regulus black had a lonely funeral; carnations scattered around a black coffin. orion and cygnus were carrying it, and in their eyes, there was a strange sorrow, a strange regret.
walburga and druella were trailing behind. walburga, solemn as always, mourned the spare son. druella mourned the lesser of the two brothers, the weak, the meek.
bellatrix was walking in front of them, her head high, her face dry. she was not going to mourn a traitor, she was not going to cry over a man that had ruined their master. she, however, allowed herself to grieve the young man that her cousin had been, aside anything else.
narcissa stood beside her, and her eyes glistened with tears. she clung to lucius' arm, as if it was the only thing that could keep her away from falling apart, from spilling away. she had loved regulus, she really had. she had seen deep within him. she had seen the boy he hadn't been allowed to be. she had seen deeper than the façade, deeper than the skull mask, deeper than the dark mark, etched into his skin, forever black ink, now, white.
maybe that was forgiveness. in death, there are no sinners. the dead are pure, the dead are forgiven. the dead would soon be forgotten. was the change of color something meaningful, or was it a mere coincidence?
was it death that united a family so distant?
regulus black had died in a cold, empty cave. the crisp air of december was biting at their cheeks, leaving them rosy and cold, the same way their hearts were. their hearts were red and alive, and regulus' was deep within the carcass that his body was; his soul, however, had ascended (had it? or had he been such a despicable person that no one would forgive him?)
it snowed on the night of regulus black's funeral. his headstone was simple, and it read the same thing that ot read for everyone else in the black family.
regulus arcturus black
1961-1978
he hadn't been special, of course. the noble and most ancient house of black knows no exceptions, even for those they were supposed to love.
regulus black died a lonely death. regulus black had a lonely funeral; however, in the dead of the night, a slender dog knelt beside the gravestone, white tulips in his mouth. a wolf howled in the distance, pained, a wail of grief and madness. the dog's body was pressed against the cold stone.
there was something holding him there, a pulse of the earth that kept him close to a boy he had once loved, to a man he had resented.
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If there's anyone out there that cares about flower language and symbolism like I do, I made an informal write-up some time ago about the in-game flowers (that you can put in your house) and the different symbolism that they can mean.
I included the symbolism for the in-game colors as well when they were available.
Also as a disclaimer these could be incorrect, have contrasting meanings, or have different meanings in different real-world cultures. White chrysanthemums (kiku) are usually a funeral flower in Japan for instance. (My Japanese professor once said they were a faux pas for her to receive in a bouquet!) So your mileage may vary!
This was simply a fun personal project I made for myself that I thought other people might enjoy as well! So here's a question to answer in the tags:
What flowers would your WoL have in their residence?
Arums (calla lily)
🔷magnificent beauty, feminine modesty
Brightlilies (easter lily)
🔷purity, refined beauty
🔷White: virginity, purity, majesty
🔷Pink: wealth and prosperity
🔷Red: warmth, desire
🔷Yellow: gaiety, falsehood, "I’m walking on air"
🔷Orange: hatred
Campanulas (bellflower)
🔷humility, constancy
Chrysanthemum
🔷cheerfulness, "You’re a wonderful friend"
🔷Red: I love you
🔷White: truth
🔷Yellow: slighted love
Cosmos
🔷harmony, peace, modesty, "the joys that love and life can bring", beautiful
Dahlias
🔷dignity, elegance
Daisies
🔷innocence, beauty
Lilies of the Valley
🔷return of happiness, sweetness, humility, purity
Oldrose
🔷Red: I love you, love, beauty, passion, romance
🔷Blue: mystery, attaining the impossible, love at first sight
🔷White: innocence and purity, "I am worthy of you", reverence
🔷Yellow: decrease of love, jealousy, friendship
Shroud Cherries (cherry blossom)
🔷spiritual beauty, a good education
Tulips
🔷perfect lover, fame
🔷Red: declaration of love, true love, eternal love, romantic love, "believe me"
🔷Yellow: hopeless love, unrequited love, brightness, sunshine
🔷White: ask for forgiveness, purity
🔷Purple: royalty
Hyacinths
🔷sports, games, rashness
🔷Purple: I am sorry, sorrow, "please forgive me"
🔷Red: play
🔷White: loveliness, "I’ll pray for you"
🔷Blue: constancy, sincerity
🔷Yellow: jealousy
Hydrangeas
🔷heartlessness, boastfulness, "You are cold"
Morning Glories
🔷love in vain, affection
Violas (violets)
🔷modesty, faithfulness
🔷Purple: daydreaming, "You occupy my thoughts"
🔷Blue: watchfulness, love
🔷White: candor, innocence
🔷Yellow: rural happiness
Byregotia (begonia?)
🔷Beware
Carnation
🔷fascination, love, distinction
🔷Red: "My heart aches for you", deep love, admiration
🔷White: sweet and lovely, innocence, pure love
🔷Yellow: "You have disappointed me", rejection, disdain
🔷Purple: capriciousness, changeable
Moth Orchid
🔷love, beauty, refinement, beautiful lady
Sweet Pea
🔷departure, good-bye, delicate pleasure, tender memory, blissful pleasure
Triteleia
🔷 They're a North American wildflower also called 'triplet lilies' or 'Ithuriel's spear' which is a reference to John Milton's epic English poem, Paradise Lost. It's about an angel sent by Gabriel to find Satan in the Garden of Eden. Satan, in the form of a toad, is introducing evil suggestions into the ear of Eve when Ithuriel pokes him with a spear. Satan then returns to his true form, "for no falsehood can endure Touch of Celestial temper, but returns Of force to its own likeness." It is to an unknown but imaginative scholar of English letters that we owe the common name of this plant.
Long story short, I can't find any symbolism for this one. Would make a possibly good Halone/Ishgard reference if you wanted to read into it, though!
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