#palm springs gardens design

[unicefindia]

Mulch - Midcentury Landscape

Ideas for a sizable mid-century modern desert and a summertime formal mulch front yard garden.

[bookman-dgm]

Mulch Front Yard in Canberra - Queanbeyan An example of a large mid-century modern desert and full sun front yard mulch formal garden in summer.

[solliciiti]

Midcentury Landscape (Canberra - Queanbeyan)

[reasonsforhope]

"With “green corridors” that mimic the natural forest, the Colombian city is driving down temperatures — and could become five degrees cooler over the next few decades.

In the face of a rapidly heating planet, the City of Eternal Spring — nicknamed so thanks to its year-round temperate climate — has found a way to keep its cool.

Previously, Medellín had undergone years of rapid urban expansion, which led to a severe urban heat island effect — raising temperatures in the city to significantly higher than in the surrounding suburban and rural areas. Roads and other concrete infrastructure absorb and maintain the sun’s heat for much longer than green infrastructure.

“Medellín grew at the expense of green spaces and vegetation,” says Pilar Vargas, a forest engineer working for City Hall. “We built and built and built. There wasn’t a lot of thought about the impact on the climate. It became obvious that had to change.”

Efforts began in 2016 under Medellín’s then mayor, Federico Gutiérrez (who, after completing one term in 2019, was re-elected at the end of 2023). The city launched a new approach to its urban development — one that focused on people and plants.

The $16.3 million initiative led to the creation of 30 Green Corridors along the city’s roads and waterways, improving or producing more than 70 hectares of green space, which includes 20 kilometers of shaded routes with cycle lanes and pedestrian paths.

These plant and tree-filled spaces — which connect all sorts of green areas such as the curb strips, squares, parks, vertical gardens, sidewalks, and even some of the seven hills that surround the city — produce fresh, cooling air in the face of urban heat. The corridors are also designed to mimic a natural forest with levels of low, medium and high plants, including native and tropical plants, bamboo grasses and palm trees.

Heat-trapping infrastructure like metro stations and bridges has also been greened as part of the project and government buildings have been adorned with green roofs and vertical gardens to beat the heat. The first of those was installed at Medellín’s City Hall, where nearly 100,000 plants and 12 species span the 1,810 square meter surface.

“It’s like urban acupuncture,” says Paula Zapata, advisor for Medellín at C40 Cities, a global network of about 100 of the world’s leading mayors. “The city is making these small interventions that together act to make a big impact.”

At the launch of the project, 120,000 individual plants and 12,500 trees were added to roads and parks across the city. By 2021, the figure had reached 2.5 million plants and 880,000 trees. Each has been carefully chosen to maximize their impact.

“The technical team thought a lot about the species used. They selected endemic ones that have a functional use,” explains Zapata.

The 72 species of plants and trees selected provide food for wildlife, help biodiversity to spread and fight air pollution. A study, for example, identified Mangifera indica as the best among six plant species found in Medellín at absorbing PM2.5 pollution — particulate matter that can cause asthma, bronchitis and heart disease — and surviving in polluted areas due to its “biochemical and biological mechanisms.”

And the urban planting continues to this day.

The groundwork is carried out by 150 citizen-gardeners like Pineda, who come from disadvantaged and minority backgrounds, with the support of 15 specialized forest engineers. Pineda is now the leader of a team of seven other gardeners who attend to corridors all across the city, shifting depending on the current priorities...

“I’m completely in favor of the corridors,” says [Victoria Perez, another citizen-gardener], who grew up in a poor suburb in the city of 2.5 million people. “It really improves the quality of life here.”

Wilmar Jesus, a 48-year-old Afro-Colombian farmer on his first day of the job, is pleased about the project’s possibilities for his own future. “I want to learn more and become better,” he says. “This gives me the opportunity to advance myself.”

The project’s wider impacts are like a breath of fresh air. Medellín’s temperatures fell by 2°C in the first three years of the program, and officials expect a further decrease of 4 to 5C over the next few decades, even taking into account climate change. In turn, City Hall says this will minimize the need for energy-intensive air conditioning...

In addition, the project has had a significant impact on air pollution. Between 2016 and 2019, the level of PM2.5 fell significantly, and in turn the city’s morbidity rate from acute respiratory infections decreased from 159.8 to 95.3 per 1,000 people [Note: That means the city's rate of people getting sick with lung/throat/respiratory infections.]

There’s also been a 34.6 percent rise in cycling in the city, likely due to the new bike paths built for the project, and biodiversity studies show that wildlife is coming back — one sample of five Green Corridors identified 30 different species of butterfly.

