#{i don't mind doing holiday threads well past the holiday so we can continue it however long you like}

[thiscrimsonsoul]

Finding Light in the Darkness || closed with pretty-isnt-pretty-enough

{ @pretty-isnt-pretty-enough, cont'd from here. }

Wanda actually managed a small, awkward smile - the first she'd made in a long time - as Sheva asked her question at the same time she asked hers. Her eyes were drawn to the glint of the Star of David pendant around Sheva's neck and... for a brief moment, Wanda felt such a wave of relief wash over her. So she wasn't the only Jew here after all. Just knowing that provided her with an immeasurable amount of comfort.

"Yeah, I... I didn't either," Wanda admitted. "Everyone here seems to celebrate Christmas. Religiously or... just... for the gift-giving side of it..." She hadn't meant it to be an attack on anyone in particular, but it did seem like the Avengers leaned into the capitalism side of things a little hard. Having come from a disadvantaged and war-torn community, Wanda and capitalism didn't really get along that much.

"Your um... Your necklace is really beautiful," she said, pointing to the Star. "I had one myself when I was very young, but the chain broke and I didn't realize until it was lost." That had been while she and Pietro had been living on the street. He'd stolen a ring for her, a silver one of a bird claw, to cheer her up some time later. She at least still had and wore that ring, even if she'd lost the Star of David she'd gotten from her parents.

"Well, you're doing better than I am," Wanda said, still feeling so awkward as she ran her fingers through her long hair. "I don't have a menorah or candles. I was going to see if I could find candles and just... stand them up on a shelf." Not the same thing, but it was something, at least. "But yes, I know where they keep the olive oil in the common kitchen. I can show you."

That got her thinking, though. She hadn't cooked or baked a single thing this year. Wanda didn't have much of an appetite lately. This was her first Hanukkah without Pietro, and it hurt badly. Cooking and baking had always been something she enjoyed, but half the fun of it was watching Pietro consume the result so happily each time. Without him, Wanda hadn't thought there was much of a point. But if there was someone else here who celebrated... "Are you going to cook something?" she asked, feeling a little embarrassed that just that simple question should cause her eyes to flood with tears.

"I usually cook and bake all sorts of things... but um..." she said, her voice starting to tremble, "I don't have my brother here... to eat it... anymore... so..." The wave of sadness hit her so unexpectedly that all she could do was cover her face until it passed. It was still so raw, losing Pietro, and feeling left out of the holidays wasn't making it any easier to deal with. Realizing that Sheva shared her beliefs, it was hard for Wanda not to just latch right onto her.

"I'm sorry..." she said, quickly wiping her tears and trying to reel in her emotion once again. The last thing she wanted was to scare Sheva away with her negativity. "I lost my twin brother recently, and this is my first Hanukka without him," she explained. "But if you... want... Do you want... some help... with what you're making?" she asked shyly. It would be nice to share that with someone again, she thought.

[merrock]

MID-MONTH PRE-HOLIDAY MOD POST!

As we are officially at the halfway point (ish!) of December, I wanted to post about a few important things to keep in mind through the rest of the month. Please read this post thoroughly and (maybe even consider giving it a like, though it's not a requirement or being monitored), so we know that everyone is paying attention and on the same page! xx

First announcement, the group will be lowly moderated from December 22nd through December 27th. I will return to full mod status on December 28th. We will not be doing acceptances during this period, and although I will log in to handle things like starter notices, unfollows, answering asks, etc. you likely will not see a lot of promo posts or extra stuff -- it's okay, please don't panic!

The activity check schedule will remain as posted about. Unfollows for the current check will be posted on Monday at 11PM. Past that, the schedule is as follows:

December 20th -- any writer that has not had a presence on dash at all since December 13th will be placed on check and face removals on December 23rd if they do not contact main or post.

January 3rd -- any character that has not posted since December 20th (two weeks), will be placed on check and unfollowed on January 6th if they do not post or contact main.

January 10th -- again, a lenient one. we will simply ask that all characters post activity during the week; unfollows will be on January 13th for anyone who does not or hasn't contacted main.

