#marigold sterling | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

the-al-chemist · 10 months

Text

The Beginning of a Symphony - Chapter 38

A/N: Ophelia lets her guard down for once.

Warnings: fainting incident, arguing, mentions of privilege, poverty, sickness and death.

OCs featured/mentioned: Carolyn Nyberg @lifeofkaze, Professor Macmillan and Bradford Pendleton @kc-and-co, Adelia Selwyn @thatravenpuffwitch, Marigold Sterling @that-scouse-wizard, Leila Hellebore @whatwouldvalerydo.

May 1897

Three weeks had passed since the Celestial Ball, and yet the evens of and following the evening were still the main points of conversation around the castle. There had been both rumours of new courtships and confirmations of already rumoured courtships, and it seemed that this was to be the summer of love for Ophelia’s classmates.

Not for Ophelia herself, however. The ball had seemed like the perfect opportunity for herself to finally reap the rewards of the efforts she had made to find herself a suitor, but her efforts, it had transpired that her efforts were fruitless. She had danced with several young men, but none had since shown any interest. Meanwhile, almost all of the other girls she knew - even the terrifying Leila Hellebore - were now being courted by someone.

Ophelia had never been the sort of girl to get despondent over frivolous matters, not when she knew that there were real hardships in the world, but even so, her lack of success was beginning to get to her. Was she destined to be an impoverished spinster? Were her fortunes never going to change?

She pondered these questions silently in Herbology, which might have been her favourite subject were it not for the soil that dirtied her hands and dresses, and never seemed to fully eradicate itself from underneath her fingernails, no matter how hard she scrubbed. She was so lost in her thoughts that she barely listened to Professor Macmillan’s lecture, and only became aware that she had finished when the sound of her voice was replaced with the sound of quiet mewling and the chuckles of her classmates, all of whom were now wearing ugly earmuffs and looking at what Professor Macmillan held aloft in her gloved hand: a plant shaped like a wrinkled, dirty baby.

Ophelia wrinkled her nose, and the plant baby opened its mouth. The mewling stopped, and was replaced by a loud piercing scream, which echoed around the greenhouse, high-pitched and dizzying, so very dizzying. Ophelia swayed on the spot at she heard it, her head growing light and her legs weak and wobbly. As they gave out underneath her, pinpricks of light seared her vision, and then everything went dark.

When the world around her returned, she found herself no longer in the greenhouse, but the Hospital Wing, where Nurse Blainey the matron was busying herself by arranging her bedclothes and pouring out a pink-tinged liquid from a brown bottle.

“What happened?” Ophelia asked her. “How-”

“Mandrake,” Nurse Blainey tutted. “You should count yourself lucky that it was not fully matured. Whyever were you not wearing earmuffs? No matter. Here, drink this while I examine you.”

Having imbibed the matron’s pink tonic and been declared fit to be discharged, Ophelia left the Hospital Wing. It was time for dinner, and so she headed for the Great Hall, and took a seat with her dorm-mates, who greeted her far more frostily than she had expected. Marigold pursed her lips and looked down at her meal determinedly, Adelia made brief eye contact before looking away, and Carolyn stared at her from across the table with such a sharp look in her eyes that it felt as if she were trying to cut Ophelia into pieces with her gaze.

“Is something the matter?” Ophelia asked, and Carolyn let out a derisive snort. Ophelia frowned. “Carolyn, are you-”

“Do not pretend that you hold me or my wellbeing in any sort of regard,” Carolyn replied shortly. “If you did, you would not have pulled that little stunt in Herbology this afternoon.”

“What little stunt?”

Carolyn gave a harsh laugh. “You are not so naïve as to not know what stunt I refer to.” Ophelia was indeed so naïve, but thankfully Carolyn enlightened her without requiring prompting. “I am, of course, talking about you orchestrating a faint so that you could get Brady’s attention, when you know perfectly well that we are now courting.”

“I did not orchestrate anything,” Ophelia said. “I did not even know that Brady was nearby when I swooned, and it was an accident.”

“Of course, just like it was an accident when you did the same thing in front of Henry Alderly.”

“You heard of that?”

“Of course, everyone heard. Everyone knows about you, Ophelia.”

Ophelia stiffened. “What do they know?”

“That you are scheming and so very desperate to be loved that it verges on pathetic,” Carolyn said with a sneer. She did not speak loudly, but still the eyes of those around them had turned to their conversation, all looking with curiosity. Ophelia felt the colour rise in her cheeks. “I knew that it was true, of course, but I thought that you were a friend. I never thought that you would play your silly little matchmaking games with Brady. I never thought that you would be that desperate, or that cruel. I suppose that was my mistake, and my misfortune to-”

“No,” said Ophelia, more harshly than she had intended. Caro raised her eyebrows.

“What?”

“I said no,” Ophelia repeated, louder this time. Her heart was beating faster than before. “You do not get to talk to me about misfortune. You know nothing of misfortune, none of you do.” She gestured not only at Carolyn, but the other students in her vicinity, all staring at her. “How could any of you spoiled brats possibly know anything of misfortune, when you are all so clouded by privilege that you can barely know of anything that is beyond the tips of your snooty noses?”

“Ophelia…”

“Has a single one of you ever known what it is to be cold in winter for lack of warm clothes? To be hungry for lack of food? To not know when or where your next meal might come from? Of course you have not, because you have everything, and everything you do not have is sure to be handed to you on a silver platter by a House Elf the moment you ask for it. Meanwhile, some of us have nothing, and we cannot afford even the very basics for survival, let alone pretty dresses and jewellery for balls.

