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lacryem · 20 days

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— A surprisingly long and in depth look about symbolism in the recent G-Fantasy cover by Yana Toboso ✦

Including references, flower language, how to decode the meaning of flowers, and a little too much brainrot. As well my personal interpretation drawn from all the sources I looked at. And of course what all of means (and maybe hints at?) for Sebastian and Ciel… and maybe even Sebaciel?

Originally posted as a twitter thread, but threads suck and I forgot a couple things. so here now.

Disclaimer :

I don’t know FOR SURE that all these things were directly referenced by Yana when creating this art. But being a fan of her work for over a decade I've become familiar with her use of symbolism and reference, and believe myself to have a good eye for it at this point! I'm also pretty familiar with the use of flower language, including different languages, due to having been involved in a project about it and having to read wayyy too much about this.

Some of it also includes my own personal interpretation, but the meanings and info I based myself off of ARE factual. I think I made it pretty clear when referencing my personal interpretation. You're welcome to reach your own interpretation based off of the stuff provided!

And lastly, I'm not a sebaciel shipper. I'm not an anti (the complete opposite, actually) and have nothing against the ship, I like the narrative around them and how they're written but I don’t actively ship them romantically or sexually. So I'd say this is actually a pretty unbiased interpretation. Personal taste is one thing, but I don’t deny the author's intention and whats written in front of me! That is what this post is about.

Kuroshitsuji takes place in the Victorian period (1837~1901) in 1889.

The following are both important Victorian books on the language of flowers that I will be basing myself off of.

Language of Flowers by Greenaway Kate (1884), and The Language of flowers: An Alphabet of Floral Emblems (1857).

(Also, I’m treating Ciel’s rose as a deep red rose. Which is a bit different than red roses. But I am adding some relevant information about roses in general, anyway.

Now, on what they say about these flowers.

Deep rose, meaning "bashful shame". White lily, meaning "Purity and sweetness."

— The White Lily

Most people assume that the lily refers to Ciel's purity, and that’s a fair assumption. But I disagree.

Firstly, the one holding the lily is Sebastian. Holding it on his right hand, tilted towards the right. However what's relevant here is the VIEWER. From the viewer's POV he's holding it to the left. Note he also holds the scissors on his left hand, where he bears HIS contract seal.

How you hold a flower, what position you give it to someone in, changes the meaning of the flower. These context clues are very important. It tells us that 'purity and sweetness' doesn’t refer to Ciel, but actually refers to Sebastian (…sorta).

This may be a little confusing. Purity and sweetness, Sebastian?! I know, I know. bear with me.

These books provide poems to help us understand how you may interpret the intended meaning. The lily poem is about enduring trials out of love because of the purity and sweetness he sees in his lover's eyes and soul. I believe Yana directly references the poems I will include in this post in her new artwork.

— My Interpretation

the meaning of Sebastian's lily is:

"I do all out of love for the sweetness and purity within you."

Him holding it to the contact seal and cutting the flower could stand for him destroying this sentiment (affection within himself) that has arisen in him as a result of their contract by destroying the sweetness and purity—the source of it—within Ciel (consuming his soul).

Note: This is debatable, as 'reversed' almost always means upside down. But if you consider the lily facing away from the viewer as reversed then it could mean "impurity and bitterness" which fits pretty well with Ciel, and it being held against the contract seal which is a physical representation of his impurity, brought on by his bitterness.

— The Deep Red Rose

There something I find very interesting. The rose is in a teacup, standing in for tea (I think there's even tea alongside it in the cup.) From Yana herself we know that Sebastian's eyes are a reference to the reddish brown colour of tea.

Like I said, I believe this rose to be a deep red rose, which is a bit more specific than the meaning given to red roses. However I think the poem included for roses in general very much applies here.

I was going to add my thoughts but I found this interpretation that sums it up pretty well if you replace the carpe diem theme with a more "running out of time" or "impending death" theme, which seems to be a more accurate reading for this artwork.

Looking at the rose itself, it has no thorns or leaves.

It is not a youthful rose as its already fully open and losing petals. "No hope, and no fear" fits with the poem, the rose is basically an hourglass referring to Ciel. His fate is unavoidable, but this isn't a deterrent. He's dancing on the ledge.

The deep red rose means 'bashful shame'.

When you compare it to the lily, which is a direct proclamation, the deep red rose is a quiet confession one cannot verbalize.

Debatable, to be fair but given the tie in to Sebastian's eye colour and the fact that he is always the one pouring tea for Ciel, I believe the Sebastian to be the speaker here too, but this time speaking on Ciel's feelings (Hence why he's the one holding it) rather than Sebastian's own.

— My Interpretation

The meaning of the deep red rose Ciel holds, speaking about Ciel's feelings of guardedness, and in response saying:

"Abandon your bashful shame, and let yourself be admired without expectations (hope) or fear"

Sebastian speaks about Ciel's feelings, the deep red rose acknowledges his feelings but they remain unspoken.

The Waller poem is a plead for his beloved to seize the day, for time is short, and allow herself to be loved completely.

Her beauty is one to be appreciated, she is not meant to be a rose unacknowledged (unloved) in the desert.

Regarding 'expectations', I think this is more about rigid ideas of how 'appreciation' or 'admiration, might be shown or received. Sebastian and Ciel's relationship defies normality or 'expectations'. So this, too, would defy expectations a young boy like Ciel, or a traumatised boy like Ciel, may have.

From Yana herself, we know Sebastian's dedication and how highly he holds 'beauty', specifically Ciel's beauty.

The author of the poem proclaims that beauty not appreciated is not beautiful indeeed, and so he calls his beloved to come to him and be appreciated wholly during the invaluable, limited time they have.

We see the deep red rose's petals fall away, in my opinion not only symbolising the withering away of time, but also the crumbling away of this "bashful shame" that Sebastian ascribes to Ciel.

How Sebastian wishes to "appreciate" this beauty is debatable. How he wants to "admire" and "desire" (per the poem) Ciel is rather open ended. Wether it be in a romantic way, a sexual way or by consuming his soul.

However, I don’t think these are mutually exclusive. And consuming Ciel can easily be a metaphor for the former two.

— The Lily and The Rose

The Greeneaway book has this poem which im sure was directly referenced. This poem speaks about the lily and the rose in a direct power struggle and fight for dominance, until they eventually unite and reign as one.

Now when speaking about this "union", you could say it refers to their contract, but I don’t think so.

The contract ties them to each other, but it doesn’t necessarily unite them. So I believe 'unity' to be about the appreciation Sebastian speaks of Ciel opening up to.

"The Lily" and "The Rose" might be interpreted as directly representing Sebastian and Ciel, and the unity that would come from them joining and becoming a truly complimentary pair. I think a power struggle and fight for being the one in control is very accurate way to describe their current dynamic in canon.

It may also be interpreted as "The Lily" and "The Rose" as being representations of their feelings and ideals previously. And then it would represent these two conflicting expressions—a loud unrelenting and destructive devotion, and a guarded, bashful, unspoken reluctance— coming together and turning from conflicting to complimentary.

Or as it tends to be with these things, both!

Either way all of this is expressed under the sense of impending doom created by their circumstances and the contract. So there's a sense of urgency permeating all of it.

Also clear to me is a sense of internal conflictedness coming from Sebastian's message that is usually only hinted at like this, and some people end up overlooking.

Sebastian desires Ciel deeply, but having him would also mean not being able to have him anymore.

Sebastian is torn and that’s why he attempts to cut the root of his wavering feelings represented by the lily.

All of this makes me wonder about what's next, and if we will see these things said more blatantly. Foreshadowing with flower language and references like this, isn't exactly rare for Yana. I wonder if we will see this 'unity' come to be, and what necessary development Sebastian and Ciel will need to undergo to make it possible. As well as what shape it will take.

I also wonder very much about Ciel's perspective in all of this, as this was almost entirely from Sebastian's POV, but I think that's intentional. Ciel has his own goals and a lot on his mind. Sebastian's goal IS Ciel. So I assume he spends a lot more time thinking about Ciel and this kind of thing.

Thank you if you read the whole way through. Like I said before, even though the sources defending it are, my interpretation is not law and you're welcome to reach your own with the things presented.

Links for sources, including free public domain PDFs of the books mentioned are found at the end of my twitter thread.

— Thanks for reading! —

#sebaciel shipper friendly post #kuroshitsuji #black butler #sebastian michaelis #ciel phantomhive #sebastian black butler #ciel black butler #sebaciel #please refrain from ship discourse on my post. I don't care if fictional characters upset you. I'm looking at the source material here.

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burnorgetburned · 8 months

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okay. OKAY. I JUST WANT TO SAY.

NEW MUSIC STYLE. NEW ART STYLE. NEW MAGIC SYSTEM, NEW GIRLS, MORE CLARA DOLLS, MORE HOMURA OUTFITS, MORE EVERYONE OUTFITS, and AAHAHAHAHSGH.

Homura wins by style points alone.

Anyway. Choice screenshots and my thoughts on them. Plus a few wild theories. Replies, tags, and your own reactions are VERY welcome.

(You're doing great, sweetie!)

First of all, I’ve already said this, but Homura has usurped Kyubey. She is the contractor in this new system. She calls magical girls and asks them if they can bear the responsibility of fighting (LEAGUES better than Kyubey's misleading BE A HERO language), using a magical lizard phone. She knows better than anyone else how heavy this is.

And she looks amazing while doing it. Look at that outfit! Look at her steampunk-esque aesthetic! Her throne. Which, notably, has glowing magenta eyes and her wings as a backrest.

The moon is either actually, physically repurposed, or she’s made something that looks like it. Not only that, but the pins going into the moon are exactly like the pins that went into her soul gem when she was being experimented upon in Rebellion. Those pins, according to the artbook, are for draining her gem of grief to keep her just before the point of witching.

Well, here’s my first wild speculation: Homura has not only taken over Kyubey’s job as a contractor but also its job of disposing of grief. That moon steampunk device is maybe for collecting, concentrating, and distilling grief into energy - hence the strange tesla coils connected to red liquid in the second screenshot above. She's doing what Kyubey says it's doing - turning the grief of people into energy to prolong the universe's lifespan.

I for one support her reality-warping shenanigans.

Here are some voices over a phone, sometimes speaking over each other, sometimes together. They call Homura “Akuma-sama” (!!!) which is a distinct upgrade from calling her Good-For-Nothing. They say “Just bring hope” like a mission statement. Are these her contracted girls? Or her Clara Dolls? They seem to show her a lot of respect.

I’ve also said this, but I strongly feel that this and the girl shown later are some of Homura’s new contractees. Their magic is darker. It warps the world around them, even. Their outfits incorporate black a lot more, too, though that might be the lighting.

Look at the little sigil on the top left-middle! Looks a lot like Homura’s lizard sigil shown when she was consuming the universe, just with a longer lizard.

And, of course, the image of Madoka throwing herself off of a building. “Wraith” and “Legend of Bestie” (lmao) show up here. I’ve actually been really looking forward to seeing what they’ll do with Madoka’s… self-sacrificial tendencies, so this might be part of that. Or, because of “Wraith”, it’s… well, I’ll get to that later.

On the other hand, it might not be Madoka. It might be the girl who the speaker in the phone call calls her "best friend", jumping to her death because of a wraith, and Homura saving her to fulfill a wish.

So glad that the insane architecture from Rebellion is making a comeback. Love what you’ve done with the place, Homura. Look at all those cranes!

The outfit changes are very cool to me. I honestly don’t have speculation for why Sayaka is covered in bandages, but I do have speculation for the changes!: they’re older. Years have passed. Since they’ve changed and grown, their outfits have changed, too. I don't have proof of this - I just like the idea.

