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vermillioncourt-if · 4 months

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In south of the Siji Empire, there is a kingdom the sun favors, staying warm and bright through the year. Clothed in luxuriant ruby red silks, the gold of the sunrays, and adorned in feathers, its people are said to house the spirit of fire within themselves. They live their lives loving, desiring, and hating with incandescent fervor. Fueled by the flames of their namesake and the blessing of the sun, the air is ripe to burst into a unstoppable wildfire. Welcome to the Vermillion Court.

The Vermillion Court is a current WIP and new interactive CYOA novel. The focus is heavily on romance, drama, and the characters. It is inspired by fantasy period-piece C-Dramas (Chinese Dramas) and historical romance manhua/manhwa. It will combine pieces from multiple fantasy period-pieces, both Western and Eastern. It's being written in ChoiceScript.

Note: Because this is still a WIP, some names of characters or places may change. All names are presented as "Last Name" "First Name" and I will provide pronunciation guides in the game as well as on the info pages on the blog!

Genre: Romance, Drama, Court Drama

Rating: 18+ (Will include sexual content, potential violence, and typical warnings attached to fantasy period-pieces)

Tracked Tag: #the vermillion court

Demo || Romance Options || Side Characters || FAQ || Ask Guidelines || Tag Navigation ||

In The Vermillion Court, you are taken to the fantasy period-piece inspired world and continent of Nian. You play as the Fourth Prince or Princess of the Xiatian Kingdom, the child of the King of the Xiatian Kingdom and one of his consorts. As Fourth Prince/Princess, you have a pretty open schedule and a nice cushy life. Being among the first five princes and princesses makes you a prominent enough figure and with six siblings ahead of you in line, no one's really paying attention to what you want to do with your life.

The year is 730 and spring has just given way to the summer season. Various festivals and events are held across the Siji Empire to celebrate the season. At 21-years-old, you're all but happy to attend the social events of the season. Before you leave for the main city, your grandmother informs you that you should look for a partner while there. Apparently your father has been convinced by his favorite wife, Consort Xing, to start marrying you and your siblings off to the other kingdoms. You suspect it has to do with trying to make her son the Crown Prince and are dreading seeing your whole family together again.

Your personal guard and maid accompany you to the capital of Xiatian, where you start a season of festivities, social events, and romance, while also maneuvering the politics of your court and the drama that comes with it.

Play as a man or woman. Choose to be gay, straight, or bisexual

Customize the way you look. Decide what to wear to events to make an impression on the guests

Attend various festivals, parties, and social events to boost your reputation and make allies to help defend you against courtly drama

Choose to romance 1 of 6 characters: your Personal Guard, your Maid, a Lord from the Chuntian Kingdom, a Lady from the Dongtian Kingdom, a Merchant from the Qiutian Kingdom, or a Courtesan

Each route follows the same set of 6 events, but each varies greatly from the others

Find a fiancé(e) before summer ends!

The Fourth Prince/Princess of the Xiatian Kingdom - You (he/him) or (she/her)

You play as the 21-year-old Fourth Prince/Princess of the Xiatian Kingdom. Your father is King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom and your mother is his consort, Consort Huo Qinwen. You are 1 of their 4 children, having 1 older brother and a younger brother and sister, but that fails in comparison to your 18 half-siblings.

You are one of Dowager Queen Nan Niexing's favorite grandchildren, which she proudly states much to the chagrin of your father's 4 other wives.

Appearance: player determined.

Your Personal Guard - Si Huaiqiao (he/him)

Huaiqiao is your personal bodyguard. He is 25-years-old and has been guarding you since you were children. He is very serious and a tad grumpy, always wearing a frown. He doesn't take his job lightly, coming across overprotective, even for a personal guard. He tends to be clueless when it comes to romance, often missing the many women and men flirting with him. You appreciate his work, but maybe you've come to see him more than just your guard?

Appearance: Huaiqiao is a very tall man, standing at around 6'4. He is muscular and fit and is considered to be very attractive. He has straight black hair pulled out of his face that falls to about mid-back when loose. He has clear fair skin and deep black eyes.

Your Maid - Xu Chanyu (she/her)

Chanyu is your personal maid. She is 20-years-old and has been helping you since you were 15. She is a clumsy maid, fumbling over her words and feet quite often but she tries her best and you've come to find her incompetence rather endearing. Besides, it's not like you keep her in your company because she's a good maid, but rather because she's the only assassin who's came close to killing you. Maybe you've come to see her in a different light?

Appearance: Chanyu is a small and lithe woman. She's about 5'0 and is deceptively strong, regularly holding her own against Huaiqiao. Her hair is a dark reddish-brown and her eyes are a dark brown. Her skin is tanned with some freckles.

The Lord from the Chuntian Kingdom - You Kounao (he/him)

Kounao is a noble from the Chuntian Kingdom who's arrived at the Xiatian Kingdom as a diplomatic envoy. He is 21-years-old and is suave and charming. It's easy to see why the Chuntian Kingdom sent him as one of their envoys. Despite holding a position of importance, he tends to be a bit immature and childish, enjoying playing pranks on the other envoys who accompanied him. You find his company refreshing. Maybe you could pursue him as a potential husband?

Appearance: Kounao is man of average height and build, standing at about 5'9. He is fit, but not muscular. He is of partial foreign descent with clear brown skin and short straight black hair. His eyes are dark brown, nearly black.

The Lady from the Dongtian Kingdom - Shen Sandong (she/her)

Sandong is a noble from the Dongtian Kingdom who's arrived at the Xiatian Kingdom as a diplomatic envoy. She is 22-years-old and is very quiet. Her facial expression doesn't change much and she prefers to keep to herself. She doesn't have much to say, but enjoys letting you talk. She's a welcome change of pace to the typically hectic palace. Her icy demeanor intimidates some people, but maybe you find it charming?

Appearnace: Sandong is a woman of average height at about 5'5. She is beautiful with long straight black hair and icy blue eyes. Her skin is pale and clear. She is thicker with a fuller figure than her counterparts from other kingdoms.

The Merchant from the Qiutian Kingdom - Wei Duqiong (he/him)

Duqiong is a merchant from the Qiutian Kingdom who's come to the Xiatian Kingdom to boost his sales during the festival. He is 23-years-old and comes off as a bit shady. He's an effective business man able to charm even the hardest of buyers, but he's very private about his life, not enjoying small talk. You find him to be mysterious and intriguing, not really having met someone like him before. Maybe you'd like to take the time to get to know him better?

Appearance: Duqiong is a tall man standing at around 6'0. He is thin and lean. He appears to be from partial foreign descent. He has medium-length straight blonde hair pulled into a low ponytail and warm brown eyes. He has smooth light brown skin.

The Courtesan - Wu Nahou (she/her)

Nahou is a courtesan from one of the more popular courtesan houses in the city. Unlike her some of sisters, Nahou doesn't provide any physical services and just entertains at parties by playing music, dancing, and reciting poetry. She is 24-years-old and is pleasant and demure while working. Off the clock, she is more rowdy with strong opinions and a confident, self-assured attitude. Maybe you'd like to spend more time with her?

Appearance: Nahou is a shorter woman at about 5'3. She is of partial foreign descent with wavy red hair and hazel eyes. Her skin is pale with freckles and she's considered to be very beautiful. Her frame is more slight and willowy than simply thin.

#the vermillion court #interactive novel #interactive story #if wip #if game #interactive fiction #text based game #hosted games #choicescript

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thebleedingwoodland · 3 months

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TS3 - Chinese New Year 2024 Decorations Collection

F U N C T I O N A L D O O R & D E C O R A T I O N

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🧧 恭喜發財！謹祝新年快樂幸福，大吉大利，恭祝健康、幸運，新年快樂！

May you be happy and prosperous! I hope you have a most happy and prosperous New Year, good health, good luck and much happiness throughout the year!

Article to read: What is Lunar New Year & What is important on Chinese New Year

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A bit late to post because of my schedule preparing & celebrating Chinese New Year in real life and fixing the shadow for each item that made me have to re-create the CC several times until it got correct. Finally it's done and satisfied that I managed to create so many CC for this short time within 2 weeks, wow. These are my meshes, except the doors are by EA and they are functional.

In this collection, you will get 21 Custom Content:

Chinese Wall Hanging - Fu （福）& Long （龍）each 1 Preset

Nian Gao （年糕）is a sweet rice cake that is traditionally eaten during the lunar new year celebrations.

From China (3 Presets, plate is recolourable 1 channel )

Kue Keranjang, Nian Gao From Indonesia。 Individual (1 Preset) & Stacks on Plate (2 Presets, plate is recolourable 1 channel)

Kuih Bakul from Malaysia. Individual (1 Preset) & Stacks on Plate (2 Presets, plate is recolourable 1 channel). I made versions from Indonesia and Malaysia because both countries have biggest Chinese population in the world outside China.

Nian Gao Slices (3 Presets, plate is not recolourable)

Hong Bao (紅包）(2 Presets with 2 style Traditional and Trendy for Kids/Teenagers/Young Adult)

Spring Festival Tree Vase (2 Presets, 3 channels recolourable)

Octagonal Box of Dried Fruits, Plum Candies, Chocolate compound with shape of Chinese ancient gold ingot (1 Preset, not recolourable)

Legend candy that is "mandatory" to be put on Chinese New Year table: White Rabbit Creamy Candy (1 Preset, not recolourable)

"Fu" sticker on Door. (3 Presets, Doors are recolourable)

-DoorSingleLuxury_Fu -DoorSingleMission_Fu -DoorSingleTraditionalInside_Fu

(No orange fruit, pardon me. You can find orange fruit CC elsewhere available from various CC creators. I don't have time for creating orange fruit. )

Base Game compatible, no Expansion Pack Needed.

Chinese Wall Hanging can be found on "Decorations> Wall Hanging & Posters"

Nian Gao, Dried Fruits, Chocolate, Candies can be found on "Decorations>All"

Spring Festival Tree can be found on "Decorations>Plants"

[ Download ]

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plumbaleena · 3 months

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Spice Up Your Sim's Calendar with Custom Seasonal Activities!

The Sims is boring AF right? Well, we have to always come up with creative ideas to make this game more interesting and THANKFULLY there are many mods to help us with that! However, you don't always have to have mods to make the game a little more fun, and here's one example of that! Calendar ideas!

🌼 S P R I N G

Calendar day ideas /

🌼 Egg hunt day / set up your calendar to have the cute little bouncy flower bunny come and celebrate while colorful eggs pop up around your home! Take spring pictures, dress in matching outfits and have a picnic outside!

T r a d i t i o n s / Egg hunt, flower bunny

🌼 Spring break / Take a week off with your family to go on a vacation, maybe to the beach, or even the woods for memories to last a lifetime.

T r a d i t i o n s / Go on a vacation or travel

🌼 Spring cleaning / Take time to clean your house, move some things around, get rid of things. Start fresh!

