bakerstreet | Flowers

Flowers

a meme of flowers

For ages, flowers have been inextricably tied with love and romance. Some cultures set aside time to appreciate the transient beauty of springtime blossoms with family, friends, and loved ones. Others have canonized a tradition of gifting flowers to express feelings of love, sympathy, and gratitude, among other messages. And of course, flowers are just plain nice to look at. Whatever way you shake it, a lovely bloom is best admired with another person.

prompts

1. hanami
A tradition of viewing cherry blossoms in bloom. Enjoy a boozy picnic or just a walk under the falling blossoms. At night, lanterns cast a lovely glow on pink trees.

2. garden
Gardens are a wonderful way to appreciate exotic blooms. Tend one yourself and show off your flowery knowledge, or take a sweetheart to a beautiful botanical garden.

3. wildflowers
A hike or outdoor experience is always enhanced by the sight of hardy wildflowers in bloom. Take a break to lay among them and watch the skies!

4. flower field
Rolling hillsides completely covered in rows of colorful flowers is quite an experience, perhaps even a tourist destination. Why not share it?

5. bouquet
A classic way to express your feelings! In fact, an entire language has developed around the exchange of flowers - but you can't go wrong with a bouquet in a favorite color.

6. sex pollen
Accidental, on purpose, or accidentally on purpose? Well, regardless... your flower viewing is about to turn spicy!

7. hanahaki
A trope wherein feelings of unrequited love cause the lungs to fill with flower petals, slowly suffocating the sufferer. Left untreated, the disease is fatal.

8. legendary flower
You're on a quest to obtain the mythical Flower of... Love, Youth, Immortality, Healing... take your pick!

9. allergies
Aw, geez. You just wanted a good time, but now you're having a bad time! Or perhaps your heartfelt gift has taken an inconvenient turn?

10. wildcard
Anything goes!

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[ DID SOMEONE SAY HANAMI???

let's goooo; i'm down for these prompts! ]

[Comes in Deemo or Hans flavor, your choice!]

[OTA for gen, F/M for shipping. Open to cross-canon/aus.]

[Down for anything but #6/7!]

Are you enjoying the gardens, sir?

[ Thomas Barrow, Downton's first footman, kept an eye on things as per usual. He tended to be wary of any new faces around the estate and decided to follow the stranger into the gardens... so quietly his sudden appearance is probably quite startling. ]

['Startling' might be a mild way of phrasing it. Caught up in the heady scents and sights of so many flowers all around them, Morgan gasps and jumps a few inches in the air at the rather sudden appearance of someone else. The young accountant puts a hand to his chest as he catches his breath, a nervous - and apologetic - smile on his face as he turns to regard Thomas.]

Y-yes, I-- I am very much. [He takes another deep breath to steady himself. It helps, and allows Morgan to do something he feels important before they continue their conversation.] M-my apologies, I did not-- realize you were there. I hope I did not offend you. [Footman or no, he was rude, and Thomas is owed an apology.]

Did you come to peruse the gardens as well? I find myself happily lost among them now. They are... [His smile turns wistful as he reaches out to touch a handful of brightly colored blooms.] They are more magnificent than any I have ever seen. I am quite taken already.

Don't worry sir, people don't usually notice if I'm around. [ That is not entirely true. Like all footmen, Barrow had been hired for his looks. With his sharp features, pale skin and jet black hair, he is striking enough but at the same time manages to stand out like a sore thumb in the colorful, neatly kept gardens. All the same... people tend to see the help as part of the house, like a piece of furniture. ]

I just wanted to make sure you weren't getting yourself lost, sir. It's easily done. [ He's surprised a male visitor has any interest in the gardens, in the roses. They're nice enough but most of them want to go hunt or speak to his lordship's unmarried daughters. ]

Still. [Morgan frowns a little.] I do apologize. I didn't realize anyone else was to wander the gardens this afternoon.

[To be fair to Thomas, courting his lordship's daughters had been the reason his father sent him to Downton. It had been the hope that the quieter atmosphere than London's ever-present bustle would allow Morgan to better speak to and, hopefully, win the hand of one of the daughters. Morgan's father will remain disappointed, though he will receive word that the accountant had many long conversations with the young women at various times during his stay. None that would ever lead to marriage, but he'll leave no ill impressions with them.

Such concern is common among the help at larger estates like this one, yet the care warms Morgan's heart. His smile returns, and he chuckles warmly.] I would be glad to be lost for a while, [he confesses. A light flush touches his cheeks.] Such gardens should be enjoyed at all hours of the day and night. Were it not offensive to our hosts, I might stay here until twilight to see it all under the light of the moon and stars.

[He exhales a soft, dreamy exhale, then shakes his head to clear it. It is rude to let his thoughts wander too much while someone else is with him. A glance at the flowers does give him an idea, though.]

I have only explored a small portion of the gardens so far. Would you-- know the best paths to see the most exotic flowers? [A beat of hesitation, and he frays the hem of his coat between his fingers. An experienced guide is at the ready, a very handsome one, and though he would-- could never do more, even being in this man's presence a bit longer would be soothing to the romantic ache in his chest.] Could you show me, if you do?

I am just keeping an eye on things, sir. [ Thomas Barrow is naturally quite intimidating, a dark and unsettling presence in such a pretty, colorful garden but the first footman is a strikingly handsome man with his jet black hair, pale skin and light blue eyes... though a poet would probably rather notice sharp cheekbones or pink lips, something like that. There certainly is enough to get one's mind wandering, if one preferred other men rather than daughters.

He is aware he is being looked at, it is hard to miss. A slight smile. ] The gardens are beautiful but Mrs. Patmore's dinners are nothing to sniff at either, I'd hate for you to miss out on them, sir.

I'm not too sure about exotic flowers, but I can show you where the family keeps their prize-winning roses. [ The Dowager Countess' roses win every year... any visitor would want to see them, even though flowers aren't exactly Barrow's area of expertise. He takes a sharp turn. ]

This way, sir. Follow me.

[Morgan is about to ask after tonight's dinner when Thomas is suddenly turning and making to lead them toward the roses. It feels... an odd sort of reaction. Is this the norm among the help at estates as large as this one? The accountant has no good comparison - the man at his own home has been with him since he was a child, and is more like family than hired help - but to be so curt and cold feels an odd thing. He frowns a little, then falls in step behind the footman.

The gardens become even more grand as the pair make their way to the roses. Morgan finds himself falling a little further behind with each step he takes, his eyes flitting about all the flora and fauna around them. Goddess, he would live in these very gardens if there was a way to do so.]

All these grounds truly belong to this single estate...? [A wistful, wondering smile tugs at his lips as they continue.] They're larger than some of the best parks in London, and they're all so well tended. How does anyone find the time to care for everything here? [It's more a wonder for his own mind than a true question, but if Thomas does happen to know an answer, he'll gladly hear it.]

[ooc: Prefer shippy type prompts, please!]

( 🌺🌸🌺🌸🌺 )

[Character info and permissions here.]

[ let wild Link show you his favorite secret hanami spot, or teach you about how to gather and cook Hyrulean herbs and flowers to extract their special properties!

if one of those properties happens to be 6 by surprise, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ]