#black-bead lily

[vandaliatraveler]

A magnet for adventure tourists and nature lovers, Ohiopyle State Park sprawls across twenty thousand square acres of steeply-sloped wild lands on the flanks of the Youghiogheny River Gorge in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands. The Great Allegheny Passage bike trail runs through the heart of the park, which also anchors a thriving whitewater rafting industry. I fortunately live within a short drive of the park, so a day hike is always in the cards. Especially on a beautiful Memorial Day holiday.

From top: black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis), an aggressive colonizer with delicious fruit coveted by humans and animals alike; longstyle sweetroot (Osmorhiza longistylis), also known as anise root, because its roots have a licorice-like flavor; Indian cucumber (Medeola virginiana), easily identified by its two tiers of whorled leaves and odd, pendulous flowers; and speckled wood lily (Clintonia umbellulata), also known as white Clintonia or black-bead lily, a close relative of yellow Clintonia (Clintonia borealis), which tends to occur at higher elevations in Central Appalachia.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

what are some ways to describe people other than eye and hair color

I am assuming you are looking for physical descriptors. Here are some examples. I may just make a different post on psychological descriptors.

Arms: Long, Muscular, Pudgy, Short, Skinny, Thin

Back: Bent, Hunched, Ramrod Straight, Rounded

Build: Anorexic, Athletic, Beefy, Brawny, Burly, Chubby, Coltish, Compact, Fat, Gangly, Gaunt, Gawky, Haggard, Heavy-set, Herculean, Husky, Lanky, Lithe, Muscular, Obese, Overweight, Petite, Rangy, Reed-like, Scrawny, Skinny, Slender, Slight, Solid, Spindly, Statuesque, Stocky, Strapping, Sylphlike, Taut, Thickset, Thin, Trim, Underweight, Voluptuous, Well-built, Willowy, Withered

Cheeks: Blushing, Bold, Curved, Dimpled, Bold, Curved, Dimpled, Disturbed, Glorious, Glowing, Hairless, High (cheekbones), Hollow, Honey, Livid, Pale, Pallid, Pink, Plump, Puffy, Radiant, Reddened, Rosy, Rounded, Ruddy, Shining, Smooth, Soft, Sun-burnt, Sun-bronzed, Sunken, Sun-tanned, Tanned, Tearful, White

Chin: Angular, Bony, Bumpy, Chiseled, Defined, Doughy, Firm, Protruding, Round, Smooth, Soft, Square, Strong

Ears: Jug-like, Large, Protruding, Tiny

Eyebrows: Arching, Bushy, Emphasized, Near, Spaced, Thick, Thin

Eyelashes: Artificial, Beaded, Beautiful, Blinking, Dark, Dark-fringed, Dense, Dusky, Heavily-fringed, Long, Mascaraed, Sandy, Sooty, Sopping, Tear-drenched, Thick, Uplifted

Eyes: Almond-shaped, Bright, Bulging, Expressive, Frightened, Gentle, Languishing, Little, Luminous, Made-up, Round, Shining, Shortsighted, Smart, Stunned, Thin, Wide, Woeful

Face: Baby, Blood-stained, Bold, Chiseled, Contorted, Dead, Expressionless, Fair, Familiar, Fierce, Flat, Frightened, Furrowed, Honest, Indifferent, Little, Pale, Poker, Pretty, Radiant, Rough, Ruddy, Sallow, Square, Stained, Swollen, Trim, Weather-beaten, Wry

Feet: Athlete's, Big, Flat, Pigeon-toed, Small, Sore, Stinky, Stubby, Swollen

Fingers: Gnarled, Long, Short, Stubby

Finger Nails: Bitten, Broken, Claw-like, Dirty, Hooked, Long, Painted, Sharp, Talon-like

Hair: Afro, Bald, Beehive, Braided, Bristles, Bun, Chignon, Coiffure, Combed, Corkscrew, Corn rows, Cowlicked, Crew cut, Curly, Disarrayed, Disheveled, Dreadlocks, Dry, Flattop, Flecked, French braid, French twist, Fringe, Greasy, Grizzled, Knotted, Layered, Locks, Matted, Messed up, Mohawk, Mussy, Muttonchops, Neat, Oily, Page boy, Perm, Pigtails, Plait, Pompadour, Ponytail, Ragged, Receding, Ringlets, Ruffled, Shaggy, Shorn, Shoulder-length, Skinhead, Spiky, Split-ended, Straight, Tangled, Thick, Thinning, Tidy, Topknot, Tousled, Twisted, Uncombed, Unshorn, Untidy, Wavy, Wiry, Wisps

Hand: Big, Elegant, Small

Height: Big, Knee-high, Medium, Short, Shoulder-high, Sky-high, Small, Tall, Towering, Waist-high

Legs: Amputated, Bandy, Bony, Bowed, Brawny, Bulging, Fluted, Gartered, Gouty, Graceful, Hacked, Hairy, Jagged, Knotted, Leaden, Long, Lower, Muscular, Pitiful, Rickety, Shapely, Shivering, Short, Sinewy, Slender, Slim, Spindle, Stockinged, Sturdy, Thin, Thread-like, Tinder, Tiny, Toothsome, Tree trunks

Lips: Blue, Cracked, Cupid's Bow, Downturned, Dry, Fat, Full, Grim, Large, Luscious, Parched, Parted, Red, Ruby, Small, Smiling, Thin, Wet

Mouth: Arch, Ascetic, Baby, Cavernous, Churning, Compressed, Cooing, Coral, Cracked, Cruel, Delicate, Dumpled, Distended, Dry, Fine, Firm, Frothy, Full, Funnel-shaped, Gaping, Grim, Handsome, Hungry, Insistent, Irritable, Large, Luscious, Munching, Musty, Perilous, Puckered, Querulous, Relaxed, Resolute, Sardonic, Sensuous, Serious, Slobbering, Small, Sulky, Sweet, Tender, Thin, Wide, Winsome, Wrinkled, Yawning

Neck: Bullnecked, Elegant, Long, Short, Swan-like, Thick

Palm: Broad, Oval, Rectangular, Square

Skin: Acned, Alabaster, Albino, Apricot, Black, Blemished, Blistered, Blooming, Blotchy, Blushing, Bronzed, Cadaverous, Calloused, Caramel, Clear, Craggy, Cream, Ebony, Fair, Flush, Freckled, Glowing, Greasy, Ivory, Jaundiced, Leathery, Lily-white, Lined, Milky, Mottled, Nut-brown, Olive, Pale, Pallid, Pasty, Peeling, Pimpled, Pink, Pitted, Pockmarked, Red, Rosy, Rough, Ruddy, Russet, Sallow, Scabby, Scarred, Smooth, Splotchy, Spotty, Sun-burnt, Tan, Wan, Waxen, White, Wrinkled, Yellow

Stomach: Bulging, Distended, Empty, Firm, Flabby, Flat, Heroic, Hollow, Lean, Paunchy, Protruding, Unbounded

Teeth: Artificial, Black, Blunted, Buck, Canine, Chattering, Clenched, Clinched, Compressed, Crooked, Dagger-like, Dazzling, Decayed, Deciduous, Extracted, False teeth, Feeble, Ferocious, Filed, Flashing, Fluoridated, Foam-laced, Fractured, Gap-toothed, Gleaming, Glistening, Glittering, Gnashing, Goofy, Grinding, Hooked, Horrid, Ivory, Jagged, Lacquered, Large, Milky, Mottled, Neglected, Pearly, Perfect, Pretty, Protruding, Razor-like, Sharp, Shining, Short, Small, Snowy, Sore, Spaced, Straight, Sweet tooth, Tender, Tiny, Toothless, Toothy, Ugly, Unrelenting, White, Wisdom, Wolfish, Yellow

Hope this helps! If it does, do tag me or send me a link to your writing. I'd love to read your work.