T r a d i t i o n s / Cleaning

🌼 Earth day / Plant some flowers, herbs or vegetables, tend to your garden, pick up trash and maybe go help someone else with their garden too.

T r a d i t i o n s / Gardening, cleaning

🌼 April fool's / Do mischief and silly things to other sims, maybe prank some toilets or buzz some hands, who knows maybe you'll find something about mischief that tickles your fancy.

T r a d i t i o n s / Mischief spirit

🌼 Mother's day / Have your littles make spring crafts for mom, help to make her breakfast, or serve up some tea or lemonade. Head over to her house for a visit if you're on your own and spend the day together maybe even go to the spa!

T r a d i t i o n s / Give flowers, give gifts, tell stories, thankful spirit

🌼 Spring fling/dance / Take your sims to a spring formal where you can dance the night away (preferably not the cowpoke) and dress in light pastels for sweet matching photos.

T r a d i t i o n s / Party spirit, art & music spirit

🌼 Flower festival / Head on over to a flower field, and give flowers to those you hold dear. Spend the day outside enjoying nature or putting a flower crown in your hair and soak in the sun while you take a stroll.

T r a d i t i o n s / Give flowers

🌼 Love/Valentine's day / Take your loved one on a date to a romantic spot you wouldn't normally go. Make sure to enjoy each other's company and no phones allowed! Slow dance under the moonlight, or steal a kiss under the stars. Don't have someone? Make it a gal/palentines day instead! Enjoy spending time with your favorite friends watching movies, having popcorn or even indulging in a pillow fight.

T r a d i t i o n s / Go on a date, [or if single, invite guests], romantic spirit, watch romantic tv

🌼 Daddy/Daughter dance / Take your little princess to a dance she'll never forget. Dress up in matching colors and treat her like she's the queen for the day! Take lots of pictures to forever remember that special day.

T r a d i t i o n s / Art & music spirit

🌴 S U M M E R

Calendar day ideas /

🌴 Father's day / Celebrate good old dad with some summer crafts, a bbq, and a hang out by the pool. Toss a football around, maybe kick back a few EAPA's and have a day to remember with your pops.

T r a d i t i o n s / Bar-B-Que, drinking, give gifts, tell stories, thankful spirit

🌴 Summer vacation / Take a week off with the family to the beach and celebrate the summer while the kids are out of school and enjoy times in the sand, swimming in the ocean, and even catching some fish!

T r a d i t i o n s / Go on a vacation or travel

🌴 Slip 'n Slide day / Take the fun of the sun outside and enjoy a day full of water! Head over to the water park in San Sequoia, or bring it home with a splash pad and water balloons. Spend all day in your bathing suit and maybe even...streak?

T r a d i t i o n s / Water fun, streak? ;)

🌴 Sulani/festival day / Find out when your local festivals are happening for Sulani and/or Mt. Komorebi and visit them on these days to celebrate the culture of the world. You won't want to miss the turtle hatching or festival of lights!

T r a d i t i o n s / Go on a vacation or travel, fireworks

🌴 Summer camp / Have your kids head off to "summer camp" where they can go somewhere off the lot for a week or two and enjoy what it feels like when they're in school! Create a camp for them to attend and bring them back into the house after a week or two, unless they're homesick. Then bring them back sooner.

T r a d i t i o n s / Go on a vacation or travel

🌴 Family camping trip / Head off to Granite Falls and enjoy camping with the family. Really rough it together and only bring tents, bug spray, and some food and water. See who lasts the longest without a comfy bed.

T r a d i t i o n s / Go on a vacation or travel

🌴 Simchella/Music fest / Enjoy Simchella for your sims to head to a music festival in Oasis Springs and have the time of their lives!

T r a d i t i o n s / Art & music spirit, drinking

🎃 F A L L

Calendar day ideas /

🎃 Neighborhood potluck / Throw a party and have your neighbors bring food to share for a neighborhood potluck. Share stories, drinks, and company as the leaves start to change for the season.

T r a d i t i o n s / Invite guests, tell stories, party spirit

🎃 Trick or treating / Bring your littles to a special trick or treat neighborhood where you can enjoy candy and perfect spots for pictures!

T r a d i t i o n s / Spooky spirit, trick or treat, wear costumes

🎃 Day of the dead / Make your departed loved one's favorite foods, dance to their favorite music, talk about them with family members and enjoy the memories you had with them. If you can go visit them, bring a candle or a small token to put at their resting place in remembrance.

T r a d i t i o n s / Remembrance

🎃 Family pumpkin carving / Invite family and friends over to sip cider and carve pumpkins! Set up stations and have a contest, and when they're all done display them at the front door for all of the welcome wagon to see.

T r a d i t i o n s / Invite guests, spooky spirit, sports tv

🎃 Visiting the pumpkin patch / A perfect place to go and take pictures, pick the perfect pumpkin, and enjoy the crisp weather is at a pumpkin patch! Visit the local pumpkin patch for all of this, and more.

T r a d i t i o n s / Go on a vacation or travel, thankful spirit

🎃 Bonfire night / Have a giant bonfire for all of your friends to celebrate the last of warm and longer nights. Enjoy drinks, roasting marshmallows and singing songs while reminiscing about how fast time goes by.

T r a d i t i o n s / Fire, tell stories, thankful spirit

❄️ W I N T E R

Calendar day ideas /

❄️ Welcoming Winter / This day is when there's the first snow! Head outside, build a snowman, make a snow angel, bake a warm pie, or stay inside and cozy up by the fire and read a book. Nothing is more special than welcoming winter.

T r a d i t i o n s / Baking, fire, festive spirit

❄️ Winter holiday / Take a vacation to Mt. Komorebi and enjoy the slopes where you can try skiing or snowboarding for the first time! If you're not feeling adventurous head over to the bathhouse and steam up in the sauna.

T r a d i t i o n s / Go on a vacation or travel, festive spirit

❄️ Winterfest Eve / Celebrate with the family the day before Winterfest. Have a special dinner, sing songs, maybe open a present or two, and have a great evening. Dress in red and green for beautiful pictures!

T r a d i t i o n s / Attend a holiday ceremony, festive lighting, festive spirit, give gifts, grand meal, invite guests, open presents

❄️ Present wrapping/buying / Take a day to go and buy gifts for your loved ones, and make sure you take the time to get something for each person as everyone is unique! Think about checking plopsy, or maybe your little one wants the latest gaming console!

T r a d i t i o n s / Festive spirit

❄️ Go see the giant tree and ice skate / Winterfest is never complete without visiting an ice skating rink or sipping on some hot cocoa while it snows. Take a day to go and see the beautiful Winterfest trees and ice skate to capture the true magic of the season.

T r a d i t i o n s / Festive spirit

❤️ Mods to enhance your calendar /

more holiday icons by littlemssam

random holiday traditions by littlemssam

custom holiday traditions by kiarasims

summer camp by adeepindigo

#the sims 4 #the sims 4 calendar #the sims 4 seasons #the sims 4 seasonal activities #ts4 #ts4 simblr #the sims 4 gameplay #ts4 screenshots

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eventideluminary-games · 4 months

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This game is my palate cleanser for my main game, Under the Eyes of Themis. Updates may be slow since that game will receive most of my attention, but I will try to update at least once a month! Please feel free to send asks or anything, since this has quickly become a bit of a passion project!

Genre: Romance, Drama, Court Drama

Rating: 18+ (Will include sexual content, potential violence, and typical warnings attached to fantasy period-pieces)

Tracked Tag: #the vermillion court

Demo || Romance Options || Side Characters || FAQ || Tag Navigation || Pintrest || Dedicated Side Blog

Play as a man or woman. Choose to be gay, straight, or bisexual

Customize the way you look. Decide what to wear to events to make an impression on the guests

Attend various festivals, parties, and social events to boost your reputation and make allies to help defend you against courtly drama

Choose to romance 1 of 6 characters: your Personal Guard, your Maid, a Lord from the Chuntian Kingdom, a Lady from the Dongtian Kingdom, a Merchant from the Qiutian Kingdom, or a Courtesan

Each route follows the same set of 6 events, but each varies greatly from the others

Find a fiancé(e) before summer ends!

The Fourth Prince/Princess of the Xiatian Kingdom - You (he/him) or (she/her)

You are one of Dowager Queen Nan Niexing's favorite grandchildren, which she proudly states much to the chagrin of your father's 4 other wives.

Appearance: player determined.

Your Personal Guard - Si Huaiqiao (he/him)

Your Maid - Xu Chanyu (she/her)

The Lord from the Chuntian Kingdom - Shen Kounao (he/him)

Kounao is a noble from the Chuntian Kingdom who's arrived at the Xiatian Kingdom as a diplomatic envoy. He is 22-years-old and is suave and charming. It's easy to see why the Chuntian Kingdom sent him as one of their envoys. Despite holding a position of importance, he tends to be a bit immature and childish, enjoying playing pranks on the other envoys who accompanied him. You find his company refreshing. Maybe you could pursue him as a potential husband?

The Lady from the Dongtian Kingdom - You Sandong (she/her)

Sandong is a noble from the Dongtian Kingdom who's arrived at the Xiatian Kingdom as a diplomatic envoy. She is 21-years-old and is very quiet. Her facial expression doesn't change much and she prefers to keep to herself. She doesn't have much to say, but enjoys letting you talk. She's a welcome change of pace to the typically hectic palace. Her icy demeanor intimidates some people, but maybe you find it charming?

