#sitting on top of the bookshelf by my windowsill staring out at the flowers under my window.

[milo-is-rambling]

Ah yes I'm feeling shitty already time to think about a house and a life i haven't lived in ten years

[minaslittleone]

The Sarahs as plant mums (AHS & Ratched)

Like many people I've become an avid plant mum over the course of the pandemic (much to the chagrin of those in my life who have to hear every time one of my babies sprouts a new leaf), which got me thinking - what kind of plant mum would each of the Sarahs be?

GIF: illuminated-blue

Billie-Dean Howard

Image: winterkindfotographie

Billie-Dean is much more partial to flowers than she is to caring for a whole plant. She is definitely the kind of person who always has fresh flowers in her home but also takes the time to trim and rearrange the bouquet as she places it in a vase, rather than merely unceremoniously compacting the existing arrangement into a vessel. She also definitely has a secret cut flower food recipe (passed down to her by the ghost of a Victorian housekeeper whom she met while filming a special of her show at a mansion in the UK) which keeps her cut flowers looking immaculate for a full week. If her schedule permits it, her favourite thing to do on a Sunday morning is to stroll the farmers markets and choose individual types of flowers and foliage to bring home and arrange herself from scratch. She finds the process of trimming each of the stems and finding the perfect position for each individual bloom incredibly cathartic.

Her favourite flowers are bright and cheerful. She is particularly drawn to things like tulips, gerberas and lillies, but finds softer more delicate blooms like carnations frustrating and overly dramatic, she definitely appreciates a bit of tenacity in her flowers. She also has no time for strongly scented blooms, and particularly despises the way roses seem to emit a sickly sweet odor after only a few days. Billie finds scents and perfumes in general to be quite cloying and overwhelming as smell is one of the ways she is often viscerally affected when she makes contact with ghosts. She unfortunately associates most strong smells with encounters and so sweet smelling blooms hold little appeal to her, she much prefers fresh neutral scents. The one exception is lavender which she does find soothing. After a particularly taxing week it is not uncommon for her usual bright cheerful blooms to be replaced by simple posies of lavender and rosemary as she recenters herself.

Lana Winters

Image: toms-cacti

Lana is undoubtedly a plant serial killer. Which is totally unsurprising since whenever she gets fixated on a new story she often forgets to feed herself, let alone feed and water her plants. That doesn't mean she doesn't appreciate them though. She loves the way little office plants bring life and vitality to her workspace, that is until they inevitably whither and die from lack of water, or from being burried under piles of paper but that doesn't stop her trying.

Eventually Lana discovers that she and succulents are well suited. It actually makes a lot of sense when she thinks about it - they're both a little prickly on the outside (but only to protect the softness underneath) and both are stubborn to a fault. Lana is particularly fond of the slightly larger cactus she keeps on her desk (which is incidentally the first plant she managed not to kill) and often finds herself talking to him to help work through the flow of her ideas or to overcome writer's block. Spike (as she creatively named him) really is a very good listener and a talented editor to boot.

Still there are times when Lana wishes she had a greener thumb and could expand her collection beyond succulents. As much as she loves Spike and his prickly friends, she really wishes they would grow just a bit quicker so she could experience that new leaf joy even just once. She completely dissuades herself of those feelings though when she returns from a week long book tour to find a weird bump on the top of Spike. Her first thought is that after all this time she's finally managed to kill him and that she really is as terrible a plant parent as she had feared. However, those fears completely dissolved the following morning when she returned to her office to find that Spike's bump had begun to open into the beginnings of a beautiful pink flower. For a minute she could only stare on disbelief, not quite comprehending what was going on however, that quickly gave way to a giddy childlike grin when she realised that she must be doing something right. That, and her little man really did look very cute with his flower top hat.

Cordelia Goode

Image: chickadeegreen

Cordelia doesn't just have a green thumb, she has ten green fingers. She absolutely adores plants and having living things around her, especially since the greenhouse has always been her place of peace and sanctuary. She finds it incredibly cathartic pottering around the greenhouse when she gets a few spare moments away from all her duties as supreme/headmistress/mother to a house full of girls. Most of the plants she keeps in the greenhouse are solely for practical/ medicinal purposes but she does keep a few plants in her room and office which she finds soothing. She is particularly fond of philodendrons and pothos with their easy going nature and relaxed growth pattern. She loves the way they seem to make themselves at home anywhere and every time she spots new leaves unfurling it makes her smile. She tries to make an effort to see the beauty in their imperfections and use them to remind herself that everything doesn't always have to be perfect.

Since her supremacy the plants in her personal spaces have thrived unlike anything anyone has ever seen, seemingly feeding off Cordelia's magical aura. Any time any of the plants in the greenhouse are waning she will take them to her office for a few days of rehabilitation after which they will always be positively bursting with life. It is not uncommon for her to find new additions appearing in her little infirmary if Mallory or Misty have noticed that a particular plant is in need of a little TLC.

The flip side to this is that any time Cordelia over taxes herself, while she may be an expert at schooling her features and hiding it from her girls, it will show in her plants. After too many late nights dealing with running the academy or too many days spent funneling all of her energy into everyone around her (and subsequently completely neglecting herself) the plants in her office (and room) will start to lose their vibrancy as well. The first victim is usually the heartleaf philodendron on Cordelia's office bookshelf (the first plant she allowed herself to bring into the space after ascending to the supremacy) which seems to be particularly attune to her moods, especially when it is feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy sapping her magic. Conversely it's the monstera deliciosa in the corner of her office that seems to be the first to wilt when its physical stress or exhaustion plaguing the supreme. Zoe now automatically takes stock of the plants in Cordelia's office every time she enters, knowing it's the only true indication she's likely to get that the supreme herself might be in need of some TLC.