More: On Character Development

[mischievousmoony]

Omg I love ur James fics. You think you could do one where reader finally feels comfortable getting drunk while going out with their group because she knows James is there to take care of her. Ur drunk reader x James interactions are too cute. I feel like I always have a hard time letting go cause I’m afraid I’ll need to take care of my other friends haha. Love your work!

thank u love! i have fun writing them, i just know james would be so caring! ps thank you for being patient ik this request came in a while ago

𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍

⟢ james potter x fem!reader ⊹ 1.0k ⟢ warnings/tags: intoxication (i think that’s it but lmk if i missed any pls)

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

"But what if Sirius tries to get a new tattoo again?" you ask, twisting back and forth with a steady squeak, squeak, squeak of your barstool.

James clasps his hand on your shoulder, turning you one last time to face him. "Remus is watching him."

"What if Marlene tries to go on another one of her adventures?"

Marlene has a knack for getting herself into precarious situations when she gets drunk, which she likes to call her “little adventures.” Usually, this means going home with a stranger, whether it’s for a hookup or to steal their lightbulbs because they looked at her wrong.

"Lily’s got her.”

"What if I do something stupid?" you ask, now swinging your legs. The nerves eating away at you just won’t let you sit still.

James puts his other hand on your knee, soothing you with a gentle squeeze. "I'm watching you," he says. After thinking it over for a moment, he adds, “And I don't think you'll do anything stupid. Even if you do, I'll do something more stupid so that nobody notices."

This earns him a giggle from you, and he’s happy to see you smiling. He picks up your glass, which is now covered in beads of water, plenty of time having passed for condensation to run its course. He dries what he can with a napkin because he knows you hate when the droplets land in your lap.

You once asked him why it happened, even though you knew the answer. He simply told you it was science.

“Science is stupid,” you had said, eyes fixating on several small spots of water soaking into your jeans.

Now, James wraps your glasses with napkins. He holds out your drink, a black napkin enveloped around it, as he asks, “You want to do this, right?”

You peek into the glass and watch the dwindling ice cubes swirl around in a vodka cran; a drink that James had called “beginner friendly.”

“Yeah,” you answer shyly.

James frowns. “It’s okay if you’ve changed your mind.”

You chew your bottom lip, thinking it over. A part of you wants to forget it, but another part of you knows you’d be disappointed in yourself for chickening out again.

You wrap your hand around the glass, cringing at the squish of the soggy napkin beneath your fingertips. You don’t know what’s worse: this feeling or the water dripping all over you. But James’ attempts to help make you feel warm inside, so you don’t complain.

“No, I still want to do this.”

“Then I’m here for you. Promise.” James gives your knee another squeeze.

You cast a look toward your friends. For years, you've nominated yourself as the designated driver. Or you've claimed to have early morning obligations. You've always felt better knowing someone sober was around to deliver plenty of water and carb-rich snacks to your incapacitated friends.

That was your excuse, anyway. Not that it isn't one of your concerns, but truthfully, something about drinking makes you feel uneasy. You always knew your friends were safe because you've been there, ready to hold back anyone's hair or stray them away from bad decisions. If you drank too, how could you be sure your friends would have someone to depend on? How could you be sure you would have someone to depend on?

Then, you started dating James, and you found a level of trust you never knew was possible. You know you can depend on him for anything.

When you admitted to him why you never drink when you go out, he swore up and down that he would be there for you.

Remembering his promise summons a wave of courage. You shoot James a nervous smile, and take your first sip, scrunching your nose as it burns your tongue.

"This is kind of gross."

James barks a laugh, "We can try to find something you'd like better next round. That is, if you decide to have another."

Feeling brave, you do have another. That's when you discovered something called the Cosmic Lemon Fizz; a drink that sparkles with edible glitter and manages to be blue, green, and yellow all at once. You laughed when you saw it, not knowing how in for it you were.

"Jamie!" you exclaim after taking a sip of your third Cosmic Lemon Fizz. "This tastes like happy feels!" you gasp as if the thought had just occurred to you, despite this being the fourth time you tell him.

"I bet it does!" James cheers. His eyes wrinkle in the corners as he beams at you.

"You should try one!" you declare, and immediately try to flag over the bartender.

James smoothly takes your hand, stopping you as he says, "No can do. Made a promise to a pretty girl that I wouldn't have a drop tonight."

You whip your head around. "Who!?" you ask, eyes wide.

"Who do you think, pretty girl," he says, poking you in the side.

Giggles escape you and you swat his hand away. He doesn't go far, lifting his arm to brush some stray hairs out of your face. His hand lingers on the side of your face, soothing the pad of his thumb against your cheek.

You lean into his touch, gazing up at him with an affectionate glaze in your eyes; a look that gives him butterflies.

"Wowww," you say dreamily. "You're handsome."

James feels his heart flip in his chest. "Thank you, love," he says, a soft smile playing at his lips.

"Hey," Sirius says, appearing out of nowhere as he lazily throws an arm over your shoulders, "How's it going over here?"

While you're distracted with Sirius, James waves over the bartender and replaces your drink with water. The next time you reach for your glass, you hesitate.

"Where's my cosmo magic fizzy thingy?" you ask, an eyebrow raised as you glance at James.

"You must've finished it," he shrugs, acting clueless.

"That's like the oldest trick in the book. You replaced it with water and now you're trying to be sneaky!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," James feigns innocence.

You giggle, bringing the straw to your lips. "I knew you'd take care of me. I love you," you say, happily sipping your water.

James feels another eye-wrinkling smile break out on his face. "I love you too, pretty girl."

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

[inkdrinkerworld]

anxious!reader hates her outfit but can’t find anything else in her closet she wants to wear on a date with Remus 🥲

‘On my way.’

Remus’ text sparked more nerves in your chest. You were getting ready for a date and all Remus had said was, ‘dress fancy.’ You were at a complete loss. You’d tried on three different dresses and none of them felt right. You were debating telling Remus not to show up- what if he was wearing a pretty dress shirt and you just wore a summer dress? Gods forbid you underdressed and all the patrons at the place were dressed to the nines. 

Amidst your panic, you’d forgotten to go searching for a new dress in your collection and suddenly Remus was knocking at your door. 

“Fuck.” you mumble, looking at yourself one last time in your mid-length yellow silk dress and your white heels. Maybe Remus would be able to help you choose. 

His second knock is just as gentle as the first had been, and you open the door, finding Remus standing there with his hair all combed back with a couple wavy curls dangling by his eyes. He’s in a black shirt and matching dress pants, his shoes shining and he’s holding a bouquet of lovely orange lilies. 

“Oh you look stunning.” Remus must not see the beads of sweat rolling down your temple. 

“What?” he chuckles at your shock, nodding to your living room and you step aside, letting him in. 

“You look stunning, do you need more time?” He’s noticed the slightly rapid fall and rise of your chest. 

“You got me flowers.” you say stupidly and Remus laughs again. 

“I did, I’ll set them up if you need more time, dovey. We’ve still got about an hour to get to the place.” He’s already reaching for your usual vase and taking it to the sink. 

You look down at your dress and then back up at Remus. “You’re sure of this dress? Because I was really panicking about what to wear and you’re in all black,” Remus cuts off your rambling by tilting your chin up and giving you a gentle smile. 

“Breathe, dove.” you take a staged deep breath, but as you exhale you feel a little more relaxed. “You look fucking gorgeous in this, love it on you,” he kisses your lips, not at all caring about your glare as you wipe away smudged gloss from his lips. “You’re gonna be the best dressed there. Will you leave your hair up?” 