The Merchant from the Qiutian Kingdom - Wei Duqiong (he/him)

The Courtesan - Wu Nahou (she/her)

#interactive fiction #if game #if wip #interactive story #text based game #choice of games #hosted games #dashingdon #choicescript #interactive novel #the vermillion court

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mousysims · 1 year

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mousy save; hold onto your hats

i started with my go-to simlicy save, so most of the residential lots and many of the community lots are by simlicy. i agonized over lot placement and number of each type of lot; i only ever play one family so it makes sense for me to have fewer residential lots and tons of community lots. i'm missing a lot of packs so this is pretty carefully curated to fit with what i do have (i'm used to replacing wallpaper and some furniture for most gallery builds but if it's missing much more than that I try a different lot). i love community lots that a) have things for sims to do and b) look pretty. all of these fit and i highly recommend every single one!!

willow creek

strip mall by simlicy

blue velvet by simlicy

rosado lounge by bottsbotts (it's turned the wrong way in the screenshot lmfao i've since turned it the right way)

summer lane vinyl by pixelddump (cc required)

umbrage manor by simlicy

sushi bar by therealpraline

acadia springs park by silrosse

honeydew coffee shop by ratboysims

oasis springs

thriftea mirage by ratboysims

rock n roller diner by amy_alston93

calico community pool by silrosse

house of mango by silrosse

desert bloom by wafl

llama lanes by simlicy

magnolia promenade

l'heure de the by e-aplouf

magnolia complex by simlicy

simazon bookstore by irrelephant7

ice cream shop by anadius

newcrest

newcrest mall by plasma-janes (cc required)

greasy goods by littledica (cc required)

monsun noodles by ratboysims

rollin park by ratboysims

george's brewpub by silrosse

solcaf by silrosse

rise and grind cafe by littledica (cc required)

industrial plant cafe by therealpraline

the forgotten by bottsbotts

les boules du lhama by e-aplouf

kids center by anadius

health and fitness center by jessiejessan

planete popemiel by e-aplouf

bamboo wok by silrosse

windenberg

plant shop by simlicy

island bluffs by wafl

thriftea by kateemerald

old quad restaurant by simlicy

old town bridal by simlicy

old town center by simlicy

the new old quarter inn by simlicy

bathe de rill by simlicy

ocean crown by ratboysims

discotheque pan europa by moonbearsim

patisserie by stjernesky

san myshuno

planet honey pop! by allisas

culpepper heights by bottsbotts

the naked gnome by bottsbotts

casbah gallery by pictureamoebae (cc required)

stargazer lounge by ratboysims

skye gym by ratboysims (converted to a library in my save)

myshuno meadows by simlicy

brindleton bay

pupperstone park by thaisvolpe

vet clinic by simlicy

yacht club by simlicy

grimalkin kitchen and tap by quiecence90

cat cafe by therealpraline

bedlington boathouse by simlicy

deadgrass discoveries by simlicy

del sol valley

hotel by simlicy

studio pbp by roxxysims

ward park and cafe by pinneaple8904

orchid a go go by whyeverr

newcrest cinema and arcade by silrossse (renovated to fit into del valley in my save)

starbucks and gym by simlicy

pride music festival by kriint (i placed on a bigger lot and expanded on the existing one)

sulani

laguna mermaid beach by feliciabrenning

sapphire shores by kwizz66

sulani juice bar by simcubeez

ohan'ali beach by simlicy

hang loose hangout by vulpeculai

evergreen harbor

quarry building by marie-lennie-joe

utopia cafe by silrosse

warehouse nightclub by simlicy

the waterfront by luckyheather

sprucewood pool by ratboysims

mt. komorebi

matsu no yu by tamo-sim

komorebi onsen by tksims__0oy

senbamachi market by diviniityx

hanamigawa koen by kaledz

izakaya ippai x2 by mariakarita

restaurant and karaoke bar by bottsbotts

henford-on-bagley

romantic woodland wedding by riemunen

granite lake by wafl (renovated to fit into henford-on-bagley in my save)

finchwick village hall by thesimline

the gnome's arms by yuliana_fib

copperdale

high school by aharris00britney

auditorium by luzy_lou_77

thriftea by luzy_lou_77

lakeview park by tinynezumi

mt komorebi cafe by pchrseen

teddy’s pizza and arcade by ratboysims

#sims 4 #ts4 #ts4 gallery finds #ts4 lot finds

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warframestuff · 2 months

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LEAP OF THE LOTUS 2024

NEW EASTER-THEMED HEADGEAR AND MORE

The rejuvenating warmth of a new season returns to the Origin System once again with a colorful assortment of eggs-quisite Customizations! It just wouldn’t feel like springtime without indulging in some beloved Easter-themed gear – perfect for decorating your favorite Warframes.

Beginning April 3 at 2 p.m. ET, enjoy this year’s offerings including:

Easter (Color Palette) – 1 Credit

Lepus Headgear – 5,000 Credits

Spring Step Ephemera – 5,000 Credits

…but that’s not all! We’re also introducing a new, permanent addition to our lineup of festive treats:

The new Ostarus Headgear is also available for purchase from the in-game Market, and unlike the Lepus Headgear it's yours to keep! Now you can hop to new Missions with a seasonal spring in your step anytime you’d like!

*The Easter (Color Palette) and Ostarus Headgear are permanent items and will remain in your Inventory after the event ends.

LEAP OF THE LOTUS ALERTS

Alert 1: April 3 at 2 p.m. ET to April 8 at 2 p.m. ET Exterminate E-Prime, Earth Enemy Level: 30-35 Orokin Catalyst Blueprint + 50,000 Credits

Alert 2: April 10 at 2 p.m. ET to April 15 at 2 p.m. ET Excavation Everest, Earth Enemy Level 40-45 Waves: 3 Orokin Reactor Blueprint + 50,000 Credits

LOTUS’ SPRING BASKET BLITZ CONTEST

Help us put together the ultimate festive build-a-basket!

Enter the Lotus’ Spring Basket Blitz Contest and draw, illustrate, or handcraft an Easter-themed basket filled to the brim with eggs-tra special items that your favorite Warframe might take with them on a festive, spring outing. Think Fashion Frame accessories, Weapons, Resources, favorite foods or any other egg-citing ideas that are to dye for!

How To Enter:

Share a Warframe-themed Easter Basket on the official Warframe Forums between now and April 10 at 1 p.m. ET! We'll announce the winners during our Twitch community livestream later that week on April 11 at 6 p.m. ET.

Prizes:

1st place - Gauss Prime Access + Ostarus Headgear

2nd place - 1000 Platinum + Ostarus Headgear

3rd place - 750 Platinum + Ostarus Headgear

4th place - 600 Platinum + Ostarus Headgear

5th place - 500 Platinum + Ostarus Headgear

6-10th place - 100 Platinum + Ostarus Headgear

Click here for full contest details.

#warframe #warframe news

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acourtofthought · 6 months

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It's odd that E/riels can admit to Elain's love of flowers and gardening and her penchant for sunshine (since they love the Light / Dark aesthetic for their ship) while claiming she'll be happiest remaining in the Night Court because it too has gardens and sunny days.

That's like telling a Michelin awarded chef they can be just as happy working in an Olive Garden as Le Bernardin because they both have food.

There's a reason SJM included "Outside of these borders, the rest of the world celebrates tomorrow as Nynsar - the Day of Seeds and Flowers" but that only in the Night Court they celebrate Starfall in lieu of the Nynsar revelry.

Does someone truly believe Elain would enjoy Starfall more than a day to celebrate something that is near and dear to her?

There's a reason we know that the gardens in Spring (and not the Night Court) would cause Elain to marvel and weep. That Nesta tells us that the Spring Court and not the Night Court had been "made" for someone like her.

Sure the Night Court has it's own gardens but clearly nothing to write home about since they aren't mentioned as anything special.

And it's in ACOMAF (the same book that SJM mated Elucien) that we're told the Day Court (and Winter) consider Solstice their holiest holiday, where they not only celebrate in the evening with presents, dancing and drinking in honor of the old sun's death but a second celebration at the dawn to welcome the sun's rebirth. That is followed up in ACOWAR by Elain telling Nesta she needs sunshine.

Solstice is meaningful to the Night Court as well but they only celebrate in the evening with "presents, music and food, sometimes feasting under the starlight". Nuala confirms that none of them go to the ceremony to celebrate the lights rebirth.

So yeah.

The Night Court has sunshine but they're not known for it (sort of like Alaska isn't known for it's sunshine in the same way Hawaii is).

The Night Court has gardens but they're not known for them in the way Spring is.

The Night Court celebrates Solstice but not to celebrate the sun's rebirth.

The Night Court doesn't seem all that interested in Nynsar, the festival for seeds and flowers, preferring to instead focus on Starfall.

But some still feel the Night Court is the right place for someone who needs sunshine, loves beautiful gardens, and would probably adore a festival like Nynsar?

#elucien #pro elucien #anti e/riel #antielriel

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fy-mina · 2 years

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180723 Ulsan Summer Festival © Scent of Spring | Editing is not allowed.

#mina #twice #180723 #p: fantaken #e: festival #scent of spring

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nocasdatsgay · 1 month

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The Rite of Spring: a spring time affairs fic

Day 6 @polyacotarweek Celebrations

Pairing: Tamlin/OC/Lucien/Elain | Rating: E | Word Count 3883

Masterlist | Poly Week Masterpost| Read here on A03

Warnings: Smut… ritual sex.

Summary: A Calanmai fic. Tamlin and Flora complete the rite, going to find their loves once it is done and the next day help with cleaning up the festivities.

AN: I didn’t proofread this. I also didn’t cut out the bad smut like I said I was LOL

Tagging: @saltedcoffeescotch @ysmtttty

Flora entered her chambers late in the afternoon, covered in dirt and sweat from planting. She should have been in her rooms after the massive dinner party hours before. But stubborn as ever, she went straight to her garden to plant a few more strawberry plants in the first row she designated for her experiments. Her husband was already there in their rooms, being painted by Lucien. Tamlin’s arms were covered and dry, Lucien was working on his torso.

“About time you showed up,” Lucien paused, eye clicking away as he looked her over quickly. “Where have you been?”

“Planting, I told you both that this morning.” Flora was already undoing the buttons of her shirt to prepare for a bath. “Where’s Elain?”

At that Lucien chuckled and went back to painting Tamlin’s back. “Following behind Baxton to make sure people listen to him.”

Flora nodded. Baxton was the youngest advisor they’ve had in centuries, being only 57 years old. He was kind and smart. The four of them trusted him fully but courtiers had a hard time taking him seriously due to his age. Elain and Flora both made an effort to be in earshot during events like this. Just in case.

“Go bath love,” Tamlin said softly. “It’s almost nightfall.”

Flora did just that, leaving behind a trail of clothes to the bathing chambers. She always managed to get so filthy when planting no matter how hard she tried not to. Once she was clean, she came out wrapped in a towel. Tamlin was sitting on a stool letting the paint dry and Lucien was putting the paints away.

“Where is my dress? I didn’t see it in the armoire.”

“Pity,” Lucien replied. “You’ll just have to go naked. I have extra paint.”

Flora made a face as he grinned at her. She looked to her husband.

“It’s on the bed, Flora.”

She looked back and she did indeed walk right past it.

“Sorry,” was all she could say as she went to the side of the bed where it laid.

They used the same dress each year- Tamlin had a spell put on it to keep it from tearing. A miracle really with those claws of his. White satin gown with lace sleeves and a heart shaped corset bodice with a skirt that flowed outward at the hips. As soon as she dropped the towel and slipped it on, Elain came through the door.

“Everything is ready,” she stood on her toes to kiss her mate then walked over to Tamlin to do the same. “Baxton will have the fires lit soon.”

Flora glanced at the window. Night was indeed approaching. She listened and could hear the drumming faintly. Immediately her nerves spiked. Elain must have sensed it; she came over to her and brushed her hands lovingly through loose strands.

“You look lovely,” she whispered.

“So do you.” And gods did she ever. Her sage cotton dress matched Lucien’s vest.

“You’ll do fine,” Elain pressed a soft kiss to her lips and pulled back. “You always do.”

