[zaz]

contest posted!

[.paris.]

𝓈𝑒𝓋𝒶𝓉𝒾
hindi for "white rose"

guns and roses by lana del rey
𝓍𝓍𝓍

sevati was the pristine image of an indian princess. when she was born her family found her to be so pristine that they named her after the picture of innocence: a white rose. as she grew, it was clear that she was a seemingly perfect daughter: she was gorgeous, devout to the gods, and never stepped out of line from her family. so, when she was 18, and the time came for her family to chose a suitor, they had plenty of options to go through. eventually, though, they narrowed it down to one man, a doctor in training. he was handsome, charming, intelligent, and endlessly kind. the first time he saw sevati, when she was dressed in a traditional gown and covered in henna, both he and his parents cried. her parents were thrilled--he was a perfect match.

and he was 32 years older than her.

when she came to her parents, begging, pleading for a way out, she was disgraced, abandoned, chastised for destroying the family values and offending the man she was supposed to be with. the marriage was decided, her family told her. she must marry him. her fall from grace was hard and fast and the innocence in the eyes of her family was forever tarnished. she had become a disgrace, a stain in the family legacy. she was to be quickly swept under the rug.

she had other plans.

in the middle of the night she slipped away, out the back door into the streets with only her dress and a purse full of rupees. it was windy, her gowns flowed all around her as she ran, unsure of her destination besides away. she kept running, slipping down alleyways, avoiding the judging eyes of the adults she once knew and the preying glances of the strange men on the street.

eventually, the houses got shorter, and the distance between buildings became longer. the sky had cracked open above her, spilling a warm pink hue as the sun slowly rose up into the sky. ahead of her, in the distance, she saw a field, and she ran to it.

it was filled with roses.

roses of all shades and colors, red and white and pink and black, all intermingled and beautiful and fragrant and thorny and menacing. they were beautiful and deadly and to sevati they felt like home. she stood there, taking in the scent that was lingering on the breeze, and watched the sun come up.

"hello."

a voice from behind her startled her. she turned around and saw a man of about her age staring at her. he had dark black hair, tussled all around him, tangled, and deeply tanned skin that was covered in callouses. his nose looked as though it had been broken a couple of times.

despite his imperfections, she found him beautiful.

"my name is suri," he said. "are you okay? what is your name?"

sevati couldn't help but smile. "my name is sevati, and i'm sorry to intrude, but i was mesmorized by these roses. they're beautiful. do you know who they belong to?"

suri stepped forward, close to her, and reached around her back and plucked the most beautiful pink rose. "this one used to belong to me. now it can be yours."

sevati flinched. the pink rose appeared unclean to her, stained just slightly by a pink sin. it would never again be clean. "the pink ones are unclean," she whispered.

"you misunderstand them, sevati. it is their imperfections that make them beautiful, not their purity. every rose has its thorns. even you, 'white rose.' to be beautiful, one must be broken first. you cannot stay unharmed forever. it is okay to be broken, dirty, disgraced." he carefully took her hand in his, and looked deep into her eyes.

"some may say things are more beautiful that way."

But my rose, all on her own, is more important than all of you together, since she's the one I've watered. Since she's the one I put under glass, since she's the one I sheltered behind the screen. Since she's the one for whom I killed the caterpillars (except the two or three butterflies). Since she's the one I listened to when she complained, or when she boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing at all. Since she's my rose.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

“But he who dares not grasp the thorn
Should never crave the rose.” ― Anne Brontë

“Feeling at peace, however fragilely, made it easy to slip into the visionary end of the dark-sight. The rose shadows said that they loved the sun, but that they also loved the dark, where their roots grew through the lightless mystery of the earth. The roses said: You do not have to choose. ” ― Robin McKinley, Sunshine

[feminine]

O how much more doth beauty beauteous seem,
By that sweet ornament which truth doth give!
The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem
For that sweet odour which doth in it live.
The canker-blooms have full as deep a dye
As the perfumed tincture of the roses,
Hang on such thorns and play as wantonly
When summer's breath their masked buds discloses:
But, for their virtue only is their show,
They live unwoo'd and unrespected fade,
Die to themselves. Sweet roses do not so;
Of their sweet deaths are sweetest odours made:
And so of you, beauteous and lovely youth,
When that shall fade, my verse distills your truth.


