#it's just a fun little side project. very spur of the moment decision

[fruitcakeddog]

In the process of making a Harmony Howlette playlist. It has songs I relate to her and the songs from her showtapes. Would y'all want me to make it public?

#cec #pizza time theatre #harmony howlette #character playlist #it's just a fun little side project. very spur of the moment decision

[cappurrccino]

I decided it would be more fun if they knew (of) each other c:

~

Zenith would never admit it, but the sound of a portal tearing open behind her head immediately followed by the outraged screeching of a wizard nearly made her drop her sword.

“STOP THAT!”

With a low snarl, Zenith side-eyed the wizard. The aura read as one of Oryx’s brood but higher-rank and deeply powerful in some sort of magic, though she would be significantly weaker in raw force. Zenith hissed in displeasure as she realized she might actually be out-matched and might need to rethink her plan to swat the wizard out of the air. The wizard bristled in response to the aggression and magic glowed ready at the edges of her claws.

With great difficulty, Zenith pushed her aggression down and turned back to her current project..

“Stop what?” she asked, biting irritation deep into the words. The end of the question was mostly lost in the metallic scream of the floor plating as she wrenched her blade free from the new gash she had carved.

“Quit slicing holes in the ship, you imbecile!” The wizard drifted toward the damage in the floor, not quite touching it, and waved a hand over the mess, coaxing the ship to reveal the extent of the damage.

Zenith scowled and made a sharp gesture toward the floor. “The Sunless Cell is below here, busy being useless and empty, and I want a hunting pit.”

The wizard flashed a look at Zenith that would make any lesser Hive flee. Zenith, unfortunately, was no such creature; she leaned an arm on her sword, pushing the tip of the blade back down into the floor. The floor keened quietly and the wizard drew herself up to her full height, bone armor and spines flaring out in a threat.

“Just because you have decided to ignore the remaining tithe lines does not mean you have free reign to go around mindlessly carving your way through the ship. There are important knowledge conduits running through the structure here and I will not have them destroyed by some bored child.”

Between the insult and the insinuation that her carving was anything less than intentional, Zenith forgot her earlier decision to not pick a fight with the wizard, brandishing her sword in her direction. “If the ship doesn’t want traps cut into it, it’s more than welcome to wake up and stop me. Until then--”

She swung the blade back at the floor with all the force she could muster. Whether or not it hit home was debatable as she suddenly became aware of very little other than the deafening howl of ascendant magic and a feeling akin to having her brain turned inside out. A heavy impact caused some plating on her back to buckle and she thought for a moment that gravity might be pointing in the wrong direction before she lurched sideways into something broad and flat.

The first muddy sense to return was an all over ache, rapidly followed by the white-hot needles of irritation from her worm and her own confused surprise at still being alive. It took more than a few moments to sort out up from down and figure out what had happened and she realized she hadn’t been hit but rather hurled across the room. An artfully sculpted support column had caught her mid-flight and cracked her armor, perhaps as its own revenge for the impact shattering off several of the thin, decorative fins.

Zenith hauled herself to her feet, looking around for either her sword or the wizard and finding neither. There were, however, several sets of eyes peering out from shadows on the edges of the room, presumably belonging to some acolytes hoping to see a full-on brawl. Now doubly irritated, she stalked back toward the contentious spot of flooring, seeing first an unsettling haze of magic glowing up from new runes etched into the floor and then her sword laying where it had apparently been flung in a different direction. Skirting the edge of the runes, she snatched up her sword and crouched to get a better look at the magic. 

It made absolutely no sense to her.

She also knew she didn’t want to be the first to touch it.

One of the acolytes wasn’t fast enough in hiding again when she swept her gaze toward their hiding place again and she barked an order at it to come closer. It did so, albeit slowly and uncertainly.

“Step on that,” she said, pointing at the circle of faintly glowing runes. The acolyte hesitated and she added, “Step on it, or I’ll eat you.”

That spurred it into action and it dashed forward onto the runes with a quiet yelp.

The glow of the magic flared brighter for a moment...

And nothing happened.

Zenith rumbled in annoyance again and the acolyte scattered from view.

She poked at the runes with her sword. Nothing.

Stepped slowly onto them. Nothing.

Kicked a foot across one of the runes. Still nothing.

She stepped back out of the circle and paused, twirling the giant sword in one hand before coming to a decision and bringing it down in a powerful overhead swing. Before it could reach the scarred floor the blade slammed into a shimmering field of magic that absorbed the force of the blow and cast it back at its attacker. 

For the second time that day, Zenith found herself flying through the air.

For the second time that day, she was sent crashing into the floor.

So this was how it was going to be.

#//juri speaks #i wrote a thing #destiny #the hive #oc: zenith #oc: archivist #two doodles in one day! unheard of! #to answer the question of ''why not just delete zenith entirely'': she's still useful #huge and unruly pain in the ass prone to knocking down walls but also very good at keeping the dreadnaught secure

[trixie-pixie]

⭐⭐

OKAY COOL SO- since I get to talk about whatever I want here, I’m going to talk about my favourite part of every perfect summer, the slightly pretentious colours Thing in chapter three, because it’s probably my fav thing I’ve EVER written

Before I go bit-by-bit, I want to say that this piece of writing was very much inspired by my absolute favourite fic of all time, It’s Just Medicine by Abbdabb (I don’t know if they have a tumblr but they’re my absolute fav writer of all time)- there was a similar moment in chapter 25 that inspired this part :-) now lets tear my writing apart bit-by-bit !!!

Jan had always been made of heat- she’s a bubbling pool of fiery oranges, deep crimsons, all wrapped up in a shiny, sunny yellow disposition. She’s a firecracker- and not in the good way. Inside of her is a pressure pot, building and building with heat until she eventually explodes, like she did just minutes ago. Jan lives her life bathed in scarlet and carnelian, drowning in shades of currant and carmine. She feels emotions as pits and mountains- spiking, uncontrollable joy, followed by deep, unescapable sadness. Jan is a rollercoaster- forever too much.

note: Okay, this was definitely a moment of projection- I kind of wrote this as exactly the way I feel. I’m a bit of an emotional disaster, frequently been told that I am “a lot to deal with”- which is absolutely true in some ways. But it’s okay to be that way, as long as it’s expressed in a healthy way. I wanted to use this part of the work to kind of... reflect? I don’t know. It’s something I don’t really like about myself, but when a character I love has the exact same traits, I find it easy to love. Yeah.

Jackie is calming shades of blue- deep pools of navy and sapphire, cerulean and midnight swirling before Jan’s eyes. Jackie is homely, she is calm. Jackie is steady where Jan is unstable, she’s soft and predictable where Jan is all hard edges and spur of the moment decisions. Jackie is just right where Jan is far too much.

Jackie is not.

note: Is it projection again? Of course it is! I think the comparison to other people, especially people that we love, is like... a universal thing. I wanted to show that Jackie is the opposite of Jan... at least in her eyes. Really, they’re two cheeks of the same ass two sides of the same coin. Jackie is just as emotional as Jan, just as loving as her, but just in a different way. But Jan loves Jackie, who has all the qualities she’s been taunted for not having. That anger and jealousy is something that I experience a lot, for the same reasons. Woo! Projection!

Jan isn’t good without Jackie. Without Jackie, made up of Jan’s complimentary colours, Jan is too much to deal with. She’s too angry, too excitable. She’s too rowdy, too loud, too expressive, too bold, too much.

note: I’m not gonna lie, this part broke my heart a little bit to write. Because it’s exactly how I used to think- it hurt me a little to realize how wrong that way of thinking is while I wrote this. But at the same time, I felt a little better. Because the point of this is that those things aren’t true- and if they aren’t true for my characters, maybe they aren’t true about me either.

Jan is nothing without Jackie, whereas Jackie is free without Jan weighing her down. Without Jan ruining everything, spilling her emotions everywhere without even beginning to think of the consequences. And now Jackie knows that Jan is gay- she’ll hate her. Jan will be lucky if she ever sees her again.

note: Okay I really don’t think that there are any parts of this fic that AREN’T me projecting in an attempt to like myself a little more. But this last bit kind of broke me a little?? Coming out is shitty. It sucks. I’ve had some really great coming outs, and a lot of really bad ones. The previous scene where Jan comes out to Jackie as gay, in a way kind of was what it was like to come out to my parents as trans. I just want to give her a hug and tell her that things are gonna be alright :-(

this was so fun to do !!! I love picking apart my own writing, I kind of forget about how I feel when I write certain things until I look back on them. Please send me more of this type of ask !!! I love them so much- feel free to ask for certain parts too (scenes/quotes/etc.)

[dfcfanfics]

Stuff I did and do and gonna have done

It’s been so long since I posted a catch-all post to Tumblr that even I’m having trouble scrolling down that far.  So, since it’s probably been a couple of years now since that one, I’ll do some Shameless Self Promotion and throw together a catalog.

Shall we, behind the cut?

Longfics:

Someone To Watch Over Me: Adrien is having massive problems at home... and Akumas are headed his way.  Marinette notices that he’s not himself, and sets out to help -- in both her identities.  A Ladrienette triangle develops, with both of our young heroes hanging on for the ride... and that’s just how it begins.  Complete, 24 chapters, 225k words.  Original inspiration by @buggachat.

The Marinette Project: The school year ends, and Adrien notices that Marinette seems really down about that.  As Chat Noir, he sets out to bring her spirits back up over the summer... and quickly finds himself in way over his head.  Mostly Marichat.  Complete, 14 chapters, 90k words.

Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright: A new villain’s attack targets Marinette by chance, and knocks Tikki out of commission indefinitely.  Chat Noir gets an opportunity to choose a temporary partner -- and three guesses whose balcony he lands on.  But his choice of Miraculous isn’t quite as predictable... and a devilish Tiger Kwami has way too much fun helping Marinette rediscover herself.  Marichat-ish.  Complete, 9 chapters, 68k words.  Comic-ization in progress via @brittsarts!

Let’s Take It From The Top: A reboot AU in which Gabriel brings home the Cat and Moth from Tibet, not the Peacock and Moth... and an overheard conversation sends his son on a path towards disaster, romance, new identities for familiar faces, reworked canon scenes, and perhaps the destruction of all of France.  But mostly the romance and disaster parts.  Complete, 21 chapters, 125k words.

Mid-length Multi-parters:

Two Hearts That Wax And Wane: Adrien isn’t sure what he said in the car with Marinette, on their way home from the wax museum... but he knows that he screwed up.  Badly.  His good friend stumbled out of the car almost before it stopped moving.  Now he’s retracing his words and steps and trying to figure out what set Marinette off, which will lead him through both of his identities -- and both of hers.  Puppeteer 2 response fic.  Complete, 4 chapters (one for each Square side), 14k words.

Full Stamen Ahead: It’s Carnation Day at Francoise Dupont, where students can send each other floral tokens of their affection and appreciation.  Marinette wants to send one to Adrien, but gets cold feet about sending a red one... which does not go unnoticed.  A prank by Chloe, a misstep by Alya and suspicious friends lead to a cavalcade of misunderstandings, romantic drama and surprises. Marvel at my absolute mangling of the French educational system.  Complete, 5 chapters, 16k words.

Once in a Lifetime: A concussive villain blasts Ladybug’s earrings right off her ears -- and Marinette into a hospital bed.  Her injuries are minor; her loss of her Miraculous is not.  While she tries to keep her identity safe, someone she knows finds herself with what she realizes is the most precious jewelry in Paris.  Who will be Ladybug during this crisis... and how will the balance be restored?  Complete, 4 chapters, 25k words.

Reservations For Two... More May Be Coming: Adrien finally figures out that he’s the one boy Ladybug gets flustered around.  He gets up the nerve to ask her out... and she accepts.  So how are they going to make this couple thing work, anyway... and will Paris be the same after their first fancy-restaurant date?  Complete, 6 chapters, 35k words.

Throw Me Around Like One Of Your French Girls: Marinette reflects on her unpleasant encounter with Felix, and realizes... what might’ve happened if he’d tried to force a kiss on her, rather than Ladybug?  She does know a handsome classmate studying martial arts, though, so perhaps she should see if he’ll teach her some things...  WIP, 5 chapters so far, 25k words.

It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time...: After Season 3′s finales, Adrien makes a go of it with Kagami... but makes a well-meaning-but-big mistake.  A weary and despondent Marinette finds a heartbroken Kagami on her doorstep, looking for advice... and one spur-of-the-moment decision on her part sends everything into chaos.  NOT an Adrien Salt fic, I promise you!  WIP, 13 chapters so far, 53k words.  