Flora could only nod, swallowing her worries down. She could feel Tamlin watching her. She schooled her features and smiled.

“I’m ready when you are.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Rite always made her nervous. She knew what she was getting into when she married the High Lord of Spring. The magic chose; not him. Even if he swore he would always choose her. There was always that doubt in her mind. She always thought back to before- before when she would wait with all the other females and he would never choose her.

It didn’t bother her then. She was just a Spring nobody.

But now she was his wife.

The same thoughts that plagued her every single time over the last decade came rushing into her mind with a vengeance. What if he chose a female from the crowd? What if he chose Elain? She looked over to see her two loves standing side by side, Lucien’s hand in Elain’s as they waited. Elain being chosen would be fine. If it had to be anyone else, it would be her.

Flora turned her attention ahead to the clearing. The glittering ghost white stag wandered in ahead. Tamlin pulled his bow and Flora inhaled sharply, holding her breath. The arrow struck true, the stag bursting into a thousand pieces, each glittering one halting in the air and then flying right into Tamlin. When he dropped the bow and arrows, he was no longer himself. He turned, green eyes glowing in the dark. And they were staring at her.

Then the magic, invisible for the maiden, took hold of her. She could feel it crawl up from the ground, on her legs, torso, and finally wash over her head. She was no longer herself either. Her vision went hazy, only focused on Tamlin who was walking towards her. She froze in place as he approached, unable to move even if she wanted to. Then he picked her up, his arms under her legs and across her back to hold her close and carried her into the cave.

Her heart beat in time with the drums. They echoed heavily against the cave walls as well. Before, fae would be in the caves watching- engaging. Tamlin changed the rules when they married. It was just them in the massive cave, the plants on the walls glowing and casting a green glow within the room.

In the middle was the white smooth stone, ancient like the cave itself. A long time ago, they said the maiden was slain on that stone. The sacrifice being her life instead of her maidenhood. Even that was a thing of the past now. The stone wasn’t cold when she laid on it. Mere contact with it had her arching up and squeezing her thighs together.

She sat up and stared at her husband. His eyes glowed the plants- the shadows from them giving him a menacing look about him. She watched him rip off his pants. His claws out and proud, making her breath quicken. Her legs fell open as he crawled onto the stone and his claws scraped the surface.

The paint all over his body, even past what she walked in on earlier, was spelled to not move until the magic came. Now it was smearing as he crawled over her. The dress bunched at her thighs from when she spread her legs open was now being pushed up by a clawed hand. It was off in moments, her helping him pull it up and over her head.

Both of them now nude, the drums seem to be going faster in her mind. They demanded he take her and her hands were on him, trying to pull her to him. But Tamlin could be cruel even with the magic. He held himself back, dragging a crawl gently down her chest along the valley between her breasts.

Flora’s whimper echoed through the cave. “Please,” she whispered.

Her body was getting too warm, the magic too demanding. She rolled her hips and his eyes flashed in the dark. One of his hands planted by his head, another gripped her hip to pin her down. She could feel those claws digging into her flesh and her whimper came a moan.

Tamlin muttered in an ancient language, one coming from the magic. Flora answered in the same language. She didn’t know what was said, only it felt like the magic was talking to itself. Like two lost lovers reunited for a short time.

Then he leaned in and kissed her.

Heat washed over her and her hand went into his hair. The other wrapped around his back, smearing paint as she tried to hold him closer. His hips pressed against hers. She spread her legs wider, letting him settle between them so he could rut his length against her. He stilled long enough to reach down and line himself to her.

Her back arched when he pushed into her, magic humming loudly and the drums beating louder. The glow of the walls pulsed in time with his thrusts and all Flora could do was hold onto him tight. That ancient language fell from her lips again, chanting; begging. His horns grew from his head and her hand brushed against them.

Each stroke inside her had her singing. Her moans and his grunts echoed against the walls, nearly drowned out by the drums. She could feel herself peaking, and she shouted words she didn’t know. Tamlin replied back in kind, and she shattered. They fell apart at the same time, the magic exploding out from them shaking the earth below them. Glowing flowers bloomed, lighting up the cave.

Flora came back to herself, panting. She watched Tamlin’s horns retract as he caught his breath, eyes no longer glowing. The Rite was complete. Though magic lingered in her the first wave always made her so tired.

“Let's go home,” she whispered, her voice her own again.

He didn’t reply. He kissed her cheek and moved off of her. The residual magic wouldn’t surge for a couple of minutes. Which meant she didn’t have the energy to move. Tamlin knew, he always did. He helped her sit up and wrapped her stained dress around her body. She sighed when he picked her up, holding her close to his warm body. She tucked herself in against him and rested as he carried her out of the cave and to the room their loves would be waiting in for them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Tamlin carried his wife out of the cave, wrapped in her dress. He ignored those engaging in their own depravity thanks to the magic. The power, albeit lessened, was still humming in his veins and making him itch. He winnowed to the manor and into the hall where he knew he’d find Lucien and Elain. It was always the same room; even before Flora, before Elain, even before Amarantha. The sacred bedroom Lucien jokingly called it.

Flora stirred in his arms and did not question where they were going. She only motioned to be put down when they reached the door. There were lewd noises coming from within, making her smirk at him as he opened the door. The full moon cast a glow on the bed, illuminating Elain where she straddled Lucien. Lucien glowed but his glow was from within, brightening the rest of the dark room. Elain stilled and looked back at them.

“Don’t mind us,” Flora dropped the dress around her, letting it fall to the floor. “We can watch.”

Elain grinned but didn’t speak, moving off her mate who cursed as his cock slipped out of her. She crawled up the bed, staring at Flora, sitting on her knees at the edge of the bed with her arms pushing out her breasts. Tamlin turned away from them, as Flora went up to kiss her. He was staring at Lucien.

His claws came out while he watched Lucien scoot up the bed to lean on the headboard. His glow lessened but his hardness had not gone away, curling up against his stomach while he stared back at Tamlin. Lucien watched Tamlin shuck off his pants, Lucien stroking himself idly as Tamlin crawled over him.

Unlike Flora, Tamlin was rough, grabbing Lucien’s hair with his clawed hand and pulling him against his lips. Lucien groaned while Tamlin kissed and bit his lips. Residual magic surged him. He needed Lucien right then. He pulled back slightly, still holding Lucien by the hair.

“Did your mate prep you?” He asked in a whisper, his breath dancing along Lucien’s mouth.

A breathy moan behind them, Elain, replied for him. “Yes, Tam.”

Tamlin grinned and leaned in, tilting his head to lick his tongue up Lucien’s neck. His legs fell open and Tamlin moved between them. Lucien reached down to stroke Tamlin, oil coating his length. Tamlin had to resist the urge to bit him, instead bringing his mouth back up to Lucien’s and he let Lucien guide him in. Tamlin could have collapsed onto him from the way his body relaxed as he pushed in up to the hilt.

He let Lucien adjust but only for a moment. The magic in him surged with a vengeance and he started thrusting into him. Tamlin’s claws came out; he dug them into the duvet below them and held himself up. The slap of his hips against Lucien’s and the moans he was making drowned out any noises from his wife and Elain. Lucien reached between them to stroke himself. This time Tamlin did bite his neck; he sank his teeth in as he came, Lucien falling behind him with a loud groan.

They caught their breath and they could hear their wives’ pretty moans behind them. Tamlin kissed the bite mark on Lucien; a small apology even though he knew the male loved it. He moved off Lucien and a moment later, Elain was on him. Her hair had been pulled out of it’s braid- by Flora no doubt. Her scent of Jasmine was covered with the honey scent of Flora. He grew hard again from just the smell of them together. She gave him a soft kiss and he groaned, tasting Flora on her as well. He pulled at her hips Elain took that as a signal to move up.

She crawled over his face, balancing herself with the headboard. He stared up at the glistening wetness between her thighs before he wrapped his arms around them and pulled her down on top of him. His favorite thing about Elain was how quiet she could be until one got her in bed. Lucien had to soundproof all the bedrooms they shared because Elain was a screamer. Each suck and flick of his tongue had her singing, her voice inching higher the closer she got close to the edge.

Tamlin heard his wife yell out. He chuckled while his lips sucked on Elain’s clit knowing Lucien used Elain’s pretty moans to his advantage. Flora was very susceptible to noise. Elain screamed too, pulling his hair as she came on his tongue. The second she relaxed, he flipped her over and crawled over her to settle between her legs. He slipped into her with ease and the magic underneath his skin calmed. Elain brushed her fingers into his hair looking up contently with her big doe eyes. He didn’t look to see what Lucien and Flora were doing.

Elain finally wiggled her hips, impatiently. Tamlin was more gentle with her than he was with her mate. Partly because the magic wasn’t as intense anymore. He rocked into her and kept his mouth on her breasts to make her mewl under him. This pleasure was softer; the peak of it built slow in his spine, bubbling over with a burst of warmth that spread through him. Elain’s was softer too, a loud and content sigh as she came arching up against him. He kissed her softly before moving off her.

The magic was almost out of all of them. He could feel it. He laid on his back and looked beside him. His beautiful wife straddled Lucien, chasing her pleasure. Tamlin reached between them, making eye contact with her as he rubbed his fingers against her. She came looking at him and he heard Lucien groan beside him following right behind her. They both stilled and caught their breath.

“Tam,” he looked up at Lucien. He was still glowing, those Day Court powers still simmering under his skin. “One more, yeah?”

Tamlin only replied with a nod.

An hour later and the four of them laid out on the large bed, spent and covered in sweat and fluids. Flora was asleep between him and Elain. Lucien had half his body draped over Elain while she ran her fingers through his hair over and over. Tamlin sat up for a moment, using his magic to dissipate most of the filth on all four of them. Dawn would come in a few hours and they could clean themselves then. Until then he was content to lay with his loves and rest.

When Tamlin woke the next morning, it was bright daylight shining through the window and Lucien was the only one in bed with him. He knew Lucien was awake by his breathing.

“Where are our wives?” Tamlin’s voice was rough, like the sound of tumbling stones.

Lucien grumbled something in response. Tamlin sat up in the bed, a blanket falling away from him. He didn’t remember getting a blanket. Lucien was half covered by a throw blanket as well. The girls must have covered them sometime this morning. The morning after Calanmai was always slightly unpleasant. Not as much as it used to be, with three others to help run the magic out with.

“We should get up and bathe. We’re filthy.” Tamlin nudged Lucien.

“Gods Tam, alright.” He groaned as he sat up, squinting at Tamlin. “What time is it?”

“Near noon from the looks of it.”

Lucien grunted in response. They both moved off the bed. Tamlin went to the bathing room and he could hear Lucien using magic to remove the bedding. They would wash and repair the bedding themselves later. There were just some things he wouldn’t subject his servants to, and the bedding after Calanmai was one of them.