Light shines down on Madoka. Petals fall towards her as flowers bloom above. Behold, Homura's extremely subtle and inscrutable feelings. (Sorry for the blurry Madoka, but I am not going through the ordeal of uploading screenshots to my computer again because Tumblr does not like mobile users).

Homura is apparently waiting for Madoka here. She's standing right in the fountain's water and holding a Victorian umbrella like a vampire. Right now we can see that the visuals of this movie will not miss.

Is this a routine thing for them or is Homura just showing up to greet them this one time, for some reason? No clue. Madoka's expression as she notices Homura could indicate either.

Eagle-eyed people on Twitter noticed this, but in these shots, Sayaka already has her bandages.

Aside from the multiple and/or teleporting Homuras, there's also a Clara Doll in a ballerina dress and a cute Clara Doll peering over the side of the tower like a little kid.

The tower is interesting. It appears to be made of books or pages, and there's chains throughout it. More notably, it's in the shape of a helix - infinity symbols on top of each other.

Please appreciate these Clara Dolls. I'm sure they're working hard.

But seriously, those Clara Dolls' details. One has a witch's hat. One has an apple on its head. And the one with a teacup appears to have not only a lizard's tail but a replica of Homura's Devil outfit. Appreciate them!

Here is Homura(?), lounging or trapped on a chair filled with even more of those pins. Look at her closely. She's wearing a strange combination of her magical girl outfit and her Devil outfit - her shoulders are bare, and she has... feathers? She's sitting on a bunch of nails. But she also has two soul gems - one in her hand, and one hanging from her neck.

Is she cleansing them? Eating them? Holding people hostage? I don't know, but I support her completely.

She looks so tired.

So: here's some of what I think might be going on.

Homura is using wraiths to repress her worst memories. We know already that wraiths take memories and emotions from their victims. Well, there's no reason it can't be used as extremely terrible coping! Homura actually does this in the Wraith Arc, too - she lets a wraith take her feelings for Madoka.

If it is Madoka, it explains the shot with Madoka throwing herself off a builing - what if Homura has seen this happen in the loops, and out of pain lets a wraith pull it right out of her? The shot says "WRAITH" and billows with smoke. A wraith could have taken Madoka's form to act out this memory. And it doesn't need to be a memory - it could also represent Madoka's self-sacrifice and almost suicidal tendencies. This, too, would explain the multiple Homuras. All wraiths using her form.

This puts forward powerful enemies for the plot, as well as an interesting point of literally fighting Homura's demons. Most importantly, this lets everyone see Homura's pain.

Other wild dartboard speculations:

Homura will try and present herself as a villain. This is, honestly, kind of guaranteed, but it bears mentioning that her magical girls will be very likely to try to defend her.

Kyubey may appear to try and turn the girls against Homura.

Homura made the new magical girl who is drawing a bow. She has a lot of design choices from the Quintet, and people have already noticed how much she looks like Madoka. This new girl plays a role of the hero to Homura's pretend-villain, eliminating the risk that her friends will get seriously hurt.

The new magical girl is actually Madoka. Or the Law of Cycles. Or Kriemhild Gretchen.

The girl who jumps from the tower is a contractee being asked to take a leap of faith. She does so, and Homura rewards her with magic.

#pmmm #pmmm analysis #puella magi madoka magica #madoka magica #walpurgisnacht rising #walpurgis no kaiten #pmmm 4 #please tell me what tags to use for spoilers!#pmmm specuation #homura akemi #long post

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colleendoran · 1 year

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The Secret Language of a Page of Chivalry: The Pre-Raphaelite Connection

Adapting Neil Gaiman’s Chivalry is a decades-long dream fulfilled. The story as text can be enjoyed on multiple levels, and so can the art. You look at the pages and see the pretty pictures, but the pictures also have meta-textual meaning. Knowing this secret language adds to the experience.

Some people pick up the references quickly, but I’ll share with you some more of what’s going on under the surface.

In Ye Olden Days of Art Making, most painters made pictures that contained visual narrative cues. Flowers in a picture might be heraldic signs that signaled political affiliations, or could indicate purity, anger, or love. Purple was the color of kings. A dog in a picture might represent faithfulness, and butterflies could represent the soul.

There are Pre-Raphaelite paintings with so many symbols and ideas in them that you need a deep working knowledge of Victorian and Edwardian social mores to understand what’s going on.

For example, Ford Madox Brown’s Work, a painting which took some 13 years to complete, was first exhibited in 1865 with a catalogue explaining all its symbols and elements. There is nothing in that picture that doesn’t mean something.

I brought some of that visual meta-textual sensibility to Chivalry, (and I’ve written about the symbolism and meanings in the work in other essays.)

I also brought into the work direct Pre-Raphaelite art references.

From 1868-1870, Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones created four paintings illuminating the tale of Pygmalion and Galatea, entitled Pygmalion and the Image, and wrote a poem with each line titling one painting:

The heart desires

The hand refrains

The godhead fires

The soul attains.

A perfect little poem for Chivalry, and I think of it often when some people present me with what I think is a very strange question: why didn’t Galaad just take the Holy Grail from Mrs. Whitaker?

It kind of breaks my heart that people would even ask that.

Burne-Jones painted two versions of this series of which this is the second.

In the first panel of this page, Sir Galaad kneeling before the Grail is derived from the figure of Pygmalion kneeling before Galatea: The Soul Attains.

Sir Galaad’s restraint even in the face of his greatest desire makes him worthy of his prize.

There are two Pre-Raphalite references in this page, the most obvious being in panel 2: it’s Sir John Everett Millais’s 1857 work A Dream of the Past: Sir Isumbras at the Ford.

The painting was very poorly received on first exhibition, compelling Millais to redo significant portions of it. It was caricatured and ridiculed, and then ended up becoming influential and popular, and isn’t that the way it goes.

That’s an art career in a nutshell, really.

The Sir Isumbras image also influenced John Tenniel’s illustrations for the Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland novels.

Sir Isumbras derives from a 13th century Medieval romance poem about a good knight whose pride causes him to fail in his Christian duty. He is presented with a series of difficult challenges before he can find happiness again, reunite with his family, and be forgiven his sins. The painting by Millais is based less explicitly on the poem than it is on a later parody of the poem. (It’s complicated.)

My using Sir Isumbras as the base for the shot of Galaad with the children is obvious here. In the Millais painting, Sir Isumbras carries a woodcutter’s children across the ford. In Chivalry, Sir Galaad carries the children of Mrs. Whitaker’s neighborhood down the street.

While Sir Isumbras spent many years learning humility and Christian duty, Galaad has a long quest to fulfill before he can achieve his goal. And on the way to that goal, he’s humble and nice to children, too.

That the Millais painting was such a huge influence on many a depiction of knighthood over the years made it a perfect reference point here, and the story behind both the painting and the poem give it further layers of meaning.

The next panel has a far less obvious reference, but the source is Arthur Hughes’s painting The Rescue.

Arthur Hughes is one of the lesser-known Pre-Raphaelites, but his art is widely seen and influential. He’s certainly been a big influence on me, as many of his paintings appear again and again in Arthuriana references, as he was a prolific King Arthur picture tale teller.

The Rescue (1907-1908) was originally part of a diptych which was separated and sold back in the 1920’s. His style was becoming unpopular by the time Hughes painted the work, and little is known about this work except that one panel was in the collection of Andrew Lloyd Webber at some point. Maybe still is. Dunno.

Anyway, the diptych depicts a little child kneeling in prayer menaced by a dragon in one panel, and in the next, safely trotting away with a knight on horseback. I like that this is a diptych, a kind of proto-comic art form common in medieval religious art, so this was perfect to use here.

Another reference to Arthur Hughes is in this double page splash from later in the book as Galaad on his quest encounters the Hesperides.

I didn’t set out to reference this Arthur Hughes piece at first, but it’s one of my favorite paintings. When I realized my sketches for this scene kept echoing the Hughes composition, I went with it. The Hughes painting of Galahad is one of the most famous depictions of the character, so it makes me happy to have this referenced in Chivalry.

Kindly ask for CHIVALRY, published by Dark Horse Comics in the USA and by Headline Books in the UK at your local comic shops or bookstore. Written by Neil Gaiman. Adaptation and art by me.

For further reading on this project, go HERE.

HERE.

And HERE.

Thank you to my Patreon patrons for sponsoring my work and this post.

Colleen Doran Illustrates Neil Gaiman will be a solo exhibit at the Society of Illustrators in New York City this spring. Watch this space for updates.

Have a wonderful holiday season.

#neil gaiman #dark horse comics #king arthur #Sir Galahad #Comics #graphic novel #fantasy graphic novel #watercolor #pre raphaelite #pre raphaelism

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your-favblondie · 4 months

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'*•.¸♡ 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐨 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬♡¸.•*'

(This is one of my first times writing in the past few years and my first time writing in this way so please give me any criticism and any tips you guys may have!! Now on to the story :3)

Word Count: 625

Thank you to everyone who participated in the poll. Our winner was everyone's favorite emo, Choso!! I hope you enjoy the story and if you did leave a like or a comment down below!

Choso is soo sweet but also soooo sooo inexperienced in his relationships.

He probably has only dated one or two people before you if you aren't his first relationship.

He texts like a Victorian gentleman, uses no slang, and has perfect punctuation.

"Hello Sweetheart, I hope this message finds you well. Tell me how your day has been? Love, Choso"

His room is like a teenager's room, with posters and little collections of his favorite things, and on a shelf above his desk, he has pictures of you and his brothers, plus any gifts you've ever given him! (super sentimental) Has a matching couple's bracelets sitting on his desk for you two. ( Shhh he's gonna surprise you)

He's a very clean person! ( no dust shall cover his room) The type to always offer to help with dishes if he eats at another person's house.

Gives you little flowers he found and if you're going on a trip and he won't see you for a while he'll dry some flowers inside a book and give them to you! (he'd also do this on the regular for you and make bookmarks for you if you're an avid reader)

his love language is def gift-giving and touch!! holds your pinky with his, lets you hold onto his arm when you're out in public, and holds you from behind while you're talking with other people.

When he's sick he'll try and hide it because he feels like getting sick makes him weak and useless. ( Once you realize this you'll have to persuade him to let you take care of him. )

At the start of the relationship, I'd feel like he wouldn't be very into PDA mostly because he isn't all too used to it and hasn't been exposed to other couples doing PDA in front of him. But after a few years, it'll be the exact opposite problem will cling to you like a koala bear. Hugs from behind, sweet neck kisses, arm hung loosely around your waist, etc... He can't be away from his darling for too long or he might die!!

uses dramatization for humor, it started off as his version of trying to be sarcastic after you explained to him sarcasm. But he didn't quite catch on...

" Be careful Choso!" you called out to him as he pushed off to the ice skating rink. Recently the icey weather has made it possible to open up a skating rink so you and Choso decided to go and give it a try. Choso says he's great at skating since he and his brothers skated all the time at their non-ice skating rink. You tried to explain to him that they weren't exactly the same but didn't have the heart to break his confidence. Now you rush to put your skate on as your boyfriend waits patiently, well about as patient as a puppy, for you to join him. " let's go," he says holding your hand gently as you both step onto the rink, and for a second you think he might be okay. For a second only though... CRASH Now you stare at your boyfriend whose face planted right onto the ice and was still lying on the rink not being able to get up. as he keeps slipping back down your laughter only grows, you reach your hand out to him to help him steady himself, "I think you may be the greatest skater I've ever seen hunny" You tease. As he rises his face is full of confusion and he turns to look at you. "Baby I think to be a good skater you have to be able to stand?" He corrects you. "I'm being sarcastic chos- " "What is sarcastic?"

now every time he sucks at something he quickly jokes that he is the absolute best at it

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. I plan on continuing writing when I have the chance so please leave suggestions in the comments down below! I would greatly appreciate it! I may even do an NSFW ver. of Choso headcannons.

