hydrangeaceae - Tumblr blog

[hydrangeaceae]

monthly activity check - passed!

reason d+ -> c

flying d -> d+

claims:

luna (pending)

mage (pending)

dark mage (pending)

[hydrangeaceae]

—  DECORATE A FRIEND  ╱  "wait, hold on." before she heads off to celebrate too: "your makeup's off."

a friend didn't let a friend go out like that. and definitely not a retainer. flipping a brush into his fingers, he gestures her closer before powdering it with pastel yellow, touching up the part that'd smudged on her cheek. "just one more; hold still . . . " box snaps shut and clasps, replaced in his hands by a handkerchief cupping myriad sequins, kaleidoscopic in their colors. a fuschia-pink star one is pressed to one cheek, sky blue gem to the other. "perfect." stuff like this is muscle memory, though the halls'd been different and the air'd been a lot colder.

for a while, he'd even thought he might never get to do this kind of thing ever again.

so if his smile's a little more sedate, a little softer, than his usual rosy enthusiasm, rosado doesn't seem to notice. his voice quiet, a little egging-on of happiness for them both. "go get 'em."

rosado's touch against her cheek is welcome. glitter-clumped eyelashes flutter shut as she entrusts her makeup to her dearest of friends, nose crinkling just a tad as the brush tickles her cheek. when he pulls away, her eyes open again, and she watches him with familiarity, warmth blossoming in her chest.

it's good to be here. to be a student. to be happy.

fingertips tap the sequins on her cheek, to affirm - yep, they're secure. and then, before she can think better of it, she's pulled rosado into a hug. just a quick one, a tight squeeze, cheek-to-chest.

"i'll be back soon! don't miss me too much."

she flashes a blinding grin - and then, a second-thought, and she sticks a pink gem onto rosado's cheek. a mirror image. now they match! a purple gem is secured for goldmary, should she find her other retainer, and with that, she's off.

these crowns aren't going to deliver themselves, after all!

[hydrangeaceae]

—  CUPCAKE DECORATING  ╱  “ hoooooooorteeeeeeeeeensiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!"

fogado's hands are full, so he wiggles his entire body to grab hortensia's attention (as though his yelling wouldn't have done the trick). he looks ecstatic out of his mind. “ hortensia! hortensia, c'mere! c'mere c'mere c'mere!"

in his hands lies what can only be described as an artistic rendition of a religious event. the chaotic flurry of icing paints a picture of a war-torn country, desperate to free itself from the mortal foils of bloodshed and death. the pretzels hastily strewn about speaks to the destruction of nature from a war march, trampling all that stands in the way of glory and power. the single intact cookie standing amongst the fray emphasizes the strength and salvation of a lone figure, descended down to mankind, who seeks only to save those in need. it's enough to bring a tear to one's eye.

“ so?! what do ya think?! ” fogado asks, pushing the complex yet thought-provoking cupcake closer to hortensia's face. “ you know a lot about cute stuff. isn't this deer i made the cutest?! look, look! ” he points to a particular glob of icing sloughing off the side. “ this was supposed to be the body, but i ran out of space. and here--- ” he points to a thicket of pretzels all tangled into each other, “ he's, like, a super respected deer, so he's got a lot of horns. adorable, right?!? ”

when fogado leans forward, hortensia leans back in turn. her attention is focused elsewhere, not yet drawn into his portrait of cupcake carnage - and honestly, he should show some respect for her! she's clearly busy!

"one second!" she huffs, tongue poking out between pursed lips as she scrawls something down, hunched-over the stand as if keeping a secret. when she straightens, she reveals looping cursive sprawling agross the deer-shaped paper, and on it is written -

you're the second cutest member of the bucket brigade! ♡ - princess hortensia

the paper is then stuck to fogado's bicep (rather unceremoniously, mind) before she finally regards his... interperative art.

"that's not a deer, you doofus!" indignance is ever in her tone, but the princess' smile alights her eyes, and provoking such an expression is no small feat. here a golden-painted fingernail points to one of the fallen-over pretzels, this one broken in two - "is this one you?"

another look over, and she reaches for some glittery sprinkles. "we can make this so much cuter."