Tamlin ran the hot water and the two of them ended up sitting in the large bath longer than needed. Part of it was soaking helped the pleasant ache Tamlin had from last night. The other part was Lucien couldn’t keep his hands to himself and they had to rerun the bath.

Once dressed, Tamlin pulled out two vials of a tonic he kept in the pocket realm for the day after Calanmai. He gave one to Lucien and downed his own in one swing. They both then set off to find food and see what work was needed to clean up after the celebrations. After lunch (he had been right about the time) they went to help with the clean up.

It was only with the last few pyres left, that he left to find his wife. Of course she was in the gardens. He watched her from afar for a moment. She had her hair up in a high ponytail, pink ribbon tied into a bow on it. She was wearing trousers and a linen white tunic. Her face lit up when she spotted him, an action that never ceased to make his stomach flip on itself. She ran over to him.

“Tam, you’re awake. Did you sleep okay? How do you feel?” She came up and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Is Lucien up as well?”

“I’m better with a tonic in me. Lucien’s up and helping dismantle the pyres. I came to see what you were up to.”

“Planting.” She pointed to the plot where she ran over from.

“You still haven’t told me what you’re planting.”

“Oh.”

Flora sometimes got in her own head, forgetting what she had and had not said allowed. A quirk Tamlin didn’t mind as long as she wasn’t holding in her feelings. Which she did often.

She continued. “Well, I’m experimenting to see what the difference is between planting before the rite and after. If there is an extra boost in the magic from, well you know.” She flushed and Tamlin laughed loudly. “Stop it. It doesn’t matter, I’m planting- Tam stop laughing at me.”

“I’m sorry, Flora but,” he wiped at his eyes to remove the tears from laughing so hard. “Everyone in Prythian knows what we do in that cave.”

She pouted at him and shot him a glare. “Since you’re just going to laugh at me I’ll go back to planting my strawberries.” She held her head high and walked away from him. “And you aren’t getting any when they’re ripe.”

“Honey, I am sorry.” He couldn’t suppress his grin though he tried.

He followed her over to her plants. She seemed to be less annoyed with him as she explained the first row was planted yesterday and the second row today. She showed off the next row, where she would plant again in three days and the last row which would be planted in a week. She had a wooden marker at the beginning of the rows labeling which was which.

“If this row produces more fruit and or bigger fruit, we can have the farmers start planting the days before Calanmai.” She pointed to the first row.

He nodded, watching her dig her hands into the earth. His wife was so intelligent. Never in all his centuries did he even think to test for this. There was always just the obvious: calanmai helped the crops and the magic of Spring. He never questioned the mechanics of it.

“And if it doesn’t?”

She looked up at him. “Well then they can just rest. As they deserve.”

He nodded again and looked out around the bustling grounds where everyone was finishing up cleaning.

“What do you plan to do now?”

“Probably go help Lainy unpack one of the dozen bags Lu seems to think is needed for a week-long conference.”

Tamlin laughed. “Don’t you know at least two of those bags are mine? I always forget something.”

“That was before we married, Tam. I packed your bags just fine.” Flora got off the ground and dusted off her pants. “And do not start with me, I wanted to do it.”

As if he could forget her shooing him away to take over. Instead he crossed his arms and asked her seriously, “Are you certain you don’t want to go?”

Flora rolled her eyes. “And miss the peace and quiet I’lll have with Elain? I’m going to pass so many laws while you’re away, you won’t have any work to do when you get back.” She smiled at him. “I’ll be fine.”

“I am just worried it will go longer than planned. They always do.”

A treaty agreement in times of peace required all factions and courts to meet once every five years. It felt redundant but with the Humans involved, it was necessary. They scheduled for a week but more often than not it would go on for two or three. Autumn Court was the host this year. Tamlin was half convinced Eris planned it right after Calanmai on purpose.

“I’m sure Lord Eris will allow you to wash your clothes. You can always pull the ‘we’re practically family’ card. Or have Lucien do it. He’s the favorite.” She grinned.

Tamlin only hummed at that. He then remembered, “I have a few items to catch up on before I leave. I’ll be up late in my office.” Meaning she was not to worry and wait up for him tonight.

“You’ll still have breakfast with me before you go?” She asked, eyeing him with a pout.

“You know I will,” he leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you at dinner, if not before.”

”I love you,” she said softly.

“I love you,” he replied back, kissing her again before heading off again to help with the final bit of clean up.

#I FUCKING DID IT #GAH #I’m tired lol sorry #poly+acotarweek2024 #poly+acotarweek2024 d6 #tamlin #lucien vanserra #elain acotar #elain archeron #lucien acotar #tamlin acotar #OC Flora #Spring Time Affairs #calanmai #Tamlin/OC/Lucien/Elain

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aiwokure · 6 months

Text

god hear my plea

Nico Robin x F!Reader

Desc: Robin’s history of abandoning people rears its ugly head full with vengeance.

WC: 5.6k

CW: descriptions of violence, hints of toxic relationships, reader commits murder, mentions of injuries, mentions of death, young Robin is slightly bratty, reader wears makeup, slight suggestive content if you squint, possibly ooc Robin - it is acknowledged though

banner by @/cafekitsune

“Wow! Look at that island, it’s covered in gold! Cool!” Luffy is leaning against the railing of Sunny, eyes sparkling with the urge to explore. Nami hums in acknowledgment, “This island is Goldenleaf, there’s not much known about it though…” Her eyebrows furrow slightly, based off of the weather it seemed to be an autumn island, a little humid but otherwise perfect. As the ship neared the bustle of life could be heard, citizens unbothered by the newcomers.

Robin peers up from her book at the familiar name, Goldenleaf. “There’s a resort towards the center of the island with amazing commodities. They should also be having a festival currently.” The ginger nearly squeals with delight at the thought of relaxing at a resort. Usopp, Chopper, and Luffy were more intrigued about the festival than anything. Sanji raises his visible brow, taking away Robin’s empty cup before asking, “Did you read about that in one of your books?”

A small smile graces Robin’s lips, but it was tinged with melancholy. “I visited this island once before, a long time ago. It’s fairly safe and the residents are kind.” Her blue eyes began to grow distant, lost in thought - well memories.

As soon as the boat was docked, Luffy and co. (Chopper, Usopp, Brook) take off to partake in festivities and adventure. Nami gives Zoro his allowance, feeling kind after realizing that she would be able to finally relax without having to deal with idiots. Her and Robin walk through the city, Sanji trailing behind to be their bag boy. “Everything here is so beautiful, the food smells lovely too.” The ginger is practically drooling causing Robin to chuckle. “That scent is the Autumn Fruit Tarts if I’m not mistaken, they’re delicious when paired with cinnamon vanilla ice cream.”

Sanji perks up, feeling inspired to make the pastry when they return to Sunny. “Do you know of any other -“ The chef immediately stops speaking, blood threatening to spill from his nose. A goddess, she has to be! (e/c) hues gazed at the passing group, icy and unkind, but Sanji didn’t care, blinded by his rose tinted glasses. The woman walks away, disappearing into the crowd before the blond could follow her in his love tornado.

“Earth to Sanji? Hellooo?” Nami is visibly annoyed by his antics, just barely resisting the urge to concuss him with her staff. “A-Ah yes Nami-chwan?!” “I said we’re going to the hot springs so stop following us, although you were practically about to do that anyways.” Robin is quiet, deep in thought once more. That smell was so familiar… I wonder from where. The archaeologist is well traveled, so naturally while some things may jog her memory, they’re usually overtaken by the new (and admittedly less traumatizing) ones.

Robin pulls her hat further down, trying to cover her face. She was 17, and while she was used to being on the run now, she was by no means an expert. Rushing through the crowd, she accidentally bumps into someone causing both parties to fall backwards. The raven haired girl panics, eyeing her hat on the ground being trampled. “Keep looking! She can’t be far!” The sound of pirates trudging towards her edge closer every passing second. She had overestimated herself. “Ah… you too huh? Let’s go.”

A[n] (s/c) hand reaches out for Robin, yanking her in a random direction, she barely manages to scoop up her hat in the process. “That fuckin’ bitch, where did she go?” Robin’s heart is racing, but she urges herself to run faster, releasing her hand from the stranger. “This way dummy!” The stranger, another young teen, harshly whispers while catapulting over a stack of boxes and into the alleyway. Robin furrows her brows in annoyance at the name calling but skids to a stop regardless in order to change her direction.

“I’m not dumb.” She states plainly, blue eyes steely with mistrust. Laughter bubbles up from the stranger who raises her eyebrow in skepticism. “Ya sure about that, Miss Nico Robin? At least change your hair color or something.” The (h/c) haired girl is quick to dodge the arms that sprout in an attempt to strangle her. “Woah, easy now, I just saved you from getting captured. Besides we’re kind of in the same boat anyways…” She muttered the last part more to herself but Robin still picked it up.

“Who are you? What do you want? Why did you help me?” “Enoouugh enough, I don’t need a barrage of questions, Nico Robin. Name’s (y/n) (y/l/n).” (y/n) stretches the ache out of her back. “I don’t particularly want anything from you, is it so bad to do a good deed every once in awhile?”

“We’re pirates.”

“No, you are a pirate, Nico Robin, I’m simply traveling.” Robin rolled her eyes, this girl was getting on her nerves, but the banter felt natural, comforting even, in some weird way. “Just Robin is fine. Stop saying my entire name.” (y/n) pretends to contemplate on it before an annoying grin takes over. “Nah, it pisses you off so I like it, Nico Robin.”

This girl was definitely going to get strangled by yours truly.

“Well, you can either come with me to the next island and we split or you can stay here and figure out how to not get caught by that mob out there.” Furrowing her brows, Robin stares at the (s/c) teen, obviously not too fond of her but also not wanting to pass up the opportunity to live another day. Then she recalled the earlier statement made. “You said you were in the same situation as me, how do I know that going with you won’t be even more dangerous?”

“Because I kill all my enemies.”

A chill shot straight down Robin’s spine, she hadn’t exactly killed yet, more like incapacitated and ran. She did what was necessary to survive, if she didn’t have to kill she wouldn’t. “I accidentally missed some stragglers though, but next time I won’t.” (y/n) notices the unsettled look on the raven’s face, letting out a sigh and fiddling with her (h/c) hair. “I don’t uh, consider you my enemy if that’s what you’re thinking. You’re in good hands if you choose to go with me, scouts honor.”

Blue eyes bore deeply into (e/c) ones, (y/n) was fairly easy to read, much to Robin’s surprise. “You must be lonely huh? That’s what you meant by ‘same boat’.” Her defenses immediately dropped upon witnessing the flustered expression erupting on (y/n)’s face as she continues to shout out denials and curses. “I don’t want you to come with me anymore! Stay!” Robin chuckles, lacing her hands behind her back and walking towards the pier. “No thanks, I rather like getting under your skin (y/n) (y/l/n).” She replies cheekily, looking over her shoulder with a smirk. “You coming?”

