The Earth Laughs in Flowers @ahiddensunflower - Tumblr Blog

//Bad first impressions.

Marie took a deep breath as she grabbed his hand. She had meant to ask first if it was alright, but the sooner they got moving, the better. The evening sky was growing darker, and she feared that more than the man she barely knew. At least, as far as she knew, he hadn't done anything to cause her harm. In fact, he'd just gone out of his way to prevent that! However, she still didn't feel too right about snatching him like that so suddenly.

"I'm s-s-sorry..." she muttered, as he gave her hand a squeeze. Maybe he didn't really mind, or maybe he was making sure he was secure. Either way, all that mattered was that she got him into the safety of his tent. The little light tucked away in the corner really made it cozier. Thank goodness he had something that gave off light. She was almost afraid to bring out a candle, or fumble with a super emergency flashlight.

Laying him on the pile of blankets, she asked him to wait while she shuffled back outside to gather her things. She wouldn't want to leave them about outside and he'd need his shirt as well, for the flower mostly. There was a good moment where Marie seriously considered dashing back to her cabin. There should have been enough to leave her with a clear conscience, but even so, that didn't stop her from ultimately casting off the notion. As good as it sounded, she couldn't find it in her heart to just abandon him. The blame still weighed heavily on her shoulders. Clutching the supplies to her chest, she re-entered and knelt beside him, laying out everything she had. With trembling hands, she picked up the damp cloth and began to clean away any dirt and debris. She honestly wanted to cry the entire time. It wasn't something she'd say, but he made her feel worse the more he spoke.

"P-please...I-I-I'm fine..." she sniffled, taking the chance to wipe her damp eyes with the back of her hand. "Y-you...y-you're in pain...n-not..m-me..."

However, she feared for the howls of pain to rise soon. Everything she could see had been wiped, but some things still needed to be sterilized. She wouldn't dare risk infection, but knew very well it could sting terribly. Dropping the cloth off to the side, she attempted a brave smile and eye contact.

"Please....b-b-be st-strong... Ah....e-e-sp-specially now..."

Both faded mid-sentence and she sighed, reaching for the bottle. Before the cap was even off the peroxide, a thought occurred to her. It seemed so obvious.

'If only there was something to stop...'

"A-ah! B-B-Ben! P-painkillers...! D-d-do you h-have any...? I-I-I...th-think I...have s-some..."

#notsoarmstrong #bad first impressions #Forgive me if this is awful #It's been a while

"... H-Hello again.."

Unsure of what was staring back her, Marie’s mouth sat open, words unable to come out until a moment later. The initial surprise just from its voice had been enough to silence her.

“H-h-h-hello..?” she finally spoke, wondering a few things.

#jamestherobot #ask rp #oh hai welcome back!#Same could be said for myself #I guess

ahiddensunflower

Giant wings surprised her, carelessly spread around it, but still kept to it. She’d barely been able to see them at first, but now they were coming into focus well.

Anything was possible until proven it wasn’t. Ghosts were no exception to this theory. The hovering, feathery wings, and flickering trail-like tail behind it could only point in that direction. What else had characteristics such as that? Obviously enough, it still left plenty of questions in her mind. Spirit or not, why was it here of all places? Fairies were known to hang around, but not so much the dead. Unless it were a child. She’d seen some of those on a few occasions. Yet somewhere, long ago, she’d read that a child’s soul could become apart of the fairy culture. How all that worked, she wasn’t sure. Strange how small it seemed - like that of a child, but so different from any other encounter.

Lost in her thoughts, a tree snagged her, and, trying to move forward, she was unable to. It nearly ripped, but fortunate she was to have noticed it in time! And what timing she had. When she came to look at the creature again, it almost looked to be turning towards her. The fright it gave Marie as she ducked behind the nearest tree. Her heart had sped up to an incredible speed as she waited, counting to twenty after a few brief seconds. The twenty was for herself, to calm the pounding now in her head. Only when she peeked out again did she see he’d moved on.