After this, we expect to return to normal, business-as-usual activity by January 17th. I do not expect activity rules to change, but if anything does, you will be informed of that before the check, I promise. Basic rule of thumb: be able to handle two different threads (preferably with two different writers, to avoid bubbling) per week on each character you play, and you're golden.

Some more 'in character' things that need to be addressed or kept in mind moving through the holiday season:

MARKET -- the market is up and running and will be through the 21st. please use the OOC post to generate some fun threads and ideas! reach out to message others as you are commenting, post open starters, just have a good time.

GIFT EXCHANGE -- we will be taking gift submissions through the end of the day on the 18th! everyone is welcome to participate, if you have any questions, please let me know. due to time constraints, I will not accept late submissions.

SEASONAL FUN -- don't forget we have tons of fun seasonal ideas for you to enjoy on our seasonal master list! it's never too late to start things, and some of these ideas can continue into January and beyond, too. if there is interest, I am happy to adjust the post after the holidays, as well.

NYE PARTY & POLAR PLUNGE -- we're not there yet, but we do have New Year's Eve & New Year's Day events happening in town, don't forget! you're more than welcome to start generating ideas there, but please keep threads limited to the event duration.

CHRISTMAS IN GENERAL -- if you want to post gifts for the holiday, please feel free to do so! we just ask that it's done in a way that dash isn't completely spammed out (if you have 10 friends, 1 spouse and 1 sibling, do 1 post including all 10 friends, for example, save the individual posts for the special gifts). I also want to say: gifts are not required, please don't feel pressured, even if you receive some yourself! if you do want to do something, no one is going to be mad at you for posting a pretty photo of red velvet fudge and tagging your friends and saying you baked, either, trust me.

During the holiday season, I just want to remind everyone to be kind. To each other, to us as admins, in character (silly as that sounds), just spread love. Like people's tasks and socials, participate in their opens, reach out when someone asks for plots and threads, make it a warm, happy little community. Some people may only be able to log in once or twice a week right now, others might have extra time on their hands and be around a ton. As long as we are all doing our best to keep our dash a friendly, inclusive place where people want to spend their holidays, that is what matters most. xx

p.s. during this season (and always, really), if you need to talk to me or let me know something as an admin, please do so directly -- message me or send an ask, I cannot guarantee I will see OOC posts or talk tags, but if you talk to me, I will help you out! <3

[lesbiancolumbo]

🐻 anon here!

So I watched the rest of the season and I confirm my episode 1's thoughts: the story is on the nose!

Even in season 2, I found the Christmas dinner unnecessary: we know already that the berzotti are fucked up and the mother is a nightmare. We don't need to see her driving into her home. Also I am tired of seeing abusive mothers on tv behaving so loudly while the fathers can be all icyly and cool. Maybe it's bc the dinner scene recalls me hundreds of dinners my own mother prepared and she has always been awful while she is cooking, but she has always been collected about it, bc the show must go on and guests are at a distance of a wall.

This kind of situation repeated itself in season 3: the episode 8 was just a 40 minutes long therapy session. People don't talk like that and wow I am glad Donna worked on herself and was there for Sugar but it's a sterotype, it gives "when you will be a mother you will know", "mother and daughter bonding bc daughter is pregnant so she is an adult now".

Re using parts of past episodes cannot used for every goddamn episode, bc it becomes stale. We know from the beginning Carmy worked in a bad environment, we don't need to see it again with the same scene. Show me something else.

Also I don't care if Carmy and Sydney get together, if it is a warrior bond or whatever. Personally i love a good slow burn, an ambiguous messy situation and all but that relationship is going nowhere. He is going down and she with him, but it feels obliged. She is staying bc she is grateful but that special bond they had even in s2 is gone. I would have loved to see her so loyal she cares only about having that star as he wants.

I know we have all a fucked up relationship with food, but if in the previous seasons Carmy seemed to have some kind of interest on it, no more, here it's like he doesn't care about it at all. He could do whatever else and it would be the same. We see Richie loving serving well people and we see him so taken by this environment that he almost forgets about how much he loves his job and he regrets it, but Carmy? He could do professional card castles for how much he cares about food. He doesn't eat. How can you know if your food is good if you don't taste it?

