#[ side muse // serena ]

[moved-to-civic-hub]

The egg wiggles just before a small crack forms and tiny peeping can be heard.

[diiistcntlands]

It's been six months now and Serena has gotten noticeably bigger.

[dawnedon]

would yall be mad if i just put giratina here as a side muse....

[thehopelessyouth]

DWC February 2025 - Day 5 - Holiday (And likely Annoy)

This was the day. The day. The day of love.

It came but once a year, yet it was the pinnacle of yearning whispers, poetic musings, and carefully scripted declarations designed to set hearts aflame. Selithar twirled around his chamber, giddy with delight, his own heart swelling with anticipation as his mind danced between the many beauties who had captured his eye. But whom would he choose? Who, among them, would he name his greatest desire?

He sank into his chair, quill poised in one hand while the other absently ran through his raven-drenched locks. He reached for a sheet of parchment. Then another. And another. How could he confine his affections to just one?

No—he would not. He could not.

He would write to them all.

And thus the letters were sent and received as such: @themadamelioness - My lovely Lioness. The object of my endless desires... how I crave your touch, your words that flux between harsh need and softening despair. You opened my eyes to a path I did not believe existed and thus, I am yours. Yours to mould and shape to your will. Do you know you haunt my dreams? I see nothing but shapely legs, white silks and golden tresses that frame a face more pure than any religion. And like any religion, I fall to my knees for thee! I long to await our next physical encounter... let me be the Lion and let us start our own pride. @nahisummerhold - To the Singer. The Temptress. I have seen your dark skin. Your violet eyes. Your beauty knows no bounds. No limits. When I saw you I was spellbound. Silvermoon holds true to many beautiful things but none can compare to thee. Hearing your voice wafting through the air brought a stillness to me that none other can replicate. I pray that the binder collection of my photographs spurred a sense of need within you as well. Perhaps we shall meet. Perhaps we shall kindle this spark that clearly both of us feel... @kelzthalasbandtherion - I called you something terrible. For that, I apologize. I was blinded by the light you shine so brightly upon me. Were it to be different, I would have you're lips against mine instead of your fist - which, given the broken jaw I sustained, tells me you are laden with need just as I am. Let me placate that. Let me show you the whims and wonderment of desire that no other man can. @safrona-shadowsun - My beloved Courier. I would have you deliver your desires unto my doorstep so that we may imbibe upon them in a heated exchange of the physical nature. You are oft hooded but I would say let fly your facial beauty and allow Azeroth to gaze freely upon perfection. If you do, then I will apologize ahead of time as I will not stop myself from singing my praises unto your porcelain perfection. @serenas-dawnsinger - Strange. The address is the same as the Courier. Ah well. We do not know each other but I have seen your golden eyes blaze like the sun from afar. Your hair... dark like the night just like mine. We look almost as siblings would... only we don't because I am attracted to you intimately. I would like to know you more. To hear your voice speak longingly to me just as mine would to you. ...Also are you kidnapped or something? @sanguinesorceress - You are... scary. However, there is something ethereally beautiful about you. The way you're ghost-like apparition floats eloquently across the ground. I wonder what lies behind that crimson cowl? Perhaps you might savour me the opportunity to find out? @duraxxor - Even the month of love somehow has me penning a missive to you, foul knave. This is not a note of affection but an underlining statement: you and I shall do battle and I shall mete out your evil from this realm. Your pointy, scary teeth do not scare me. Nor does that sausage face! I will cast you asunder like the knave you are. Then all the maidens shall flock to my side in reverence and joy as I have dispatched a monster most foul. Until then! @kharrisdawndancer - We don't know each other but I was transfixed upon your visage when I saw you from afar. I could you dance as you stepped so lightly across the stones as if music was embedded within your very soul. I profess to you: I am an able dancer. The two-step and I are very familiar with one another and I offer my hand to thee. Dance with me and let our loins coagulate in splendour. @lostofwyrmrest - Beautiful one. You do not know me. I do not know you. But I have seen you and I crave to know more of you. Soft skin atop pale-laden eyes of pure milken joy is but a small sampling of how my own eyes devour you with need. So remove yourself from that smelly companion of yours the undead are unsavoury after all. Then come to me and I will show you what a -living- man can do. ...wait you're not undead as well are you?

@susan-gampre - A Madam of a brothel. My elegance demands I dismiss you for your choice of profession but my eyes drink in your form all the same. Run away with me. Run away from your whores and your "Sisters of Sin" and come with me to a world of pleasure that you have not experienced. I would bed you for an unyielding time of 3 to 4 minutes and leave you breathless for an eternity. @eluviannaa - Kissed by the Void! No... made love to by the Void! How transfixed was I when I lay eyes upon your soft, pale, skin. Skin that I long to caress with my slender digits and thin lips. And your purple-infused eyes. I lose myself in them like the void. So I beg of you... let me dive into your nightmare. Let our loins become as one as our planes of existence come crashing together in love for one to two minutes. ---------- Each letter was signed with the initials "SD" and a photograph was also enclosed:

@daily-writing-challenge

[suusoh]

Monster Drag Race headcanons

ola. remember how I said i will not be monster posting? yeah me too <3

I first thought of Johan as the lipsync assassin, but he rarely makes it into the bottom with his runway looks. So maybe the only time he does lipsync is for his legacy

that being said, lipsync assassin either goes to miss Nina fortner (stunt queen <33), Lunge (captures the vibes and emotions of the song, so he knows if its supposed to be an emotional, comedic, sassy, etc.), or Grimmer (knows how to make the judges and ru laugh and grab their attention)

Eva heinemman is not a lipsync assassin but does have one lipsync that's more iconic than other seasons before or after her.

that being said about who the lipsync assassins, Johan is a RUNWAY QUEEN. Looks are always snatched and gags international audiences everywhere. (he gives me very violet chachki vibes <3)

Speaking of Johan, his most viewed video is in the reading challenge

reads queens to FILTH. There's 30 minute compilations of him on youtube just absolutely reading the fuck out of everyone. It's shocking how fast and accurately he reads. Not even cocky or smirky. He's just reading casually.

LUNGE WINS SNATCH GAME. HANDS DOWN 🙌 went toe to toe with Johan. Although both embodied their character to a T, Johan bantering along as his character and his answers always hit, his character is a bit popular and could be played by another queen as well. Whereas Lunge wins because the character he chose is slightly more specific and does things that make people convinced that only Lunge could be able to pull off that snatch game character.

Grimmer gives me comedy queen vibes. Very unserious, very silly. Very Tammy Brown, Jimbo, Tia Kofi, Jinx, or Bob. Grimmer also wins miss congeniality.