Bette and Dot Tattler

Image: geopsych

Bette has always been drawn to flowers, she thinks they're terribly romantic. From bouquets of flowers from gentleman callers to sweet cottage gardens behind white picket fences, teeming with blooms of assorted colours, Bette thinks flowers are a beautiful symbol of normality. She desperately wants to have a garden or even a window box that she can tend to, however that particular desire is not entirely compatible with living in a trailer.

What she does have though is a small collection of African Violets sitting on their kitchen windowsill. They were a present from Jimmy after Bette's first performance singing in the freakshow. Though she might be completely tone deaf she is fiercely determined, so after months of practice she had finally managed to learn "dream a little dream of me" enough to hold the tune (with Dot gently humming it alongside her to keep her in pitch). A few days before Bette was due to perform Jimmy had quietly pressed a note into Dot's palm after dinner asking which type of flowers Bette preferred so that he could get her a bouquet for her first performance. Dot's heart warmed at that, seeing the man that she loved so tenderly care for her sister. Later that evening she had pressed a note back in reply that Bette loved anything pink, cheerful and romantic, however she also ached for flowers the she could keep beyond the length of time a bouquet would last. So maybe a flowering plant would be better. Jimmy of course bought both, handing Bette a beautiful posie of assorted pink coloured carnations along with a terracotta pot of African Violets. Bette had thrown her arm around Jimmy's neck and squeeled with excitement at the sight of her flowers while Dot had offered him the warmest, proudest smile as she mouthed "thank you" against the backdrop of her sister's excited ramblings.

Given how long Bette had pined for flowers and how excited she had been to receive them it is unsurprising that she is a devoted plant parent. She waters her flowers once a week like clockwork, adding water to a saucer underneath the pot and letting them drink the water up through their roots just like Paul had shown her. Apparently African Violets don't like to get their leaves wet. Bette would even go as far as to take her flowers out for some sun if she felt the conditions on their windowsill weren't right at their current campsite. Her little pot of flowers really did bring her so much joy.

Dot may not have shared her sister's passion for flowers (finding them mostly to be needless and frivolous) but in the end she was the one who responsible for the expansion of her sister's flower garden. When Paul had originally shown Bette how to care for her flowers he had also mentioned that they could be propagated which had fascinated Dot. The idea you could just take a leaf and it would grow roots and become a completely new plant was amazing to her. But convincing Bette to let her try it out for herself definitely proved to be battle. Bette certainly wasn't keen on allowing her sister to chop into her precious flowers while Dot couldn't see why her sister was being so protective, the little plant certainly had plenty of leaves to spare, especially if it could give a whole new plant. Unsurprisingly the disagreement escalated to a pair of very raised voices which is what ultimately drew Jimmy into the argument. After managing to calm down both sisters Jimmy revealed to Bette that the tiny pot plant had originally been her sister's idea because she knew how much she wanted to have flowers of her own. Dot confirmed that she does know how important the flowers are to Bette and that she would never want to hurt them, she was just excited at the possibility of being to make more of them for her sister and be able to give her the windowsill full of flowers that she had always dreamed of. Bette couldn't help but relent after that. A few months later and Dot has become quite the propagation expert, to the point where their windowsill is beggining to fill up with juvenile plants as well as fresh cuttings just beginning to take root. Bette smiles every time they catch her eye, not just at the beauty of the flowers that she spent so long pining for but also for how they symbolise her sister's love for her. While they may still bicker bitterly from time to time, Bette knows that no one will ever love her as much or as fiercely as her sister does. Dot still has no real interest in the flowers themselves. She does still find propagating rewarding, especially watching her little babies start to grow and flourish. But mostly she just enjoys watching the way they make her sister smile.

Sally McKenna

Image: jeremiahsplants

Sally is obsessed with carnivorous plants and you can't convince me otherwise. She definitely discovered them on Instagram and loves all the funny shapes and crazy colours that they come in. Sally would never be content with a plant that looks like a plant - no her plants need to look like vicious little aliens. The fact that they're natural born killers is also a nice little bonus. She loves how they subvert the natural order of things - insects should eat plants not the other way around.

When she first discovered plants online Sally got really upset that she'd never be able to go out and buy any of her own. It was Iris who mentioned that maybe she would be able to order some online - big mistake. Sally is nothing if not obsessive and her room now rivals Poison Ivy's lair with the number of plants she has crammed in there. The sheer number of babies in her collection doesn't mean that she neglects them though, no Sally is absolutely an A level obsessive plant mum - only the best for her babies. When she discovered that carnivorous plants prefer distilled water to tap water she started ordering it by the gallon, and as the best lit positions in her room started to fill up she definitely ordered grow lights so that none of her babies suffer. The grow lights also give off a slight purple glow which makes her room look like a rave which is absolutely a feature and not a bug.

Sally has also been known to go hunting for food for her babies, especially since her collection has grown and she worries there isn't enough to go around. Iris and Liz frequently find her collecting dead flies from window ledges to take back to her growing brood. She offers them to her babies with tweezers as a mother bird would to her chicks. The last time Iris had an exterminator spray the Cortez Sally accused her of trying to murder her babies with poison and absolutely ordered fruit flies online (intended for feeding pet reptiles rather than pet plants but meh) to keep her collection going until she could be absolutely sure that the offending toxins had dissipated.

It goes without saying that Sally has a separate plant Instagram account which she updates on nearly a daily basis with photos of new growth or just progress on her collection. She definitely has a great eye for plant photography and for making her babies come to life on the screen. One of her favourite things to do is film feeding videos with her largest Venus Flytrap "Fang" (who incidentally has his own Instagram account: @Fangstagram). Watching plants move so quickly will never get old to Sally and she has definitely been known to tease some of her smaller flytraps into snapping shut just for her enjoyment. She tries not tease them too much though, they are her babies after all.