Other cities are already taking note. Bogotá and Barranquilla have adopted similar plans, among other Colombian cities, and last year São Paulo, Brazil, the largest city in South America, began expanding its corridors after launching them in 2022.

“For sure, Green Corridors could work in many other places,” says Zapata."

-via Reasons to Be Cheerful, March 4, 2024

[lookingforcactus]

Because I'm feeling whimsical,

What the fuck do you mean that's a quilt??? Round 2

All quilts are contest winners from the quilt show Road to California, 2022. You can see these quilts and the other winners from that year here.

Best of Show Quilt

Title: Harlequinade Maker: Rebecca Prior Quilter: Jackie Brown Design Basis: Maker's Original Design "Harlequinade" is a theatrical quilt filled with visual clues guiding viewers to discover a hidden story. Inspired by Venetian Carnival masks and commedia del'arte characters, the quilt features the antics of Harlequin, the trickster, who has his own ideas about freedom and fun!

Director's Choice

Title: Welcome Home Maker: David Taylor Quilter: David Taylor Design Basis: Original image by Margo Clabo, used with permission I first saw this image from friend Margo Clabo more than a decade ago. It took years to convince her to let me adapt her photo into a quilt. The image it depicts is especially sentimental for her. The challenge for myself was to create a pieced pictorial background and recreate a traditionally pieced quilt by using my hand appliqué technique. The project size was overwhelming, but I'm thrilled with the finished quilt. So is Margo. Time to exhale.

Note: To be clear, that is not a photo with a quilt in it, that WHOLE THING is a quilt.

Best Machine Stationary Quilting

Title: Emerald labyrinth Maker: Kumiko Frydl Quilter: Kumiko Frydl Design Basis: Maker's Original Design As a starting point I used an image from the entrance to the EL Barkookeyeh Mosque in Cairo. Thinking of an elegant and intricate garden I added bursts of natural color and filled the area between the large elements of the design with finer ornament inspired by butterflies and plants. I set the circular image in a rectangular frame with a subdued complimentary design of rippled reflective pools.

1st Place: Animal

Title: Woodland Wilds Maker: Ann Horton Quilter: Ann Horton Design Basis: Maker's Original Design My morning hikes in the woodland hills of our northern California home inspired this quilt. The rabbits are always alert for danger. This machine appliqued, thread painted and embroidered view through a window is surrounded by wild flowers on hand dyed silk and again surrounded by other wild birds and animals. I love my wilds things in the woods!

1st Place: Human Image

Title: The Memories That Remain Maker: Lynn Czaban Quilter: Lynn Czaban Design Basis: Library of Congress Photos - LC-USF33-006183MI and LC-USF33-0061 I am fascinated by the human face and our ability to communicate without uttering a single word. The Portuguese word 'saudade' meaning a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for something or someone that one cares for and loves. Moreover, it often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might never be had again.

1st Place: Naturescape

Title: Desert In Spring Maker: Andrea Brokenshire Quilter: Andrea Brokenshire Design Basis: Maker's Original Design My Mom and I embarked on an epic travel trip we named our "Thelma and Louise Adventure" In Palm Springs, CA we visited the Living Desert Botanical Garden. This quilt is inspired by one of the photographs I took that spring day of a Prickly Pear Cactus in full bloom. I loved the leathery texture of the cactus leaves (paddles) and the almost translucent citron yellow blossoms.

2nd Place: Animal

itle: Not Today Maker: Kestrel Michaud Quilter: Kestrel Michaud Design Basis: Maker's Original Design The chase is on! The Roadrunner is after his next meal, chasing a Common Collared Lizard through a steampunk junkyard. The desert is a favored dumping ground for the detritus of progress, even in a fantasy world. A steam-powered industrial revolution creates iron refuse and pieces of broken machinery have been left to decay in dry desert air. That doesn’t bother these critters. To them, this is home. Will that lizard wind up as dinner? Not today!

2nd Place: Human Image

Title: Declaration of Independence - Voices of Freedom Maker: Nancy Prince Quilter: Terri Taylor Design Basis: Reproduction of John Trumbull's Painting The quilt is a reproduction of John Trumbull's painting which depicts the moment in history when the first draft of the Declaration of Independence was presented to the Second Continental Congress on June 28, 1776. The quilt front and back were created in Photoshop and custom printed on fabric. Four thousand hours over 4 years was necessary to create the quilt. The back captures the story of the Declaration and its signers.

Note: I'm not at all patriotic. But credit where credit is due. That's a fucking quilt.