“So, I am afraid that you will have to excuse me if I am ‘desperate’. Perhaps what you consider desperation is merely my determination to do whatever it takes so that I may escape the poverty into which I was born, so that I may carve out a life for myself where I can afford my own wand rather than one that is second-hand, where I will never again have to watch my own sister die because there is no money for medicine…”

Ophelia stopped, aware once more of the eyes on her and the volume at which she was speaking. She clapped her hand to her mouth, but it was too late. She had spilled her secret, her greatest secret, the one she had swore she would never tell anyone. Unable to take her words back, she swallowed, and stood up from the table.

“Excuse me,” she said, trying her hardest to regain her composure. She half-curtsied. “I must take my leave of you.”

It was a miracle that Ophelia was able to walk at all, let alone walk away so briskly, with her legs feeling almost as jellylike as they had after the mandrake had screamed. Still, she managed to keep her body upright and chin aloft until she was out of the Great Hall and in an empty courtyard beneath the setting sun. With no one around to see her, she allowed her composure to drop once more, and she closed her eyes, raised her head to the sky, and screamed at the top of her lungs.

#the beginning of a symphony #ophelia burke #carolyn nyberg #Lavinia macmillan #adelia selwyn #marigold sterling

18 notes · View notes

hphmmatthewluther · 6 months

Note

Okay buddy, for the crackships: Marigold X Florence - that-scouse-wizard

Thanks for the ask, JD!

#crackship ask game #what could be a ship name though #flogold?#florence osada #marigold sterling

3 notes · View notes

usernoneexistent · 1 year

Text

Autumn 1895: Euphemia realises that her presence is not really noticed by others, even those who are suppose to be friends. Please mind that this is Euphemia's biased perspective and that you should check these amazing Slytherin girls on the creators pages.

Characters featured: Carolyn Nyberg @lifeofkaze.

Characters mentioned: Adelia Selwyn @thatravenpuffwitch, Marigold Sterling @that-scouse-wizard, Ophelia Burke @the-al-chemist.

Warnings: self esteem issues.

The hues of orange and red leaves settled on the Hogwarts grounds as Autumn had fully arrived in its glory. The beauty could hardly be seen under the green lights of the dungeons beneath Hogwarts grounds with the Black lake for their view. Euphemia saw Adelia, Marigold, Ophelia, and the girls' leader, Carolyn Nyberg, gathered. The witch was graced with Swedish beauty of blonde hair and ice blue eyes, which outshined all especially compared to the plain English girl.

The girls giggled loudly, with the exception of Ophelia in the common room as she walked. She approached her fellow dorm mates and perhaps only friends, like a ghost at Hogwarts rather than a friend. It was a kinder term, yet the applicable term of how Euphemia felt about her time so far at Hogwarts.

"Euphemia!" Carolyn observed the girl up and down, aghast. "I don't recall brown being back in fashion this season."

A chorus of snickers followed; even Ophelia smirked a little from behind her book. In horror, Euphemia realised as she looked down at her skirt. Brown dirt stains contrasted clearly against the light grey school uniform skirt. Euphemia hadn't realised that when she was at the gardening club despite her efforts to keep it clean as possible.

"Oh, I had not realised," she hung her head, ashamed. It was unladylike of her to get herself dirty. "I'll go change."

"That would be preferable."

She found a spare skirt to change into but hesitated before returning to the other girls. She dreaded to think how to could further proceed with the other girls. Time and time again, she has humiliated herself in front of them, in front of Carolyn. Euphemia stood in the common room, contemplating whether she should join the other girls. She wouldn't be like they missed her if she didn't join them in their gossip; nobody ever did. People only cared about her if they needed something or to use her for their own gain. It felt like everything she did was off by one step, yet Carolyn did everything flawlessly.

Taking a deep breath, she held her head high. Euphemia marched out of the Slytherin cave and into the dungeon's corridors. She looked back to see if anyone noticed, yet not to her surprise, nobody did. She let out a little laugh, though somebody passing by would probably think she had gone insane. Maybe she has?

"Euphemia?"

The Slytherin girl turned around and saw a girl with long flowy brown hair and a bright, wide smile that made her nose wider.

"Winona?" Euphemia was surprised at her warm reception as she recalled that Winona was very clear about her feelings about Euphemia's engagement with her brother. "What brings you here?"

"Uh, well, I..." Winona searched for the words. Euphemia seemed suspicious of her intent. "I was looking for you."

"Me?"

"Yes, I wanted to apologise." The Gryffindor girl clasped her hands.Euphemia blinked at her, confused. "For what?"

"Hmm? Oh, I was rude at dinner, and I really don't want us to get off on the wrong foot, now do we?" Winona put on that same grin from earlier. Euphemia wasn't fooled by her smile; she knew that sweet sickly meant nothing good. Though she had few other options to differ as she saw Carolyn and the other girls leaving behind Slytherin's tapestry.

"Could we go for a walk and discuss this somewhere else?" Euphemia glanced over at the tapestry. "Please?"

Winona seemed to have caught her meaning and swiftly acted. Dragging her by the arm and out of sight of the Slytherin girls. Not that Winona also wanted to deal with Nyberg after some rumour she allowed to pass through in the school letter. Euphemia remembered that day clearly.

"I thought you and Nyberg were friends?" Winona commented.

"We are, it's just..." Euphemia shrugged her shoulders half-heartedly.

"The sun and you, the little shadow," The Gryffindor curtly said. No one had put the words so bluntly, yet it pained her to realise that Winona was right.

"No, I...That's not it," Euphemia denied, and she wanted to be in denial.

"Look Euphemia, you might not want to see it but you mean nothing to Carolyn. She isn't your real friend." She patted her back. "But I want to be. Your friend that is.

"The Slytherin girl scoffed. "Don't you have many friends? Why be friends with the girl that hardly one knew existed."

"Because I see you, Euphemia." Winona shakes her a little, almost like an awakening. "Yes, I'll admit that I couldn't recall who you were before, but I see you now. And I can also assure you that there are others who see you too."