Audrey Tindall

Image: savannahs-succulent-garden

Like Lana, Audrey is another serial plant killer, but for complete different reasons. Audrey, bless her, kills her plants with far too much kindness (and water). She so desperately wants a house full of the beautiful lush plants she sees all over Instagram so she tries her darnedest to be the best plant parent ever. Her problem is that every time she sees leaves starting to yellow or wilt she assumes it must be from lack of water (rather than the fact that their roots are already rotting from far too much).

Initially she fell into the trap of picking up plants she thought looked cute on Instagram or in the garden centre, without really knowing much about caring for them. Needless to say this didn't end well (multiple times). She thought she had cracked it when discovered the subset of house plants refered to as "hard to kill". Unfortunately, most of those plants are very resistant to neglect but not to Audrey's smothering type of plant parenting. Finally she discovered peace lillies which do actually like to have wet feet and appreciate all of her affection. She's slowly collecting other spathiphyllums in all shapes and sizes now that she's feels confident she's got the hang of them. She gets so excited every time one of them grows a new leaf or flowers - such a proud plant mum.

Now that she's growing a little more confident with at least a subset of house plants she will occasionally post photos to her Instagram. She's still pretty insecure about her plant parent abilities though and it doesn't help that she will occasionally get haters telling her she's doing it all completely wrong. She tries not to let them get to her but sometimes they really do get her down - all she wanted to do was share the joy that her plant babies bring her and she's doing her best to do right by them. After one particularly brutal bout of trolling it's actually Sally who defends her. Audrey has been following Sally's plantstagram since she first started getting interested in plants so the fact that Sally even acknowledged her kinda blows her mind. Sally tells people in no uncertain terms to back off Audrey or she will set her carnivorous babies on them. The two strike up a fast friendship after this and through Sally's guidance Audrey eventually begins to grow more confident as a plant mum. For her birthday Sally definitely sends Audrey her first baby Venus Flytrap with the absolute insistence that it be named "Audrey II".

Ally Mayfair-Richards

Image: swordsintheforest

Ally has never really seen the appeal of house plants nor does she have the time (or the headspace) to look after them. She does however have a fully stocked herb garden growing in window boxes in the kitchen to have everything within easy reach for cooking. She also loves the fresh clean smell of the basil and rosemary wafting through the house on the breeze if she leaves the windows open, particularly if it has rained. She may even admit that she's beginning to see the appeal of having the greenery around the place from an aesthetic standpoint as well.

Given how busy Ally is juggling being a senator, running a restaurant and being a single mum (plus whatever wink wink nudge nudge cult stuff she's up to on the side) it's not really surprising that it's Ozzie who's taken to caring for the herb garden most of the time. He's always been such an inquisitive kid and Ally loves watching the way his face lights up over simple things like flowers and new growth. Ozzie is particularly obsessed with propagation and there is always at least a handfull of his experiments on the windowsill. Whether it's an avocado seed he's trying to get to sprout or basil cuttings he's trying to root, he always has some new scheme in the works. Ally usually just smiles and ruffles his hair (so proud and glad that she has such an amazing and we'll rounded kid after everything that he's been through). As long as he leaves her enough basil to make pesto with, she's happy for him to play to his heart's content.

Wilhemina Venable

Image: leafyleafs

Plants have never been of any interest to Wilhemina, she considers them to be unnecessary sources of dirt and clutter. They serve no practical purpose so she has no time for them. At least until she becomes the somewhat unwilling recipient of one. As far as office secret Santa presents go, she supposes, the lilac coloured orchid is actually quite inoffensive. However she can't shake the feeling that it must have been bought for her as some kind of challenge, that someone at Kineros is secretly watching to see how quickly she will kill it because someone like the imperious Ms Venable is obviously incapable of the kindness or tenderness necessary to keep something as beautiful and delicate as an orchid. What she doesn't know is that it was actually from Mutt, because while he is usually too coked out of his mind to show it, he is actually quite fond of her. And he knows her well enough to know that she would never accept a gift from him directly so each Christmas he rigs the office Secret Santa to get her name so he can her something (and also partly because he doesn't trust some of the interns not to get her something crude on a dare given the anonymous nature of the gift). He also knows her well enough to realise that she would appreciate the elegant beauty (and obviously the colour) of the orchid but would never cede to the frivolity of buying something like it for herself.

Despite the good intentions of the gift, Wilhemina can not fathom the idea that it was genuinely meant for her enjoyment. Obviously someone is toying with her but she will not be beaten. Wilhemina Venable may not know the first thing about orchids but she will be damned if whoever gave her the wretched thing manages to get a laugh out of it at her expense. So she learns. Mina is nothing if not fiercely independent and resourceful so she scours the internet for information on orchid care and reads everything she can find. And of course she succeeds (because anything else would be unacceptable to her).

After six months her little orchid is still alive and thriving in her office and privately she would have to admit that she has grown quite attached to it. Compared to other plants she finds it to be quite neat and tidy, and there is something elegant and refined about its arching growth habit which she finds quite beautiful. Over the course of her research she has of course come across the tremendous variety of orchids available. She of course is drawn to all of the different tones of purple blooms but also finds herself unexpectedly drawn to some of the darker, more gothic varieties. She tries to tell herself that it is merely an aesthetic appreciation, that they hold no actual allure to her, but she keeps finding herself drawn back to them. She almost buys herself one on *so many* occasions but the idea of doing something so frivolous just for her own pleasure and enjoyment is so terrifying to her that she always chickens out. Eventually she caves though, buying an indigo coloured orchid on sale at the grocery store, abruptly rushing home with it before she can change her mind again. She spends the entire rest of the day second guessing the decision but the next morning when she opens her eyes to the delicate purple blooms tenderly placed on her night stand she can't help the gentle smile it brings to her face or the warmth that settles in her chest.