3rd Place: Animal

Title: Midnight Flight Maker: Joanne Baeth Quilter: Joanne Baeth Design Basis: Maker's Original Design Several years ago we had an injured Great Horned Owl roosting in our willow tree during the day. I took several pictures and was inspired to create him in fabric. The background features a painted sky, old buildings, melting snow and a rabbit on the run The foreground is the swooping owl which was constructed by painting and inking each feather and thread painting over fabrics and needle punched wool rovings

3rd Place: Naturescape

Title: Day Into Night Maker: Deb Deaton Quilter: Deb Deaton Design Basis: Maker's Original Design Inspired from photo by Robert Murray with his permission. When the Arizona sun begins to set, the sky comes alive. I saw this photo and knew the splendor of this landscape needed to be captured with fiber! Sky is hand painted. Raw edge applique. Mixed media used: oil pastels, color pencils, inks to enhance the fabrics and create more dimension. Cheesecloth: painted to create spikes of cactus. Tulle used to capture the sunrays. Machine quilted.

[louweetomlinson]

Landscape - Midcentury Landscape

[guardiansbelikov]

Landscape in Los Angeles

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Welcome to Villa Del Leone, designed by Robert Marx in 1962, the son of Gummo Marx, (I've heard of the Marx Bros., but never Gummo- who the hell is Gummo?), of the famed Marx Brothers, in Palm Springs, CA. You can tell that the son of old Hollywood money lives here b/c of the cool stuff inside. The Hollywood Regency style home has 4bds, 3ba, & is listed for $4.995M. Since we can't afford it, let's look at it for inspirational purposes.

This is an odd way to design an entrance hall, but it seems meant to be a gallery, judging by the spotlights and photos on the walls.

Movie memorabilia.

A framed Paramount Studios logo has the place of honor on the fireplace. Love the pink sofas and the huge classic John Lennon portrait. Funky sign in front of the fireplace, too.

That's unusual, a huge poster hung sideways.

Cool English themed sitting room decorated with real motorcycles.

This serves as a dining room/library. Beautifully done, the purple carpet really makes it pop.

The kitchen's wild quartz counters would make the HGTV designers clutch their throats gasping in horror.

Elegantly dated bedroom has sliders to the pool.

The all-white en-suite has Grecian columns.

And, look at the vast closet. The clothing looks as bright and colorful as the decor.

Nice secondary bedroom. Very calming colors and I'm a toile fan.

Looks like a woman's office.

I wonder if that's an original Beatles drum set. Beautiful guitar collection display wall.

Outside, a the lovely pool. I love the zebra.

This is very nice. So manicured. I like a more natural looking garden.

Very cheerful home and it looks so inviting warmly lit up at night.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/466-Camino-Sur-Palm-Springs-CA-92262/18023638_zpid/

[ghoul-foolery]

Dirty Windows | 1

A Fallout 4 Soulmate AU Hancock x Female Sole Survivor (Nora) Summary:

Hancock never thought he would find his soulmate. Once a common occurrence, soulmates turned into a bit of a rarity after the bombs dropped. It was to be expected when there was an influx of people getting shot in the face on a daily basis. So when Hancock discovered that he had a soulmate he was ecstatic; all of the people in the Commonwealth, and he was one of the lucky few.

Too bad his soulmate didn't want anything to do with him.

\\

[ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ]

\\

Hancock took a steady pull of his cigarette. Perched on the rotting sill of his open office window located in Boston’s State House, he relaxed into the gentle chill of an early spring evening. Goodneighbor had gone quiet some hours ago. He would be concerned if the town’s uncharacteristic early evening if it wasn’t so pleasant. Goodneighbor going to sleep was a rarity, and he chose to enjoy the downtime with several cigarettes and a couple canisters of jet as he attempted to master the art of blowing smoke rings. He would ultimately discover, after smoking through nearly entire pack of cigarettes, that it was a feat that required an embouchure that he didn’t have the lips for — or he was too fucking stoned to do it right.

Flicking the still smoldering butt out into the night, Hancock returned to one of the two limp couches in his designated office space, and flopped down. He reached for the mentats tin on the rubbish-covered coffee table. Why not end the night on a high note?

Hancock snickered to himself, amused at his own drug addled thoughts, “On’a high note.” Because he was high. Ha-ha.