Was it her imagination?

featheryfuckass-blog

Was it his imagination? It couldn’t have been. He had been alive long enough to know when to trust his instincts, and mostly they just told him someone was hiding. Which honestly wasn’t all that interesting. Dave ducked down behind some brushes and slowly hovered along the ground around to where he thought he had seen the patch of yellow clothing. Eventually he came up behind a short girl who seemed to be cowering down in fear. Yeah, true. Huge orange feathery bird man, no legs. He could see why she would be afraid.

Using his tail, he snaked it around her shoulder and tapped on it, standing on the other side of her to see if she would fall for the silly trick. Then when she turned back, he’d just be standing in front of her. Well, floating.

“S’up.”

ahiddensunflower

Where had it gone off to? Hadn't it just been...but wait, was it ever there? It wouldn't be a surprise if her mind was finally starting to play tricks on her, too. As she thought to simply turn around and find her way back home, she felt something on her shoulder; nothing more than a gentle tap. That alone was enough to make her jump, turning in place to see who or what had done the act. Yet there was nothing there. She wanted to check the other side, to see if maybe it was there, but couldn't. The possible doer was standing right in front of her. A small shriek came from her, never expecting anything to be there, and she moved to another side of the tree for cover.

Poking her head out just a bit, she gave herself a chance to really see the culprit up close. Naturally, it was the same floaty thing she'd been following.

Oh. It was a lot bigger than it looked from a distance, but it also seemed to be trying to be somewhat friendly to her. With her shaking voice, she gave a faint greeting.

"H-h-h-he-l-llo...."

#featheryfuckass

ahiddensunflower

✿featheryfuckass (oh dear! Those are some bad words!) walks floats through the forest✿

Though it had been long since the quiet girl found anyone roaming her field of vision, there was never room for doubt. This person, or being, stirred an interest in her. From the distance she stood, she was able to see the figure being of a smaller size. A shade of orange stood out against the healthy bark and flower-littered grass, seeming to glide by as if the ground beneath wasn’t there. It perplexed Marie enough to follow, watch, and wonder, trying to bring herself closer to whatever it may be.

featheryfuckass-blog

Jeez, where the hell was he? These dream bubbles were getting more and more obscure by the second. Like one second he could be on earth and the next he ended up in buttfuck nowhere in a forest. Was he still on earth? This search was just getting more and more irritating. Maybe if he just focused on the searching for friends part he’s actually get somewhere.

Floating around the forest quietly, he was actually put off by his surroundings. Not only was no animal in sight, but it was dead fucking silent. As far as Dave knew, forests were actually a lot fucking louder. Not to mention he had no internet connection out here either. He must’ve been really fucking deep in the forest. As he looked around his eye caught a soft yellow pattern of fabric causing him to do a double take, only to find nothing there.

Had his eyes been playing tricks on him?

ahiddensunflower

Giant wings surprised her, carelessly spread around it, but still kept to it. She'd barely been able to see them at first, but now they were coming into focus well.

Anything was possible until proven it wasn't. Ghosts were no exception to this theory. The hovering, feathery wings, and flickering trail-like tail behind it could only point in that direction. What else had characteristics such as that? Obviously enough, it still left plenty of questions in her mind. Spirit or not, why was it here of all places? Fairies were known to hang around, but not so much the dead. Unless it were a child. She'd seen some of those on a few occasions. Yet somewhere, long ago, she'd read that a child's soul could become apart of the fairy culture. How all that worked, she wasn't sure. Strange how small it seemed - like that of a child, but so different from any other encounter.

Was it her imagination?

#featheryfuckass #OOoOOoOOOoooOo #Fairies!#No not really #Just Marie

✿featheryfuckass (oh dear! Those are some bad words!) walks floats through the forest✿

Though it had been long since the quiet girl found anyone roaming her field of vision, there was never room for doubt. This person, or being, stirred an interest in her. From the distance she stood, she was able to see the figure being of a smaller size. A shade of orange stood out against the healthy bark and flower-littered grass, seeming to glide by as if the ground beneath wasn't there. It perplexed Marie enough to follow, watch, and wonder, trying to bring herself closer to whatever it may be.