Some might say Kenzo for congeniality.... but Kenzo is more on the lowkey. Also sided with and defended the wrong queen in the early parts of the season when he was still playing it safe. Acknowledges his mistake in All Stars

Some might say Nina too, but surprisingly, I wouldn't put Nina under there because Nina can cuss a bitch out if needed but it's super rare (has a full on blown out argument with Johan and it's featured on Untucked) and lowkey throws shade all the time (think that Rose moment where Kandy muse asked "do you think I'm arrogant?" and rose answering "a little bit." without missing a beat HAHAHHAHAHAH)

SPEAKING OF DRAMA MOMENTS.

who are the most dramatic queens? Johan, Bonaparta, Eva, and Roberto.

Johan intentionally causes drama lowkey. institagates fights and stuff. Everyone, including the audience barely realise how some fights among contestants are from Johan's doing.

Bonaparta unintentionally becomes the "everyone vs. _____" queen (Laganja, Mimi Imfurst, Serena Cha Cha, Aiden Zhane, Kandy Muse) HFDSHJFAF. He's trying to defend himself but the girls are circling around him 😭 becomes the most hated queen for a while.

Eva intentionally causes drama but HIGHKEY. Starts drama because the producers told her to and she knows that this is reality tv so might as well give the audience what they really came here for. People love her for it because it's iconic when she does it.

Roberto also intentionally causes drama, thinking he's cool and lowkey like johan, but ends up being highkey about it. People hate him for it. Does not look cool at all and comes off as attention seeking and cringe. comments section is filled with "they really thought they ate that..." "go girl give us NOTHING 😍", branded as the delusional queen JSKFHHJJJAHAJA

Karl shares an almost friendly and honest moment with Johan. Audience becomes GAGGED when Johan eliminates him out. (Johan being Johan, there will be fans defending the moment saying "it was a long time coming" or "Johan was right. next week is about the top queens now, and Karl just does not cut it.")

Along with Nina, miss LOTTEEEEEEE calls out johan from time to time. She may look like a safe queen, but she knows when Johan is being shady. People quote her all the time.

Lotte is an underrated queen. Might have been playing it safe with her looks and even made it to the bottom two a lot in the early seasons, but miss m'am came to play later on. Unexpected queen slayer later on in the seasons. Fans love her redemption.

Jan Suk gets eliminated early, but was pretty wholesome while he was there. Probably becomes a meme, despite not being a popular queen who stays long. ("miss vanjie")

Johan does NOT win drag race. He self eliminates Ben de la Creme style. Some people online say it's cause he just didn't want to be in the show anymore and is tired, some say that he did it because he knew Nina would be eliminated so he gave himself, some say it's a political statement against the show and how he doesn't agree with the staging and fakeness of everything. But it's a fourth secret option that we will never know. (turns out he just got eliminated over breaking a small technical error staying past the cast curfew in the hotel. Technical guidelines put that to prevent queens from cheating and working on their dresses or outsourcing outside the show. Also it turns out he was taking a massive smoke break (which is also breaking anotherpolicy in the hotel 😭 aFDSF) he just voted himself to make his elimination look iconic )

to this day fans keep saying Johan was robbed of the crown (no tf he wasn't.)

start drama in the comments <33

[thetorturedmusesdept]

Plotting Call - Renaissance Event

Below the cut is a plotting/starter call for the Renaissance Event! I will be capping everyone at 3 starters max. Below I have outlined my muses jobs and specifics (subject to change if we plot something different) and plot ideas, so like this/react to my post of this in the discord to plot, and reply to this post with any starters you want!

Starting with muses that are unaware and think they've been in this era since arriving/their whole life:

Abigail (Starters: 1/3 lucy gray/drvcxrys)

Human. Musician / Piper (pipe player) and Nakerer (small steel drum player.) Thinks it's been like this her whole life. Open to fellow musicians, and people who hire her to play at taverns/businesses/events. 

Alice Kingsleigh (Starters: 3/3 sella/mcrcki, cheshire/strawbrryrush, ally/devilsmenu)

Human. Artist (painter.) Thinks it's been like this since she arrived in this world. Open to people who buy her art/commission her for paintings, fellow tavern buddies, and people to adventure with in search of magical creatures.

Bean (Starters: 1/3 rosamund/ofsvnlightt)

Human. Princess from a foreign land. Thinks it's been like this her whole life so it's almost like she's Aware but not quite. Open to other nobles and fellow tavern drinking buddies.

Caitlin Snow (Starters: 0/3)

Meta-human (though Unaware of it.) Bartap (bartender at a tavern.) Thinks it's been like this her whole life. Open to regulars at the tavern, someone who sees her accidentally use her powers for the first time and accuses her of witchcraft, and coworkers at the tavern.

Chiaki Nanami (Starters: 1/3 mu qing/masqce)

Human. Messenger. Thinks it's been like this her whole life. Open to people to give her messages to deliver and people to deliver messages to.

Connor RK800 (Starters: 2/3 serena/vcndetta, astrid/ofsvnlightt)

Human. Knight. Thinks it's been like this his whole life. Open to people to protect, criminals to stop/capture/attempt to stop or capture, and fellow knights!

Evelyn Serpeni (Starters: 0/3)

Vampire. Stewswoman (brothel owner.) Thinks it's been like this since she arrived. Open to employees (harlots - she treats them very well,) customers of her employees, and people to feed on (they would die.)

Gareth Parry (Starters: 0/3)

Human. Lawyer. Thinks it's been like this since he arrived. Open to people who he has represented in court, opposing sides in cases that have gone to court, judges, and coworkers.

Gillian Owens (Starters: 0/3)

Witch. Merchant at an herbalist's shop. Thinks it's been like this since arriving. Open to being accused of witchcraft, fellow witches/maybe a coven she's a part of, and customers at the shop.

Hans Westergaard (Starters: 1/3 anna/drvcxrys)

Human. Stable Owner/Horse Trainer. Thinks it's been like this his whole life. Open to people who's horses he's trained, riders at his stable, coworkers, and fellow tavern goers.

Hiccup (Starters: 1/3 sgaeyl/wvsteria)

Human. Hermit and Protector of Dragons. Thinks it's been like this since he arrived. Open to dragon slayers, and people who want to understand and protect dragons.

Jack Frost (Starters: 1/3 sha hualing/mvsicinthedvrk)

Spirit of Winter. Guardian of Fun. Thinks it's been like this since he arrived. Open to being accused of witchcraft, people who know about his powers/status as spirit of winter and keep his secret, people to inspire with fun, and people to have fun/adventures with.

Jane Bennet (Starters: 0/3)

Human. Nursery Maid (child caregiver.) Thinks it's been like this since she arrived. Open to people with children that she's cared for, and fellow nursery maids.

Jennifer Check (Starters: 2/3 satana/devilsmenu, cass/wvsteria)

Succubus. Harlot. Thinks it's been like this her whole life. Open to brothel owner, customers, fellow harlots, being accused of witchcraft, and people she either eats as meals or attempts to eat.