He fumbled with the old tin, eventually managing to lodge the blunt end of his thumbnail into the lip of the lid. The little tin box opened with a satisfying pop. He placed one of the white tablets on his tongue. It immediately began to dissolve, coating his tongue in chalky grit. When he eventually swallowed he was already feeling pleasantly fuzzy. The tingling was in his toes, his fingers. It danced along his teeth and the grooves of his brain. The ghoul sank further into the couch, glossy black eyes staring up at the ceiling, his mouth ajar as his thoughts stumbled from one to the next. He thought about starting a community garden; it would be tucked away from the main thoroughfare but still sizable. He remembered and clung to an old poem from an old book he had stashed away in his desk. He pondered the essence of the whole fucking cosmos. Or perhaps not, actually. He was blitzed and keeping his thoughts in line was becoming more, and more difficult.

When he started to hear whispers he thought nothing of it. On a livelier night he would have assumed that it was regular ol’ street noise. In the uncharacteristic silence of the night he figured it was a hallucination. This wasn’t his first rodeo. He’d experienced visual and auditory hallucinations before. They weren’t typically triggered by mere mentats, mind you, but it had been a long and drug-fueled day and he was content with riding the wave until he crashed.

The whispers belonged to one person. It started as a weak, warbling, like he was hearing someone talk from behind a closed door. Then the voice abruptly grew in volume; suddenly shrill, like he was standing next to a woman as she screamed for all she was worth. 

“Nate! No, Nate, please! Honey, please wake up!”

The ghoul’s brows furrowed. The voice was frantic, desperate as she cried for help.  Phantom hands — smooth, delicate, small — swam in and out of his vision. They moved in front of him as if they were his. The vision ebbed when he tried to divert his attention; it went beyond superimposition when he focused on it. Hancock could feel the sensation of the blood stained Vault-tec jumpsuit chafe under his palms as smooth hands gripped and pulled at the material. He was peering up at the face of a dead man, his body heavy and limp, slumped in some sort of pod that reminded him of Goodneighor’s Memory Den. 

“Nate! Please — please don’t do this! NATHAN!”

He’s dead. He’s gone. Fuck, if his heart wasn’t breaking. It was shattering into millions of pieces, leaving him more numb and empty than he had ever felt. And goddamn, it felt fucking real. As real as the jumpsuit under his palms, as real as the chill that had sank into his bones, as real as the couch he still lounged in. 

A sudden hand on his arm made his body jolt. The vision of the dead man was abruptly ripped from him and in its place was Fahrenheit’s stern face. She was blurry, swimming in a lake of wavering tears. He was crying. Fuck, he was sobbing. His shoulders heaved, his lungs hungrily taking in air in short, frantic gulps. For all of a moment, Fahrenheit looked on the brink of amusement. Her right eyebrow was curled upward and the corner of her mouth was lifting into a smirk as she readied to deliver some snide remark, but then her expression changed. The almost-smirk vanished, the haughty brow lowered, and then a look of awe lit her features. Hancock sniffled, the tears that had been cascading down his ruined cheeks came to an abrupt stop as if the well had run dry. The ache in his chest was gone. So was the dead man in the pod. So was the frantic, begging, voice. He blinked. He took one more big gasp for air to steady himself but it was shaky. He was shaking.

“S-sorry,” he rasped. His voice was weak and frail at the edges. He cleared his throat. “Sorry. That was, uh— that—”

Though he wanted to blame it all on the chems, he knew that that wasn’t the case. That was something else. Something he never thought he would experience in all of his lifetime. For some goddamn reason, the Powers That Be decided to gift Hancock with a soulmate. He was shocked. He was elated.

Fahrenheit’s voice was barely audible when she said, “You found them.”

“It’s a woman.”

“What does she look like? What’s her name? Where is she?” 

Soulmates were a rarity these days, because that’s what happened when nuclear bombs fell and annihilated the majority of the world's population. Fahrenheit was still missing her signature scowl. It made him uncomfortable. Hancock shook his head, reaching for his smokes that were in the breast pocket of his coat — anything to stop the shaking of his hands.

“I dunno. It’s exactly how they say. Y'see through their eyes. All I saw was her hands. And I heard her voice.”

“Whose Nate?” When Hancock glanced at Fahrenheit she added, “You were saying his name.”

There was no way for Hancock to know who Nate was, and yet he did. Hancock knew exactly who Nate was. Nate was his soulmate’s dead husband. Hancock swore, chucking the pack of cigarettes to the floor in a fit of irritation. So much for that high he had been riding. Coming out of the vision, he felt debilitatingly sober. Leave it to the universe to give him one of the best gifts anyone could ever receive, and then somehow make it completely awful.

Fuck you, too, universe. Fuck. You. Too.

[mybeingthere]

Vintage DODIE THAYER 1926, Lettuce Ware

Known as the "Pottery Queen of Palm Beach" Dodie Thayer's lettuce ceramics are old quinessential Palm Beach and most notably her beautiful lettuce soup tureen was considered a status symbol. In Palm Beach Society, from the 1960's-80's, her cabbage and lettuce ware was all the rage.