#follows #Sometimes I can make starters #Wow #Look at that #featheryfuckass

ahiddensunflower

Sorry for scaring you.

ahiddensunflower

He certainly had quite the list. A talented man, no doubt, with enough time to spare for hobbies. It lead her to wonder what his actual career may be. She nearly slapped herself. Kenny was a prince! He didn’t need any other sort of job aside from ruling over his kingdom! It was probably fairly natural that he would have so much to occupy himself with.

“I-I….knit…a-and sew…a-a lot…. M-most..o-of my clothes…a-are hand-m-made…. Th-this…i-included….”

She almost did a twirl to fully show off the half-sleeved dress, an almost dingy white but printed with little red and yellow buds everywhere. Modesty was key with her straight, high collar, showing off very little skin around her shoulders and neck. Instead, she held up its ends, giving a tiny peek of her knees.

“I-I…e-enjoy reading…t-too…” she continued on, dropping the fabric and folding her hands neatly to her front. “A-and walking….th-through the woods….a-and…w-well….I-I….wr-write…a…a lot….”

She could never have much muscle and she would never be able to run amazing marathons, but Marie wasn’t as weak as she appeared. Her arms were strong enough to lift, at the very least, a small child, and her legs could take her for almost a mile run before seizing up. It wasn’t much to a person of idle health standards, but it was a lot to someone as malnourished as she was.

“S-s-sorry…..” she began. Her left hand migrated away from the right, clinging to her wrist instead. “I-I’m…f-fairly uninteresting….I-I know….”

kennyfflam-deactivated20201209

Of course. Those actually very fitting hobbies for a small girl like her. It made sense. Kenny folding his fingers neatly on his lap and nodded, his expression warming up at her tiny display of her clothes. She was actually very cute thinking about it. Her tiny body and her personality. It was almost off-putting, but in a disarming sort of way. She probably could make anyone do what she wanted if she asked, but probably never really built of the nerve to ask it.

“Actually, I rather like a lot of your hobbies. Sometimes I make coats blankets and rugs out of the things I hunt. I always eat the food I kill though. It would be disrespectful not to.” He rubbed his chin and leaned back in his chair, watching her quietly mumble to him, “What do you write, I’m actually very interested!” he paused, thinking.

“And you know.. winter is just around the corner. I would be glad to pay for one of your fantastic pieces of fashion! As a prince I usually only implore the best. And I have to say, you are definitely the best.” He gave her a teasing wink.

ahiddensunflower

She gasped. "Y-you...you h-hunt...!? G-goodness.."

How dreadful! To think, there were people such as that which still existed in this day and age! However, Marie was a reasonable woman, understanding and somewhat agreeing with the slaughter of animals for survival purposes. There was no changing that in the world and felt it was only right to accept it. After all, meat had been apart of her diet for many, many years. This also meant that she willingly blinded herself to any part of the actions behind making her slice of rump roast. Now, hunting for sport was another thing entirely! Though there wasn't much she could protest. In reality, she wasn't much better than him, so she dropped the fuss. It was smart to not stir up any trouble.

"Mmm...w-well....th-these days....I-I don't..wr-write as much....."

She recalled her statement, which had become something of a lie now. As the years went on, she found herself writing less and less, only needing to when things began looking bleak or she was on an assignment. Or if she found some delightful bits of information. She loved writing anything down which peeked her interest. Mostly flowers and other plants, but sometimes people and places were included in this.

"I-I'm...s-sorry... I-it's...my job..s-s-so...I-I have to write...s-sometimes... U-unles...I-I'm collecting..."

Marie gave a tiny laugh, cheeks tinting pink.

"O-o-oh..? W-well...I-I..I-I'd be happy...t-to..m-make you s-something... I-is...th-there anything..i-in particular...y-y-you might like..?"

Being quite skilled, there wasn't much she wasn't ale to make. Albeit, some things took time, but few things were impossible.

