#the house of flowers spoilers

[gingerpines]

early Watching and Dreaming concept design for Luz <3

[xdraonarts]

don't really have a whole prompt week worth of images in me this month, but i did wanna toss my hat into the emperor appreciation week going on rn (check out @theemperorweek if you want more of this squit from other artists/writers/creators) so im tossing flowers at it

[justalittlebluetiefling]

Was I hoping BioWare would sponsor en ep for Veilguard? Yes. Did I think they’d look like this and Sam would do what he did? Absolutely not lmao

Sam cannot be caged.

[asha-mage]

Edelgard and Byleth / mercy

[Send me a fandom, character, or pairing and a one word prompt and I'll write a quick drabble for you!]

When Edelgard rode into the camp she found a gibbet had been raised in the center.

Two bodies hung from it, and had been hanging long enough that crows had begun to perch nearby and a faint smell was wafting towards her with the wind. She could recognize them as Imperial soldiers from their uniforms, and from the way the other soldiers pointedly avoided looking at the gibbet, their eyes sliding past their dead comrades, it was clear something had happened.

For a moment Edelgard just considered leaving the matter be. She was only passing through, checking on Byleth’s campaign to subdue the Alliance holdouts before continuing on to Derdriu for a summit with what remained of the Roundtable. She trusted Byleth, but more importantly she trusted his judgement- which was a rare thing for her. There were many people who would walk shoulder to shoulder into battle with. There were precious few she could  hand an Imperial writ to and not worry that they would make a mess of things. If Byleth was hanging people, she trusted that he had good cause.

But, she was not just a sister or a friend or a student. She was an Emperor. Maybe she was more an Emperor these days than anything else. If executions were being carried out in her name, then she had a duty to make sure they were just.

Dismounting she tossed her reins to one of the attendants and gave brisk orders for the mounts to be fed and curried, then marched off to find the command tent. She had not arrived in style and pomp- she preferred to go without that when she could since it let her see more of Fodlan as it truly was instead of the face her subjects would wish their Emperor to see- so no one was there to greet and squire her about. Most of the soldiers probably didn’t even recognize her as anything but another noble, or maybe an imperial official, given her well made but not particularly fine coat and britches. 

She didn’t need a guide though. Byleth always set up his camps in the same way, and locating his command tent was easy as finding her old classroom in the Monastery would have been.

Byleth’s personal guards- one and all former mercenaries that had served under Jeralt before joining the Empire with Byleth- did recognize her, and stood up straighter as she passed, not bothering to challenge her approach. That wasn’t because she was Emperor- the guards would have demanded the Goddess herself halt and explain her business with General Eisner. Edelgard was just on the short list of five people who Byleth had given standing orders to be allowed through no matter what.

She found him at his writing desk, scratching away at something while occasionally looking up to check the map spread out before him. It showed the region and tiny flags marked what she suspected were hold out lords. Fewer than she had expected- which meant Byleth had been more efficient then she or Hubert had hoped. That would strengthen her hand in Derdriu significantly.

“You're missing Lady Lur.” Edelgard said, pulling up a chair beside Byleth to peer more closely at the map.

“Lady Lur swore fealty two weeks ago.” Byleth said without looking up from his letter. He gave no show of surprise at her presence, even though she hadn’t sent word ahead she would be dropping in on him. She doubted anything had ever surprised Byleth.

“Really? I was under the impression she was an ideologue. Not a opportunist.” Edelgard had expected that Lur would rather go to the headsmen then bend the knee- which was frustrating since it would mean bad blood with her son, who was popular with the common folk and would make a good resource in the region if he could be turned.

“She was.” Byleth agreed, glancing up at the map again then back down at his letter. “Then she got word that her son had become our ‘guest’ at the Monastery. She was willing to give her own life for the cause- her son’s less so.”

Edelgard nodded thoughtfully. “How did you manage that?”

“The boy challenged me to a duel to the death for his mother’s honor.” Byleth said simply. “I spared him and shipped him to Gareg Mhach- where he’ll remain until we can be sure his mother isn’t a threat.”

“So snot nosed noble brats get your mercy, but soldiers of the Empire do not?” Edelgard asked, making her voice sharp. Byleth looked up at her, and blinked in confusion.

“What? Oh.” He sighed, setting his quill aside as it dawned on him. “The scouts.”

Edelgard nodded, making herself stern and iron hard. She was the Emperor now, interacting with her most powerful General. Not a sister stopping by to see her brother. “The scouts.” She confirmed. “What did they do?”