Each leaf's vein was carefully shaped by her own hands, cast at her own home studio. During this time, Thayer's work could not only be seen throughout the pages of House Beautiful, House & Garden, Architectural Digest, Gourmet and Bon Apetit, but in the personal collections of ladies of status such as Jackie O. Her work was never mass marketed and to this day collectors still flock when her items are found in an antique store or estate sale. But things are about to change. Tory Burch is an American fashion designer, business woman, and philanthropist, who has won several fashion awards for her designs. After purchasing a vast collection from interior designer Todd Romano, Burch struck up a friendship with Thayer that blossomed into a collaboration. For the first time in her life, Thayer authorized reproductions, allowing Burch to replant the seeds of obsession with an updated line of vegetable ceramics, out this spring in stores and on ToryBurch.com. Prices range from $88 for a set of four canapé plates to $158 for a quartet of salad plates. May Thayer's collection continue to touch the next generation.

[unicefindia]

Midcentury Landscape Canberra - Queanbeyan Photo of a large mid-century modern rock and full sun front yard gravel formal garden in summer.

[tswaney17]

A Hundred Lifetimes, A Hundred Worlds, I'd Choose You - Part 2

Part 2 of this random collection, inspired by @duskwhisperer's commissioned art, here! 🌸 Happy @elainarcheronweek all. 💕

My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics​​​

My ao3 account: tswaney17

Please let me know what you think about this update. I love getting your feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 💕

Trigger warnings: None

Word Count: 1,013

Read on AO3. Snippet below.

Elain was knee-deep in the garden, planting bulbs that would bloom in late spring or early summer. Her adorable little nephew sitting next to her on his plump butt, “helpfully” digging in the mulch for her.

“Weady for you, Auntie Lain!” Nyx shouted, flinging dirt into the air and showering his lap. They were working on the section of her garden she specifically designated to the Night Court’s heir. He loved coming over and playing with her gardening tools, getting his hands dirty. If he wasn’t caked in paint with his mother, he was covered in dirt with his aunt.

“Great job, little one. Can you put this bulb in the hole and then cover it back up?” she asked, placing the seedling into his mud-caked palms.

Ever the good listener, he followed her instructions perfectly, patting the soft ground to “tuck the seed in.”  

“Very good, sweetheart,” she told him with a bright smile.

