#source: spring-emerald

[scorpioriesling]

A Chance Meeting

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

Pairing(s): Tamlin x reader

Warnings: fluff

Summary: You were pining over him, plain and simple. After a chance meeting, it turns out you might have a lot more in common with the rather lonely High Lord; in fact, you might be just what he needed.

SR’s Note: I was not prepared to write fluffy Tamlin... lol. However I don't see enough of him on Tumblr, and I tried my very very best. <3 ily all

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

Charming, handsome, powerful.

That's what they all said about him, and you couldn't help but agree.

After all, they were right.

Thoughts of the handsome High Lord swirled prettily through your mind as you continued on your way, stooping every time you'd come across a bright orchid or an orange lily to pluck it. Your basket was filling up -- but, the more the merrier for the bouquet you were crafting to sit atop your kitchen table.

The warm evening sun provided comfort as you strode along the familiar woods, not too far from your home within them. You had quite some time before you needed to head back, and you thanked yourself for slipping on your swimming garments before heading out today. The long skirt you'd chosen was providing more warmth in the spring afternoon than you'd intended.

You knew of a small stream ahead, a clearing through the wood that was your favorite sitting spot on the warmer days when you resorted to the chill of the water for the cooling you so desperately craved. As you made your way to the spot, a smile smile spread across your face at the sight. It was no wonder you'd always resorted back here -- you could see the Spring Manor perfectly through the clearing in the trees.

You gently set down your flower basket, and began removing your clothes one by one, slipping off your walking boots and laying them neatly next to the folded pile. With a small sigh and a longing glance toward the Manor, you waded in.

It only took a few minutes to get used to, the temperature of the water soothing the heat inside you. You waded around, your hair flowing freely around you in waves. As a cloud passed over the sun, you shivered at the lack of heat warming the water around you. Opting to submerge fully, you went under -- only for a moment before breaking the surface once more.

"You come here often."

You startle at the voice, rubbing at your eyes furiously before opening them wide, searching around for the source. When you finally realize who is relaxing on the grass before you, propped up on two elbows right next to your basket of florals, you can only blink in response.

"Oh, um, yes, I do come here often." You fumble for words, running your fingers through your stream-water wet locks at an attempt to look more presentable. The High Lord's gaze shifts from the Manor to stare directly at you, a ghost of a smirk on his lips.

"I know." Is all he says. You stare back, fumbling with your fingers under the water. How long had he been there? Watching you? How many times had he seen you come here, spying on his home without permission, like some kind of creep?

"I want to apoligize, sir, for, um," you make your way to the edge of the stream, the water skating over your body in small streams. His gaze tracks the movement, then he meets your eyes again. "I... I just like to come swim here, and it just happens that the Manor is, right... over there, and-"

"Don't apologize," he cuts in, and you purse your lips closed. You stand frozen before him, but he holds your gaze, his vibrant emerald eyes so piercing against the forrest around him. "...and, it's Tamlin. Please," he adds. You nod once, glancing down at your clothes. A slight blush creeps onto your cheeks when you realize you are in fact still standing before the High Lord in nothing but a bathing suit, and you move to redress as quickly as possible.

"No need to stop on my account," he continues as you hastily yank on your top. "In fact, I quite enjoy taking a dip every now and then myself." You pause mid-zip on your boot, glancing toward him, only to find him peering into the clearing.

"That's odd," you say. "I've never seen you out here before."

He chuckles beside you as you finish the last zipper and stand, the motion mirrored by him before he strides closer. Your breath catches when he bends slightly, picking up your basket by the handle and lifting it carefully from the ground. When he is stood at full height again, you peer up into his eyes.

"That's because this isn't usually the spot I choose; for I know of a place far more magical than this."

* ✧･ﾟ: *

The walk back to your cottage home was enjoyable, making small talk with your new friend and enjoying his company along the way was a nice contrast to your usual lonely nights in the woods. He also insisted on carrying your basket, though it wasn't heavy, it still elicited a sort of feeling in your stomach -- something similar to the delicate flutter of a butterfly's wings.

"You go to that same spot so often," he says. "But you've never seen the swans?" You shake your head.

"No, never." You answer. His brow furrows and he shakes his head slightly.

"How peculiar, I've seen them quite a few times near that part of the stream," he says. You shrug your shoulders, a small sinking feeling forming in the pit of your stomach as your cottage comes into view.

"Well, maybe when you see them next time, I'll be around?" You offer. Hopefully he will take the bait, you really, really hoped he would. You needed to see him again.

He chuckles, taking the last few steps across the flat stones behind you up to your front door. You turn to face him, a light smile gracing his lips as he gazes up at you.

"Most definitely, next time," he says, and you grin. He hands you your basket of flowers, and the small brush of his fingers against yours sends electricity through your veins. You swear you could've gasped at the feeling, or even more when he slid the basket over your hand and down to the crook of your elbow, taking your hand in his and bringing the back of it to his lips.

"I'll see you again..." his eyes search yours for a moment, and you realize in your excitement you'd never actually introduced yourself.

"Y/N," you offer. He nods slowly, pressing one more kiss to your skin before carefully releasing your fingers from his.

"Y/N... beautiful."

* ✧･ﾟ: *

It was only three days later that a knock came at your door in the early afternoon as you were perched in the reading nook, book in hand, sunlight illuminating the pages before you. None of that stopped you from leaping from your seat, dashing toward the door and yanking it open to lay your eyes once more on a very charming, very handsome High Lord on your doorstep.

One that was holding a bouquet for you of the loveliest peonies youd ever seen.

"Oh, my!" You gasped. He smiled, extending his offerring to you as you opened the door wider for him to enter. "Please, come in!"

He ducked slightly to enter into your home, and you took the beautiful bouquet from him. He followed you along to the kitchen, peering around at the various plants you had sitting on every surface along with your books and candles alike.

"Don't mind the mess," you said, ducking beneath your sink in search of a vase for the flora. When you'd selected a pretty one, you registered his frown at your still very healthy, very vibrant bouquet on your kitchen table from a few days prior.

"I apologize," he starts. "I... suppose it was a ridiculous idea to think you'd be as clumsy with plant life as I am. I'd thought maybe you needed a new one by now," he explains, a light pink flushing his cheeks. Your sympatetic gaze extends to his face, and you place the bouquet on your kitchen counter where a perfect beam of sunlight shines through the window. You pad over to him, and his gaze lifts from the floor when you reach up onto your tippy toes to press a gentle kiss to his cheek. His eyebrows lift high in amusement, the color on his face only deepening in crimson. You pretend not to notice, only satisfied at your sudden rush of courage for the act.

"They look better bathed in sunlight than simply sitting on my table anyway," you explain, motioning to the twinkling glass vase holding the peonies across the kitchen. Your eyes meet his again, and he continues to just stare at you, speechless. "Thank you, Tamlin, really. They're beautiful." You smile. He only blinks, smiling softly at you once more.

"So, did you just stop by to bring me flowers? Or are you up for a swim?"

* ✧･ﾟ: *

You'd continued on for weeks like that, Tamlin showing up on your doorstep in the afternoons to take you on walks, or sometimes to swim, or simply sometimes to help you with tasks around your cottage. You had to admit, having a hand in drawing the heavy water pail from the old stone well was very helpful, not to mention... the sight of him while doing it, his exposed biceps straining in the afternoon sun-

"It looks as though a storm is approaching rather quickly."

You're pulled from your recent memory, shaking your head in embarassment as you train your eyes on the darkening sky above. You raise your eyebrows, as indeed, dark stormclouds were approaching rather quickly.

"Yes," you say, stepping over a row of cabbages toward the handsome male. "We should be heading back inside." Tamlin twists his hands nervously.

"It is getting late, I should probably head back to the Manor to make it before-"

Just then, a raindrop lands on his loose white tunic, the wet drop catching the eye of you both. You shake your head at him, giving him a look and making your way through the garden toward the back door of your small home.

"Don't be ridiculous, Tam," you say over your shoulder. "You can at least stay for dinner."

He catches up to you in two easy strides, his warm, long fingers wrapping around your wrist. You turn, your eyes meeting his at the simple touch. Rain begins to fall more steadily now, the tops of your heads beginning to glisten with the mist.

"Did we even gather enough..." he glances down at the basket of various vegetables in your hand -- the one he is still holding. You grin coyly up at him.

"We've gathered more than enough. Now let's get inside before we melt, hm?"

* ✧･ﾟ: *

He watches quietly from your table as you prepare the soup, listening to you hum to yourself in contentment. You can barely steal a glance at him, nearly catching his eye each time, but his sudden voice interrupts your humming.

"Y/N, I'm really glad I met you."

You stir the stove pot quietly for a moment, not wanting to ruin a moment you weren't sure what direction was leading quite yet.

"I... am really glad I met you too, Tamlin." You look to him, offerring a small smile. He only looks down at your table, and you feel concerned as you lift the spoon to your lips to taste the concoction.

"I don't have many friends, so... what we... have, I mean, what we are, or... I don't know what I am saying. I apologize." He sighs, his shoulders rising and falling. "You're just, quite special to me-"

"Oh, shoot!" You drop the spoon back into the pot, settling your hands on your hips and shaking your head. He rises immediately, striding over to you and placing his hands on your shoulders in concern.

"Is everything okay?" He asks, and if you were paying more attention, his proximity and sultry tone would've shaken you to your core.

"No, no, no," you huff. "I forgot the parsnips, those damn parsnips-"

"Where are they?" He asks, already making his way for the back door.

"I left them out in the garden near the row of cabbages -- wait, Tamlin, don't go running out there, its' quite literally-" Just then, a huge bolt of lightning rips through the sky, illuminating the kitchen and making you jump with the loud crack that follows it.

"...Storming." You look toward the back door; its swinging shut, void of the blonde male who should still be very much dry and very much still inside.

You sigh, rubbing your hands over your face before leaning on the counter to peer out the kitchen window. Of course, there he is -- soaking wet, running out into the garden. You shake your head, making for the back door and quickly tugging on your rainboots with a huff.

* ✧･ﾟ: *

"Tamlin!" You shout over the howling wind. Rain pelts at your arms, the exposed skin against the chill of the air creating goosebumps all over. Your too-big rainboots are making it near impossible to run to keep up with his long legs, and you see he is already reaching to pick up the last of the ingredients you said you needed. When you finally reach him, he is standing up, an armful of parsnips held close to his chest.

"What are you doing out here?" He shouts over the wind.

"Me? Why would you run out here?" You call back, the rain whipping your soaked hair across your face. You peer up into his deep green eyes that stare down at you in concern.

"You... said you needed these!" He yells, and another sharp crack of thunder sounds in the distance. You both flinch, and when you look to him again, he... smiles.