Jud Zire (Starters: 1/3 juliette/mcrcki)

Human. Tax Collector. Thinks it's been like this since he arrived. Open to coworkers, people he can complain about his job to, people to collect taxes from, people who he tracks down to pay their tax debts they're avoiding, and fellow tavern drinkers.

Kim Possible (Starters: 1/3 veronica/vcndetta)

Human. Spy. Thinks it's been like this since she arrived. Open to someone to spy for like a noble or diplomat etc, someone to spy on, and fellow spies.

Lara Croft (Starters: 0/3)

Human. Cartographer. Thinks it's been like this since she arrived. Open to fellow cartographers or those in similar fields, people she would make or study maps for, and people to go on adventures with.

Lilo Pelekai (Starters: 1/3 ashley/vcndetta)

Human. Barmaid (waitress at a tavern.) Thinks it's been like this her whole life. Open to customers, tavern owner, coworkers, and magical beings she'd keep the secret of.

Louise Belcher (Starters: 1/3 nathan/blxxdycherryblossoms)

Human. Jester. Thinks it's been like this her whole life. Open to people to work for/entertain, and fellow jesters.

Marie (Starters: 1/3 jester/ofsvnlightt)

Human. Troubadour (minstrel who specializes in romance.) Thinks it's been like this her whole life. Open to employers she sings for, musicians who accompany her with an instrument, and people who have heard her sing/fans.

Mary Jane Watson (Starters: 1/3 felicia/devilsmenu)

Human. Thespian (actress.) Thinks it's been like this since she arrived. Open to fellow actors, playwrights/etc, and audience members/fans.

Melody (Starters: 1/3 lucy/devilsmenu)

Half-mermaid. Jeweler. Thinks it's been like this since she arrived. Open to people who have bought her jewelry or commissioned her for pieces, fellow jewelers or crafters, and someone to accuse her of witchcraft.

Millie (Starters: 2/3 loona/drvcxrys, moxxie/strawbrryrush)

Human. Assassin/Mercenary. Thinks it's been like this since she arrived. Open to people who have hired/hire her to target someone or shake them down, targets to try and kill/shake down, and fellow assassins/mercenaries.

Mittens (Starters: 1/3 jabba/vcndetta)

Human. Diver (pick-pocket) and Fence (stolen goods saleswoman.) Thinks it's been like this her whole life. Open to people she can steal from, people she can sell to, and fellow thieves.

Pam Beesly (Starters: 1/3 romeo/devilsmenu)

Human. Artist (painter.) Thinks it's been like this since she arrived. Open to a mentor that can help her improve her painting skills, people who make fun of her art, people who enjoy her art and maybe even purchase it, and fellow artists.

Persephone (Starters: 0/3)

Goddess. Gardener. Thinks it's been like this her whole life. Open to fellow gardeners, people she can garden for, people to worship her, and someone to accuse her of witchcraft.

Rosie (Starters: 0/3)

Human. Cantor (church choir leader.) Thinks it's been this way since she arrived. Open to choir members, church employees, churchgoers, and someone to accuse her of being a demon or of witchcraft.

Vanessa Shelly (Starters: 1/3 chiye/mvsicinthedvrk)

Human. Guardswoman. Thinks it's been like this since she arrived. Open to someone to work for as a Guard, and criminals to catch or attempt to catch.

Woody Pride (Starters: 1/3 dongfang qingcang/mvsicinthedvrk)

Human. Sherriff. Thinks it's been like this his whole life. Open to coworkers, criminals to catch or attempt to catch, people that have been in his jail before, and people to protect.

Muses that are aware of the change in era and are confused and alarmed:

Catra (Starters: 0/3)

Cat-human hybrid. Rat catcher. Noticed that the modern DC she believes she's always lived in is now, well, not modern and is freaked about it and hiding her non-human status as best she can. Open to people who hire her to catch rats, and someone to accuse her of witchcraft.

Cecilia Anderson (Starters: 0/3)

Vampire. Librarian. Noticed the change right away and is trying her best not to freak out too much. Open to fellow librarians, people who use the library often, and people to feed on (they would die.)

Dash Parr (Starters: 1/3 violet/drvcxrys)

Super-human. Mason (bricklayer.) Was a little slow on the uptake but now he's just really weirded out. Trying to live as normally as possible. Open to coworkers, and people to work for building homes or buildings.

Eryx Droagon (Starters: 0/3)

Human. Mule driver. Adjusted pretty quickly surprisingly. Open to people he drives around, and fellow mule drivers.

Hades (Starters: 1/3 harry/hiddenpxpercuts)

God. Tavern Owner. Finds this whole thing pretty amusing to tell the truth. Open to tavern-goers, employees, people to worship him, and people to mess with.

Inuyasha (Starters: 0/3)

Half-dog-demon. Hunter. Is kind of feeling more at home but also not and he's just weirded out by everything being so odd - also hiding his dog ears. Open to people he hunts for/people who buy his kills, and people he gives his kills to for free because they can't afford food and are going hungry.

Jim Hawkins (Starters: 0/3)

Human. Astronomer. Is wondering what the hell is going on but trying to adjust. Open to fellow astronomers, and people who share his love of the stars in general.

Marcus (Starters: 0/3)

Vampire. Scribe. Was confused at first but is adjusting. Open to an employer(s), and fellow scribes.

Megara (Starters: 0/3)

Human. Famulus (attendant to a wizard/witch.) Finds this whole thing odd and frustrating and just wants DC to stop, please. Open to an employer (PLEASE), and being accused of witchcraft (for working with a wizard/witch.)

Meredith Grey (Starters: 1/3 soren/wvsteria)

Human. Plague Doctor. Is seriously freaked out to be honest. Open to patients, fellow doctors, and people to freak out with.

Sibella Dracula (Starters: 1/3 sara/vcndetta)

Vampire. Tailor/Clothesmaker. Is honestly amused with the change of pace and is enjoying herself. Open to people she's made clothing for, fellow tailors, and people to feed on (they would not die or be turned.)

Violet Bridgerton (Starters: 1/3 edwina/hiddenpxpercuts)

Human. Nursery Maid (child caregiver.) She's really trying not to freak out about the change, but luckily this is closer to what she's used to so there's not much adjusting. Open to a family or two whose children she takes care of, and fellow nursery maids.

Zachary Peterson (Starters: 0/3)

Vampire. Carpenter. Finds this whole thing incredibly fucking weird and doesn't really know what to do but is trying to not freak out too much? Open to people he's built things for or fixed things for, and people to feed from (they would die.)

[raeflora]

525,000 (moments so dear)

[1 year in the life of Blair, Chuck and Henry ♡ rated e]

chapter 1- January (a month to refresh and restart)

The pale morning light filters through the curtains, hitting the bed at just the right angle to make Blair groan and pull the duvet higher around herself. Maybe if she doesn't open her eyes then her head won't ache, and she can stay in this blissful cocoon of warmth and pretend it's not the morning. That the only place she and Chuck have to be is in this bed with each other.