Read More

~~~~~

Remember, sharing is caring! Please reblog if you liked the fic. It helps spread my work and I truly appreciate it. 💕

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[orii-blogs-stuff]

Like everything else, Death looked very pretty on Georgine.

Detlinde watched the procession with a frown, indeed, her mother was dead, yet she felt nothing for her. No sobbing daintily into her handkerchief like her elder sister Alstred. Not a single tear rolled down her cheek unlike her elder brother Wolfram, she was simply stoic, her translucent veil covering her yawn of boredom. An on-looker paying close attention to Detlinde’s facial expressions may have mistaken her as an Archduke Candidate not of Georgine’s blood, but Detlinde would correct them. 

Despite her mother never paying attention to her and always spent every moment she could relax, talking to Wolfram or on the rare occasions, Alstred, despite Detlinde focusing her attention to better herself at the harspeil, learning manners, painting, singing, sewing, designing her own dresses and hair styles to start as trends she may pass down her knowledge to her… Less fortunate peers … At the Royal Academy when she reaches the age of ten.. Her mother still stood at her Baptism ceremony so Georgine must be her mother. 

However, her mother would call her harspiel performance at her Baptism mediocre , her manners inferior to her mother’s own when her mother was her age, her singing out of tune and her designs? Ghastly . Detlinde was unsure what ghastly meant; however the fact that her mother ordered to never sing without the drowning sound of a harspeil or to make up her own designs, Detlinde knew Ghastly must have some negative connotations.   

All she wanted to do today was to play tea parties with her dolls! But she couldn’t because her mother fell down the stairs and died.

Detlinde watched Georgine’s body lay peacefully in her casket, her face etched with bruises and a deep red wound on her forehead, it had been a few hours since the funeral procession had started, her makeup had faded since, her cause of death showing glaringly red, for the entire world to see.

Detlinde looked lower, at the sword of Ewigeliebe sunken into her mother’s heart, it had been there ever since the beginning of the funeral, collecting the mana in her mother’s body.

“May Lady Georgine find peace in the Garden of Beginnings and be greeted by the Gods, with open arms.” The Head Priest took out the sword, Detlinde watched as the mana seemed to clump around the sword, the Head Priest removed the mana and shaped it into a feystone the size of his palm before it fully hardened.

And then. He took her away.

Detlinde knew she wouldn’t be allowed to go to the Archduke Conference in the coming Spring to see the Whirlers bid mother a final goodbye, so this was Detlinde’s time to give her final goodbye to her mother.

However, she couldn’t care less. Seeing the feystone being taken away for safe keepings, seeing the remaining husk that used to contain her mother’s feystone be burnt away. She felt an oddly freeing sensation bloom in her heart, like a flower design she would stitch onto her practice cloth which her mother would throw away and make to restart the process again.

It also made her feel angry, like she missed some sort of opportunity to show her mother how spectacular she could be, to show her mother that there were others out there who loved her dresses and hairstyles Detlinde loved to make and Georgine would hate so much. To show that people of Ahrensbach loved her enough to make her their Aub.

A missed opportunity.

Detlinde felt tears well up, it wasn’t fair! It just wasn’t fair! How dare mother die like this?! By falling down the stairs?! How dare she?! How dare she not stay and watch Detlinde flourish at the academy like she did with Wolfram and Alstede?! How dare she not be there when Detlinde would get First-in-Class and not congratulate her?

Sniff Sniff!

How dare mother not give her any good memories of them together so she could think back to those for comfort instead of grieving over a fantasy?

Detlinde poised herself and walked out with her attendants, the funeral was done, now she could finally go back to her tea party.

[deardjarin]

one hundred miles

oberyn martell x f!reader

oberyn comes home.

words: 732

rating: mature

a/n: i am reentering my game of thrones era.

⋆⭑✦⭑⋆

You find yourself walking the length of the Water Gardens whenever Oberyn is away.

Despite living amongst Oberyn’s family and the House’s many advisors, the palace feels empty without your husband. You despise waking up to an empty bed, only able to imagine the touch of your partner. Everything is too big—too grandiose—for just you. But you understand that it’s his duty, even though you wish it wasn’t.

The sun beats down on your skin as you stroll through the gardens. You don’t mind it, though, as the orange fabric of your dress is thin enough to relieve you of the heat. Occasionally, a slight breeze rustles the leaves of the towering palm trees.

You’re studying the colorful fish in one of the ponds when you hear light footsteps. One of the palace assistants, a young man who Oberyn is quite fond of, approaches you.

“My Lady?” He asks, a bit breathless. You smile, turning away from the shallow pond.

“Yes?”

“Prince Oberyn has given us orders to prepare a bath for you. His Highness wants you to soak for as long as you’d like, and-“ He hesitates, cheeks red from embarrassment. “He’d like you to forgo clothing for his arrival.

His request isn’t what surprises you: it’s his return.

“He’s coming home today?” You ask, taken aback.

“Yes, your highness. Prince Oberyn left King’s Landing a few weeks ago. He said you’d pull out your hair from waiting if we told you.”

You curse softly; your husband knows you too well.

“Thank you,” You tell the boy, dismissing him with a flick of the wrist.