He truly, fully smiles. You smile back, and his shoulders shake lightly, his teeth revealing against his perfect lips, a small laugh escaping. You can't help but chuckle, his beauty so enrapturing and his rare, true smile such a sight to be withheld that you wish to bask in the sight for as long as you can.

* ✧･ﾟ: *

"You have to trust me -- it tasted much better with the parsnips."

Tamlin chuckles, taking another bowl from you to clean in your sink as you help to clear the table.

"Oh, I believe you; I'm just not sure I've met a female who'd go after a male in a wild storm like that," he replies, and you blush. You bring over the last of the cups and spoons, placing them in the basin, and your fingers lightly brush his. His gaze slides to yours for only a second.

"I've never met a male who'd go into a storm like that for me in the first place." You peer up at him. His eyes widen only slightly, and he takes a deep breath before continuing his scrubbing, working particularly hard on making sure your dishes are clean. You smile to yourself, hoping you were playing this the right way, still not fully believing you'd somehow gotten the High Lord in your home, gotten him to like you so much, gotten him to be your friend. It all just didn't feel real.

As he dries off the last few appliances, he straightens his shirt and clears his throat. You lean against your table, and he looks out the window at the continuous falling rain.

"It is late," he mutters. You raise an eyebrow.

"It is." You state.

"I should..." He takes a step forward.

"Stay," you finish, stepping in his path. He stops before you, sighing deeply.

"Y/N-"

"It's still raining," you explain. "You can't travel all the way to the Manor this late in the evening, especially with weather like this," you say. He shakes his head slowly at you, gazing out the window once more. You place your hands on his arms, pulling him rather close. His eyes meet yours again.

"Could I... use your couch?" He asks. One of his hands finds yours on his arms, and you struggle to keep your breathing even as you make the difficult decision not to move too fast and scare him off.

"Nonsense, you can use my room. I can use the couch."

* ✧･ﾟ: *

At the first signs of morning light, you slowly blink your eyes open, snuggling deeper into the warmth of your bed. You move only an inch before registering the large, strong arm wrapped around you, holding you against a rather comfortable chest.

You're not sure how this happened... well. Maybe you remember. But, you would simply chose to be happy about it.

As you turn to face Tamlin, you smile a bit, watching the rise and fall of his bare shoulders as he sleeps contently in front of you. In your bed.

Your bliss is short-lived as he shortly awakes, his emerald green eyes meeting yours as he takes in his surroundings. Your heart rate picks up, not knowing if he will bolt, be angry for ending up in here, perhaps never return?

His arm around your waist wraps tighter, pulling you even closer, and your heart warms as you are close enough now to practically share breath. His eyes drift closed for a moment more

"Good morning," you whisper.

"Good morning to you," his gravelly voice sends a fuzzy feeling through you that you try to ignore... for now.

"Did you... sleep alright?" You ask hesitantly. His eyes open slightly again, and he leans close, pressing a small kiss to your forehead.

"That is the best I've slept in months, Y/N." He closes his eyes again, a ghost of a smile on his lips. You blush furiously, at a loss for words. You only hoped this would continue, you could progress from here -- you knew getting your hopes up was silly, he was the High Lord, after all.

"Do you have plans today?" You ask after a few beats of silence. He grins, nodding his head. You frown, wishing you could spend more time with him.

"Oh,"

"I planned to show you one of the most magical places I know."

* ✧･ﾟ: *

You walked anxiously through the forest, following behind your friend willingly as he showed you his special spot. He'd only gone back to the Manor for new clothes and bathing shorts, and left you to change into proper swimwear before the journey.

"Maybe the swans will be here today," he says, looking to you with a wink. You look up at him, adjusting your small woven bag on your shoulder.

"The swans frequent your special swimming place too?" You ask. He shrugs, slowing his pace as you approach a thick brush of vines in your path.

"Not necissarily frequent," he says, sweeping the vines to the side and gesturing for you to move forward through them. "But, I've seen them here before."

As your eyes adjust to the sunlight again, your mouth drops open. "Here" is quite literally the most magical place you'd seen -- he was right. A clearing among the high growing trees allowed a halo of sunlight to stream in, perfectly illuminating the golden pool of starlit-water below. You gazed in, eyes roaming over every swirl and fractal of gold within.

"Oh... Tamlin this is..." you shake your head in bewilderment.

"...I'd hoped you'd like it." He smiles sheepishly, shucking off his boots and trousers near the pool's edge. You lay down your bag, slipping off your flats and skirt as your eyes are still glued to the golden bath before you. You almost miss the gorgeous man beside you pulling his tunic off, every upper-body muscle flexing as he tugs on it before tossing it aside. He looks to you, his eyes unashamedly roaming along the length of your esposed legs before focusing on your eyes.

"Ready to get in?" He asks. You simply nod, unlacing your top and shoving it in your bag. He steps in, wading in waist-deep before extending a hand to you. You feel every butterfly flap furiously inside your stomach as you take it, and he gently pulls you in, the delicious golden liquid twirling around you and engulfing you in full.

"This is... just... magical, Tamlin," you admit. He grins, reaching to take your other hand in his. You gaze up at him. "How did you happen upon this place?"

He shrugs, the movement sending the water rippling around him as he moves the two of you deeper in, the water encircling your upper-arms. "Everyone has their special spots, I suppose."

You look around, taking in the scenery, and when you focus on him again, you blush seeing he's only been gazing at you. You swim back for a bit, floating on your back, allowing your hair to swirl around you. You feel so relaxed, but wouldn't close your eyes for a moment here in fear you'd miss something so beautiful.

"Y/N... I need to be honest with you." His gaze hardens, and you place your feet on the pond floor once more, returning your stare to his.

"Oh, of course," you nod. Your heart rate picks up, and he draws close to you again.

"When I returned today... to the Manor," he starts. A knot begins forming in your stomach. Here it is. Here it comes.

"I... in my absence, everything was able to run as normal, and though being a High Lord is not what I would have chosen to do with my life," his hands find your hips, and he pulls you flush against him. Your breath catches, and you stare intently up at him.

"I need you to know that I've felt more fulfillment in these past few months than I ever have in my lifetime." He says. Your eyes widen, realizing what you're hearing.

"Tamlin... I don't know what to say, I've only dreamt of something like this, I just wonder about the court? Your subjects at the Manor-"

"They don't need me at the Manor," he says. "I could just be with you, in the cottage, all the time, Y/N. Just," he holds you even closer, his hands sliding over the curve of your spine. Your fingers instinctively slide up the length of his arms, eventually wrapping loosely around his neck. "...just me and you, all the time." His tone is almost pleading, his eyes searching yours in desperation.

You don't hold back any longer, closing the gap between you and pressing your lips to his. He breathes in deep, his hands pressing you impossibly close as he moves his lips slowly against yours. You slowly wrap your legs around his waist, and one of his hands moves over the fabric of your stretched bikini bottom to the underneath of your bum. He continues to kiss you, parting his lips and allowing you in to expore as his hands roam over your skin, feeling each inch and sending fireworks through you as he does.

When you pull back after a few minutes to breathe, he rests his forhead against yours, his beautiful, perfect smile coming out once more.

"You're beautiful, Y/N," he whispers, his gaze fixating over your shoulder.

You turn to see what's caught his eye, gasping at the sight of two swans nesting quietly near the edge of the golden pool.

* ✧･ﾟ: *

[bun-lapin]

Confessions

Summary: Rook confesses his love to you.

A/N: I finished my first one shot! This one went a little longer than I planned. What can I say? Rook likes to monologue! I also posted this on AO3 if that's easier to read.

Confessions series: Rook, Kalim, Idia, Floyd, Vil, Silver, Leona, Trey / AO3

CW: gn!reader but Rook uses the word "queen" to address reader

You step into the woods behind campus and take a deep breath. The air is cool and smells like damp leaves and grass. Occasional beams of spring sunshine break through the canopy overhead and illuminate the dim forest floor. You begin to make your way further into the woods, carefully winding between tall standing trees and stepping over gnarled roots.

You walk in silence. The only sounds you hear are the rustling of leaves in the breeze and the slight crunch of soil under your feet. You walk for some time before you finally hear the loud, clear snap of a broken twig. You stop in your tracks and smile. You turn towards the source of the sound, still smiling, and softly call out, “I was beginning to wonder when you were going to show yourself, Rook.”

From the green darkness emerges a form you know all too well. He slips into view silently and smoothly like smoke in the forest air. He raises a gloved finger to the serene smile on his lips and winks an emerald eye, “Here I am, mon trésor. I apologize to have kept you waiting. I could not help but savor the most beautiful sight of you walking among the trees.”

You retrieve a small folded piece of parchment from your pocket and hold it up for Rook to see. “I got your...message.”

You pause during your statement as you think back to the specific delivery of the message. You had woken just a bit after dawn to the sound of something hitting the front door to your dorm with some force. After carefully checking through the window, you had opened the door to see an arrow with a parchment tied near its end, buried quite deeply in the old wooden door frame.

“Sorry for not bringing the arrow. I couldn’t get it out,” you say in a voice tinged with playfully insincere annoyance.

Rook lightly touches the brim of his violet hat with one hand and places the other on his chest, “Ah, mais bien sûr, I did not expect to see that arrow again!” His eyes seem to sparkle merrily and there is a growing sense of excitement all around him as he proclaims, “For I poured all that was in my heart into that arrow and fired it straight and true to deliver it to your hands. With the strength all of that I presently feel, it’s little wonder that my arrow sunk itself so permanently into the timber of your abode!” He laughs and it is a lighthearted, pretty sound.

“What is this meeting about? What did you need to tell me?” you ask pragmatically, ignoring his dramatics for the most part.

Rook looks up at the sunlight filtering through the leaves above. He closes his eyes and lets out a wistful sigh, “What an enchanting day. Quelle beauté!” He takes several deep breaths and then looks at you with steady resolve on his face.

“I am here to confess,” he states simply.

You blink at his uncharacteristic bluntness. There are so many questions you could ask him but ultimately, you simply and softly say, “Please continue.”

Rook drops to a knee gracefully and without a sound. He places one hand to his chest and the other he stretches out towards you. His eyes are determined and his voice is low and gentle.

"I have traveled horizon after horizon to behold you. My feet have skimmed over savanna and sea alike to bring me here, right here, to my knees at the sight of you. When your eyes alight upon me at last, I stop and can only struggle to draw a breath. For your gaze has completely pierced my soul with ethereal, ecstatic desire."

You feel a flush of warmth spread over your cheeks and you repeat in the steadiest voice you can manage, “Desire?”

Rook smoothly rises to his feet and steps toward you. You stand firmly in place and do your best to look absolutely calm and collected. His face seems to radiate with mirth and joy, in approval of your bravery. With deliberate movements, he takes one of your hands in his and places a soft kiss upon it.