After that her collection slowly grows. She still struggles with buying things for herself simply for pleasure but she is getting better, and the sick guilty feeling in the pit of her stomach seems to appear less and less each time she does it. So her collection of orchids grows, mostly including those with particularly dark blooms or interesting and unusual shapes (though there are definitely a couple of lilac and lavender coloured blooms in there as well). She also begins to expand to other dark leaved plants as well, like certain begonias and definitely a ZZ raven. Like with the orchids, all of her new acquisitions are thoroughly researched and she is determined to succeed in their care.

Mutt will sometimes catch her glance fondly at her little desk orchid as he passes her office. He is genuinely glad to have given her something that seems to bring her such contentment. If only he knew the true extent of the gift he had given her.

Mildred Ratched

Image: bidoctor

Mildred has no idea about plants of any kind. Or at least she didn't before Gwen. Her childhood certainly wasn't filled with simple pleasures like planting flowers or playing in a vegetable patch, and any indoor plants or flower arrangements were merely things she was forbidden to touch and harshly punished if she damaged. So inevitably these things inspired a far greater degree of anxiety and tension in Mildred than they did joy or contentment.

But Gwen loves gardening. She had memories as a young child of helping her father in their backyard, returning of an evening covered in mud, much to her mother's dismay. Gwen's strong nurturing nature made her a very capable gardener and she derived a great sense of contentment from it. On some level Mildred wished she could help Gwen as she pottered through their garden of a weekend but she wouldn't have a clue where to start. In fact, the nasty voice in Mildred's head whispered, she would be so much better off without you, you'll just ruin everything, you're far too useless to be of any help. So as Gwen worked Mildred would watch, pretending to pay attention to her novel but really trying to find the pattern and reason to Gwen's actions so that maybe, someday, she wouldn't be quite so useless.

Mildred did, however, enjoy accompanying Gwen to the nursery when she went to collect supplies for their garden. Mildred may not have the faintest idea what any of the plants were called or how to care for them but she did find it peaceful to walk through the rows upon rows of different shades of green. She was continually fascinated by how many different shapes, sizes and colours they seemed to come in. Sometimes Gwen would catch her staring curiously at a particular plant but Mildred would always decline when Gwen offered that they could take it home with them.

One particular Saturday in spring Gwen found Mildred tenderly righting a small yellow marigold which had been knocked over by other nursery-goers as they riffled through the display to choose the brightest and most beautiful blooms. The poor little plant was somewhat lopsided and some of its leaves were slightly crushed from where it had lain, still there were the beginnings of golden yellow petals starting to peak from within the confines of its buds. Gwen watched as Mildred delicately unkinked the worst of the damaged leaves, fingers ghosting over the flowers that had yet to bloom. This time when Gwen suggested that they take the battered little plant home with them Mildred suddenly became very interested in a thread dangling from the cuff of her blouse as she muttered "Wouldn't it be easier to just choose one that isn't crushed? One without so much damage?". Gwen gently reached out, linking her pinkie with Mildred's, cursing that anything more would have been unacceptable in public. She gently squeezed Mildred's slender finger in her own until her gaze lifted to meet Gwendolyn's. "Never" she breathed. "The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all". She felt her throat tighten and eyes begin to burn as she watched Mildred's eyes begin to glisten and that *damn* dimple on her chin begin to quiver. "I wouldn't have the faintest idea of how to look after it", Mildred's gaze dropping again to the poor bruised little plant. Gwen squeezed their intertwined fingers once more, coaxing Mildred's eyes to meet her own. "I can show you, if you'd like?" Mildred's teeth began to worry her bottom lip as she considered. "What if I can't? What if I kill it?" "Sweetheart, you won't and I'll be there with you every step of the way. We can do it together." Mildred seemed to consider this offer, turning back to gaze tenderly at their little friend, before meeting Gwen's eyes. "Ok" she murmured, "together".

After that, every time Mildred and Gwen returned to the nursery Mildred would inevitably leave with a battered looking plant that she was determined to rehabilitate. Gwen, true to her word, patiently guided Mildred through the basics of plant care and Mildred, unsurprisingly, quickly became very proficient. Her tiny, dextrous fingers, used to dealing with needles and surgical instruments, were incredibly adept at staking and repositioning bent and battered plants as she helped them to heal. Soon enough, one end of their porch became entirely dedicated to Mildred's patients, so much so that Gwen began affectionately referring to it as Mildred's ward. And in spite of her initial fears Mildred had become quite the proficient gardener, with her little rag-tag bunch of plants, all twisted and pointing in slightly odd directions, forming the most beautiful and beloved garden Gwendolyn had ever seen.

[hyungbean]

Little Blood Singer | Jasper Hale x Reader

Request: Hi could you please do a jasper hale x reader, where shes his blood singer and he like had to be pinned down and dragged away from her by the other cullens, but she doesn't really know about it and she then she meets him and they fall in love, sorry if that was confusing, btw your an amazing writer xx

Genre: Fluff

A/N: this made me super happy :)) I love getting into my Jasper feels at 12 in the morning. I don’t know if I followed the request exactly but I hope you like it ! :)

[REQUESTS ARE OPEN!]

Jasper was quite possibly losing his god damn mind. His family stared warily and worriedely at the blonde, his tight grip on the lunch table making his knuckles color an impossibly brighter white.

“Uh J? You okay?” Emmett asked, leaning to touch his shoulder. Jasper exhaled through his nose, nodding stiffly trying to focus on anything except the intoxicating scent of your blood wafting through the air. It was no secret to the Cullens that he had a hard time resisting the urge for human blood, even after a handful of months into his vegetarian transition.

