bakerstreet | the floriography meme

the floriography meme

the floriography meme

Flowers, in the Victorian Era (1837-1901), were often used as means of communication when people could not openly say things that we do these days. Think about someone who is naturally repressed; now imagine a whole society focusing on being repressed. You can see why lovers needed some sort of secret code. Poor things.

No longer used much, there are some remaining, well-known meanings—roses inspiring passion and love are a classic example. So, grab a bouquet and give it to someone special. Beware of what certain flowers could say, though. Not all flowers were used happily.

note: some prompts might cause triggers; be aware and specify in your comments

oo1. comment with your characters
make sure to put names, series, & preferences somewhere!
oo2. reply to others in character
oo3. go to RNG and roll 1-20
oo4. play out what happens! anything goes!
oo5. profit? profit!
oo6. originally from here

p r o m p t s

oo1. begonia ❀ beware

A hidden message is always appreciated. You need to keep an eye out, because your best friend might be banging your girl, or your girl is trying to off you!

oo2. chrysanthemum ❀ you’re a wonderful friend

Commonly used for funerals, this flower can also be used to send a gentle message. Someone is interested in you, but you only see them as a friend. Sorry.

oo3. clover ❀ promise

Promises, promises. Sometimes you mean them, sometimes you break them. Today, you promised your lover the best day ever. But does it work out?

oo4. daffodil ❀ unrequited love

There is an old tale of how a youth fell in love with his reflection and drowned. This is the ultimate rejection: no sparing of feelings, no kind words. Crush their souls.

oo5. forget-me-not ❀ memories, don’t forget me

This well-known flower is often given to loved ones as parting gifts. Who knows how long you’ll be gone? Maybe for only a day, or forever and a lifetime.

oo6. hazel ❀ reconciliation

You and a former love have parted ways for one reason or another. Time has cooled your head, but not your heart, so maybe it’s time to rekindle that fire.

oo7. hyacinth ❀ sorrow, forgive me

This holiday does not bring happiness to everyone. Yes, you’re sad and alone this year—but what are you going to do about it? Hopefully not mope with ice cream.

oo8. marigold ❀ cruelty

Love doesn’t mean a thing to you. The people around you are all puppets, and you love playing with them in the meanest way possible. Have fun, you psychopath.

oo9. mistletoe ❀ kiss me

Pure and simple: give someone a kiss! Your lover, your little sister, a stranger from across the room, or go wild and give the whole town some love!

o10. orange blossoms ❀ wedding, marriage bliss

Oh yes, you’re doing it: having a wedding on one of the cheesiest days of the year! Bring your rice and gifts, a priest is waiting to unite two people in love.

o11. plum blossom ❀ beauty, longevity

It’s a long shot, but you gotta try it. Flattery and buttering people up is one of the best ways to get what you want… romance, a date, money, sex…

o12. poppy ❀ oblivion

It is never good to be oblivious, and it’s awful to not see that someone is in love with you. But sadly, you are. Or is the other person the clueless one?

o13. primrose ❀ can’t live without you

You need them. More than lust or financial stability, you cannot imagine a world where you are not with this other person. Who said anything about a healthy relationship?

o14. rose (dark red) ❀ mourning

You never broke up with them, you never forgot about them. This is true love separated—they’re dead and gone. But have you moved on?

o15. rose (red) ❀ i love you, confession

Today is the day to express love, and nothing is better than expressing a love not expressed before! So go on, confess those beautiful feelings!

o16. rose (white) ❀ secrecy and silence

Sometimes you have to keep secrets. Sometimes that secret is someone else. So, enjoy a midnight rendezvous or run away for a passionate day somewhere.

o17. rose (yellow) ❀ infidelity

You couldn’t help it, this other person was just too… something to resist. That’s right! You’re cheating on your public lover today, but do you care or not?

o18. saffron ❀ abuse

Not all love is happy. Sometimes the problems are worse than money or cheating. It’s not limited to physical abuse either: there’s emotional, verbal, psychological…

o19. sweet pea ❀ good-bye

This day can really suck sometimes. Not as bad as being dumped on Christmas, but all the same. Your special someone obviously doesn’t feel the same anymore.

o20. violets ❀ let’s take a chance

Go for it! Love is exciting, and you don’t have to stay in a rut. Date someone new, elope, or do something creative. In the end, be different from the norm this year!