Also the last episodes drag Sooo much. I love slow but why do I have to watch people talk about nothing when I could make my own small talk with my neighbour?

Also this is a personal consideration but in these years many shows had a very good s1 and then went downhill. It's a hubris thing? It's a "I didnt think it would have a s2 and it made me lose my mind" thing? It's a business thing? Idk

What do you think?

i'm glad you brought up the fishes episode from season two, because i got a lot of flak at the time for hating that episode lol. it, to me, felt very symbolic of the the larger issues with the show that i have (which i've already elaborated on elsewhere and won't rehash here). that episode gives us no new information, really, especially since the season doesn't even follow up on the donna plot thread anyway. it's spectacle for the sake of spectacle and casting all those stars for the sake of saying hey, look at who we can afford now that people care about our little indie show!

admittedly i've decided to not continue finishing s3 after the first episode - i just don't want to, i live one life, i'm sick and miserable and it's a holiday weekend and i'd rather watch iron chef america, etc. so i can't really speak to a lot of what s3 does, but it sounds to me like it's retreading a lot of familiar ground from seasons one and two and not really propelling the ship forward. i can't say this surprises me! i don't think chris & co are interested in creating a cohesive season.... they want every episode to be like fishes: a one-off that will grip you and make you forget how poorly structured the rest of it is. this is working on a lot of people, so i have to respect the grift lol. but i digress.

i will say re: the carmy and his relationship to food point you make that there's definitely a not-small group of chefs who actually have that kind of relationship to food lol.... they don't cook at home! they eat garbage! the other day i was watching an episode of alex vs. america on food network and it was being judged by two professional chefs with multiple restaurants, and one of them mentioned that the dish they were eating was similar to something she would cook at home. the other judge, a chef who is very well-known in LA and has many italian restaurants, is known for being a pasta master and cooks IN HIS RESTAURANT, replies in shock, "you cook at home?" now, i guess my question would be is this intentional or not lol..... i don't have a high opinion of the showrunner/writer so i won't answer that question. tbh i really don't think they know what to do with carmy, which is why his character arc/the story as a whole seems to constantly just.... come to a halt or go back to the beginning.

you bring up a lot of great points, and while again, i can't speak to most of s3 because i'm just not interested in going further with this show, i'm not shocked they seem to once again sideline the characters and relationships that got us on board with this show in the first place! and for what! to film in copenhagen and cast daniel boulud? ok. i am very neutral on syd and carmy (as in, i don't care if they go the romance route or not) but i liked their dynamic a lot in season one and i felt that it was lacking in season two. and from what i've read about season three, it feels like again it's lacking and once again carmy is doing the thing where he just totally disrespects her and sidelines here.... sydney! name-twin... if you can hear me: get out of there! leave this loser behind i am so serious.

[oro-e-diamanti]

The one where Ethan is pretending

Description | When you bump into Ethan in Paris, you fail to mention that you know exactly who he is. You’re not sure how long you’ll be able to keep it up when he asks you out for a drink.

Content | Fluff

Pairing | Ethan x gn!Reader (with the exception of one female pet name)

Word Count | 2071

Taglist | @ginny-lily @ethaneskin @tabi-toast @mywritingonlyfans

***

There was no way you were staying in the same place that Måneskin had just arrived at. There was no way, you kept telling yourself. Paris was a massive city, the number of available hotels in the hundreds, maybe thousands if you had to guess. And yet, somehow, you had managed to pick the one place one of your new favourite obsessions would spend their time. You knew it didn't mean much, the hotel had more than a couple of rooms and with your luck, you wouldn't even catch a glimpse of them. But as you kept scrolling through Instagram, seeing pictures of people meeting the four Italians in front of the place you had checked into mere days ago, you couldn't fight a little bubble of excitement forming in your chest.

Well, you told yourself you wouldn't get your hopes up. And you definitely wouldn't hang around in front of the hotel or in the lobby. You had booked your solo trip to Paris months ago, after dreaming about visiting the city for most of your life, and you would be damned if you wouldn't stick to your itinerary and enjoy your holiday. However - you had gotten up at what felt like dawn to go queue up for the Louvre and spent the last couple of hours there, so you decided that a nap was the way to go if you wanted to continue exploring the city in the evening. Fortunately, the walk back to the hotel wasn't long.