Tears formed in Euphemia's eyes, but she wiped them away discreetly before letting out a laugh. "You just want to ensure I don't end up marrying your brother."

"Oh, so she has a sense of humour," Winona laughed before winking. "I guess you uncovered my hidden agenda."

"So, you wouldn't be mad if I shan't be marrying your brother?" She asked, pressing her hand tightly together.

"No, no, no. Absolutely not, I won't be mad." Winona waved her hands, dismissing the thought. She gets a mischievous glimmer in her eyes. "Though why not? If you don't mind me asking."

"Oh gosh," The Slytherin girl sat down at the ledge of the corridor's open window structure. The one where it looked out to the open courtyard.

"Well, I..." Euphemia covered her cheeks as she felt them burning. "Can you keep a secret?"

The Gryffindor girl looked intrigued. "Don't worry, I can keep secrets. Let me guess, this is about a boy? A secret sweetheart?"

A smile crept on her face as she shyly hid her face from Winona.

"So this is about a boy!? You need to tell me everything," Winona sat down next to her.

"Well...where do I start?"

#lily’s writing #a heritage of stories #hogwarts legacy #euphemia macnair #carolyn nyberg #adelia selwyn #marigold sterling #ophelia burke #winona rosewood

11 notes · View notes

whatwouldvalerydo · 1 year

Text

Rebel year - ch 4/6 - Storyteller

Since Gareth cannot participate in an event due to his family, he opts to hand the task over to his friends.

Henry belongs to the lovely @lifeofkaze , Marigold to the amazing @that-scouse-wizard

Leila’s words that he was chasing ghosts stuck and dug deep in Gareth’s mind. However, despite the burn of them, he chose to march in a different path and continue his mindless search for information. By that point he knew it was not about Ruby Taurus and it never had been.

It was exactly about ghosts. About losing family, himself and all his dreams in the process. He had imagined that all his life he would be the “what if” card, the “in case of something goes wrong” child. Free to live his dreams, marry someone of semi-important status and just enjoy a privileged life, following his own hobbies.

But no, instead he got everything destroyed right before his very eyes, in a short amount of time. Lighting up a cigarette from a pack procured with far too much money than it was worth, he lit one, sticking his tongue out as he puffed “Awful.” He frowned, yet still placed it between his lips a second time as he took a deeper drag, coughing the very next second. Calming down, he tried again, adjusting his posture in the mirror, trying to replicate what he had seen at parties. Surely the men he had seen smoke knew what they were doing and it just took some getting used to.

With a fuzzy head and robes smelling of tabacco, Gareth made his way to the library in search of a familiar face that used to give him peace of mind with his stories or selection of books he placed in his hands.

Managing to locate Henry Lovecraft in the distance, his attention fell on another face, though granted not so familiar. Recalling the name, he approached the girl stealing glances at Henry “Can I help you miss King?” Jumping, Gareth placed a hand over her mouth before she let out a startled scream “So tell me my detention friend, who are we spying on?”

Her eyes widened at the accusation, cheeks coloring. Initially he figured it was embarrassment, however he soon discovered it was anger. Angela scrunched her nose, imitating spitting underneath her blouse three time, no more no less, before she collected herself “I will have you know that wasn’t my fault. Peeves locked me in the bathroom and before I was out it was already pass curfew.”

Lifting his brows at her peculiar display, he pointed over at Henry, brining her back to where he wanted “Fancy him?”

“What? No.” she genuinely appeared shocked by the accusation “If anything I’m fascinated by his mind. Have you ever heard her tell stories, or talk? I was just interested in what he was reading. Nothing more.”

Lifting his hands up, he smirked “I believe you. I know him, can introduce you to him.” His eyes squinted as her gaze travelled to the books next to them “Get you in the books club, recommend you.”

Her eyes instantly shot up to him, Angela shaking her head “Nonsense, what good would I ever do there?”

Pulling a face, Gareth leaned against the bookcase “Ummm, read? It is what is generally done. That and some discussions, however mostly are too engrossed in their own books to actually participate. Do you not like reading?”

“I like stories.” She sheepishly admitted, the only admission Gareth required.

“Perfect, you help me, I help you.” Placing his hand on her lower back, he guided her over to Henry who half expected for someone else to interrupt him. Glancing at the odd pair, he inhaled deeply, not even asking.

“Henry meet Angela, she is quite fascinated by stories, admires your brilliant mind.” Managing to get Angela to sit down at the table, Gareth leaned in “She is just a tad shy.”

“I can speak for myself.” She mentioned, eyes lowering when the attention was on her.

“Would you mind showing her around the book club one day?”

Offering a small smile, Henry nodded “Of course, it’s always a pleasure to have new members. Is there a particular writer you are fond of?”

Looking over at Angela, Gareth intervened seeing as she was not answering “Perhaps you can guide her, show her what is best to read before diving into the unknown vastness that is knowledge.” Receiving a nod from Henry, Gareth went on ahead to the reason of his visit “Now that I have two wonderful story aficionados, how would you feel about helping me with a task?”

They needn’t know how he spent the last month, two weeks and five days planning for it. How he learned, barely, about the ball taking place. How he managed to convince one of the ghosts to let him take care of the arrangements. How he could not get the smell out of his nostrils from the rotten meat he stole from the kitchens. How he was about done with everything and everyone until he received an invitation and was told he could bring a friend if he wished. However his father sent a letter, requesting his presence in that weekend for a ball they were hosting.

A perfect opportunity for his family to flaunt him to all the ladies.

Yet he could not say no, he required them on his side if he was to hold his end of the bargain and what better way to do it than face to face with his father?

So he needed allies on his missions, even offering his invisibility cloak in order for them to sneak around properly. And who better than two people enamored with knowledge, stories and the prospect of learning more from people who had lived long ago yet still haunted the halls?

And they agreed, on the task, on the late night rendezvous, on them also asking questions about Ruby.