To add the cherry on top, they had figured out that you were his blood-singer. Your irresistible scent dancing around Jasper’s nostrils, egging him to sink his teeth into the smooth skin of your neck.

“Let’s get out of here yeah?” Alice asked gently, tugging at his arm and nodding to her siblings. They all get up and tensely strut out of the cafeteria, aware of the curious looks they were getting.

God, was he going to be forced to evacuate every time you took a step on his direction?

Jasper felt like he was going insane. Over the past few months he had managed to tame his craving so he didn’t feel the need to go on a rampage every time you walked into the room. Only now things were made much more difficult as Rosalie had befriended you and she had announced to the family of your visit on very short notice, the doorbell ringing only seconds after she finished her sentence.

They all looked at Jasper in worry, but he just shook it off, nodding at Rosalie. Jasper was tired of having to walk around eggshells when you were around, he desperately needed to grasp for control again. Although he didn’t show it, he was freaking out inside and he hoped that he could control himself.

The scent sent him into pure bliss and hunger, feeling his throat clamp up as he found his eyes wandering towards your relaxed figure on the Cullen’s couch. You sat next to Rosalie, painting your nails and droning on about something that had happened in one of your classes.

The Cullens decided to stick around as they were afraid that Jasper would lose control, knowing that Rosalie alone wouldn’t be able to apprehend him. Jasper was proud of himself, he was doing quite well until you picked up a magazine, fanning your hands to try and dry your nails.

Your hair blew back and Jasper caught your sweet scent again. It was a mixture of honey and fresh blueberry pancakes. It was odd to say the least but nonetheless, it felt like a drug to him. He tensed up, mind wandering and pondering how amazing your blood would taste, licking his lips hungrily.

Edward, being able to read his thoughts, instantly shot forward grabbing Jasper’s arm as Carlisle hurriedly did the same. Jasper struggled, trying to get closer to you, pulling against Carlisle and Edward’s strong grips.

“Jasper. Control yourself.” Carlisle whispered into his ear, dragging him towards the front door with Edward’s help. Jasper gulped, nodding hesitantly and trying to clear his head, fresh air soon filling his nostrils.

You turned towards the kitchen where the Cullens had once been, only seeing that it was empty. Furrowing your eyebrows you turn back to Rosalie, “where did your family go?”

Rosalie looks up, trying to feign confusion, “oh I don’t know. Maybe they went outside?” The blonde was glad that her family had been able to detain Jasper as she wasn’t keen of having her new friend become a snack.

“Weird. Well my polish is dried- let’s watch a movie! I haven’t finished Mean Girls yet.”

Inhaling deeply, Jasper twiddled with his fingers.

“Are you absolutely sure you can handle this?” Carlisle asked cautiously, eyeing the boy for any sign of doubt.

“Yes. I have to learn how to control myself.”

The pair were standing under your bedroom window, it was nearly 1 am and Jasper had decided that he needed to stay with you while you slept to try and get used to the smell of your blood.

At first his family was reluctant with the idea, but Edward had been proof that this tactic was sufficient enough to gain control, so they agreed.

Carlisle would be standing outside just in case, trying his hardest to show his son that he had to some degree, trust in him.

Jasper jumped up, grabbing the edges of your windowsill, hauling himself up through the small opening, his back lifting the window up higher so his whole body could fit through.

Once Jasper was inside, he looked around to see your minimalistic room and your sleeping figure curled up in your bed. Gulping he sat on your desk chair, inhaling your scent which had grown much more powerful. He threw his head. back and tried hard to fight against his vampire instincts that told him to feed on you.

After a while, your blood didn’t seem to affect him as much and he quietly got up, walking to your bedside. Taking in your beauty, he sighed before pressing a kiss to your forehead, heading towards your window again.

He jumped down and swiftly ran into the darkness towards a grinning Carlisle, leaving no trace of his presence for you to find the next morning.

This went on for a week or two and he found that he was much more comfortable around you now, being able to stand next to you without any urge to bite you. And with that he had tried to talk to you more often.

The Cullens were thoroughly impressed at the accomplishment, and they could see how Jasper grew to like you more and more with every visit.

You came by the Cullen’s place more often now and you wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but it was because Jasper had recently started talking to you and smiling at you in the hallways and in class. It made your heart flutter and it filled you with absolute joy. Before he couldn’t even look in your direction and you had tried hard to bury the pang of sadness you felt in your chest, but now things were different.

“Favorite flower?”

“Easy. Heliotropes.” You answer smiling at the confused look on Jasper’s face.

You both were currently hanging upside down on the living room couch of the Cullen resident, getting to know each other better.

“And why is that?”

You sit up, the blood rushing down your head making you a little dizzy.

“Because it represents eternal love. It doesn’t have to be love you hold for a significant other, it could be love for family or friends. I don’t know... the idea of eternal love is important to me I guess. Loving someone forever... an unspoken bond of loyalty, its comforting. Plus they’re pretty poisonous and it kind of ironic how the symbol of everlasting love can send you into liver failure. ” You grin at the smiling blonde missing how his eyes were gleaming at you. 

Inside he was practically going to drop dead again at how adorable he thought you were but on the outside he tried to remain composed, shaking his head, “you’re such a dork.”

“Whatever. Now, riddle me this Jasper, how is it that you know so much about American history? Like seriously I’m impressed, I know you’re not learning it from Mr.Brown. He could care less about what was spewing out is his mouth.”

Jasper quirks his lips up, sitting up and facing you, “I don’t know. It’s just interesting to me and plus I have a lot of time to spare.” He answer honestly.

“Impressive Hale. I know that if I had as much spare time as you, I wouldn’t spend it reading up on the nation’s history.”