You had made it to the last corner before entering the street you were aiming for, when two giggling girls ran past you, unceremoniously bumping your shoulder and sending you tumbling. You were fully expecting to hit the ground, but instead, a pair of strong arms caught you and brought you back to your feet. A pair of strong arms belonging to a strong chest that you came face-to-face with, belonging to a gorgeous face, belonging to Ethan Torchio.

"Tu vas bien?" His broad French accent confused you, momentarily forgetting about the little detail that you were, in fact, in France, as you stared at the drummer in front of you, who was still protectively holding onto your upper arms.

"Huh?" Was the immensely intelligent answer that thus left your mouth.

"Oh, not French?"

"No, definitely not French." You finally said, taking a step back from him to avoid the increasing awkwardness you were feeling about being touched by him, while the two girls who had previously knocked you down were now lingering around the two of you suspiciously, not coming close enough to be rude, but obviously desperate to get their own piece of Ethan. "No, just a tourist."

"Me too," Ethan smiled. "A tourist, I mean. Well, kind of. I'm here with my band so it's not like we have time to do a lot of sightseeing."

He briefly turned around to look at the two girls who still seemed frustrated at you hogging his time and gave a small wave before turning back to you. It was the movement that made you realise he had the most gorgeous red rose tucked into the waistband of his trousers. Well, it used to be the most gorgeous rose - after your little crash, it had bent in the middle, the top hanging only by a thread, in the most miserable fashion.

"Oh, no I am so sorry!" You gasped, carefully grasping the delicate petals that were on the verge of breaking off. "I must have crashed into it when you caught me."

"Don't worry about it," Ethan said, softly, and pulled the stem from his waistband. The flower looked even more tragic now, in all its crushed glory. "A fan gave it to me a few minutes ago."

"Huh?" You surely proved yourself articulate in this conversation. You mentally hit yourself, angry at yourself for being so easily flustered.

"There are a few fans waiting in front of our hotel, because we're in a ... band ... and things."

Apparently, your awkwardness was contagious. Also, it was becoming increasingly obvious that Ethan thought that you had no idea who he was.

"Let me get you a new one," you suggested. "There's a flower shop just two doors down from the hotel - I mean, I am staying there, too, so I know."

He smiled at you with a serenity and calmness that had your heart soaring. You decided you'd be willing to buy him a million roses if only he kept smiling at you like that for a little longer.

"Well, I've got to go now, but it would be rude to refuse your offer. Meet you in the bar of the hotel at 8 tonight?"

No way this was happening. You almost gasped, but at the last moment managed to keep your cool, outwardly. On the inside, you were a mess. Bumping into the drummer of one of your favourite bands was a wonderful chance meeting as it was - but this almost sounded like a date. Now, of course, Ethan wouldn't be asking you out on a date. That would be ridiculous. But there was also no way you would miss out on a chance to meet him again. Preferably without those two giggling girls that were still standing behind him, watching every move of your interaction but luckily too far away to hear what you were saying.

"It's a d- uh, deal," you quickly recovered before almost spitting out the word date instead. Ethan chuckled.

"Right, see you later, then, for our... deal."

He had seen right through you anyway, you thought. But he was still laughing, so it wasn't all that bad - right?

With another quick touch to your upper arm, Ethan walked past you, turning around just one last time.

"My name is Ethan, by the way. You can tell me yours tonight."

Oh, you would.

***

The rest of the day was... well, restless. You couldn't nap because your mind was a whirlwind and your stomach was twisting with excitement. So instead, you had made sure to get the prettiest red rose you could find in the flower shop down the street - while slightly wincing at the price that a shop in the center of the city of love demanded - and put it in a glass the hotel receptionist had been nice to give to you. Then you had decided that there was no way you would manage to relax before 8, so you allowed yourself a few hours simply wandering through the city, no real destination, no itinerary for once, just a nice long stroll with nothing but your thoughts.