Serious One-Shots:

Summer Break: My first fanfic.  Marinette fractures her leg in a bicycle accident, and has to spend several weeks with a light cast.  Chat Noir begins visiting her to cheer her up... and lots of unexpected bonding surprises them both.  6k words.

Forget-Me-Not: “Alternative episode.”  A mind-sapping villain makes Ladybug and Chat Noir forget that their super-selves exist... leaving Marinette and Adrien wondering why they’re out together in Halloween costumes.in September.  What happens if they don’t get their true memories back -- and what happens if they do?  6k words.

Locked and Loaded: “Alternative episode.”  Marinette goes for a walk with Adrien over one of the “love lock” bridges in Paris -- which she hopes will put him in a romantic mood.  But a heartbroken woman they encounter becomes corrupted by Hawkmoth, the locks become her weapons, and Our Heroes must face down an army of enslaved romantics.  6k words.

A Little Promise I’d Made Myself: It’s New Year’s Eve at Rose’s house, and a party is in progress.  Adrien is having a good time, but something seems missing... until he notices a pretty classmate sitting by herself on a couch.  Are midnight fireworks inevitable?  3k words.

After The Storm Breaks: After the Season 3 finales, Kagami and Adrien are dating, and Marinette and Luka are an item... but there’s something awkward in the air.  Adrien and Kagami notice that Marinette has grown uncomfortable around them, and Adrien reaches out... and a lot of important things are said for the first time.  5k words.

Just One More Minute...: A tricky Akuma sends Ladybug and Chat Noir on a wild battle all over Paris, spanning several hours.  They’ve won, and Paris is safe once more... but the two of them have collapsed onto a rooftop, exhausted beyond belief and barely able to move.  Both Miraculous are beeping... so what are they to do?  2.5k words.  Inspired by @ladybeug artwork.

Playing a Familiar Chord:  After Puppeteer 2′s events, Luka is sitting quietly at home when his phone rings.  Someone special to him just underwent an emotional ordeal... and she needs a friendly ear and some male advice.  A gentle conversation ensues, with Luka wondering which way this might lead...  3.7k words.

Options Include Like, Comment, Share, Bookmark and Agonize:  Adrien posts to Instagram, marveling over his good friends’ relationship... and wistfully wishing for one of his own.  Marinette sees his post and wonders what she can do... 1.4k words.

MiracuCrack:

Trouble...Made?: Troublemaker response.  Marinette decides that the only thing to do about her crush being revealed is to confess... but there’s something that she should really have known first.  

It Wasn’t Plan “A”: A terrible new Akuma has sealed off all of the Kwamis’ powers.  With a groan and a sense of dread in his soul, Master Fu leads Marinette and Adrien to a box containing mystic totems best left untouched... the Ridiculous.

The Logical Conclusion: After careful study, Ladybug thinks she’s worked out who Hawkmoth must be, and presents her evidence to Chat Noir.  But for some odd reason, she doesn’t seem very happy about the conclusion she’s reached...

Getting Things Backwards: Adrien Agreste sits quietly on the train, rereading what Marinette had handed him for the tenth time.  It... looked like a prescription for constipation medication.  But inspiration strikes him and he considers it as a metaphor... might it be a love letter after all?  Backwarder response.

First Times Are Always Awkward: Ladybug’s first time out against Stoneheart didn’t go quite as she’d planned it, but no one got hurt and everything went pretty well.  Didn’t it?  But when Alya pulls her aside the next morning, a little oversight of Tikki’s proves troublesome to our heroes’ dignity.

Communication Breakdown: With an Akuma rampaging through Paris, Ladybug came up with a desperate plan... requiring both Adrien and Chat Noir for it to work.  Thinking fast, Adrien passes the ring off to one person he could trust with it.  Now, Plagg explains how it works as quickly as he can -- but there’s just one problem...

“Busted,” Said the Kwami: Chat Noir found himself very impressed by Multimouse’s debut as a heroine of Paris.  So much so that, later that night, he finds himself having the strangest dream...  Kwami Buster response.

Nooroo Uses a Swear Word: He absolutely, positively does.  But he has a good reason for it, so... let’s hear him out, shall we?

Leave Some Stones Unturned: Wayzz leads Marinette through Master Fu’s abandoned studio, both to make sure everything is as he left it and to walk her through some of the many intriguing items he’d left behind.  But some locks are there for a reason, and some secrets are best left hidden...

Reservoir Kwamis: A completely silly Miraculous/Reservoir Dogs mashup.  Will only make sense if you know the movie.

What do you think, sirs?  (And madams?  And whoever else is out there?)

#miraculous #miraculous ladybug #fanfic #shameless self promotion

[elesianne]

A Silmarillion fanfic, chapter twenty-four

Chapter summary: The winter before their wedding, filled with preparations and waiting.

Rating: Teen and up audiences; Chapter length: ~2,800 words

Chapter notes: This is a short chapter but the next, last one is a behemoth.

(Read on AO3)

*

Chapter XXIV // A winter of waiting

My beloved betrothed Tuilindien

begins the letter that Tuilindien receives from Carnistir only a short time after he went home.

 I found our house still standing like Curufinwë and Findaráto assured us at the harvest festival, and in fact they had made more progress on it during my absence than I had expected. Apparently their personal disagreements only spurred them to work harder, in some sort of one-upmanship. The basic structures of most walls are finished, and there is even a roof on most of the garden-side rooms.

 I have taken up residence in the most finished room, for myself as well as Cinder – that is what I named the kitten. It seemed the most fitting name for a black cat with orange eyes. Cinder did not much enjoy the journey here, but is settling in well. Her mother seems to have taught her well, for she has already caught two mice. She doesn't appear to be as sociable as Snowdrop, though, but an independent spirit who likes to keep her distance from me while sneaking to sleep close to me at night.

 Curufinwë does not approve of my moving into a building site, as he put it. He told me that I seem to have lost the last of my dignity and concern for appearances now that I am certain that you will marry me.

 I told him that it is my house and I will live in it if I want.

 The truth is that I am tired of the daily journey from the palace. Not because of the distance, mainly, but because there is little privacy there and I had to waste time every day talking to people I didn't want to talk to but had to for grandfather's sake, at meals and upon leaving and coming back at night. Here there are no distractions, just Cinder and I, and Makalaurë's house is near enough that I go there for meals as often as Tinweriel tolerates me.

 Spending the summer with you was delightful, but so is throwing myself into work here again, seeing our house grow every day, making it ready for you.

 I miss you already, though, and look forward to your winter visit.

 With love

 your Carnistir

*

  My darling Carnistir,

 I am glad to hear that you found the house in a better shape than you expected, and especially that little Cinder is making her contribution by catching vermin.

 I do not think that living in a half-finished building must mean loss of dignity, and it would certainly not make me any less likely to marry you if I hadn't already decided that I will do it. I cannot help wondering, though, as winter approaches, whether you and Cinder will be warm enough. Have you any source of heat there?

 It is silly of me to worry, I know. You know how to take care of yourself. But I spend a great deal of time thinking of you these days, even more than before. I am writing my treatise but it does not take that much time, and I do not have any particularly ambitious goals for it. I write a little, I help look after Aiwië, I spend time with Cirincë (I have kept up the riding lessons we began in the summer) and I think of you. That is how I spend my days.

 I admire your industriousness and I love you for working so hard to make us a home. I only hope that you make enough time for rest as well, though you now live there in the middle of your work.

 As for me – as the forests and fields on the mountainside settle into winter, as the days grow cooler and many of the songs of birds fall into silence, I find that my heart has settled into waiting. First for my visit to your city, and then for the move to Tirion. I have already gone through all of my things and decided which ones I will bring with me. I am just waiting to pack them and give most of the rest to Cirincë.

 Carnistir, I have never before found waiting this hard. Perhaps because every day, I say goodbyes in my heart to the people and places and things I have always lived among – and every day, I miss you so. I feel bare and alone now that you are so far from me that I cannot feel your spirit in our connection, no matter how hard I try.

 When I miss so that it feels like it must surely eventually become unbearable, I take off the ring you gave me and I read the words inside. I feel warm, then, and comforted by the strength of your affection and your promise to me.

 And I count the days.

 Your Tuilindien

*

As late autumn is turning to true winter, Tuilindien rides to Tirion. She has only a groom and a maidservant with her this time, for this three-week visit is for her to begin building connections and making plans for her future in Tirion, as well as for wedding planning.

She stays at the palace once again, as a guest of Indis and Finwë. The queen takes her role as hostess seriously. She introduces Tuilindien to all of her ladies, many of whom are Vanyarin, and invites her to so many meals and activities that Tuilindien's days are easily filled. She has no time to feel lonely, though this is her first time in Tirion without any of her family.

For she spends time with Carnistir, too, of course, and is invited to dinners at his family's house as well as Makalaurë and Tinweriel's.

'It is very nice to have Carnistir and you both here', Tinweriel tells Tuilindien the first night that they dine there. 'Carnistir has been a very frequent dinner guest lately, but despite my best efforts in training him, he is still not much of a conversationalist. When I asked him to tell him about his summer on the plains with you, he spent the entire meal explaining winemaking methods to us.'

'He devoted himself to learning them', Tuilindien replies.

Tinweriel smiles at her over the rim of her wine glass. 'A loyal reply', she notes. 'But tell me, what did you two do for fun?'

Tuilindien does her best to answer that. On the whole, dinners with Makalaurë and Tinweriel go well. She is glad for it. Makalaurë and Carnistir are close, and Makalaurë's house is also physically much closer than Carnistir's parents' house. Fëanáro and Nerdanel's home is almost on the opposite side of the city from the property Carnistir bought. Tuilindien has not dared to ask whether that was a contributing factor to Carnistir's decision to buy it.

Besides dinners and entertainments, Tuilindien visits members of the scholarly community too, finding out what projects are going on and whether there is something she could contribute to.

In the end she decides on teaching, though. For there is a need for a teacher of language to the children of the court – the offspring of royal advisors, courtiers and ladies-in-waiting, court musicians and poets, seneschals and officials. Tuilindien will teach some of the more advanced students varieties of Quenya that they do not yet know, and the basics of Valarin, and the script of Rúmil.

Fëanáro raises his brows when she tells the family of her plans. 'If you believe that taking on the role of schoolmistress is a wise beginning to your life here –'

'I do', Tuilindien interrupts, for she is learning that it is best to assert herself with him.

'Then we wish you all the best in it, dear', Nerdanel completes her husband's sentence. 'May your students be more obedient and interested than our little terrors.' She smooths down Telvo's hair affectionately while he protests the description.

Three weeks pass fast. When they come to their end and Tuilindien prepares for farewells again, Tuilindien pleads with Carnistir once more to let her come see the house.

'No.' Carnistir dodges her kiss. 'You can kiss me as many times as you like, vanimelda – I shall like it very much if you do – but it will not make me show you the house yet. Not while it is half-built. It is coming along well but at the moment it looks hardly better than the old house at the time of our betrothal. I want your first impression of it to be good.' He grows serious. 'You do still trust me with the house, don't you? You've told me that you have faith in me making it a good home for us both.'

'Of course I still trust you. I am only curious, so very curious',   Tuilindien admits sheepishly. 'Impatient, too. But I will bear it. Let us go through the plans I have drawn for the garden instead. What do you think of this layout?'

Carnistir bends down to look at her notes. They are inexpertly drawn but that does not seem to bother him, to her relief. He points out some things that would not work, and Tuilindien listens intently and makes corrections, and touches his knee every now and then.

*

Tuilindien is relieved when, upon returning home for the rest of the winter, she finds that while she still counts days and looks forward to her wedding, the impatience does not make her unable to enjoy the time she has left with her family and friends.

She spends much time with Cirincë, for her younger sister is sad. Tuilindien's temporary absence appears to have made her rapidly approaching more permanent departure much more real to Cirincë.

Tuilindien tries to console her with promises of visits, to little effect. In the end they just spend as much time together as possible.

Lirulinë spends more home in the family home than she has for years, too, though that might be because of the many eager arms that there are there to cuddle baby Aiwië. Little Cantiel, only a few years older than her niece, is fascinated with the baby too, and babbles to her for hours about everything and anything.

Cantiel receives her mother-name at midwinter, the whole family with aunts and uncles and grandparents gathered to hear it.