#jjk x reader #choso jjk #choso kamo #choso x reader #choso #choso x you #choso x y/n

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taylorswiftstyle · 11 days

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The Tortured Poets Department | April 19, 2024

Grace Lee 'Demi Earrings' - $1,298.00

One of my favourite parts of the album listening experience is, of course, the new set of visuals that come with it. While there’s much to be said about interpreting clues, patterns, and preferences in aesthetic from the case study that candids provide, I view the album photoshoot as the most ‘canonical’ of every era. And oh *swoon* is this one ever beautiful. The original album cover set it up and the rest of the album’s photographs followed through to create a beautifully raw, desaturated world. One that provides ample space between all the black and white for the music to paint with all the shades of grey that its messy, complicated circumstances depict.

In this particular shot, I love that we get to see Taylor’s hair smoothed out into a more classical glamour shot with a low, off-shoulder garment that exposes her back. Again, underlining the vulnerability of the shoot itself and how that ties into its respective work. The only ornamentation we see is from her modern, curved #GraceLee earrings.

But what’s most interesting in this shot are what appears to be calla lilies resting on her shoulder. The flowers look so naturally tied into the shot they could almost be the ends of her hair or floral embellishments on the garment. Of course, Taylor being Taylor there’s a lot to possibly interpret from these flowers (the language of flowers is fascinating and there’s a lot of conflicting and wide-reaching symbolisms to each). That said, calla lilies are a common funeral service flower as they’re typically seen as symbols of resurrection and rebirth or purification of a departed soul. Broken calla lilies on tombstones often indicate someone who died before their time. With a lot of lyrical imagery across the album that centers on death, dying, and grief this makes the most sense

The calla lily also has ties to other themes we’ve already seen Taylor opt into for #TTPD. First, the Victorian era, the lily having become popularized in the 1800s (the Victorian age was 1820-1914). Secondly, in Greek mythology as it’s often seen as the symbol of Hera (goddess of marriage).

Editorial Note: Original cover image captured by Beth Garrabrant - Taylor’s album photographer since folklore. In place of Beth’s image, for which she retains rights, I’ve commissioned a lovely demonstrative illustration by the talented Amelia Noyes.

#taylor swift #photoshoot #jewelry #grace lee #april 2024 #ttpd

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fortheloveofallthings · 1 month

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Steddie Florist AU - Part 2

Part 1

Steve watched in a haze as Eddie stepped out the front door with his new dahlia. Of course this mystery man gravitated towards them, he thought to himself. They stick out in a crowd, are revered for their beauty, often symbolizing kindness and everyone that loves dahlias is obsessed with their moody aesthetic. Perfect for Eddie. Thankfully Robin wasn’t here today to poke fun at his now blossoming crush. He continued his usual tasks, happily letting thoughts of the bartender fill his mind. 4 hours, he can stop by the bar in 4 hours.

Eddie practically skipped the remaining block from the Flower Shop to the bar. Chrissy was already pulling down chairs from the tops of tables as he entered. “I finally walked in!” He announced. Her blonde ponytail whipped around as she placed another chair down. “You walked in? Like actually step foot inside?” she questioned, excitement woven into her tone. Eddie nodded as a smile stretched across his face. He held out the dahlia with Shakespearean flare knowing it would be proof enough. “He gave it to me on the house, so I offered him a drink tonight,” he smiled walking past Chrissy towards the rows of liquor behind the bar hoping to find something empty enough to use as a vase. It didn’t take long skimming through the shelves before he landed on a Tanqueray bottle he could rinse out. Chrissy made her way towards him to start prepping the garnishes, “A flower on the house?” “Yes, on the house.” Eddie reiterated. “I can’t believe the first time you actually step foot in there, the florist who you’ve been eyeing for months, flirts with you within what? 5… 10 minutes of you being there! And you arrive with a dahlia of all things,” Chrissy says in almost disbelief. Eddie had already rinsed the now completely empty bottle of gin and carefully unwrapped the flower from its tissue paper to place it in and out on the bar in full display, “So? It’s just a flower, he’s a florist, it’s a flower shop. He’s probably given loads of customers free flowers.”

The statement was as humbling as it was disheartening. Eddie wanted the flower to be a special moment between the florist and him. But romance was never company, not for any of the Munsons. Romance was a daydream. So the realist in him crushed any hopes of love before they could take root. No one had won the key to his gated heart. “Oh come on Eddie!” Chrissy scolded as she placed the lime knife down, “Dahlias represent long lasting bonds, love, devotion. Flowers have their own language and meanings. This man thinks you’re beautiful and I’ll bet he also has a crush on you.” Eddie was struck, dumbfounded, “What do you mean flowers have language? You can tell all that by a single flower?” “Yes, Eddie, I can. Lesbians know a lot about Victorian flower language. It’s a whole gay thing,” she explained. He humphed in curiosity, contemplating this new information, “Well don’t get my hopes up too high. I barely spoke to him and I can only pray to whoever’s out there he’ll even make an appearance later.”

Steve wrapped up his shift soon enough. Thankfully a customer’s custom bouquet order held his attention for the last 2 hours making the time fly by. He left the keys for Vickie to lock up as she arrived and he ran out the door. He sprinted back to his apartment, and opened the door to the small studio decorated with plants, paintings Robin made for him, and photos of him and his step-brother Dustin. Steve rushed through his shower so he could spend a decent amount of time on his outfit and hair before racing towards the Red Dragon. After much deliberation and a quick FaceTime with Dustin and his girlfriend Susie he settled on his light brown bomber jacket with the olive tinted elbow patches, a perfectly fitted off-white button up with a small leaf pattern, blue jeans and his slightly worn down converse. Susie suggested most of his clothes which was new territory for them but Dustin reassured him he looked like himself and not the straight-passing jock he typically would anywhere outside the shop. Steve smiled in the mirror as he did a final fit check, laughing at the accuracy in which Dustin described him then was out the door without any further hesitation.

Part 3

#steddie fanfic #steddie #eddie munson #steve harrington #steve x eddie #made it longer #look out for part 3 #florist au #steve is a florist #eddie is a bartender

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morallyinept · 4 months

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I mentioned on a previous Ask that I used to be a florist, (man, do I miss that job...) and lovely @doughmonkey suggested I should match the Pedro Boys with flowers... so, here you are! 🪻🌷🌻

Enjoy! 🖤

Jett's Pedro Boy Rambles Masterlist

Flora & Fauna Masterlist

The sunniest flower for our sunniest Pedro Boy, Javi. Sunflowers often represent the sun and Javi just beams like it, doesn't he? Sunflowers also bring good fortune, and represent a long life and lasting happiness. It is often seen as a symbol of faith and devotion, radiating positivity and hope. In some Eastern religions, such as Buddhism, sunflowers are considered sacred and represent spiritual enlightenment. Or, divine inspiration, as Javi would say...

Sweet Peas represent goodbyes and yearning. In Victorian England, for example, sweet peas were often given as a sign of departure or goodbye to a loved one. Considering Joel has lost Sarah, I'd say a Sweet Pea would be a good representation of a flower for Joel. Sweet Peas also can mean blissful pleasure, friendship and gratitude. They come in all sorts of colours too, such as shades of white, pink, coral, red, violet and blue, and some combining two colours.

More subtle than the bold traditional red rose, pink roses typically symbolise admiration, happiness, and love. Pink roses also symbolise sweetness, femininity, appreciation, and admiration - all traits that this handsome agent showers in abundance towards his love interest. I think receiving a bunch of beautiful pink, velvety roses from Marcus Pike would totally sweep you off your feet and totally convince you to go to Washington DC with him.

Red poppies are worn as a symbol of support for the Armed Forces community, and to remember our fallen military personnel. The poppy is a common symbol that has been used to represent everything from peace to death, and even simply sleep. Seeing as Frankie worked in the forces, he would probably tuck a red poppy flower behind your ear then kiss you sweetly, as he walks hand-in-hand with you through the local Veteran Day Parade.

In the language of flowers, wild heliotrope symbolises devotion and an everlasting love, which when you think about Whiskey losing his sweetheart and baby boy, this flower couldn't be more perfect for him. It has a delicious scent and the flowers follow the sun as it tracks across a winters day, hence the name "Heliotrope" which is derived from the Greek Helios meaning sun and tropos meaning 'turn' or 'direction'. Everlasting love is a journey that you rarely falter from the path, so I imagine Whiskey would choose this flower to place on the grave of his sweetheart and baby boy.

Passion flowers, not only look a little alien in their bloom, they also have healing properties, which Ezra could do with in abundance, right? Roman Catholic priests of the late 1500's named it for the Passion (suffering and death) of Jesus Christ. And Kevva, has this prospector suffered... Passion Flower can incite love and passion and help you attract companionship. A perfect flower to represent my main man Ezra, I think...

Colourful, fun and a little kooky looking, gerbera daisies are just flowers that make me smile in abundance. And so does Dieter Bravo. Yellow gerbera daisies tend to symbolize cheerfulness and celebration. Orange gerberas convey that the person you present it to is the sunshine of your life. Red gerberas represent an unconscious love or to be fully immersed in love. White gerberas symbolise innocence and purity. Pink gerberas are a symbol of admiration, adoration, or high esteem for someone. I imagine Dieter would love these because he would be attracted to the variety of colours and they would make him smile, even when high...

Black dahlias aren't truly black, but rather a very deep shade of crimson that appear black. They symbolise betrayal and sadness, so shouldn't be gifted lightly. It also represents inner strength, likely due to the plant's ability to tolerate such harsh conditions. Although a stunning flower to behold, the symbolism doesn't come without it's notoriety; they're associated with the infamous murder of Elizabeth Short (The Black Dahlia Murder) in 1947 in Los Angeles. Black dahlias and Dave York? Nuff' said.

A flower with a bite, just like Max. A carnivorous plant, this flower eats insects. They have simple nodding flowers and leaves modified as hollow pitchers, which function to passively trap insects, luring them with nectar, then digesting them or drowning them with fluids, later to be absorbed by the plant. So, although it looks pretty and alluring on the outside, beware whats hidden underneath - just like our feisty vampire, Max. Nom.

Anemones are my most favourite flower. It was believed that the flower sprang from the blood of the slain Adonis, who was a lover of the goddess Aphrodite. As such, anemones are often seen as a symbol of love and passion. And there's no-one more passionate a lover than Javi P, right? Anemone flowers are available in many colors with each symbolizing a different meaning. White anemone flowers symbolize sincerity due to their delicate appearance. Red and pink anemone flowers symbolize death or forsaken love. Purple anemone flowers symbolize protection from evil. I think Javi would be a purple anemone, due to the job he has... he'd definitely protect you.

With their vibrant orange, yellow and red petals, naturally marigolds are symbols of positive emotions, like joy and excitement. Marigolds also represent energy, good luck, warmth, creativity, prosperity and passion. Oberyn exudes passion in abundance so this flower would be prefect for him. Their vibrant colors and strong fragrance make them an essential part of various traditions, festivals, and rituals worldwide, such as Día de Los Muertos. A perfect flower to represent Oberyn, in both life and death.

The Ghost Orchid earned its name due to its ghostly white petals and the illusion of floating in mid-air when attached to trees, with no visible roots or leaves. The Ghost Orchid is considered one of the most elusive orchids in existence. Its scarcity and remote habitat have contributed to its mythical status among plant enthusiasts. Due to its unique growth habits and specific environmental requirements, sightings of the Ghost Orchid in the wild are extremely rare. A little like our Mandalorian here in the sense you never see his face, he, like the flower, is elusive and a rare specimen indeed. And when you do get an eventual glimpse of it, it is absolutely breathtaking...