“Oh? And what would you do then darling?” Your face heats up at the term of endearment, looking away from his face.

“I would probably spend it watching movies or taking late night drives..I don’t know.” Your voice softens as you daydream about how peaceful a drive under the stars would be, the cold wind rustling through your hair.

Jasper gazes at you in admiration and affection, licking his lips absentmindedly. He was absolutely positively enamoured with you, any fool could see it from a mile away.

The next time you saw Jasper, you were getting ready for bed, catching up on some homework. Your parents had already gone to bed a few hours earlier so you were left alone in the dark house. As you tuck your text books into your bookshelf, you heard light taps ring in your small room. Tensing you quickly turn looking around your room for your baseball bat. 

You hear the tap again and you realize it’s coming from your window. Cautiously, you approach the window, peering down to see a familiar mop of wavy blonde locks and golden eyes. Your heart flutters and you find yourself smiling, pushing up your window.

“Jasper? What are you doing here at this hour?” You whisper-yelled as he smirked up at you, holding something behind his back.

“Put on a jacket darling and come down, we’re going on a little night drive.” He beams up at you, eyes never leaving yours as your smile impossibly grows wider.

Nodding, you hurry to your drawer, pulling on your plain navy blue sweater, not bothering to change out of your sweats. You grab your phone and keys and tiptoe down the stairs, quietly unlocking the door and stepping out. After locking up you turn to be met with the sight of a chest a few inches from your face.

“Hey darling.” You look up and see Jasper’s golden eyes looking down at you brightly.

“Hey Jas.” You manage to whisper out, smiling up at the much taller boy. He seems to realize something, pulling out a small bouquet of daisies.

“Alice and Rosalie helped me find these because I didn’t know what kind to get you.” Jasper says, rubbing his neck sheepishly as you hug the bouquet to your chest.

You beam up at him, as his stomach lurches a surge of happiness spreading through every vein in his body. Pulling him into a hug, you inhale his scent and whisper a small thank-you.

You had both gotten closer in the recent weeks and you were pretty sure that he reciprocated your feelings.

“Now.. how about a little midnight adventure?” You ask expectantly, spotting his car in your driveway. He nods, trying to walk ahead of you to lead you to the passenger seat. Before he can your arm shoots out and you grasp his hand in yours.

He tenses a little but relaxes almost immediately, looking back at you in confusion, although he wasn’t going to protest. Leaning up you kiss his cheek, smiling bashfully.

“Uh..thank you Jas. For all of this.” He smiles down at you, holding your cheek and pecking your lips.

“Trust me darling, I should be the one thanking you. I haven’t felt this happy in a long time. And I was also wondering if you’d like to catch a movie next Saturday? I can pick you up..” He said bashfully, intertwining your fingers.

“I’d love to hon.”

And as your heart skipped a beat, you were absolutely positively sure that you were in love with Jasper Hale.

[reitziluz]

overgrown with fondness

prompt image [here] on ao3 [here] 

Serizawa’s apartment was barely bigger than his old room had been. There were two windows, a narrow one in the kitchen corner, and a bigger one facing the wall of the neigboring building. He had a futon, a table, and a bookshelf – not much else, because he feared that clutter would just gather into piles of trash.

However, on the windowsill, in a small baby blue pot, he had a twiggy houseplant. He hadn’t planned on getting one – even a pet rock felt like too much responsibility when it took his everything to just keep himself going forward. However, he had visited Minegishi’s new workplace, a cozy little flower shop, in an effort to keep in contact – their current relationship was friendlier than it had been ever before, and it was nice to have someone who understood without him having to try and put all the complicated feelings into words – and they had been picking out dead leaves from the little plant. They had told him how they found it abandoned next to a pile of trash bags waiting to be picked up, told how it was a finicky plant so no wonder it was near dead. Two of the four branches had rotted, but one of them had tiny pale-green new leaves stubbornly curling out.

Before he had realized it, he had been sitting in the bus to home, the pot in his lap, and instructions written on a notebook page.

Minegishi had kept the plant alive with their power, but when even more of it dried dark brown, Serizawa was loath to ask for their help. His window should have enough light, he was watering it properly, he had even gotten fertilizer and a little spray bottle to mist the plant with! Clearly he just wasn’t meant to be taking care of living things.

The disappointment followed him to work, and with a dark cloud over his head, he watched Reigen water the plants in the office. He had denied liking gardening, citing that he had gotten into a mood to start a new project and gotten too deep into it, and now it would be a waste to get rid of them, so he had to keep going. He had found that Reigen often dismissed his talents and kindness like that, despite having a boastful front. Sometimes Serizawa wondered if he would have ever noticed that, if he hadn’t first seen Reigen trying to protect Shigeo-kun from the president.

“Hey now, it’s unprofessional to zone out like that,” Reigen said as he sauntered over, “Joking, joking, it’s okay – it’s a quiet day, eh? What do you say, let’s have a coffee break, maybe that’ll wake us both up.”

“Sure,” Serizawa said, leaning back and rubbing his eyes and slapping his cheeks to get himself to focus. Reigen leaned over his desk and spied on his screen.

“What, I thought you had tired your brain out with math again – thinking about getting a gardenia, huh?”

Serizawa shut the laptop, shaking his head.

“I… have one already. It’s just dying.”

“Oh.”

The coffee was a little bitter, but Serizawa sipped it steadily. It had become a habit to sit down on the couches for coffee – or tea, in Reigen’s case – like it had become habit to eat lunch together, and for Reigen to help him with homework and cramming. He was working hard to be a proper adult, but kept finding himself depending on Reigen – and feeling like he shouldn’t, he tried not to ask him for help.

“… you know, I could come over and take a look on your gardenia.”