-william shakespeare



name; judith (jude)
gender; female
sexuality; bisexual

mood board
_____________________________________________________________________




hey jude // the beatles (lullaby version)
idontwannabeyouanymore // billie eilish
girls your age // transviolet
honey // kehlani
lovesick boys // conan gray
you're so beautiful // reddish blu
candy wrappers // summer salt





________________________________________________________________________

"i love you," a phrase that usually comes with a bouquet of a dozen roses and commitments. a phrase that has a meaning so deep, it can make or break a person. a phrase sometimes so effortlessly thrown around that it's meaning is lost through translations and over-analyzing. a phrase that makes pretty, desperate girls cry if they don't hear it enough. but how much love is enough?

growing up, jude never had a lot of friends. sure, she was pretty and she was intelligent, but she was... weird. someone with such beauty couldn't be trusted, right? have you ever heard the quote, "there is no way to hold something that is truly beautiful; not without consequences. there is a reason why roses have thorns." (1) that's how people saw judith. something beautiful that isn't worth loving because there must be some kind of catch. some baggage that is so heavy, how could it be easy to love her? at least that's how she saw herself.

she grew up with her grandmother, a kind soul who took her in when her mother didn't want her. sure, she loved her, but to a certain extent. her grandmother was afraid that she'd become the problem her mother was. a reckless beauty with no concept of the world around her. judith spent most of her days playing in her grandmother's garden, it became her place of peace. she often picked the flowers from the ground, though she left the roses in their place. they were stubborn─ they wouldn't leave the branches of the shrub without a great amount of force, and even if you were successful, it was likely you felt the wrath of their thorns. she could only admire them without touching, though everyday she grew more and more tempted to try. and everyday she'd beg her grandmother to snip just one rose from the bush for her.

"we can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses." (2) this was the answer she received from her grandmother every time. it took time and patience for judith to realize the meaning behind this saying.

after her grandmother's passing, a fear so strong grew inside of judith. the one person to ever love her was no longer around, and she didn't know if she could even fill that role herself. she didn't even see herself as this untouchable beauty that everyone else had. instead of a rose, she only felt like the thorns that adorned the stem. it took most of her life to muster enough confidence to realize that she wasn't alone.

because in a garden filled with flowers of all sorts, the one that she craved most was the one that was unattainable. time and time again, her grandmother's voice echoed through her head. "we can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses." judith realized that though a rose's bush is filled with thorns, it's still admired for it's beauty. it still worth something, a flower so beautiful it's given by the dozen. though it usually paired with an "i love you," judith finally loved herself enough that she didn't need a bouquet of flowers or a phrase thrown around carelessy.

after all, "sometimes the purpose of a thorn is simply to draw attention to the rose." (3)

(1) adam stanley, (2) abraham Lincoln, (3) cristen rodgers

[aeth]

mark

[zaz]

reminder: this ends tomorrow! :)

[elf_of_the_hollow]

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ｔｈｉｓ ｌｉｆｅ ｉｓｎ'ｔ ｍｉｎｅ
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
|name. fiore [fee·or·ee] [Italian · flower]|| gender. female [she · her]||age. 38 years





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personality. elegant · sharp · secretive · enigmatic · enchanting · powerful · a force
to be reckoned with ||────►| she is not what you think she is. her beauty is into
xicating, her smile breathtaking, her charm captivating - but do not be fooled. she i
s powerful. she hides behind her world of luxury and glamour; a facade of smoke an
d wine, of pearls and diamonds. she lives steeped in dark mysteries, a world of mur
der and intrigue you've never seen -- and that you never want to for fear that you w
ill be next. her shroud of elegance fools her guests, the upper class of party goers,
who become like sitting ducks in her palms. she has no care for those with which she
associates, only that they get what they deserve. so she lives in a cloud of mystery,
of elegance and charm, where she lays her trap for the undeserved rich. she is not a
merciful mistress of fate but she is one of justice. ||────►| history. fiore grew u
p an only child, spoiled by her rich parents. she was vindictive in her youth, a terrify
ing force of power as her parents let her get away with anything. the servants in thei
r mansion were terrified of upsetting the young mistress -- all aside from one, her pe
rsonal maid and her closest friend. she would confide in her maid how she hated who
she had become, and how she wished she could start over and be a different person.
the maid tried her best to help the young mistress but to no avail, she was afraid tha
t fiore was already past redemption for her actions. though she was young, her temp
er was a horrifying force; she would lash out at even the smallest of remarks, deman
d that servants were fired for speaking of her in any tone other than praise. the mai
d struggled to stay on staff for fiore's sake, but soon found she could no longer suppo
rt herself on the low wage she made there. fiore demanded her parents pay her mor
e but they refused to listen -- fiore was no longer their precious child, for now she h
ad grown to be a young adult and no longer would her parents bend to her every wis
h. no longer able to find solace in her maid's words, fiore once again became a tyran
t, though now with a different target -- she only cared about how her parents, those
she believed would always care for her, had abandoned her the one time she felt it h
ad actually mattered. she swore she would no longer stand for the rich parents who
spoiled their children and underpaid their workers, for those who despite having eve
rything returned nothing when it truly mattered.|──►|extras. moodboard · playlist
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[qin]