The hot spring was relaxing, despite the fact that it was water, for some reason devil fruit users weren’t affected. A phenomenon that intrigued Robin but she figured it was just native to the island. Golden maple leaves fluttered into the spring, some of them landing on the floating food trays. “This is amazing.” Nami moans, leaning against the rocks and sinking further down in bliss. “The festivities should be starting soon if you want to walk around and partake. We have some clothes specifically for the Harvest Festival that you can wear.” The resort hostess informs the lady duo, a gentle smile on her red lips.

Honey brown eyes light up like a child’s on Christmas, so far Nami had been loving the island. She wanted to experience as much as possible before they would have to leave. The log pose resets in 2 days, but the navigator will be sure to buy an eternal one. “Let’s go?” Nami questions with puppy eyes, warming up Robin’s heart. She truly was like a younger sister Robin never knew she wanted. “Of course. Can we see the festival wear?”

Luffy and Usopp were having an apple bobbing competition while natives fawned over Chopper, showing him sparklers and feeding him candied apples. The reindeer was flustered but loved the attention, unable to hide the flowers floating around him with a pink aura. Brook is constantly getting mistaken for a decoration, but he doesn’t mind too much, instead opting to perform with the other musicians.

He briefly stopped playing his violin after an unsettling sensation settled in his gut (not that he has one, so bones?). He scans the crowd, feeling like he was being watched with malicious intent. Fleeting in his peripheral vision was a (color) kimono sleeve, and the discomfort faded. He had just missed the culprit. “Hey Skeleton, is everything alright?” The other musicians look at him with concern etched into their faces.

“Yes, I was distracted by some beautiful women over there, yohohoho!” He lied, not wanting to ruin the vibes, after all Robin said that the island is safe.

Well, fairly.

Nami and Robin are fitted into beautiful yukata with maple leaves printed on them, their hair are placed in traditional buns with different floral pins to hold it up. Once again Robin is fairly quiet and deep in thought, it starts to worry the ginger, but she silences the urge to nag. Nami grabs Robin’s hand, pulling her from contemplation and towards the food stalls. “I wanna try the fruit tarts you mentioned earlier.” On the way, the ladies cross paths with Luffy and Usopp, both drenched with water.

Zoro somehow managed to make his way around, drawn by the smell of grilled fish and the sound of music. Franky is entertaining the children with his hair tricks while Sanji is losing a concerning amount of blood over Nami and Robin’s new clothes. “You both look so lovely, I wish that I could capture this moment forever~!” Civilians stare at the blond warily, not used to seeing such copious amounts of blood leave a human body.

The typical shenanigans ensue, starting with Zoro name calling the cook as Chopper hurries to grab emergency blood bags from his pack. Amidst all of this, Robin felt as if she was being watched. She refused to dismiss it, but when glancing around she couldn’t find anything that would give away her newfound stalker.

The following day rolls around, Robin is up fairly early and decides to walk around the city. It’s a little chilly and foggy out as she makes her way towards a cafe, wanting to try their morning special, a Maple Pecan Latte. She sits at one of the outdoor tables despite the chill. If her hunch was right, the stalker would take the opportunity she granted to them. About twenty minutes into her book and halfway through her drink does the chair in front of her lose its vacancy.

“Well, if it isn’t Miss Nico Robin in the flesh.” The familiar scent from the day before is back, alongside a whole wave of memories that weren’t really forgotten but tucked away in order to avoid the guilt. “(y/n)…” Robin barely managed to breathe out, placing her book down and staring properly at her old partner in crime. The (s/c) woman no longer wore the mischievous grin with a sly sparkle in her eyes like when they were young. Her eyes were dull, nearly lifeless. A scar decorated her forehead and her jaw was set, clearly Robin was an enemy now.

“You sure are living it up, playing family and going on adventures with those misfits. Flaunting your location without a care in the world now that you feel free. Yet you were so quick to dispose of me the moment you almost got caught.” The archaeologist tried to remain calm on the outside, but on the inside her heart was racing and riddled with guilt and nostalgia. Many years ago she was not the woman that she is today.

She wasn’t nearly as mature, and she knows that she has hurt many people - some who didn’t deserve it at all. When she joined the Strawhat Pirates, she made a vow to herself to constantly be better than she was the day before. Luffy had given her a second chance at life, she wanted to honor that commitment. The things she did would never be erased, but as long as she continued to bring positivity into the world and correct the wrongs, she would forgive herself.

A gentle smile tugs on Robin’s lips, sullen but also full of endearment. (y/n) was still just as easy to read as she was over 10 years ago. Despite how silent she was, deep in those (e/c) eyes were rage, but also the same bittersweet nostalgia. “How have you been? Did you ever accomplish your dream of (insert dream)?” (y/n) remains unchanging, actually more aggravated with the attempt at casual conversation. Robin maintains her smile, closing the book completely and taking a sip of her lukewarm latte.

“Have you come to kill me?”

(y/n) huffs out a sardonic laugh, yet her expression is not amused, “You’re a real piece of shit you know that, right?” Robin licks her lips, taking a breath, “Yes, I know. I’m sorry for what I’ve done to you. I was young and selfish, I didn’t care what happened to those who weren’t of use to me back then.”

It has been nearly two years since Robin and (y/n) started traveling together. They talked about dreams of the future, what island they’d like to settle down on after chasing their goals. What started off as an unconventional partnership turned into one in which they trusted each other with their lives. Robin was the strategist and the navigator, (y/n) was the cook and the bargainer but also the muscle when necessary.

“I’m serious, you need to put on a mask or something, you’re too noticeable.” (y/n) complained, braiding Robin’s hair into a convenient updo. The black haired woman just hums, soothed by the repetitive motion that lightly scratches her scalp. “Okay I’m done. You wanna look?” Robin shakes her head, “Anything you do always looks good.” They arrive at a winter island, and albeit reluctant, Robin ties a bandanna around the lower half of her face.

(y/n) gives her an approving smile that warms her up inside. At some point they had past the point of friendship but not quite yet lovers. It was something like a puppy love, they would exchange heated kisses and cuddle but never went much further than that, much to (y/n)’s dismay. “How long is it gonna take for the log pose to reset?”

“Just a few hours, enough to get some shopping done.” Robin tries to flutter her eyelashes at (y/n) who is unamused but lets it slide anyway. “We have to do errands first before shopping, okay?” After discussing who would do what and where to meet in case of emergency, the duo split. Robin went to go search for camping equipment, as she entered the store she began to feel slightly overwhelmed.

The shop was dimly lit with flickering lights that made it hard to focus on the task at hand. It was cramped with a lot of people bustling around, looking at different tents or sleeping bags. Hands growing slightly clammy, she pulls the bandana further up her face and begins looking at equipment herself. The constant getting shoved into was rattling her nerves as well as making the bandana slip. A loud crash followed by some screaming had triggered Robin so badly that her world seemed to spin on it’s head. Momentarily, the smell of smoke invaded her nose, clawing down her throat and choking her violently.

It may have been years since the destruction of her hometown, but the trauma still lives deep inside of her. The crash was revealed to have been a shelf collapsing, patrons yelping in surprise at the sudden clatter of camping gear dumping onto them. Having already been run ragged and on the verge of an anxiety attack, Robin rushes out of the shopping district and yanks the bandana down, struggling to get her breathing in order.

“Young lady, are you alright?” Stiffening up, she quickly pulls up the bandana, but the man releases a raspy chuckle. They stare at each other for an uncomfortable amount of time, what could have been mere seconds felt like an eternity. The man pretends to be fixing his coat before pulling out Robin’s wanted poster. Ice trickled through her veins at the sight, of course the moment she lets her guard down she’s found out. “Unfortunately you’re a bit too late, ‘demon child’. Turn yourself in nice and easy if you want to live. You know, you’re worth quite a lot now for an old bounty hunter like me.” She couldn’t budge an inch, just from the way the man stared at her, she knew any sudden movement meant death.

“Run!”

The bounty hunter lets out a vicious grunt, grabbing his thigh which had been stabbed by the edge of a broken glass bottle. (y/n) swings her arm upwards, bottle in hand and aiming for the man’s throat. He takes a step back, teeth gritted in annoyance. “You goddamn-” The hunter braces his arms to deflect (y/n)’s kick, however he wasn’t prepared for the powerful knock back nor the foot that sprouted behind him causing him to trip and fall.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! I-” Robin attempted to explain herself as they ran, gathering the attention of pedestrians around them. “It’s fine, we just have to get the hell out of here! Did he hurt you?” (y/n) didn’t look at the black haired woman, focused on finding the quickest path to safety. Before the question could be answered, a gunshot rang through the plaza. The bullet scraped (y/n) on the forehead causing her to gasp in pain.

“(y/n)!” “We’re splitting, go to the meetup spot okay? I’ll see you there.” The crowd grew thick and chaotic, civilians panicking at the thought of being shot. It was only seconds before Robin lost sight of the (h/c) tresses, but she’d never mistake the look in those eyes.

(y/n) was going for the kill.

Deciding to obey orders for now, Robin heads for the designated area. The navy started to go on the move as well due to the sudden disruption, so she had to be as careful as she was quick. A voice in the back of her head bemoaned how problematic everything had gotten. We should’ve never gone with (y/n). What good has she brought us? She wanted to shake those thoughts, but truthfully things had gotten too lively with (y/n) as her partner.

The woman was short-tempered with murderous tendencies. In the few arguments that they’ve had with each other, it wouldn’t be an understatement to say Robin wondered if she needed to be concerned for her life. Even though she swore to do no harm, the look in (y/n)’s eyes felt like staring down a feral beast. Too distracted by her thoughts to fully pay attention to her surroundings, the sound of a bullet whizzing right past her ear is what snaps Robin into reality.

She turns around quickly, trying to assess the situation and to see where she needs to move next. The bounty hunter is crouched on the roof, rifle in hand. Unbeknownst to him, (y/n) is on the roof as well, dagger clutched close to her chest. She creeps silently, waiting for the hunter to get back in position to shoot. Right when his finger is on the trigger and his rifle is steady, she pounces, pinning him down and stabbing him in the side of his throat.

The (s/c) killer grabs the rifle [what, it’s free loot!], slinging it across her back before jumping off the roof and into the alleyway. When she landed, a navy soldier had been in motion to leave until the noises shocked him into combat mode. “W-What are you doing?! Don’t you know there’s… a shooter on the loose…” He stares at the newly gained rifle before quickly aiming his own.

“Already causing trouble for me even in death, bastard.” The navy soldier fires two shots before he’s knocked out by an elbow to the jaw. Naturally the sound of more gunshots attracts surrounding navy soldiers and it isn’t long before (y/n) has a group of them chasing after her that she’s given up on shaking off. As she’s approaching the meetup spot, it’s very evident that a certain ebony-haired woman is not there. ‘Did she get caught? We should’ve never split! I fucked up…!’