Sailiel gathers her youngest daughter close to her and raises her voice for the announcement.

'It is a little early, but she is not the baby of the family anymore', she begins. 'And now that she speaks and plays with language, I would like her to have a name with more personal meaning.' Tuilindien's mother glares at her husband who gave their fourth daughter a father-name meaning 'fourth daughter'.

'I knew I could trust you to gift her a better name', Ingolmo says innocently.

'Darling daughter.' Sailiel lifts Cantiel in her arms and brushes her hair tenderly out of her eyes so she can gaze at her. 'I wish to give you the name Wilwarindëa.'

Cantiel tilts her head. 'Like a butterfly.'

'Like a butterfly', her mother confirms. 'For you run around the house and garden, just for fun, from one family member to another like a butterfly flutters from flower to flower.'

Wilwarindëa grins and looks over her mother's shoulder to her sisters. 'I didn't get a bird name', she declares to them jubilantly. 'I got a butterfly name. The only butterfly name.'

'Congratulations, Wilwarindëa', Tuilindien tells her, suppressing her own grin.

*

Preparations for the wedding have gone well, especially when one takes into account that the bride has participated in them by letter for many weeks. Finwë and Nerdanel have borne principal responsibility in making the arrangements, with Carnistir relaying Tuilindien's latest wishes and vetoing some details on his own behalf.

'We will not have an entire orchestra playing at the wedding, Cáno. It is a celebration for family. If you keep suggesting it, I won't let you and Tinweriel play at all', Carnistir had to threaten during one meeting.

'It's an orchestra Tinwië and I belong to, so there's no reason it couldn't perform at a family celebration', Makalaurë argued. 'There was an orchestra at our wedding.'

'It was your wedding', Carnistir pointed out between clenched teeth. 'This is mine and Tuilë's. We're less…' he wants to say pompous or dramatic, but that would be too rude '… grandiose people.'

Finwë played peacemaker. 'People do have different tastes and desires, Makalaurë. I'm certain that Carnistir will be very grateful if you and Tinweriel hold an intimate performance at the wedding. You do not need an orchestra to make beautiful music. Is that not right, Carnistir?'

'That's right', Carnistir muttered, and with that the matter was finally settled two weeks before the wedding.

Arguing with Makalaurë had felt strange. Moving back to his childhood home for the last two weeks before the wedding feels stranger. He only does so because his mother and brothers beseeched him to.

He finds his room much like he had left it, only a little tidier. Carnistir runs his fingers over the books and papers and other things he'd left behind as unnecessary. After over three years away, it almost feels like they belong to another person.

It is no matter that the room he lived in since he was a child doesn't feel like his anymore. He has a new room elsewhere, one that is only missing the finishing touches now, and he didn't come to his family home to spend time in his room anyway. He came to spend time with his family.

And he does just that, as much as he can spare time from working to make sure the new house will be habitable if not finished by the time of the wedding.

He plays with his youngest brothers and takes them riding and listens while they tell him everything they've ever thought of – that is how it seems anyway.

He tells them that he won't see them any less when he has married Tuilindien. More, very possibly, since he won't be as busy with the house project anymore.

He feels certain, without asking Tuilindien, that his little brothers will be welcome in their house even if they visit often and leave a mess behind. It is rather wonderful, being certain of things like that.

'My new house is on the other side of the city but that is not a problem', Carnistir tells Ambarussar. 'You've become good riders in the last few years. You are not to just hop on your ponies and ride there, but if you ask mother or father for permission and for a groom to accompany you, it should be no problem for you to visit frequently.'

The twins beam at him and Pityo lets out a small cheer.

'You must always be courteous to Tuilindien and do as she asks', Carnistir hastens to add.

Both Ambarussar looks offended that Carnistir thinks that they might not be the most courteous children in all of Aman. 'Of course we will', they say in unison, which adds to rather than relieves Carnistir's fear that they definitely won't behave.

He ruffles their hair, anyway, and tells them to go beg the cook for something sweet they can all share.

*

A week before the wedding day, Tuilindien with her whole family arrives in Tirion.

Carnistir embraces Tuilindien tightly as soon as he sees her, and tells her, 'You are a day late.'

Tuilindien's eyes are bright with tears of joy. 'The roads were terrible', she says with a half laugh, half sob, trailing her hands through his hair. 'The mountain-paths especially were muddy with melted snow. It is not the best time of the year for travelling.'

'But it is an excellent time for a wedding, for I could not wait a day longer than the six we still have left.' Carnistir holds her close, nuzzling her neck. 'I have no words for how glad I am that you are here to stay this time.'

Tuilindien sighs. 'As am I, my love, to truly stay with you finally, with no goodbyes in sight.' She strokes a gentle hand down his back. 'Right now, though, we must join our families for dinner.'

'They can wait a moment.'

'They have already waited. Come now, Carnistir.'

At dinner and during the socialisation afterwards when his family member and relatives whisk Tuilindien away from him, he observes her, especially in relation to the few women already in his family. Tuilindien is shorter and more slender than his mother, and dressed in lighter colours, blending in more with the marble of the palace; she is more quiet and more still than Tinweriel with her witticisms and wide gestures.

Yet he knows where she is in the room at all times, no matter how many more colourful or louder people she is surrounded by. Even without looking he knows where she is at any moment, and feels better than ever for knowing that she is there, never far from him.

*

A/N: In the next chapter, the long-awaited wedding day with its night.

I can't believe there's only one chapter left! And then some sequel fics, if I manage to write them.

Also: total wordcount for this fic is now

!!!

#starting to feel seriously sad about this ending :| #what will I do with myself once it's all posted haha #tolkien fanfiction #silmarillion fanfiction #caranthir #caranthir's wife #tuilindien #your spirit calling out to mine #my fics #elesianne's fics

[artificialqueens]

The Language of Flowers 5.5 (Multi) - Albatross

AN: Dear god it’s finally done after like 4 months! Hope you all enjoy it!

To the anon asking about whether or not there’ll be a chapter about the Shinkx date; the answer is ‘Yes, but…’

Yes, I do have a tentative plan to post mini chapters for both dates but…I’m probably not going to work on it right away. Almost definitely not actually. As much as I loved writing this story, I need a break from it for a little while.

As for other plans; Rajadore is almost certainly the next piece I’ll be working with probably Rajila following that. Phianca will be done at some point but I’m having issues with the plot atm so that’s on the back burner. And…I’m about 95% sure I’m revisiting Rajalaskam again. Still in the planning stages but I think I have an idea for a new, final final chapter for their series so keep an eye out for that.

When Jinkx explained their spontaneously decided plan, Courtney was a bit hesitant. Organizing a class to make the same kind of bouquets that got them into this mess and inviting Trixie and Katya to attend at the same time? It seemed rather like a bad idea but deep down Courtney secretly loved the romanticism of the proposal. She kept her concerns to herself and offered Jinkx and Ivy help in any way that she could think of. Still she couldn’t help but feel that it was incredibly unlikely for this plan to actually work. It was quite cliche but maybe with just a pinch of luck they could pull this off anyhow.

Since Jinkx and Ivy were busy constructing the lesson plan and tracking down all of the supplies needed for the class, Courtney took to advertising it. Of course her first thought was to spread the word around Katya’s campus. That seemed to be the mostly likely place to find interested participants. A small part of her toyed with the idea of handing out fliers, perhaps even near the library but she wasn’t ready to see Trixie yet. She knew if she saw her before Saturday she’d end up making things worse by trying to talk to her…and of course she might catch onto the plan if she knew one of Katya’s friends works at the shop.

Instead Courtney reached out to the campus Facebook page and received permission to make a quick post inviting students to attend the fast-approaching course. If nothing else, it would make it seem more legitimate to Trixie and surely at least a few people would decide to attend from that post alone. Courtney also spread news of the class by word of mouth and received a few promises from some of her own friends that they would either stop by or encourage others to do so. Hopefully, there’ll be enough people to make this look like less like a spur of the moment decision and Trixie won’t notice anything out of the ordinary.

With the advertising taken care of, now came the difficult part; ensuring Katya would be attending as well. Though Courtney made herself sound confident when she told Jinkx she could get the younger blonde to the shop without an issue; it turned out to be much easier said than done.

Ever since the scene at the library, Katya had been pretty down on herself. She was hardly leaving the apartment aside from classes or a show and she had stopped frequenting at the library entirely. Though she hadn’t mentioned it, Courtney suspected she was actively avoiding anywhere she might see Trixie and even for their shared classes, it’d be a short guess to say she was probably sitting well on the opposite side of the room from the young woman.

As for her studying, if you can call staring blankly at a page for ten minutes at time 'studying’, Katya just didn’t seem as enthusiastic about it as she had been before. Literature had always been her passion and even studying from textbooks was still fascinating to her yet now it seemed all of that previous spark had disappeared. She was listless and far from her normal energetic self, clearly still thinking about Trixie and not her projects. It hurt to see someone previously so happy and optimistic as broken as this. Even a slight hint of anything related to Trixie caused her eyes to cloud with longing and regret. Silently, Courtney made a wish almost every night that on Saturday everything would be fixed.

On the day of the class, Courtney had been assigned to work the opening shift as this would give her time to head back to her apartment to pick up Katya and make sure she found her way to the shop. At first everything seemed fine; the store was busy so there was hardly time to think about anything other than the customers and fulfilling the day’s orders. That all changed once Jinkx had arrived to start her own shift. They were only together for about an hour due to the sheer number of customers in the shop that she, Ivy and Violet couldn’t handle alone, but just seeing the redhead, never mind not even discussing the class that night, caused Courtney’s stomach to drop and a heavy worry rested on her shoulders even after she was finally able to leave following her shift.

Up until that day, Courtney had been careful not to mention any of the plan to Katya. It was unlikely that she would agree if she knew about it beforehand and would probably arrange to be elsewhere for the duration of the class. At least the one thing Courtney could rely on was that Katya would be at the apartment when she arrived. Her classes were already finished for the day and Courtney doubted she’d want to be anywhere else right now.

The moment Courtney walked into the apartment she heard soft music seeping through Katya’s closed door. Unsurprisingly it was yet another sad song about heartbreak that she loved to torture herself to as of late. Very gently, Courtney knocked on the door and waited until she received a word of acknowledgment before entering. Like she had so many other days this week, Courtney immediately made her way to Katya’s bed and pulled the dejected young woman into her arms. As part of their new routine, Katya rested her head in the crook of Courtney’s neck and let out a sad little sigh.

Running her hand up and down Katya’s back, Courtney asked how her day had gone and made their typical small talk until Katya finally ran out of things to say. Even though there was still a few hours before the class would be starting, Courtney knew she’d have to begin introducing the idea of going out tonight as soon as possible. With enough pleading and puppy eyes, Courtney felt mostly assured of herself to be able to get Katya to agree to go to the shop with her. Under normal circumstances, it’d probably take only a few minutes before the blonde would give in but Courtney had a feeling that right now, she’d probably need every hour she has at her disposal.

“Katy…” she drew out with a slight whine in her tone, “I was thinking we should go out tonight, have a little fun, you know?”

Buried her face into Courtney’s neck, she tightened her grip around the older blonde’s waist and replied, “I wanna just stay here and mope.”

“Come on,” Courtney insisted, “We need to get you out of this head-space-”

“-I like this head-space!” Katya interrupted.

“It’s not healthy though,” the older blonde argued. “We don’t have to do anything big…could go to a movie, eat dinner…Jinkx has her first arrangement course tonight.”

Katya gave a muffled groan of acknowledgment but no other noise indicating that she’d agree to go. Knowing it’d probably be most effective to try and guilt the younger woman into attending, Courtney mentioned, “I’m sure it’d mean a lot if we both were there; she worked so hard on it.”

But Katya would not budge on the issue. For the next hour and a half, Courtney continued to make comments specifically designed to play at the blonde’s heartstrings. A few of her favorites included variations of “We don’t even know how many people are going to show up…”, “I hope there’s at least a few who attend”, and of course; “It’d be a shame for everything to go to waste.”

Slowly progress was being being made; Katya couldn’t stand to look at her or the soft, pleading eyes Courtney threw her way every five minutes. Still though, she had yet to yield to Courtney’s request. If only Courtney had a little more time she was sure she could break Katya’s resistance…But the class started in an hour! Was all this effort really going to be for nothing?