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[ he offers another wide-eyed glance, this time as innocent as he can manage (which is pretty innocent, actually), free hand going to his heart. ] Biased? Me? Your Majesty, I've no idea what you might mean. [ he's painfully biased, actually, and they're both all too aware of it. while he loves and respects all four royals, edmund is by far his favourite.

he smiles a little, ducking under an ornamental tree, then through an opening in a hedge, into a small, private space. there's enough sunlight for pleasant warmth, and enough shade for, as he'd mentioned, a possible nap. he sets the basket down, then, shaking out a blanket and spreading it out on the grass. ]

--Anyway, you needn't mention it. I don't.. say things like that because I'm obligated or.. or because I want to flatter you. You're-- important to me. I just want you to be safe and-- and happy and well.

[His lips quirk up in the closest thing to a true smile he ever gets at that playful innocence. Truly, Asa is a dear friend and a small piece of sanity amidst his busy schedule, a balm to his often troubled thoughts.

He ducks through the hedge after Asa and for all his protestation he collapses on that blanket as soon as it is laid out. The offer of shade goes ignored, instead he sprawls out in the sun, basking in it like a great cat and making a small contented sound when stretching out makes his back pop in places from spending the morning bent over his desk.]

I know Asa. [And he reached up, catching one of the other man's delicate hands in his own, holding his gaze to make sure his earnestness was understood.] And I thank you for it.

[ laughing a little as the usually dignified king sprawls out on the blanket, asa kneels there a moment later at his side, beginning to take things out of the basket. he startles a little when his hand is taken, glancing down at the older man and flushing at the thanks. ]

There's-- no reason to thank me. [ he bends his head, lips brushing the back of the hand curled around his, fingers twining with edmund's and squeezing gently. when he straightens again, he's smiling warmly, amused. ] Just don't argue when I come drag you outside.

[ he offers down a small sweet roll, stretching out long legs beside the other man. this is-- nice. maybe he'd needed it, too-- not just quiet, but.. time with edmund, away from the palace, away from other people, where no one cares about the difference in their stations. ]

Of course there is. [Asa reminded him to be Edmund Pevensie, not just King Edmund. It was something he needed from time to time. To shed the weight of his station and merely appreciate the beauty of his country, his precious Narnia.

Even here, in the royal gardens, which Asa knows better than most, hidden away from prying eyes there's no guarantee they won't be seen. Dryads could be gossipers just as much as Susan. But here they could pretend at least and when Asa turned his hand in to take Edmund's he keeps it for a moment, holding onto the younger man's warmth, savoring that light brush of lips against his skin though he knew quite well that he shouldn't.

Station did not mean a great deal in Narnia, after all there had been no nobility for a century and even now their royals were visitors to the land. But there would always be expectations for the royalty. He took the offered roll without argument though, taking a bite and pushing his fingers through his hair as he fell back onto the blanket.]

And what of you, Asa? You're not the only one who worries, you know. Are you happy here?

[ he offers a bright smile down at the older man, leaning back on his palms and crossing his ankles lightly. it's sweet of edmund to be concerned-- and a valid one, he supposes. after all, asa isn't quite anything else in narnia, and his memories of his life before it were fuzzy, at best. plus.. well, he knows how shy he can be at times, how nervous around other people. ]

When I first was given the job here, I wasn't certain I would be. [ it's a slightly hesitant admission, gold eyes meeting edmund's. ] After all, it can be quite busy here, and I didn't know anyone, and I was frightened of almost everything, sometimes. But..

[ he glances away again, trying valiantly not to blush and failing miserably. ]

Well, then I met you. And.. And now, I think I am. [ he knows he is, in fact. edmund is the best thing that's happened to asa in a long time. ]

[His brows knit in concern, at first, worried by the direction of Asa's words. Yes, he'd been shy and quiet, skittish almost, but Edmund had thought the younger man had settled in better. It was a conflicted kind of feeling that came over him when the other finished speaking. There was still a part of him that guiltily longed for something special, something for himself alone, something that he needn't share with his siblings.

And by Asa's own admission now he was, in a sense, Edmund's above all others.

He should be worried that the gardner thought so highly of him but was still somewhat distant from the others. But Asa had a history similar to his own, knew the world beyond Narnia which was now little more than a memory of a dream. It was a fact that made him want, even more, to keep the sweet redhead to himself.]