Remus has a thing about it, he likes your hair in any style, but up in a ponytail or in a bun with curled pieces falling out is his favourite. 

“I just have to curl some of the pieces.” you say breathlessly and he smiles. 

“Can I watch you?” you laugh, all your anxieties quelled as Remus follows up behind you, the ghost of his hand skimming the hem of your dress.

[nycreid]

Lover

spencer reid x popstar!reader

H/T means hometown

part 1

SPENCER IS STANDING IN THE VIP TENT next to many celebrities but as Y/N knows them, her best friends, Lily Rose-Depp, Gigi Hadid, and more. Spencer feels out of place, this isn’t his usual Saturday night, until he started dating Y/N. Spencer did get acquainted with her friends, they’re easy to talk to, this just isn’t his scene.

Spencer is dressed in concert merch, a pastel pink hoodie that reads ‘THE DAYLIGHTS TOUR’ and a pair of black trousers, again, something he usually doesn’t wear but for Y/N he would wear a garbage bag if it meant it would support her.

As Spencer waits for Y/N to come out and perform, he sees a fan trying to throw something into the tent. Spencer leans closer and sees it’s a bracelet- and it’s for him, he takes the colorful beaded bracelet from the girl and thanks her. The bracelet reads “KING OF HER HEART” in white beaded letters with pink and yellow beads surrounding them. Spencer smiles and blushes, knowing the bracelet is a reference to her song about him, “King Of My Heart” , Spencer slips on the bracelet proudly.

“Did you just get your first friendship bracelet?” A voice appeared next to him, it was Y/N’s mom. Her parents turned up to the concert as well, it was in her hometown, of course they weren’t going to miss it.

“Y-yeah I did.” Spencer nods nervously, he’s talked to her mom many times. Why is he so nervous?

“You’ll have a wrist full by the end of the night, it’s something you get used to.” Y/M/N chuckles and shows her wrist, she’s already accumulated at least 10 and the concert has barely started.

Spencer chuckles and hears cheers and screams before he can reply to Y/M/N and notices Y/N is rising onto the stage. The lights illuminate her glowing skin and make her eyes pop in the best way possible, the stage design doesn’t overpower her but make her stand out. Spencer is entranced and she’s barely been on stage for 30 seconds.

“WELCOME TO THE DAYLIGHT’S TOUR! It feels good to be back in my hometown!” Y/N giggles into the microphone, “To start off, I just want to say thank you for joining me today and taking time out of your day to attend.” Y/N smiles.

More cheers erupt as she speaks and you can see her grinning ear to ear, Spencer smiles as she speaks and is in love with how passionate she is about her music and her fans but he can’t help but feel hot and overstimulated by the humid weather and loud cheers.

“Now I have a question for you H/T, have you ever been in love?” Y/N alluding to her hit song, Lover (also written about Spencer). The backtrack to Lover starts playing and she brings out her guitar and the backup dancers and singers pool onto the stage.

Spencer blushes as her friends in the VIP tent tease Spencer and nudge him, ‘This is your song man!’, he even heard but he’s too out of it to notice someone said anything.

“We could leave the Christmas lights up ‘til January and this is our place, we make the rules.” Y/N sings and strums on her guitar as she searches for a certain face in the crowd, before looking over in the VIP tent and seeing a familiar tall curly haired man. Y/N practically lightens up even more as she sees him, she maintains eye contact with him while singing his song. She’s basically singing it to him.

Spencer blushes as he keeps the eye contact, he feels his worries go away as she sings (basically to him). The fans singing along and the cheering tune out as he can only focus on her, he feels more calmer as he listens to her soothing voice. How did he get so lucky?

“Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand? With every guitar string scar on my hand, I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover.” Y/N sings and very obviously points to him and casually goes back to strumming as if she didn’t turn Spencer into a pink blushing mess.

“You’re as pink as your hoodie, aww!” Gigi giggles and snaps a picture for Y/N to show later, Spencer chuckles and feels his heart grow for Y/N by the minute.

The rest of the concert goes by with long flirty glances by her, more eye contact, and Spencer recording half of it to put in his Y/N 💝 photo album. The concert finally ends and Spencer’s wrist has gained 15 brackets on each wrist and 20 more in the tote bag he brought for Y/N with her ‘after concert essentials’.

As the fans depart from the stadium, Spencer, her parents, and her closest friends go backstage to see her. Y/N runs backstage, not even taking out her microphone and earpiece, immediately running into Spencer’s arms.

“I missed you! Sorry, I’m kinda sweaty right now.” Y/N mutters into his chest with her arms wrapped tightly around him.

“It’s okay, honey. You were amazing up there! You took my breath away.” Spencer kisses the top of her head and rubs his hands on her back. Spencer is a germaphobe but he doesn’t pull away from her, he doesn’t mind her germs.

Her parents and her friends pull up in a golf cart later and she converses with them and pulls them into hugs as well.

“I think it’s time to call it a night!” Y/N sighs and says her goodbyes to her friends and parents. “See you guys tomorrow!” She’s performing one more day in her hometown.

“Ready to go?” Y/N takes her hand in Spencer’s, and he nods.

—

IN HER HOTEL SUITE, Spencer and Y/N are comfortably cuddling in bed after a fresh shower together and in pajamas and are on twitter looking over the videos after today. Y/N would be staying at her parents house since she’s in her hometown but her team suggested a hotel room so transport and makeup is faster and easier.

Y/N giggles, “Wait look at that tweet!” She clicks on it. The tweet reads ‘he is DOWN BAD but like i would be too…’ followed by a video of Spencer watching Y/N perform with a lovestruck smile.

Spencer chuckles a little embarrassed, “Like this is new news? Everybody knows I’m in love with you, Y/N L/N.” Spencer pecks a kiss onto your forehead.

Y/N blushes and playfully swats him away, “Oh stop it.” She bites her lip, trying to hide that painfully obvious smile.

“No matter how hard you try to hard your smile, your pink cheeks sell you out.” Spencer lightly pinches her cheek and laughs.

Spencer noticed Y/N rubbing the King Of Her Heart bracelet he got, “I promise to be delicate with your heart for as long as I live.” Y/N smiles and brushes a kiss against his cheek, “I know.” She says with certainty.

—

lmk what you guys think!! pls tell me other songs popstar!reader would make if u guys are getting tired of the taylor swift songs + references! and don’t be afraid to send asks 😉😜 AND TYSM FOR SO MUCH LOVE ON THE LAST POPSTAR!READER FIC

[ninoxwof]

Dragon Weapons Concept

Wanted to make unique weapon designs for each tribe's soldiers/guards. Most of them are polearms! These are free to use with credit :]

Seawings' double as harpoons, Mudwings have more so something that's like a bludgeon/mace, and Rainwings are their blow guns. The bead colors on the sandwing weapons can also indicate the sandwing princess they are allying with. (I'll probably make a sheet exploring that in the future as well)

Thank you to my friend SailorHC who helped assist with designing the sandwings and mudwings weapons.