[hydrangeaceae]

𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐑 !

rivalries are put aside, and camaraderie takes their place. and for the golden deer, pulling neck and neck with the eagles and lions despite having the fewest contestants in the ring is all the reason to celebrate! or so rosado and hortensia thought. at the post-tournament grand banquet, the elusian pair have set up a golden deer corner, complete with yellow and cervid decor and drapery, and both hosts arrayed in house colors and face paint. "three cheers for knoll! three cheers for hilda! three cheers for eliwood!" "fear the deer!" a celebration lifting up the class heroes who'd carried them from underdog into the spotlight, and for all the deer who cleared the way valiantly to let them get there: —hip-hip hooray!

FOOD & DRINK:

—  CUPCAKE DECORATING  ╱  from yellow-sugar icing to pretzel antlers to cookie toppings shaped like deer, there's no shortage of supplies to make your cupcakes look any which way you want.

—  CARAMEL MERINGUES  ╱  a triple layer of chocolate and caramel in glass containers, tied off with a bit of string attached to a spoon. perfect to grab and take with you, or feed to a loved one.

—  DOE POPS  ╱  cake pops shaped like deer heads! and something sticking out of each one. a paper fortune? what does yours say?

—  GOLDEN SPICE CIDER  ╱  a warm and buzzy autumnal drink, perfect for the season and sure to banish any chills. both alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties available.

—  CROUCHING CHOCOLATE, HIDDEN STAG  ╱  a culinary minigame? a table is arranged with a terrarium-like miniature woodland display, complete with moss, trees, golden deer flags, and a herd of deer themselves. one item in this display is made of chocolate. how many things are you willing to bite to find which one it is?

ARTS & CRAFTS:

—  THIRTY-POINT CROWN  ╱  craft your own glorious headpiece with paint, twigs, and twine to show off your deer pride! who can boast the most impressive rack? ( of antlers, duh. what were you thinking? )

—  WOOD CARVING  ╱  for the dexterous and crafts-minded, a setup with display and instructions to carve your own wooden deer to take home. organizers are not responsible for injuries.

—  DEERLY BELOVED  ╱  a stack of deer-shaped paper and pens greet you. "write a compliment and stick it onto its recipient!" the instructions say. if you're fast, maybe they won't even know it's you.

—  READY-TO-PAINT CERAMICS  ╱  a station of unfired bowls and plates and small vases invites you to decorate them however you want! several stencils are provided for the uninitiated, or you can go where your hart takes you.

—  DECORATE A FRIEND  ╱  from washable paint to stick-on sequins, glitter bombs and pinnable deer tails. find a willing victim to array in deer spirit — or make one.

GAMES:

—  FÓDLAN CHESS  ╱  a traditional strategy board game using a triangle-shaped board that can be played by two to three people. the objective is to be the first to move all your pieces to one of the other corners by jumping over your opponents' pieces. are you up for the competition?

—  LIMBO  ╱  everyone knows that being a deer isn't just about strength or smarts, but flexibility. challenge mode: wear an antler crown while playing, and don't let it fall off your head!

—  ANTLER TOSS  ╱  you have five tries to land as many rings on the tines as you can for a prize. if a friend is willing, they can wear the antlers on their head for you to aim at instead!

—  DEER PONG  ╱  the classic party game, with alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions. some say that the non-alcoholic one misses the point of the challenge, but at least it lets everyone play, right?

—  HEADLOCK  ╱  in a classic show of strength, stamina, and bravado, it's time to wrestle like the stags do! put on a headdress of real oaken antlers ( not light, that ) and lock heads with your opponent to throw them to the ground! no use of other body parts or implements allowed.

GUIDELINES:

reblog this ask meme to indicate that your muse is participating! anyone who's reblogged the meme is automatically accepting asks, so no need to double-check. 　

please be mindful of not only waiting for interactions to come to you, but try to be proactive about sending to others too. it's not quite polite to always expect others to do the work! 　

muses from any house are welcome! it's a celebration meant for everyone. 　

this is still narratively part of BOEL, but to keep things separate from the BOEL tags, you may use the tag #GDPride2024 for related posts if you wish!