He had said it breezily, like it was nothing at all, just an idle idea among many others. What it turned out to be was a first, awkward visit at his place, and then several trips to different flower shops – and then dinner at his apartment almost every other day, and hell, as he was already there, might as well help him with school, it wasn’t like he had anything else to do.

What Serizawa found out was that Reigen smoked too much, ate too little, and slept badly. He was a messy eater who would scarf down almost anything, but didn’t always remember to sit down to eat, and didn’t know how to cook anything that wasn’t cup noodles. Serizawa didn’t either, but he found himself learning, if just to pay back a little bit for the help.

When months had passed and he found himself sitting next to Reigen, watching the tenth episode of the trashy giant robot series on a Sunday, he realized it didn’t have anything to do with the gardenia, anymore. For the rest of the night, his palms were sweating and his fingers kept twitching, so close to Reigen’s hand, yet so far.

“Happy birthday!” Reigen bellowed as he stepped in, and thrust a new plant in Serizawa’s hands. It was a tall and robust lavender bush, in an earthen pot with a bow tied around it.

“I heard lavender’s calming, and you had talked about wanting to get something for the other window. It would do great in the sun there, it’s – Is something wrong, Katsuya?”

He cried too easily. Holding the pot carefully in one hand, he wrapped an arm around Reigen and pulled him to a hug.

“It’s – it’s been a while since I got any birthday presents, is all,” he choked out. “Thank you.”

Reigen tensed up, and he started to pull away, embarrassed about imposing himself on him -but then Reigen hugged him back with a little laugh.

“Don’t make me cry too, I just wanted to get you something as thanks for all you’ve done.”

“What?”

“You know, I… I never had much in my life, when it comes to, um, close connections. And you let me come over again and again even after you didn’t need help with the gardenia. I’m thankful for that.”

Serizawa had to float the lavender to his table to free up a hand for wiping his eyes. He looked at Reigen, who was staring at his shoes, his face hidden under his fringe but his ears bright red.

“No… I’m the one who couldn’t even keep a single plant alive on my own,” he denied it, trying not to fixate on close connections even though the ring of that made him feel like floating. Instead he turned to point at the gardenia.

“See, it’s –“

There were a few dead leaves curled up on top of the soil, but the remaining stalks had short but stubborn growth on them, brilliant dark green leaves that stretched outside the pot. And in one of them, a white bud was halfway unfurling – something he hadn’t noticed before, despite going through the motions of taking care of it every day.

Speechless, Serizawa turned back to Reigen, who was now watching him with a gentle smile, so unlike his customer service smiles and cynical grins it was like another flower blooming in the room.

“How I see it, you seem to have a knack for making things thrive,” he said with a small bashful shrug, and Serizawa was struck by how there were no shadows under his eyes, how his cheeks were less gaunt than he had first seen them.

“… maybe I do,” he murmured, surprised to realize that he believed his own words.

Later, when he could hold Reiged’s hand as they watched their shows easy as breathing, they sat on his futon, kissing sweetly. The gardenia was in full bloom, its sweet scent heavy in the air, and another bud slowly growing next to it.

[twelve-eighty-eight]

Sleep

1,681w;  Trigger warning.

Somewhere in the distance where the trees are hidden behind others, Kyungsoo thinks he can hear the sound of children’s laughter echoing from beyond the forest. Somewhere behind him, where he stands looking down at the sleeve of his shirt, Kyungsoo thinks he can hear the sound of someone approaching him. Somewhere in the distance above him where the sky is of a faded blue, Kyungsoo believes he can listen to the calm wind howling. Though there are no clouds to be seen, Kyungsoo feels a gentle breeze caress the exposed skin on his face, neck, and hands. Being lonely does things to you. It makes Kyungsoo hear things that are not really there; and although he would have wished that those sounds were real, Kyungsoo is okay with how things are.

Despite walking through the dense forest during the day when the blazing sun is high in the sky already at its peak, Kyungsoo likes to hum a song under his breath and pretend that someone is beside him keeping him company. Despite being the youngest of three children, Kyungsoo feels like he has always been alone. He feels like the family’s outcast, the one kids would stay away from. Despite being the only one who never says a word, Kyungsoo is the only gentle one around.

Back home in the small attic where he stays in, there is a little window in the shape of a birdhouse. Back home in the corner of his room stands a tall bronze cage for a bird but oh no, no bird is residing inside. Back home, Kyungsoo enjoys sitting on his twin-sized bed to look at the corner of his room where he claims someone is sitting on the little swing inside of the cage. Back home in the small bathroom attached to his bedroom, Kyungsoo likes to soak in the ivory-colored bathtub where he knows his parents will soon come up to find him; possibly punish him as well for ignoring their calls.

Kyungsoo doesn’t do it on purpose, though. He says he doesn’t know what is and what isn’t real. Therefore, he lets the voices sweep over his head to see if and when someone rushes up the creaky stairs to get to him, then he will know they are in fact, very real.

-

He has a friend that likes to visit him at night when everyone in the house is asleep. The person says they come from heaven, but the entity has pitch black eyes and a sadistic smirk. Kyungsoo doesn’t think they are friendly. He has a friend that likes to visit him at night when everyone in the house is asleep. This friend of his likes to sit still on the windowsill like a black crow sitting on top of an old tombstone. This friend of his likes to stare at him while he sleeps.

Jongin is his name. Jongin is nice. Jongin is his only friend. Jongin accepts him for who he is.

-

Being outside wandering through the gardens filled with dehydrated flowers, Kyungsoo likes to think someone is following him around. Being outside getting lost in a maze of brown hedges, Kyungsoo likes to believe that the figure standing behind the dirty window is Jongin coming back to say hello. Being outside stepping on the bumpy ground, Kyungsoo likes to think he’s jumping on a bed except that there are teddy bears and books under his bed and not dry bones and old clothes.

