Hagebutten, Rose hips

Wildrose, Raublättrige Rose, Rosa Jundzillii

All’s Fair In Love And Squares

A spooky October birthday to my friend Olivia!! 

Blake slid the knight over to the right in an “L” shape, her cheek leaning on her fisted hand as she took her index finger off the chess piece that Yang had once called a “cute little pony”. 

Blake’s smile at the memory was small, yet soft and genuine. It was in that moment she knew that Yang had never played chess before. In fact, she still refused to this day, as did Weiss—who balked at a chess board because her dad used to make her play—and Ruby—who refused Blake for the same reason that Yang did. 

“Aw,” the Xiao Long sisters would say with the same combination of a pout and a snarl. “Can’t we do something fun?”

But chess was fun for Blake. She missed playing with her parents, missed how her father squirmed in his seat, genuinely struggling and trying to get Blake distracted in order to “even the playing field”. She missed how her mother still let her win despite the fact that she was all grown up now. Blake had only heard of her mother being a champion chess player and begged her mom to not just let her win, but the lie that followed was always the same: “I am playing, Blake”.

And yet the golden chess championship trophies gleamed in the corner, the name “Kali Belladonna” etched on a golden label. Blake’s ears always sank in disappointment.

When Blake was at Beacon, she and Pyrrha would play chess on Saturday mornings, Blake armed with a cup of tea and Pyrrha armed with hot chocolate—no one on team JNPR drank coffee in case Nora showed up and took a sip. Ren banned her a long time ago and Jaune and Pyrrha quickly decided that it was a wise decision on Ren’s part.

Pyrrha didn’t know how to play at first, only agreeing because she was too nice to say no, but as Blake taught her Pyrrha began to genuinely enjoy the game. She even won once. Blake wished that she had won just one more time.

Blake’s opponent in the present moment actually surprised her. Usually, once she got to know someone enough, she would ask them to play chess. But Oscar, after the growing group had arrived in Atlas, turned on a whim and said with with no prompt:

“Wanna play chess?”

Blake wasn’t sure what to say at first. She hadn’t played since Beacon and had almost forgotten. Even when she visited her parents in Menagerie the thought didn’t even occur to her. It was like a forgotten toy of her childhood. Blake tipped her head.

“Yeah right,” she said, not believing. Oscar’s big eyes went wide and confused at the dry, sarcastic reply. Blake turned to Yang.

“Did you put him up to this?”

“No,” Yang said, shaking her head. Her ignorance was genuine. “I forgot you liked to play…and you know my jokes are far less complicated than elaborate schemes.”

And so Blake and Oscar began to play chess on Tuesday afternoons, not in the library like at Beacon, but just in the dorm room team RWBY inhabited. Everywhere else just seemed too fancy, too formal. Besides, Atlas Academy was so ingrained into the military that there was always some sort of commotion. Blake and Oscar both liked the quietude of calm in the dorm when no one else but them was in it, but of course they welcome the occasional bout of drama. 

The first week they played chess together they were audience members to Ruby and Weiss having a lively discussion arguing about mint chocolate chip ice cream and whether or not it was a good flavor. Oscar and Blake both hid their laughs and tried to blend into the background.

But so far not much had happened this second week, Blake and Oscar playing chess in a comfortable silence with the occasional small talk. Blake’s mind was set a bit more on winning this time, Oscar winning the week prior.

She blamed his endlessly reincarnating mind.

“Ruby and Yang are an mission clearing out Grimm in the city,” Blake said. She knew about how Oscar’s cheeks blushed when Ruby was around, hopefully this would distract him.

Oh gods.

She was turning into her father.

But Oscar only nodded as he moved a pawn.

“Ren went to train again,” he explained. “So Nora wanted to find a place in Mantle that served breakfast for dinner. She dragged Jaune and Weiss with her. I’m just hoping she doesn’t order coffee, or else she’ll keep us up all night.” 

Blake smiled. He caught on quick.

“Do you like coffee?” Blake asked. She was thinking about her next move.

Oscar shook his head.

“I tried some of my aunt’s once,” he said. “Too bitter.” 

Blake moved a pawn two places.

“I definitely agree,” Blake said. “Ruby adds a bunch of cream and sugar, but at that point you might as well just drink milk.”

Oscar snickered and nodded. He moved his knight and claimed one of her bishops. Damn was he close to calling checkmate. Blake had to up her game, both of the games she was playing. She sat up straight.

“Do you have a favorite?”

Oscar’s next move was pivotal. He wasn’t a single move away from checkmate, which gave Blake a chance to pull this off, but he still had to think about each move a great deal, which is why he didn’t move immediately.