[Image ID: Digital drawings of different weapon concepts for the pyrrhia dragon tribes in wings of fire. The first one is for skywings, it's a spear plated with black, copper and gold colors, with a red ribbon tied attached. At the spear's tip, the copper colored blade is shaped like a flame, with two bird wing shaped decorations at the transition. The second one is for seawings. They are a spear that doubles as a harpoon with a pearly pink conch shell as the blade. It has a blue staff which then transitions at the base to be thicker with rope attached. The third is Icewing's. The blade is light blue crystal ice like shards fastened up with blue ribbons and tape at the socket. The beam is silvery with a handle at the end. Sandwings' bardiches are brown beams with long serrated blades that loops around and shapes a crescent shape. In between the two sections where the blade is attached is a tassel woven with two beads. At the end of the weapon, is a rattlesnake's rattle. Nightwings' spears have an off white blade shaped like a diamond star with a gray diamond decoration that has a purple gem on it. It's fastened tightly into a socket. The beam is black with the end having a crescent moon shaped handle. Second to last is Mudwings. They have a mace like stick that's black, gray and brown. The mace has three dull short spikes visible and a disarming blade that curves. At the end the handle is shaped like a lily pad where sibling troops can carve their troop name initials. Lastly are Rainwings' blow guns. They are tubes made with fresh bamboo with leaves still attached to it and a mouth piece and end part where the blow darts fly out molded with clay. /.End ID]

[scoonsalicious]

4.2 Major

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader

Summary: Lily McIntyre, trainer for new SHIELD recruits at the Avengers Tower, has been in love with her best friend, Bucky Barnes, from the moment she met him. She's been content with her role of the #1 girl in Bucky's life, even if it means she has to sabotage a romantic relationship or two. It'll be worth it when he realizes that they're meant for each other, right? There's just one small problem: Lily McIntire never expected Bucky Barnes to fall for You.

Warnings: (For this part only; see Story Masterlist for general Warnings) Language, mentions of sex, mentions of Bucky's past.

Word Count: 1.5k

Previously On...: Bucky convinced Sam to lie to Lily for him if she asks where Bucky is tonight.

A/N: In the car, I just can't wait / To pick you up for our very first date!

Is it cool if I hold your hand? / Is it wrong if I think it's lame to dance?

NOTE! The tag list is a fickle bitch, so I'm not really going to be dealing with it anymore. If you want to be notified when new story parts drop, please follow @scoonsaliciousupdates

Thank you to all those who have been reading; if you like what you've read, likes, comments, and reblogs give me life, and I truly appreciate them, and you!

You were nervous. Why were you so nervous? This man had already had his mouth on your lady bits; there was no reason to be nervous about just having dinner with him, right? Yet your heart was racing as you waited for Bucky to come pick you up for your date. 

You must have checked your hair and reapplied your lip gloss a thousand times when the doorman buzzed to let you know you had a visitor. After telling him to send Bucky up, you glanced at the clock– he was exactly five minutes early, and you stifled a giggle at the thought of him pacing in front of your building until an appropriate time. 

Soon enough, there was a gentle knocking at your door, and with a last glimpse of yourself in the mirror, you opened the door.

You both stood there for a moment, taking the other in. Bucky looked positively resplendent in a black suit and burgundy button up– no tie, and the first few buttons left undone. The contrast with his eyes made them look even more blue than you remembered from this morning.

“Hi,” you breathed. “Uh, hey,” he said, seeming to come out of a trance. “You… you look fucking amazing.” You ducked your head to hide your blush– you’d put on an emerald green, A-line Chiffon cocktail dress with an asymmetrical skirt that hit just below your knees and a peekaboo cut in front– held together with beading– and a v-tieback. “Stole my breath for a minute there.”

“Thanks,” you murmured, feeling the blush creep up your cheeks.

“Oh, these are for you,” Bucky said, handing you a bouquet of white roses.

You held them to your face and inhaled. “They’re gorgeous, thank you,” you said, moving aside to invite him in. “You’re spoiling me, you know that, right? First the orchid, now the roses?”

You moved toward the kitchen to find a vase to put the flowers in. 

“Did you like the orchid?” Bucky asked, almost shyly, as though he was afraid he’d made a wrong move. You turned back to smile at him. “I loved it,” you told him honestly. “How did you even know orchids are my favorite?”

Bucky chuckled and nodded his head toward your living room wall, where you had three giant paintings of orchid flowers hanging over your sofa. “Just a lucky guess, I ‘spose.”

“You’re very perceptive, Mr. Barnes.” You put water in the vase, setting the flowers inside and placing them on the dividing wall between your kitchen and dining room. “There,” you said, stepping back to admire them. 

“You ready to go, doll?” Bucky asked, extending his arm to you. 

You took it gladly, slotting yourself next to him as though you were made to fit there. “I am,” you said.

Bucky had borrowed one of Tony Stark’s sports cars for the occasion, and you felt incredibly fancy as you drove through the streets of the city in it. You and Bucky made small talk on your way to the restaurant where Bucky had made a reservation for the two of you, and you found him so incredibly easy to talk to. You talked about the differences in the army between the ‘40s and now, and shared a few light war stories. By the time you reached the restaurant, he had you laughing so hard at a story he told about living with the Avengers that you thought your sides were going to burst.

You weren’t sure what kind of establishment you’d expected him to bring you to, and truthfully, you would have been thrilled with a regular old burger joint, if you were going there with him, but when you stepped out onto the rooftop terrace, you let out a gasp. The restaurant overlooked the Hudson, offering a dazzling view of the sunset over New Jersey. The tables were all tucked behind and around towering pieces of greenery– palms and ferns, and blossoming shrubs offering a screen of privacy for every group of diners. Overhead, cafe lights hung from pergolas, washing the area in a soft, warm light. It was heavenly.

Once Bucky gave his name and the hostess began escorting you to your table, he leaned in to whisper to you “What do you think?”

Your head was moving in every direction as you tried to take in every ounce of ambiance. “It’s gorgeous, Bucky,” you told him truthfully. “How did you find this place?”

“Pepper Potts recommended it,” he said. “She said it was the perfect spot for an intimate meal. Plus, they close for the winter, so if I wanted to take you, I’d better do it on one of our first dates.”

You tilted your head up to look at him, studying his face. “You’re planning multiple dates already?” you asked, a curl to your lips. 

“‘Course, doll,” Bucky said as you approached your designated table. “Gotta whole list of things I wanna do with you.”

You felt your face flush as he pulled your chair back for you before gently pushing you in. 

“So, what’s on this list?” you asked him once he’d sat himself down. 

“Nuh-uh,” he chided you. “They’ve gotta be surprises, at least until we get closer to ‘em.”

There was no way this man was real, you thought. No way you, of all people, could get lucky enough to catch his eye.

The waiter approached, asking if you would like wine for the table, and a panicked look flashed across Bucky’s face. You asked the waiter for a few more moments to decide.

“What is it?” you asked him.

“I have no fucking idea what wine to get!” he said, a hint of desperation in his voice. “Fuck! I knew I should have asked Pepper!”

You reached across the table and put a comforting hand on top of his. “Hey, it’s okay,” you told him. “I actually don’t know shit about wine, myself.” Bucky gave you a skeptical look, but you nodded reassuringly. “How about we just get cocktails, instead?”

The smile Bucky gave you then was equal parts relief and gratitude. “Yeah,” he said, looking much happier. “I’ll get me some of that delicious girly shit.” He winked at you, and you laughed. 

The waiter returned shortly, and you both placed your orders. Once he left, you realized you needed to come clean about something.

You cleared your throat. “So, uh, I actually have to confess something to you,” you told him, fidgeting with the napkin you’d placed in your lap.

“Oh yeah?” Bucky asked, leaning forward, eyes sparkling in the soft light.

You closed your eyes, feeling horrible for what you were about to say. “I… I Googled you,” you told him. 

Realization dawned on Bucky’s face. “Oh,” he said, expression falling. “Yeah… uh,” he coughed into his hand. “That makes sense. So, you came to dinner to, what? Just let me down gently?”

Your mouth hung open in surprise. “What? No!” You reached over to grasp his hand again, this time interlocking your fingers with his own. “Look, the truth of it is, I told a couple of employees– my friends– about meeting you last night, and they brought up your trial.” Bucky visibly flinched at your words. “I admit, I knew nothing about it– it happened around the same time I was getting divorced, so I was kind of preoccupied for a while,” you said. “So, when my friends told me about the charges, I got… curious.”