At five past eight - being slightly late was still cool, right? - you did a quick check-up in the mirror, realised you were not going to get any happier with your appearance whatever you tried to do at this point, grabbed the rose from its makeshift vase, and left your room.

It only took you a second to see him when you entered the little bar on the ground floor of the hotel. Even in the dim light, the white blouse that he had already been wearing when you met for the first time stood out like a sore thumb. Long dark hair fell over his back in a silky fashion. You had never wanted to touch anyone's hair more.

You took one more deep breath and then walked over to Ethan, smile on your face and rose in your hand.

"A rose for the handsome gentleman?"

Ethan almost jumped, apparently not having heard you coming, but quickly a smirk spread over his face while he stood up.

"I'll take the rose and your name, then."

"It's Y/n."

Ethan greeted you with a soft kiss to your cheek, before taking the rose, pulling your chair back, and inviting you to sit. It was almost ridiculously romantic and if it had been anyone else it would have seemed over-the-top and off-putting, but with Ethan it seemed sincere and fitting.

"Glass of wine, Y/n?" He asked as he casually waved the waiter over to your table.

"Just one. I want to get up early tomorrow for some more sightseeing."

***

It didn't end up being just one glass. It ended up another one and then a bottle shared. But it also ended up with three hours of talking, laughing, teasing, and slowly moving your chairs closer together until you were basically sitting on the same side of the table. You had asked him about his band - still trying to cover up that you knew exactly who they were out of pure fear that he'd reject you for being a fan - and he has asked about your job, your life, your family. In fact, you only left the bar when the waiter had started throwing you annoyed looks while demonstratively cleaning the tables around you.

"I'll bring you to your room," Ethan chuckled lightly as you waited for the elevator. His hand was on the small of your back and it was spreading tingles all through your body. You were standing close enough that you could smell his perfume, a light yet musky scent that encapsulated everything about him.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, he lightly pushed you inside and you found yourself not minding him leading you like this. You pressed the button for your floor, leaning against the wall as you studied the man in front of you. He was a thing of beauty, no question about it, and when he smiled down at you the way he was right then and there, he made you feel like one, too.

"I had a lovely evening, Y/n. Is there any chance I could get your number?"

What a question, you thought to yourself. You'd be mad to refuse him!

You dug your phone out of your cluttered bag. You had switched numbers just a few weeks ago and had not yet learned the new digits by heart. Quickly, you switched it on - and your heart sank. Oh crap. You had completely forgotten about this.

The lockscreen of your phone was a picture of Måneskin.

As you looked up, you realized Ethan had seen. And, contrarily to the reaction that you were anticipating, he was wearing a massive grin.

"Ethan, I am so sorry, I should have told you immediately when we met but I kind of just stumbled into this and you were explaining you were in a band and I didn't know how to say-"

"Dolcezza, calm down. I've known all along."

"Wait - what?"

He didn't explain. Instead, he pointed to your bag - your tote bag - your Måneskin tote bag.

You truly felt like the least intelligent life form on earth.

"I've been carrying that around all day, haven't I?"

While your embarrassment grew, face heating up, Ethan grabbed your shoulders and pulled you into his body. His arms tightly wrapped around your body and you could feel his giggles in his chest, as your head was pressed against it. You didn't hesitate in reciprocating, clinging onto his torso, slowly swinging from side to side. Both of you caught in a tipsy stupor.

You only stopped when the elevator arrived at your floor, both of you stumbling out and dragging each other to your door while clinging on. When you reached your room, you let your back lean against it, pulling Ethan along so you were standing face to face, smiling at each other shily and yet never breaking eye contact.

"Why didn't you say anything?" You finally asked. He stroked your cheek, leaving goosebumps. He had now gotten so close that you could feel his breath on your, drowning in each other.

"I liked pretending."

And then he kissed you. Boldly, unafraid and passionate. You melted like putty under him, letting him take control while letting yourself fall, as his lips moved against yours.

You only pulled away enough to get another glance at him, before once again searching your bag, now one-handed, so you never quite had to let go of him. A small triumphant sound escaped you as you located the key card. Holding it up next to your face, you shot the man in front of you another smirk.

"Why don't we keep pretending? At least for tonight."

It wasn't an offer he was going to refuse.