#᛭ — [QUEUE] ghosts of the past and of the future

[deathfavor]

@yeonban said: "can i get you anything? do you need me to do anything?" Soma inquires with a kiss to the top of Seiroku's head as he waits patiently for any potential instructions that may follow - he doesn't plan on leaving their room anytime soon, choosing to not even entertain the thought before he's sure Seiroku is alright and satisfied.

Seiroku tucks his head against Soma's chest, letting his eyes flutter close while he listens to the steady beating of Soma's heart. It's funny how something so small, something that the body does without instruction, could become something so cherished. His own has not done that in so long ; it will never do it even if the black heart and his golden threads can create the illusion of it. The steady beating of Soma's heart is a beautiful and painful melody to his ears. It's proof that he's alive.

The doctor's face is hidden, turned downwards as he lays curled against Soma. So he allows a trembling smile to form on his lips in secret. Soma is always so sweet, so caring. And for that, it hurts twice as much sometimes to know what he has done and what the future holds. Seiroku slides one hand up to rest gently against Soma's chest, over the major pectoral muscles, and along his linea alba. His touch is gentle, near reverent, because that is exactly what this is. Sometimes disgust curls in Seiroku's stomach to think his wretched hands can touch Soma like this. Like this, where he can spell his love in the caresses he gives and sweet gestures. Some has no idea how bloodied Seiroku's hands truly are, cannot see the destruction and blood that he carries with him. Soma looks at him like he's something treasured when he's something that should be slaughtered and disposed of, not treasured.

His throat burns as he swallows and draws in a small breath. Yet - if Seiroku hadn't embarked on this path, he never would have met Soma. He'd never have rediscovered these long dead pieces of himself, of who he could have been but never had the chance. It's a cruel twist on an already defiant love story. Or a tragedy? Then again, what is a tragedy if not a love story? The love is there, the desire to be better is there, but there is no escape for Seiroku. It is there, but it will not be enough. For one of them, their story will conclude, and for the other, they'll be left with all the broken pieces and the could-have-beens.

" No, but thank you. " Seiroku answers, his eyes still closed. " Just... " His voice falters yet it should arise no idea that anything is amiss. Seiroku struggles even now to speak first on what he wants if it is not a need. " Just stay here for a little while longer? Can we stay like this? " He asks softly, finally shifting his head up and tilting back a bit to look at Soma.

He purposefully bats his eyelashes and nuzzles closer, though the ghost of a smile on his lips makes it clear he fully expects for Soma to know exactly what he's doing.

" I know you have things to do today. " And Seiroku never demands from Soma; he knows the clan and his responsibilities will always come first and foremost. He doesn't expect for that to change. He would never ask that of Soma. He lifts his head, placing a kiss over Soma's heart. " But just five or ten more minutes, if you can? " He asks quietly ; for there's no way he would know Soma has already planned to not leave for a while yet. So he makes his request with elegant grace and sweetness, blue eyes searching Soma's face while he settles back against him.

[heymacy]

i was tagged by @depressedstressedlemonzest, @xninetiestrendx, @creepkinginc, @energievie, @mishervellous, and @heymrspatel (hi ily’all 💛) to do this fun aesthetic moodboard challenge!

rules: google “[your favorite season] + [your favorite color] + aesthetic", select four (or more) pictures and create a personalized moodboard

autumn + green + aesthetic, aka a whole ass vibe 🌿

i’m tagging @gardenerian, @iansfreckles, @greggster, @metalheadmickey, @whatwouldmickeydo, @gallawitchxx, @whatthebodygraspsnot, @sleepyfacetoughguy, @7x10mickey, @squidyyy23, @y0itsbri, @vintagelacerosette, @howlinchickhowl, @rereadanon, @crossmydna, @lalazeewrites, @thisdivorce, & @sickness-health-all-that-shit 💛

[deathfavor]

@soulsballad points at Horo & Earl

[obeymetournaments]

It's finally here...!