Later, the heat of the bath is a welcome sensation, relaxing your tired body. Rose petals float atop the water, filling the room with a floral scent. You take your time washing each part of your body, massaging deep into your skin.

Suddenly, the double doors to your bedroom open.

You cover your bare chest with your hands, prepared to shoo the unwelcome visitor away. But, instead of a nosy guard, your dashing partner emerges from the hall.

“Oberyn?” You squeak in surprise, watching the doors swing closed behind him.

He smiles, and you’re sure it’s the happiest he’s been in weeks. He’s draped in the robe he always wears, adorned with intricate gold designs and tied at the waist. There’s a tension hanging in the air, thick like fog on an early spring day.

“Hello, my dear,” He greets, slowly crossing the length of the bedroom. You drop your arms back into the water, leaning against the edge of the basin.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be home so soon,” You tell him. “I actually had no idea when you’d be returning, because you never told me.”

Oberyn chuckles softly, avoiding your gaze by studying a bottle of wine from the year 285. He always keeps a bottle and two glasses on the vanity, which are perched on an ornate gold plate.

“I never know how long these trips will last,” He says, a bit defensively.

“I’m not mad at you, Oberyn,” You say softly. He meets your gaze, expression soft. “I know you were gone for a good reason. I will be mad, however, if I do not get a kiss in the next few moments.”

Your lover grins, approaching the side of your wash basin in a few wide strides. He lowers himself onto his knees in order to be face-to-face with you, as the wooden basin is quite low to the ground.

Oberyn Martell kneels for no one but you.

“My beautiful wife,” He murmurs, cupping your face in his large hands. His wedding band is cool against your warm cheek. “Oh, how I’ve missed you.”

Oberyn kisses you gently, relishing in the first contact you’ve had in weeks. You lean into the kiss, but refrain from grasping onto his hair. He nips at your bottom lip before pulling away, much to your disappointment. Silently, Oberyn undoes the tie around his waist, dropping his robe to the floor and leaving him in his sleeveless tunic. He reaches into the water, grasping your arm and pulling it to the surface. He lowers his lips to your wet skin, kissing down the length of your arm.

“Oberyn…” You say softly as he kisses your wrist, gazing up at you, his pupils wide.

“Dry off, my love,” He murmurs. “I am going to ravish you.”

[christinakratt]

@skiejustskie @alice-devil69

Requested by Skie

Mia and Me

Mo X Reader

Butterflies

Request Fic from Tumblr

Fandom: Mia and Me

You had been living in a small settlement of the west side of Centopia for as long as you could remember. You had never gone to the central kingdom. So it came as a surprise when you received an invitation to the butterfly festival that was being hosted at the royal palace. All of Centopia had been invited, and you were giddy with excitement. You had woven flowers into your hair and pulled on your most expensive top and started making your way to the Palace of King Raynor and Queen Mayla. You loved flying. It made you feel so free. Moments like these were why you loved living in Centopia. You landed in front of the castle, taking in all of its beauty. You were so distracted by your thoughts, that you didn’t realize there was someone in front of you, and you ran right into him.

“Oh!”

Came the voice from the other.

“Oh my! I'm so sorry!”

You apolgized.

“Hey, it's totally okay. I'm used to getting run into. My friend cannot fly for the life of her.”

He replied.

Cutting himself off from his own tangent, he looked up and finally got a proper view of your face. You noticed him stare for just a moment longer than usual.

“Oh sorry,”he said, rubbing their back of his neck, before stretching his hand out to shake yours.

“Mo.”

He introduced.

“Oh, Y/N”

You said.

Mo sighed. You could practically feel the stress emanating off of him.

“You okay?”

You asked.

“Yeah, i'm good. It’s just, i'm so tired of these parties, but i'm required to attend.”

He said shrugging.

“Tired of them? They seem so exciting! This is my first one!”

You replied, in disbelief.

Mo cracked a smile at your excitement, before a look of adventure spread across his face. He took your hand and nodded towards the palace.

“I have an idea, come with me.”

You followed him through the crowds of people, stopping when you arrived at an extravagant dessert table. Mo reached for a miniature cake shaped like a butterfly and placed it in your palm.

“Here, if this is your first party, you have to try some of the royal desserts. Trust me, the royal chef knows what she’s doing.”

You smiled, there was something about Mo that felt familiar, but you couldn’t place it. He was so sweet and his excitement after he began showing you around was so endearing.

You had finished three mini cakes when he lit up with another idea. He pulled you through the back door and into the palace garden. In the yard, there were rows and rows of every type of flower you could imagine. Some were glittery, some were reflecting a rainbow color and some held magical abilities. He bent down and picked up one of the rainbow colored lilies and handed it to you.

“Milady,”

He joked with a smile.

You gently took the flower, turning to hide a rosy blush that had spread across your face.

You took a deep breath in, taking in the beauty of the palace garden.

“PRINCE MO!”

Came a voice from beyond the door.

Mo turned to you.

“Come on, it’s time for the ceremony to start.”

You dashed back into the palace and were met with Mo’s royal hand maid, who looked a bit frazzled.

“Mo! Where have you been? Your parents were looking for you.”

“Sorry,”

He replied sheepishly. A deep blush crept over his face and he glanced at you.

“I got distracted.”

He stepped closer to you, instantly relaxing once your shoulders touched.

“The maid pulled the prince away.

“No time for that now. Come along.”