However that was not the only task Gareth had to perform. Learning that Angela had no proper dress for such an event, he had to use what little time he had left to coax one of his Slytherin colleagues to help. And who better than Marigold Sterling herself?

“What’s in it for me?” the redhead looked over at Gareth who appeared to be about done with everything.

“The gratification you would feel upon helping a not so fortunate soul?”

Lifting her brows, she smiled “Try again.”

“Fine. One of my mother’s dresses. Hand delivered by yours truly.”

Looking at him, her lashes fluttered as she went through all the garments she knew the duchess of Grafton wore.

“Perfect, however I have a specific dress in mind.”

Letting out a heavy sigh, he agreed to deliver, Marigold happily shaking his hand, promising to dress Angela to the very best of her abilities.

And so it was, on the night of the phantom ball, Angela paced the lower level corridors, waiting for Henry, feeling as if the corset was far too tight and her hair far too stiff. She bit her nails listening in to every sound, hiding when she heard footsteps making their way to the agreed location.

“Miss King?” a voice whispered from under the invisibility cloak. Revealing herself, she ushered him over to her corner, Henry revealing himself.

She nodded, nervously tugging at the dress as he placed the cloak in a secure location “Angela please. So just a couple of hours right?” she asked eyes the door they were supposed to walk through.

Seeing how nervous she was, he offered her a small smile offering her his arm, Angela taking it.

A gentle soul Gareth called her when they were left alone in the library. A wise soul was what the royal called Henry. A curious one was what he called him.

While doubts existed, once they entered the high room, they both stood in awe, both watching the silhouettes levitating above them to a song none of them heard, yet somehow could catch on as they witnessed the dance taking place. Beacons of untold stories right above their very heads, whispering, each and every one of them as they sway in their unperturbed dance. And yet they exist among the living. Ghosts.

“Do you think they’re sad? To be stuck like this between life and death I mean?” Angela’s grip on his arm tightened a fraction before she relaxed “Or do you think they are happier being like this?” she asked watching in fascination the graceful silhouettes. Looking at him, she gently tugged at his arm, Henry appearing to wake up from a daze “Did you hear what I said?”

“Apologies.”

Shaking her head, she smiled letting go of his arm bowing as a ghost greeted them “It’s fine. I was saying that…” her eyes widened when another one of the apparitions approached them, a curious stare directed at both of them. Waving her hand, Angela greeted the young man, Henry closing his eyes for a moment, inhaling softly, forehead creasing slightly “Are you alright?”

Opening his eyes, he nodded “Perhaps we should mingle.”

Taking a seat at a vacant table, Henry watched, listening to the whispers guiding his mind, letting them settle, at one point a ghost floating next to him, the young boy looking in his eyes “Do you wish to talk?” the ghost nodding.

By the time they left, both were dealing with different emotions, however they remained silent as Henry walked with Angela up the old stairs “I don’t have time to join extra curricular activities.” She admitted as she glanced down at her dress, noticing the dust she managed to gather from the room “But I would like to come around if I can. When I can.”

“Of course.”

Looking up at him, she smiled, eyes filling with worry a moment later “Are you alright, you didn’t move from your spot tonight.”

Contemplating on his answer, he nodded before speaking “It was still an eventful night.”

Both of them stopped walking, realization hitting them. While inside the room, both forgot to ask about Ruby Taurus.

Inside the Grafton manor, Gareth had just finished securing the dress for Marigold. Not like his mother would miss it, she had not wore it for five years. However what he had to do next required his father’s seal on a specific letter.

But above all that, it was spite. He detested being at the ball. So when he entered the office, he told his father everything he had been up to since the beginning of the fifth year alongside the demand of a letter towards headmaster Black, requesting to bring back Quidditch before the end of the year or else he would not be providing anymore funds.

A hard slap followed, Gareth’s cheek burning, however he still looked at his father “I would be careful if I were you, after all you would not wish to damage the face of your only heir.”

It was further spite refusing to heal his bruised cheek. However he walked with his head held high and the letter in his pocket. After all he was right, his parents could not deny him. And as long as he played his cards just right, they could not disown him. They would consider he was just rebelling, being a teenager and that he would fall in line eventually.

Walking inside the library, he witnessed Angela running towards a table, the librarian scolding her. Grabbing a book Henry extended to her, she hurriedly thanked him before she made her way past him, only offering a small hello.

Sitting down at the table, he asked about the ball, mouth swinging open when Henry told him there was no information they gathered on Ruby Taurus. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Gareth sighed “Well, if not even ghosts know about her, I am truly a fool. Fool for pursuing this, for trying, for…” stopping himself, he breathed out “My apologies, I am not myself. Thank you for everything.”

Stopping him, Henry spoke “Perhaps it would be best to speak to someone about what’s eating at you.” He offered winching internally as he realized the royal might actually pour his soul out to him.

“I have nothing to say, but I will one day. No offence.”

“None taken.”

Marching inside his dorm room, Gareth slammed the door, cursing, his owl startling, dropping the letter in its beak. Opening the note, his brows knitted together “I heard you were asking about me. Meet me by the common room entrance tonight. Ruby Taurus”

#gareth farr #henry Lovecraft #angela king #marigold sterling #rebel year #hphl #harry potter legacy

9 notes · View notes

endlessly-cursed · 6 months

Note

Hey Noe! For the crackship ask, how about Marigold and Sara? - that-scouse-wizard

Buckle up, Mara has arrived into town!!! 🥵

#asks #ask games #crackship ask games #oc: sara rosier #marigold sterling #crackship: mara #myedit*

4 notes · View notes

that-scouse-wizard · 1 year

Note

🖊 Marigold!!!

When creating Marigold, I really wanted to make a character who was quite an archetypal Slytherin, ambitious and cunning. Because I'm a sucker for themes and I thought of how to create conflict in the story, hence why I landed on making her a fox maledictus, a creature known to reflect the values of her house with her curse putting her under a time crunch that she doesn't know the length of.