#kennyfflam #Sorry for scaring you

notsoarmstrong-blog

//Bad first impressions.

ahiddensunflower

Marie rushed to him, getting the slightest of an eyeful of the damage done. Her mind spat out several ‘oh no’s’ and ‘oh dear’s’ racing over to him. She kneeled before him, easily setting down the few things she had grabbed. He was making it difficult to look him over, covering up what looked scratched. How silly to be so modest now, but of course, it helped her to see other points of interest. All up his arm consisted of the pulpy pink flesh that lay beneath his tanned epidermis. And goodness! His cheeks looked like two fresh tomatoes, bits of the clinging Earth still attached after plucking! Did he scrape up his face, too? She was a bit reluctant to start caring for him, but she knew she had to make up for her mistake some way. With shaky hands, she reached over and picked up the damp towel, which had been trying to soak the dry ones below it.

“T-to be h-honest….” She bit her lip in dismay, trying to pull out the truth. “I-I’ve….n-never t-treated a-a-anyone before…. B-besides m-myself…m-maybe…”

Unsteady hands stretched up, carefully caressing away the dirt and hopefully the coloring as well. All the while, she muttered apologies, collecting a gentle shade of pink along her face. It was a moment of firsts for her. She was always so good at waiting for someone to allow her to touch them. She was especially comfortable with that as well since most times contact would make her shrivel away. Nursing wounds that weren’t her own was also completely new. The few people she’d ever been around usually were good about staying out of harms way.

Eventually, there wasn’t even a speck left. A wonderful job had been done, despite her useless hands in the situation. She was very lucky she didn’t poke his eye out by accident, but to be fair, his glasses were an amazing blockade. They were so massive, but fit him well. She couldn’t imagine they’d look too grand on her tiny face. Probably wouldn’t be able to sit there at all.

“M-maybe….w-we sh-should….m-move…i-into your t-tent…?” she suggested, her hands resting in her lap with the wet and dirty cloth. “Y-you could…a-ah….l-lay d-down….a-and rest…wh-while I…cl-cleaned you up…. I-I c-c-could…h-help you i-in…”

It had to be better than letting him lay topless on the cold, hard ground. At least in his tent he had some cushioning. She was almost afraid to touch him anymore than she already had, but somehow was able to coax herself into grabbing his hand. Little tears tried to drip out, but she forced them away. She could be strong. She just had to wait a bit. Fix him up and head inside; that was the new goal because she doubted she’d be even willing to sample his food anymore.

notsoarmstrong-blog

Never treated anyone before? The thought worried him a little. What if she somehow messed up and he was always scarred with dirt on his body from this night and never lived it down from anyone ever again. How would that make Marie feel? How would he feel? Honestly, people already bagged on him a lot. He’d probably be fine. But he didn’t know about the girl gently dabbing at his flushed cheeks. He avoided eye contact out of embarrassment, “Ah.. well I bet you’ll do jus’ fine..” He blush only deepened. There was that stupid accent.

Benjamin shook his head and smiled, “I t-trust ah—” he winced a little at the stinging sensation, “I trust you.. Marie. If you can keep yourself looking so pretty, I can make it out just fine too!” He tried to be enthusiastic regardless of how much pain he was in to give her a little reassurance. He didn’t want to see her cry or be so sad. It would just break his heart to much and she already seemed to be getting so close!

Ben tried to keep as still as possible while Marie carefully worked on him, “It’s okay.. it really is.. you’re doing really great..!” Trying to be cheerful as possible so that she wouldn’t frown so much. But it honestly wasn’t helping, if at all.

He moped a little, but quickly expression lit up as she mentioned the tent. Perfect! Why didn’t he think of that before! “That’s a great idea, Marie! Ah—” His face burning up as she gently grabbed his hand. He squeezed it lightly, eventually (and with more effort than he usually needed) stood up and let Marie lead the way into the tent. It was nice and warm in there too from being closed for a while. He made sure not to trip this time, watching his feet as he stepped in then carefully sat down on the blankets, “I have.. a first aid kit too.. over there.” He pointed to his overstocked first-aid kit before wincing as he lay down, “Just in case you run out of bandages.. or something.”