Holding on to their shape and color long after being cut, strawflowers are said to symbolize immortality and are commonly known as 'Everlasting' flowers. Their endurance and strength is notable and we can compare this to our resident hero of the Pedro Boys, Marcus Moreno. Everlasting flowers symbolize eternal love, hope, and remembrance. They are often used in wedding bouquets, funeral arrangements, and other special occasions to express enduring sentiments and commemorate cherished memories. Considering Marcus is also a widower, this flower is a great choice to represent him.

The bird of paradise flower symbolizes joyfulness, freedom, anticipation, and excitement. Furthermore, it represents faithfulness, love and thoughtfulness while being the official flower of the ninth wedding anniversary. As someone who is often bogged down in the the dark gloom of investigations, a colourful, peppy flower such as this would brighten Tim's mood instantly after coming home from a long day of work.

Tiger lilies represent courage, strength, and confidence. The main red tiger lily meaning is passion. White tiger lily meaning can be described as purity. Pero would be of the red variety, considering he wields such strength, courage and confidence on the battlefield. Tiger lilies also have healing properties and the lance leaf tiger lily is native to China. Apt considering Pero fights there...

Giving someone one of these small blossoms is a pledge that you will never forget them and that you will think of them often. For this reason, they're also considered a symbol of fidelity and faithfulness. Forget-me-nots represent true love and giving someone this flower means you truly love and respect this person. Similarly to making a wish, if Max gifts you with these flowers, he's not likely to forget you in a hurry.

The most classic of them all, a red rose is a perfect choice for a significant other. This stunning shade most popularly stands for passion and communicates love. It's the rose of romance and deep feelings, but can also relay desire, beauty, victory, harmony, joy, luck, pride and martyrdom. Which if you're familiar with Silva and his traits, this flower is the perfect choice for him.

A flower that is not very common, Petunias display feelings of deep resentment and anger. Despite their amazingly striking appearance, they take people by surprise because of their shocking underlying meanings. And if you know a thing or two about Veracruz, you know he's just like a Petunia - beautiful on the outside, but sinister and resentful on the inside...

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maraudersmyloves · 1 month

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｡☆ : . Garden Party . :☆｡ﾟ. ───

•̩̩*˚James Potter's birthday party ── 750 Follower event

⊹✿・・────────────・・✦・・────────────・・✿ ⊹

YOU'VE BEEN OFFERED A BOUQUET!!!

as thanks for getting me to almost 750 Followers, you have been offered a bouquet of flowers!! All you need to do is select a type of flower, the main color, a filler flower and a type of greenery!! Requests end on the seventh of April and first requests will be written first please read everything before requesting!!!

── request rules, masterlist

type of flower/ character

⊹˚₊˚꒰🌹・꒱ THORNLESS ROSES ; James Potter (the birthday boy) Their usage began not just as a decorative touch to one’s home, but they were also used for medicinal purposes and to make perfumes, and their petals were even used as confetti for festive occasions such as James' birthday.

⊹˚₊˚꒰🌻・꒱ SUNFLOWER ; Remus Lupin They generally symbolize adoration, loyalty, and longevity in the language of flowers. Native Americans view sunflowers as a symbol of harvest and bounty since the flower provides seeds and pigments, in addition to being visually beautiful.

⊹˚₊˚꒰🏵️・꒱ HYDRANGEA ; Sirius Black You know summer is here when big, showy hydrangea bushes begin gracing gardens across the country. Some hydrangea flowers can turn a pretty pink or blue depending on the acidity or alkalinity of the soil, while others will remain white.

⊹˚₊˚꒰🌼・꒱ DAISY ; Peter Pettigrew Daisies are a very popular flower that can be found on every continent other than Antarctica. They belong to one of the largest known plant families and symbolize innocence, a connotation that comes from the Victorian era.

⊹˚₊˚꒰🌷・꒱ TULIP ; Luke Castellan There are over 150 species and 3,000 varieties of tulips, which are part of the lily family. At one point, tulips were more valuable than gold in Holland during a period called “Tulip Mania,” and their popularity has only spread with time.

⊹˚₊˚꒰🌸・꒱ DAHLIA ; Mattheo Riddle These attractive blooms come in a wide range of colors and can be easily incorporated into any existing or new garden. They also flower extremely long, first blooming midsummer and lasting through the first frost.

⊹˚₊˚꒰🌸・꒱ BEGONIA ; Lorenzo Berkshire With over 1,800 species native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, begonias are one of the easiest-to-grow and best-loved plants we have in our gardens and homes.

type of greenery/ prompt

✦˚₊ ‧ ꒰🌿・꒱LEATHER FERN ; "Can you hug me?" The way the stem branches out creates a triangular shape and is great for adding body to floral decor. It can stand alone in a vase as a centerpiece or add a tropical flair to a floral arrangement.

✦˚₊ ‧ ꒰🌿・꒱MYRTLE ; Looking at each other, knowing it will never be the same Myrtle is one of the most popular types of greenery because of the variety of ways that it can be used. It has long stems that are lined with glossy leaves. The thick foliage that this creates looks best in floral centerpieces.

✦˚₊ ‧ ꒰🌿・꒱DUSTY MILLER ; "Can we have a date night tonight?" Because of its unique frosted foliage, the dusty miller has a wintry vibe. It is often used in winter weddings or in fall tablescapes.

✦˚₊ ‧ ꒰🌿・꒱LEMON LEAF ; "Can you wash my hair for me?" The lemon leaf has round, thick leaves that resemble the shape of lemons. Like the leather fern, it has a long-lasting vase life. Its shiny leaves work well with all flower types and are most fitting in vases as table centerpieces.

✦˚₊ ‧ ꒰🌿・꒱IVY ; Whether it was a mistake or not, he couldn't seem to find the strength to care Ivy is perfect for accessorizing and can be added to anything from floral headdresses to table centerpieces. The leaves cascade down its branches, making it ideal for wrapping around wreaths and adding flow to floral baskets.

✦˚₊ ‧ ꒰🌿・꒱SILVER DOLLAR EUCALYPTUS ; "Can I borrow your hat, please?" The silver dollar eucalyptus has one to two-inch circular leaves that resemble silver dollars. Its thin, bendable branches mirror that of the ivy, making it ideal for decorative wreaths and displays.

✦˚₊ ‧ ꒰🌿・꒱HONEY BRACELET ; "You promised me!!" The honey bracelet has long stems that are decorated with soft, thin leaves. Its thin stem is easily molded into any shape and can be used for just about anything.

✦˚₊ ‧ ꒰🌿・꒱GREVILLEA ; Realizing some things they know about each other haven’t changed and feeling comforted by that The grevillea is a unique type of decorative greenery with red stems that branch out into multiple green leaves. The branches vary in their length causing them to add depth to floral decor.

✦˚₊ ‧ ꒰🌿・꒱TREE FERN ; your own prompt idea The epithet name for the tree fern is virgatus, which means twiggy. Unlike its namesake, the tree fern has thin, wispy branches and leaves that are often used in corsages and boutonnieres.

✦˚₊ ‧ ꒰🌿・꒱OLIVE BRANCH ; song prompt Olive branch greenery adds a sage hue and a wild, windswept look. Incorporate it into your bridal bouquets, boutonnieres, bridesmaid bouquets and centerpieces.

filler flower/ character dynamic

๑❞・꒰💐・꒱ STATICE ; golden retriever x black cat The statice flower, also known as the sea lavender, is a beautiful purple flower that grows even smaller blooms than the stock.

๑❞・꒰💐・꒱ SNAP DRAGONS ; somehow gets good grades and has no idea the other hates them x studies incredibly hard and hates the other for having it easy The snapdragon is arguably one of the most unique flowers. Its bizarre name represents the face of the flower that opens and closes like the mouth of a dragon.

๑❞・꒰💐・꒱ STOCK FLOWERS ; celebrity x secret lover Stock flowers bloom from spring to fall and come in a multitude of colors ranging from soft white to bright purple. They develop small blooms that are perfect for adding a pop of color to any bouquet.

๑❞・꒰💐・꒱ POMS ; always gets hurt x personal nurse Poms are identified as spray flowers, which means they have more than one flower head on each stem. This makes them easy to include in any arrangement to enhance the look.

๑❞・꒰💐・꒱ DELPHINIUM ; insecure but beautiful x YOU'RE LITERALLY SO GPRGEOUS AND PRETTY!!! Delphinium gets its name from the Greek word “delphis,” which means dolphin. This refers to their beautiful purple and blue hues and closed flower buds that are shaped similar to the nose of a dolphin.

๑❞・꒰💐・꒱ GYP ; your own dynamic idea Gyps are also known as baby’s breath and are members of the carnation family. They are cute, tiny flowers that look finest when grouped in bunches.

main color/vibe

๑❞・꒰👒・꒱ YELLOW ; Platonic The color yellow is primarily associated with spreading happiness and joy; however, it is also the ideal color for symbolizing friendship. With their bright hue and cheery personality

๑❞・꒰👒・꒱ PINK ; Fluff Similar to red flowers, pink flowers have also grown to be a symbol of love, though they can also mean happiness, gentleness, and femininity

๑❞・꒰👒・꒱ WHITE ; Angst White is universally recognised to represent mourning as it symbolises peace, purity and love.

⊹✿・・────────────・・✦・・────────────・・✿ ⊹

╰┈➤ love, me!

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valentinetypewriter · 6 months

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Me And My Husband - Chapter 4

Summary: the time for Y/n to 'hang out' with Sirius and Remus arrives, everything goes smoothly until the next day the two boys are faced with unwanted guests

Warnings: swearing, smoking, use of the Victorian language of flowers, Sirius and Remus are dicks at the end.

Main masterlist / series masterlist

Chapter 5

Taglist

@ashlynnmalfoy @ashisabitgay @rainychaosmiracle

Also I'd love to know what you guys think of this series so far, since im sort of new to writing, so feel free to comment or even send it to my inbox

Word count: 4,030

It's been a long time so I made this one double the length of the other chapters, and I had a lot of fun writing this chapter

It was Tuesday afternoon and classes had finally finished up. Saying Y/n was nervous would be an understatement, though she didn't really know why she felt this way. She only asked Sirius out in the hope that she could at least try to become friends with him, so that the rest of her life spent with him wouldn't be so awkward. She deemed that it was simply the fact that she's never been on a date, and that dates weren't usually supposed to bring a plus one. Y/n stood waiting by the main exit of the school that would lead them down to hogsmeade, she was pacing by the time the two boys arrived. Sirius was dressed in his usual leather jacket with an old band shirt underneath, Remus on the other hand was wearing a soft looking sweater, it was kind of ugly in a sort of cute way.

"I was beginning to think you had bailed on me" the young girl said after she had stopped analysing the two boys. "Sorry we took so long, Sirius wanted to make sure his hair was perfect" y/n laughed quietly at the joke Remus made at his best friend's expense. "And here I thought he was all natural" Sirius' stormy eyes grew wide, shooting between the two laughing teens "I can't believe you're both ganging up on me". Remus bit his lip to stop himself from laughing at the boy's expression "sorry padfoot, it's just too easy" the shorter boy scoffed "well let's just get to hogsmeade already".

The three teens made their way to Hogsmeade in a somewhat awkward silence, occasionally broken by Sirius and Remus chatting, or if Y/n actually answered anything the two Gryffindors asked her. They were halfway to their destination when Y/n had started asking Sirius more personal questions. Simple things, like his favourite colour and his hobbies, before she decided to ask more important things. "So Sirius, what do you think you'll do after graduation" the grey eyed boy stared harshly at her "what do you think" disdain clear in his voice. The young slytherin shook her head slightly "no I meant, what do you actually want to do" she stared back up at him, her usually dull eyes held a slight sadness to them. Sirius seemed almost shocked, his eyebrows raising slightly, he wasn't expecting her to ever care for that sort of thing. "Oh… well, I'd like to travel around for a bit, and there's quite a few muggle things I have on my bucket list…" he paused for a moment, looking over to his right at Remus, he wasn't sure how to continue. But the tanned boy just gave Sirius a smile and a quick thumbs up.