Chuck stirs next to her, his hand running over her bare waist under the duvet, seeking her hand that still clutches at the duvet. He effortlessly links his fingers with hers and pulls her back onto his chest, their bodies fitting together by instinct. Blair sighs softly as he runs his palm up and down her arm, her own fingers tracing patterns on his bare chest, burying her face between the pillow and his shoulder.

"Good morning" she mumbles into his skin, pressing a kiss to his neck.

"Good morning" Chuck returns, tilting his head to try and kiss her cheek.

Blair nuzzles against him, "we don't have to move, right?"

"Not unless you don't want breakfast"

"Give me five minutes" is her groaned reply.

They stay in a comfortable silence, Chuck's hand resuming it's familiar path across her arm and down her back. The warmth spreading over her skin is far more agreeable than the sunlight still fighting to get under the duvet. But then, the duvet is being flung back, the cool air mixing with the warmth of the sun, and Blair's face lands on Chuck's pillow.

"Hey!" she huffs, anger fading at the sight of her husband's casually naked body, "I said five minutes"

Chuck smirks at her, pulling his robe on slowly, almost provocative in his movements, "you said it five minutes ago"

"So you're starting 2017 by improving your timekeeping?"

"Actually," he leans down to give her a real good morning kiss, "I started 2017 by hearing you scream my name, which was far more pleasurable"

"So why your sudden interest in breakfast?" she challenges still, turning as Chuck walks around their bed to her side, "And don't say you're hungry, Bass. I know it's not Dorota's croissants you want right now" she finishes, eyes flickering down his robe clad form and back up to hold his gaze, lips curling mischievously.

"While that may be true, there's someone upstairs who's probably craving Dorota's breakfast spread right now"

"Henry's not due up until 7:30 and right now it's only-" Blair turns to face the clock, eyes widening, "7:30. Chuck! You let me sleep this long?" she darts up and into Chuck's arms, already holding her robe open.

"You were very, very tired" he husks in her ear, "besides you woke up first, Waldorf"

Blair pretends to roll her eyes at him, tying her robe and trying to find her underwear. She gives up after a moment and settles on finding any kind of clothing, heading to her closet. Chuck catches her waist, spinning her back around and pulling her into him.

"Of course," he muses against her temple, "we could always let him sleep in. It is a holiday"

Blair sighs, tipping her head back so her lips ghost across his, "but what would we do?"

"Mmm there is something I didn't get to do earlier"

"Oh?"

Blair only has a second to laugh before Chuck takes her hand and sits her down on their chaise lounge, her robe already opening as he dips his head between her thighs. The year is already off to a wonderful start, she thinks, and, if she doesn't push away the other thought that scratches at her mind, it will just keep improving.

__

The air is crisp as Blair lifts Henry out of the limo, adjusting his scarf and holding him on her hip as Chuck shuts the door. His mitten clad hands hold his new favourite stuffed dinosaur, his second and third favourites safely in Blair's handbag. Although he's only had them for two weeks he refuses to go out without at least one.

"Can I play dinosaurs with Aunt Serena?" he asks, resting his head on her shoulder.

"After you eat"

Henry pouts, "what if- what if she wants to play first?"

Chuck takes over, tickling his side, "I think she'll let you eat first"

Henry sighs, very seriously for an almost two-and-a-half-year-old, and hugs his arms tighter around Blair. She kisses his head, readjusting him in her arms as they reach the door.

"Hello Vanya" Henry chirps, waving his dinosaur in greeting.

"Hello Mr Henry" Vanya replies, "are you excited for first family brunch of the year?"

Henry nods, "I'm gonna play dinosaurs after"

Vanya laughs and holds the door open, "I'm sure you'll have fun"

"Thank you, Vanya" Chuck nods as the enter the lobby, warmth enveloping around them.

"Of course, Mr Chuck"

Henry waves again, Vanya waving back before going outside. The three of them approach the elevator, Chuck absentmindedly putting his hand on Blair's back as they walk through the open doors. By the time they reach the top Henry is impatient, squirming to be set down so he can run in. Blair doesn't though, instead she carries him in to the sight of Lily eagerly waiting.

"There's my beautiful grandson" she coos, lifting him from Blair's arms and squeezing her hand in greeting, "look at you, you're getting bigger everyday!"

"I grow" Henry declares proudly, as Chuck carefully helps to pull his mittens and matching scarf off, "that's what daddy said"

"And he's very right, hello darling" Lily kisses Chuck's cheek.

Before Blair can properly greet Lily she's swept into a Serena hug, a flash of blonde hair and a slightly awkward Dan Humphrey by the couch being her only warning. She laughs, hugging her back and sneaking a glance at Serena's still bare ring finger. Maybe that's why Dan can't quite meet her gaze.

They all make their way to the heaving table, coats and scarves taken care of. Henry happily sits between his parents, more excited about the promise of playtime with Serena than the food in front of him. Still he eats the croissants and fruit salad and yoghurt and buttery toast strips, eyebrows creasing at Blair wiping his stained mouth and fingers. She lifts him into her lap, brushing a hand over his hair.

"Good boy" she praises while Dan explains the plot of his latest novel, "do you want to play with Aunt Serena now?"

Henry grins up at her, "yeah"

"Alright then" she lifts him into the air like Chuck does, swinging him round so his little feet hit the floor, "your dinosaur kingdom awaits"

Serena doesn't need any encouragement, immediately launching into a questionably accurate impression of a t-rex as she joins him on the floor. Henry's overjoyed, and, once Blair's satisfied that he's not going to hurt himself, turns her attention to Dan.

"I thought," she hisses, not missing the way Dan's eyes widen and Chuck smirks, "you were proposing to her. What happened Humphrey?"

"Ok so- stop looking at me like that, Chuck, come on. So I am proposing to her, I just thought, you know, uh, New Year's proposals are kinda overdone and-"

"I don't care" Blair whispers exasperatedly, "I'm not having another two hour long conversation with her about if I think you're going to do it or not-"

"Just pick somewhere and get on one knee" Chuck continues smoothly, "she wants to marry you, so stop stalling"

"I'm not stalling, I-"

"You are" they chorus.

"I just want to do it right" Dan finishes.

"Humphrey, there's never going to be the perfect time" Chuck continues, hand finding Blair's beneath the table, "there won't be any time if you don't do it soon"

Dan holds his hands up, "alright point taken"

"Hey sorry to interrupt, B" Serena says, covertly coming up to Blair, "but I think Henry needs the bathroom and I wasn't sure how far you were with-"

"It's ok, S, I'll take him"

She gives Dan one last pointed glare before taking Henry's hand in hers and walking him down the hallway. Thankfully they're quick, Henry only becoming momentarily distracted by the jasmine scented soap and trying to cover both his arms in it through his knitted sweater. Blair stops him, but appreciates his enthusiasm about hygiene.