A knock was heard on the apartment door and though Courtney was tempted to ignore it in favor of continuing to persuade Katya, proper etiquette compelled her to see who it was and what they needed. It was quite a surprise to find Willam on the other side looking just a tad amused with a lazy smirk on her face. Feeling herself flush a little bit, Courtney let out a surprised gasp and said, “Oh! What are you doing here?”

“Hey, princess,” Willam called out to Courtney’s annoyance. Once she earned an eye roll from the older woman, she stated, “Vi mentioned you might have some trouble trying to get Katya out of the apartment.”

“And she sent you to help?” Courtney asked doubtfully.

With a secretive and far from reassuring smile, Willam declared, “I volunteered.”

“Uh-huh…should I ask why?” the blonde said with a heavy layer of suspicion in her voice.

Patting the shorter woman’s head, Willam invited herself into the apartment and rebuffed her friend, “Don’t worry your pretty little head with the details.”

As Willam made her way to Katya’s bedroom, Courtney couldn’t help but feel a heavy dose of apprehension as to what Willam’s intentions were. Although if it gets Katya to the shop, how much should she really complain? It was getting down to the wire after all.

Perhaps too closely, Courtney followed behind the dirty blonde as she entered Katya’s room without even an attempt to announce her presence beforehand. The look on Katya’s face was truly a study and a little yelp could be heard right before she pulled the sheets up over her wide eyes. Curling into a tight ball, the blonde huddled beneath the covers as Willam marched right up to the side of the bed with a disturbingly devilish grin on her face.

“Uh-uh,” she taunted as she pulled away the covers with little effort. “None of that.”

“Willam-” Courtney worriedly began to interject until the dirty blonde shot her a quick look.

“Outside,” she commanded in a no-nonsense tone. “I’m gonna have a little chat with her for a minute.”

Immediately Courtney found herself obeying and was sprinting past the door as she pointedly ignored Katya’s call of 'Traitor!’ on the way out.

Reluctantly closing the door, Courtney all but pressed her ear to the faux wood in an attempt to hear what Willam was saying to her roommate. It was a short guess to imagine that she was probably scolding the young blonde for her pitiful behavior and demanding for her to get her act together. There were a few muffled sounds from Katya as though she were trying to defend herself but Willam refused to listen to any such excuses. In what seemed to be no time at all, the pair were exiting Katya’s room with Willam ushering the very harassed looking young woman towards the bathroom with a change of clothes in hand.

“Okay, okay,” the blonde insisted as she entered the communal washroom, “I can do this part myself!”

“And if you don’t come out looking half-decent, I’m fixing it for you!” Willam threatened as the door closed in front of her. Courtney had little doubt that she meant it. More than once Willam had forcefully fixed her own makeup before entering a club so that Courtney 'wouldn’t embarrass her with more lipstick on her teeth than her face.’

There was very little chit-chat as the pair waited for Katya to reemerge from the bathroom. Courtney had taken to nervously braiding her hair to keep from constantly checking the time on her phone. More than once Willam had pounded on the door and shouted a few encouraging phrases to the young woman including 'Hurry the fuck up!’ and 'We haven’t got all night!’ and a rather harsh, 'It’s Spackle on sandpaper; it doesn’t have to be perfect!’

To her credit Katya was finished in just over 20 minutes. Her makeup had been touched up greatly and her hair looked less like a tangled mess of flyaways and curls. Even the outfit Willam had undoubtedly selected for her looked much better than what Katya was likely going to wear. Somehow the dirty blonde managed to find the least gaudy clothes that Katya had owned and created a cute, casual little outfit that she could both show off and work in. Sadly, Courtney got very little chance to compliment her roommate before Willam was rushing them all out the door in order to make it to the shop on time.

As Courtney pulled Katya from the car, she made a quick note that Willam was actually putting money into the meter again. She flashed a quick smile to the dirty blonde as they made their way to the shop front. Understandably they had been the last people to arrive. If you had asked Courtney how many people she would have expected to show up, she probably would have said perhaps 15 or so at the most…that guesstimate was nowhere close to the actual number!

Ivy and Jinkx had somehow managed to fit and divide up 15 tables into three rows on the shop’s floor and provide chairs for all of the attendees. Most of the tables had between three and four people sitting or standing nearby and needless to say; the building was utterly packed. Luckily there still seemed to be a few empty spaces towards the back but aside from that it was safe to say the class was pretty much at full capacity. Courtney was starting to push Katya towards the open chairs but a sudden resistance caused her to stop dead in her tracks. Katya had stood frozen just a few steps past the door and an immensely unhappy groan passed through her lips. Without even having to ask, Courtney could guess that Katya had spotted Trixie at the other end of the room. Her hair was a bit hard to miss after all…

It was no surprise that Katya had almost immediately turned around to leave but a quick glare from Willam sent her meekly shuffling towards the empty table near the back of the first aisle. As they sat down, Courtney ran her hand over Katya’s arm and muttered a few comforting words to console the younger woman who was less than subtly stealing a glance Trixie’s way. She was looking so utterly miserable that they both were here at the same time and undoubtedly was regretting having shown up at all. While Willam hopped on the table behind them and typed away on her touch screen, Courtney snuck a quick look of her own over towards Trixie. She seemed to feel as out of place and unhappy as Katya yet unlike everyone else; she had no one with her to make sure she stayed for the duration of the class. She was clutching at her knee as though she were debating getting up and leaving but to Courtney’s relief Sharon emerged from the break room and her mere presence caused the mindless chatter to lighten significantly.

“About time she showed up,” Willam grumbled as she put away her phone.

Vaguely Courtney thought the two might have been in communication with each other but she didn’t have the attention span to question it. She was too focused on keeping Katya calm until Jinkx could move forward with their plan. To any of the other attendees who didn’t know her, it would have looked like Jinkx was the picture of poise and relaxation but Courtney wasn’t fooled. She knew Jinkx was a nervous wreck on the inside but Sharon’s little nod of encouragement as she began her opening speech seemed to calm some of that inner turmoil.

While Jinkx ran through her lecture, beginning with vague introductions to floriography then onto more specific examples, Courtney couldn’t help but to inwardly cringe at how overt she was being…at least towards the two people this really mattered for. She never would have had the courage that Jinkx had to actually look Trixie and Katya dead in the eye as she all but told them exactly what had gone wrong with the bouquet. She used examples directly taken from that fated arrangement for the class but at least it served its purpose.

As Jinkx’s sight traveled elsewhere, Courtney saw a look of realization that passed over Trixie’s face as she finally got the message. Her cheeks flushed with guilt and embarrassment as she slunk into her seat. As for Katya, she sat in a meditative state for quite some time. Courtney had yet to fully explain the details of what was incorrect with the bouquet but it seemed Katya was well on her way to figuring it out anyhow. While Jinkx was finishing her speech, Katya turned to Courtney for confirmation as she asked softly, “It was because I asked Ivy to use yellow and white flowers, wasn’t it?”

Nodding her head, Courtney replied defensively, “She was following a cheat sheet…some of the meanings on the insert weren’t listed there and-”

“Like what yellow roses can mean?” Katya interrupted with an unusually pensive tone.

“Yeah…”

With that Katya fell back into a state of deep thought, letting her line of sight drift back to Trixie. The younger woman seemed to sense that she was being watched and shifted her head to find an apologetic Katya staring at her. To Courtney’s relief, Trixie appearing to be feeling quite a heavy dose of guilt for automatically assuming the worst with the bouquet Katya had given her. Jinkx’s less than subtle lecture had definitely struck a chord with her. Though Courtney would have loved to see them talking it out then and there, each tore away their gaze and focused their attention on the sheets of paper sitting on each of the tables.

Jinkx had taken the liberty of producing and distributing a more in-depth cheat sheet of various flowers and their meanings, including the negative connotations this time. It was in Courtney’s nature to want to offer Katya help with her bouquet but after the last time she forced her assistance…well, it landed them here. Instead she asked quietly, “What are you going to do?”

Very determined, Katya looked up from the paper and replied, “I’m gonna remake that bouquet…the last one I gave her…I’m gonna do it right this time.”

Smiling brightly, Courtney encouraged her, “I think that’s a very good plan.”

*******

Katya had studied the cheat sheet far longer than Courtney had expected her to, undoubtedly trying to make sure that this one would truly explain how she felt. When she finally felt ready to select her flowers, Willam joined her in the walk to the alcove. Courtney had taken this opportunity to study Trixie just a little bit further. She had already made her trip to pick up the flowers and was now staring intensely at the pile in front of her. Of course the first flowers that caught her eye were the vibrant and plentiful chrysanthemums. They certainly would take up a lot of the attention but aside from them there was a healthy amount of a smaller yellow flower; rue as Courtney soon identified. If nothing else, at least Trixie seemed to be truly apologetic about how she had reacted to the last bouquet.

What gave Courtney the most hope that this would in fact turn out for the best was a bundle of white flowers tucked away with the sparse amount of filler plants Trixie had picked up; rain lilies. Courtney didn’t need to look at the paper to recall what those had symbolized. Her only prayer was that Trixie meant it in the same romantic way that Katya feels, not as a purely friendship based sentiment.

About this time, the other girls had returned from the front of the shop with their own handfuls of flowers. Surprisingly though it wasn’t all for Katya to use. Willam had kept a small amount for herself as she hopped right back up on the near empty table behind Courtney.

Once everyone was in their seats once more, Willam excluded, Jinkx restarted her lecture on the basics of building a bouquet. She stressed that there was no wrong way essentially with how each person went about it; what she was teaching was only some of the techniques she had used frequently in the shop. She advised that it be decided first which of the flowers would be used as the focal point of the arrangement and flesh out the design from there. The main flowers should stand at the forefront and be the first thing the receiver’s eye is drawn to. Other flowers used should compliment that decision, be it with their colors, their shape or their height difference. Everything should come together as a cohesive piece of art, something that will tell the receiver a message even if the flowers selected won’t do that. It should show that time and effort went into the making of the bouquet and that the choice to give this as a gift wasn’t made lightly.

Again Courtney was amazed at how natural Jinkx sounded as she offered little tips and hints to her students. It almost seemed as though her nerves had disappeared by the time she excused everyone to their work. She made it a point to walk around and offer one-on-one assistance with those who needed it but she was very careful to avoid the areas near Trixie and Katya as much as she able to. Both of them were working in earnest anyway and didn’t seem to notice.

Another pair that was being surprisingly diligent in their work was Sharon and Violet. Courtney hadn’t expected them to participate as well yet they appeared to be taking Jinkx’s lesson to heart. Unfortunately, Sharon seemed to be getting frustrated with her bouquet and after disassembling it for the fourth time, she finally gave up to join Jinkx at the top of the alcove. Violet on the other hand was making a rather stunning bouquet focusing heavily on purple, white, and blue flowers. She threw in a touch of yellow among the filler flowers but it was clear she didn’t intend for the bouquet to serve any purpose other than looking good. Ivy hung by her side chatting with her and offering little pieces of encouragement whenever a flower would fall or a stem would break from exceedingly rough handling.

As for Katya, she was very much focused on her own bouquet trying get everything to lay in the vase just right. Every so often Courtney would provide a bit of advice like placing a sturdier flower beneath a smaller one to help hold it up higher but for the most part she was content to just watch. Gradually she was slipping off into her own head-space until the brush of something against her neck jolted her back to reality.

An embarrassingly loud startled noise escaped her, thinking at first that it had been a bug crawling on her until she heard the soft 'Whoops’ that slipped out from the woman behind her. Turning around in her seat, she found Willam looking far too innocent to be sincere. Her eyes raked up and down the young woman’s body as Willam practically dared her to try accusing her of something. It almost worked until Courtney’s eye caught sight of the flower still in Willam’s possession.

At once her own hand flew to the back of her head and to her irritation it almost immediately made contact with something that ought not to be there. Rolling her eyes, she clutched at the flower that had been stuck in her braid and yanked it out for confirmation. Glaring at Willam, she huffed out far louder than she meant to, “Willam! Are you kidding me? Have you seriously been sticking flowers in my hair this whole time?”

Shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, Willam partially bit back a smirk as she argued, “What? I didn’t have a vase.”

Narrowing her eyes at the pathetic excuse, Courtney shot back, “There’s one right next to you!”