Sirius looked back over at Y/n, her gaze unwavering as she waited for him to carry on "it's just um… once I'm out of school and move away from my family, I'd have more freedom to actually do those things'' the young girl tilted her head slightly "what sort of things?". "Well there's these things called a drive in theatre, you sit in your car and they project a film onto a large screen" the girls face twisted in confusion. Remus couldn't help but laugh slightly, he remembered seeing the exact same face on James and Sirius when he had first told them about it. "Oh! And there's this performance happening at the end of the year, by The Sex Pistols" the girls eyes widened slightly "The who!?" Sirius smiled slightly "no that's a different band". Y/n's face continued to contort in worried confusion "don't worry I'll show them to you some other time", to be completely honest Y/n wasn't sure if she wanted to know what the boy was talking about.

The trio had finally arrived at Hogsmeade, strolling through the village until they stopped outside a small Cafe. Y/n looked through the window at the many pastries they had on display, Remus and Sirius though were looking through their menu at the types of coffee and tea they offered. "We should go in, they look really good, and I didn't eat breakfast beforehand" Y/n was the first to speak up. The two boys nodded and they walked in, they stood in front of the shop counter waiting to be served. An older looking woman came over to them "what can I get you three?" She asked with a warm smile on her face. "Can I get the strawberry turnover and a white rose tea please" she ordered while pulling out her coin purse, Remus had caught a glimpse of it when she turned to them, it was pale blue with nifflers on them.

"What would you two like?" They both stared for a moment not expecting her to want to order together. Remus started off first "oh uh just a caramel latte and a Chelsea Bun" the young girl then turned to Sirius expectantly. "Don't worry I can pay for my own" he went to pull out his own money, not noticing how the girl's face dropped slightly "don't be ridiculous, I invited you to come with me, I'll pay" the stern tone in her voice and look in her eyes gave no room for argument, Sirius just let out a soft "alright" before slipping his money back into his pocket "I guess I'll just have the Crème Brûlée and a black coffee". Remus's face scrunched up in disgust at the mention of black coffee. "Is that all dears?" The polite woman asked "yes that's all thank you" Y/n handed over the money as the women and a younger looking employee started making their order.

The three had taken a table in the far corner away from the few people who were in the Cafe. "You know I'm glad you agreed to come today" the two boys looked at her, unsure who she was talking about as she was looking down at her hands and Remus noticed a slight tint to her cheeks. "It's just I've never done this before" her cheeks getting slightly red from embarrassment, Sirius looked at her confused "never done wh-" he was cut off as the taller boy kicked him in the leg. His stormy eyes narrowed slightly as he stared over at his friend. Before the girl could notice their weird behaviour their order was called out, Y/n stood up and walked over to the counter. "What the hell was that for?" Sirius whispered harshly "this is a fucking date, Y/n asked you on a date, thats what she's never done before" Remus whispered back "why do you think she didn't want you bringing James, or why she wanted to pay for the food…" he paused for a second looking over at the girl as she was grabbing sugar packets. "Or even why she's been asking you so many personal questions, it's a date and she trying to get to know you" Sirius eyes shot open wide at the realisation "oh Merlin I thought she was just being nosy" Remus slapped his hand onto his head with a sigh "fuck you're an idiot pads".

Before the boy could retort, Y/n made her way back over holding the tray, an excessive amount of sugar packets shoved onto the end of it. "Wow this looks a lot better than I was expecting" she said as she took her stuff off the tray, pushing it slightly towards the boys, Sirius's face burned up as he looked at her. They each took off their own order, Remus moved the tray onto the end of the table after taking a couple of the sugar packets. "So do you come here often Y/n?" Remus asked while pouring sugar into his latte "quite a lot actually, though it's only for their tea and to steal sugar packets" she stated as she nonchalantly shoved the majority of the pile of packets into her coat pocket. The two boys watched in confusion, neither knowing what to say. "uh… what?" Was all Sirius could manage to get out, the young slytherin looked up at him, freezing her action "oh, I realise how weird this seems" Y/n quickly shoved the rest into her coat "its for my pet, she's obsessed with them, no idea why though". The two boys visibly relaxed at the explanation she gave for her bizarre behaviour.

They ate their food with small interruptions such as occasional small talk here and there, or when one of them would offer a taste of their food to each other. After a while of mindless chatter and food sharing Sirius had left their table to go to the bathroom, leaving Y/n and Remus to talk to each other. "Um Y/n if you don't mind me asking… uh why did you invite me and Sirius out, I thought you didn't like us very much". The girl looked down at her cup, bring it up for a sip before responding "don't get me wrong I'm not particularly fond of either of you, but I'd like to get to know him better, I don't enjoy being betrothed to someone I know nothing about" she stopped, taking another sip of her tea "and perhaps if I do become closer to him, he won't be such a prat" Remus laughed slightly at the girl's words "trust me he's much friendlier and more competent when you get to know him". Y/n raised her eyes to look at him, her dull and cold eyes meeting his warmer gaze, she noted how doe-eyed he looked "yes well that's the difficult part, he doesn't really like me all that much, not that I hold it against him" the boys warm hand came to rest on her arm "I'm sure he'll come around".

Sirius was quick to come back before Remus could get an answer to why Y/n had also invited him on her date, Sirius took his seat and they finished their food. Remus stood after unfortunately spilling a bit of his tea on himself, his hands seemingly more shaky than usual "I'll be back in a second, i need to clean this up". Unlike when Remus and Y/n were left alone, the air felt thicker when it was just her and Sirius, neither really knowing what to say or do. And of course Sirius, having a hatred for awkward silence, said the first thing that came to him "You seem to get along with remus quite well" Y/n stared at him "whatever you're thinking, don't" Y/n looked over at the boy they were talking about "I don't like him any more than the rest of your group of misfits" Sirius shrugged "all I'm saying L/n is you seem nicer to him then you do me" Y/n rolled her eyes "well it's a lot easier to be nice to him then it is to you" Sirius stared at her for a moment "I suppose so, perhaps you'd prefer to be affianced to him" she thought for a moment "my parents wouldn't allow that, he's not pure, though if he was I believe he'd be a better candidate than you" the grey eyed boy smiled at her "well that's something we can both agree on". Y/n was done with the awkward tension between the two, she stood up to leave "i'll be outside, you can wait for Lupin".

Y/n stepped out of the small cafe, making her way around to the side of the building, hoping to hide away from prying eyes. She lent against the cold bricks, fishing out an almost empty carton of cigarettes and a blue lighter she had stolen from Evan yesterday. She lit the cigarette in her mouth and took a deep drag as she closed her eyes, letting everything wash away. After a few long minutes Y/n heard the Cafe door chime, she pushed the cigarette into the brick wall a few times to put it out, letting it drop to the floor she moved to the front of the shop seeing Remus and Sirius leaving. She walked over to the two "so where else would you two like to go" the boys looked at each other, it was like they could read each other's thoughts "well we've been needing to go to zonko's since we got back" remus was the one to offer, both Gryffindors knowing she'd be more likely to agree if it was him asking. Y/n rolled her eyes "of course you do, let's go then" she led the way, letting the two teens walk behind her. Zonko's wasn't very far from the Cafe so they arrived quickly. "Well I am certainly not going in there so…" the Slytherin fished out her coin purse again, handing them both a lot more than they would need for what they were after. "I'll be out here, be quick about it".

The two boys were quick to rush inside the shop, searching around for what they needed. Sirius stopped at a small section of enchanted gifts, he picked up a small wooden box decorated with stars. The sign for the small display labelled it an astronomers box, his mind dipped back to the memory of his brother and Y/n stargazing while she was at his house. He hesitated for a moment to take the box, but was quick to move on holding in his hand while looking for what he had first come in for. Remus and Sirius were quick to get everything they needed, paying for their stuff together and shoving it into a bag, Sirius still holding onto the box. They left the store looking around for Y/n, finally spotting her leaving a herbology shop with a cardboard box. "You know she's quite pretty when she is glaring with those cold eyes of hers" Remus said as she walked over, a small smile on her face. "Are you two ready to head back?" she asked, adjusting the box in her hands. Sirius lifted up the bag for her to see "yep we've got everything we need" remus quickly dug into his pocket pulling out the rest of the money Y/n had given them, even with an entire bag full of stuff they hadn't even used half of what she gave them "here's what's left by the way, and thanks for lending it to us" the girl just stared at his open hand, not reaching over to grab it. "Keep it" she stated abruptly, turning around and walking off before either boy could protest, the boys were quick to catch up "are you sure" the girl simply nodded and let out a noise of agreement. "We should get back before it gets any later" the girl kept walking at a brisk pace.

The three made their way back to the castle quicker then they left it, they entered the main entrance, Y/n stopping by a bench, setting down the box. "Oh by the way, I brought you both something" she stared at them expectantly, before they walked over to her. Y/n opened up the box pulling out two glass vases, both green in colour with different patterns decorating them with their own unique flowers sitting inside. The girl handed them both a vase each, to Sirius she gave him one filled with yellow carnations and to remus a slightly smaller vase with a colourful mixture of pansies. "Oh thank you Y/n" Remus said, a smile growing on his face, Sirius held the box up to her "I got something for you as well, it's an astronomers box" the girl held it close to her "well thank you Sirius, that was very kind of you" she seemed to ignore the fact he brought it with the money she had given to him. Y/n was the first to leave, heading off to her common room to relax before dinner.

The next day went by quickly, Y/n making her way to the library to meet with Sirius and Remus like she promised. Unknown to the two boys she had made a slight change to their plan, that change being the two boys who were walking next to her. "I still can't believe you're stuck with those two dicks" Barty said, adjusting the two book bags he was carrying in favour of Evan carrying his school cloak and vest for him. "I don't like it either, but the quicker I get it done the less time I have to spend with them, besides having you two with me makes it more bearable" Evan let out an almost strangled sounding noise as he threw his arm over the shorter girl "awww she loves us" the three laughed with each other before entering the library. The group made their way to the usual spot Y/n sits at, the same spot she told Sirius and Remus to meet her at. "Sorry i'm late, i'm usually a punctual person, unfortunately these two aren't" Sirius let out a quiet groan while Remus just glared as they saw the two boys standing behind Y/n. "Why are they here?" Remus questioned, annoyance clear in his tone "well firstly our group partner is sick" Barty was the first to speak, Evan carried on his sentence "and secondly Y/n's our best friend, who invited us along". The two Gryffindors stared at the mentioned girl, she simply rolled her eyes as she sat down "it's a study session, I'm sure you'll get over it".

The three arriving teens all took seats next to each other, Y/n pulled her notes and books out while Barty and Evan pulled out a single book to read through. The two groups worked quietly, until it was broken by the whining of Evan "this book sucks, are we sure we grabbed the right one Barty?" the boy shrugged, "it's the one that little weasel said would be good for our project" Evan rolled his eyes, he was glad their useless group mate was sick. Evan threw the book shut, looking over at his friend "Y/n my sweet amazing friend~" he dragged out, his tone overly sweet and begging "yes my annoying dumb friend" she said back, in the same sweet tone Evan had used "since you have so much knowledge with little Cosmos you would know the perfect book for us" the girl perked up at the mention of her pet "I suppose I would, I'll go grab it for you, not out of the goodness of my heart but because I need to grab a different book as well, and I don't trust you enough to grab the right book". Both boys smiled brightly as Y/n left to grab the books. Leaving her two friends to talk

"So are you going to go through with that plan of yours tonight Bee?" Evan asked as he lent in closer to Barty. The two Gryffindors now focusing on their conversation while pretending to work "I think I might, I've finally got it all planned out, I'm going to take her to the greenhouse, with the excuse of herbology homework and then I'll give her those chrisa-whatevers" Evan laughed "the chrysanthemums, Merlin how are you a Ravenclaw" Barty shoved the boy slightly, laughing himself "piss off". He hesitated before dropping his head slightly "do you think she'll actually say yes to the date" Evan looked at him in disbelief "stop doubting yourself, I'm 100% sure Y/n will say yes". Remus couldn't help but scoff at his words, grabbing the attention of the Ravenclaw and Slytherin. "Sorry do you have a problem Lupin" Evan asked, quick to get defensive of his friends "no no, it's just funny you think she'd actually say yes" his usually warm eyes seemed cold.