Ben lay on his side so the she could work more easily on the throbbing flesh. The feeling made him shudder, but probably with the help of the cold air against his bare body as well. His shirt had been tossed to the side since he didn’t exactly need it at the moment, in fact he almost wanted to deem it unlucky for not protecting the both of them.

“P-please be.. g-gentle.. it hurts.. a lot..” He whimpered quietly, but looking back at Marie’s tortured face made him only worry more, “Please don’t blame yourself, Marie! I fall all the time.. I really am clumsy.. I fall all the time! I’m sorry if I upset you in any way.. I’ll be sure to take my leave when the sun comes up.. I don’t want to be a burden on you or anything..! R-really.” He pouted a little, his eyes watering at the sight of her eyes watering. Her expression. Oh, how his heart took a beating so hard when he was around her! He loved and craved it with all his being but at the same time wished it didn’t torture him so! “I’m so sorry..”

ahiddensunflower

She didn't know which bits of his sentence to take to heart first; his faith in her or how she was perceived through his vision. Trust, so tricky to gain and give, so it was unsure how true he was to that. Unless he was, perhaps, a tad naive and gave trust to any lady that caught his eye. If that were the case, she hoped very few did as his pockets were bound to be bare. And she knew this hadn't been the first time he'd remarked on her physical appearance, vaguely recalling when he believed her eyes to be - what was it again? - beautiful. Both were nice thoughts, but surely he wasn't being sincere. Not after the stunt she'd pulled (though hardly on purpose). Just easy words to get her help. Not that she wouldn't. She felt quite obliged to aid him. After all, the poor dear wouldn't be this way if it hadn't been for her.

His cheeks soon proved to no longer be apart of the problem as she realized it was merely the blood rushing to his face, usually brought on by a form of embarrassment. She understood well. Having a girl he barely knew gawk over his bare flesh as she haphazardly cleaned wounds. She'd changed colors for lesser reasons. Or maybe he didn't like having his hand grabbed. At least, she would think that, if he hadn't been holding her so tightly. Regardless, she would make a note to ask for permission the next time she ever felt the need to grab it. Actually, she knew far better than to simply grab hands. Where was her head? She felt so out of place in the situation. Before any further movement was made, she was sure to gather up all the things she'd brought along, holding them close in the opposite arm.

Unfortunately, the tiny woman was hardly a crutch, but it appeared his legs worked fine. Aside from blatant pain, Ben managed just fine with her barely leading their way in. First to hit her was how comfortably the air settled around them, flicking some of the weight off her shoulders, as if they were pebbles nestling in the creases of fabric. She could breathe easier, allowing her to feel more at peace. She nearly forgot about the 100+ extra weight attached to her hand. Only as he jerked down to sit and settle did she even realize and release. It was definitely enough to pull her back to the situation. Carefully, she kneeled, setting down the personal items they would need.

Her eyes perked at his statement, following his finger very intently. Indeed, he did seem quite prepared for the dangers in this forest. A miniscule smile crept to her face, lingering until she was hit again by obvious facts; his wrenching cries to twist her lips and heart. The simplest of mood triggers. Heavy droplets pooled across her lids. He was trying so hard, so very hard, to make things better, even if he wasn't. Trying to pin the blame on himself wouldn't cease her own ache and guilt. If anything, it made it all the more worse! And if she started crying, she'd practically become useless.

"P-p-please..." she begged. "Please...j-just...."

The remainder of that command refused to be released. She couldn't bring herself to stop him. She brought up her bottom lip, biting deeply into it and shutting her eyes. Two soft streams were formed, which she quickly wiped away, practically sucking in any more that wished to pour out. Confidence, strength, assurance; all things she didn't have, but needed. The scene at hand felt so much more dire than it truly was.