Dragging her braid over her shoulder to begin removing all of the plant life, she muttered in annoyance, “Honestly, I can’t believe you sometimes-”

“Hey, Court,” Katya interrupted as she placed her hand over Courtney’s to stop the disassembly, “Hold on for a minute…”

Running her eyes down the length of hair, Katya stated, “It doesn’t look that bad really…It’s actually kind of cute…”

Feeling her cheeks flush ever so slightly, Courtney asked timidly, “Really?”

“Yeah,” Katya confirmed as she pulled Courtney’s hand away. Picking up the blonde’s phone, she opened the camera app and murmured, “Here, hold on…”

Snapping a quick picture of Willam’s work, she extended the phone back to Courtney with an ardent, “See?”

Carefully studying the image, Courtney had to agree that the arrangement, what she hadn’t disturbed of it at least, did in fact look good. However, that wasn’t the only detail that caught her attention. Her face began to burn as she mumbled, “Oh…um, thanks, Bill…”

She could hardly bring herself to make eye contact with Willam who thankfully seemed almost as embarrassed as she was. The dirty blonde’s cheeks had also become tinted with a light pink as she shrugged her shoulders again and turned her attention to her own phone. Glancing down at the partially crushed bit of toadflax in her hand, Courtney felt her heart practically skipping beats as it hammered away in her chest. Forcing herself to fight against her nerves, she drew her line of sight up towards the dirty blonde and asked softly, “Bill…Would you mind finishing it?”

Willam’s eyes darted back to her in shock but almost immediately she gave a silent nod of her head. Swiftly turning around to allow Willam to continue her work, Courtney’s gaze drifted back to the image on her screen. She bit her lip as she carefully identified each of the flowers Willam had snuck into her braid without her noticing…there was toadflax of course, heliotrope, honeysuckle, and a few violets…All of them had similar meanings, surely that couldn’t be a coincidence, right?

Is this what Sharon meant about the signs?

Courtney found she didn’t have the courage to ask that question just yet, at least not out loud.

For the remainder of the class, she and Willam stayed largely silent towards each other. The most Courtney had said to her following the outburst was another quick 'Thanks’ after she had completely finished her design. As soon as it was done, Willam took a picture of her own and sent it to Courtney for review. She swiftly turned herself away from the blonde as soon as she had received the image and refused to look at her directly for very long.

Around the same time Willam had finished, Katya had also wrapped up her own work. The bouquet looked quite good for her first attempt, perhaps a little lopsided or uneven in certain areas but still an excellent effort for someone with no experience. Once there wasn’t anything further that could be added, Katya’s hands found their way to the leftover stems and leaves and soon began picking them apart.

Courtney recognized the behavior immediately and returned to gently praising the younger woman for a job well done. Almost all of the other attendees had stopped working by this time as well so it was hardly out of place to hear Jinkx calling out, “It looks like pretty much everyone has finished their bouquets so let’s call it a night…Please feel free to take your arrangements home with you…you can keep them for yourselves, give them to someone else-”

Something Sharon had muttered while Jinkx was speaking earned her a quick elbow in the ribs but as soon as Courtney stood up to help clean off the table, a slender hand wrapped around hers and began leading her to the door.

“Bill!” she called out in indignation as she tried to dig in her heels, “What are you doing?”

“I’m taking my bouquet home with me,” she replied back firmly.

At once Courtney felt her cheeks growing hot again, particularly as she saw the determination and nervousness in Willam’s eyes. She was being dead serious in her statement but still she left an opening for Courtney to decline. For a brief moment it felt like the world had stopped as Courtney gazed into her eyes and saw both the hope and fear lurking behind her hard exterior. She hardly recognized the meek, 'Okay’ that had fallen past her lips until Willam was once again guiding her out of the shop. She called out a quick 'Good luck’ to Katya and followed Willam back to her car.

There was little doubt Katya would inform of her of what would happen with Trixie so for now she allowed herself to push that thought out of her mind. As the pair drove through the city, Courtney took notice of the way Willam’s hands were shaking as she gripped the steering wheel. It was all very reminiscent of that night Courtney had caught her in the midst of a make-out session with a woman for the first time.

The blonde absently chewed on the interior of her lip as she tried not to over-analyze the situation just yet. Just because Willam had used certain flowers over others in her hair doesn’t mean that attracted to Courtney…Why would she be? They were polar opposites in most respects. They bickered like crazy at times and even fought worse than a number of couples she knew. Sure, they might kiss each other at night before they go to sleep and again when they wake up and maybe they’ve spent more nights than not wrapped up in each others arms…And just maybe Willam as of late has rebuked any form of sexual contact with other people but that didn’t mean that she was actually attracted to Courtney…right?

By the time they pulled up to Willam’s building complex, Courtney’s head felt close to exploding as she ran through all of the scenarios for how this night could end. She had hardly realized the car had stopped until she heard Willam’s quiet voice, “Court…I-”

Daring to take a chance, she mustered up her courage and interrupted in a hurried tone, “Can we go inside?”

“Um, sure,” the stunned dirty blonde replied as she turned off the car.

The walk was silent but each could hear their heartbeat echoing in their ears as they slowly made their way into Willam’s apartment. Courtney prayed that she wasn’t reading the situation wrong as she followed Willam past the door frame. Almost as soon as the door was shut, Willam began again with an unusual hesitance, “Listen, Court…”

“The flowers,” Courtney asked softly, barely able to look at her friend even as she stood only a foot in front of her, “You chose them for a reason…didn’t you?”

“Maybe,” Willam replied vaguely as her fingers trembled by her side.

“Just maybe?” Courtney challenged as she forced herself to look Willam in the eye and wrap her hands around one of Willam’s.

The dirty blonde’s gaze flickered down to the clinging grip then back up to meet Courtney’s inquiring expression. Very slowly, she found herself leaning in leaving more than enough opportunity for the blonde to pull away or reject her. Stopping within an inch of their lips touching, she gave a hesitant admittance of, “Maybe more than maybe.”

“Yeah?” Courtney asked hopefully as a smile grew across her face.

Returning the smile for a single second, Willam closed the gap with an almost feather-light brush of her lips against Courtney’s. She held herself there for a moment debating if she should press her luck further until Courtney made the decision for her. Their lips danced together in a way that was so practiced yet still so unique from any other kiss they had shared. It was as though every concealed emotion had bubbled to the surface and forced itself to be played out as they worked their mouths in synchrony. Willam’s free hand wound itself in what it could of Courtney’s hair, unwilling to let her draw back until there wasn’t a single bit of air left between them.

Once they were forced to break apart, Willam finally confirmed in a breathy voice, “Definitely more than maybe.”

It wasn’t the most eloquent declaration of attraction but god, it’ll work for now.

Courtney could hardly contain the joyful smile that stretched across her face. Almost at once she reconnected their lips and let every ounce of passion she felt be poured into the new kiss. Willam was stunned by the sudden forwardness but quickly gave Courtney the access she was so desperately seeking. For a few moments they stayed in that spot, simply just letting everything be expressed by that one action, but soon enough Courtney decided that she wanted show Willam so much more tonight.

Carefully taking a step back, Courtney pulled Willam along in the direction of the bedroom until the dirty blonde finally understood what she was implying. The kiss was broken only for a moment to catch their breath then like magnets they were drawn back into each other’s hold. Willam took the lead in navigating their way to her bedroom, doing her best to avoid any miscellaneous furniture or dirty laundry left lying about.

Before they even made it to the edge of the mattress, most of their own clothing joined the various piles on the floor until very little fabric remained to separate their bare skin from one another. While Courtney scooted her way onto the bed, Willam hovered closely over top of her to reaffirm through their broken kisses, “Are we really doing this?”

“Yes,” Courtney asserted. “As long as you want to, too.”

There wasn’t even a pause before Willam’s hurried response came back, “Fuck yeah…”

With that understanding, Courtney allowed Willam to crowd her down to the mattress as light fingers dragged themselves across her skin. Willam’s mouth soon left hers to travel up and down the side of her neck, never settling in one place for too long before continuing further down her chest. Upon meeting the cherry blossom pink bra Courtney still had on, a small noise of annoyance fell from Willam’s lips. She toyed with one of the straps for just a moment before setting her hands to work at removing the offending article.

Once it was gone, Willam’s mouth quickly returned to leaving a dusting of kisses down Courtney’s chest. She felt her head falling back as Willam swirled her tongue around one of her nipples, sucking gently before lapping at the growing bud. The dirty blonde’s hand found its way to Courtney’s other breast, massaging it expertly as she continued to work her mouth until Courtney was squirming in place. Before long she had switched sides and left Courtney all but whimpering for more contact.

Reluctantly, Willam forced herself to resume her journey down Courtney’s stomach but it was at this point the Aussie decided she had enough. With little warning, she flipped them over so that Willam was the one beneath her and Courtney could take back some of the control for herself. A smirk made its way to Willam’s face as she easily pushed herself into a seated position and pulled Courtney firmly into her lap. Almost at once Willam’s arms were wrapped around the older woman’s waist as Courtney’s own rested loosely across Willam’s shoulders in order tug gently at the dirty blonde hair as needed. They shared a brief kiss but after a few seconds Courtney broke the contact in order to leave her own trail of kisses across Willam’s skin. Setting herself on the pulse point, Courtney marked Willam just enough for her to find what she hoped would be a decent sized love bite tomorrow. It would be highly visible the following day; just dark enough that she would need make up to cover it if she chose to do so but Courtney loved the fact that she was finally able to claim Willam as her own after waiting for so long.

Satisfied with her work, Courtney resumed tracing her lips across the overheated skin. She was grinding herself into Willam’s lap hoping the dirty blonde would take the hint and give her what she needed. A hand left her waist to graze deceivingly soft fingertips across her inner thigh but they always stopped short of the one place she wanted to feel them. The most Willam would give her was a light brush against the hem of her panties but even then she would draw back after only a second.

The blonde let out a noise of impatience as she nipped Willam’s neck just enough to make her jump. Undeterred, Willam made no further action and Courtney was left to rut her hips again, silently begging Willam for more. Even before Courtney had pulled away to look, she could hear the smirk in Willam’s voice as she feigned innocence in asking, “What?”

A lone finger was finally running along the thin fabric of her panties but it was nowhere near enough pressure for Courtney. Trying her best not to sound like a desperate and needy mess, Courtney urged her on with an demanding, “More.”

To her exasperation only one more digit was added but still Willam made no motion to remove the remaining underwear. She seemed content just to taunt Courtney through the fabric as she slowly came apart in her lap. Glaring at the dirty blonde, Courtney whined, “That’s not what I meant.”

Unashamedly smug, Willam captured her lips again, flicking her tongue across the seam as she pulled away to order in a hushed tone, “Then tell me what you want me to do…Come on, princess. Use your words like a good girl.”

Despite every effort not to react, Courtney found her breath hitching at the phrasing and she stopped all movement as a light flush rose to her cheeks. The response didn’t go unnoticed by Willam, not in the least. Skimming her lips across Courtney’s collarbone, she teased, “Oh? You like it when I call you that now, huh?”

The blonde was shaking just slightly in her hold as she admitted softly, “Yes…”

She expected Willam to reply back with some sort of taunting remark but to her surprise all she received was a simple, “Good.”

Almost at once her panties were pushed off to the side just enough to allow Willam’s fingers to run along her inner folds. It was still a far cry what she really needed but at this point any change was welcomed from before. She could already feel the heat beginning to pool in her core as she ground down against the two digits. Willam allowed this only for a few minute or two as she laid claim to Courtney’s lips once more. Small noises of restlessness escaped from the blonde’s mouth to Willam’s but she still seemed perfectly fine with just teasing her partner.

Every now and then Courtney felt a soft circling against her clit causing a small jolt to resonate through her body but all too quickly it would be gone and she’d be left to whine at the loss. By the time the pair tore their lips from one another, Courtney was left breathless and embarrassingly wet from what very little Willam had done to her. She could feel herself coming undone while Willam stayed perfect put together and in control of everything that was happening.

Giving in to the ache for more, Courtney tugged just slightly at Willam’s hair and pleaded, “More…please, Bill.”

She could see Willam dying to comply to the request but to her annoyance, the younger woman restrained herself from providing anything right away. Instead she just breathed out, “Tell me, princess…Tell me what you want me to do.”

Her lips were so close to Courtney’s again, she could practically feel them as they ghosted against hers with each passing word. Willam’s free hand traveled up her back until it made contact with the loose and probably very messy braid. Willam deftly pulled the tie out and tossed it aside it order to run her fingers through Courtney’s hair. Flowers fell onto the bed behind her but she hardly had the capacity to care about that. Her focus was on Willam’s nonchalant statement of, “I can wait all night if I have to, angel.”