"I'm pretty and delicate on the outside, but as sharp as a thorn on the inside."
Name: Madelyn | Gender: Female | Moodboard: Smell the Roses

The Beginning:

Madelyn was born into a family of her worrisome mother, protective father and older sister named Meredith who seemed to have the skills to perfect everything Madelyn tries. They lived as farmers in her kingdom, spending the long stretch of days continuously tending to wheat and milking the cows, just so they could support the family.

Madelyn would always seek out opportunities to impress her mother and father, as it seemed like Meredith was the one that always stood strong in the spotlight. Meredith was gorgeous, with long, silky hair and deceiving red eyes that shone with pride. Madelyn's sister was ambitious and headstrong, but remarkably good with her words. But whenever Madelyn tried to be like her perfect sister, her attempts would always be an utter embarrassment towards her overall self.

But then everything changed.

In a dizzy blur of a transition, Meredith became horribly ill. She was weak and could barely lift up her arms. Her mother was the one that constantly kept an eye on her, fear clouding in her eyes. It was now Madelyn's responsibility to take care of the farm with her father, until her sister got better. If her sister ever became better.

Now the sister that once shone in the spotlight was no longer able to even smile.

A New Quest:

Meredith was no longer her old self. Her illness stole everything she previously had, and in return gave Meredith a horrid sickness that it seemed like she would never overcome. Madelyn had very little idea what to think. Delight, that there was no longer anyone in the way of the spotlight? Fear, that Meredith would never become well again? Or even both? Madelyn was torn between which feeling was decently acceptable in a stressful way.

But one morning, when the sun rose with its light shining duller than usual, Madelyn sat uncomfortably in on the front porch of the house, a vivid fear drifting in her eyes. Staring out into the wheat field, getting quickly snapped out of her drowsy state by her father's call. Madelyn hurried over to her father, shrieks of alarm bursting in her mind.

"Madelyn, your sister is getting ill by the heartbeat," Madelyn's father started unsteadily. "Your mother and I supposed it was time for you to travel to the king's palace and ask for medicine. Before you go, your mother has a package of our finest milk and bread to offer the king, in exchange for medicine." Her father spoke urgently. A frightened feeling struck Madelyn, but she nodded. She took the package from her mother, prepared for the journey to the palace and headed off.

This was her chance to prove she was as worthy as her sister.

The King's Offering:

She had made it. She was at the great and glorious doors of the kingdom palace, surrounded by a numerous amount of guards wearing weary yet intimidating faces. Madelyn anxiously summoned her courage and walked up to one of the several guards, narrowing their eyes and giving her a suspicious glare.

"I am Madelyn, a daughter of a farmer. I have come here to ask the king for medicine to help my sister, who is currently very ill. In return my family offers this package of milk and bread, as well as our everlasting thanks." Madelyn spoke, her eyes focused on the guard that loomed over her, a wave of bitter uncertainty washing over.

The guard let out an aggressive grunt, but escorted her into the palace. Madelyn was taken aback in awe of how gorgeous the palace was. Shimmering crystals dangled from the roof, and a chandelier lathered with a fine gold colour hung as well. Beneath them was a priceless blue carpet, with white designs that seemed to represent some sort of mythical creature. Breathtaking paintings lined the walls, adding a captivating look to the hallway. It was a simple yet pleasant design, and Madelyn could barely imagine what the rest of the palace look liked.