Deep breaths were taken to steady herself, place her back in the right spot. She could...she could...she could do this! Trembling returned to her hands, knowing they would have to prove useful soon. It was dreadfully awful keeping them still once they had started up. But she had, at least, a little faith in herself. Picking the damp cloth up, she dabbed away at the minor scraps first. They seemed fairly clean in themselves. Was more than this needed? Looking to his face and seeing how it wrenched, yes, perhaps he did. Her rush inside only grabbed fairly essential things, but she seemed to recall a small bottle. Painkillers, if anything. Foolish her for not grabbing them.

"Th-th-this....th-this..m-may st-s-sting..a bit..." she said, fixing a cotton ball for the operation. She sat for a minute, less ready than she seemed. She knew how unpleasant alcohol was. He probably did, too. She leaned down, almost appearing to be ready to strike, but lingered still. Her left hand slipped off her lap, resting palm-side up.

"I-i-if....y-you need t-to...... M-my hand... Y-y-you....you m-may.....h-hold it.."

Just as she once did with her father and brother. She nodded to it, allowing him to recognize it first.

Gently, yet shakily, she dabbed at the singular spots. Apologies were slipped under her breath at each touch. Certain marks looked to be deeper than others, which could prove to be fatal. Infection was an easy, awful act that she wished to stop right then and there. Once she finished, she set the ball down, taking in heavy breathes. The deed was done. She actually managed to do it! Though that feeling of pride blew over fast. Ben was still laying, possibly in some pain still.

"I-I...u-uhm....h-how...how are you f-feeling....?"

#bad first impressions #notsoarmstrong

noahsmirror-deactivated20170720

“Falling With Fall” by ProjectConsciousness

#Autumn #Fairies

ahiddensunflower

She scooted close, holding the book directly between them. The important thing was that Fiona could see, but it should be fine just where it was. All the way to the front, she flipped, to start right at the beginning. It was pretty much the basics she would start with. Where they originated from, where they could live, what they did, physical traits, delightful little details like that.

“Fairies….” Marie carefully read aloud. “Long b-before this author was born…tales of the fae had been told and re-told to children….a-and grandchildren….and even g-great-grandchildren…!”

This wasn’t her first time watching after a child. Her nephews were the primary subjects on the rare occasion she was left with them. Both could be little brats, but moreso with their own parents, instead of with Aunt Marie. She was apparently nicer, offering them stories and cookies while mom and dad shoved vegetables and homework down their throats. It gave her a laugh to see how ‘cruel’ her sibling had become over the years and how it was a two-way road of annoyance between father and sons.

patchedwithlove-deactivated2013

Fiona’s eyes were big as she listened to Marie, completely captivated. “That’s a real long time,” She said quietly, smiling brightly. As such a young girl, it was a bit hard to grasp exactly how long that was, but she realized that the stories of fairies were older than everybody she’d ever met. She knew some pretty old people, too! Her Nan was really, really old. Fiona had been told that her Nan had run with the dinosaurs, but she was actually sure that it wasn’t true. Dinosaurs were really super old. Like fairies!

She moved a little bit, kicking her legs before getting comfortable again. “How did everyone remember the stories before they wrote this book?” Fiona asked, naive to oral history. She couldn’t remember stuff without a note, so how could anybody else?

ahiddensunflower

Marie agreed with a nod. It was a long time! Far longer than even she could grasp. From what she knew, tales of fairies and magic had been told for centuries! Passed down through families or written in books long since forgotten by man and time by people that lived through it and knew it as law of the earth. It was almost alarming to see how vibrant they once were compared to now. How they found a need to hide away in a cloak of the Earth's and their own powers.

"Well...this isn't the first book to be written...." she stated, knowing, but not completely. This book had a publishing date, its scent was old, but nowhere near ancient, and its pages still easily turned without crumbling. Like others, the book told of similar sources for tales on the fae. Some she had looked into, others she hadn't. Some were barely a few years older, others dated back to times she could've never imagined. "Many....many others...have come before it...a-and before even that...b-before anyone took the time...to write down the tales their g-grandparents told....the people...w-were living it.... Fairies...weren't always...s-so hidden.... They were once...quite active...and always causing mischief..."

#patchedwithlove