Obey Me Month!! Going from October 1 - 31 2024, i have made prompts for every single day of the month!

any sort of work can be made for this: art, fics, edits, and so much more! whatever your heart desires <3

please be sure to tag this blog and use the tag 'obey me month' if you want your piece to be reblogged!! depending how many pieces are sent my way, i may or may not start up a queue--so your piece might not be reblogged right away. however! i plan on trying to make sure i do reblog each every piece on its designated day. if for whatever reason i do not see or reblog your piece, please do not be afraid to message me! furthermore, please make sure to tag your pieces correctly! this is mainly about pieces that may be 18+ (especially x readers ^^;;), so that people can filter that out if they want to. i will be reblogging explicit pieces if they are made, but just know i'll be using the tag of ''explicit'' on those pieces so people can filter on my own page.

i'm sure many are wondering this, but you do not have to do every single prompt!! this is just all for fun of course, so do whatever prompts whenever you want! do whatever calls out the most to you and is the most fun <3

you can start creating right now of course, but just know i'll only start reblogging pieces in October! along with that, if a certain prompt isn't screaming out to you, then feel free to use the extra prompts listed below! that's what they're there for, in case you're not feeling any specific prompt <3

got more questions? please send them!! depending how many i get, i may make an FAQ for this, so that people with similar questions can find answers. if you have a question, i may also have answered it under the OM Month Questions tag!!

i absolutely cannot WAIT for october!! i hope you are all as excited as i am for this <3 and again, i hope you all have fun with this and create some beautiful pieces of art!!!!

(Written prompts under the cut) (color-coded so that it's slightly easier to read)

October 1: Lucifer October 2: Reminiscence October 3:Mammon October 4: Magic October 5: Leviathan October 6: Autumn Leaves October 7: Satan October 8: Curse October 9: Asmodeus October 10: Pumpking Carving October 11: Beelzebub October 12: Haunting October 13: Belphegor October 14: Witch October 15: Simeon

October 16: Midnight October 17: Luke October 18: Past/Future October 19: Solomon October 20: Hot Cider October 21: Barbatos October 22: Fallen Angel October 23: Thirteen October 24: Graveyard October 25: Raphael October 26: Horror Movie/Game October 27: Mephistopheles October 28: Demon Form October 29: Growth/Change October 30: Family October 31: Diavolo

ALT prompts: Witching Hour Halloween Costume Summoning Fear & Phobias Ghost

[deathfavor]

the duality is such a mood. they're just so cute!

[deathfavor]

Hit the ♡ for a 1-2 line lyric starter pulled from whatever song spotify shuffle chooses. Multis please specify the muse(s).

[deathfavor]

@deiscension said: Do you have any headcanons on how He Xuan would eventually disperse? Does it happen all at once, or is it a gradual dissipation over hours/days/years? Would he have any particular feelings when it happens- hope, bitterness, relief, nothing at all? Would he think of his family when it happens? What would finally sever his tether to the mortal coil?

He Xuan doesn't know why he didn't disperse after his revenge was completed. Once the red haze of it all finally cleared away, he was left surprised and confused. For as long as He Xuan's been a ghost, that's all he thought his purpose was. That was always the beating heart of his objective, the reason he endured the test to become a Ghost King rather than just remain as a Supreme, everything to get the power and strength to destroy the one who ruined his life - but more than that, to ruin the lives of all those who had known him. The innocent bystanders turned victims.

Obviously because he shows up again at the final fight and afterwards, he still remains against all odds. But ultimately - I think if He Xuan does disperse, it will be by his own hand. I think he'd ultimately destroy his own ashes if left to his own devices sooner or later. Because he has no real purpose anymore. He Xuan was never someone who wanted power just for powers sake. He doesn't flaunt around - even Ling Wen who has eyes and ears everywhere knows very little about Black Water. He's elusive to all but Hua Cheng and maybe Yin Yu, and I like to think, the original Ming Yi. But by the end, what does he have?

The cruelest thing about He Xuan's fate is he continues to suffer as a ghost. Even DEATH hasn't let He Xuan escape his misery. He died in a horrible way, but as a ghost, Hua Cheng mentions that there's times where He Xuan can't sate his hunger no matter how much he eats, and there's times where He Xuan won't eat anything at all. I have a headcanon that talks about this more in depth, but both of those extremes are painful in different ways. Either way, he suffers. He's endured it for the sake of revenge, but why should he after?

Maybe he starts to dissipate a little bit, especially if he goes to hibernate in the abyss within his territory after the ending of the book. But He Xuan doesn't want to rot away. He almost did that in life, and instead died bleeding out in a muddy alley. A slow death is terrible. I think he'd rather just destroy his own ashes and get it over with. I think he'd approach it with a very business like, resigned attitude. Maybe there's some relief in there because finally his suffering would be over. But overall he'd feel nothing really at all. No time to linger or reminisce if he's doing it himself, he just has to do it in one swoop and let that be that.