Family brunch wraps up not long after, all of Henry's dinosaurs in his hands as he sleepily curls up in Chuck's lap. It's a funny sort of feeling that settles in Blair's stomach as she looks at her boys, one that makes her ache with how much she loves them. It's time, she thinks to herself. She knows what she wants now, and she's going to get it.

__

Snow falls softly outside the limo's moving windows, catching the glow of the streetlights. Blair sighs, resting her head on Chuck's shoulder. Soon they'll be busy again, their son and their empires needing their attention. But now, now they can just be Chuck and Blair, Blair and Chuck, and all they need is to be with each other.

She trails her fingers down his arm, resting her hand on top of his. Without a word he intertwines their fingers and Blair takes a breath.

"Chuck" she starts, lifting her head up to look at him.

"Blair" he responds, resting his forehead against hers.

Her words rush out, unable to wait another minute, "I want us to have another baby"

He smiles, truly, just for her, "are you sure?"

"There's nothing I want more right now"

"Right now?" he teases.

She cups his jaw, "right now"

She kisses him soundly, her hands in his hair and his on her waist. With ease he pulls her onto his lap and Blair moans into him, her fingers running down his chest. She starts pulling at his tie, and he returns the favour by pushing her skirt over her hips. They break apart for a moment, Chuck's lips finding her neck as his hands find her underwear. Blair gasps as he tugs them down her stocking clad thighs, helping to kick them onto the floor, and runs her palm over the growing bulge in her husband's pants.

Chuck growls as she pulls the zipper down, her fingers pulling his boxers down too. She wraps her hand around him, grinning at the way he grunts into her neck. Carefully she moves her hips forwards, stuttering slightly as he strokes his fingers down her folds, and steadily lowers onto him. It's familiar, but different, her hands clinging to his jacket, her hips rocking down until she moans, the feeling of him deep inside her catching her off guard. Then, it's instinct, and desire, and pleasure, their bodies moving perfectly, his hips thrusting up as hers grind down. Blair moans, burying her face into his neck, kissing where his pulse thrums.

Her fingers run through his hair as her body arches back. Chuck's hands hold her waist, his eyes shining with awe as she glances down at him. She bends down to kiss him, biting his lip as he grinds his hips up into her. Her body jerks, hands clutching at him, and her breathing grows heavy against his lips.

Blair clenches around him, fluttering once, twice, unable to contain the purr that works its way out of her throat as Chuck strokes her clit. Her orgasm bursts through her, his name coming from her lips in a haze of ecstasy, her body curling onto him. She gasps, smile blooming on her lips at Chuck's own release. His hands guide her off of him and back onto the now cool leather. She sighs happily, Chuck running his hand through his hair on his own pleasure tinged sigh.

Although conceiving their second child in a limo might not have been her original plan, she couldn't think of a more appropriate way to start trying. The year is definitely off to the best possible start, and she can't wait for it to continue.

[missriggie]

What Was Stolen - Post Veilguard Fanfiction

Rookanis | Lords of Fortune | Slow Burn | Hinted DreadRook | Pirate Adventure

A year or so after the final blight, Thedas is trudging through its tumultuous path to recovery. Syvillia 'Rook' Laidir has left the Lighthouse and returned to treasure hunting with the Lords of Fortune, flitting about Rivain with her good friend Taash and hoping to put the past behind her. Rook and Lucanis share a beautiful moment out at sea, but whatever is locked away in her head seems to want to ruin this bliss she feels with him. Her dreams press the very edge of her caged memories, where she comes upon a Spirit of Resilience on its last legs before it corrupts into a demon. Meanwhile, Solas continues to endure the boundaries of his prison, the demon of Regret stalking him into corners of his consciousness he must explore for himself. In a shadow of Skyhold, he hides between the folds of the Fade to evade his hungry, relentless hunter.

The air cooled as the cover of night swept overhead, the sky dusted with glittering stars to guide the Sea Hawke further along her journey. Rook checked her compass, recorded the heavens with the sextant Isabela gave her to chart their whereabouts, meticulous in her calculations along the map. Should they turn to shore, they would have just passed Rialto.

   Rook shuddered as a chill came upon her. This region wasn’t always cold, especially not so close to the beginning of the month of Justinian when nights like this were usually humid. Though she was sure there was a perfectly rational explanation for this, perhaps it was her ever growing experience that harkened a sailor’s superstition to call out from her very bones that saw this as an omen of some kind. She rubbed her shoulders on instinct until she felt a coat cover her, gentle hands holding it still.

   “So concludes your first day as Captain,” Lucanis mused.

   He smiled over at the gathering of the crew enjoying the meal he had prepared around a collection of lanterns. Lambshank had started another round of Wicked Grace, and Yani Fabrizio was raising the stakes each time until he would lose a boot or another spoon of rice from his plate. Serena and Dimetri watched on, staring at Illario who subtly signalled to the other players what was in Lambshank’s hand. Morale seemed as even as the cruising speed the ship sailed along.

   Rook and Lucanis took a moment of bliss in this open sea, lit by worlds far beyond their own. The warmth of his body against her back welcomed as he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

   “You know, there is a famous novel that tells of a great love story between an Antivan noble and a Rivaini pirate,” he whispered.

   “I’m a Lord of Fortune, not a pirate.” She corrected him, nodding at Lambshanks practicing his thrusts with a scimitar. “I don’t think it’s clicked for the chevalier yet…”

   “He’ll learn.”

   He sighed into her hair, the rasp in his voice having the same effect as a purring cat. It soothed her.

   “You know, I didn’t think I’d be able to get the First Talon himself on my side for this trip.”

   “Oh?”

   “This all started off so simple; get the kid home safe. But every turn we take there are more variables mixed in. The artifact, the Carta, my— the Magister…” she trailed off, her mind sinking back into the chaos that invaded the Royal Palace, how close to death she was, saved by some chance that a dream was in fact a memory, one that brought more questions than she had the capacity to withstand an answer. It was too selfish of her to think about even now.

   “If I’d known your homeland was about to perform an Exalted March…”

   She felt Lucanis’s body stiffen at the mention of Antiva’s temporary merger with the Orlesian Chantry. It was a tough situation to be in, and she knew a Crow as sought after and dedicated to his craft would not leave something like that so readily. Instead of pulling back, he only tightened his embrace to reassure her.

   “You couldn’t have, and I’m to blame for that,” he said, “I never sent you letters.”

    She shook her head. “I never sent anything either.”

    “You earned your rest from me.”