You noticed Bucky was studiously looking down at his bread plate, not meeting your eye. “Hey,” you said, tugging gently on his hand. “Look at me.”

He slowly raised his eyes and you were struck with how… remorseful they looked. “The more I read,” you told him, “the more I realized the whole thing was a trumped up circus. Anyone with an ounce of empathy could see that you weren’t responsible for what you were made to do; that you were a victim. They just needed someone to blame, and you were a convenient scapegoat.”

“Doll,” Bucky said, his eyes glistening with unshed tears, “you don’t understand. I–”

“No, Bucky, please,” you said to him. “I don’t want you thinking you have to disclose anything to me unless you want to and you’re ready. I just want you to know that I don’t hold those things against you. I don’t blame you, and I don’t think you should be blamed. I want you to know that none of it matters, not to me. I look at you, and I don’t see the man the media tried to paint you to be. I see someone sweet, who makes me laugh– someone I really want to get to know better. I just want you to know all that.”

Bucky’s eyes were wide as saucers as he took in your words. You were almost afraid you’d said something wrong, after he hadn’t spoken for nearly a full minute, but finally, he squeezed your hand. “Thank you,” he said, voice choked. “You… you don’t know what that means to me. I can’t tell you what that means to me– I don’t have the words. I just… thank you.”

<- Previous Part / Next Part ->

[sleepingelvhen]

Sleeping Spider Lily Pt. 3

Blade/Reader NSFW Minors DO NOT interact Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3 -- [🌹Part 4🌹] MASTERLIST After a long day of sleep and an intimate dream, you decide to meet Blade where he's been hiding.

Jing Yuan understood when you told him you needed sleep. Any work you had to do was put off to allow you a full day of sleep after the stress from the day before. He had smiled sadly, eyes filled with what you had assumed was remorse, as he told you to relax. He had apologized then, expressing regret for keeping Blade a secret all these years. And you had forgiven him. 

When you had thought about it, it made sense. To hear that the love of your life was cursed, to hear that he had left with scant a word and then suffered years of pain and multitudes of deaths at the hands of a friend. Mara struck and alone. Jing Yuan had good intentions, in his eyes it would hurt less to hear him dead. He had given you a reason to mourn and to heal. 

After he had left you to rest, you had promptly crashed into your bed and fallen asleep, overcome by the exhaustion of the hours without sleep and the emotions running wild inside. Your dreams had not given you a moment of respite, either. 

Chaotic and full of confusing emotions, you faced an endless darkness. Somehow, a low sound echoed from within, almost like a wolf growling towards you as the shadows inched closer. And yet, the closer it approached, the less fear you felt. You stepped closer, your feet meeting the edge of the darkness and in a blink, the dark was gone and you stood in front of Yingxing.

He smiled at you, his white hair loose, curling around his face, fluttering in a soft breeze behind him. He spoke, words soundless in the empty voice, surrounded by white lilies that slowly began turning red. White hair turned to black, eyes matching the flowers surrounding you both. A once kind smile turned cocky, eyes dark as he regarded your form. 

But still, you smiled at him all the same. You took his hand, watched his face morph into shock before he was leaning ever closer, his own fingers gripping your waist and pulling you close. 

You felt his breath on your ear, tongue on your throat. A dark chuckle echoing in your mind, overcoming your senses. And through all this you felt warm and safe and…he kissed your neck, fingers gliding along your sides gentle yet desperate.

“Are you still mine?”

You shot up in your bed, sweat beading down your neck. You were cold but also warm and you could still feel Blade’s hands upon your body. It had been a dream, yet the most vivid one you’d ever felt. His hands had been on you, his lips, his tongue. Your hand reached to where his lips had been, your breathing evening out as you came back to reality.

With a deep breath, you turned to look out your window. How long had you been asleep? Long enough for it to already be dark outside it seemed. Your eyes automatically sought the little note you’d set on your nightstand. It taunted you. No, it tempted you.

Blade had given you a place and a time. He was inviting you to meet him, to talk to him. Trusting you not to use this information to catch him again. Or maybe he simply knew it wouldn’t matter if you decided to betray such trust. 

Just imagining him made your body react warmly. Your breath quickened, warmth spreading throughout every part of you, especially between your legs as you kept thinking about the way his hands and breath had felt in the dream. 

Everything about him made your mind completely foggy. It made you make reckless decisions like dressing in shady clothing and sneaking back out, dodging the cloud knight rotations and seeking out the small hidden alcove that seemed basically right around the corner.

As you rounded a corner, you heard soft voices echoing. One of them feminine and sarcastic, though you supposed it could be best described as slightly uncaring. Blade’s voice followed her’s, his dark uninterested tone automatically causing you to take a sharp breath as your heart flipped. 

“You’re taking a big risk here, Bladie. Elio would be upset if he heard you diverted from the script.”

“Did I ask for your opinion, Kafka?’

“Hm…I suppose not. Just make sure you’re not caught if things don’t go how you want.”

Blade simply huffed a little, leaning forward against the table he sat at. His expression only able to be described as intent glowering. That is, until he saw you approaching in the corner of his eyes. He perked up a bit, his eyebrows raised until he saw Kafka smiling at him. He evened out his expression then, huffing again. 

Kafka chuckled, sauntering towards you, completely relaxed as if she had no need to fear anything bad happening in this moment.

“So, you’re Bladie’s little girlfriend, huh?” She leaned towards you, an intrigued small smile on her face. It was the only way to read her expression, her pink eyes betraying no emotion whatsoever. “How cute~”

You couldn’t help the blush that coated your cheeks, Kafka’s intent gaze and voice almost hypnotizing in a way, like you could feel her in your mind. It would be so easy to listen to whatever she wanted–

“Kafka…” Blade’s warning tone interrupted whatever was just happening, Kafka lifting her head with a fake pout. His eyes narrowed at her, his hands curled into tight fists, the corner of his mouth lifted in a snarl. 

“You’re no fun, Bladie,” she murmured, shrugging and strolling right past you, her heels causing an echoing click with each step. “Have fun you two~” She lifted a hand, a half-hearted wave goodbye as she rounded the corner and as soon as she had been there, the sound of her heels disappeared and you and Blade were alone. 

Blade stared at you, his eyes relaxed now that Kafka had left. Jing Yuan had been correct in his theory, Blade was working with the Stellaron Hunters. But that wasn’t really what you were focused on at the moment. You smiled at him, unable to stop yourself from giggling.

“Bladie, huh?”

He frowned, unimpressed. But he sighed, said nothing, and cocked his head as a way of telling you to come over to him. You happily joined him in the small, dingy, home, and plopped down next to him, leaning forward as you looked him in the eyes. You swore you saw him blush a bit before he turned away.

“You gonna talk to me or did you invite me here for a silence contest?”

“If I did, you’d be losing.” A low chuckle left him. His deep voice made it hard to notice his light-hearted tone but you could hear it. It had been something you learned when he was Yingxing and it made your heart churn when you recognized it in Blade.

You weren’t sure what knowing he was alive meant for the two of you. It was impossible to tell with him being a part of an organization that was wanted across the galaxy and sworn enemies of the Xianzhou. But the one thing you knew was that your feelings had not dampened in the years you’d been apart. Even as he is now.

“Blade…” 

He turned to face you finally, his face stiff but calm when regarding you. Just looking at him kept reminding you of your dream. Heat in each touch and each glance, shivers as his tongue dragged across your throat. Your breath hitched and you shut your eyes tight, trying to will your mind into more serious matters.

It didn’t help when you felt his fingers hook under your chin and lift your jaw up, forcing you to look up at him as your eyes shot open. 

“Yes?” His voice drawled, intrigue within each glance, his eyes wandering down your body and up back to your face.