Now, of course, there's the potential of it being stopped in the case where he has a close relationship (of platonic or romantic kind) with Hua Cheng. In which case, I think he'd be angry. Angry and sad and lost because he doesn't have a point and why does he have to still suffer? Angry at the injustice of it all, that fate can be so cruel. But this is where I propose that, perhaps, He Xuan could FIND a purpose after his revenge. I think it's a much harder outcome truthfully, for He Xuan to continue rather than to destroy himself. But it is a thought I've had here and there over the years I've written him.

[deathfavor]

Muse demeanour and mannerisms guide.

Bold - Always/Yes, Italic - Sometimes/Kind of.

LUCIFER - THE EMPEROR OF HELL

ᴇʏᴇ��. avoids eye contact when nervous, maintains eye contact when nervous, avoids eye contact due to being neurodivergent, enjoys eye contact as a means to read and convey emotion, looks down when emotional, looks up when emotional, cries openly, wipes tears quickly, suppresses tears, wandering gaze when lost in thought, holds gaze while thinking, seeks out eye contact for reassurance, seeks out eye contact to gauge enthusiasm during conversations, eyes move constantly during conversation, expressive eyes, emotions only evident through eyes, uses eye contact to intimidate, looks up while thinking, looks down while thinking.

ʜᴀɴᴅꜱ. clasps behind back, rests in lap,  fidgets with clothes, twiddles thumbs,  chews at nails,  pushes back cuticles, draws patterns on table/counter surfaces,  animated gestures while speaking, only gestures to emphasize,  utilizes sign language,  speaks only through sign, callouses,  scars,  smooth,  wrinkled,  worn,  soft,  delicate,  boney,  slender,  thick,  veiny,  touches others while speaking,  reaches out while laughing,  reaches out to comfort others, reaches out to seek comfort, places face in hands when exasperated, places palms over eyes to hide when overwhelmed,  rests chin in hands,  taps fingers when impatient,  taps fingers when nervous,  taps fingers while thinking, scratches scalp, strokes chin,  rubs back of head, toys with objects around them, runs fingers over surfaces while walking by.

ᴍᴏᴜᴛʜ. chews lip,  chews at inside of cheek,  licks lips,  bites tongue,  chews on straws, resting frown, resting smile, neutral resting expression, resting pout,  grinds teeth,  flexes jaw, covers mouth when laughing,  covers mouth when shocked,  covers mouth when concerned,  hands to lips while thinking,  covers mouth when chewing,  chews with mouth closed, chews with mouth open, smirks,  grins,  subtle smiles,  wide smiles,  sad smiles,  intimidating smiles,  menacing grins, openly smiles, tries to suppress smiles, bares teeth when angry, lips quiver when emotional, stutters,  speaks quickly,  speaks slowly,  good pronunciation,  poor pronunciation,  moderate pronunciation,  purses lips,  sucks in lips,  holds mouth open when shocked or confused.

ʟᴇɢꜱ. bounces leg when nervous, draws knees to chest when sitting, draws knees to chest as a means of comfort,  sits on knees,  sits with legs criss crossed, sits with legs spread open in chairs, crosses legs when sitting in chairs, sits with one leg folded under the other, places feet on furniture, never places feet on furniture, sits on counters,  sits on desks,  sits on tables, sits on edge of seat,  sits hunched over with forearms on knees,  arches one knee up, sits on the arm of chairs/couches, feet on dashboard, swings legs back and forth when sitting somewhere elevated, wiggles toes when nervous,  wiggles toes as a general tick,  shuffles feet,  kicks foot into ground, stomps feet, loud footsteps,  quiet footsteps,  silent footsteps.