(y/n) urged herself to keep running, heading towards the plaza once more. Yes it was risky, but at least she would be able to confirm if Robin got caught by the navy. As she finally enters the plaza, something catches in her peripheral.

Nico Robin sailing away on their quaint little boat.

“Robin! Robin, what the hell are you doing?!” Rage boiled deep within (y/n)’s gut, but unfortunately her stamina had a limit. She does a sharp right turn in order to make a mad dash for the docks in hopes of being able to jump on before it’s too late [and to throttle a certain woman real close to death]. However, a searing pain spreads through her hip, then her foot and another in her leg causing her to collapse. The navy soldiers swiftly put away their rifles and continued pursuit. “Don’t let her get away! Tie her up!” “Yes sir!”

Robin uses the tip of her finger to graze (s/c) knuckles. A sharp inhale was heard and eye contact was made. “But I’m not that person anymore. I’ve changed and everyday I’m actively choosing to be better than I was yesterday. You don’t have to forgive me, I just want you to know that I will never hurt you like that again. Even if for you that means my death.” (y/n) takes a shaky breath, her resolve wavering before cursing. A bright glint moves across the table triggering her to take action.

Robin is shoved out of her seat, at first she thinks that it’s truly the end of her life until she hears that same word that saved her last time.

“Run! I’ll handle this.” (y/n)’s hand is caked with blood, her other hand digging out the bullet. “With one hand out of commission? I doubt it. Let’s go!” Robin snatches the injured hand within her own, tugging them both towards safety. “Ah fuck…” (y/n) lets out a pained whimper, causing Robin to examine her. Blood is oozing through the (h/c) haired woman’s shirt and staining her pants indicating a gunshot wound to the lower torso.

Just like all those years before, the two women are hidden in the midst of a raging crowd. For a few seconds Robin swears she sees a younger version of (y/n) staring at her with pleading eyes, before it goes back to the current (y/n). Her skin is growing dull and clammy with sweat as she leans against Robin for support. “M’losing too much blood…” She slurs out, causing the archaeologist’s heartbeat to race with anxiety. Taking a deep breath, Robin steadies her voice. “Don’t worry, we have a doctor who can take care of you, okay? So stay awake, you hear me?”

Faintly the sound of Robin’s baby den-den mushi ringing barely pierces through all the screaming and stampedes. She isn’t given the chance to speak once she answers, instead, a barrage of yells could be heard. “Where are you?! We’re heading for Sunny right now, the navy is here ya know!” Usopp is panicking on the phone, evident by the tears running down the den-den mushi’s face. Luffy could be heard laughing in the background.

“I’m close by, please tell Chopper to prepare for treatment. It’s urgent.” Robin glances at her ex-partner, (e/c) eyes unfocused and half-lidded. "Please…"

(y/n) had practically lost consciousness by the time she and Robin reach Sunny. Her feet were dragging, Robin being the one nearly carrying her to the ship. The archaeologist’s hands were caked in blood, face covered with sweat, and eyes drowning in worry.

The rest of the crew was alarmed at the state that they arrived in. Chopper is quick to jump into action, instructing Robin to bring (y/n) to the infirmary where everything was prepped. The air was tense, no one knew what to say to the ebony haired woman. They don't know that this is someone who she's known a long time ago and pretty intimately at that. Someone who knows a side of her that isn't shown anymore. Robin isolates herself in the library, opening a book but not processing the words.

All she could think about was (y/n)'s fate. Would she live? Would she die? Did she want to live? Before her thoughts could take a darker turn, she decided to distract herself with a pleasant memory - the first time she went to Goldenleaf Island.

"This place is absolutely wonderful! It's like it's raining gold flakes! Take a look Robin!" (y/n) is beaming, leaning on the side of the boat as if it would cause them to reach the dock faster. Upbeat music could be heard playing as soon as they stepped into the pier. Children ran around with kites and sparklers, delicious native cuisine scented the air, making the girls' mouths water in anticipation.

"Welcome to Goldenleaf Island! We’re currently in the middle of our Harvest Festival, so make sure to enjoy the occasion to its fullest. If you head this way, someone will be able to get you the proper festivities garbs." An elderly man beckons the women, a kind smile etched into his face. Robin was wary about the whole situation, deciding to keep her sunglasses on until they were in the dressing rooms.

"Oh! They have masks here, do you want one?" (y/n) offers a clay fox mask to the archaeologist. "It beats looking silly with sunglasses. Are you gonna wear one too?" Robin inquires, a slight pout forming on her lips at the answer. "Hah? No way, I'm not the dumbass that can't hold a disguise for shit. Anyone with a brain cell can see that it's just you with a hat or a different hairstyle."

"Oh, like you're any better?" She crosses her arms in annoyance, the other teen never lets her live down her (bad) disguises. "I am, that's why I don't have a bounty photo. And you can't use the concept art against me because it's outdated." (y/n) grins smugly when Robin closes the changing curtains with a huff.

Grabbing her yukata, (y/n) then slides the curtains back open before closing it behind her. "You can't be in here." Robin gripes, already in her undergarments. "Aww, don't act like that. M'sorry okay?" (s/c) hands creep around her tanned waist, pulling her flush against her partner. A soft kiss trails from her collarbone, up the side of her neck, and stops right behind her ear. "We can do whatever you want at the festival today. How does that sound?" (y/n) bargains, whispering gently in her ear before blowing on it and pulling away.

Robin is flustered, (y/n) knows this because she's quiet and won't make eye contact. The girls finish getting dressed before (y/n) helps with putting the mask on. "It suits you pretty well." The (h/c) teen compliments, doing one last check on her makeup. "We could match, just thought I'd throw that out there." Robin makes one last attempt, but all it does is trigger a laughing fit from her partner.

The days spent on Goldenleaf were ones with no worries. They were able to behave like the youngsters they are, eating til they dropped, playing with sparklers, and goldfish catching. Sneaking kisses in alleyways and watching fireworks hand in hand from the balcony of their hotel room. It was good to forget reality for a bit, moments like these were worth living for.

A timid knock on the door draws Robin out of memory lane. Not waiting for a response, Chopper creeps his head through the door. "That lady you brought, she's currently stable and is resting." As if a huge weight had been lifted off of her chest, the archaeologist breathes deeply before giving a strained smile. "That's good, thank you." Her voice nearly betrayed her, threatening to tremble with emotion as she willed herself not to cry.

"Luffy does want to hold a crew meeting though, sooner rather than later, preferably." Chopper adds, expression unusually serious. And the same goes for her captain as soon as she reaches the deck. Most of the crew seemed anxious, after all it's rare for Robin to lose her composure. But one look into those blue eyes would tell you everything you needed to know. They didn’t want to pry, worried that she would pull back into herself and shut them out.

However, Luffy is the captain of the ship, and as such he has a right to know who is aboard, which brings the question, "Who is that person? You've been acting strange since the attack, is it because of her?" Robin tries not to show how flustered she is, eyes unable to meet her fellow crewmates. "She's an old friend of mine. We have some issues that I want to work out, now that I know she's going to live."

With a singular nod, Luffy dismissed any negative thoughts and instead broke out into a huge smile. "Well a friend of yours is a friend of ours. She’s gonna get the best treatment possible!" Robin returns the smile

It takes a few days before (y/n) regains consciousness and is cleared to start moving around. Sanji practically has a heart attack at the sight of her. "My beloved goddess, is there anything that I can do for you?" The blond moves swiftly, pulling out a chair for her to take a seat while flashing her his brightest smile. “Something light is fine…” (y/n) eyes him warily, but relaxes in the chair against her better judgment. Being injured has made her a bit passive. Chopper enters the kitchen as well, checking vitals while the (h/c) woman eats.

“Everything looks fine, but you should still take it easy. Your wound hasn’t fully closed.” A hum of acknowledgment is heard, and Sanji places down a small bowl of fruit. “Something to hold you off for now.” He explained, blue eyes gazing curiously at her wounded hand. The kitchen door swings open gently, Robin walking in with an empty plate. (y/n)’s eyes immediately shoot to her, and the stare is returned tenfold.

The tension was stifling, so much needed to be said, but not for prying ears. Sanji awkwardly clears his throat. “Chopper, let’s give them some space for now.” The reindeer agrees without hesitation, nearly leaving his medical supplies behind in his desperation to leave the kitchen. (y/n) remains still, continuing to stare at Robin despite the raven haired woman breaking eye contact. She places her plate in the sink silently, it was just them now.

“Earlier, you asked me how I’ve been, I haven’t been doing so hot, I’ve been overworking myself so that I could forget the good times I’ve had with you.” Pain was evident in the (e/c) hues, tinging them darker than usual. “I didn’t want to forgive you, even though my heart ached when I tried to convince myself you were no good for me. So I tried to get rid of it.” Robin stayed silent, listening attentively to everything that was said. She took it all in – this is (y/n)’s true feelings. “I never did do (insert dream). I gave up everything for revenge, and I couldn’t even commit to that. I’m tired, Robin.”

The archaeologist creeps closer to (y/n), settling down in the seat beside her. She gingerly links their pinkies together, waiting to see if the (h/c) haired woman would pull away. When she didn’t, Robin began lacing their hands together completely and rubbing her thumb over the bandaged knuckles. (y/n) sighs, silently cursing her body for instinctually relaxing at the touch. “There wasn’t a day where I haven’t thought about you.” Robin admits, inhaling that familiar scent that she adores so much. She leans her head on (y/n)’s shoulder. “Sometimes it would be a little painful, because the guilt would eat at me.” Tilting her head up so that she could get a peek at the mercenary’s expression, Robin continues to speak. “Let’s start over.”

(y/n) makes a sound of mock contemplation, releasing her hand from Robin’s grasp. A slight panic rattled her bones at the disconnect, doubling in size at the poker face given to her. “I don’t really let strangers touch me like this, sorry lady.” Blue eyes widened in disbelief, triggering (y/n) to break her serious facade with a smirk. The duo broke out into a fit of giggles before (y/n) gets stern again. “I don’t want to start over, but I do have a lot of healing that I need to do. It might get ugly, but… I’d like to have you by my side again, and to teach me.”

Robin gently cups her face, peppering butterfly kisses on her nose, cheeks, forehead, all around before finally pecking her lips. She pulls back, making meaningful eye contact. “I will never betray you again, I swear.”