The newest nickname finally broke what remained of Courtney’s silence. Resting her forehead to Willam’s, she pressed their lips together for one sweet moment before swallowing what was left of her nerves in order to beg, “Please, I want you inside me…I want it so bad. I-”

Here Willam cut her off with another kiss as her fingers withdrew from between Courtney’s legs. She groaned at the loss until Willam silenced her objection with a commanding, “Take these off. Now.”

Courtney wasted little time in complying, hardly leaving Willam’s lap for more than a few seconds to shimmy out of her last piece of clothing before swiftly settling herself back into place. She felt so small and submissive as Willam still remained somewhat dressed but the appearance of two fingers in front of her lips soon changed that. Holding onto Willam’s wrist, she drew the fingers into her mouth and began to give them a thorough coating with her tongue. She hardly felt like she needed it at this point but the way Willam watched with hazy eyes as she worked more than made up for the further delay.

By the end she might have made the display a little more obscene than she ought to as she sucked on the digits and dragged her tongue anywhere it could reach but Willam certainly wasn’t complaining. She let the show go on much longer than necessary before drawing her fingers back from one heat to another.

As the first digit slipped inside, Courtney let out a sigh of much needed relief. It was finally happening and the anticipation and previous denial only made the moment so much sweeter for her. Already this situation was turning into everything she had wanted it to be.

A second finger was soon added and both crooked inside her as they avoided that one particular spot for now. Willam busied herself with placing fresh kisses across Courtney’s shoulders, chest, and neck as the digits dragged their way in and out at a slow and steady pace. Courtney was pushing her hips insistently against Willam’s hand as her panting began to pick up. A light sheen was breaking out across her forehead as little mewls clawed their way from her throat to Willam’s awaiting ears.

Just as Courtney had opened her mouth to lick at her overly dry lips, she felt the first brush against her g-spot and a small whimper filled the room. She found herself begging for Willam to repeat that motion and to her relief the compliance was almost immediate. As Courtney’s moans starting to pick up, so did Willam’s fingers. It was like a nonverbal reward system; the louder Courtney became, the more insistent the pressure and speed of Willam’s digits became.

Every now and then Courtney found Willam whispering a few words of encouragement in the few seconds she was able to pull her mouth away from Courtney’s skin.

“You sound so beautiful, angel.”

“Let the neighbors hear you, let them know who’s making you scream.”

“Tell me anything you want, princess.”

Each call of either 'princess’ or 'angel’ produced a new wave of whimpering from Courtney. She could feel the pleasure building up until her hands were gripping onto Willam’s shoulders so tightly her knuckles had begun to turn white. Her nails were digging into the dirty blonde’s skin but she didn’t seem to care about anything other than Courtney’s pleas for more.

At her request a third finger was added to the slick heat. With another, a hand was pulling on her hair just so as her neck arched back. Then finally Willam’s mouth was working against hers until she barely able to breath between everything that was happening to her.

It was the casual, almost careless circling of Willam’s thumb against her clit that drove home the fact that Courtney wouldn’t last much longer. Her ruts against Willam’s fingers were no longer in sync and soon she felt the pressure in her core reaching its capacity. She gave Willam a quick warning before burying herself into the crook of her neck and closing her eyes as the sensation washed over her. It was so overpowering that Courtney couldn’t stop herself from shaking as her senses became so overwhelmed and a voice she hardly recognized as her own was calling Willam’s name. It took even longer still to realize the dirty blonde was once again praising how pretty she looked as she came and of course peppering in a nickname or two as a shiver passed through the blonde.

The moment she was able to organize her thoughts Courtney crashed her lips back to Willam’s. The dirty blonde was eagerly responding, barely even noticing Courtney’s frantic hands working on removing her bra until it was all but hanging from a single strap. The second it was gone, Courtney lips were replacing it. If anything she was more erratic than Willam had been as her lips traced across every inch of exposed skin she could find. She wanted to touch and taste Willam, to repay her for everything she had just experienced and of course, to finally indulge in those secret fantasies that lurked in the back of her mind during those nights they had spent together.

Her hands were massaging and kneading Willam’s breasts, hardly able to decide where she wanted to be before her mouth was switching from side to another with little to no warning. Willam’s eyes had gone hooded as Courtney covered her skin so thoroughly with her lips it felt like no part of her had been left untouched.

Moving from Willam’s lap, Courtney repositioned herself as best she could on the bed to continue her path down to Willam’s lean and toned stomach. The position was slightly awkward for the time being, at least until Courtney convinced her scoot closer to the edge.

Immediately Willam realized what Courtney was intending to do as she slid to the floor and reaffirmed that she was alright with going this far. Her mind was flashing back to Courtney’s previous admittance of not having done very much with women before and the absolute last thing she wanted to do, especially right now, was have Courtney feel like this was something she had to reciprocate with.

But Courtney was determined either way. It might not be her area of expertise but she wanted to do this. She wanted to repay Willam and she wanted to gain that experience. After all Willam had done for her, the very least she wished for was for Willam to feel just as good.

“It’s not going to be mind-blowing,” she warned, “but I’ll give it my best shot.”

All Willam could do was nod weakly as Courtney guided her hand to her hair and spread Willam’s legs apart. It was here that Courtney finally slowed down and began to take her time with the dirty blonde. Not to tease her, just to explore her body as she became familiar with this new adventure.

She pressed soft kisses to her inner thighs and across the sensitive skin of her hips. Willam was struggling not twitch or otherwise alarm Courtney with any sudden movements. Stroking the wavy blonde hair, occasionally pulling out the flowers as she found them, helped to keep herself in check. The wide eyes staring up at her sent a bubbling warmth to her stomach that left her feeling both anxious yet still craving for more.

Courtney’s fingers hooked around her panties and with a little maneuvering she was able to slid them off and onto the floor. There was a tense pause as Courtney’s eyes flickered up to meet Willam’s and she slowly began leaning in. Willam’s breath caught in her throat as she felt those delicate hands running against her thighs and spreading her just a little bit wider. All at once it was like a sudden wave came crashing down on her as a tentative lick ran against her slit.

She bit her lip to force back any noise that might try to escape but nothing could be done to stop the rising blood to her cheeks. Her fingers twitched in Courtney’s hair as another more confident swipe of the blonde’s tongue passed along her folds. Their eyes remained connected as Courtney slowly grew more deliberate in her actions, trying new techniques to see what kind of reaction they would evoke from Willam. It was far from experienced but damn if the enthusiasm didn’t make up for it.

With her mind beginning to cloud, Willam wasn’t sure if her voice was actually wavering or not as she murmured, “Good girl…Just like that.”

Courtney hummed something in response and the resulting vibrations had Willam biting her lip once more. If she were standing, her legs would have been shaking at the sight alone of Courtney in front of her doing this.

“K-Keep going, princess, you’re doing so good,” she cooed encouragingly.

Though there was no verbal response, Willam could tell from the crinkling around Courtney’s eyes that praise was really working on her. All of her energy was focused on eating Willam out like it was her job and clearly she was taking pleasure in reducing the dirty blonde to as much of a hot mess as she had been just minutes before.

Willam was being drawn closer and closer to edge yet it still remained just far enough out of her reach that it was starting to become frustrating. She wanted her release more than anything and was desperately chasing it anyway she could manage as she continued to whisper sweet compliments to Courtney.

“Use your thumb,” she suggested softly as she teetered just on the brink of completely losing it.

The words were barely past her lips before she felt the circular rubbing against her clit. She had been so close before that moment that it only took a few complete cycles before she was coming apart under Courtney’s touch. As the climax racked through her body, Courtney kept at her pace until she felt the hand in her hair carefully pushing her away. Taking the hint she withdrew from between Willam’s legs and crawled back onto the bed beside her. She was just getting settled amongst the sheets when she felt Willam pulling her close and crashing their lips back to another.

While Willam took charge once again, making sure to lick her way thoroughly into Courtney’s mouth, she had to admit that still being able to taste herself on Courtney’s tongue was more of a turn on than she thought was fair. One of the Aussie’s hands found its way to her cheek, cradling her gently as though she were the most fragile object in the world. It just felt so right to have Courtney’s body melded into hers, she almost never wanted to leave the bed again in favor of making this moment last forever. But eventually the desire for cleanliness won out and the pair made their into the bathroom to share a quick shower. Admittedly there had been more stolen kisses than actual washing but neither had a negative word to say regarding that.

Following their bare minimum cleaning, the pair changed into some of Willam’s clothes and slipped back into bed with their phones in hand. Seems that while they were busy, most of the other girls had been as well.

Courtney found her inbox blown up with messages from both Katya, Violet, and surprisingly Sharon as well. It was almost expected that Katya felt the need to inform Courtney of everything that had happened after she left the shop. The sheer amount of texts was almost daunting until Courtney realized the majority were very simple phrases, including but not limited to; 'Oh my god!’

'We’re actually talking! Like normal people!’

'I think this counts as a date.’

'This is definitely a date!’

'OMG, what do I do?’

'Fuck! Why did I say that?’

'She’s laughing!’

'Damn she has an awful laugh….I love it.’

'She invited me back to her place!’

'I’m going to be late coming home.’

And then finally the last text had come through not even a full eight minutes prior; 'I’m not coming home tonight.’

Courtney couldn’t help but to chuckle as she read through the messages and probably very accurately pictured all the expressions Katya must have worn as she typed out each quick update. With some of the more colorfully phrased texts, Courtney read them aloud as Willam scrolled through her own inbox. Though she didn’t say anything, Courtney noticed a small relieved smile on Willam’s face as Courtney summarized how Katya’s date seemed to have gone.

Coming upon the end of her own inbox review, Willam asked, “Did you see Violet’s picture?”

Courtney shook her head stating she hasn’t made it that far through her messages yet but would look for it next. Unable to wait for Courtney to find it on her own, Willam extended her phone out to the blonde. The picture had already been blown up to cover the screen and immediately Courtney recognized the interior of the shop.

Taken from only a few feet away, it seems Violet saw an opportunity to sneak a picture of Sharon and Jinkx and had not let the moment go to waste. Sharon was working on her bouquet as Jinkx hung close by on the opposite side of the table. They must have been talking because both were gazing at each other with nothing but pure affection on their faces; the kind you never really notice yourself until someone points it out. Both of them just looked so focused on one another that they were oblivious to everything else around them, particularly Ivy who appearing to be in the midst of dropping some broken stems in the background behind them.

Courtney felt a joyful grin stretching across her lips as she returned to her own phone in order to take a look at the messages from the blonde in question.

“Do you think anything’ll actually happen with them?” Willam asked as she continued to smile warmly at the image on the screen.

Courtney thought to herself for a moment as she opened an attachment in Sharon’s most recent message and found her answer already supplied for her. The grin she wore was alarmingly bright as she all but pushed her phone into Willam’s hand and replied, “Yeah, I think so.”

The dirty blonde’s gaze dropped to the new image and immediately a matching smile appeared on her face. Though the picture was very simple, it gave both of the women hope that everything had in fact worked out for their friends. At the very foreground of the image were two To-Go cups of coffee and scribbled on the sides were Jinkx and Sharon’s names. That alone would not have raised any eyebrows but what caught Courtney and Willam’s attention lurked just at the border of the image; half cut off by the angle of the camera, the two could just make out a pair of hands locked together with intertwining fingers. It was a small guess as to who they belonged to and what that gesture was implying.

“Can’t wait to see what Sharon’ll have to say about that tomorrow,” Willam mentioned in amusement.

Placing her phone off on the nightstand, Courtney nestled into Willam’s side and admitted, “I’m just glad one of them finally made a move…It was getting frustrating just watching them dance around each other like that.”

“Yeah,” Willam agreed absently as she drifted off into her own thoughts. She stayed disturbingly silent for a full minute as Courtney traced mindless patterns over her outer thigh. Deciding she ought to do the right thing, Willam spoke up hesitantly, “Hey, um…I need to tell you something before we…go any further with this.”

Turning her head up to look Willam in the eye, Courtney did her best to hide a growing sense of concern as she replied mildly, “Okay…”

Swallowing heavily, Willam began again with nerves tinging her voice, “When…back when we had our…fight…I kind of…”

“Yeah?” Courtney asked as her brows began to bunch up in worry.

“I did something that I think…I think you should know about,” Willam admitted tensely.