    “Don’t.” she urged, placing a hand on his cheek to hold him there, thumb stroking his beard and gently pressing her head into his, “Awake or asleep, I’ll want you near. But I didn’t want to get in the way of your responsibilities. You’re a big deal now. You practically head Antiva’s only means of defence.”

    “And you are a hero.”

   Coming from his lips, she could almost believe herself deserving of the accolades, but Rook suppressed the soul-deep need to shudder at it. Gold and Glory, it was the motto she lived by since she was sixteen. But the Glory part started to weigh her down more than any treasure hoard could.

   Her gaze lifted from her map to the starboard bow where the boy held tight to the ratline, head tilted up to the stars with the breeze sweeping through his sandy brown mop. She watched as he adjusted himself on the ropes, hooking his leg into the links and extending his arm, like stretching out a wing. She could feel it through him; the open and yet full feeling of freedom against a sonata of the wind and sea.

   “Right now, I’m just an elf out at sea,” she said with a proud smile.

   Lucanis chuckled. “You’re more than that, Capitana~”

   She could hear the invitation in his voice as he said it, almost like a challenge, teasing her into dropping her instruments and taking a break.

   Rook turned around to hold his face, gazing into his eyes, the warmth replaced with a cool dusting of starlight that lit up her world. He smiled as they flitted down to her lips, his hands tracing up her back to bring her closer and resting his forehead against her. She closed her eyes, sighing deep in this moment of bliss, and surrendered a soft, loving kiss. 

READ MORE HERE: [LINK]

I am locking my stories in light of the recent AI scraping incident and onslaught of bot comments on Ao3 - DM me for an Ao3 invite if you are not a registered user.

[forloveandmoon]

Meeting the Writer.

okay so I’m not finding much about how to get to know me(so I can seem less scary and have ppl flock and want 2 be friends /j) thread thingy bobs on here so I’ll need to ponder about that.

I do have another blog but for me specifically ooc.. idk what those are called and I probably should’ve made this a side blog but I didn’t know how people felt about those and being followed from main.. so I did this instead. Anyway, it’s @usakoing and I’m logged on via web so I’m not on it that much since making this acc. Wish there was a feature to be logged on both.. anyway.

gonna cut this so I don’t fill the tl with stuff ppl might not care about.

but I guess I’ll do it this way! hello hi hi, I am serena(moon), and I’ve been writing as usagi for the past three years and hopeful counting. my roleplay journey started when I saw a frozen rp on my timeline in 2014. then I decided to write as a lion cub and made a wolf oc. I miss writing as them a lot, actually. nostalgic. and usagi has just taken that place of a wonderful muse that I can constantly come up with new things for. I will never get tired of writing her and hopefully giving her better love interests down the line.

and growing up I’ve always gravitated towards fantasy with romance in it, and really.. anything with romance. it’s like candy to me and I enjoy writing romance, it makes me so happy.

I do ask other usagi writers to not interact with me on their usagi, just my personal preference and nothing to do with you personally! I’ve just had too many awful experiences with doubles interacting.

I can't drive/don't work/couldn't attend college so l do ask you to mind yourself with asking and to stop(politely). It's upsetting to have to keep telling people "no" and having to explain my medical situation every time. scoliosis, spina bifida, missing ribs, and chronic knee pain. I can walk but if I say.. go to the mall/a convention for a few hours but I’ll be regretting it the next few days my body is in pain.

I also suspect I have adhd as well as autism, so please explain things clearly to me to prevent misunderstandings. if you do not, I just get pissed off because you aren't explaining what you mean to its full extent. do not tell me cryptic jokes, if you aren't going to explain.

I love disney, dreamworks stuff, I play otome, skyrim, witcher 3 specifically, pokémon, fire emblem, ocarina of time, and probably more but I’m flat lining.

I do love reading. no matter if it’s books(including romantasy and monster romance🥺), light novels, manga, comics, anything I can read.

love the jurassic park movies(all of them, yes I’m probably rare), I love all Star Wars media(I’m not picky), but I don’t really watch things much anymore because I have focus issues to where sometimes I just.. can’t focus enough to watch something and feel restless while I’m better at reading it if that is an option for it.

I’m trying to think of anything else to mention but I’m flatlining again but I am very friendly and enjoy chatting with people! my discord is also usakoing so feel free to add that but tell me who you are !!

[moved-to-civic-hub]

"I never quite knew where I came from. I can't remember heaven and the only other angels I've known are Aunt Vaggie, Aunt Jezabelle...and Carmen's grandpa Lucifer. It's hard not knowing my bio parents but...mom and mama are the best moms that I could ever have."

[diiistcntlands]

Serena babbles as she uses Marsha’s skirt in order for her to stand up.

[invcntions]

Oh no you DON’T ( hm, who its for is ... up to you ! )

Send “Oh no you DON’T”   to grab my muse by the back of their collar to stop them from doing something stupid

his jaw's been tightening as he listens to the two guys talk, fingers itching at his sides in a way that's almost unnoticeable to anyone except the male next to him. it's subtle — the small comments that call into question serena's credentials for leading the group, or cast doubt on dillon's ability to help in the face of a true disaster. it's undermining, and yet just enough to give them deniability towards meaning anything malicious. paired with the smug look that plasters both their features, and nate's unsure when he last took such an instant dislike to someone, brown eyes narrowing as the taller male speaks. he's quiet if only because he can feel the desire for him to be so radiating out from xavier, the slightest tilt of the other male's head telling him to shut up before he's even opened his mouth. and he's been happy to do so when his attention can focus elsewhere. brown eyes have scanned them enough times to be confident one of the guys carries a knife, though if the other carries anything he can't quite work out what it is. it's enough of an unknown ( and likely to piss everyone else off ) that he does mean to leave it be. a faint sense of relief floods through him as they start to walk away, though it only lasts a moment before he watches nova pass them in the doorway, catches the way one of them turns to look her up and down and the cocky look that pulls over his features. he steps forwards before he can give it a single thought, the hand raising to catch the back of his collar almost as instantaneous in pulling him to a sudden stop before he can make any progress. “ oh, come on. ” he grumbles, turning back for brown eyes to rest firmly on xavier. “ you want to hit them too. ” nate can't imagine a person who wouldn't, though he knows the hidden challenge in their words won't have gone unnoticed by the other male either. “ please. ” the expression falls somewhere between a scowl and pout, a trace of joking lacing the word when he's aware xav's never going to give him permission, nor is he actually asking for it.

[iruludavare]

{ ooc. I see ship talk on the dash and honestly... if you want to ship with Serena (or Sarana over on @floaroanemoia) if you Let Me Know, 9.5 times out of 10 I'll also be so down for it, or see if the vibes go that way

Because I mean hi look at her. Your muse gets free ballet tickets (or can ominously watch from the side of the stage if that sort of crowd isn't their thing). Your muse gets silly little dances in the moonlights streaming in from the windows. Your muse gets her fussing over them. Your muse gets to be the unfortunate judge of a late night baking spree because she couldn't sleep. Your muse gets to watch as it becomes increasingly more difficult for Serena to hide the fact that she's immortal and recovers a little too quickly from injuries and doesn't appear to be aging the same way they are.