"Well what would you know about our best friend you sleazy little wimp" Evan was always quick to anger when it came to his friends "more than you apparently, I mean you did know she was on a date yesterday, I saw her at Hogsmeade, she seemed awfully close with him" Barty face dropped, an overwhelming sadness engulfing him "she would've told us, I mean she tells us everything" Evan rolled his eyes at the two Gryffindors "they're just lying Barty, ignore them". Remus lent towards them "I'm not, I saw him buy her a gift, a small wooden box, one of those astronomy boxes" this time Evans face dropped, he remembered Y/n proudly showing off the box to Regulus at dinner, saying how she got it at Hogsmeade earlier that day. Remus had a smug look on his face as Evan slumped back into his chair while Sirius let out a noise of shocked amusement.

"well Black you should learn to keep the dirty half-blood of yours on a leash" Evans words were quick to wipe the smug look off the scarred boys face. Both Gryffindors were unaware of the young girl now looming behind them. "I could say the same about your little pet bird" Sirius's harsh gaze met Evans, both boys defending their friends. "You know I'm surprised someone like her is even friends with you, I mean you really are the most pathetic Ravenclaw I've ever met" Remus's insult made the boy sink further into his seat "more so the most pathetic pure-blood I've ever met, do you honestly think you're worthy of even being friends with her." Sirius cut in with his own insult. Barty was quick to flee the library, taking his cloak and vest but not bothering to grab his bag from the floor.

Evan stood out of his own seat he felt burning hot rage slowly take over him, ready to poor out insults at the Gryffindors. Unfortunately his anger wasn't as quick to build as the girl's who was standing behind them "who the hell do you two think you are!" The boys turned around staring up at the now seething girl, her dull eyes seemed to darken in anger "and to think I thought you pathetic Gryffindors could put aside house pride for one evening, but I suppose that's my fault for expecting too much from either of you". The girl grabbed her bag before turning to the two boys "if I ever hear either of you say anything like that to any of my friends again, I swear to make the rest of your time in school miserable". Both Y/n and Evan grabbed their stuff and left the library, Y/n held onto Bartys bag. "I should return this to him, do you think he went to his common room" y/n said her voice still angry "Actually he said he needed to go to the greenhouse tonight, said it was something urgent to do with herbology, you might find him there" she stopped to look at him "thanks Rosie, I'll go find him".

Y/n arrived at the greenhouse, looking around the large room hoping to find barty, but he wasn't there. Nothing even looked like it had been touched or moved since their class, well there was one thing out of place. A sky blue pot had been left shattered on the floor it held blooming chrysanthemum, Y/n thought that the blue pot was a nice contrast to the deep red flowers. She noticed how the pot was smashed in the open space of the floor, it didn't fall from a shelf or table, she thought it had been an act of vandalism or perhaps sour rejection. "Such a sad fate for something symbolic of love" she spoke to herself softly, picking up the flowers and repotting them into an unused pot, it wasn't as pretty but perhaps she could paint it. She set the now potted flowers onto a table before sweeping up the mess of soil and terracotta shards. She decided to take the plant with her, still wanting to paint the pot to the nice blue that was shattered. And to make sure it held up after being thrown around.

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camille-lachenille · 5 months

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I was researching something completely unrelated but I passingly saw that hemlock means mortality in Victorian and modern flower language. And my brain immediately thought of the ‘Song of Beren and Lúthien’ in FotR, specifically the first stanza:

The leaves were long, the grass was green,

The hemlock-umbels tall and fair,

And in the glade a light was seen

Of stars in shadow shimmering.

Tinúviel was dancing there

To music of a pipe unseen,

And light of stars was in her hair,

And in her raiment glimmering.

Hemlock is the third element im the description of the glade Lúthien is dancing in, even before we learn her name. We have the long leaves, the green grass and the tall hemlock; two elements traditionally associated with spring and youth, and one heavily associated with death. In two verses we know everything there is to know about Lúthien: she’s youthful and she’s going to die.

The hemlock appears again in the second stanza:

There Beren came from mountains cold,

And lost he wandered under leaves,

And where the Elven-river rolled

He walked alone and sorrowing.

He peered between the hemlock-leaves

And saw in wonder flowers of gold

Upon her mantle and her sleeves,

And her hair like shadow following.

This stanza is from Beren’s point of view, looking at Lúthien. And fact he looks at her through the hemlock leaves tells us he is mortal. Beren looks at Lúthien through the lens of a mortal gaze, and thinks her otherworldly. There is an added layer to it because, in Victorian flower language, hemlock not only means mortality but also more specifically ‘you will be my death’. And, indeed, Beren dies in his quest to obtain Lúthien’s hand.

The last occurrence of hemlock in this song is in the fourth stanza:

He heard there oft the flying sound

Of feet as light as linden-leaves,

Or music welling underground,

In hidden hollows quavering.

Now withered lay the hemlock-sheaves,

And one by one with sighing sound

Whispering fell the beechen leaves

In the wintry woodland wavering.

I find this stanza more difficult to analyse from a symbolic point of view since it’s mostly a description of autumn and winter coming, but it certainly puts emphasis on the importance of this plant in Beren and Lúthien’s story. As I interpret it, and this is my personal reading, it is an allusion to Beren and Lúthien growing old together and Lúthien choosing to die along Beren.

In The Tale of Tinúviel, the hemlock is also extremely important in the introduction of Tinúviel, and it is more or less a description in much more details of what is hinted at in the Song of Beren and Lúthien from FotR. I can’t put the quote because it’s in French but, very roughly, it says that the hemlock is so tall and dense it looks like Tinúviel is dancing on a white cloud. Then, when Tinúviel sees Beren, she hides under a very tall hemlock and her white dress makes her disappear in the hemlock, looking like moonlight on the flowers. The imagery used in this scene is absolutely beautiful and I can’t make it justice, but what is important is that, upon their first meeting, Tinúviel is metaphorically surrounded by mortality. She is an Elf yet she will die. And Beren, who is an elf too in this version (a Gnome, the proto-Noldor, and I struggle not to picture him as a garden gnome), is doomed to die too from the moment he walks amongst the hemlock in search of Tinúviel.

Last but not least is the Lay of Leithian. Sadly, I don’t have the full Lay of Leithian so I can’t look at the meeting scene but, in an extract given in the French translation of Beren and Lúthien (Christian Bourgois, 2017) it is said that Lúthien wears white roses in her hair (Canto VI, verses 116-117) and there are a few other mentions of unspecified white flowers. White roses mean ‘I am worthy of you’, withered white roses mean ‘transient impressions’, white rosebuds mean ‘girlhood’ and a crown of roses ‘reward of virtue’. I don’t really know what to do with these informations since I don’t have the original text so I can’t say how accurate the translation is, but all of this enhance Lúthien’s ethereal, eternally youthful appearance. It also shows the association of Lúthien with white and light in opposition to Morgoth’s black darkness, I think. But I don’t doubt for a second that the hemlock is an important part of the place where Beren and Lúthien’s meeting.

Anyways, I just love digging this kind of rabbit holes in Tolkien’s poetry, because it gives us so much insight on the characters, and I am almost sure that Tolkien, who grew up in late Victorian England and loved nature, knew of the meaning of hemlock or he wouldn’t have insisted so much on it. I’d love to see if there is a paper out there about flower language/symbolism in Tolkien’s work because I am sure there is so much more of it than what I looked at today.

Sources:

https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Song_of_Beren_and_L%C3%BAthien

https://www.gardeningchannel.com/flower-meanings-dictionary-from-a-to-z-the-secret-victorian-era-language-of-flowers/

J. R. R. Tolkien, Beren et Lúthien, Christian Bourgois, 2017

And as a bonus, the Song of Beren and Lúthien in music by Clamavi de Profundis: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=11_aneHVaz8&list=PLR5qYNG5Nf7WFbZ6wr-rr7gDnALA4C8mQ&index=19&pp=iAQB8AUB

youtube

#tolkien #the silmarillion #lay of leithian #beren and luthien #the lay of leithian #the tale of tinúviel #beren #lúthien #lúthien tinúviel #flower language #hemlock #lotr poetry #tolkien song #tolkien meta #half baked ramblings by a sleep deprived tolkien fan #Youtube

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b0njourbeach · 4 days

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do u have any LeoVil headcanons? I like ur thoughts.

I hope you know how much I appreciate every single ask of yours that asks me about my thoughts and rants djdjsjs

Ahem. Besides the HCs I have mentioned here, I certainly have more bc oh boy, this ship got me wrapped in its silly little subtly toxic spiderweb.

So mainly, I have the HC that Vil started using flowers to express his feelings (both positive AND negative! Flowers can be indeed used to insult) towards Leona - But he didn't understand until Ruggie had pointed out that the "choice of flowers is odd" (He may know only know which flowers are edible and which aren't but my boy is smart). Leona then realized that Vil was secretly communicating with him, so he started to hit the books for a bit to reply in the same language. First, he found it stupid and used it in a sarcastic/snarky way but he started to slowly love it when he realized that no one really knew what was going on - Just that both Vil and Leona had random flowers popping up in their rooms, their favorite places and their desks (only the two of them knew the flowers were from each other). Then, at some point, Leona received a bouquet with following flowers (after studying them, he found out about their Victorian meaning - The preferred choice of language of Vil [Leona was basing himself on the more modern "translation"]): Buttercup (= "You are radiant with charm"), Camellia (= "Longing for you"), Cornflower (= Hope in Love), pansy (= "You occupy my thoughts") and a single tulip (= "I declare my love for you"). Vil waited for a week or so to receive an answer, already giving up on it when a single red rose was lying in front of his door.

For one, this one has been inspired by a fanart - Unfortunately I do not remember the artist or post (if you know: Please do link it in the comments and/or the reblogs or let me know about it, so I can link it‼️). In said Fanart, Leona and Vil has exchanged flowers to send a little message and well, I think I've expressed yesterday for a little how much I adore the language of flowers. So naturally, I'm falling in love with a fanart that uses said language to express even the slightest.

[Post has been edited, said fanart is linked here. Check it out, it's really pretty. The artist makes such good LeoVil fanarts in general tbh.]

[Mentions of attempted self-quit. Please skip to the next paragraph if it triggers you]

Since I personally believe that Leona is not only depressed but also has the lean to.. quit. I "like" (not in the way I'd enjoy it but I can see it) to imagine that he had one (1) attempt to leave - But it has been prevented by Vil. Not intentionally, mind you. Vil has walked in on Leona, who was midst doing the deed (I personally believe he'd go for a wound-free, "Falling asleep" kind - Therefore some kind of overdose and/or poisoning. Not really "Falling asleep peacefully" but idk, it just makes sense to me, so bear with me). Leona, who basically was on the edge of passing out forever, having severe issues with what he had consumed and then Mr. Perfect (Vil) walks in on him, thinking he just ate something that was already bad, so he stays. Talks to him. Keeps him aware, conscious. Alive. No one except Leona himself knows the truth, he just went with the excuse of having eaten something that has gone bad.

Vil definitely fell first, Leoma fell harder. Or better said: Vil fell slowly but obviously, Leona was just suddenly struck by "Oh shit, it's love" out of nowhere.