[hydrangeaceae]

their hand is odd in hers - cold and stiff, but welcoming all the same. she does not let go of their hand, even after she's been helped to her feet, pressing her fingertips against artificial coating. they lead her through the field, and she follows behind them, seeking comfort as if a child.

they'd make a lovely retainer - her vision sparkles with stars - and she tries to follow their gesture.

"me?" she asks, feeling oddly disarmed by them, although that bright charmer never fails to smile. "of course i'm alright. this wouldn't bring me down. it's just.. a tactical retreat!"

less than alright, but she does not want to admit such weakness, even when the other had seen her struck down by the brazen sweep of a lance.

"i should be asking if you're alright!"

that's not a question. try again. fingers curl in her skirt.

"..are you alright?"

stand under the stained glass // hortensia + denning

[hydrangeaceae]

🧃🧃"Oh aren't you just adorable! Here, take an extra, and do let me know if you need anything else darling."

doe-like eyes watch the older woman - she takes the juice box in her hands, fluttering eyelashes as her vision threatens to swim. she takes a small sip. sugar hits her tongue, but she's always favored sweets.

"thank you," hortensia says, because the second princess of elusia is a kind young girl. this woman reminds her of her sister - she can't place what, but there's something about her presence that strikes her as such.

slurp.

"were you also in the battle..?"

she doesn't remember, but everything had happened rather quickly. curious eyes watch probingly, and she follows up her question with an offering of her name - hortensia, the second princess of elusia, a title she holds onto with every fiber of her being.

[hydrangeaceae]

it feels too rough for simply mock combat. hortensia is not weak, but it feels harsh - or maybe she is weak after all, falling to her knees in the dirt. white petticoats turn brown, blood streams down her cheek, and she tilts her head up to the sky.

it was fun. it was, wasn't it? she wants to laugh, or cry, or maybe both - so all she does is smile, pushing herself to her knees, attempting to make space and part the waves of battle. a saccharine thing, a smile rosado would chastise.

( but she doesn't want to cry! )

hopefully her retainers are winning. the fire tome sits closed in her lap, hair sweat-strung stuck to her face, and her eyes glimmer.

next time, things would be different.

she turns to the odd one, still hovering around, and extends her arm - "a hand, if you please."

she will leave the field gracefully - or as gracefully as she can.

freaks and royals — boel round 1 battle 6

[hydrangeaceae]

hortensia is knocked breathless, trembling hands daring her to falter - but she does not falter, because she will not go down, or at least, she refuses to fall alone. emblem leif had fallen, and she will carry on in his stead, as best she can -

hortensia 0.5/6 hp hits denning 1/6 hp with fire (roll: 14 + 2 = 16, - 1.5 hp, denning 0/6 hp.

"you're a very nasty man!" she huffs towards the man bearing the lance - a last attempt at boldness in the face of her demise. she knows she cannot bring him down, so she focuses her flames onto the bow wielder, slumping forward breathless as she knocks them down.

"go on, then."

she will falter with dignity, at least - she meets valter's eyes, and the spark is still there, the smile still on her lips.

freaks and royals — boel round 1 battle 6

[hydrangeaceae]

fire flashing from fingertips like faerie flames, a will-o-the-wisp twinkling in her eyes, again a flame twirls and again it strikes true on the not-quite-person.

roll: 1d6 = 6, tiebreaker = 6, hortensia goes first. hortensia 6/6 hp hits denning 4.5/6 hp [roll: 1d20 = 5 + 2 = 7, -1.5 hp, denning 3/6 hp.]

she does a little curtsy, and then looks to her left, where emblem leif -

he has fallen. against the dirt, red like the moon, and she finds herself standing

utterly

alone.

he speaks to her, but her voice fails her, following leif's footprints in the dirt - her breath fills her ears, the banners becoming oppressive - but she stands her ground, as any good princess would. she won't lose - she can't lose. again she casts, but her spell falters -

roll 1d6 = 4, hortensia goes second. hortensia 6/6 hp barely hits denning 3/6 hp with fire [roll: 1d20 = 3 + 2 = 5, -.5 hp, denning 2.5/6 hp]

as when she turns her head, she finally sees the crazed look in her other enemy's eyes.