All good things 😌}

[pyropsychiccollector]

Do you have any interest in Pokemon? Not because I want to nerd out about it specifically, but because... let's just say, I've been rather inspired after reading your Raincode stuff, and watching some Pokemon animations online. (人◕ω◕)

Still have to determine if this is merely a temporary spark, or a true desire to write out what I have in mind, however~ (人◕ω◕)

You know, it's strange. For all I talk about Sayaka being the "source" of so many muses and subsequent harem ships these days... My true, honest beginnings - my first forays into discovering and reading fanfiction in general lies in...

Ash x Misty. n___n I must've discovered fanfiction.net myself back in, ooh... 2004? That feels so long ago. I'm old. XD Had no interest in writing back then, I was just thirsty for a ship that canon kept mercilessly teasing me with. No other anime I liked had me so invested in a ship. I suppose Digimon eventually hit me with Takato x Rika, and Takuya x Zoe, but Ash x Misty was definitely my origin point for anything fanfiction. That was the first time I ever Googled "Ash x Misty stories" or anything of that ilk. Seeing so many stories on ffnet made me proud to be a shipper for them. lol

Granted, I was a kid. And the quality of fanfics was as varied as it is these days. But back then I didn't care so much if some stories were cheesy. I remember coming across aged up Ash and Misty scenarios, a more adult and nefarious Team Rocket terrorizing them, Ash as the Kanto Champion and TR trying to get to him by assaulting/kidnapping Misty.... That was one of the better written fanfics I read back in the day.

That all said, am I still a Pokeshipper these days? Ash x Misty, sure. And shinobisage09 made a Ash harem card a while back...

In terms of my tastes? Ash x Misty is my highest priority. Ash x Serena is alright, I just haven't watched the XY anime to grow attached to that ship, while the original Pokemon anime was my childhood. XD Ash x May is okay, very neutral to that one... Ash x Melody is fun. She was only in the 2000 movie, but man she left an impression~ Melody is probably the reason I enjoy Natsumi Kuzuryu so much. Or rather, girls like them - spunky, tough girls that have tender sides they don't like showing. Ash x Anabel is fun, too, from what I remember of the Battle Frontier anime... Ash x Dawn is okay, like May I'm pretty neutral about it. And then the grass girl there... I haven't watched the Sun and Moon anime either, so I dunno what that ship - or rather, how the girl thinks about Ash....

I guess to summarize, my favorite Ash ships are Misty, Melody, and Anabel. Serena to a little lesser extent. Then Dawn and May. Then anyone else, so long as it's not toxic or creepy. XD I suppose that girl from the fifth movie... Bianca, I think? Or Latias in her form...? Whichever it might be, the kiss at the end of that movie was cute, but I'm a bit unsure about dabbling in human x Pokemon.... Not sure if that's a kink of mine. It might be easier to "assume" that was the real Bianca kissing Ash, and not Latias... Even though the evidence points to the contrary. lol I'm used to burying my head in the sand~ XD

But I digress. Outside from Ash...? Uh.... Probably the only other Pokemon ship I like is Brock x Lucy (the Pike Queen). That episode in Battle Frontier was awesome. XD Beyond that, I can't think of other ships in Pokemon that I like. I haven't read the manga, so I'm neutral to any Red, Brendan, Krys, or any of their ship stuff. I do find Leaf to be cute. Claire is hilariously tsundere. Cynthia is bae~ Gardenia is cute. I love Team Magma Courtney, specifically her Omega Ruby version. She's crazy, but I like the crazy~ XD I don't necessarily ship those girls with Ash. Maybe Courtney x Brendan (Hoenn protagonist), but that's about it.

[eliteseven]

Thought of this while watching Shadowheart’s actor and her girlfriend playing bg3: Do Serena and Jen have their own fanbase as a couple, separate to Astral Prisms fanbase at large? Not including us readers of course lol

Do they stream themselves playing rpgs or cosy games, or maybe making music?

Bonus question: does Serena and Jen’s lovey-dovey relationship cause Astral Prisms style to change, considering they were previously making heavy, angsty songs about Shadowheart’s relationship with Shar.

I’ve seen their streams!! I don’t watch them regularly but I’ve seen a few clips and they’re so cute and funny together 🥹 💕 it’s cool that they do that!

This is such a great question, thank you!! 🤔 let me ponder this

I think they would definitely have a following. Jen for sure, anyway. Lots of people are in love with Jen 😅

I think they would be careful not to overdo it. They really value their privacy and Jen really wants to maintain that Shadowheart facade in some way- she’s not that comfortable sharing her softer side with the world.

But a few streams here and there? Showcasing their creative process? Jen probably has to have an active IG for “Shadowheart” in this day and age- so I could see all AP members having one. I feel like a lot of her posts would be Serena 🤭 I said Jen is hesitant to show her softer side, but “Shadowheart” is a minx and a cruel mistress through and through. 🥵 a single mirror pic of her and Serena getting ready to go to an event will send fans into a frenzy. I think fans like seeing her engage with Serena on social media, too.

I don’t think their relationship would change the trajectory of the band that much. Sure, there’d be a few more ballads or songs of that nature, but making metal music isn’t necessarily rooted in pain. A lot of metal bands like to tell elaborate stories and paint vivid imagery with their music. And a lotttt of heavier bands have the stones to protest and speak out in the most brutal & raw way against all kinds of issues in a way a lot of other genres can’t facilitate. so it’s not as if Shar is the only muse they have. As a humble metal fan myself, I’d say it’s more about a feeling of raw energy and momentum, and power. With Serena? Jen feels very powerful. AP’s music could very well get even heavier 👀

[madam-wakefield]

Butternut Squash Soup

A little sickfic written for the @berenaadvent day 17 prompt “cold”.

This can easily fit into the “Open when…” series as a something that happened in their lives before Bernie deployed. It shares a few similarities to some of the things in Serena’s Open when you feel ill… envelope contains! You don’t need to have read that for this is to make sense though.

Read on A03

Serena HATES being ill, okay she knows everyone hates being ill, but she absolutely loathes it. It’s actually for totally unselfish reasons in a way, it has nothing to do with the fact that she struggles to talk with a raspy voice, or that she sneezes and blows her nose so often that she has to walk around with a tiny tin of Vaseline in her pocket. It isn’t even about the migraine she usually gets that even painkillers and a full two litres of water don’t get rid of. No, it’s about all the things she can’t do and all the people she can’t look after when she’s ill.