“A favorite what?” Oscar said as he stared at the board, both hands supporting his cheeks.

“A favorite one of us,” Blake prompted. 

Oscar had a lightning-like focus on the board, only furrowing his brow as he slowly registered the question.

A crisp “hm” was all he managed. He wasn’t paying her any attention at all. He moved his knight again. 

“Checkmate.”

Blake’s lips popped open in shock and the door swung open. 

“Hey guys,” Ruby’s voice piped, her and Yang shedding their weapons and the extra layers that kept them warm. “How’s the game going?”

And there it was. The blush. Oscar almost knocked over his chair standing up.

“G-good,” Oscar said. He cleared his throat. “I won.”

“Why are you guys late?” Blake asked. Ruby and Yang exchanged glances.

“Sorry, Mom,” Yang said pointedly as she walked the length of the dorm. “We didn’t know there was a curfew.” The blonde huntress plopped on her bed, letting her exhaustion seep into the mattress. 

“Kinda weird how she likes us around when she plays chess these days, huh Yang?” Ruby asked rhetorically. “She used to shoo us out of the library.”

“Well you can’t bother the master, now can you?” Yang teased. “She might get herself distracted and lose the game. Maybe she’s trying to distract Oscar, get him to lose.”

Blake’s cat ears had already flattened, and she was already angrily setting up the chess board for a rematch.

“I wonder if Blake’s mom would play for real against Oscar,” Ruby said. “That would definitely be something.”

“Don’t you guys have better things to do?” Blake said loudly, frustrated.

“I suppose we could head to the commissary,” Yang said with a sigh, standing up and heading out the door with her sister. “Good luck.”

Oscar slowly sat down once they left. Blake heard his inhale, but she stopped him with a held-up finger already hearing her mom’s “I promise I won’t go easy on you” in his gangly fifteen year-old tones.

“Don’t you dare,” Blake said. “I’m winning this one fair and square.”

The Harkness Rose

Upper image:  Ena Harkness Climbing Rose

Middle image:  Anne Harkness 

Lower image:   Anne Hathaway

jamie from the haunting of bly manor

I did the artwork for this one ages ago, but wasn't happy with the colors at all, until I tried using this beautiful drawing by @jennlso as base for my palette. go check out jenn's art!

Hanging with her girlfriend momentarily before bunking down for a casual nap with the bros.

ladies is it straight to nap with your bro 😳

“Ack-!” Why is this so difficult!”

The desperate half-cry of a man that stood in a Camellian jewelry shop. He sounded completely distressed, as he gathered a clump of his own hair into his hands that rested against his head. As much as this red-head racked his brain, it just didn’t seem able to come up with an answer.

“Why must gift shopping for women be so hard? I just want to give my precious peony something to make her smile, but only choosing one is like pulling teeth!”

Surprisingly, for someone of his status, Tyler actually didn’t have loads of money to throw around & spend willy-nilly, his funds was very limited thanks to his step-mother. Normally, he would just go & pick his beloved Ann some flowers, but actually having money to spend this time means he wanted to buy her something special.

Yet, Tyler found himself struggling to pick only one item. He simply wanted to buy her the whole shop rather then a single piece of jewelry!

Slices by Josef Bsharah

Autumn Colours

There are some wonderful colours in Old Hall Gardens at this time of year! Here are just a few. Guelder-rose with its red berries, Asters, and Dogwood

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The Gardens

Just out in the country visiting Monet So, back in Paris. Woke up on a gorgeous Sunday morning and figured out the public transit route to meet with a group to go to the countryside for a tour of Giverny and Versailles. I went to art school, and like most of the world have a continuing love for impressionism. When I was obsessively planning my trtip, I flashed back to going to MOMA as soon as it…

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Garden tulips, April 2021

got another little something coming your way next week 🪴🇫🇷

let me know if you want to be on the taglist!

Morning glory buds! Finally! Almost morning glories!

wiley-treehouse-gardens

A photo-dump of Ziggy in our back garden, feels so good to finally be in our own flat. Can't describe how good the feeling is of having your own home, finally.

my little sunshine😭🤲

Going to my first Boston Bruins game today at TD Garden!!!! So excited!!!

Let’s Go Bruins!!!🐻🖤💛🏒

🐻Bruins 🆚 🦈Sharks 1pm!!

龍安寺 Ryōan-ji

Rock garden

did my cat effectively utilize girlpower when she lay on my face to get my attention and triggered my allergies

Me and my housemate made pumpkin heads for Halloween mines more over the garden wall inspired and hers is more horror movie inspired I'll post a full outfit on Halloween