He looks over the top of your hand, lips brushing against your knuckles as he whispers, “Regardez-moi. Look into my eyes and see for yourself all that I feel.”

You look into Rook’s eyes and see that they shine with a clarity and resolution you’ve never seen before in the usually care-free and whimsical hunter. Feeling the warmth of his gloved hand around yours, you catch the faintest undercurrent of longing in the air between the two of you.

You ask softly, “Are you in love with me?”

Rook turns his gaze slightly from you, as if to stop himself from shaking his head. The action sends his short blond hair sweeping across his cheeks and his brows furrow under the pressure of all the emotions he had been keeping in check up until now. He turns his face towards you again and looks deeply, directly into your eyes. Rook’s voice is still low and gentle but now it almost seems to tremble from a flood of indescribable feeling.

“More. So much more than that. This warmth I feel is more than love. This ache I feel is more than longing. Ma reine d'amour, you are queen of all of me. Every star and galaxy in my eyes, every blade of grass on my skin, every rush of air and burst of light! All of me is utterly in service of you. More than a servant, I do not merely serve. I offer everything to you, and only you, for all time."

Your breath almost catches in your throat and you feel like your heart is doing nervous somersaults against your chest. A million thoughts race through your head as you silently weigh your next words carefully.

You ask in a steady voice, “What if I don’t love you back?” Unspoken visions of the hunter playfully yet relentlessly chasing after students that catch his interest seem to dance in the air around the question.

Rook briefly closes his eyes with an almost pained expression. He quickly recovers with a small smile but there is a mixture of understanding and sorrow glittering behind his emerald gaze. He again raises your hand to his lips and places on it a kiss even softer than before. Slowly and tenderly, he returns your hand to your side and when he speaks his voice is quiet and close to heartbreak.

"If you do not love me, then so it shall be. It is not my place, nor do I seek to control the queen of all that I am. I have laid my soul at your feet and I have placed my destiny in your hands. No matter the course of fate, I will be devoted only to you for I have sincerely promised you my life, the rest of my eternity.”

He stands tall with calm poise but the air around him hangs dark and heavy with sadness and it drapes over his broad shoulders like a luxurious coat. There is a beat of silence and then suddenly the weight of it all seems to crack like winter ice and Rook drops to his knees. He looks down towards his hands, desperately clutching at the ground beneath him. His golden hair hangs like a curtain to shield his eyes and there is the faintest hint of despair in his voice.

“Tell me to go and I shall go. If you wish to toy with me, use me, or throw me in the gutter, I would accept every action gladly as if they were divine commandments. You are ma reine d'amour and I obey all that you would have of me. If you want nothing from me, then this will be our last moment together. But know that for every day that follows, my heart will continue to desire only you."

You stand in silence and look down at a form that is familiar and also entirely new. The dark forest air around you seems to hum and swirl with a symphony of words unspoken and you almost begin to feel dizzy. Rook raises his head to meet your gaze and you barely stop yourself from gasping at the sharp, almost tangible longing you see in his eyes. You have never felt more seen, never felt more desired than you do at this moment. You feel utterly beautiful and powerful looking down at this enigmatic hunter.

Rook smiles up at you. It almost looks like his usual secretive smile but uncertainty and yearning dance at the corners. He raises his hand up towards you, palm facing the sky and his voice is dreamlike, lit up with hope and fear alike.

"So tell me, ma reine, my queen. Will you take my hand and cherish me? Or will you cast me aside and curse me? The choice is yours alone. What is your command?"

[libraryofmoths]

Moth of the Week

Large Emerald

Geometra papilionaria

[Right | Middle | Left]

The large emerald is a part of the family Geometridae. The species was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus. Its common name references its color and size compared to other emerald moths. Its species name papilionaria is a reference to this moth’s butterfly like appearance according to Wikipedia. Adult moths rest with their wings angled and open like butterflies.

Description Newly emerged moths in this soecies are pale and dark green color with white patterned bands classed “fascia” which fades after a few days according to Wikipedia. The fascia change into broken lines of white, two on the hindwings and three on the forewings. However according to Butterfly Conservation, the large emerald is the one of the few emerald moths whose color does not fade.

Variations in color include:

ab. herbacearia Men.: the lines are “obsolete.” Orginally described as a separate species.

ab. cuneata Burr,: a large “web shaped” white spot in addition to the usual patterns.

ab. subcaerulescens Burr,: a more blue green color than normal.

ab. deleta Burr,: the “distal” (farthest from of the moths body) part of the moth’s white patterning is “obsolete.”

ab. subobsoleta Burr.: the white antemedian line one the foreign is “obsolete.”

ab. alba Gillm: the moth is entirely white and tinged with yellow.

Wingspan of 5.0 - 6.5 cm (≈2.36 - 2.56 in)

The larvae described as “rather stout, rugose” (corrugated) “the surface shagreened” (similar texture to a type of raw hide), “the head slightly notched, the setae” (bristle or hair like structures) “mostly with enlarged summits.” The larvae is a reddish brown when hibernating to match dead leaves and things and turns a green in the spring after hibernation.

Diet and Habitat This moth’s larvae feeds on birch, such as Downy Birch (Betula pubescens) and Silver Birch (Betula pendula), but also on Hazel (Corylus avellana), Alder (Alnus glutinosa), rowan, and possibly Beech (Fagus sylvatica).

This moth is present in the Palearctic region and the Near East. They inhabit deciduous forests, heathlands, marshland, in settlements close to woodland, grassland, well-established hedgerows, gardens, and parks.

Mating This species is seen flying at night from June to August in Britain. The egg is broad at one end and more flattened at the other with an oval like shape.

Predators These moths fly at night and are attracted to light. Adults occasionally fly in the tree tops on warm, sunny days. Larvae camouflage themselves during hibernation, being red-brown to match dead leaves and twigs and green to match spring leaves after hibernation. Not specific predators are listed.

Fun Fact The large emerald moth has 4 subspecies:

G. p. papilionaria: found in Europe to the Urals, Southwest Siberia, Turkey, Caucasus, Transcaucasus

G. p. herbacearia Ménétries: described in 1859, found in West Siberia - Southeast Siberia, Korea

G. p. subrigua: described in 1935 by Proute, found in Japan

(Source: Wikipedia [1][2][3][4], Butterfly Conservation, Amateur Entomologists' Society)

[semi-sketchy]

Alright, since I'm at that episode, I'm gonna elaborate on my actual problem with Dark Sonic:

To be honest, I don't think there's anything really wrong with Sonic during the episode. He's angry his friends have been hurt by a villain, so he harnesses the power of the fake Emeralds (which he has a physical negative reaction to) and smashes said villain's testing robots to pieces.

I never really considered this a problem. Sonic can get angry, be antagonized, the SA2 Shadow fight in Green Forest springs to mind.

Plus, Secret Rings has Darkspine Sonic, which is about as close to Dark Sonic as it gets. Sharha just died, trading her life for his, he absorbs the Rage, Sadness and Hatred Rings and transforms.

Even after he leaves the transformation, he still seems pretty pissed at Erazor Djinn, with killing Sharha at the top of the list.

So, yeah. It's not 1:1 and I'm not claiming these are the same, X is obviously more exaggerated, but I don't really have a problem with the concept. We can talk about how Eggman comes in, tells Sonic he needs to be better and not let his emotions overwhelm him, but frankly I think that's more of an X!Eggman issue than the transformation itself.

No, my real problem is, and always has been, how the fandom interpreted it. That's it. I've read so many fics, seen so many posts about Sonic just "turning dark" when angry, as if any transformations have ever been purely emotion without an external power-source. (Super requires the Chaos Emeralds, Hyper the Super Emeralds, Darkspine was 3 of the World Rings, Werehog was Dark Gaia energy, Excalibur Sonic was the sacred swords, Wisp transformations needed the Wisps, Super Sonic 2 was Chaos Emeralds + Cyber energy....you get it.)

The way I've always saw it, is yes, Sonic is upset, but he also is being affected by the fake Emeralds.

This is the Discotek translation, I don't know enough Japanese to say how accurate it is, all I know know is "warui" means bad/sick depending on the sentence. An older translation (and the English dub) points to him feeling physically sick around them.

Far as I can tell, he's already reacting bad to these Emeralds on top of being antagonized, so he uses power that's at his disposal does what the villain wants: fuck up his shit.

If the fake Emeralds didn't exist, this transformation wouldn't have happened. Additionally, since X ended and the only fake Emerald in the games was blown up in SA2, it can't happen again. (Unless you write scenario where someone makes fake Emeralds, but that requires writing for the form instead of just slapping it in à la characters in IDW.)

Perhaps I'm being too hard on a lot of kids that never really interacted with the source material and just wanted to write Sonic fanfics. I've read so many that made it quite obvious that the author didn't know anything about Sonic besides he's fast and I'm not really out here trying to say Sonic shouldn't inspire people to create. Never said I hated reading those fics, I got a good deal of entertainment out of them. It's simply this misconception has stretched so far, it's like the original context has been entirely erased.

And that's the part of Dark Sonic that bothers me.

I've seen plenty of arguments for why the transformation was a poor choice and I don't entirely disagree with them. For me, I could take it or leave it. It was a one-off short transformation in an anime where Sonic pretends to be Star Trek for a season, it just exists to me.

Although, it's been awhile since I last saw discussion of Dark Sonic, as a whole it seemed to be a bigger thing in the early 2010s. Possibly because now we have more recent Sonic shows and movies, it's not just X being the latest thing anymore. I certainly don't read fics like I used to, so I'd be surprised if it is still as heavily used as it used to be. Maybe if I get some time, I'll look up some fics and find out.

[esoteric-chaos]

Beltane Masterpost - Spoonie Witch Friendly

Beltane, also called Bealtaine or May Day is celebrated on May 1st in the Northern Hemisphere (November 1st in the Southern Hemisphere). However, some people choose to celebrate the exact halfway point between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice.

Beltane is a Gaelic May Day festival. It is traditionally celebrated once the sun sets on April 30th in the Northern Hemisphere (October 31st in the Southern Hemisphere) and continues on until sunset on May 1st.

With Beltane we celebrate fire, fertility and the return of life after its long slumber. Beltane is associated with creativity, prosperity, hope, fertility, and sexuality.