-

Inside the living room, where an old polished piano sitting beside a crumbling bookshelf, Kyungsoo likes to sit on the bench and play. Inside the living room where an old abandoned piano sits beside a crumbling bookshelf, Kyungsoo loves to sing for his friends. Inside of the living room, eight pairs of eyes stare blankly at the boy playing a sad tune but they don’t move.

How can they when they are made of porcelain?

-

Somewhere in the distance where the trees are hidden behind others, Kyungsoo thinks he can hear the sound of children’s laughter echoing beyond the forest. Somewhere behind him, where he stands looking down at the sleeve of his shirt, Kyungsoo thinks he can hear the sound of someone approaching him.

“What are you doing outside of your bedroom?” A soft voice asks from somewhere behind him.

Kyungsoo shrugs his shoulders. A grin forms on his lips as he continues to play with the sleeve of his shirt. “How did you know I wasn’t inside?”

The figure behind him steps closer but keeps their distance. “I saw you leave the house from the window in my room.”

Kyungsoo turns around to face the voice. “Did you come here to take me back?” The figure shakes his head, smiling. “No,” he answers and then says, “I want to play with you inside the forest.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes to look in the direction of the dense forest where he can hear the sound of children giggling. “Mother says it’s not safe.”

“Who cares what mother says? She’s dead, remember? You killed her, Kyungsoo.” “Oh,” Kyungsoo voices, smirking when he remembers. “Sure, we can go to the forest, but you should lead the way.”

The boy chuckles, shaking his head as he smirks. “Why, are you afraid of the dark?”

“No,” Kyungsoo answers, “if you die then I will live.”

The boy furrows his eyebrows in disbelief. “That doesn’t seem to be fair at all, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo places his small hand behind the boy’s back to push him forward. “Nothing is fair, Jongin, so just start walking already.”

Surrounded by green, faded oranges, and burning crimsons, Kyungsoo likes to think that it’s Autumn when it’s already nearing December. Surrounded by green, browns, and dark velvet, Kyungsoo likes to imagine how cute Jongin would look with his hair a dark shade of rusted red. Old blood is how he wants to call it.

Maybe having Jongin as a leader isn’t such a good idea, after all, Kyungsoo thinks. Maybe having Jongin walk first into the dark forest seems to be dangerous, Kyungsoo believes. Perhaps he should have gone first. Maybe he should have gone in with Jongin instead.

Maybe, but why isn’t Jongin coming out?

-

Lying in bed with the sheets stained with red, Kyungsoo likes to think that the tears he shed were only because of the dread sitting comfortably in his stomach. Lying in bed with the sheets stained with red, Kyungsoo likes to think why they are staring at him like that. Lying in bed with the sheets stained with red, Kyungsoo likes to guess who is sitting in the corner of his room.

-

Sitting on the black couch right next to the fireplace, Kyungsoo thinks he sees the pieces of wood coming to life. Sitting on the black couch right next to the stove, Kyungsoo believes he hears the fire crackling. Sitting on the black couch right next to the fireplace, Kyungsoo likes to think who is descending the spiral staircase. Kyungsoo likes to guess who is the person standing near the doorway whispering sweetly to him.

Could it be Jongin?

- 

Computers help one communicate with friends and family but what if they were surrounding Kyungsoo day and night? What if they sat in the living room, in the kitchen, the dining room, bedroom, bathrooms, every corner just watching him? Kyungsoo likes to think they do it to irk him. Kyungsoo can often hear them whispering among themselves.

Kyungsoo likes to think they do it for attention.

-

A mirror on the wall shows a boy dressed in a long-sleeved shirt with a pair of tight-fitting slacks, socks, and a couple of fancy shoes. He continues to play with the sleeve while listening to the sounds of footsteps approaching him. A mirror on the wall shows a boy dressed in a long-sleeved shirt but the boy weeps yet he still plays with the sleeve of his shirt.

“Why are you crying?” A soft voice asks from somewhere behind him.

The boy shakes his head, tufts of brown hair hiding pale, tear-stained cheeks. “My wrist itches.”

“So?” The voice answers with annoyance, “just scratch it.”

“It will bleed if I do,” the boy whimpers.

“Who cares, maybe then you can join everyone else outside.”

-

Dressed in green, dressed in blue, covered in gray, worn in brown, Kyungsoo likes to think he will drown.

Dressed in gray, dressed in black, Jongin likes to think when will he come back.

Dressed in all black, Kyungsoo likes to think that standing in front of his parents’ grave with a small smile while holding a bouquet of dry flowers he collected from his garden, that this is okay. Dressed in all black, Kyungsoo likes to think that when he steps on the bumpy ground, the dead bodies underneath will not mind. Dressed in all black, Kyungsoo likes to believe that the figure standing behind the dirty window has finally come back from the forest.

Kyungsoo likes to think Jongin is waving to him.

Kyungsoo thinks Jongin is approaching him.

But Jongin is not there.

No, then, where is he?

Do you know?

Because Kyungsoo does not.

-

Lying in bed with the sheets stained with red, Kyungsoo likes to think that the tears he shed were only because of the dread sitting comfortably in his stomach. Lying in bed with the sheets stained with red, Kyungsoo likes to think why Jongin is staring at him like that. Lying in bed with the sheets stained with red, Kyungsoo likes to guess who is sitting in the corner of his room.

Lying in bed with the sheets stained with red, Kyungsoo wonders why Jongin isn’t moving.

Lying in bed with the sleeve of his shirt stained red, Kyungsoo wonders why the house feels so empty.

Lying in bed with little oxygen in his lungs, Kyungsoo wonders why four corpses are sitting in the living room.

Lying in bed with his life draining from his eyes, Kyungsoo wonders who is hovering over him as he takes his last breath.