[While they're dating] Leonas closet is missing at least five shirts and to this day, the lion blames Ruggie - Fully unaware that the poor hyena hasn't done anything wrong this time. In fact, if Leona would've taken a single closer look in Vils closet, he would've known where his shirts have gone. Vil took them and usually wears them when going to sleep (bc that way, no one knows he owns them nor will anyone know that they're dating to begin with).

They're getting mutually annoyed by Rooks' not so subtle presence in the background (he got locked at least twice in a room, so they could go on a secret date).

#twisted wonderland #twst #leona kingscholar #vil schoenheit #leovil #twst hc #x answers

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isadorastarotcards · 1 year

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Flowers That Offer Protection

Snapdragons

Snapdragons were believed to offer protection against witchcraft and evil eye. Dried snapdragons look very similar to skulls and can be used as charms against aging. In ancient Greek it was thought that wearing a snapdragon in your hair or on your neck would offer protection. During medieval times many castles would plant snapdragons around the entrance with the intention of protecting the castle (warding). Hang some snapdragons above a babies crib to repel bad spirits and nightmares

In Russia many women used snapdragons in ointments to reverse aging and appear graceful. In victorian times it was thought that hiding a snapdragon on you would make you appear more alluring.

Venus Flytrap

Venus flytrap are literal carnivores plants. Many witches use them as wards with the intention of eating negative energy. Use them to eat or bind negative energy. Many practitioners like to use Venus flytrap to bind people or negativity. As well as program them to feed off negativity.

I've also known people who use them as a sort of "trip wire" for curses, evil eyes and hexes. Though if you're not good with plants then your plant could just be dying and not have gotten an hex. You can tell the difference by whether it comes back to life when you take care of cleansing and necessary needs of the plant itself.

Angelica

Dried Angelica can be great for breaking hexes and banishing energy. Many practitioners use this flower and it's many parts in spells. It's believed that if it grows around a house or building it will protect it from witchcraft. Angelica root has also been used as amulets for protection or gambling.

In many European countries it was thought that Angelica would protect from sicknesses. The herb itself is used in many medicine even today. That's where it gets the name "angel" from. One of its best uses would be for breaking hexes. When used properly it can be the breaker.

‼️do not ingest if pregnant‼️

Carnation

Carnations are thought to be associated with the Holy Mother Mary and Diana the Goddess of the Hunt. Both were symbols of purity and Innocence. In many countries including eastern asian and Europe carnations are associated with healing and mothers love. In victorian flower language yellow carnations were seen as a symbol of rejection.

In parts of Europe red carnations were used to protect homes as well as repel unwanted visitors. Dried carnations can be used in many types of spells such as warding, protection, healing and love.

Yarrow

The herb is known for its protective uses as well as it's medicinal. It was said that the warrior Achilles learned of the herbs medicinal uses from the great teacher Chiron. In Ireland the herb was thought to disperse plagues and evil spirits. Was also thought to carry stocks of it for safe travels. Hanging yarrow throughout your home or near a babies crib is said to repel negative spirits.

In traditional Chinese folklore yarrow was used as a tool for divination. Due to how long lasting the flower is yarrow is also a symbol of long lasting love. You could use it in satchets or bouquets on wedding days or dates to promote a love that will last years.

Agrimony

Agrimony can be used as protection from negativity this includes witchcraft, evil eye, spirits and people. In wards they can cause a rebound on the sender of a hex. Carrying it around is thought to protect you wherever you go. These beliefs are common in English folklore and voodoo(closed practice) .

In old English the herb is thought to be put under a pillow for sleep. In ancient northern Europe the herb was thought to cure a lot of ailments. Anglo-Saxons had also believed that herb would reveal witches. Scotland had thought the herb could cure those who had been affected by fairies. This would mean unknown illnesses. The herb itself is seen as a kinda cure all.

‼️Please do intense research before ingesting or foraging ‼️

#beginner witch #free tarot #green witch #tarot blog #witch coven #witch #witchblr #witchcraft #book of shadows #baby witch #crystals #paganism #green witchcraft #kitchen witch #pagan wicca #green wicca

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sideprince · 3 months

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Today's hot take: when Harry started his first year at school, Snape expected him to appreciate the opportunity and the escape Hogwarts gave him from his abusive home, just like Snape had at his age. Snape gives him an opportunity to prove himself and Harry lets him down. I have no doubt that Severus 'I corrected the text and made it better' Snape read all his books in anticipation of going to Hogwarts, and showed up knowing as much as Hermione did on her first day. He calls on Harry in his first class because he's curious about Harry and wants to know how clever he is, and when Harry doesn't know any of the answers, Snape assumes it means Harry is taking his place at Hogwarts for granted.

He doesn't yet know Harry is abused at home, but he does know that he's an orphaned wizard living with Petunia who Snape knows the measure of enough to know she won't have started hating wizards any less than when they were kids. He likely sees that Harry is thin and bears signs of neglect, because he knows them firsthand. I think he may have had a hope that he might connect, in some way, with his once best friend's son, and when Harry shows up looking like James and seemingly not having opened a single book, Snape assumes he has no curiosity and is arrogant like James had been. And to be honest, Harry could have done better; if he'd read through the books with real interest instead of just flipping through them, he might have been able say, "I don't know what happens when you combine asphodel and wormwood, but I do know that wormwood is an herb and asphodel is a flower."

“Potter!’ said Snape suddenly. ‘What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?’ Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione’s hand had shot into the air. ‘I don’t know, sir,’ said Harry. Snape’s lips curled into a sneer. ‘Tut, tut - fame clearly isn’t everything.’ He ignored Hermione’s hand. ‘Let’s try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?’ Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Harry didn’t have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter. ‘I don’t know, sir.’ ‘Thought you wouldn’t open a book before coming, eh, Potter?’ Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He had looked through his books at the Dursleys’, but did Snape expect him to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi? Snape was still ignoring Hermione’s quivering hand. ‘What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?’“At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching towards the dungeon ceiling. ‘I don’t know,’ said Harry quietly. ‘I think Hermione does, though, why don’t you try her?’ A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus’s eye and Seamus winked. Snape, however, was not pleased. ‘Sit down,’ he snapped at Hermione. ‘For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren’t you all copying that down?'

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Ch. 8

A lot of people like to read this moment through the lens of Victorian flower language, but there's also a lot going on between the characters. Harry had "looked through his books" but that isn't clear to a teacher who can only see his baffled face, contrasted with Hermione who knows every answer and has clearly put in effort and interest. I think Snape has high expectations of his students, in part because he doesn't understand or value how brilliant he really is himself and assumes others should have similar abilities. He doesn't appreciate that Harry, like most people, can't just recall information he read casually and didn't deliberately study.

Harry, for his part, is also not academically minded. He was given a rare, incredible opportunity to escape a terrible home situation and spent a whole month with little to do but wait until it was time to go to Hogwarts. An entire identity that he was unaware of and that connected him to his parents was suddenly revealed, and his textbooks were the closest thing he had to understanding their world, and all he did was peruse them. Even if he wasn't the smartest kid or an academic like Hermione, if he's read them with the curiosity many others would have had in his situation, he would know what at least some of the ingredients Snape mentions are, even if he doesn't know what the various effects of combining them is. Snape asks an array of questions and there isn't a single moment where Harry shows any sign of recognizing what he's talking about even remotely. If he'd read his books with any real interest, he would at least be going, "I remember seeing this... damn I don't know what the books said, though" in his head, even if not out loud. We're seeing the narrative through his lens, but there's no sign of him recalling anything, only his defensiveness at how unfair it is that Snape thinks he didn't crack a book open when he did - and yet Snape might as well be speaking Greek to him. I don't think Snape's biases against him were fully justified, but I do think there's truth in Harry having a certain degree of hubris and an ease with which he accepts that he's a wizard - special, privileged, destined for greater things - that resembles James.

The other thing I think is worth pointing out about the above excerpt is not only that Snape has given Harry a chance to stand out and prove himself in order to see what he does with the opportunity, he also ends this moment by telling the other students to copy down what he's saying. He hasn't lost sight of the fact that he's still teaching, and we see this in him again and again, most especially right after he's killed Dumbledore, when he's still teaching Harry to close his mind even as he fends off his attacks. Through this whole scene, even though it seems like Snape is taunting Harry and singling him out to make him look foolish, what he's actually doing is teaching and gauging Harry's personality. Every word he says is knowledge he's passing on to his students, and he demands that they take them as such.

#meta

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jinxedshapeshifter · 7 months

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Angsty Flower Language Inspiration for Your Next Hanahaki Disease Story

Didn't specify fanfiction because hanahaki disease definitely doesn't have to be specific to fanfiction BUT ANYWAY. I don't see enough people use flower language in hanahaki stuff. Maybe I just don't read enough hanahaki disease fanfiction, but I am here to tell you some (maybe not) fun flower language you can add to your hanahaki stuff to add some spice for anyone who knows flower language.

Also, I'm specifically referencing Victorian flower language here. Just figured I'd clarify. If I get anything wrong please correct me aljsfgadg

Carnations

Striped Carnations - This is one I'm surprised I don't see more often. Striped carnations symbolize refusal. There are so many ways you could go about this. Refusal to accept/admit feelings, refusal to be with the individual afflicted, more that I can't think of off the top of my head. Get creative, y'know?

Yellow carnations - Yellow carnations are a step above striped carnations. Where striped carnations are used to symbolize refusal, yellow ones are used to symbolize rejection, disdain, and disappointment, and therefore won't be as flexible when used in hanahaki disease stories. Doesn't mean you can't crank up the angst though; yellow carnations could be great for use in an enemies to lovers type story.

Roses

Black roses - I'm only bringing up black first because of the angst potential lol. Black roses symbolize death, hatred, despair, sorrow, mystery, danger, and obsession. Do with that what you will, make people fucking sob with it.

Yellow roses - Hitting you once again with the angst, while yellow roses do have positive meaning (friendship, apology, intense emotion, and undying love) they also have some that will make your readers do a double take if they read that your character is coughing up yellow roses and know the symbolism. On the negative side of the coin of yellow rose meanings, yellow roses can symbolize betrayal, broken hearts, jealousy, and infidelity. I want to read a hanahaki fic where a character who is in a relationship suddenly develops hanahaki with no warning and the flowers they're coughing up end up being yellow roses because their partner is cheating.

Hyacinth

Purple hyacinth - Purple hyacinth from what I gather is basically used to ask for forgiveness, and also symbolizes sorrow. Use it for when the character who is the subject of the afflicted's affections realizes what's going on and is made deeply upset by it? 👀

Yellow hyacinth - Yellow hyacinth symbolizes jealousy. Not sure exactly how you'd add this to a hanahaki story but I'd love to see how someone tries to!

Lilies

Asphodel - Lots of people already know this (you know who you are) but asphodel is a type of lily that symbolizes death. I love the idea of this being used when one character suddenly dies and another develops hanahaki as a result.

Orange lilies - While orange lilies can symbolize desire and passion (adding a little bit of potential hope to your story), they also symbolize hatred. I'm sure your readers will have lots of fun deciphering which one it is if you're subtle with it lol.

Peruvian lilies - The main symbolism I'm personally looking at here is the symbolism of friendship. Friendzoned through hanahaki disease with an absolutely beautiful flower, what a way to be friendzoned.

Spider lilies - Red spider lilies are referred to as the Lily of Death, do with that as you will and make your readers fucking sob in the process.

Miscellaneous

Wormwood - Again, lots of people already know the symbolism of wormwood (you know who you are) but wormwood symbolizes bitterness and sorrow. ANGST.

Wolfsbane - Perfect for your human/part human falling in love with a non-human who hates humans, wolfsbane symbolizes misanthropy, which is the general dislike, hatred, or distrust of humans (which gives me an idea for a D&D Honor Among Thieves fic but that's besides the point).

Tansy - Tansy apparently means "I declare war on you" and honestly I would LOVE to see a fic where a character develops hanahaki disease, starts coughing up tansies, and starts fucking PANICKING because they know the symbolism.