After several moments of walking, the guard stopped and waited, keeping a proper posture. "Your majesty, I have a visitor for you. They are asking medicine, and in return offering a package of food." The guard spoke in a booming voice, but still sounded appropriate for the elegance of the whole area.

Madelyn expected an elderly man smothered with jewels of all sorts. But instead a young man appeared, a delighted look on his face. Surprise shot through Madelyn, but she kept quiet.

"Hello, young girl. Were you expecting the king?" He asked, and what seemed like kindness hinting in his voice.

Madelyn nodded, trying to hold back her bemusement.

"He got ahold of a horrible illness and perished. I, his son, am now taking over the role of caring for this wonderful kingdom. Now, medicine is what your asking for?" The new king asked, inspecting Madelyn with a curious gaze.

"Y...yes. My sister has caught onto an illness, possibly like your father's as she's been laying motionless in bed for too, too long." Madelyn explained, feeling a restless fear pulsing throughout her body. But the king's face turned from calm to sorrowful.

"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do, if it's the same illness father had. It has been rapidly spreading across the kingdom, and I don't think there's a cure for it." The king sighed, shaking his head. "I suppose your sister will have the same unfortunate fate as my father - and your previous king - had."

Disbelief make Madelyn trembled furiously, clenching her fists into a tight ball. "So you're going to let the whole kingdom die because of your naive thoughts of there being absolutely nothing to fix it? What kind of ruler are you? I bet a newborn cow would rule this kingdom better than you! What an inexperienced king you are!" Madelyn snapped. "You're going to let my sister die! Are you insane?" She demanded, shock suddenly appearing on the king's face.

The guard was getting ready to take Madelyn away, but the king stopped them. "But there is something I can do. You are a intelligent one, and you were brave to snap back so fiercely. Especially astonishing coming from such a delicate and soft looking creature." The king mused, pacing around in circles.

"And?" Madelyn snarled, feeling quite offended that the king was so open about telling Madelyn about her 'delicate and soft' demeanor. It was only another point to add to the fact he was a terrible choice for a king.

"I'll let you stay in my palace, and be showered with riches. But notice I said you, and only you. Not your mother, not your father, not anyone of your family. I'm exclusively inviting you. You're able to accept or decline my offer, but you have until tomorrow night to make your final decision and talk to me." The king hastily offered. "You are now excused."

Madelyn felt herself choking on seemingly nothing. A life of luxury, but without her family? What type of betrayal was that? She was loyal to her family, but getting to live in the royal palace? That was a once in a lifetime offer, and the king just offered her that.

Madelyn walked off, uneasiness jabbing at her.

A Mournful Goodbye:

Madelyn arrived home in a stressful manner. What was she going to finally decide? Would her parents approve? Would the king approve? Would anyone approve?

"Mother, Father, I have arrived home." She announced, but she couldn't stop the gloominess that struck harshly into her words. "But with no medicine. The king said that there's no cure for the illness Meredith has." Madelyn explained, walking into the room where her sister normally laid limp, with her mother anxiously sitting next to the old, creaking bed.

Madelyn caught the faces of her mother and father, their eyes barely able to look anywhere. Tears slithered endlessly down their faces, and they were in a heartbroken mood, telling from their weak stance. Then it hit her. Sister had died.

Madelyn could barely build up the energy to walk over to her sister's bed. But once she did, Madelyn gently hand her head on her sister's hands, feeling tears drip down her face and form a puddle beneath her legs.

"Goodbye, Meredith. You, my sister, struggled long enough. You'll be missed." Madelyn choked out. "I'm sorry I was so envious of you. Meredith, if only the king wasn't so stubborn, there might have been something that could've saved you... but you're gone. And it's the king to blame."

The Decision:

She knew every word that'd spill out of her mouth whens she confronted the shameful excuse for a king. She was in the same hallway Madelyn walked along, where she first met the new king. The king that didn't deserve his title. The king that didn't deserve his riches. The king that deserved nothing. The king that let her sister die.

When the king appeared in sight, she immediately noticed his cheery smile. The smile that'd she soon wipe off his face. The smile replaced with a never ending sequence of regret. Regret that he's letting these innocent souls die of a disease as awful as himself. Regret that's he, as well, let his own father die.