You flatter me, dear heart. [His hand fell aside, reaching out to rest lightly on Asa's thigh, the closest part of the other man he could reach even if it wasn't perhaps the most appropriate thing. He didn't particularly want to sit up and look the younger man in the as he answered, with an embarrassing amount of honest.] Though I must admit, with a shameful amount of selfishness, I... am glad for being the source of your happiness.

[ the hand against his thigh startles him, making his blush darken, eyes flicking down to it in surprise. it's a good kind of surprise, though-- he enjoys being touched by edmund, and this is.. close, kind of intimate. (he has no business thinking things like that, he knows.)

slowly, he lowers his own hand, pressing it over the one on his thigh and curling his fingers around the other man's. ]

That's not-- not selfish, Edmund. It makes me happy that I get to see you like this, too, when I know that not many people do. I like that you can.. relax with me, and.. smile and..

[ he ducks his head a little, flustered. ] A-Anyway, you're-- very important to me, so.

[He turns his hand over under Asa's, threading his fingers through the other man's. A soft, contented smile tugged at his lips, an uncommon expression that was usually reserved for his sisters or, rarely, his brother. As soon as that smile began though he was frowning slightly, turning onto his side, pushing himself up on an elbow and drawing Asa's hand with him, unwilling to let it go.]

Is it really so rare a thing? [He tipped his head slightly, genuinely unsure. Were his smiles truly that rare or were they so small and subtle that most did not recognize them as such?] I so often see smiling faces around me. You, my siblings. In truth I can not recall a time in many years that Lucy's face was anything less than beaming. Yet... I seem to be the odd one out in that regard and... I've hardly even noticed it happening.

[Perhaps because it has been happening for longer than even he realized.]

It's not that it's rare, exactly..

[ he turns to face edmund, as well, free hand lifting to cup edmund's face, threading lightly into his hair and smoothing it back from his temple. ] It's just that-- you are more serious than your brother and sisters, and.. you're more.. reserved with your smiles than they are, I think.

[ he hums out a thoughtful noise, fingers tracing the curve of the older man's ear before they lift away entirely. ] Probably because you're always thinking about your duties. But.. you're usually willing to leave duty and kingship behind for a few hours when I drag you out of your study, so..

[ he smiles, the expression faint and embarrassed and flattered. ]

I get to see just.. Edmund.

[And once again Edmund reminded himself of one of the great cats, a leopard perhaps, dark eyes falling shut as he leaned into the gentle caress of delicate fingers in sandy locks. A soft hum that was near enough to a purr caught in his chest and when Asa moved to withdraw his hand Edmund caught his wrist in a gentle but unyielding grip.

This time it was his turn to press his lips to the back of the other's hand, pressing a smile to pale skin before he finally blinked his eyes open again, looking up at Asa with a measure of intensity that he did not allow himself often. It was a delicate dance, this game they played. Flattery and affection veiled behind polite gestures and ever conscious of propriety. Flirtations masked as simple compliments.]

It is a gift, you know. These moments to step outside of the crown and simply be. I wonder that my siblings do not understand such a need but they are, as you say, less reserved with their joy. [Another soft brush of lips to the back of the redhead's hand and then he released them both, finally pushing himself up to sit cross-legged beside him, plucking his forgotten sweet roll up off the blanket to his side. A moment of contemplative silence while he took another bite and then, carefully, uncertainly...]

You would tell me if I were too forward with you, would you not? After all, here in your garden I am no more than simply a man. Edmund alone, with no crown or station to weigh upon your answer.

[ oh no, they really are flirting, aren't they? asa has a brief moment of inner panic as he considers it, considers how bad he is at it. but then, edmund doesn't seem to mind so far, and more importantly, it seems to be mutual, which is.. frankly stunning. not that he didn't realize they were friends, because he's known that for ages, now. it's just that, well, he hadn't imagined edmund to be.. interested in someone like asa.

he's pretty sure his face is on fire at this point. ]

Y-You're not! Too-- um. Too forward, I mean. [ oh aslan, had that been too loud? too insistent? ] You.. could.. [ he toys with the hem of his tunic, worrying it between his fingers to keep his hands out of trouble. ] That is, you could.. be more forward if you liked. [ he can hardly believe himself. he has no business saying something like that. but.. he does love edmund, so he can't really not say it, either. ]

[His smile comes a little easier with Asa's sudden assertion. Insistent, yes, but filled with a kind of earnestness that could not be faked any more than the blush that colored his cheeks. It's refreshing, Asa is the only person besides his siblings who can truly set aside the expectations that come with his position. Others might say it but Edmund can see the way their minds work before every answer, every word as carefully placed as a chess piece.