To Marigold, prior to breaking her curse, every coming day could be her last as a human. Put that together with the pressures of her family, many of whom see the malediction as a blessing rather than a curse, and you have someone with a lot of tenacity and the willpower to want to see her goal through to the end.

#harry potter hogwarts legacy #hphl #hp victorian era #marigold sterling #hphl oc

3 notes · View notes

mjs-oc-corner · 1 year

Note

💋For Lydia please! - that-scouse-wizard

thanks for the ask, jd!💕

💋 How affectionate are they with their friends? Their family? Their romantic partner(s) (if they have any)? Are they more physical or emotional when it comes to displaying their affection? Why?

with friends and family, Lydia’s affections aren’t much more than a hug and maybe a kiss on the cheek. when she gives hugs, they’re never a lazy side-hug, they’re always a full-frontal embrace that lets the recipient know she’s there for them.

with her romantic partner, the lovely Marigold, (owned by @that-scouse-wizard) she has no issue being more doting and affectionate. hugs, kisses, hand-holding, nearly every romantic gesture imaginable isn’t off the table when it comes to Lydia showing affection to her partner.

Lydia’s an equal mix of physical and emotional, opting to keep a very delicate balance between the two. she does this because she knows that there are times when she needs to be more reserved and emotional in her words, and situations where she needs to physically show her affection.

get to know my ocs!

#oc ask game #hphl #lydia ellis #other peoples ocs #marigold sterling #marilyd💚💙#lydia x marigold

4 notes · View notes

magicalshopping · 7 months

Photo

♡ sterling silver papel picado necklace by Kalai Jewelry ♡

#necklace #jewelry #accessories #sterling silver #cempasuchil #dia de los muertos #cute #papel picado #marigold #flower #fashion blog #shopping blog #etsy finds #under 80 #kalaijewelry

15 notes · View notes

void--biscuit · 1 year

Text

Hello, I'm Silvana! (she/her, 29, 🇩🇪)

Welcome to my Cyberpunk obsession 😂

I like/ask/whatever with my main blog @life-born-of-fire 😊

personal/text posts are tagged with #the void screams back

My Vs (some of them are just existing, I don't play with most of them 😂 they're just pretty)

Nomad V: #Valerian Sterling

Corpo Vs: #Hikaru V Sakuraba, #Velvet Hale

Streetkid Vs: #Viorel Astrair, #Valentina Castor

Other characters // the story they belong to

Glitch // Velvet

Saffron Marigold // Viorel

Aridia Glynwyre // Viorel

M0nster@ // Viorel

#Valerian Sterling #Hikaru V Sakuraba #Valentina Castor #Velvet Hale #Glitch #Saffron Marigold #Viorel Astrair #Aridia Glynwyre #M0nster@

2 notes · View notes

diversestardewvalley · 11 months

Text

Diverse Stardew Valley 4.0 is officially here!

DSV 4.0 is a pretty different beast than 3.0+, and it’s bigger & better than ever 😆 The biggest difference is that we’re back on NexusMods and we’ve returned to an all-in-one download: the changes we made for 3.0 was the best move for the DSV team at the time, but things have changed in the last couple of years and we’ve updated accordingly.

DSV 4.0 also overhauls the interior of the mod with a shiny new C# engine, DSV Core, coded by the amazing KediDili. This should improve performance and make it much easier to configure DSV to your liking!

It’d take too long to list everything that 4.0 adds or changes, but here’s a quick summary:

Added over 250+ lines of variant-based dialogue

Added new additional variants which can be used alongside other variants:

Nonbinary Abigail, Sebastian, and Emily

Aro-Ace Gus

Jewish Mullners and Elliott

Hard-of-Hearing Haley

Added new small cultural map edits for modded variants

Re-added Marigold, Linus's service dog (this option requires Sprites in Detail, Custom NPC Exclusions, & Anti-Social NPCs) with improved higher-resolution sprites

Added new minor config options:

Mermaid Pendants - Rival Hearts & Canon Couples

Flower Queen's Crown Immersion Mode

Vanilla Beach Style

Enable Variant-Based Dialogue and individual dialogue toggles for each character

Abigail Goth Makeup

Elliott Helix Piercing & Ear Piercing

Penny & Pam Dynamic Outfits

Penny Freckles

Shane Punk Accessories

Marnie Dynamic Outfits

Clint Beard

Reworked character art for modded Pam, Black Haley & Emily, and modded Sikh and non-Sikh Harvey so that they have brighter, more accurate skintones

Clarified cultural backgrounds on the DSV website for several characters:

Romani Haley and Emily are of the Lovari vitsa

Black Haley and Emily have Ghanaian heritage

Indian Sandy is Deccani

Native Leah is of the Haida nation

Black Elliott has Jamaican heritage

Updated many outfits

Added compatibility with many mods

We also have a non-seasonal version for anyone who just wants the diversity edits (although it also contains some small tidbits for vanilla players such as improved beach art) and an add-on pack so that Always Raining in the Valley NPCs Sterling, Mia, and Henry can become Flower Queens through DSV’s Flower Queen’s Crown feature.

The DSV website has also been updated with visual guides to all of the new options, so please check it out! For any translators or mod authors interested in adding compatibility, there's also a new page with detailed instructions to help you out.

Thank you all for supporting DSV! 💖

#DSV #diverse stardew valley #diverse sdv #sdv #stardew valley #stardew valley mods #mod update #airyn

402 notes · View notes

dxstopiaa · 1 year

Text

For me..?

Summary: Your college had decided to incorporate a festive gift-giving event, ever more better in secrecy….Oh you’ve been caught… What do you give your assigned student?

Characters: Modern AU! Xiao, Kazuha, Wanderer, Zhongli, Childe.