“They lied.” He said simply, turning his chair to face her. Edelgard waited. Byleth said nothing more.

“They lied.” She repeated after the silence had grown uncomfortable.

He nodded.

“Last I checked.” Edelgard said, her voice tight. “Lying was not a capital offense.”

Byleth frowned. “You know better than that. I taught you better than that.”

Edelgard hesitated. One of Byleth’s more succinct lessons regarding warfare had been about scouts. The skills that make a good scout and the skills that make a good thief are one in the same. You can get a thief to train a scout and hope they won't pick up thieving, or you can train a scout from scratch and hope for the best. But it's easier to just empty a prison of horse thieves, chicken stealers, and smugglers then promise them their lives and three square meals a day in exchange for becoming scouts. You have to be crystal clear from the beginning- one lie, one single lie, and they will hang and be left for the birds. Battles and wars alike can be lost for the lies of a scout. Moreover, a lot of innocent people can get killed that way. So if you ever find out one has lied to you, you make an example and follow through on your threat. It’s the only way.

“What did they lie about?” Edelgard asked, settling back.

“A merchant caravan offered them a bribe to not tell me they were passing south of here.” Byleth said simply. It’s Byleth’s standing orders that all merchant caravans his soldiers came across would be escorted to back camp before being sent on their way- both so he could replenish supplies and to ensure they went away from where they might carry word to the enemy he was fighting, or else get caught in the crossfire. “They accepted, but of the group of three- two followed through and lied and one told me anyway.”

“What did you do to the one that-” She didn’t want to say ratted out his fellows, even if that was the truth. “-came clean?”

Byleth blinked. “Nothing? Why would I do anything to him? He told the truth.”

Edelard exhaled. She knew it was useless to point out that he had also taken a bribe. Byleth didn’t care about that. A scout’s job was to report the truth. The rat had done it. That was the end of the matter as far as Byleth was concerned. It was the same logic that had kept him from just saying they took a bribe and reported false information to their commander, when she had asked why they had been hung. Byleth just didn’t see the world that way.

“What a lucky man to have a merciful commander.” Edelgard said standing.

“It’s not mercy.” Byleth said quietly. “The scouts need to keep each other honest. I’m just encouraging that. This is how you win wars.”

Edelgard walked over to the pitcher of water on the table and poured herself a glass. “Most commanders would have sent him to the whipping post even though he was honest.” She said calmly.

“Most commanders are bad at winning wars.” Byleth responded dryly. “What would be the point? To prove my power? Everyone beneath my command already knows my power. To instill fear? Two corpses do that far better than a lashed man, and give less fertile ground for resentment to take root. It’s the same with Lady Lur’s son.”

“Not mercy.” Edelgard mused. “Pragmatism.”

Byleth nodded. “Just so. Mercy must be for no other reason than itself, or it isn’t really mercy. Mercy is what I gave Flayn and Seteth. Or what you gave to Dimitri at Tailtean. Other choices might have served us better- but we chose what would be better for them over that.”

The air turned brittle and frigid in the tent suddenly. Byleth had not changed his tone of voice. Had not even recognized that his words might strike a different note. That too, was just not how he saw the world.

“....Do you really think what I did at Tailtean was mercy?” Edelgard asked quietly, staring into her cup.

“I do.” Byleth said without hesitation. “He would have been more valuable as a prisoner. But he would have suffered more greatly, and worse if he had lived to see the kingdom fall. You released him from pain. It was all you could do for him.”

Edelgard felt the urge to laugh. “You say these things with such confidence and simplicity. As if they are facts from our textbook.” I am so grateful for that.

Byleth turned back to his letter. “They are facts. Maybe not from a textbook. But they are facts. Be a mercenary long enough and you see the world as it truly is eventually. Or you die.” He allowed with a shrug. “Most think that makes me cold. Stone hearted. Ashenly demonic.” He chuckled hollowly at that. “But the business of killing people has made me…clear eyed about what must be, and what can be. Telling mercy from pragmatism is nothing more than that.”

Edelgard smiled. He didn’t realize how rare it was, not just that he could tell the difference, but that he still gave mercy when he could. She loved him for that.

“Well, I suppose that’s that then.” She said instead and set down her cup. “Now, tell me how the campaign is going.”

Smiling, so finally she almost couldn’t see it, Byleth gestured to the map. “Well. In two days times we’ll move north and-”

Letting his words wash over her, Edelgard nodded. In her head she was already sketching out the letter she would write to Hubert to ensure that the sum the scouts had been paid was discovered, and equivalent made its way to Byleth. She would have to make sure it couldn’t be traced back to them, or Byleth would reject it. 