Beltane Correspondences

Colours

Green

Light Blue

Yellow

Purple

Pink

White

Brown

Herbal

Mint

Lemon Balm

Willow

Birch

Snapdragons

Roses

Lilacs

Violets

Daffodils

Daisies

Ivy

Lily of the Valley

Foxglove

Mugwort

and many more

Edibles

Honey

Wine

Lemonade

Strawberries

Spring Greens

Cherries

Dairy Products

Animals

Rabbits

Cows

Sheep

Bees

Robins

Hawks

Frogs

Doves

Crystals, Metals and Minerals

Rose Quartz

Jade

Aventurine

Garnet

Emerald

Tourmaline

Gold

Copper

Symbols

Flowers

Maypole

Fire

Handfasting

Sex

Floral crowns

Seeds

Fae

Wreaths

Ribbons

Spiritual Meanings

Prosperity

Fertility

Self-improvement

Marriage

Cleansing

Love

Lust

Sexuality

Manifestation

Strength

Protection

Scents

Mint

Lemon

Vanilla

Jasmine

Rose

Lilac

Floral

Gods / Goddesses / Spirits

May Queen – (Celtic)

Artemis – (Greek)

Flora - (Roman)

Hera - (Greek)

Persephone - (Greek) UPG

Aphrodite – (Greek)

Diana - (Roman)

Venus (Roman)

Freya - (Norse)

Bast - (Egyptian)

Asmodeus - (Demon) UPG

Herne/ Horned god

Faunus/ Pan – (Greek)

Priapus – (Greek)

Apollon - (Greek)

Apollo - (Roman)

Cernunnos – (Celtic)

Odin – (Norse)

The Green Man

Bacchus - (Greek)

Bes (Egyptian)

Bel – (Celtic)

Oak King - (Pagan)

Need some suggestions to celebrate? I've got you covered.

High-energy celebrations and ritual

Handfasting ceremony (pagan marriage ritual)

Protection ritual

Reworking wards

Sex magic

Bondfire

Divination

Fae offerings

Garden

Low energy celebrations

Growth tarot spread

Creation of flower crowns or garlands

Lighting candles or a fireplace

Microwave mug recipes

No energy celebrations

Rest

Using a sun lamp to bask in

Practicing self-love

Drink flora tea with honey

How you celebrate the holiday does not matter. You can choose to do any activity that feels right. These are only suggestions and remember that you're enough no matter what.

Also, please note some stuff is UPG. A great book is Year of the Witch by Temperance Alden, which honours the celebrations and if you want to work more seasonally. It's not Wiccan-based and has plenty of resources for every witch.

Feel free to post how you celebrate in the comments or reblogs!

Want to see more of my posts? Check out my Wheel of the Year Masterpost or my Main Masterpost.

Sources:

[yoga-onion]

Celtic beliefs in trees (20)

Q for Quert (Apple) - September 2nd - September 29th

“Fruit of love - 10th month of the Celtic Tree Calendar (Ref)”

Star: Venus: Gemstone: emerald,; Gender: female; Patrons: Gaia, Aphrodite, Venus, Hera, Pomona, Nemesis, Astarte, Ishtar, Ceridwen, Olwen, Gwen, Arwen, Shekhinah, Freyja, Iðunn; Symbols: faith + gratitude, love + trust, tolerance + Abundance, self-respect, the work of fate.

The original species of apple is the crab apple. The crab apple belongs to the rose family and has short, flower-bearing young branches with thorns. The fruits are firm, round, acidic and vary in colour from yellow to crimson. September is the apple month, when the flowers bloom in late spring, the sweet fragrance is released and the fruit ripens.

Hazel, oak and apple are all legendary magical fruits, and it is believed that the three fruits together will fulfil all the needs of life. Birch, alder, willow, oak, holly, hazel and apple are designated as sacred trees in ancient Irish law. Of these, the apple and hazel were especially considered sacred trees, so much so that anyone who deliberately cut them down was punished with death.

In classical Western mythology, the 'Paradise Island', a paradise of fruit trees, was thought to contain the Tree of Wisdom, which bore three sacred apples. It is important to remember here that the apple, the fruit of love, was the food of the Celtic gods and they ate apples.

The apple tree, a favourite parasite of mistletoe, was regarded as sacred, especially by druids (Ref2). According to Druidic teachings, holy drops from heaven spilled over into the cauldron of Ceridwen, and the three drops that splashed out of the cauldron became the source of wisdom for the three apples that grow on the Tree of Wisdom. These three drops symbolise the three pillars of the Tree of Life in the Hebrew mystical philosophy of Kabbalah. These three pillars represent the masculine and feminine principles respectively, with the central pillar representing the union of the two. These also coincide with the most sacred symbol of the Druids, the 'three rays', each representing the power of vision, the power to manipulate letters and symbols, and the power to understand them. These strange three drops can be seen as a spiritual energy that gives life energy to all living things.

Legend has it that the Otherworld is a magical land of thickly growing apple trees, and that visitors from the Otherworld often come to this world carrying apple branches. Wearing a piece of apple wood is said to bring about a loved one and a long life, and is an essential part of good luck charms and spells. Apple trees were often planted in gardens in the British Isles, as they were believed to protect the home and bring love to it.

木にまつわる伝説・神話

ケルト人の樹木の信仰 (20)

QはQuert (ﾘﾝｺﾞ) - 9月2日～9月29日　

『愛の果実 〜 ケルトの木の暦（参照）の第10月』

星: 金星: 宝石: エメラルド、; 性: 女性; 守護神: ガイア、アフロディテ、ヴィーナス、ヘラ、ポーモーナ、ネメシス、アスタルテ、イシュタル、ケリドウェン、オルウェン、グウェン、アルウェン、シェキナ、フレイア、イドゥナ; シンボル: 信仰＋感謝、愛＋信頼、寛容＋豊穣、自尊心、運命の仕業

リンゴといえば、原種となるのがクラブアップル (ﾔﾏﾘﾝｺﾞ)。クラブアップルはバラ科に属し、花をつけた短い若枝には棘がついている。果実は堅くしまった球形で、酸味が強く、色は黄色から真紅色までさまざまだ。晩春に花が咲き、甘い香りを放ち、果実が熟す9月はリンゴの季節である。

ハシバミ、オーク、リンゴはいずれも伝説的な魔法の果実で、この3つの果実が一緒になれば、人生のあらゆる必要を満たしてくれると信じられている。シラカバ、ハンノキ、ヤナギ、オーク、ヒイラギ、ハシバミ、リンゴは、古代アイルランドの法律では神聖な木として指定されている。このうち、リンゴとハシバミは特に神聖な木とされ、故意に切り倒した者は死をもって罰せられたほどである。

古典的な西洋神話では、果樹の楽園である「パラダイス島」には、3つの神聖なリンゴを実らせた「知恵の木」があると考えられていた。ここで忘れてはならないのは、愛の果実であるリンゴはケルトの神々の食べ物であり、彼らはリンゴを食べていたということだ。

ヤドリギが好んで寄生するリンゴの木は、特にドルイド（参照2）から神聖視されていた。ドルイドの教えによれば、天からの聖なる雫がケリドウェンの大釜にこぼれ落ち、大釜から飛び散った3滴が知恵の木に実る3つのリンゴの知恵の源となった。この3滴は、ヘブライ神秘思想のカバラにおける生命の樹の3本の柱を象徴している。この3本の柱はそれぞれ男性原理と女性原理を表し、中央の柱は2つの結合を表している。これらはまた、ドルイドの最も神聖なシンボルである「3本の光線」とも重なり、それぞれが視覚の力、文字やシンボルを操る力、そしてそれらを理解する力を表している。この奇妙な３滴の雫は、あらゆる生物に生命エネルギーを与える霊的なエネルギーと見ることができる。

伝説によると、異界はリンゴの木が生い茂る魔法の国で、異界からの訪問者はしばしばリンゴの枝を携えてこの世にやってくるという。リンゴの木片を身につけると、愛する人と長寿を得られると言われ、幸運のお守りやおまじないには欠かせない。リンゴの木は家を守り、愛をもたらすと信じられていたため、イギリス諸島では庭によく植えられていた。

[thoughtsonhurtandcomfort]

Zodiac Themed Whump Prompts

Thanks for the idea @funky-little-torturer !

These can be interpreted as individual prompts, groups of prompts, or just ~vibes. They're intended to be open to interpretation!

(astrology info source)

☆☆☆☆

Aries - The Ram - Element: Fire - Ruler: Mars - Season: Spring - Metal: Iron - Stone: Diamond - Color: Red

Keywords: independent, aggressive, impatient, combative, assertive

Scalding

Scrape

Failed escape

Punishment

Mauled

Metal

Taurus - The Bull - Element: Earth - Ruler: Venus - Season: Spring - Metal: Copper - Stone: Emerald - Color: Green

Keywords: persevering, stable, stubborn, possessive, physical

Ownership

Breaking

Rough landing

Survival

Illness

Buried

Gemini - The Twins - Element: Air - Ruler: Mercury - Season: Spring - Metal: Mercury - Stone: Agate - Color: Yellow

Keywords: adaptable, flexible, responsive, sociable, inquisitive

Abandoned

Stress position

Experiment

Isolation

Narrow escape

Suffocating

Cancer - The Crab - Element: Water - Ruler: the Moon - Season: Summer - Metal: Silver - Stone: Pearl - Color: White

Keywords: gentle, feeling, nurturing, defensive, contemplative

Sharp

Vulnerable

Fighting back

Tended to

Shock

Pouring

Leo - The Lion - Element: Fire - Ruler: The Sun - Season: Summer - Metal: Gold - Stone: Ruby - Color: Gold

Keywords: bold, caring, driven, open, passionate

Traps

Hanging on

Human shield

Feverish

Endurance

Bound

Virgo - The Virgin - Element: Earth - Ruler: Mercury - Season: Summer - Metal: Mercury - Stone: Sapphire - Color: Blue

Keywords: analytical, intelligent, reserved, critical, helpful

Merciful

Brutality

Deprived

Fading

Manipulation

Unsteady

Libra - The Scales - Element: Air - Ruler: Venus - Season: Fall - Metal: Copper - Stone: Marble - Color: Pink

Keywords: just, refined, diplomatic, indecisive, artistic

Heavy

Lost

Imprisoned

Headache

Revenge

Stumble

Scorpio - The Scorpion - Element: Water - Ruler: Pluto - Season: Fall - Metal: Steel - Stone: Citrine - Color: Purple

Keywords: perceptive, resourceful, determined, fixed, focused

Pressure

Poison

Ruthless

Pinned down

Tight Grip

Chain

Sagittarius - The Archer - Element: Fire - Ruler: Jupiter - Season: Fall - Metal: Tin - Stone: Topaz Color: Turquoise

Keywords: optimistic, restless, adventurous, honest, irresponsible

Accident

Awake

Hunted

Puncture

Out of breath

Falling apart

Capricorn - The Goat - Element: Earth - Ruler: Saturn - Season: Winter - Metal: Lead - Stone: Garnet - Color: Brown

Keywords: tenacious, resourceful, disciplined, prudent, constant

Hiding

Shiver

Fracture

Thirst

Strained

Endless

Aquarius - The Water-bearer - Element: Air - Ruler: Uranus - Season: Winter - Metal: Uranium - Stone: Amethyst - Color: Sky Blue

Keywords: assertive, inventive, eccentric, idealistic, detached

Icy

Blunt force

Improvised weapon

Sobs

Storm

Cough

Pisces - The Fish - Element: Water - Ruler: Neptune - Season: Winter - Metal: Tin - Stone: Jade - Color: Sea Green

Keywords: intuitive, dreamy, sensitive, perceptive, tender

Bait

Ropes

Submerged

Faint

Nightmares

Bruises

[dougdimmadodo]

Fast Fauna Facts #5 - Large Emerald (Geometra papilionaria)

Family: Geometer Moth Family (Geometridae)

IUCN Conservation Status: Unassessed

Often mistaken for a butterfly due to its colourful wings, this large green moth can be found across most of Eurasia so long as suitable host plants on which to lay eggs (mainly birches, hazels and alders) are present. Adults are active mainly at night and breed in the late summer, with the caterpillars hatching in the early autumn/fall; newly hatched caterpillars of this species are brown and blend in with the fallen leaves of deciduous trees, but after hibernating over winter and emerging again in the early spring they gradually develop green colouration that allows them to blend in with newly-grown live leaves before pupating. Young adult Large Emeralds are a vivid emerald green, but as they get older their colour slowly fades (older adults are generally pale lime in colour.)