“I–I don’t know what this situation means for us,” you take a deep breath, braving yourself. “But I still care deeply about you.”

Blade’s fingers slid from your chin to your jaw, his hand gently gripping your face. His thumb stroked your cheek, his eyes darkening when you spoke.

“That is a dangerous thing…to care for me,” he grumbled, his gaze heated. 

You gulped, your body on edge but his touch only made you heat up and unable to speak. 

“I–uhm–I like danger?” It sounded so much less confident than you had intended but Blade seemed to enjoy the answer regardless. 

He leaned closer to you, lips close to your own. You anticipated a kiss, leaning in as he did. But his lips avoided what you wanted and found your neck instead. So much better than a dream, his lips burned your skin, soft and sensual. His tongue darted out, licking up the side of your throat. You could feel him smirk as your body shivered violently, his hands now gripping your wrists and moving you to lay on the table, your arms up above your head. 

Blade growled, nibbling your ear, his breathing quick and warm.

“Are you going to feel the same?” He murmured, his breath shuddering as he pressed his waist between your legs, rolling his hips to grind against you. He smirked at the moan that left your throat. “Or have you changed even like this?”

You were enveloped in his hold as he leaned above you, his body completely hovering over you. It was an all-consuming warmth and safety despite the intimate position he had you in. Blade had always had a way of making you feel completely at ease despite the situation. 

Your breath hitched when you locked eyes with his heated gaze. Even now he waited for confirmation. No matter how much he had changed, how violent he had become, he would never do anything against your will. He was not a monster.

“Do you wanna find out?” You lifted your legs a bit, finding a comfortable position to keep them spread and loosely around his waist. You watched as his eyes widened a bit, his chest rising and falling with each heavy breath.

Your wrists were released by his tight grip, his fingers gliding through your hair, caressing your face, then down your throat, a lingering choke hold. His nose flared, eyes intensely set on you, like you were the only thing he ever wanted to look at. Blade pressed his forehead against yours, his thumb grazing down your throat, gliding his nail against the sensitive skin.

“I would like nothing more.”

[l0vegl0wsinthedark]

Reminiscing

~

"Okay, this one."

Lily's irate frustration was a nearly tangible crackle in the perfumed air of the boutique. Draco glanced up over the rim of his spectacles.

"Absolutely not," he said calmly.

Lily's fists balled up in the skirt of the slinky, forest green dress she wore. Thousands of shimmery little beads were sewn into the light, clingy fabric. The slit ran all the way up to mid-thigh and the halterneck straps were beaded strings.

"Why." Lily's question sounded from between grit teeth.

"Turn around," Draco said flatly.

A moment of hesitation, and then Lily spun around to reveal her back, exposed from neck to tail bone.

"Absolutely not," repeated Draco, looking back down into his phone, typing out an email with one forefinger, painstakingly slow.

"It's a dress. You want me to buy a dress. This is a dress."

"I want you to be respectably dressed for your seventeenth birthday party," Draco replied without looking up. "You're coming of age, yes, but you will do so whilst dressed as you ought to be."

"As I ought to be," Lily repeated scornfully.

"As a Potter-Malfoy ought to be."

"Why can't a Potter-Malfoy wear something like this?"

"We don't go out in public half-naked."

"This is a floor length gown."

"The whole length of your left leg is on display, as is the entirety of your back." Draco glanced up once more. "Your whole back. You're practically naked."

Lily"s clenched jaw shifted as she gnashed her teeth some more. With forced calm, she said, "Papa, I do not want to be wearing some sort of Victorian ballgown for my seventeenth birthday party."

"More's the pity. But no, definitely not this one either."

"I can wear a jacket over it." Lily raised one eyebrow when Draco looked up again. "I want a leather jacket."

Draco snorted, shaking his head. "I don't think so."

"Dad said I could get one."

"Your dad is an idiot."

"I want one like his."

"Absolutely not. He's a lunatic with a flying motorcycle. You don't want everything he has, trust me."

"It's just a bloody leather jacket, Papa, please!" Lily actually stomped one booted foot, her voice rising shrilly.

"I'm used to strops, darling, I invented them," Draco said, completely unbothered. "Besides, what would your grandmother say. She would faint."

"She told me to get the jacket in black." When Draco looked up in genuine surprise, Lily went on, "She said black would go best with her opal earrings that she's having reset in silver for my birthday present."

Draco stared at her over his spectacles as she stood glaring back at him, hands on her hips.

Then the bell above the door tinkled merrily, and Harry's voice filled the silence of the stylish little boutique as he exchanged cheerful pleasantries with the owner.

Reaching breaking point, Lily shrieked, "DAD!"

"I will not tolerate that sort of screaming in a public--," Draco started.

"Green, eh?" Harry said, walking into the private area Draco had reserved for the afternoon, his own boots loud on the wooden flooring.

"Because I have your eyes," Lily said in her most honeyed voice. "Grandma's eyes."

"Good choice, Lils," Harry said affectionately, sitting down on the plush sofa next to Draco before carefully picking through the collection of truffles set out in little crystal bowls.

"You haven't looked at the dress very closely," Draco said, voice tight.

"Oh?" Harry popped a hazelnut truffle into his mouth, straightened his glasses a bit, and leaned back, crossing ankle over knee. "Let me do that, then." A pause, and then, "She looks great!"

Draco twirled one forefinger through the air, motioning for Lily to spin. "She's half-naked."

"It's the trend now or something," Harry said, shrugging and scratching carelessly through his beard.

"I want to wear it with a leather jacket, Dad," Lily said hastily. "A black leather jacket. One like yours."

Harry grinned, roughing up his hair as was his wont. "Like Sirius'. Yeah, why not? Let's get you one."

"Harry."

Draco's lips were very thin as he pulled off his glasses and turned the full force of his displeasure onto Harry.

"Don't," said Harry. "We said she could pick her own outfit."

"The Minister's going to be at the party," Draco said tightly.

"Doubt he cares, honestly," Harry said, eating more chocolate. "Besides, it's Lily's day."

"I don't like to be ganged up against," Draco said, teeth gleaming white on a forced, very dangerous smile.

"Babe, we're not ganging up--," Harry started.

"Where is James?" Draco said suddenly, raising his voice over Harry's.

"My ears are burning," James drawled, sauntering in. Draco turned in his seat to look at him, his mouth slightly open.

James' hair was a bright, lemon yellow where it stood in a carefully styled, vertical mass on his head. The sides had been shaved down close to the scalp and dyed green.

Draco could only splutter in apoplectic dismay at the sight.

"What are you supposed to look like?!" he finally managed to ask.

James shrugged, scratching behind one pierced ear. "Dad thinks it looks cool."

Draco whirled around in his seat, now glaring violently at Harry. "He was supposed to get a haircut that's also suitable for school."

"He's still on summer break," Harry said.

"His head looks like a bloody sunflower!" Draco said. "Harry, you had one job--"

But Lily was now cackling loudly at James, who in turn stood grinning proudly, hands in his pockets, fourteen years old and sincerely unbothered about a single opinion that wasn't his own. Harry couldn't help grinning, too, but he quickly moved closer to Draco and took one of his hands with both his own.

"Babe, we've talked about this," he murmured gently. "This is one of those times you need to let go. Remember how we talked about letting go?"

"She's seventeen, and he looks someone cracked an egg on his head," Draco seethed.

Harry leaned forward and kissed him squarely on the mouth.

"How about lunch at the Ritz?" he asked gently.

"And then we buy me a black leather jacket," Lily said, hitching up the skirt of her dress and stomping loudly back to the changing room.

"Life was easier when I was seventeen," Draco muttered darkly, glaring at where their son was inspecting a rack of dinner jakcets.

Harry grinned again. "Yeah. A war, a megalomaniac. I really miss those days."