She pulled him up to the throne display where his parents were waiting.

“Ah Mo, dear. We were afraid you had gotten lost or something.”

Queen Mayla half joked to her son.

“Come and sit down, it’s time for the butterfly ceremony.”

King Raynor said, gesturing to the petite throne designated for the elf prince.

Mo sat down next to his father. His energy seeming to diminish, now that you weren’t with him.

The king and queen began addressing the guests and rambling on about the balance of nature, and welcoming spring. Mo rested his head in his palm and yawned. Just as he was about to doze off from boredom, the queen tapped on his shoulder.

“You ready, Mo?”

She asked, holding out a rope that was secured to a net.

Mo glanced at the net and realized there were hundreds of butterflies restrained beneath.

“Yeah one second, mother.”

Mo dashed off into the people-dense room to find you again.

“Y/N! Y/N! Where’d you run off too? Come here I want to show you something!”

He spotted you talking to a group of serpents. Likely the same race as Polytheus.

“Y/N!”

He shouted once more, stepping closer.

“Oh, excuse me guys.”

You said, politely excusing yourself from the conversation.

“Oh no bother, go ahead.”

The female serpent snickered when she saw the scarlet blush on Mo’s cheeks when you acknowledged him.

Mo took your hand and nodded politely to the serpents before pulling you up to the throne stand where the king and queen were still waiting impatiently.

Mo picked the rope back up and handed part of it to you.

“What are we-?”

You asked before he winked, cutting you off.

“You’ll see.”

On the count of three, you all lifted the rope up, raising the net and releasing the butterflies around the room. It was a truly magical sight.

“Wow!”

You exclaimed, twirling with delight, while the butterflies weaved between your outstretched arms.

“This is beautiful!”

“Yes they are. They remind me of you.”

The prince replied, with an uncharacteristic level of charisma.

Now it was your turn to blush.

The butterflies still danced around the room, golden dust shimmering off of their wings.

“Come on Y/N, the party isn’t over yet.”

And with that, the prince takes your hand again , interlacing fingers this time and pulls you back into the festivities.

(Hope Y’all enjoyed! I had fun writing this!)

[asirensrambles]

lost in your embrace

Flufftober Day 6: Sdv Alex/female farmer Corn Maze

Senna and Alex have a quiet moment together at Stardew Valley's first ever Spirit's Eve corn maze and bazaar.

@flufftober

Laughter and shrieks of glee echoed across the expansive field. Senna hadn't been able to wipe the proud smile of her face all day, to the point her cheeks hurt. Strong, warm arms wrapped around her middle as Alex rested his head on her shoulder. Senna was thrilled beyond belief that her husband's gridball team's bye week coincided with the week of the Spirit's Eve Festival. The days had been spent alternating between prepping the farm for its first ever corn maze and local bazaar, and enjoying each other's company.

During the season, Senna missed Alex terribly, but it made their springs and summers even sweeter. Farm work helped him stay in shape during the off season, and the extra income meant she could hire help for the busy fall harvest season. Besides, gridball wasn't something Alex could do indefinitely; one day they'd have the whole year together. Her husband pulled Senna out of her musings.

"Ever think something like this would happen when you first moved here?"

Senna chuckled, and shook her head. Sinking further against Alex, she brought her hands up and placed them on top of his. "I could barely imagine clearing enough space for a garden to keep me fed, let alone sell anything. Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine anything on this level." Knowing she couldn't reach his chin, Senna turned to press a kiss to the bicep next to her head, and squeezed Alex's hands. "I would never have thought of planting a corn maze without you."

The arms around her tightened ever so slightly. "I'd never thought of including a local bazaar to take advantage of the tourists for all the local businesses."

"Well it's a good thing we're a team, then," Senna said softly.

Behind her, Alex shuddered ever so slightly. Frowning, she twisted to look at her husband. To Senna's horror, tears were starting to make their way down his cheeks. "Oh, my love, what's wrong?"

Alex shook his head and gave her a watery smile. "Nothing's wrong, I'm just-" He took a deep breath, as Senna wrapped her arms around him. "Back when you first moved into the valley, then I never could've imagined my life would turn out this good. Didn't think it could ever turn out this good."

"Oh Alex," Senna whispered, raising a hand to wipe away his tears. Before she could, Alex caught it and pressed a kiss to her palm.

"Every day, I thank Yoba I met you."

Not trusting herself to speak, Senna raised up onto her tiptoes to kiss her husband. She tried to pour all the love and affection she felt for Alex into the kiss, hoping he could understand what she couldn't say. By the way he returned the kiss, she knew he did. They pulled apart, but Alex rested his forehead against hers.

"I love you, Senna Mulner."

"And I love you, Alex Mulner."

The moment was broken as Dusty came galloping up the stairs, Potato hot on his heels. The dogs stopped just shy of colliding with the couple, but it was a near thing. They burst out laughing, the weight of their exchange evaporating, light-hearted joy replacing it. The dogs gave a quick playful bow before racing back out into the fields, continuing whatever game they had going on. The conversation of a passing group pulled Senna's attention away from watching the dogs.

"It's impossible, there's no way to find the golden pumpkin!"

"Maybe it'll be easier next year? We'll just have to see what the design is."

Alex nudged her. "Next year huh?"

Looking out at the bustling farm, bazaar, and rustling corn maze, Senna couldn't help but beam. "Yeah, next year."