[ @beholdenning - a brief breath. ]

freaks and royals — boel round 1 battle 6

[hydrangeaceae]

the arrow sails towards emblem - no, not emblem, is it? - and flames are at her fingertips before she's even thought the action through.

steady hands, hortensia.

roll 1d6 = 2, hortensia goes last.

a flourish of her hand sends sparks careening towards the very attacker, an offputting person with eyes she swears aren't quite right, not that she has time to look -

hortensia 6/6 hp hits denning 6/6 hp with fire [roll: 1d20 = 6 + 2 = 8, -1.5 hp, denning at 4.5 hp.]

( and oh, she can't lie. this is fun! )

freaks and royals — boel round 1 battle 6

[hydrangeaceae]

excitement courses through her veins, heart pounding in her ears. emblem claude had told her of this - and here she was, now, living it! fire tome in her hand, she presses herself solidly amidst the ranks of the golden deer, under standards of yellow. unconsciously, she drifts towards an utterly adorable student of her house, only to be interrupted by the explosion of combat before her.

roll 1d6 = 5, hortensia goes third!

"rude!" she snaps at the lance wielder who had dove her classmate - he dances just out of reach of her tome, so she turns focus instead to the one which had been previously engaged by her classmate.

hortensia 6/6 hp hits miranda 4/6 hp! [roll: 13 +2 = 15, - 1.5 hp, miranda 2.5/6 hp]

fire whirls from her fingertips - peals of girlish laughter the accompaniment.

[ @gentlenekomata ]

freaks and royals — boel round 1 battle 6

[hydrangeaceae]

when hortensia has her retainers (friends, her friends, a still-scabbing wound that retainer is not a title they formally hold) securely back with her, and has gotten her academic career off to a... fortuitous start, zephia nonwithstanding, there's only one thing to do.

celebrate, of course!

it's not as meticulously planned as she would like, and the dorm rooms are a bit cramped for three, but she'd grown up hiding in smaller places than this. she doubts they mind, either - she hopes they don't, because she's been worrying more and more about being a good friend and not just a cute one, and she really, really, doesn't want to let them down. nail polishes and makeup brushes are spread across her bed, a fluffy towel laid over her pink-and-blue comforter, and she sits with her legs folded beneath her.

and she's wearing a smile, of course! this smile does not tear at her eyes or bare her teeth. it sucks in her lips and dimples her cheeks, crinkles her nose just the slightest bit, an action not consciously made. there is a softer light than usual in her eyes, a sincerity reserved just for them.

for her dearest friends.

she splays her hand across the towel as she picks up bottles of polish one-by-one. glitter, blue glitter, "mood changing" - whatever that means - pink, gold, the works.

"what do you think?" she asks goldmary and rosado both. "gold goes with our uniform.. and i am a golden deer."

[ @rozyrne @flaurum - what else could a princess want? ]

the kind of sleepover only seen in 80s movies!

[hydrangeaceae]

hey there, traitor. the words seep into her skin like venom in her veins. she's not a traitor - she's not, she's not! - and her smile doesn't falter. careful-cropped glitter-painted nails fold over her hands, clasped before her, smoothing out her skirts.

"there's nothing to knock on!" she points out, voice colored with indignance, and then raps her knuckles against a steel pole sitting beside the bed, one that holds a curtain that provides very little in way of actual privacy.

"besides, i'm your princess, and you're supposed to be dead. you're in no position to try to boss me around."

hortensia steps over to marni's side, then, looking her over with a scrutinizing look, as if furrowing her brow can reveal what's wrong and why she's still here.

(it doesn't make sense. she's not corrupted - she doesn't look corrupted, can't be corrupted. it's not fair. why is she here? why is zephia here? all them, and not her father. why doesn't she get to win?)

settle for more.