#one piece x reader #nico robin x reader #op x reader

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yoga-onion · 1 year

Photo

Legends and myths about trees

Celtic beliefs in trees (15)

H for Huath (Hawthorn) - May 13th - June 9th

“May tree - Sixth month of the Celtic tree calendar (Ref)”

colour: midnight blue; Gem: lapis lazuli; Gender: female; Patrons: Olwen, Blodeuedd, Chaldean, Humen, Selene, Virgin Mary; Symbols: love + marriage, fertility + birth, reproduction, heart

The short, thorny, graceful hawthorn. The slender hawthorn trunk and branches twist as the years go by. In winter they are particularly beautiful, standing clinging to misty wildernesses and craggy rocky outcrops, or clustered on open ranges of hills that their appearance is spectacular. Leaves and flowers appear simultaneously in May, signalling the change of season from spring to summer. Hawthorn flowers bloom in clusters, so that at the height of spring, rows of white froth run across the fields and mountains, a scene aptly captured by the English writer H. E. Bates as 'the fluffy cream floating in May'.

In spring, when the hawthorn flowers are in full bloom, the air releases a musky, sweet, rich fragrance all around. Small round berries turn burgundy in autumn.

In Ireland, hawthorn is still cherished as a magical tree protected by the fairy kingdom. Tradition has it that if you cut down a single hawthorn tree standing alone in a field or burial mound, you will lose your livestock and household possessions.

Hawthorn trees protect wells and springs as fairy trees. The beautiful flowers of hawthorn are also said to deliver prayers to the heavens. Even today, many people tie rags and other items to hawthorn trees standing near wells and springs, wishing for good luck or that their love will reach the person they love.

Before Christianity, hawthorn was the supreme fertility symbol and at the May Festival, people confided their love, danced to their heart's content and made love in the woods. Among the Celts, spring was the season for marriage, and it was customary to bring a bouquet of hawthorn flowers to weddings to ensure that the couple would be blessed with children.

In Britain, the earliest known hawthorn goddess was Olwen ('white footprints'), a woman of courage, wit and beauty. The well-known mythological tale of Culhwch and Olwen, in which King Arthur's cousin, Culhwch, overcame 40 impossible tasks that seemed virtually unattainable set out by Olwen's father, the giant king, Yspaddaden, and marry his beloved Olwen.

As the beautiful, white hawthorn flowers opened, people celebrated the power of nature and love to bring new life into the world and marvelled at the miracles of sexual activity, pregnancy and childbirth. For the Celts, sexual activity, pregnancy and childbirth were not something to be ashamed of, but an essential part of life and a sacred expression that one could love.

木にまつわる伝説・神話

ケルト人の樹木の信仰 (15)

HはHuath (ｻﾝｻﾞｼ) - 5月13日 - 6月9日

『5月の木〜ケルトの木の暦（参照）の第6月』

色: ミッドナイト・ブルー; 宝石: ラピスラズリ; 性: 女性; 守護神: オルェン、ブロダイウェズ、カルデア、ヒュメン、セレネ、聖母マリア; シンボル: 愛＋結婚、豊穣＋出産、生殖、心臓

背丈が低くとげをもった優雅なサンザシ。ほっそりとしたサンザシの幹や枝は、年が経つにつれてねじれていく。冬になるとその姿は特に美しく、霧の立ち込めた荒野や、ごつごつとした岩の露頭にしがみつくように立つ姿、また広々と連なる丘に群れをなしている様子は、見事というより他はない。葉と花は5月に同時に姿を現し、春から夏に季節が変わることを知らせている。サンザシの花は群れを成して咲くことから、春の盛り、白い泡立ちの列が野山を縦横に走り、その様子を英国人作家のH・E・ベイツは、「五月に浮かび上がるふわふわしたクリーム」と的確に表現している。

春、サンザシの花が満開になると、麝香 (じゃこう)のような甘く濃厚な香りがあたり一面に放たれる。小さな丸い実は、秋になるとワインレッドに変わる。

アイルランドでは今もなお、サンザシは妖精の国に守られた魔法の木として大切にされている。野原や埋葬塚に一本だけぽつんと立っているサンザシの木を切ると家畜を失うか家財を無くすという伝承もある。

サンザシは妖精の木として、井戸や泉を守っている。また、サンザシの美しい花は祈りを天まで届けてくれるという。現在でも井戸や泉のそばに立つサンザシには、幸運が訪れるますように、あるいは好きな人に思いが届きますようにと願う大勢の人々が、布きれや品物を結び付けている。

キリスト教以前は、サンザシは最高の豊穣のシンボルであり、5月祭には、人々は愛を打ち明け、心ゆくまで踊り明かし、森で愛を交わした。ケルト人の間で春は結婚の季節であり、夫婦が子宝に恵まれるように、結婚式にはサンザシの花束を持っていく習慣があった。

英国では、サンザシの女神として最も古くから知られているのが、勇気と機転と美貌の持ち主、オルェン (‘白い足跡’の意)。アーサー王の従兄弟であるキルフーフが、オルェンの父である巨人の王アスパザデンが課した事実上達成不可能と思われる40の無理難題を克服し、愛するオルウェンと結婚した神話『キルフーフとオルェン』がよく知られている��

美しく、そして白いサンザシの花が開くと、人々は、新しい命を宿す自然と愛の力を祝福し、性の営み、妊娠、出産という奇蹟に驚きの声を上げた。ケルト人にとって、性行為や妊娠、出産は恥ずべきことではなく、人生になくてはならない大切な一部であり、人は愛することができるということの神聖な表現であった。

#trees #tree legend #tree myth #celtic mythology #celtic calender #hawthorn #may tree #magical tree #fairy tree #culhwch and olwen #legend #mythology #folklore #white footprints #philosophy #nature #art

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witch-and-her-witcher · 1 month

Text

nessian | E | marriage of convenience, first hybern war AU, angst, whump, emotional slow burn

War brings them together, a bond binds them - but is that enough for two broken people to find love with each other?

Thank you @popjunkie42-blog and @wilde-knight for your beta reading and handholding. <3

For my darling @asnowfern!

Ao3 | Chapter 24/35

~*~

The morning before Winter Solstice is upon snow-laden Windhaven sooner than Nesta feels prepared for. Entrances to homes are nothing but carved out walkways from walls of compacted snow. What’s been cleared from the streets line alleyways, gathers into a hill at the end of buried cobblestone paths that younglings big and small have smoothed down for sledding.

Roused early from her sleep with the echoing snap of her father’s neck breaking — likely set off from one of the massive icicles falling off of the overhang outside of her window — Nesta dons her boots and parka and steps out to the front porch, pipe pre-lit from the hearth in hand.

Dusky shades of blue wash the walls of white, making it much easier on the eyes as she takes in the haze of the morning. As if ice particles are caught in time, dew hangs in the air as a bitter fog.

Nesta’s nose hairs freeze instantly. It’s so frigid, the snow squeaks under foot.

She tosses the blanket she’d thrown over her shoulder down before sitting on the bench perfectly situated for watching over the street, although her view is obscured by all of the neats mounds of snow.

The bite against her skin and the spice of the tobacco mix inhaled into her lungs helps bring Nesta back to herself. To this moment.

Not cowering in shame for what she couldn’t stop from happening all those nights ago, in a place that feels so distant … As if more than a year has passed, but decades.

No, the melancholy isn’t fit for Winter Solstice, not with how serious Illyrians and apparently the whole of the Night Court treat their festivities.

It also won’t do her any good in settling her sister. Elain has been a mess, torn between excitement and heart-wrenching sadness for her penpal’s arrival — that’s all Nesta will accept the Spring Court Emissary is to her sister. But whatever they do or don’t have between them, Nesta recognizes the bursts of happiness Lucien’s letters bring her sister, how the apple of her cheeks warm and her doe eyes sparkle with unabashed joy.

It’s Nesta’s turn to ensure her sister doesn’t talk herself out of this opportunity to enjoy herself, to find companionship.

However fleeting it might be, especially if Nesta figures out why this fae male is so insistent on courting her sister.

Nesta draws her knees up to her chest under her parka and adjusts her sleeves so the fur lining protects her fingers as well as she holds the pipe against her kneecaps.

The silence of the empty streets is broken by loud jangling and clattering — likely one of the street vendors setting up early. Slightly less muted only for the cold, the streets of Windhaven have taken on the same festive vibes as when the legion had arrived back. Streamers laced from rooftops, boughs of evergreen and bright fruit dotted limbs were wrapped around poles and storefronts. Steam from fresh dumplings, skewers of meats and vegetables, and mulled alcoholic drinks.

The Illyrians, Nesta is learning, are very into day drinking when it comes to very specific holidays.

An overall cheer has fallen on the people of Windhaven that Nesta has tried to carry over to the western camp, to spread to the children who are kept yet again at the outskirts of the celebrations. Emerie even joined her once the week had started, claiming no shops would open back up until the following week, once Solstice festivities had concluded.

Nesta had listened with half of her mind as Emerie had given a lesson in Illyrian to the children about the history of the week.

Mostly, though, she was thinking about Cassian.

Missing her overly-excitable, difficult, sweet, loving husband.

Since the tea ceremony, he’s been flying to all corners of Illyria it feels like. Tending to beasts that have gone unchecked with the warriors away. Apparently, with his seven siphons, Cassian is the most sought after exterminator.

Nesta thinks it's bullshit.

But she’s also ready to keel over from unmet needs. Sure, she could take care of them herself, but she’s grown so spoiled by his touch — tender when she wants it, but rough and insatiable just the way she prefers it most of the time — that her own fingers feel inadequate.

Riding her nerves worse yet is the knowledge the last two days Cassian has been away in Velaris, not chasing away beasts to keep innocents safe. The High Lord was away at some political gathering or other, leaving his pregnant mate behind.

Which is why Cassian only has the High Lord’s absence to visit his mother figure for the holidays. That also chafes Nesta, to have her mate treated like some brute who can’t be trusted, but from what Cassian relayed, the male is too unstable to have her around anyone other than the very select handful of caregivers he’d selected for her.

It’s good for Cassian to visit Koa and ultimately Nesta feels sympathetic to the female, cooped up and away from regular interactions like some invalid because a territorial male can’t get control of himself.

But, still, Nesta is a selfish creature. With the swirl of excitement around the holiday and the lingering melancholy celebrations drag out of her, she wants more than anything for her husband to be here —

The loud noises off behind one of the snow banks become louder, more persistent.

An odd huff and grumbling rise above the ruckus.

A thick exhale of smoke parts in front of Nesta’s face in time for the hulking mass of fur, fat and muscle to lumber into the main fairway — dragging a line around its dinner plate sized back paw that likely strung up drying dishes from a vendor’s cart.

The brown bear’s deep-set eyes scan its surroundings lazily, its nose working double time at the end of its long snout.

Nesta holds her pipe off to the side and breathes in as shallowly as she can manage, hoping the creature might meander by without a thought to her.

But Nesta has shit luck, as always, and the bear halts its tromping foot steps to pause a fair enough distance away. She can run for the door if she has to, but still too close for comfort.

#CYLMWIHM #nessian #nesta x cassian #acotar #acotar fanfic #my writing

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