-------------------------------------------------

Image Source: Here

<-Previous (Pink Jasmine) I Next (Hay Bacillus) ->

[vulcan-bourbon]

Day 5 – Allies and Enemies

@desert-duo-week

Hero Hotguy & villain Cuteguy (again from enemies to lovers sorry not sorry)

- I see you like to see me tied to a chair, - the tied up Cuteguy jokes flirtatiously, involuntarily sighing tiredly, but not particularly resisting. Grian's eyes flashed dangerously with a violet light in the darkness, and the hero himself mentally grumbled at how inconveniently his wings were tied to the chair. Although, okay, last time he was tied much more inconveniently. Again, they were in some dark room, where the only source of light was the light from some kind of lantern from the window. The romance of the villain Hotguy in all its beauty. Again, probably some abandoned place not very far from their server. Xelqua was beginning to get the hang of it.

– I’ll soon start to get used to the fact that our dates take place in this form, to be honest. Hotguy, you have to admit to yourself and to me that you like to see me tied up. I swear this will not go beyond our conversations. - Grian purred in a languid voice, watching with pleasure as the hero in front of him looked away embarrassedly and needed a couple of exits and breaths to collect his thoughts and direct them in the right direction.

- In a way, - Hotguy jokes, jumping onto the windowsill and sitting comfortably, but to be honest, I would like to talk to you very seriously. – Eyes the color of spring foliage flashed in the semi-darkness, showing the seriousness of the hero’s intentions. Grian rolls his eyes playfully, making himself as comfortable as possible and smiling contentedly, deciding that he is not in the mood to resist talking to Hotguy today.

- I want you to listen to me. This is a completely serious conversation, Cuteguy. – the hero’s voice tried not to tremble, but Grian was so used to hearing this voice that he understood that a little more, and his personal hero could break. And, oh Void, how right he was. Scar exhaled noisily, his voice trembled, he had obviously been collecting all these words into sentences for a long time, and had probably spoken them more than once in front of the mirror, but now their finest hour had come.

- You and I are enemies. You have to understand, - Scar exhales, trying to keep his voice calm, but his voice was trembling, he clearly wanted his words to reach Grian, he seemed to be delirious or in some kind of despair, which made Grian feel as if it was Hotguy was tied to a chair, and definitely not himself. - I'm a hero, I have to fight villains, kill villains, protect the world from villains. But... I have to protect the world from you, from people like you. But I can not. You understand? I can't protect the whole world from you. I can't hurt you, please understand that. I don't want to fight you, I don't want to get rid of you or even put you in jail. Or, even, make sure that you never again wallow in the information field of the entire Mojang. That your name disappeared from all newspapers, all channels, so that your name would sink into the oblivion of centuries.

Emerald eyes burned a hole in Grian, and the villain enjoyed the agony of the hero, sincerely glad that he was not the only one living in such a chaos of emotions within himself. Scar's voice became quieter, notes of sadness appeared:

- I would... on the contrary; I would like to see you more often. I would not want to touch you so that you would feel pain, perhaps, - Hotguy swallows noisily, looking away to the side, but speaking loudly enough, - I would like to touch you the way loving people usually touch each other... I don’t want fight with you, - the hero’s gaze returned to the villain, trying to understand what Cuteguy himself thinks about all this. - I just want to kiss you.

Scar jumps off the windowsill, coming closer to the villain, in his voice you can no longer hear despair, but some tenderness that he had previously hidden.

- How should I protect the world from you if you are my world? – His voice breaks into despair, as if frightened by all this silence of Grian, while Scar himself tries to explain his feelings. - I'm doing my damn job, protecting this stupid server, stupid world, from villains like you. And you know, maybe you should stop being my job.

A coquettishly malicious smile on Cuteguys lips blooms like a flower waiting for the first rays of dawn. Internally, he was delighted with such a striptease of the soul of his personal hero and was going to continue his attack, understanding where everything was leading and agreeing with what was happening.

- What do I hear? – the villain almost rumbles, lowering the pitch in his voice and enjoying the way the hero’s face turns red due to embarrassment. - That our sympathy is mutual? Mr. Hotguy, is it really possible that after so many fights and dates, you are finally proposing to me to become lovers?

[embervolkan]

Ello poppets.Thought I’d make a Second part to my very first little writing piece of Mr Undertaker.

Here’s the first part if you wish to read it. https://www.tumblr.com/embervolkan/712623081253994496/thought-id-give-this-writing-stuff-a-try-and-what?source=share

Hope you enjoy <3

Love for the Wilting Lily

18 +

Smoke was a common smell when you’re in the city. Along with the smell of fresh bread, gas from the local factories. Even the small fragrance of flowers and produce from the local markets.

Colorful stands of produce and more filling the streets. The warmth of the sun painting the streets and whole city. To think it had been a few days since the sun was ever truly out like this. Sunny, breezy, warm London.

Y/n looked up at the sky as they walked the streets of the city. Their basket held close to their chest. The noise around them almost muffled as they watched the clouds. Their clumsiness however snapping them back into reality as they scanned the shops.

When working, Y/n never really ventured out like this often. Only the days Undertaker needed more supplies and food for the week. Was never often it was this nice when Y/n was out and about. More importantly, it was never this relieving to be out.

Y/n touched their lips gently. A small sigh escaping them, remembering what had happened the other day. The way Undertakers lips felt on theirs. The way he held them, the way his hands trialed up and down their body. The way he said their name, the way his green eyes glowed so beautifully.

They couldn’t help but blush more, their eyes trailing the ground. It was almost like it was a dream that y/n was awaken from, but Y/n eventually awoke as loud commotion was heard from afar.

Y/n sighed deeply, Their eyes lazily looking up as people passed. Their voices muffled. A small hum escaping y/n’s lips as they saw the crowd of people gathered near something or someone.

Y/n raised en eyebrow going towards them. Overhearing the locals, the whispering and cries.

“ Another victim of Jack the Ripper”

“ Poor girl, who could ever do this”

“ Definitely got a kick out of this one I bet, poor thing”

Their voices drifted once more as the crowds whispers and mumbles became almost louder as the police ushered them to step back. Y/n Took this as a sign to get going as they glanced at the body once more before walking away

Y/n hummed as they continued to walk, the sun still out as a soft breeze blew. The scene from earlier playing in their mind as their thoughts were quite loud.

Their eyes caught the bright colors of the spring plants. The thoughts Y/n had fading away as they turned to see the stands, the soft and fragrant smell of the freshly cut flowers filling the air.

Their hands gently touched the soft petals of the flowers as Y/n blushed softly, “ Lilies .. lilies are so beautiful”

“Indeed” a familiar voice said as Y/n froze. Slowly turning around as her eyes met those emerald eyes.

“U-undertaker-“

“Lilies, a sign of rebirth some say” He grabbed one as he gently placed it in Y/ns silky hair. A smile appearing as he bent his head down more, his fingers gently grazing their cheek with a chuckle, “Also can mean … innocence… purity ..”

Y/n looked away as their face flushed. His fingers tickling their skin as they cleared their throat looking at him with a small smile, listening to him, unable to say words, “ Some also say they also represent mourning and grieving when given to the dead” Undertaker said In his raspy tone as his fingers touched the petals of the flowers on the display table behind them, “Seems I got your tongue poppet”

“I-I …. I didn’t expect you to be out today that’s all-“

“Didn’t expect me to see you out in public on such a lovely day? ..not to mention …” He tilts his head slightly with a smile as his eyes gazed into theirs

“ You look lovely poppet, so much difference out here then in there”

“Y-you mean in the shop?”

Undertaker laughed quietly as he nodded before taking their hand, twirling them softly, “ It’s always a refreshing feeling seeing the person you’ve grown close with show these kinds of things about themselves, don’t you agree?”

Y/n nodded slowly as they looked away with a deep blush, their hands softly letting go of his quickly. Undertaker raised an eyebrow before grabbing their hand again pulling them close to him, his hand holding their face, his other holding their hand.

“ can’t forget about the other day can you doll”

Y/n gasped as they looked up at him with a stutter, “W-what?! What makes you s-say that-“

Undertakers giggle turned into a loud laugh as Y/n scoffed pushing him away with a huff, “ Tease …” they pouted.

“ Oh my, you do know how to get an oldman to laugh his poor heart out”

Y/n rolled their eyes as they turned around looking at the flowers once more, their face still red as they placed their hand on the table. Soon being grazed by Undertakers fingers

His body pressed onto theirs as his chest laid on their back, his left hand trialing underneath Y/ns clothing, his fingers caressing their stomach with a tickle.

His right hand, gently laying on Y/ns hand, his thumb rubbing the back of their hand.

A shiver went through Y/ns body as they bit their lip, their body becoming hot as Undertaker laid his head on their shoulder, “ I haven’t forgotten how your lips feel Poppet, or how your skin feels”

His left hand trials up more as Y/n gasps covering their mouth as they look to see the people passing by, “ N-not here .. please”

Undertaker quickly brought his hand out as he turned Y/n around with a smile, still holding them close, “ Embarrassed to be in public with someone like me?”

“What .. No! Never!” Y/n yelled before covering their mouth embarrassed, “ I just … I just would want .. to be in a private space .. with you .. that’s all”

Undertaker smirked as he laughed quietly letting go of Y/n as he grabbed a bouquet of flowers looking back at y/n, tossing them gently to them, “ Then shall we?”

