sunlight streaming through the shutters of my tiny apartment in el born. threw them open to find an elderly catalan woman tending to flower boxes on her balcony across the narrow street. she waved and gestured for me to smell her jasmine. THIS is the barcelona experience you can't plan for.

spent yesterday wandering park güell when the morning light was hitting gaudí's mosaics just right, turning them into these kaleidoscopic mirrors that seemed to capture all of barcelona below. april means you can actually BREATHE and take photos without twenty strangers in your shot. sat on that famous curved bench for nearly an hour, watching locals walk their dogs while tourists tentatively shed layers in the strengthening sun.

the thing about barcelona in april is the FOOD. omg. the first local strawberries and cherries are appearing in la boqueria market, seafood is ridiculously fresh, and you can actually get tables at restaurants that would be impossible during high season. found this tiny vermut bar in gràcia where the owner insisted i try his homemade vermouth with an orange slice and olive. now i understand why locals have this pre-lunch ritual.

wandered through el raval when an afternoon shower sent everyone scurrying for cover. ended up in this café filled with university students where the barista explained that april showers are "barcelona washing her face before the summer party." sipped cortado while watching raindrops race down centuries-old windowpanes, then just as quickly as it arrived, the rain departed and left everything gleaming.

the city beaches aren't packed yet, though locals are already claiming their spots on warmer days. barceloneta has this gentle energy in april—elderly men playing dominoes, children building sandcastles, couples strolling barefoot along the water's edge. the mediterranean is still too cold for most swimmers but perfect for dangling your feet while eating gelato.

nights are cool enough to justify sangria instead of cerveza, and warm enough to sit outside under heat lamps at neighborhood plazas watching life unfold. found this square in poble sec where three generations of a family celebrated a birthday at the table next to mine, the grandmother teaching the youngest child how to properly eat paella while everyone laughed.

the jacaranda trees are just beginning to bloom, turning parts of the city this otherworldly purple. spend an hour in parc de la ciutadella yesterday just watching people—couples picnicking, amateur acrobats practicing, musicians playing, dogs chasing frisbees. april in barcelona means everyone lives outside.

stumbled across sant jordi preparations my last day (apparently april 23rd is this massive catalan holiday where everyone gives books and roses??). already seeing stalls being set up along the ramblas, locals discussing which books they'll gift. the bookseller who explained the tradition to me said april in barcelona is "like the city taking a deep breath before summer" and honestly that's the perfect description.

barcelona in april feels like being let in on a secret. like the city is showing you its true self before it puts on its crowded summer costume. the light is softer, the pace is slower, and even sagrada família seems more magical when you're not sharing it with a thousand other sweaty tourists.

i get it now, why locals love their city so fiercely. april in barcelona shows you exactly why.