~

[sukidude]

Hey everyone! Here is a piece I did for the Zukka Big Bang 2024 :-) it was based off of an idea where modern day Zuko is an aspiring singer and is getting an album cover picture taken by Sokka who has an established music career. Unfortunately, the fic wasn’t able to be completed for personal reasons on the authors part, but I still love the art and the concept :) hope y’all enjoy <3 @zukkabigbang2024

(ID under the cut)

[ID: Image 1 is a digital drawing of Zuko from the shoulders up. His hair is long and cut into a mullet and he has his ears pierced. He is wearing a black cut off tee. He has a nervous expression on his face and a very visible blush across his cheeks and nose. He is saying, “Um, like this?” to Sokka who is not pictured, but it is insinuated that Sokka is taking a picture of Zuko. The background is a light blue like the sky with minimal clouds, and directly behind Zuko is a flourish of orange and yellow lilies. The artists signature is on the shoulder and reads “sukidude”. End ID]

[ID: Image 2 is a digital drawing of Sokka holding a camera facing to the right. He is wearing a black baseball tee and his hair is up in his usual top knot from the show. He is looking off to the left with a nervous expression and a sweat bead on his temple. He also has a very visible blush across his cheeks and nose. Sokka is speaking back to Zuko from the first image saying, “Uh- yeah, yeah. perfect… ha…” The background is light blue like the sky with small white clouds. The artists signature is on the shoulder and reads “sukidude”. End ID]

[lulublack90]

Prompt 20 - Florist AU

@wolfstarmicrofic April 20, word count 669

Every morning, Remus had to walk past a florist to get to work. He’d go the other way, but it was so much longer and going this way cut a whole ten minutes off his commute.

He had to bury his face in his jumper as he walked past. Even on the other side of the road, the smell was pungent. It made his eyes water, and he’d sneeze for hours afterwards. But he’d never been inside. 

His favourite work colleague had just found out she was pregnant, and he wanted to get her a gift. Her name was Lily, so he wanted to get her one in congratulations, as she’d mentioned years ago that it was lucky that her favourite flowers were lilies or else that would be awkward. 

A little bell tinkled as he pushed the door open. The shop was full to bursting with blooms of every colour and variety you could wish for. He was instantly overwhelmed by the smell and the choice. He took shallow, even breaths in through his mouth so as not to aggravate his nostrils. 

A man dressed entirely in black, not a single bit of colour on him, appeared through a beaded curtain that Remus supposed led to the back rooms and flashed a dazzling smile at him. 

“Hello and welcome to Kabloom, where all our flowers are an explosion of colour and perfume!” The man proclaimed proudly. “My name is Sirius. How may I be of service this fine, fine day?” Remus was quite taken aback by the level of exuberance Sirius emitted.

“My friend is having a baby, and I wanted to get her a lily,” Remus said as he glanced around at the shop, unsure what a lily actually looked like. 

“Aww, how lovely. I must check, though, that she doesn’t have a cat. Just because lilies are extremely toxic to them.” Sirius warned. 

“No, she doesn’t have a cat. I think she’s got a goldfish, though.” He added.

“I don’t know about goldfish, but yeah, lilies are really bad for cats. Okay, so I think the Lilium candidum would be perfect. It’s got these beautiful delicate petals and smells wonderful.” Sirius darted to the left and grabbed a pot with a lot of small green leaves along a tall stalk. The top was adorned with wide-open flowerheads with bright yellow pollen on the tips of long fingers, making them look like matches. He handed it over to Remus. “It does best outside but can be potted in a suitable pot in the house as long as it’s provided with adequate sunlight. It may need staking as it grows.”

“Thank you,” Remus said gratefully, happy to have the burden of choice taken away from him. “How much do I owe you?” Sirius went behind the till and punched something into the till. 

“That one will set you back £25, but I will accept a date as payment if that is amenable to you?” A sweet smile played across Sirius’s lips, and that’s when Remus noticed just how blue Sirius’s eyes were. The man didn’t need to wear coloured clothing when his eyes sparkled like that. Remus cleared his throat. He was taking too much time to respond. 

“Yes. Yes, I’d quite like that.” 

They exchanged numbers so they could plan their date. 

“I swear I’ve never done this before,” Sirius swore, clearly not wanting Remus to think he exchanged flowers for dates with people all the time. “I just wanted to get to know you.” Sirius had ducked his head, trying to hide his rising blush. 

“Well, I’m flattered. I don’t get asked out very often.” Remus confessed.

“Then everyone’s an idiot,” Sirius declared, making Remus blush this time. He left the shop not long after, carrying his lily carefully. 

Now, every morning, Remus left his flat a full half an hour early just so he could pop his head into that florist and chat with its owner. The smell didn’t seem to bother him anymore, either.    

[kayawolfhorse]

Day 2 — On the Edge of a Knife

—☾—

Etho idly paces around the froglight shop’s lobby; the day as sweet and slow as molasses as each hour trudges by in an uninspired march.

There’s plenty he could be doing, sure—the shop’s exterior is begging to be built, though the glory in an inside-out base is that the outside is merely a suggestion.

He could rework Ravager Rush’s wiring to accommodate four-digit scores, or he could build the farm that’s been itching at the back of his mind ever since he finished the game. He could even work on his base to appease the endless teasing over his (perfectly adequate) roof.

His mind churns with ideas but his motivation to act upon any of them lulls. He counts the lily pads as he steps over them and fidgets with a zipper on his vest.

Eventually, after a tick or a minute or a day, the unmistakable sound of someone taking a landing too steep against the grass outside cuts through the silence.

“Etho! Etho-ooooo!” Gem’s voice, even less mistakable than the tumble Etho assumes she took, rings out.

“In here,” Etho says, and Gem meets him at the top step of the right wing. Her hair is messy around the edges of her bandanna, and there are fresh grass stains on her knees, almost invisible against the dark fabric.

“Etho! Wonderful, yes,” Gem says, with an odd expression that smooths itself away almost immediately. “Are you busy?”

“Nah, did you need something?” he asks, scuffing his sandal against the copper stair.

“Up for some sparring?”

Usually, they spar in the evenings, swords glinting in the reflected sunset until the bugs that gather around the edges of Gem’s river become unbearable.

Etho considers his productive day leading up to this point. “I’ve got nothing better to do.”

—☾—

Gem dumps Etho’s sword into his outstretched arms after he respawns for the third time with a grin that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Five hearts,” she informs him, and Etho groans.

“You’re too fast! It’s hard to get hits on you,” Etho complains, but beneath his mask, he’s smiling too.

“Looks like you’ll just have to try harder,” Gem says, before widening her stance and steadying her blade. Etho mirrors her, and a slight shift of Gem’s boot against the sandstone of the beach is the only warning Etho gets before she’s racing up on the offense.

Etho parries her first blow; her second. Her third swing slices through the fabric of Etho’s left sleeve, and the gash stings, but not enough to stop him from lunging forward, closing the opening Gem leaves by lifting her arms too high and catching her in the side.

Gem grunts, but leverages ahead, pushing into Etho’s space in a furious whirl of movement that has Etho stumbling back a step. He snakes in more hits than he had in their previous round, but has no time or space to get in crits; most of his efforts are concentrated in avoiding Gem’s blade.

It’s over in a second. Etho’s vision goes black, and then he’s sitting up in the respawn bed nestled within a faux-shipwreck.

“Again?” Gem asks when Etho’s sword is back in hands.

Etho shrugs. “Sure.”

Gem’s fighting style is quick, cutting, and brutal; her movements leave no room for hesitation and her strikes land true a considerable amount of the time. Despite that, she maintains a fluidity that twines through her limbs like how waves break apart the sea’s surface, and she’s smooth as she transitions from one move to the next.