If you have any characters you’d like to see in my posts, lmk! + i was going to make this with more characters but ideas weren’t coming into my head at the time :(

Xiao

•You -> An authentic jade bracelet, a white tassel attached in the middle of it, gold accented clasps -> Xiao

•Honestly, choosing this gift for him was not that difficult, the only downside being the rather pricey cost, but you thought it was worth it. After all, he has always assisted you whenever you needed it.

•You decided to quite riskily knock on his dormitory door and bolt down the corridor in hopes he didn’t see you making your grand escape. Seconds later, a sleep-deprived student stepped outside his room, glancing around whilst clinging onto the door handle.

•Xiao sighed lightly, crouching down to retrieve the small parcel on his doorstep, which delicately embellished in tones of marigold and teal, resembling himself. At first, he thought a skittery postman had fled to complete his next order, that’s how panicked the knocks upon the wood sounded.

•He shut the door behind him, indolently slouching onto the couch and inspecting the present, opening up its contents. Xiao had to physically stop his jaw from dropping at the sight of such expensive jewellery, who would give such an exorbitant gift?

•It didn’t take him much time to figure out it was you, given that you were the closest to him and due to his reserved nature, not many others. Xiao did consider the possibility of his sister, Ganyu, gifting him such, but she had already told him she was assigned with somebody else.

•He smiled to himself, admiring the bracelet and clasping it upon his wrist. Would he ever take this off? Certainly not. He was positive he would make it up to you, either via a similar gift in nature, or with dozens of drinks and meals whenever you came round.

•Xiao chose the former, synonymously leaving another package at your accommodation, except he concealed himself behind a wall to experience your reaction, chucking quietly. You couldn’t stifle the gasp escaping from your lips at the reciprocated gesture. Besides, you can’t have jewels without the remaining half, can you?

Xiao -> An amethyst beaded bracelet, marbled initials of his and your own name, polished with sterling silver clasps -> You

Kazuha

You -> A gorgeously embroidered scarf, crimson in colour, his initials carefully inscribed within it, soft to the touch with crotchet hearts for tassels -> Kazuha

•Kazuha’s admiration for the vermillion colour was evident since you two met, when you had asked him why, it seemed he was pondering a way to formulate what he would tell you. His soft, gentle voice complimented the words that articulately whispered from his lips told you so in such a poetic way it would put the most esteemed writers to shame.

•’It symbolises many ideas, like love but also bloodshed, i find it can express all emotions solely by its presence.’ So of course, a gift with this fond hue was necessary. You spent a couple of days wondering what to get him before the scarf came into mind.

•Though you didn’t want this to be the regular autumn accessory, going to a shop and buying one won’t carry the message you wished to give your dear friend. You knitted it yourself, despite the effort required for it, appending small hearts in exchange for tassels at the rim of it, and finally embroidering his name into it with a lighter ruby shade, hugging it tightly once you finished.

•It wasn’t difficult to see Kazuha outside from his accommodation, which gave you the perfect chance to enter it secretly and place the item onto his armchair, an envelope placed delicately on top of it containing a cute chibi sketch of him wearing it. Guilty to say this was on your mind for the past week, you just had to!

•When you had made your escape, Kazuha returned a few minutes later, furrowing his eyebrows at the sight of the unlocked door, sighing to himself at his forgetfulness. In case, he checked his dorm to see if any of his items had been displaced or stolen.

•He was delighted to see the accessory on the chair, moving it onto his lap to inspect it, before swaddling himself with the scarf. Opening the letter, Kazuha chuckled lightly at the sight of himself and set the illustration on his desk. He knew it was you, for this was quite obviously a dear fashion student’s work.

•Don’t be surprised if you are seized with a gentle embrace, with Kazuha handing you a miniature box, as this is precisely what you deserved.

Kazuha -> A signet ring from his own heritage, a precious gem inscribed in the centre, from valuable silver. -> You

Wanderer

You -> A scrapbooking journal, complete with ink calligraphy pens, various stickers and equipment, also with a small diary -> Kuni

•You knew he would guess exactly who sent him such the moment he got it, though it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Why? Well, You and Kuni had inside jokes, mainly on him, for he was amusing to tease.

•For example, You recalled the one time when you found him quite literally looking like he could strangle you when you asked him what was wrong as he groggily sat on his bed with a laptop on a pillow. Only after tons of investigation, did you find out it was due to the fact he had submitted his assignment just to find it was the ‘wrong one, as it had been tampered with’, jumping to his own defense.

•It was obvious he had a difficult time suppressing his emotions, specifically such of anger. You had suggested him to try out journaling but he only side eyed you with malice and claimed he ‘didn’t need time-wasting outlets’ So much for that.

•What did you do in spite? Get him exactly as described. Whilst you visited him, and he was occupied in the kitchen of his dormitory, you snook into his resting area and slid the set under his pillow, before casually strolling outside of it despite his critical glare.

•Once you left, and he deemed it time to sleep, was when he found it, quizzically lifting his pillow to see the disturbance. He took it in his hands, even though he was partially embarrassed, Kuni admired the quality of it and your intent.

•Let’s just say he spent the rest of the night sitting in his bed decorating the said journal in a way he felt aesthetically pleasing. Would he ever let you know so? Never, the topic essentially vanished.

Zhongli

You -> A traditional tea brewer and press, with exquisite flavours to try, dainty yet precious -> Zhongli

•Zhongli certainly lived up to his title of an old soul in a young body, his interests seemed to be that of mythology and cultures from various dynasties in his home country.

•Of course, the right thing to do would be to give him a present in this category, for it was undeniable he’d treasure it. Although it would be quite difficult to seek what you had in mind, your determination kept you focused.