But mercy and pragmatism alike, deserved to be rewarded.

[midnightinjapan]

[the-irreverend]

lol what?!

in what timeline is ramona being the one going against her exes instead of scott a valid criticism of the show?

[jaggedjot]

In order to not speak of Lestat for “twenty-three years”, Louis would have had to painstakingly curate or completely smother any acknowledgement of his early life as a vampire, Claudia, and the events that led to him and Armand leaving Paris. Being with and loved by Armand requires Louis to cease to exist outside of him.

[flowersheep]

Suckening EP 10 spoilers

When shilo was dancing in the sunlight, I thought about the phrase my mom told me while we were watching a movie. The movie had a quote in it, "she smells like the sun" which sounds pretty poetic and you'd assume the smell of fresh laundry or something pretty but in my parents' culture, it means that you've been outside for too long and you stink. I'd believe shilo would smell like the sun for that moment. He'd been stuck in that castle for almost his entire life and for a small moment in time, he's a kid playing outside in the sun

[pynkhues]

Thinking relentlessly this morning about the way Kendall and Shiv both use paternalistic language in this episode to manipulate each other. They know the other's perceived weakness within the family unit and the broader patriarchal society - Shiv's gender, Kendall's mental health - and weaponise it under the guise of the other needing to be sheltered, and Roman buys into it with both of them, because at the heart of him, he believes it.

[sapphire-rb]

Hargon's castle, Malhalla.

[Builder was originally on this picture but Yuzu deleted them from existence]

This is the spot the final sequence happens in, but before the castle gets destroyed. I didn't know it existed on the normal map, honestly. I was baffled when I saw the crafting table just chilling there in Hargon's castle out of all places. I was so confused before I realised where this was.

[wenja45]

Edelgards legacy in the fandom

Since people are bringing up post launch Engage (looking at you Raxistachio) not creating much buzz whilst in comparison to Three Houses which is only kept alive by the Edelgard discourse it is time to talk about Edelgard's legacy.

Edelgard's legacy is not looked at fondly she isn't a famous character she is an infamous character that has created the worst discourse in the entire fandom and likely no future games will ever be able to overcome the toxic shithole that is Edelgard discourse.

Edelgard will not be remembered for her character, her route it anything she will just be remembered as the character that created the worst discourse in Fire Emblem history.

[stormcloudsandshadows]

Guys. I am losing it.

So. The end credits. We see Flapjack’s grave. Willow grows flowers around it.

You know what those flowers are? Blue-purple-white five petaled flowers with a yellow five part center?

Those look the same, right? You know what those are?

Fucking forget-me-nots

The tattoos memorializing him and connecting the hexsquad. The flowers decorating his grave

None of them are going to forget Flapjack

They’re keeping his memory alive.

Also, forget-me-nots are not just rememberance, they’re also a sign of love and devotion- like flapjacks love and devotion to hunter until the end.

[shortbreadly]

i’m unwell.

[florallychaotic]

The smallest of lake house spoilers but look away to be safe and I'll tag but

I GOT FUCKING DYLAN WITH HAIR JUMPSCARED ON MY DASH LMAO LITERALLY WENT AAH WHO'S THAT??

[sunnyflowet]

Toh fans, I haven't seen anyone talk about the flowers in this scene, and as a huge flower lover I have to say

The blue fowers in Flapjack's grave? Those look a lot like the flower myosotis

Also known as "forget-me-not". And in the flower language they mean eternal love and a promise to remember someone. They can also be used to show true love and loyalty.

I hope you guys enjoy this little detail <3

[sunnysunsins]

The symbolism of flowers in Shadows House (part 13)

Master post with all the other topics

The Calming Rose

This is a rare time when we actually get the exact name of the thing we're looking at. Thank you, my nerdy kitten

Everything he said about it is true.

The Rosehips are brewed for teas, used medicinally, and are high in vitamin C content. Rosehips (both fruit and flowers) are used to aid digestion, boost the immune system, and for arthritis.

Now, what about the meaning?

"The rosehip is part of the rose, and thus has it's meaning tied to love as all of them do. It symbolizes waiting for your true love."

Mmmm do i sense tasty tasty foreshadowing here? The blue rose ("unrequited love" for Chris) getting a rose hip flower ("waiting for true love") from Patrick....

What do you think?

Master post with all the other topics