It is that, amongst other things, that gives Edmund the courage to stroke his fingers over one flushed cheek, brushing loose strands of copper hair back as he let his fingers trace the dappling on the younger man's skin.]

Then let me say first... that you are beautiful. One of Narnia's fairest treasures. Both inside- [Edmund shifted closer, letting his hand drift down to settle over Asa's heart briefly.] and out.

[He paused, drawing in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. Even a king could be nervous when speaking plainly of things that had been a well hidden ghost of thought for many months.] Second... I... If you would permit me... [His hand returned to Asa's face, not stroking his hair this time but cradling his cheek, resting his thumb just below full lips as though he might stroke the pad of his finger over the lower but stopping himself just shy of it.] I would taste the lips that have so often uttered the sweetest of reassurances to my weary heart.

[ the compliment flusters him; he's never quite known what to do with them, though it's not the first time he's been told he's attractive. still, it's the first time that it's been by someone he loves, and in such a manner.

he leans into the palm cupping his face, gold eyes wide and stunned and maybe just a little amused as edmund stumbles through his request. it's nice to know that he's not the only one here a little nervous, treading uncertain waters. when he manages to get it out, though, asa can feel his heart jump up into his throat, hammering like the animal he somewhat resembles.

kiss. he's asking for a kiss. he's asking for a kiss, asa's first, and asa wants it so bad he's startled with himself. he is so painfully in love with this man, and he's pushed it away for so long that it's a wonder he even recognizes it, now.

his breath hiccups in his chest, hands lifting to curl in edmund's sleeves. ] Yes. Yes, I-- I'd like that very much. [ he barely manages it, breathless and trembling, leaning in slightly as if his answer wasn't affirmation enough. ]

[Yes and Asa says it so fervently that Edmund has to wonder at it. Overthinking and privately second-guessing himself is something of a habit, a bad one but habit nonetheless. For a moment he has to do just that, to wonder if he had put off his own feelings for too long due to impropriety or if he had should have waited still for Asa to come forward in the end lest he sway the younger man by virtue of his kingship.

But Asa was a gentle, cautious soul and, though Edmund scarcely let himself believe it could be true fo so long, he was not one to be so bold as to say outright what was in his heart. It had to be him that final put words to the careful tension between them. Now that he had he could hardly believe the response, though. 'Yes' on sweet lips and a gesture that screamed 'Kiss me, please!' and then Edmund was leaning in to meet the younger man.

It was only the lightest brush of lips against lips first, a ghost of a kiss that was followed by a soft breeze rustling through the trees. Edmund turned aside to look up at them briefly, holding a finger to his lips and shushing the dancing murmur of a silver birch with a gesture that was as close to playful as he ever got. Then his gaze went back to Asa, a true, full smile on his lips and amusement in his tone.]

I give it till supper before Lucy comes nagging at you with questions on my behalf. [And then he was finally, finally pressing his lips to Asa's in a firm, sweet kiss, savoring the spark of heat that warmed his cheeks and his heart with even that simple gesture.]

[ the first brush isn't nearly enough, and asa has just enough time for a moment of panic. they've been seen, they've been seen, and asa isn't nearly good enough for edmund, and he's a nobody with no family to speak of, no homeland that he recalls--

but then edmund is leaning back in, and the kiss sends every coherent thought flying right out of his head. edmund is sun and earth and warmth, his mouth firm and knowing against asa's own, and the redhead finds that he's trembling a little as he leans into it, lips parting slightly in a small gasp. his hands lift, gripping the older man's forearms, as if afraid that it'll all disappear if he lets go.

it's everything he's wanted and nothing like he'd expected and so much better because of it. to his supreme embarrassment, he finds heat stinging his eyes, spilling down his face, and when they finally part, he has to laugh a little shakily, lifting his hands away from the other man to scrub the moisture away. ]

You-- You have no idea how long I-- [ a tremulous smile, and he curls his fingers in edmund's sleeves again, leaning back in to press a gentle kiss to the curve of his jaw. ] .. Again?

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the floriography meme

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I am loving this thread ftr /tagging in class, is the best student

scream ikr they're so cute ;w;

so cute and sweet it's cavity inducing

just lays here....

would you mind terribly if I added you on plurk dear?

oh, no, go ahead 8')

/o/

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