—

“ I think I’m in the mood for pasta wouldn’t you agree poppet”

Undertakers voice echoed inside the shop as Y/n sat in their desk. Both of them just coming back from the shopping trip.

It was .. strange In a good way as Y/ns blushed face turned to the sound of his voice, “ Yes .. that does sound lovely”

“come, why don’t you help me with the sauce”

Y/n got up as they walked to the small kitchen, seeing the vegetables they had just gotten on the cutting board, Y/n stood next to Undertaker as they began to cut some of the vegetables. Undertaker humming and giggling as he worked on the pasta

“Today was a good day” undertaker said with a small chuckle, the flour on his hands dusting the counter the more he moved.

Y/n blushed more as they smiled gently, “ why’s that”

“Got to spend it with you of course”

Undertaker didn’t hesitate those words as he dusted himself gently and playfully poking Y/ns cheek, “ Don’t believe me?”

Y/n Huffed wiping their cheek with a grin, grabbing some of the flour nearby throwing it into Undertakers face, “ No.. I don’t think I do”

Undertaker was speechless as he coughed rubbing his face gently trying to get the flour off. Y/n laughed as they moved back with some flour still in their hand, “ Who’s got your tongue now-“

Y/n Yelled with a laugh as they felt Undertaker pick them up, walking them to the table.

Undertaker laid them down on the table with a mischievous smile pinning them down, “ You’re gonna pay for that”, his hands moved to Y/ns sides quickly, tickling them as Loud laughter started to fill the room. Y/n was practically crying tears of laughter as they tried their best to push him off.

“Alright! Alright!” Y/n laughed as Undertaker joined in with their laughter.

Y/ns face was flushed as their eyes closed softly catching their breath, their cheeks almost glowing as Undertaker looked down at them with glowing eyes. His lips parted slightly as his heart skipped a beat.

The way Y/ns flushed face looks right now, the way their laughter is still trailing. He couldn’t help but blush softly, his hands moving to Y/ns face.

Y/ns eyes opened as their smiled stayed seeing Those emerald eyes again, their heart beating fast in their chest as Undertakers face moved close to theirs

“undertaker ..” Y/ns voice was breathless as they brought their hands to his face, his eyes widening a bit feeling the sensation of Y/ns hands.

Everything moved so slow as he closed his eyes, his lips crashing into theirs. Y/n moaned softly out of surprise, their hands trialing to his neck.

Undertaker couldn’t hold back anymore, the sight he had just seen made his heart flutter and ache with a feeling he didn’t know he could feel.

His tongue entered y/ns mouth, his hands trialing their body. The heat of his mouth and hands making Y/n loose her ability to even think, not even remembering how to breath as their hands trailed to his back, their nails digging into his clothed back

Y/n gasped feeling his lips trial along their neck and shoulder.

“U-undertaker” Y/n said in a pant.He looked up at them, crashing his lips with theirs once more. His body laying on top of theirs now.

Not leaving an inch out as Their lips and bodies stayed so close to eachother. Their lips and warm breath tickling each others skin. Their hands gripping and feeling everything they could.

If only … if only it could stay like this forever Y/n thought through their pants and soft moans.

If only

“ Y/n .. I ..” Undertaker broke the kiss as he gently smiled through his breathless words, “ I .. think … I think I-“

“Undertaker, Are you home?”

A voice was heard from outside the kitchen as Y/ns mind and body came back. The realization kicking in as a squeak left them.

Undertaker sighed softly as he stood up slowly carefully helping them up, “ Tendered moment I might say” he kissed their forehead with a smile as Y/n Chuckled softly, looking up at him.

“ Indeed …”

Undertaker caressed their cheek before walking past Y/n, “ seems a customer awaits poppet, let us get back to business and .. clean this flour up”

Y/n watched as he walked out, their Curiousness moving them the doorway

“ Well if it isn’t Lord Phantomhive!” Undertakers enthusiastic tone returning, the blush on his face gone as he stood near his desk.

Y/ns eyes peaking through the doorway as they saw the noble boy, next to him a tall and mysterious butler.

“ tell me, what shall I do for the young lord this time ..”

Yes .. what shall the undertaker do for them this time?

[sweet-child-of-night]

Everything is black and white until you meet your soulmate.

You know before her the world existed in shades of gray. Not the soft charcoal of a gentle rain, but the harsh, gritty gray of a forgotten photograph. Every street, every face, every stolen glance was a muted echo of something more. Even sunsets, those fleeting bursts of life in the sky, were mere flickers of muted light.

Then, on a day indistinguishable from the last, I saw Her. She stood bathed in the weak afternoon light, a silhouette against the horizon. My heart stuttered, a flicker of warmth in the endless gray. was her eyes, though, that truly shattered the monochrome. Unlike the vacant stares and dull gazes I had grown accustomed to, hers were emeralds, vibrant and alive. They seemed to hold within them a secret universe, a world teeming with color that I desperately yearned to explore

We spoke for hours, about the weather, the news, the dust motes dancing in the weak sunbeams. It wasn't the content of our words, but the feeling that accompanied them. It was as if with each syllable, a tiny shard of color bloomed behind my eyelids. Not a specific hue, mind you, just a promise, a whisper of vibrancy hinting at a world beyond this endless gray. As I spoke, I found myself stealing glances at her emerald eyes, searching for the source of this sudden awakening within me. And in their depths, I saw a flicker of something akin – a spark of recognition, a shared yearning for a world painted in more than just shades of oblivion.

We dove into dates, each one a stolen moment bursting with color. The greasy spoon diner where we met became a token of warmth. The chipped red vinyl of the booth whispered stories of countless meals, its worn texture smooth beneath our palms. Steaming cups of coffee sent tendrils of fragrant mist swirling, their deep, rich brown contrasting with the baby blue chipped mugs cradled in our hands.

Across the table, she sat bathed in the golden afternoon light. her dress, a sunshine yellow, mirrored the warmth blooming in my chest. It was the first time I truly saw color – not just the muted hues of the world around me, but a vibrant spectrum awakened within. It pulsed in the way your eyes, the color of deep chocolate melted with caramel, sparkled when you laughed.

Our tiny first apartment became a canvas for our burgeoning love. The chipped paint on the wall wasn't just any turquoise – it was an electric jolt, a rebellious splash that wouldn't be found in any respectable paint shop. It screamed of our shared disregard for convention and our embrace of the unique. Everything, from the blush that crept up her neck like a shy rose when I teased her - a delicate pink that rivaled the cotton candy clouds we'd once chased as children to the vibrant emerald greens of the park where we shared our first kiss, was a revelation. Each brushstroke on the canvas of our world painted a scene more dazzling than the last.

Love bloomed slowly, not with the sudden burst of a spring rose, but with the tenacity of a crocus pushing its way through the unforgiving grip of winter. It was a stubborn wildflower, determined to find beauty in the cracks of our lives.

We never needed grand declarations; love simmered in the quiet moments. Like the time she gave me a haircut, her gentle fingers threading through my hair, the salt and pepper strands catching the escaped light from curtains. she paused, a smile crinkling the corners of your eyes, and whispered, "It looks good, even better with some silver streaks."

The warmth in her voice spread through me like sunshine, painting the ordinary scene in hues of tenderness. These quiet moments held a deeper intensity than any grand gesture. There were times when the colors of our world seemed to vibrate with an almost painful aliveness.

From the fiery sunset on our Bora Bora honeymoon, where the sky wasn't just orange; it was a molten inferno of tangerine, crimson, and ochre, bleeding into the cerulean canvas of the ocean. It mirrored the fiery passion that burned between us, Oh we were young then and it was a reflection of the love that had brought us to this paradise. And then there was the serene blue of our baby's eyes, catching the morning light for the first time. It was a color so pure, so peaceful, it felt like a tangible manifestation of the love we had created. It was a new color in our world, a perfect blend of the blues of the sky and the depths of our own love as.

The fading, time like the love itself, was a thief in the night, stealing away the vibrancy bit by bit. It wasn't a sudden blackout, but a slow dimming of the lights. The vibrant cherry red of her winter coat, the one that used to make her stand out in a crowd, began to lose its luster, transforming into a muted, dusty crimson. The verdant greens of the park where we used to share springtime picnics, once bursting with life, dulled into a tired, weary olive.

We clung to the remnants of color for as long as we could, desperate to hold onto a fragment of the life we once shared. We spent hours poring over faded photographs, each one a portal to a world that now felt impossibly distant. The chipped teal paint on the apartment wall, now a flat, lifeless gray, was a stark reminder of what we'd lost. Her hand, once a source of warmth and life that sent shivers of joy down my spine, grew cold and clammy in mine.

My desk, once a haven for creative pursuits, was now constantly bombarded by the stark white of hospital reports, each sheet a cold, clinical reminder of the battle we were losing. My own heart sank into a bottomless pit. The thought of losing you, my vibrant kaleidoscope of color, was an unbearable concept.

But time, the cruelest of all, wouldn't allow us the luxury of denial. She fought valiantly, clinging in my embrace, her protests grew weaker, whispers lost in the relentless march of cancer. She left me back in the world of monotone.

And, i still remember in the final moments, a single, brilliant emerald flickers through the fading light. It's the last color I see – the emerald of her eyes

[brucenorris007]

Scrap

Summary: Scrap, verb: to discard, retire or remove from service. Metal Sonic discovers—partially through force, partially via coaxing—that perhaps it's time that it scraps a few hardwired notions. Else it will be stuck in the same loop indefinitely.

1892 words (Chapter 2/2)

Tak tak tak.

Typing.

That was the first sound Metal registered. It switched optics on–visuals returned after a brief delay.

Motor function did not.

Its processors didn’t have time to stress over that fact before a faint

Ping.

Sounded off nearby; within two seconds, Tails’ head poked out from behind a dividing wall separating another room.

“Oh, you’re up!”

Metal, lacking a means of responding, elected not to. Tails didn’t take offense, immediately pulling out his phone. He kicked out, still seated in a rolling chair, to cross the threshold of the dividing wall. His tails coiled around each other and he used them to cushion his impact with an adjacent wall and spring forward, rolling up to a desk.

Metal observed the space insofar as it could; it was suspended by a network of cables with its feet just touching the floor, only able to crane its neck marginally to either side. It had seen the exterior of Prower’s lab, having attacked it more than once; save a handful of ill-fated or otherwise brief infiltration attempts–usually to steal an emerald–it hadn’t had the chance to examine the interior.

Tails was–or had been–a secondary target and tertiary objective, after all.

The space exuded a… warmth entirely irrelevant to temperature. Metal lacked the vocabulary to describe it beyond that.