"No. I'll not live in your lousy palace. I am not the soft and delicate flower you think I am. I'm sharp and fierce like a thorn, and you'll regret everything you have done." Madelyn instantly growled, not waiting for the king to say anything first. She needed to get her point across, and show the unforgettable mistakes he has made. "You have let your own father die. And my sister just left the world because of you. I should know, because a rose is always going to be tough."

[zaz]

will post a winner ASAP!

[zaz]

Long Post Ahead!
I decided since you all put so much effort into this contest that I'd personally write commentary on your forms! (I'm writing this as I'm reading them.)🌹


@christina. - You have such a way of writing!! I love the language you used when they talked like "ma'am" and "go on, then. tell her!" and "oh!" like idk I just like the way you adapted the language to suit the time period. This story is really beautiful and I felt immersed in the story as if I could imagine the garden right in front of me. I've read the Twelfth Night before so it was kind of fun to see that it was in the story + I understood the references. Well done!!!

@.paris. - This moodboard is pretty, I like the gif of the water! I've only read the first paragraph so far and I already find this a really creative take on the design, I can tell the markings on the legs reminded you of henna, and that's what they were inspired by! This is a similar story to christina.'s, but both of yours are so beautifully different! I love the bit where it says "beautiful and deadly". OML THIS ENDING IS SO FRICKEN PRETTY I'M DONE

@feminine - First of all the name Judith/Jude is so cute I love it!! Also, I really like the way the story is told like you're telling it to an audience, that was a really good idea! When you said "they were stubborn─ they wouldn't leave the branches of the shrub without a great amount of force, and even if you were successful, it was likely you felt the wrath of their thorns. she could only admire them without touching" really, like, touched my soul for some reason. Like it felt it on a deep personal level ya dig. "the one person to ever love her was no longer around, and she didn't know if she could even fill that role herself." & "judith realized that though a rose's bush is filled with thorns, it's still admired for it's beauty." are two of the realest things I've ever heard.

@jazzyyazi - Although you didn't qualify because in your form it had no name or gender, this was a very beautiful poem! I love that it indicated that it was written about a rose.

@elf_of_the_hollow - I find it really interesting that unlike the others, you made her much older at the age of 38, that was really nice to see for me. Also unlike the others, the moodboard you made had nothing to do with roses, and it was still very well done and conveyed her personality! As I read what you wrote all I can see is Fiona from American Horror Story: Coven. I really love that you don't write about her from a positive perspective, you write about her flaws and really flesh out the character and that she's a "terrifying force of power" (wow). Also, the art on the side is beautiful!

@Diamond Sapphire - Similar to elf, the art on the top is very beautiful! Also, by the way I love the name that you chose for her sister, it seems very fitting. Madelyn's defiance and willingness to yell at the prince (king?) is really cool. In the end I thought that Madelyn would change her mind about the prince and they'd become friends, but that just goes to show me not to assume things, haha. I liked the way it ended, though, it was interesting for me to read something that didn't end like I had predicted it to!
Overall, this was a really fun journey to read.

Conclusion; I didn't expect so many people to enter for this, let alone so many people to do such a good job!! You all did wonderful and I'm really glad you guys all liked this design! christina. has extremely beautiful choices of words, and Diamond Sapphire & .paris.'s stories were extremely fun to read, almost like they were adventures. I completely relate to feminine's story, and I appreciate how realistic it is, and it resonated with me in my heart as I read it. On that note, I'd like to announce our winner..

elf_of_the_hollow, congratulations! after reading your form, it just kept sticking with me and I really loved it, enjoy Fiore!

don't worry, though, all of you did such a beautiful job that I want to reward you all in some way!
Diamond Sapphire and feminine will each receive 2 HMS, which can be traded in for items in the Guppy Shop!

and I'd like to offer christina. and .paris. RUs! they will be somewhat based on the stories that you told! please post here or PM me if you want to accept them -- if you don't want them, they will be given to feminine and Diamond Sapphire!

see you guys, good luck in your next contests!!!

[qin]

eey congrats elf !! your art was beautiful ,, and your writing was equally as stunning as well <3 and congrats christina and paris on the RUs !! yall totally deserved it <333

and thank you for the hm as well ! and congrats to feminine, the other hm winner, as well <3