[hydrangeaceae]

a princess needed to have many skills.

hortensia was a very lucky princess on that front - skilled in magic, charming, beloved by pegasi. staves, too, came easily to her. swords?

a little bit less so.

oh, she could wield them, but there was, unfortunately, room for improvement. room for improvement she would not dare to voice, but room for improvement nonetheless. when she’d seen the seminar advertised - both as being for swordsmanship, and for withstanding interrogations (a skill which was highly useful for any political position, in her expert opinion!) - she’d signed up without too much digging.

it was a prolific school, after all. surely the teachers here could be trusted to be responsible, and she wouldn’t have to worry about a thing. perhaps it would be more hands on than a lecture, but nothing too dangerous. emblem claude, at least, had not indicated anything, well…

anything like this.

really, nearly snagging her hair on the brush is so unbecoming! and it’s not even her fault - this instructor, this utterly insane person, laughing like a maniac with a knife in their sleeve. she’d ran when she’d watched a blade be drawn against a woman she swore she recognized, and had pushed her back up against a tree to listen.

partner. a team exercise?

when ingrid - yes, that’s her name, isn’t it? she’s done so well, so kindly, to remember - waves her arms, hortensia pulls herself out from the tree’s shadow with a huff and a wave of her own arms.

“you can’t treat us like this!” she says, rather pointedly, to the instructor, and then beckons for ingrid to follow her.

“through here! they’ll struggle to follow.”

they were both more lithe than this instructor, after all, although the hidden knife had her worrying about the dexterity of their attacker. a smile curls her face, still, confident in her choice of exit route. 

Composed Insanity

[hydrangeaceae]

fingers instinctively go up to her hair — she twirls one of the strands that frame her face as the girl talks. yune. even her name is adorable! how is she supposed to just stand there and listen and not bombard her with questions and hugs and - 

“it’s dyed,” hortensia answers, oozing confidence. “where i’m from, we have enchanted dyes. isn’t it so vibrant? oh, is your hair natural? i bet it is.”

she doesn’t crouch to the other - isn’t tall enough to crouch - but she does lean over, just a smidge. head tilts as she appraises the other.

“do you have any siblings, yune?”

start small. is it an overwhelming question to ask? maybe, maybe - she’s just too excited to wait! there’s so much potential for hairstyles with the smaller girl’s hair. braids, twists, half-up, half-down.. and her eyes are so round, it’s almost too much.

once more, with feeling!

[hydrangeaceae]

of course hortensia was captivated by news of a celebration.

sure, she hadn’t experienced whatever had recently plagued the continent, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t in need of a celebration! maybe it was the childishness which still nipped at her heels that made it seem so exciting. either way, it suggested two very important things to the second princess of elusia:

that there would be colors and fashions she had never seen before, and;

it would be a chance to network.

she’d already grown into it, after all - it was easy enough, refreshing, even, to use her charms to help grow elusia’s friends and trade instead of using them just to survive and smile through it all. this was just as good an opportunity as any - maybe even better! many of the other royals were attending this school, after all. surely she could rope one into going with her?

and so her plan was set. it was admittedly a bit haphazard, pieced together mostly in the margins of her notes, accompanied by doodles of a stern instructor’s face.

diamant. 

she doesn’t plan to give him a choice in the matter, of course. dressed out-of-uniform for the day, her hairstyle of choice is pigtails, with a hairclip carefully strung into her bangs to evoke a likeliness to alcryst. her skirts are ever poofy, her heels granting her the smallest boost to her height, and when she approaches the older royal it’s with an ever present sunshine smile on her face.

“king diamant!” hands clasp behind her back, and she bats her eyelashes at him, skidding to a stop just before him. 

“you know, i could use someone to keep me company in attending this festival. imagine if someone were to endanger me! and then i thought, oh, king diamant is so strong. he wouldn’t let the second princess of elusia go unguarded!”

her smile doesn’t falter. she doesn’t move any closer - not yet, of course. biding her time is just as important as being cute. and, hey, she really is trying to be nice, too! she’s sure he could do with some relaxation and fun.

[ @heriteur - let's let loose! ]

what a time to be alive!

[hydrangeaceae]

activity check - february 2024 - passed!

skill points 4 -> 5

reason d -> d+