Rainflower - one of the potential meanings of rainflower is "I will never forgive you" SO GO FORTH AND MAKE ANGST.

Aloe - Aloe symbolizes grief. I don't think I have to go any farther.

Now go forth and use flower language in your hanahaki stories to bring tears. Please I am begging you

#hanahaki disease #flower language #writing inspirtation #i am begging people to use this to make their readers cry

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quinloki · 1 year

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Positively Victorian

Fem Reader x Sabo

One-Shot - 2,450 words

CW: Language, sexual themes, light BDSM, sexual roleplay, rough oral sex, safe sane and consensual, 18+ only.

-:- Table of Consent -:-

Dating Sabo had been a lesson in whiplash. The bright smile and beautiful blue-eyed man had won your heart with clumsy courting, rumpled flowers, and a sense of fashion that was unique and exceptionally well-suited to him. Sometimes he would walk and talk like an aristocrat, and when you found out he did in fact come from money, you weren't surprised. Sometimes he would move with fury and almost animalistic instinct, and when you met his brothers, well, again you weren't surprised.

He could speak in poetry, and with enough alcohol he could also be convinced to belch his ABCs.

The more you got to know him, the more you loved him. The more you wanted him, and the more you wanted to sink deeper into him, and over the last couple of years you had gone from acquaintances, to friends, to lovers.

Now, here you were, sinking deeper into one another.

The tight dress with its hand-stitched flowers smelled lightly of lilac and dried fennel. It felt like cotton and shifted like silk, and the lacy details were thankfully against the dress and not your skin. It had taken nearly an hour to get into the monstrosity, and Sabo had needed a break afterward to clean up from the sweat he'd broken into after man-handling you into layer upon layer of under garments, corset, and skirts.

Though, half-way through getting some of the undergarments in place, you had both opted to skip them. So, you sat at the table, wet between your thighs for lack of anything else down there, and hoping you wouldn't accidentally ruin the dress from your own horniness while quietly sharing a meal with Sabo.

You had been learning etiquette specifically for this little session, the two of you exploring your need to be dominated, and Sabo's desire to turn his aristocratic knowledge into something positive for himself, but the few days of lecture prior to this hadn't been quite enough. Which, admittedly, had been kind of the point.

Finishing the first part of the meal, Sabo regards you with an even smile. He carefully trades the plates out, setting the new course before you before seating himself. Leaning back you can feel his eyes on you and the heat rising in your face.

After a moment of him not moving you look over and meet the unexpectedly devious smirk of his with a nervous smile. "Is there... an issue?" You ask uncertainly.

Sabo's hands are folded in his lap and the smile he gives you is cheerful. "You waited until I began to eat the last time, before you chose what cutlery to use." He points out, and you can feel your stomach drop a bit. "I'm simply waiting for you to pick up the correct items on your own, love."

Ah.

Looking down at the options before you, you take a moment to consider which ones are correct. You tried to remember the lessons for this, but there were ten pieces of cutlery in front of you, and you had barely paid any mind to how to set a place setting, never mind how to utilize one.

Sabo stood up and came over to you while you took time to ponder. Standing behind you his gloved hands slip over your bare shoulders, squeezing gently as he leans down a little. The action nearly shatters your brain, and certainly dashes away the memory of your lessons.

"Struggling a bit, are we?" His voice is low, polite, gentle, and deadly all at the same time. You can feel your skin prickle from it.

"Not at all," you reply, doing your best to sound confident. "I was simply taking a moment to admire the chef's hard work, is all." You assure him, with a smile and a turn of your shoulders, before reaching down and picking up what you hoped were the right items.

Sabo's fingers tense against your shoulders after you've made your choice and his voice holds you in place more than his hands.

"Oh dear, you've picked the wrong fork." He says, his hands sliding down your arms, his taller frame allowing him to cover your hands with his own as he leans against your back. "Whatever shall we do about your manners?"

"For-forgiveness is divine," you manage the words evenly, but you can already feel yourself falling into him.

"Are we forgiving your incorrect choice?" He muses, breath hot against your ear. "Or the insult of not having taken your teacher's lessons to heart?" His tongue is hot against the curve of your ear, but you can't shiver or cry out. To do so would be another breach of etiquette.

"... The choice." You say, your voice is steady but quiet, well aware of the fuel you have provided him. "We are forgiving the incorrect c-choice." Your words falter as he removes the cutlery from your hands and sets it on the table, his lips and teeth grazing the skin of your neck as he moves to do so.

"Then, as your teacher, I will take your punishment to heart, my love." He promises you, gently but firmly helping you stand.

"We... haven't finished eating, isn't it rude to leave now?" You're not escaping the inevitable, but it would be nice to have a meal beforehand.

"I rather think it'd be best for you to not have a full stomach for this." He assures you, as a new delicious shiver runs down your spine.

He moves you almost like he means to dance, fluidly waltzing lazily through the dining room, spinning you around like one of the dances he's taught you. The lack of music gives the whole experience a manic edge, but you let him lead you as best as you're able. After a few lazy movements, he pulls you in close, kissing you sweetly at first, and then deeply and roughly as your back is pressed against the wall.

Sabo had treated you like glass when you had first started going out, and it had taken some time for him to be assured that you weren't so fragile. You're mindful of the snakebite piercings as you return the passionate kiss, his hands holding your wrists against the wall as his tongue pushes deep into your mouth, stealing all manner of sense and air from you. The dizzying sensation causes you heart to race and you're panting heavily when he finally allows you to draw breath.

"You seem out of breath, my love," he muses, a manic edge in his voice as he pushes you down onto your knees. "It's good then, that your punishment requires you to kneel before me."

You reach to help Sabo undo his pants when he takes a step back from you. "Ah-ah-ah, hands in your lap. Just because you're on your knees for punishment, doesn't mean you get to sit like some commoner. Sit properly."

"Yes sir." You say as you straighten your back and place your hands in your lap.

"Good." The praise is simple, but you're happy to hear it. Sabo frees his cock from the confines of pants, gripping it with one gloved hand as he steps onto the excess of your skirts, pinning you to the floor as he draws closer. "Open your mouth and stick out your tongue."

You do as commanded, and look up at Sabo as he's looking down at you. He smiles approvingly as he begins to rub the tip along your tongue. The salty taste of precum mixes with your saliva as he wets his stiff flesh against your tongue before pushing in deeper.

"Keep looking at me as I ravage that pretty little mouth of yours." He commands. One hand is braced against the wall as his hips push his dick into your mouth. You flex your tongue against his shaft and catch the soft appreciative gasp.

You start to press your lips against him, ready and willing to provide all the pleasure you can, when a strong grip on your hair pulls your head back a little. There's a soft chuckle from him that nearly steals your breath.

"No, love. This isn't you pleasuring me, this is me punishing you." He smiles darkly as he pushes his cock deep down your throat. "Do try to maintain your etiquette during this."

You have to grip the fabric of your skirts to stop from reaching up and holding onto him as he begins to fuck your mouth as he pleases. You suck in shaky gulps of air when the opportunity presents itself, and do your best to be quiet. You try not to groan or gag audibly, though the rough pace of his cock down your throat has watered your eyes and run your makeup.

"That's a good girl, look at you, trying so hard." His voice is shaky, but the praise makes you want to try harder. "When your – hgnh! – throat twitches it's hard to, haah, keep my composure."

Your face was a mess as Sabo fucks your mouth. You can feel drool slipping along your chin and dripping onto your chest. Tears cut lines down your face and snot from gagging was making it harder to breathe. Just as you felt you were going to have to end things in order to avoid passing out he releases you, pulling himself out of your mouth and using his gloved hand to urge his cum onto your face, chest, and dress.

You move enough to clean your face so you can see and breath again, but you don't wipe away the semen he's covered you in. When you're done you put your hands back in your lap as Sabo takes a moment to catch his breath, and put his pants back in order.

He kneels down, legs on either side of yours, and slides a finger up the front of your neck, curling it a little as he tilts your chin up slightly. "You look so beautiful when I make a mess of you," he muses, leaning forward and licking some of the mess from your cheek. "I should think I'd like to do so more often." His gaze holds yours for a moment before he leans in and kisses you.

You touch his face gently, letting your fingers twist among the loose curls of his golden blonde hair. As he leans back you smile and kiss the tip of his nose. "As often as you like. The corset aside, this getup isn't too terribly uncomfortable."

"Mm, how easy was it to breathe?" He asks, looking over the mess of the rumpled dress with a few errant stains drying on it.

"Not bad. It just feels weird to be so inflexible."

Sabo smiles. "Perhaps next time I should endeavor to tighten it more thoroughly. We don't want anyone thinking you're attempting to 'bandy about naked', after all." The way he says the words makes it seem like he's quoting someone, and you imagine it's his mother, given the tone he takes.

You smirk, draping your arms over his shoulders. "Why, good gentleman Sabo, did you leave my corset loose to take advantage of me on this fine day?" You ask, in mock horror, practically giggling even as you make an exaggerated motion of nearly fainting.

"Oh, most assuredly miss," he replies as he begins to lay you flat on the floor. "But even better would be for you to lay back and allow me to acquaint myself with your skirts."

"With my skirts?" You start to ask as Sabo hands you his hat before lifting your skirts and disappearing under them. "Sabo what're you- Hhnngnhaahhh... hnnf...fuck." Before you can even catch up to his intentions his mouth is buried between your thighs.

His tongue and lips lap against and suck your sensitive clit and his fingers slip into your dripping cunt with ease. You had been soaking wet since the meal had begun, and you were gasping into Sabo's hat as he went to work, devouring you like a man starved for his favorite meal.

"S-Sabo! M-Mercy!" You cry as the pleasure coils in you faster than any time before. You're going to cum before you can even begin to beg for it. You don't know if he heard you from under the layers of skirts, but an extra finger pushes into you as he sucks on your clit with renewed vigor and the rush of pleasure tenses your body like you've been electrified.

Your hips buck as your back arches and your toes are curling so hard you can feel the muscles in your thighs clench, forcing Sabo to push your legs open as he helps you ride out the hard orgasm by abusing your tender clit. By the time you're coming down from the high your whole body is shaking and twitching from the violent rush of pleasure.

Sabo comes back up from under your skirts, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, a satisfied smile on his face as he lazily crawls on the floor until he's by your side, pulling you into his chest as he kisses the top of your head. "That was a beautiful little song," he hums, petting your hair and giving you a chance to catch your breath.

"You... say that... often." You pant, your head still swimming with pleasure.

"Mm, that's because you make the most beautiful sounds, little song bird." He assures you leaning down and kissing you quickly so you can continue to catch your breath. "And as beautiful as you sound, you are twice as lovely."

You put his hat over your face as you feel yourself go red. "... that's just cruel." You pout.

"Eh? Ehhh?! I – I meant it-!" You move the hat aside and pull him down into a kiss interrupting him as the concerned look on his face turns to one of surprise.

"Embarrassing me is cruel, Sabo." You clarify, giving him a kind smile. "I don't know what to do when you call me beautiful."

He smiles, and it's just as beautiful as you're sure he sees you. "Then, shall I tell you every day until you figure out what to do?"

"... It could take me a long time," you point out as he leans down and kisses you softly.

"Days?" He questions with another gentle kiss.

"More."

"Weeks?" he prompts, kissing you again.

"Far longer, dear Sabo."

"Be it months, or years, I shall stay by your side until you sort it out." He promises, kissing you yet again.

"And beyond that?"

"By then there'll be many more things for us to sort out, and so I shall stay beside you and puzzle this love for years."

partish 2ish?

#Positively Victorian #one piece smut #one piece fanfiction #one piece sabo #sabo x reader #reader insert #one shot #normally I'd queue this but I could've sworn I posted it once already before and I guess not?#sabo the revolutionary

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