•You located an antique store about a mile away from campus, from what you have seen, priceless family heirlooms from elder people had found themselves here in abundance. A gorgeously intricate tea set had you fixtured to it the minute you entered the shop. Just what you needed.

•The young student was curious to see a rather large gift bag on his kitchen countertop the following day, though he couldn’t repress his enchantment at the traditional china, his golden irises fluttering with glee whilst he admired it for what seemed like ages.

•Zhongli was not particularly sure who had gave him this gift, but you were his primary ‘suspect’, to which he decided to approach your lecture hall and wait outside, a small gift bag in his hands, the contents within perfectly concealed.

•You expected him to catch on, after all, Zhongli’s sense of perception was never faulty. You pushed open the large doors only to see him smiling warmly at you, lightly squeezing your hand and guiding you to his dormitory.

• A compromised sort of tea ceremony was laid out before you and him, he poured you your own customary cup and then his, caressing your hand which was laying on the table, idle. Zhongli chucked quietly at your flushed state, ‘Thank you for this gift, i can only give one back to you, please.’ He motioned the present to you, urging you to open it.

Zhongli -> A beautiful folding fan, illustrative dragons and cranes covered one side, the other with lapis and jade mines, resembling the treasure hidden beneath -> You

Childe

You -> A cerulean whale plushie with the most adorable expression, accompanied by another rosy one, wearing a smiley face -> Childe

•You and Childe instantly clicked when he first joined, partly due to the fact you were both exchange students, though he was of Russian descent and you from your respective country.

•The other reason was his humorous and gentle personality, the last quality was seen by only you, as Childe typically seemed a little eccentric and carefree to others. You adored the way he would wait for you outside your dorm to walk you to your next class, or how he traced his fingers in spiralling patterns upon your palm to soothe you when feeling overwhelmed.

•Truly, Childe was the most compassionate person you had ever met, so of course you were delighted at the opportunity at gifting him a present. Once your lectures were finished for the day, you decided to catch the local train into the city centre. Yes, Childe did have a car, but you wouldn’t want him to find out about this gift.

•Browsing the spectrum of stores within the mall, a certain one caught your eye. This particular shop was overflowing with cute plushies and stationary, it was difficult to resist the urge to vigorously purchase everything inside it. You skimmed the shelves until you found your gift, a squishy plush whale accompanied with another, one in azure whilst the other in rose.

•When you returned to your dorm, it was early evening at least, giving you enough time to wrap your presents and to anonymously deliver them to his own. You did this with the traditional ‘knock and run’ method, leaving it on his doorstep as you hastily sprinted back.

•Childe was quite puzzled, clutching onto the doorknob and motioning the door open whilst balancing his laptop on his forearm. He looked down to see the dainty gift bag, it’s contents concealed neatly and carefully, before picking it up and placing it on the chair beside where he previously sat to investigate it.

•Childe discarded the wrapping paper, sighting the precious little animal and rather childishly hugging it whilst grinning to himself. The small label on the ribbon around his neck claimed it was a 2 piece bundle, though he couldn’t find one in the bag. After some careful thought, he came to the conclusion it was you, besides, he didn’t think anyone else he knew would give him a gift of this nature, right?

•The following day, Childe waited upon your own doorstep, to whom you opened the door to and let him in. He was right, he immediately saw the other matching plush on your bed, surrounded by pillows in a poor attempt to conceal it. Smirking lightly as he read your rather nervous expression.

•He leaned into you, gently grasping your face in his palms as he admired your now flustered countenance, pressing his lips onto your forehead with pure affection, then embracing you in his arms whilst he caressed your hair.

•’I find it adorable how you got us matching plushies, though you seem to be competing with that action.’ Childe teased, chuckling lightly whilst you bashfully hid your face in your hands. Welp, you suppose you weren’t so good at hiding your identity, but he would argue he liked this outcome more.

407 notes · View notes

the-al-chemist · 9 months

Text

The Beginning of a Symphony - Chapter 41

A/N: In Ophelia’s final chapter, she gets a new start with the help of others.

Warnings: mentions of poverty.

OCs featured: Carolyn Nyberg @lifeofkaze, Adelia Selwyn @thatravenpuffwitch, Marigold Sterling @that-scouse-wizard

July 1897

Ophelia walked through the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley in her nicest clothing, her head held high and her expression haughty in spite of her nerves. She was not quite sure of what she should expect from today’s expedition; Carolyn Nyberg had invited her to meet, and it was the first time that she had been extended any sort of invitation by Caro all summer.

Things had been frosty between Ophelia and her dorm-mates for the rest of ever since the fateful day when Ophelia had fainted in Herbology class, been scolded by Caro, and revealed to the other girls that she was not in fact anywhere near as wealthy as she had led them to believe. Or wealthy at all, for that matter. She assumed that it was both her dishonesty and low status had been the reason for the girls’ lack of warmth towards her, however, she was not certain which was more significant in their eyes. In any case, she had been most surprised to receive any correspondence from Caro, let alone an invitation to engage socially.

She was even more surprised to find that Caro was not the only one who had arrived to meet her; Adelia and Marigold were also standing on the street, directly in front of the shop window of Ollivander’s Wand Shop.

“Ophelia, there you are,” said Adelia, extending one hand to Ophelia. “Why, we were starting to suspect that you were not coming.”

Somewhat awkwardly, Ophelia shook Adelia’s and then Marigold’s hands, and after a brief pause in which she and Caro stared at one another in tense silence, she shook Carolyn’s hand as well.

“Where did you want to go first?” Ophelia asked, and the other three girls all stepped sideways to create a path between her and the door to the wand shop. Ophelia looked from them to the door and back. “Why, is one of you in need of a new wand?”

“Yes, certainly,” said Marigold. “You are in need of one, are you not?”

Ophelia shook her head. “I have a wand.”

“But it is not truly yours, you said so yourself. You really had ought to have one that has chosen you, don’t you think?”