Trying her best to remain calm and not jump to any conclusion, Courtney inquired, “What is it?”

“I…I was pissed at you and I tried to-I kissed Sharon! And if she hadn’t said 'no’, I would have gone much further than that. I’m sorry!” Willam confessed in sudden outburst of emotion. “I’m really sorry for what I said that day and for kissing her and trying to get back at you and-”

“Willam,” Courtney interrupted as she placed a hand over Willam’s forearm in order draw her attention back from her own shame. “It’s okay.”

Willam seem unconvinced, chewing her lip as she continued to stare guiltily down at Courtney. Vaguely the blonde wondered just how much this had been eating away at her but that question wasn’t the one she needed answered. Pressing a quick kiss to Willam’s cheek for reassurance, she asked seriously, “Can you forgive me for sleeping with Katya?”

Immediately the dirty blonde was nodding her head as her fingers toyed with a damp curl hanging across her shoulder. Pulling that same hand into hers, Courtney informed her quite sincerely, “Then of course I can forgive you for kissing Sharon…”

A relieved smile broke out across Willam’s face and though there still seemed to be some disbelief that Courtney was okay with everything she had been told, Willam let the subject drop. They pulled each other in for a final heartfelt kiss as fatigue began to catch up with them. Pulling away, Willam stated quietly, “We were both so stupid.”

“We were…” Courtney agreed with a smile. “But I’m still glad this-that we happened.”

Returning the smile, Willam placed a soft kiss to the corner of Courtney mouth and murmured, “Yeah, me too.”

#rpdr fanfiction #albatross #the language of flowers #shillam #shinkx #witney #trixya #one sided jivy #vatya #courtney x katya #courtney act #jinkx monsoon #willam belli #sharon needles #ivy winters #katya zamolodchikova #violet chachki #smut #lesbian au #fluff #flowershop au

[julianwolski]

Issue #7 - Why should you watch Kase-san and Morning Glories?

Young love is something to cherish, even though it doesn’t always last through the rest of our lives. It’s still an important experience to have because it shapes the way we pursue love from then on. Life isn’t just roses, and sometimes this innocent kind of love can be sad or dramatic, but it’s the best when it can overcome obstacles and have a happy ending.

Or dare I say a happy beginning?

When we fall in love for the first time it’s hard to know exactly how to tread these waters. We don’t know what to expect, and love is different for everyone, each experience just as unique.

At times, it feels like a good depiction of a love-story between girls is a hard thing to come by, but I wouldn’t know for certain seeing that I saw very few of them, to begin with. The good thing about this one is that it’s not tacky or over-sexualized, it’s not meant to be titillating, full of fan-service, or simply lined with terrible tropes--there are tropes in here, but they’re well-executed, and only help set the tone for the story.

Kase-san and Morning Glories is about the blooming relationship between Yui Yamada, a senior in high-school, homegirl, and gardening-nerd, with Tomoka Kase, also a senior, sports jock and the popular kid at school. The two of them meet prior to the start of the story, and through storytelling that takes a lot away from slice-of-life anime, we get to see a series of moments in the evolution of their relationship.

The two of them aren’t exactly polar opposites, but it’s clear that they are different from one another. Yamada has few friends at school and seems to like spending time on her own tending to the flower beds in the patio. She has a love for gardening and plants, justified by the number of books on the subject she has in her room and the fact that she wants to go to England to see more fantastic gardens.

Kase, on the other hand, has a flock of girls after her like bees after their queen. In general, be it in the hallways or in the sports fields, she’s always with a bunch of them going up and down with her. Other than that, the track team is a part of Kase’s life, and she’s set to keep going on this path in the coming year when she plans to go to college.

Their meet-cute isn’t exactly shown on the screen, but we get to see them fluttering about things like planing dates and talking on the phone. They are very mundane things, but when you don’t really have experience in life they seem to become a lot to take in.

Being nervous about meeting someone is real at any age, but it seems a lot less frowned upon when we are young. As the years pass we are told to get over it like it’s not an important aspect of feeling.

At some point, it seems like we won’t really get a story out of this because it is their lives and we are only in it for the ride. The plot meanders through day-to-day activities and misunderstandings that are quickly resolved, but little by little they paint a picture about who these girls are and how their love works.

I like that there’s real care in the way they act around one another, and how they are their own person. But they are also girls, through and through. They have their personalities and traits, yet at no point, they are painted in a straight way to be relatable--one of them isn’t the ‘guy’ and the other the ‘girl’ in the relationship.

And it’s not a dig at feminine boys or masculine girls, or whatever category they fall in. Yamada is very girly and shy, stemming from that damsel-in-distress stereotype, but she doesn’t really hold herself back and fears to project her feelings. At the same time, Kase has a tomboyish demeanor, with shorter hair and often using shorts and T-shirts, but at the same time she’s allowed to express herself, and--gasp--even blush.

Another aspect I like a lot about this anime is how self-aware it is. Not only it uses well-known tropes to set the tone and move the story forward, but it makes fun of things that were used to symbolize romantic behavior in other pieces of media--like watching someone from afar, like a creeper, before approaching them.

Also, there is a lot of funny moments that are completely unrelated to their being girls in love or their orientation--I don’t think that ever occurs in the story. Other characters accept them well, even if at one moment it seems like this might become an issue, it’s brushed off as soon as it is brought up.

All the humor in this is just about two people in love being cute with each other, and not knowing how to act properly to convey their feelings. To me, that’s one of the best ways to make a romantic comedy, especially one portraying that kind of love. Not all stories need to have some third person in the middle of the relationship or a reason for them to fight left and right for it to catch your attention. The reason that drew me into this one was the fact that it seemed pretty drama-free.

Of course, I would be lying if I didn’t say that there is some drama at the end, but it’s natural and expected at this age. When we are in that moment between high school and college it’s like our life is changing before it even begins to do so, and that is what drives the wedge between the two.

While Yamada is thinking of staying at home and just commuting to college, Kase plans to go to Tokyo and study there, all because of the opportunity to further her sports career. And during this time we get to see mature conversations and actions, as they are complicated but easy to understand.

Alas, this wouldn’t be a cute story without a happy ending. So, in a spur of the moment decision, the two girls get to choose a path where they can walk side-by-side without nothing to keep them apart. It seems like they are on the way to having their happy beginning.

As with any young love, we never know where it will take them, or where they’ll end up. They might be happy forever, or maybe they won’t last a year. The good thing is that we had these moments, that the two of them had these moments, and it was all worth it.

Love is always worth it.

That’s why you should watch Kase-san and Morning Glories.

#asagao to kase san #kase-san and morning glories #rec

[writingforthethinkers]

The Making Of The Beanie

Riverdale

Pairing: N/A

Word Count: 1041

Warning: None

Summary: Jellybean made Jughead’s beanie for him.

A/N: The thought that Jellybean made Jughead the beanie fills me with joy, so I decided to write fanfiction over it!

She wanted to make something for him.

Something that would make him happy, would make him smile, something that he could wear all the time to remind him that she loved him.

So, Jellybean made Jughead a beanie.

She decided it had to be extra-special. Better than any other beanies he had ever seen. She wanted to make Jughead feel important.

Finding the right materials was proving difficult for the little girl as it had to be perfect for her big brother. She wanted it to be something he'd like and would wear, but it had to remind him of her.

Finally, she came to the decision she would use an old jumper of hers that he loved. He always said she looked very pretty in it and he loved the colour of it. It didn't fit her anymore so she wasn't sad about cutting it up. Although, she wouldn't have been even if it still had fit, Jellybean would have done anything for Jughead.

She got to work. To begin with, she wasn't too sure what she was doing, but Jellybean knew she was very intelligent for her age, and her creativity soon took over. The project consumed her as she became solely focused on the beanie being created in front of her.

It took days for it to be completed. There was a few failed attempts that occurred before Jughead’s beanie was finished, but the jumper had been quite big and baggy on the little girl, so she had lots of fabric to spare.

Jellybean thought a lot about her brother throughout the duration of those days. She thought about all the ways he helped her; comforting her when their parents were fighting, buying her sweets every Friday after school, helping her when she cut her hand or grazed her knee. She thought about everything he dealt with, the people saying mean things to him at school, having no one stand up for him against those mean people. It only spurred her to make the beanie extra special for him.

Finally, a week from when the beanie went into creation, it was complete. A few final adjustments were made, the adding of a little red button and a rectangular white one Jellybean had found. The red one was from a well-loved teddy, and the rectangular white one was a spare off her favourite coat. She thought it was too plain for Jughead without them. He was a thousand times more interesting than a plain grey beanie.

With a pleased little smile on her face, Jellybean held the finished beanie in her hands, looking over her work. The hat felt soft in her hands, the buttons were fun to wiggle about as she checked they were sewn on securely. She analysed every aspect of it, the way the tops of the crown drooped a bit and how it looked when lain down on a table. She dared not try it on, wanting Jug’s head to be the first it was placed upon. Jellybean was very proud of herself, and hoped Jughead would love it too.

She quickly stood from her place in the middle of her bedroom, racing towards the door. Bursting into Jughead’s bedroom, she found him lain out on his bed, reading a book.

“Juggie! Juggie! Juggie! Look what I made you!”

Jughead instantly sat up, throwing his book to the side and giving his little sister his full attention, a rare smile that was extremely familiar to her, replaced the frown on his face.

“What is it, Jellybean? What have you got for me?”

He waited patiently as his little sister acted out a drumroll, hands behind her back, smile plastered across her face.

“Duh-duh!” She, presented Jughead with the beanie, holding it out towards him.

Jughead didn’t say anything. He opened his mouth as if he were to, but he couldn’t seem to fathom any words. His heart felt as if it could burst with the love for his sister in that moment. He was utterly awestruck at the hat that had been presented before him, he wanted nothing more than to embrace Jellybean.

All the while, Jellybean waited expectantly for his reply.

“Do you like it?” she prompted, a slight hint of concern creeping into her mind.

“Jellybean,” Jughead breathed, looking from the beanie to his sister. “I love it.”

At those three words, she launched herself at him, hugging him tightly around the neck, beanie in hand, and his arms wrapped around her middle, pulling here into the hug.

“You are the most amazing sister anyone could ever ask for,” Jughead proclaimed, pulling out of the hug and sitting his little sister on his lap.

Jellybean’s smile grew, and it looked as if it would crack her face in two. “Can I put it on you?”

“Of course,” Jughead beamed back, lowering his head slightly as to make it easier for her to reach.

Jellybean placed the hat on his head, covering the mess of curls, pulling it right down over his ears, giving a sigh of relief in her mind when the hat fit perfectly on her brother’s head. She had taken one of his other hats to get the measurements, but she was never sure it would fit until it was on his head.

She moved back to admire her work, grinning as she saw how well it fit him; both in size and character. It reflected Jughead’s style perfectly. Jellybean gave a last touch of pulling a big curl of hair out from under the rim of his beanie, positioning it so it framed his face.

“There! Now it’s perfect. It looks best like that,” she announced and Jughead chuckled.

“I’ll be sure to wear it like that forever,” he promised, placing a kiss on her forehead before pulling Jellybean in for another hug.

“I wanted to make you smile,” she mumbled into his shoulder. “You don’t do it much anymore.”

Jughead pulled away, and his sister was surprised to see tears glistening in his eyes, only just holding themselves back from rolling down his cheeks.

“You sure managed that Jellybean,” he said, proving it with a grin spread across his face.

Jellybean giggled, “Will you wear it?”

“Every single day.”

#riverdale #riverdale fanfiction #jughead jones #jellybean jones #fanfiction

[treeyo]

Transition, the word that defines 2017 for me probably most accurately.  After having a great start to the year in Spain and Portugal doing positive work at reforestation, teaching and consulting/design, it ends in the states focused on a familiar project: Treasure Lake.  Each year over the last 12 years of the travel Permaculture lifestyle I spend a certain amount of months there at the lake, my families property for the last 34 years.  Having passed from my grandparents to the next generation I still infuse lots of energy into the place, help run the business, design its future, and implement its necessary changes. I plug into the Cincinnati Permaculture scene while I am there as well as the yoga scene. Now I am focused on dealing with the constant desire to travel and instead stay put there at the lake as that was my intention when I made the decision in June to start to disconnect my life from Europe, my main stay over the last eight years. So I work on those things that pull me away in this time of reflection and remember also my core.  I love to teach, I love to live in community, I love to work hard and creatively in the field.  With that, I recall all I and others have done since July, the last time I wrote about my journey at this place.