The desk Tails had pulled up to held a monitor hooked into a computer with cables that ran up the wall and scattered across the ceiling to reach all corners of the lab. Several tablets hung in charging ports situated in the dividing wall to his left; behind him in the corner, another table held a quasi-organized assortment of tools and various blueprints pinned up or folded into piles on a workbench. Unable to turn its head more than twenty degrees either direction, that was the extent Metal could see of the lab; save that in the space beyond the threshold of the dividing wall was a nest of pillows and blankets.

Even so, much of the fox’s personality was on display.

A skylight in the northeastern section of the roof illuminated the lab effectively without creating excessive glare on reflective surfaces. Tails’ desk, among other furnishings, sported a blue and yellow trim running along every edge. The source of the color choice was hardly a mystery.

“Shadow?” Tails said, phone to his ear. “Yeah, he’s���

Kvhroon.

“–awake.”

And of course, most unlike its maste–unlike Eggman, Tails freely invited others into his space.

Shadow didn’t react whatsoever to the face Tails pulled; the hedgehog’s attention immediately zeroed in on Metal. Before he could open his mouth to speak, Metal pre-empted him with a text.

How long has it been?

Its internal clock was always among the last of things to resume normal function after an emergency–or enforced–shutdown. Shadow’s answer only took as long as a glance at his phone did.

“Thirty-five hours.”

Metal took that information and manually reset its clock accordingly.

Shadow stared at it another moment before turning to Tails.

“How is he?”

Tails made another face; bemusement, if Metal had to guess. Its catalogue of expressions for anyone outside of Eggman and Sonic was limited.

Necessity had long dictated that it anticipated the actions of both in advance. Albeit for different reasons…

“Like I said,” Tails answered, dropping his phone on his desk. “He only just woke up, so I haven’t had a chance to look at him.”

Shadow, again, didn’t react; he kept an expectant look on the fox, who swiveled in his chair to face his monitor.

“He’s taken to the external battery just fine,” Tails said. “It always takes a while for everything to recalibrate after a full system shutdown like that. I’m gonna give him a few minutes before I really check things out.”

Metal was not accustomed to receiving such consideration. It had ample experience with total system failure and emergency shutoffs, as well as being brought back online. Forcefully, more often than not. With a priority on an efficient return to function rather than a smooth one.

The novelty of having someone accommodate the pace of its software proved… a positive experience, if a foreign one.

Shadow’s mouth tightened in impatience, though he didn’t argue Tails’ reasoning. The fox himself paused at his keyboard, glancing back at Metal.

“I did lock out your motor functions,” he said. Before Metal’s CPU could even process alarm, he continued. “Sorry about that; didn’t want you to hurt yourself or disconnect from the battery when you came to.”

Metal’s motherboard stuttered.

Yet another foreign form of consideration.

A chirping sound from Tails’ monitor called his attention back to the screen. He hummed, taking another few minutes to type and click, his tails swishing behind him.

“Main issue is obviously the state of your power source,” he said, swiveling in his chair. “But a handful of other stuff looks banged up, too. Should we do a full tune-up, or…?”

Tails trailed off, letting the question hang in the air; occasionally glancing sidelong at Shadow. Metal looked at the hedgehog.

“Only what you want to do.” He said, reiterating what he told it days prior.

Metal texted Shadow’s phone again.

Go over everything

And unlock my motor functions

“Sure,” Tails said a moment later. “You should be able to walk around a little without decoupling from the battery. I wanna keep your engine off till I get a chance to look it over, though; that cool?”

Acceptable

“Cool,” he said. He lifted one tail to point toward the other space. “Pull up a chair if you’re staying, Shadow; he can’t hack my phone, so you might as well be comfortable and useful while you’re here.”

The hedgehog grunted.

“I’ll stand.”

“Suit yourself,” Tails said, sounding utterly unbothered. He mashed ENTER on his keyboard and Metal’s limbs were its own again. “Okay! Let’s get started.”

—————

Five and a quarter hours later, Metal walked out of Tails’ workshop under its own power.

The process of its repairs had been novel and informative.

(“I can’t just delete things you want to change.”)

In many ways.

(“That’s not how coding works; if I start taking things out of your programming, it’s going to affect just about everything else. Especially stuff like prime directives. And I might have to write new code to replace the old just to keep you functional.”)

Tails had taken the time to explain to Metal everything he intended to do before doing it; affording it ample opportunities to veto any procedure it didn’t like.

(“I mean, I can do all that, but I can’t predict what the end result would be; I’ll only go through with it if you’re sure that’s what you want.”)

Of the many procedures he could have performed, Metal had only turned down a couple; and that after a not insignificant period of deliberation.

Tails had actually looked relieved once it made its decision.

(“Good. I’m not sure I’d have been comfortable doing it; it’s a lot more invasive than swapping out old or damaged parts.”)

His last words before reactivating Metal’s engine and declaring it wholly repaired had been ones of encouragement.

(“The fact that you’re capable of wanting to change your programming means that it can be changed without external interference; realizing you don’t like something about the status quo is the first step for everyone.”)

The preceding days had been rife with enough novel experiences to tax even its considerable processing power.

“Where will you go now?”

Metal turned to regard Shadow. The hedgehog had performed as mediator between the engineer and the android without a word of complaint.

If the answer is Eggman, will you attempt to stop me?

Shadow, phone still in hand, glanced down. Though the corners of his mouth tugged down in a small frown, he nonetheless replied:

“No.”

Shadow shook his head.

“I don’t have any stake in your decisions; your choices are your own. I only asked out of curiosity.”

Destination: Unknown

“Hrm.”

Shadow narrowed his eyes by a millimeter. He lifted his phone again.

“If you ever need somewhere to go,” he said, tapping at the screen. “I suspect you know where to find me. Otherwise…”

One final tap preceded several series’ of numbers–latitude and longitude–flowing back through its connection to the hedgehog’s cellular device.

“Go to any one of these coordinates.”

What are they?

“G.U.N. safehouses,” he said. Metal’s internal fan momentarily thipped when it should have whirred. “Don’t worry, none of them have been used in ages and they’re all far removed from populated areas. G.U.N.’s got too many to bother keeping track of them all. And even if they can, that doesn’t mean they do.”

Isolated, undisturbed and the last place anyone would expect to find any of Eggman’s creations.

Respite. Safety.

Metal once again found its vocabulary lacking. It nodded.

Shadow nodded in return.

“Well,” he said, stashing his phone and pulling out his chaos emerald. “Good luck.”

Kvhroon.

And then, Metal was on its own.

It hid the coordinates within an encrypted file and turned east, opposite the waning sunlight peaking off the horizon.

And sped off into the night.

—————

Metal stood in Green Hill, waiting; it scanned the sprawling meadows and vast, rolling grasses, for once without need to study or catalogue. Simply looking for the sake of looking; such an alien concept that it was occasionally stymied.

Still, it had time to learn; and unlearn.

“Hey Metal.”

Case in point.

Metal had managed six weeks without once running into either Sonic or Eggman. The mere sight of the hedgehog still triggered its combat systems almost automatically. Disengaging that mode required significant effort.

Knowing that Sonic would eventually appear, it had waited in Green Hill–despite the looks it received from many of the denizens–for just such an experiment.

Sonic had positioned himself a little less than two arms lengths away, one elbow crooked and hand on his hip while the other hand shielded his eyes as he looked out over the verdant landscape; otherwise wholly at ease. Metal permitted–intellectually–that the hedgehog might not harbor any ill will toward it.

It nodded at its doppelganger.

“Word is you split off from Egghead.”

Something like static ran through Metal’s system; it had no designs or intention of prompting an encounter with its creator as it had the hedgehog.

It nodded again.

Sonic smirked.

“Nice work.”

Metal weighed the innocuous praise against the sheer effort required to avoid returning to its former master.

It found the comment wanting.

As it turned aside to depart, Sonic said:

“Hey.”

It looked back. Sonic’s outstretched hand closed half the distance between them.

“Friends?”

Metal took longer than strictly necessary to register that the hedgehog’s open hand did not constitute a threat before responding. It shook its head; intercepted a satellite signal.

No. For all intents and purposes, you are simply some one I know

Metal flew off before Sonic had finished pulling out his phone.

For reasons it couldn’t fathom, it spared a single backward glance.

Sonic was borderline beaming.

For the first time, Metal conceded that–for all its cumulative data–it did not fully understand Sonic the Hedgehog.

And, despite years of being driven by a need to anticipate every move of its lookalike, Metal found it did not mind.

[luuv-zomby]

Emerald Based Alter

pt. Emerald Based Alter

General ✿ —⁠ name : Esmeralda/Esme ✿ —⁠ pronouns : she/crystal ✿ —⁠ gender terms : feminine/neutral ✿ —⁠ presentation (masc, fem, neu) : feminine ✿ —⁠ age : 297yrs ✿ —⁠ labels : demigirl, lesbian ✿ —⁠ birthday : may 18th

System ✿ —⁠ role(s) : femininity holder, crafter ✿ —⁠ type : willogenic ✿ —⁠ source : @luuv-zomby

Personality ✿ —⁠ general mood / emotion : joyful ✿ —⁠ traits : bouncey, sweet ✿ —⁠ mannerisms / habits : picking up jewels, gems, crystals ✿ —⁠ priorities : expressing herself ✿ —⁠ pet peeves : n/a ✿ —⁠ introvert / extrovert / omnivert / ambivert : extrovert

✿ —⁠ aesthetic : moon boho ✿ —⁠ theme : emerald ✿ —⁠ theme song : I Do Adore - Mindy Gledhill

Appearance ✿ —⁠ body type : pear ✿ —⁠ species : fae ✿ —⁠ height / weight : 5'0" / 145lbs ✿ —⁠ voice / accent : mid-pitch, colombian ✿ —⁠ hairstyle / hair type / hair color : medium length, curly, teal hair ✿ —⁠ facial shape : diamond ✿ —⁠ eye shape / eye color : round and downturned eyes, left eye teal, right eye green ✿ —⁠ nose shape : button ✿ —⁠ lip shape : thin ✿ —⁠ other features : freckles, long acrylic nails, bandaged hands

✿ —⁠ clothing aesthetic : moon boho

Ideas ✿ —⁠ dream job : jewelry maker ✿ —⁠ fears : breaking her nails ✿ —⁠ regrets : nothing ✿ —⁠ insecurities : being enough ✿ —⁠ core values : all or nothing ✿ —⁠ philosophies : no regrets, everything is a step to success

Interests ✿ —⁠ likes : green, flowers, handholding ✿ —⁠ dislikes : routine ✿ —⁠ loves : women <3 ✿ —⁠ hates : n/a ✿ —⁠ hyperfixations : n/a ✿ —⁠ unbearable : n/a ✿ —⁠ comforts : hugs

✿ —⁠ favorite color : green ✿ —⁠ favorite activity : metalwork/jewelry making ✿ —⁠ favorite song : I Do Adore - Mindy Gledhill ✿ —⁠ favorite music genre : Upbeat ✿ —⁠ favorite game : twenty questions ✿ —⁠ favorite TV show : n/a ✿ —⁠ favorite movie : n/a ✿ —⁠ favorite food : caramel chocolate ✿ —⁠ favorite drink : green tea ✿ —⁠ favorite scent : freshly cut grass ✿ —⁠ favorite flower : lily of the valley ✿ —⁠ favorite feeling : relaxation ✿ —⁠ favorite season : spring ✿ —⁠ favorite weather : hot

Extra ✿ —⁠ other : n/a

Before MWAA left they were working on this! The majority is their work. :)

-Alexander I

[trishmishtree]

A list of things I sewed in 2023, mostly in order

I guess this is going to be a yearly thing now?