Tension strings across her frame now, in the tilt to her shoulders and line of her mouth and too-tight grip on her sword. Her swings are sloppier than usual and she brings them down harshly, almost desperately.

Sweat beads on Etho’s brow; he can see how it similarly runs down Gem’s face. An aching tiredness seeps into his limbs, but he’s not about to call it quits; Gem needs the company at least.

In a twist of sheer luck, Etho gains the upper hand, and he uses it to crit, before slashing again and driving Gem back. In a flash, she’s pushing ahead and twisting to the side with the ferocity of a cornered animal, and the set of teeth she bares is the edge of her blade suddenly pressed against Etho’s throat.

They both freeze. Gem’s hardly one for headshots.

The cool press of metal is gone before Etho has the chance to speak against it. Gem sheaths it at her side, looking troubled.

“You okay?” Etho asks, putting away his own sword.

“Yeah, I’m just… suddenly really tired,” Gem says, and her voice is pinched in all of the wrong places. “Thanks for sparring with me.”

Etho waits a couple ticks to see if she’ll continue. He wonders if he should press further, but she doesn’t look like she wants to talk. Gem turns to collect her stuff.

“It was a good session,” he says.

Gem tugs on her armor and equips her elytra. She offers him a tight-lipped smile before taking off.

He touches a hand to his neck. The blood there has already started to crust. Etho stands alone on the beach and watches Gem’s figure disappear over the horizon.

[sunfl0w3rmoon]

HAPPY PRIDE!!!!!!

Here’s how I think the marauders + co would celebrate:

James: dresses up in his flag colors / rainbow / glitter and participates in the parade; walks around the festival then dances at bars the rest of the day (and kisses Reg… a lot)

Sirius: either rainbow head to toe or full drag / leather; struts the parade and spends the rest of the day party/bar hopping with James and Mary

Remus: begrudgingly wears muted tones of his flag colors; watches the parade and then goes to the pride festival for a little while before heading home to watch queer shows

Peter: wears his ace colors with pride + drapes a flag over his shoulders; watches the parade and then visits the festival, interacting with queer vendors and supporting queer businesses

Lily: space buns, glitter, rainbow tulle skirt and a paint-splattered tank top; carries a flag through the parade, then joins Remus at the festival & James at the bars

Mary: goes all out with her flag colors including bold makeup and custom shoes; walks in the parade with Sirius & Lily, skipping and dancing; goes out dancing with James after

Marlene: wears her usual clothes plus lesbian flag bracelets Dorcas made for her; watches the parade, goes to the bars after and drinks “the rainbow” (a drink of every color)

Dorcas: the most beautiful, self-made dress of pink, orange, and white silk, along with beads in her braids; marches the parade with a giant lesbian flag flowing behind her, then walks through the festival with Pandora

Pandora: looks like a fairy princess, rainbow wings included; watches the parade and then skips around the festival, buying stuff from queer vendors

Evan: wears his regular clothes plus a beanie with a rainbow patch; Pandora paints flags on his cheeks as well; watches the parade with Barty and then goes off to have a LOT of gay sex

Barty: dressed completely in leather with a studded collar (Evan is holding the leash); watches the parade with Evan and then goes off to have a LOT of gay sex

Regulus: is fully drowning in one of James’s black hoodies with a pride flag on the front, Pandora painted the trans flag on one cheek; watches his friends in the parade and then joins Remus at home for the evening

[theking-mustdie]

*marauders making bracelets*

sirius: making a blue/white beaded one that says moony cause he can’t be bothered to learn how to tie the knots

remus: trying to do the hardest knot and using brown, beige, and light brown colors

james: making a gold and red easier knot one

peter: using all shades of green and makes multiple braided ones

regulus: doesn’t make any, but accepts the other red and gold one james makes for him

dorcas: mixing beaded and knotted together to make a really intricate pretty purple and black bracelet

marlene: makes a billion “test” bracelets until she finally makes one red and black one that she wears

mary: makes the beads into heart designs to make a heart bracelet

lily: makes the lesbian flag out of beads and then makes one for marlene out of string

barty: ties one string around his wrist

evan: makes a cute green and black one that barty immediately asks for

pandora: blue, purple, and pink mix of beaded and knotted that everyone asks how she did.

[calmlyerratic]

PoA Lupin is everything

Pt 2 (cuz I'm currently re-reading)

The tone of this whole moment is cracking me up. The dry, dark humor is just germane, darling—it's (quite literally) all the rage.

"Well, hello, Peter," said Lupin pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him. "Long time, no see."

"S -- Sirius... R -- Remus..." Even Pettigrew's voice was squeaky. Again, his eyes darted toward the door. "My friends... my old friends..."

Black's wand arm rose, but Lupin seized him around the wrist, gave him a warning took, then turned again to Pettigrew, his voice light and casual.

"We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed --"

"Remus," gasped Pettigrew, and Harry could see beads of sweat breaking out over his pasty face, "you don't believe him, do you...? He tried to kill me, Remus...."

"So we've heard," said Lupin, more coldly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'll be so --"

"He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew squeaked suddenly, pointing at Black, and Harry saw that he used his middle finger, because his index was missing. "He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too....You've got to help me, Remus...."

Black's face looked more skull-like than ever as he stared at Pettigrew with his fathomless eyes.

"No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out," said Lupin.

"Sorted things out?" squealed Pettigrew, looking wildly about him once more, eyes taking in the boarded windows and, again the only door. "I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"

"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" said Lupin, his brow furrowed. "When nobody has ever done it before?"

[paperuniverse]

Rarepair Week Day 2: Wedding

@hetalia-rarepairweek

I was originally planning on half-assing the historical aspect of this then next thing I know I have five tabs open looking at historical wedding dresses and learning about how white tie was the more popular choice for formal wear hmm.

Anyways this is meant to be a recreation of what I think Slovakia and Czechia wore on their wedding day back in 1918 when they became Czechoslovakia! Both in colour and black in white.

Also some historical notes under the cut cause while there's probably some historical incorrectness I had fun with it!

I was originally going to have Slovakia wear a hat since they were worn by the majority of men, even the lower-class. I don’t think they would have had a lot of money right away cause they just broke away from Austria-Hungary so I don’t think Slovakia would wear a top hat, which was the most formal and expensive of hats. Instead at his wedding I think he would have worn a homburg which was also popular and in black was also considered formal. Also, I it looks better imo than a bowler hat lmao.

His suit is an evening suit which was formal attire although seemed to mostly be worn in the evenings. Apparently, their suits were fucking heavy. I guess even men suffered from all the layers. But they wore dress shirts with attachable collars and cuffs underneath all this, so they didn’t need to wash these heavy suits all the time. I guess this is the equivalent of me in winter wearing a tank top under my three layers as a sweat barrier.

While the 1920s were fashion really changed for women and got less strict with shorter hemlines and such in the 1910s wedding dresses did become looser and corsets weren’t typically worn during weddings cause dancing became much more common. So, I definitely think these two had dancing at their wedding with a cute first dance with Slovakia and Czechia <3

Wedding dresses then did still cover a lot, with long sleeves and high necklines. Can’t show that sexy neck off I guess lol. They also had lots of lovely lace and beading designs in them, most of them I saw had to do with flowers and so I incorporated that into Czechia’s dress too. Women also had flowers in their hair and veils… which I forgot to draw on Czechia hsdkf. I’m just gonna say she took it off for the photo.

The most common floral arrangement for bouquets were white roses, lilies, and forget-me-nots which mean things like love, purity, loyalty, and remembrance. Some men in photos had flowers pinned to their suits so I gave Slovakia a matching white rose to Czechia’s white rose and lily bouquet (was too lazy to search what forget-me-nots looked like).