(photos below from the PDC in Slovakia in Aug 2017)

Fire time, photo by Fergus Padel

Doug Crouch teaching his beloved Mollisonian principles, photo by Leigh Vukov

Doug looking at southern and western sun to create shade strucutre for young paw paw, photo by Leigh Vukov

Events

At the end of July just before my epic trip to Europe and Slovakia to teach a PDC once more there, myself and long time friend Alex Ryberg were able to successfully pull of a Yoga Retreat Weekend, camping and roots style, but a great event nonetheless. We had about 20 people all in all with the

Aerial Photo, 2017

crew and participants and despite my stress from not being totally prepared for the endeavour, it went really well.  I even got to give an ecology/ permaculture tour, which I really love to do at the lake.  I know so many of the trees and spots there really personally so its great to have that space to communicate my passion for biodiversity.  Additionally, Annie and Chris of Dark Wood Farm, the resident farmers at the lake, were also quite successful in pulling off several events.  First was their fair share potluck for their CSA members.  That got people’s appetite wet to the place, Annie and Chris’s great hosting, and their mate Dave’s culinary prowess of transforming their farm produce along with other local ingredients into fine cuisine.  It was all farm to table style, each unique, the CSA picnic first, then a numerous course sit down dinner, and then a pre thanksgiving brunch/ market stand.  I helped in the ways I could here and there but mainly enjoyed the crowds that congregated out there.

  Promptly after my return from Europe, I did get another chance to teach fairly straight away.  This time it was again just a tour, only with a small amount of people but the connections from it are what counts.  It was at Treasure Fest, our annual Fest at the lake since 2015.  Back again was Leon

On a sustainable forestry tour at Treasure Fest, 2017, Treasure Lake

Elam, a Northern Kentucky native who plays in the band Canyon Collected.  This time he was there with just one more band member and guests, making their performance under the name The Pickin’ Pear.  He used to play with my mate Brian here in town, Petersburg, before he left for the mountains out west and with Brian being my closest neighbour who is one the same vibe, it was great to work with him once again on this festival production.  At the festival was also Positive Reaction as my community at the lake of people who stop through quite often on the weekends also includes that reggae bands front man, Emmanuel. He is actually in the back playing drums and singing, a very difficult thing to do musically.  They played another night later in the season and we hope to continue to host the band since I love reggae music and Emmanuel has been a customer since the beginning of my grandparents owning the place. We also had a DJ set with another group of friends making the places offerings of music and camping even more diverse. 

Just this past week I was also able to give a free talk at Fab Ferments tap-room on the TreeYo Permaculture Holistic Development Model.  I have had a chance to present it in a few different forms but it grew from its infancy into a new presentation since I announced it a couple of weeks ago.  Putting the presentation together also gave me a bit more of a framework for my chapter 14 writings of my TreeYo EDU site.  The talk went well I felt, I mean it’s a free talk so I guess people got their value and I did receive nice feedback.  But they did support Fab Ferments with their komboucha purchases and other ferments purchases for some holiday gifts.  The crowd of around 20 seemed engaged and sparked some good conversation afterward.  It was nice to get the permaculture crowd together and with it being the holiday time, people from out-of-town were there as well making it even more of a dynamic and diverse crowd.  I love to teach so anything helps and thankful everyone came.

  Tree planting

This fall I got the great pleasure of enacting my hashtag, #letsplantsometreesyo!  It truly is great to get some friends together and just crack on with planting.  I had already done the clearing and terracing that I teach and a couple of past students came out to help do the planting, guilding, and mulching with compost.  It’s the start to a diverse hedgerow along the northern edge of Dark Wood Farm.  I had to clear some edge brush but was able to put in a block of blueberries, each in its own nuclei,  as you have to do Blueberries in a block format so you can cover for birds.  That was in the middle but on the eastern edge was a food forest style planting with smaller shrubs and bushes in the front, the south side, and bigger trees on the northern side.  We got some pears, plums, and korean dogwood in the back and chokeberry, serviceberry, honey berry, and Siberian pea shrub in the front.  I protected them best I could for now but something I will make more robust over the winter as the deer have done damage to other plantings. I bought the trees and shrubs from the Cincinnati Permaculture Institute nursery, which I was happy to give back to as it helps fund our non profit (CPI).  I am working more and more with them anyway so why not.

Meanwhile around the property I keep going with general clean up and the never-ending process of increasing biodiversity through forestry chop and drop. This builds on the work i have been doing for 16 years of this exact technique and the feedback loops are great. In one such area I managed to get some help again, this time with chopping non native bush honeysuckle in a valley where I had seen a few small paw paw sprouts just a few weeks before.  I have been noticing on the south face that the paw paw’s like these lakeside valleys and produce well there. So I wandered into this valley with this pattern recognition in mind and voila, they were small yet waiting to emerge from a canopy break.  The honeysuckle had been cut a tiny bit in this valley before, just a very beginning of a thinning and maybe that little bit of light is even what helped spur the germination of these few paw paw.  And after the honeysuckle was cut and stacked appropriately in brush piles, some in random spots, some in valley floors to slow water, there was planting of even more Paw Paws.  I got these trees from my mate Ande Schewe of Wake the Farm Up and big contributor to CPI.  They were a mix of seeds from wild and selected varieties so I am curious what comes to be.  It was really easy to dig in this valley because all the good soil was there, helped out by a few big downed trees of the past being silt traps and the sandy and silty nature of the soil there.  Plus with the rampant bush honeysuckle growth nothing was growing below.  It’s nice to continue on this mission of paw paw paradise through chop and drop and this time planting, which I have never done before. I have always just let the paw paw and spicebush come in naturally but I am pushing the principle of accelerating succession and evolution through this pattern recognition.

young paw paw going in

the paw paws in transport from Ande in my truck

The valley before clearing, all the green in the shrub layer is bush honeysuckle

honeysuckle neatly being arranged in brush pile after a cutting, chop and drop style

mid clearing

Emily clearing

clearing reveals the lake and planting spots

Conclusion

The market garden at the lake, Dark Wood Farm, had a stellar year and it was fun to plug-in from time to time. I even got some frozen hands and toes moments of harvesting just before the first frost and the first big freeze especially.  A big hats off to Annie and Chris as a team and their larger and inner network to really make it a community effort.  It’s the start of community, which I really hope to expand upon next year.  Calling my network from all around the world, please come join us for a while next year.  A few have already been asking.  And along the way I have been teaming back up with Braden, Chris and Ande to jumpstart more and more in the Cincinnati Permaculture Institute, with Ryan, Lucas, Jacob, Tobias and others in the general Cincy tristate Permaculture scene, cooking things up with Courtney and Zev for things down at Earthhaven, networking for involvement with Permaculture Action Network with my friends in Berea, Kentucky that I actually know from Portugal (Michael and Joanna Beck) and in general with the SE PINA hub, with yoga teachers, builders for redoing the bar, and on and on.  It doesn’t stop.  And sometimes I just want to travel but for now I stay put.  I look forward to teaching again, Weekend PDC and Plant Walkers are the next big ones with some more talks and maybe even braving the winter cold for some outdoor winter forestry permablitz.

Upcoming Events:

Weekend Winter PDC: Feb/Mar 2018: Cincinnati Tri-state Area

Plant walkers Spring Gathering 2018: March 31st: Treasure Lake

Treasure Lake Drone shot, one of our hosts

Dark Wood Farm, Fall 2017

Michael Beck, a partner in the SE Network down in Berea

Harvest at Dark Wood Farm, Fall 2017

Harvest at Dark Wood Farm, Fall 2017

Harvest at Dark Wood Farm, Fall 2017

TreeYo & Treasure Lake Project Update: End of the 2017 year Transition, the word that defines 2017 for me probably most accurately.  After having a great start to the year in Spain and Portugal doing positive work at reforestation, teaching and consulting/design, it ends in the states focused on a familiar project: …

[homestuckkinsafespace]

tarot reading of my roxy tl? 💕

of course!!!

i’m using the astrological spread (i’ve been calling it general life lately arrrgh if it’s the reading with twelve houses it’s astrological but i call it general life cause obviously) from “tarot spreads: layouts & techniques to empower your readings” by barbara moore. i’m also using the homestuck deck!!!

First House: Self-image, personality, & what you’re driven by

Knight of Cups. For self-image, this is generally positive. You saw yourself as a person who is adventurous but still had a good heart. This was most likely true of your personality, as well. With your personality, you may have been a bit of a flirt, but always ready to take a risk. You were likely driven by your feelings, so spur-of-the-moment decisions were far from uncommon.

Second House: Attitudes towards material possessions

Nine of Swords. This shows intense anxiety. This card shows that when it came to what you had, you tried to be very careful, because you knew that everything was in short supply. You may have tried to refrain from breaking things unless necessary, or got easily upset when your stuff was tampered with by others. You know that things can be destroyed and break, which leads into a better understanding in life of when it’s important to be more careful.

Third House: How you communicate & learn; siblings

Wheel of Fortune. As a Major Arcana card, this section of the reading is very important. This shows ups and downs, things that are left to fate. This indicates that the way you communicated was hard to understand. Sometimes one thing you said would be positive, but other times that very same thing could be negative. This also indicates that you learn either through having negative or positive experiences that nail the experience and the lesson in for you.

Fourth House: Domestic life

King of Swords. This shows rationality and thought, but not much feeling. Giving as how you likely weren’t wrought with company, it makes sense that you could be a little more rational towards anybody else domestically. You were more bound to try to make sure domestic situations were handled rationally and may have gotten anxiety over it. However, this is not all negative, because it likely taught you important skills about making choices, as the Third House indicates this is how you learned.

Fifth House: Creativity/hobbies, fun, social life

Three of Swords. Unfortunately, this is not a great card to have in this section. It indicates betrayal, which may indicate that there was very weak trust between you and your friends, and fun was difficult to procure during trying times. It may indicate that you got your inspiration from negative forces, or tended to take out life problems in hobby form.

Sixth House: Responsibilities & relationships

The Moon. As a Major Arcana card, this shows your responsibilities and/or relationships were important parts of your life. This indicates mystery. Your relationships were likely not always the front of your attention or even openly acknowledged, always something that existed in the back of your mind rather than the front of your attention. This means it was probably difficult to solve problems. The Moon, in my opinion, is a very Void-related card - which may in turn reference responsibilities related to Void, such as creating the Matriorb.

Seventh House: How you interact with others

The Emperor. As a Major Arcana card, how you interacted with others was very important to you. This shows stability and structure, which means the way you interacted with other people was probably very scripted. You may have been the type of person who would hear or read what someone told you, and then spend a couple of moments as you scripted out what every response would lead to before deciding what to say.

Eighth House: Obligations

Ace of Cups. This indicates being obligated towards emotional fulfillment. You may have felt obligated to make your friends feel happy, possibly at your own expense. This could have been the reason for problems in your friendships - you were likely to try to help others even when it was bad for your own wellbeing, for reasons of just wanting to have somebody around.

Ninth House: Spirituality & morals

The Tower. This card in this position indicates that you weren’t very spiritual, or perhaps even got upset at the ideal of spirituality. Everything has collapsed around you, and there’s no purpose in believing in any higher power, because what good would it do??? This is likely the type of thought process you had. Moral-wise, it was likely you believed some things had to crash and burn and be destroyed entirely so that something else could be built back up in its place.

Tenth House: General image you project

Three of Cups. Despite the fact you clearly did have problems emotionally, others saw you as a very upbeat person. You always had something to celebrate and knew how to keep everyone’s hopes up, even when you felt hopeless yourself. You were able to project an image of a person who is very fun, optimistic, and adventurous. With some luck, this projected image had atleast some grain of truth, judging by the First House.

Eleventh House: Friendships & goals

Temperance. This indicates just wanting balance. You wanted to learn to stop being so one-sided with people, protecting them but never doing anything for yourself. You wanted everything to be in balance, and above all, just wanted you and all of your friends to reach a point of being satisfied where they are..

Twelfth House: Inner self

Five of Cups. Inside, you were a person who wasn’t all bad, you just got too stuck on the negative and underestimated yourself or sold yourself short. This indicates being a person who is good at heart, but just sticks to things that are already gone and past and worries that other people will see you in bad lights because of things that have already faded into the past.

(- mod john)

#hskindivination #mod john #Anonymous