I started the year off by finishing the regency gown, for which I'd made the bodice in December 2022. It's made from an ivory cotton gauze with a pre-embroidered edge, but I took the time to hand-embroider the dots and vines. I wish I'd gotten an extra yard of the fabric though, because the skirt hem is only 2 yards in circumference and could have used a little more width. I also regret using such an open-weave fabric for the dress, even though it seemed to match the fabric of the extant dress, because it was awful to embroider on. (The original dress is decorated with thousands of tiny metal staples, not embroidered.) In total, not counting the time taken for patterning, the bodice took about 30 hours to construct, and the embroidery and skirt construction took another 72 hours, which was spread out over the span of about 2-3 months.

After that, I revisited the floral Vicwardian historybounding skirt I'd made the previous summer. I still had a small amount of fabric scraps left from that project, so I used it to make a set of removable suspenders that could be used to convert the skirt into a jumper dress.

After that, I made an actual pinafore out of some cotton flannel. I don't love the fit on this thing because the back tends to gape (I didn't pattern the darts correctly), so I'm thinking about taking it apart and adjusting it in the future.

After that, I made a shorter, historybounding version of a dress that has been on my to-make list forever. It's based on the green round gown that Lizzy Bennet wears to the Meryton assembly in Pride and Prejudice (2005). The movie was edited so that the dress appears to be an emerald green, but photos of the actual costume show that it's a light sage green, so that was what I went with. I like the subtle "secret daily cosplay" vibes it gives with the shortened hem and the pink sash (I haven't had a chance to source some dark green silk taffeta to make a more accurate sash yet). My only regret is that the fabric I used is a slightly heavier weight than I would have liked, so this is more of a spring dress than a summer one. Overall very happy with this one and am looking forward to tweaking the pattern just slightly and making a floor length darker green version.

Then I got really into embroidery, and I made this detachable Peter Pan collar to go with one of my not-made-by-me dresses.

It was fun and easy, so I added embroidery and a ruffle to the Peter Pan collar blouse I made last year, and now I love it way more. I also re-did the collar on the lace-insertion shirtwaist from last summer and liked it way less, so I reworked it again and never took a picture.

In April, I made a baby dress for a coworker using this free pattern.

I also took some time to finish the set of Edwardian underpinnings I'd started last year, by making a hip pad (not pictured) and a ruffly c0rset cover. I liked the c0rset cover, but I didn't like how it looked with the c0rset and bust padding (it was just too much), so it became more of an alternative to wearing my Edwardian c0rset than an addition to it. I don't mind though. The Edwardian period is one of those eras where you can get away with not wearing a c0rset, since the bodices are not skin-tight, and I'm very very short-waisted and not-squishy, so I'm actually larger in the waist in a c0rset than out of one. I think I'm going to use the c0rset for evening gowns but only go with the c0rset cover (with no c0rset underneath) if I'm going for a daytime costume.

Then I did some more historybounding and made a back-closing blouse with a V-shaped yoke. It's made from my blouse block pattern, which I got from tracing a modern button-down I already own. I like the resulting shirtwaist (not pictured), but I think going forward I'm going to try to make a new block pattern because I never liked how the original shirt fit around my shoulders, and all the blouses I've made so far from this pattern also fit me weirdly in the shoulders.

Then in May, I made a wrap skirt that I patterned myself, inspired by Wildflower's Coquelicot Skirt. I regretted using such a limp, slippery fabric, and I don't love the skirt I got as a result (not pictured). I may attempt it another time out of a fabric with more body to it, but I have no plans to do that in the next year.

Also in May, I made a Victorian/Edwardian petticoat. It's floor-length and delightfully swooshy, and I love it, but I didn't get a picture of it because I don't own a floor-length mirror.

In June, another coworker had a baby, so I made another baby dress.

Then I finished residency and had more free time, so I bought 3 yards of strawberry-printed quilting cotton from Joann and made a modernized version of an 18th century dress inspired by the ones I've seen made by Bernadette Banner, Mariah Pattie, Sewstine, and Lina Piprek. I call this my 18th century strawberry dress, and it is one of my absolute favorite things I've ever made, even if it's not very practical or wearable for everyday situations.

In July, I got back into historical costuming and made another Edwardian bustle pad to add a little extra kick to the back pleats of my skirts. No pictures were taken, but I used BlackSnails' free pattern.

Then I made an empire-waist top out of 1 yard of rayon challis that I've had in my stash forever. I don't love the result, and I didn't get pictures.

In August, I was still slowly working on my Edwardian lace-insertion dress, so I took a little detour and made a dip-waist belt (photo unavailable) using Ora Lin's pattern and the last remaining scraps of the dark blue silk satin from making this dress.

I also finally finished the Edwardian lace-insertion dress in August but didn't get any photos of it for the same reason I didn't get a photo of the petticoat. Maybe next year? Here's a photo of what it looked like before I ripped out and re-sewed the ruffle of the blouse to be positioned lower.

Also in August, I made another project that's been on my to-make list since 2020: a ruffly vintage-inspired apron. I hated the fabric because it was so hard to sew through, but at least the print (by debtrevitt) is cute.

In September, I used the pattern I made for the 18th century strawberry dress to make a slightly more HA-looking version out of a red and white floral quilting cotton from Joann. The plan was to sew skirt hikes to the inside so that the skirt could be polonaised, but I never got around to that. I also never got around to making the contrasting petticoat to go with it, so that's a project for next year.

Also in September, I found myself wanting to try my hand at broderie anglaise. As mentioned above, I liked my ruffly Edwardian c0rset cover, but I didn't like that I couldn't wear it over my blue silk c0rset without looking too top-heavy. I still needed something to hide the blue of the c0rset, so I patterned out an Edwardian princess slip and started hand-embroidering the lace in the neckline...before I had to pack all my belongings and prepare to move back in temporarily with my parents, so everything had to be put on hold.

I was able to squeeze in one more project before the move, though, and made a regency chemisette out of cotton batiste scraps. No photos were taken because my regency dress and underpinnings are still packed away.

Then I spent October and November not doing much sewing because I had a bunch of paperwork to do in preparation for my new job. I did, however, repair a bunch of moth-eaten sweaters that my mom didn't know how to fix. And I did make a witch hat and a pair of witch legs I made out of recycled umbrella fabric and a pair of PVC pipes, since my parents had zero (0) Halloween decorations out.

In December, I dug out the princess slip project I'd started in September and properly assembled the slip. It still needs to be hemmed, but I can't do that until I move again and am able to dig out all of the rest of my Edwardian underpinnings, so it's still not finished.

What I did manage to finish was an 18th century hand-embroidered fichu to go with the slightly more HA-looking red and white floral gown, even though I still need to make the split rump and petticoat and cap...

While I didn't make as many things as I had last year, owing to a 2-3 month hiatus necessitated by the move, and I'm not as happy with some of the projects I completed this year, I'm still proud of myself for pushing myself out of my comfort zone and attempting some more ambitious projects.

With the combined efforts of 2022 and 2023, I now have a full set of Regency underpinnings and Edwardian underpinnings, except for the princess slip which is still in-progress.

In the coming year, I'd like to make a Regency bonnet, reticule, and spencer to go with the 1810s gown. I already have the fabric and pattern for the bonnet, but I'm waiting to make it until after I move somewhere more permanent, to avoid damaging it in the move (I guess I should add a hatbox to the list of things I'll need to make). I also have the reticule pattern ready to go, but I'm planning to hand-embroider it and don't have access to the thread colors I need yet. And the spencer is still up in the air because I don't have the fabric for it yet.

I'd also like to make a proper pair of 18th century stays (both 18th century gowns I've made this year have a structured lining layer that acts like built-in stays, so I already have a working pattern), an 18th century split rump, an embroidered pocket, and a linen cap to complete the set.

[grelleswife]

Saw also a twitter post about how the anime will be split into two cours??? Like, two parts or something?? Maybe the Easter Bonus will pop up at some point after all!

Hi, anon! Although I couldn’t find official confirmation on the Season 4 Twitter account, it’s entirely possible that I missed it amid this weekend’s flurry of promotional posts.

However, Sugoi Lite (@SugoiLITE) made a tweet on March 17th claiming that the new season will be split into two cours. Is this the one you saw? I’m not familiar enough with the source to attest to their reliability; the account seems to be devoted to anime news and leaks, but how often does that focus shift into mere rumor-mongering? But, if true, that would mean we’d get ~12 episodes (give or take a few) in the spring, followed by another 12 or so later this year after a short break.

We’d theoretically have ample time for the Easter chapter (i.e. as a flashback episode) if the Weston arc was spread out over two cours, even with a play-by-play recreation of the infamous cricket match. 😜 Heck, maybe the Kuro anime could go back to its roots with an Easter OVA! 🐣 The likelihood of this coming to fruition is close to nil, but I won’t relinquish my shred of hope.

Considering an alternate schedule in which CloverWorks manages to fit all the Weston material into 12 episodes…but we still have a second cour…then perhaps…just perhaps…especially if that second cour’s run at least partially coincided with spooky season…could an Emerald Witch adaptation be waiting in the wings? 👀

I’ll admit that, for the sake of fidelity to the manga, I’d prefer the studio to thoroughly cover the Weston College investigation if they have the luxury of two cours, but it’s an intriguing possibility!

[gingenr]

"Emerald is known as a stone of intuition, believed to be a source of eternal life in some mythologies, and represents vitality, new beginnings, and spring. Emeralds are believed to have a soothing energy that inspires fresh vitality in the wearer.

The Sim of this generation is all about living green and caring for nature. They're just as brilliant as the stone their generation represents, and put that energy towards giving back to the Earth."

Aspiration: Nature.

Career: Conservationist.

Goals:

Join the Scouts as a child.

Master the Gardening skill.

Master the Gemology skill.

Have a Green Eco Footprint in your neighborhood.