“I cannot afford one.”

“Perhaps not,” Carolyn said. Her tight lips pursed and twitched so that she almost smiled. “But we can. And we would very much like to buy you a wand.”

Ophelia’s eyes widened in disbelief. “But…”

“It is your birthday next month, is it not?”

“Come, Ophelia. It is high time that you had your own wand.”

That was undeniable, so Ophelia allowed the three girls to guide her inside the wand shop. It was dark, with a mahogany countertop and shelves lined with long, narrow boxes. Behind the counter, a wizard with a balding head and large grey moustache smiled at them, a curious expression passing over his face as his eyes settled on Ophelia.

“I don’t believe that I have made your acquaintance before, Madam,” he said to her, bowing his head slightly. “First wand, I presume? You’re a little older than I’d expect, but no matter. Let us see what we have to suit.”

Without another word, he turned away and fetched several boxes from the shelves. He opened all of them and placed them on the counter with the lids off so that the wands inside were visible. They were slightly different, one had a very fine grain, one had such a pale wood that it looked almost white, and each had detailing on the hilts that distinguished them from the ones on either side of it. Ophelia blinked and looked up at the shopkeeper expectantly, and he chuckled.

“Which one calls to you, Miss?”

Ophelia did not think that any of the wands were calling to her. She frowned and looked at the selection again. The silvery white one was rather handsome, and so was the one made of an almost pink-tinged wood. She liked the look of that one a lot, and so raised her hand to point to it.

As she did, however, she caught a glimpse of a box on the shelf behind the shopkeeper with a label that was yellowed and tattered, as if it had been sitting unclaimed on the shelves for some time. Her gaze drifted towards it, and the wand maker’s gaze followed hers. He smiled and fetched the box.

“Very well. Let us try this one.”

He opened the box and held it out to Ophelia. The wand inside was made of wood that had been polished to a very dark finish, plainer and less pretty in colour than the ones on the counter, but with a handle that had been intricately carved into the shape of a rose. Ophelia reached out and took it, her palm warming as her fingers wrapped around the wood.

“Cedar wood and dragon heartstring,” said the wandmaker. “Unbending.”

“You need to wave it,” Carolyn told her briskly.

Ophelia did as she said, and a moment later, petals began to float down from the ceiling, coating every surface of the wand shop and landing in the hair of all four Slytherin girls and the shopkeeper, who clapped his hands together softly.

“A most auspicious match, indeed!” he declared, and Ophelia smiled to herself.

He was right. Of course, this had not been the match she had hoped to make. A wand was no replacement for a wealthy suitor, after all, but it would certainly make do. For now, at least. She would have plenty of time to find herself a real match later.

She continued to smile to herself as Carolyn, Adelia, and Marigold paid for her new wand between them, and together they exited the dark and dingy wand shop to the bright street outside, where the sun shone as gold as a Galleon in the azure sky.

#the beginning of a symphony #ophelia burke #carolyn nyberg #adelia selwyn #marigold sterling

11 notes · View notes

jacentric · 11 days

Text

heres some of my fibers and metalsmithing work if yall wanna see it :) im putting it all under the cut so i can explain them a bit lmao (and theres also a good amount of them)

this one is probably my favorite maybe ever. its a self portrait and i dyed the three colors in the background that arent solids and the patterns in my hair and shirt i designed in illustrator and printed them out on fabric with this rly cool fabric printer. this is also 60x80 inches so its big. and the backing fabric is also fully dyed (the photo on the right featuring my cat helping ofc)

these are little keychains/zipper pulls of pride flags that i dyed most of the colors for (excluding the basic rainbow) and wove on an inkle loom. we sold them to raise money for various queer charities (i started this project after a shooting at a queer club in my state. we donated about $500 to them)

these rings were lost wax cast in sterling silver and bronze. the two on the left are knit and purl stitches and i hand carved them out of wax. the next three are cat food, corn, and a tractor tire and those i designed in a 3d modeling program and 3d printed them out. and the last one is a design from a spoon handle that i took a mold of and then cast.

this one is another favorite. instead of weaving just one solid fabric, this is weaving two at the same time (called double weave) and basically the black butterflies can be/are a seperate fabric than the purple ones. but they are interwoven together to make this pattern. it took foreverrrr to weave this and i came up with the pattern myself. (i was also individually picking up the strands to make the pattern based off of my graph paper sketch)

another weaving here that ended up being like 2x3 feet big. i wove it on a giant frame loom i made. its a tide pool and for our critique i submerged it in water and had a little aquarium pump running to create some waves. a fun fact about this piece was i made it when i first started watching foolish. this took absolutely forever and i watched foolish build the xd statue wings at the same time so we were 'suffering' together XD

i definitely have more to share if anyone wants to see them but ill end with this one for now. this is a copper chain mail pocket that can be used to help dye fabric. i made all of the jump rings myself (winding wire around a dowel and then sawing the spring into rings and which also took forever) and the chainmail pattern is called japanese 6 in 1. there is one slightly bigger and thicker ring with 6 smaller ones coming off of it. and it is so satisfying to hold bc its so heavy and makes such a nice noise. and the fabric dying bit, when dying with natural dyes (marigolds, logwood, etc) you need a mordant that basically allows the color to 'stick' to the fabric. most of the time, ive used alum which comes from aluminum, but copper also works. so i get to skip the step of pre-soaking the fabric in an alum mixture and can instead just put my marigolds into the copper pocket and that will mordant it and the same time its being dyed. you can see the little yellow fabric sticking out of the pocket there and that was dyed using the bag.

anyway if you made it this far down thanks for reading and id looove to talk more about any of this if you have questions or want to see more works of mine,, i have a lot XD :)

#if you open the read more you also get to see a photo of my cat helping me so id highly recommend :)#jace's art #i guess ill start that tag now just in case

10 notes · View notes