First there is Jason who gets so angsty if his routine isn’t followed, if the right meal isn’t served up at the right time on the right day, because fish and chip night can only ever be a Thursday, “the chippy is far too busy on a Friday, Auntie Serena, and they just don’t prepare everything to the same standard.”

Second is her ward, the one she’s in charge of. With junior doctors and F1s and F2s who rely on her calmness to help them, to guide the, to make them better doctors. To show them the ropes, to talk them through a new procedure or operation and to just be that firm solid figure at the end of a day when everything seems to have gone so wrong no matter what they’ve done. Shes had years of days like that, they aren’t any easier than they were, but she knows how to cope with them now in a way the younger doctors don’t yet but will learn to.

Lastly, it’s her patients. The thing about AAU is that as much as the trauma bay will often pull her into surgery unexpectedly, there is also a number of patients who have scheduled operations, operations that she is needed to perform.

So, when she wakes up at 5am in the morning three weeks before Christmas, shivering despite the warmth of their bedroom only to be overtaken by a fit of sneezes she curses, she can’t afford to be ill not now.

“Rena…” comes the sleepy voice from the other side of the bed as the covers shift and Bernie slowly sits up, her hair sleep mused and messy.

“Go back to sleep darling, it’s your day off,” Serena says gently because Bernie has worked for the past five days straight and deserves to sleep in, she’d been home three house late last night due to a multi car pileup on the motorway that had pulled her into surgery just minutes before handover. It sounds genuine enough, but she knows there is no way Bernie will listen when as she finishes speaking her body is racked with a sudden coughing fit, so classic for her if she managed to catch a winter cold.

“I’m awake now sweetheart, you know I would have probably woken you up to make you coffee before your shift anyway. As I happens you aren’t going anywhere today, but I am going to go downstairs and make you a lemsip.” I’ll be back in a second. Bernie leans down and presses a kiss to the top of her head, and she snuggles into it, loving how openly affectionate Bernie is when they are alone. She can only stare unashamedly as Bernie climbs out of bed and walks, naked, to the door where she grabs her dressing gown and wraps it around herself before quietly leaving the bedroom, knowing only too well not to wake Jason.

Serena uses the time to use the en-suite, almost grabs for a packet of paracetamol before she remembers not to because she’ll get all she’s allowed from the lemsip Bernie is making her. Instead grabs the Vicks vapour rub and the little tin of Vaseline that she’ll need and places them on her bedside table before herself grabbing her dressing gown off the back of the door, putting it on before sliding back under the covers back propped against the headboard. Just as she’s settled Bernie comes back in the room, using her back to push against the door, arms carrying a tray laden with cups and a light breakfast.

She places the tray on Serena’s own bedside table and hands her the lemsip, smell unmistakable even if it is slightly lessened by her awful, blocked nose. Placing a kiss on top of her head before pulling away. Grabbing her own cup of coffee and sliding back into bed next to Serena and placing her arm gently around her. Serena snuggles in close, feels cold whereas Bernie always seems to feel warm.

“I rang Hanssen and told him you wouldn’t be in work today.” Bernie reassures her, but Serena is quick to argue.

“I’m fine to work,” she protests before her body betrays her. Bernie takes her cup just in time as she starts to sneeze again, just manages to stop her sloshing the liquid all over the bed.

“And how exactly do you think you are going to do surgery when you have a sneezing or coughing fit multiple times every hour?” Bernie asks gently, no malice at all in her voice, only concern.

“I, I don’t know, but Miss Williams is scheduled for surgery today, and you know as well as I do that if she doesn’t get that surgery today, she may not make it home for Christmas.” And Bernie knows Serena will try and put everyone before herself, hates letting her patients or her Holby family down.

“Which is why I’ve already told Hanssen I’ll go in and perform the surgery, it’s not something I’ve done as much as you, but it is a procedure I’m familiar with. I’ve also told him I’ll be on call for the day if he needs it.” Bernie says now handing Serena drink back to her.

Serena takes another sip, of the still very hot liquid before replying. “But today is meant to be your day off, you’ve worked far too much overtime the past few days anyway, you need a rest too.” Serena says worry lacing her raspy voice. Hates that Bernie is having to do this because of her.

“Sweetheart, please stop that trail of thought,” Bernie says giving her one of her no nonsense looks that she images had men quivering when she was in the army. “I’m not doing it because I have to, I’m doing it because I care about you and want you to rest and get better, and besides I’ve got three more days off after today. Please just let me do this so you can get yourself better.”

Serena relents and thirty minutes later Bernie is once again kissing her atop of the head as she says goodbye. As Serena herself snuggles into the hot water bottle Bernie has made her, safe in the knowledge that apart from to use the bathroom she doesn’t have to leave the bed, Bernie has placed everything she might need on her bedside table.

Serena falls asleep quickly once Bernie is gone, she still feels guilty about the fact she’s gone but the biological need for sleep to help her get better wins.

When she wakes a fair few hours later the house smells unmistakably like Bernie’s cooking. She glances at the alarm clock only to realise it’s been over five hours since Bernie left the house and that she’s performed Miss Williams’ surgery and already returned home.

Serena lies there content for a few minutes before a coughing fit pulls at her lungs, has her sitting up and reaching for the bottle of water that Bernie had placed on her bedside table that morning.

It’s as if Bernie has some sort of innate sense because not two minutes later, she once again pushes into the room arms carrying a tray, only this time she’s still dressed in the shirt and trousers she’d put on to go to work that morning and they tray is instead laden with two large bowls. Serena knows without asking that it’s Bernie’s butternut squash soup. She watches as Bernie places the tray on her own bedside table this time, Serena’s still too full of everything else and leans over to kiss the top of her head before she sits on the bed before handing her a steaming bowl of golden yellow soup.

“Thank you,” Serena says genuinely grateful for her girlfriend who always goes above and beyond to look after her when she’s poorly, whose soup is like some sort of magic that always make her feel so much better.

“You’re welcome, I know how much you like this when you are poorly. Know it’s about the only thing you can stomach, and thanks to that soup maker you brought me last Christmas is doesn’t take me long at all to make a batch. And before you ask the surgery went well, Miss Williams is most definitely on track to be home for Christmas.” Bernie says smiling at Serena gently.

“I love you,” is the only reply that feels right for Serena, because it’s the only words that she feels show Bernie how grateful she is for her.

“I love you too,” Bernie says back, bending down to kiss the top of her head once again, something she always loves Bernie doing when she’s feeling rubbish. “Now eat up before it goes cold, it’ll make you feel better, you and I both know it. Then maybe we can cuddle together and watch a movie.” And that’s exactly what they spend the rest of the day doing and Serena is definitely grateful that by so miracle the red phone must stay silent as Bernie isn’t pulled back into work and instead gets to stay snuggled in bed with her. Serena still HATES being ill, but she can’t help but be thankful that she has someone to look after her and truly her make her feel better.