ʜᴀɪʀ. runs fingers through hair, tugs at hair,  picks at scalp,  chews on hair, twists locks of hair while thinking or nervous, smooths out locks of hair while thinking or nervous,  prefers hair out of face, prefers long hair, prefers short hair, wears hair back,  keeps hair down,  smooths back hair,  plays with other’s hair while talking,  plays with own hair while talking,  strokes hair to comfort others,  likes having hair stroked for their own comfort,  braids others’ hair while talking,  braids own hair while talking, flips hair out of face, pushes hair out of face, leaves hair alone even when falling into face

LING WEN - #1 CIVIL GOD

ᴇʏᴇꜱ. avoids eye contact when nervous, maintains eye contact when nervous, avoids eye contact due to being neurodivergent, enjoys eye contact as a means to read and convey emotion, looks down when emotional, looks up when emotional, cries openly, wipes tears quickly, suppresses tears, wandering gaze when lost in thought, holds gaze while thinking, seeks out eye contact for reassurance, seeks out eye contact to gauge enthusiasm during conversations, eyes move constantly during conversation, expressive eyes, emotions only evident through eyes, uses eye contact to intimidate, looks up while thinking, looks down while thinking.

ʜᴀɴᴅꜱ. clasps behind back, rests in lap,  fidgets with clothes, twiddles thumbs,  chews at nails,  pushes back cuticles, draws patterns on table/counter surfaces,  animated gestures while speaking, only gestures to emphasize,  utilizes sign language,  speaks only through sign, callouses,  scars,  smooth,  wrinkled,  worn,  soft,  delicate,  boney,  slender,  thick,  veiny,  touches others while speaking,  reaches out while laughing,  reaches out to comfort others, reaches out to seek comfort, places face in hands when exasperated, places palms over eyes to hide when overwhelmed,  rests chin in hands,  taps fingers when impatient,  taps fingers when nervous,  taps fingers while thinking, scratches scalp, strokes chin,  rubs back of head, toys with objects around them, runs fingers over surfaces while walking by.

ᴍᴏᴜᴛʜ. chews lip,  chews at inside of cheek,  licks lips,  bites tongue,  chews on straws, resting frown, resting smile, neutral resting expression, resting pout,  grinds teeth,  flexes jaw, covers mouth when laughing,  covers mouth when shocked,  covers mouth when concerned,  hands to lips while thinking,  covers mouth when chewing,  chews with mouth closed, chews with mouth open, smirks,  grins,  subtle smiles,  wide smiles,  sad smiles,  intimidating smiles,  menacing grins, openly smiles, tries to suppress smiles, bares teeth when angry, lips quiver when emotional, stutters,  speaks quickly,  speaks slowly,  good pronunciation,  poor pronunciation,  moderate pronunciation,  purses lips,  sucks in lips,  holds mouth open when shocked or confused.

ʟᴇɢꜱ. bounces leg when nervous, draws knees to chest when sitting, draws knees to chest as a means of comfort,  sits on knees,  sits with legs criss crossed, sits with legs spread open in chairs, crosses legs when sitting in chairs, sits with one leg folded under the other, places feet on furniture, never places feet on furniture, sits on counters,  sits on desks,  sits on tables, sits on edge of seat,  sits hunched over with forearms on knees,  arches one knee up, sits on the arm of chairs/couches, feet on dashboard, swings legs back and forth when sitting somewhere elevated, wiggles toes when nervous,  wiggles toes as a general tick,  shuffles feet,  kicks foot into ground, stomps feet, loud footsteps,  quiet footsteps,  silent footsteps.

ʜᴀɪʀ. runs fingers through hair, tugs at hair,  picks at scalp,  chews on hair, twists locks of hair while thinking or nervous, smooths out locks of hair while thinking or nervous,  prefers hair out of face, prefers long hair, prefers short hair, wears hair back,  keeps hair down,  smooths back hair,  plays with other’s hair while talking,  plays with own hair while talking,  strokes hair to comfort others,  likes having hair stroked for their own comfort,  braids others’ hair while talking,  braids own hair while talking, flips hair out of face, pushes hair out of face, leaves hair alone even when falling into face.

tagged by: @yeonban ( thank you ) tagging: @ofsavior ; @soulsballad ; @requiemofrebellion ; @deiscension ; @kyukicho ; @redue ; @valorheroics ; @kisumshi ; @furiaei ; @shackld

[deathfavor]

@soulsballad said: “Oh no… it said teaspoon, not tablespoon.” ( from ran, for izana! )

Give Izana a list of names of people to ruin and he could have it done in a few hours max. Give him a situation where he needed to make the police dance like marionettes for him and it would be done with all the ease of someone who held the title of King. Give Izana a recipe book...and evidentially it wouldn't help anything. Izana stares blankly at Ran and then the mixing bowl.

" . . . How badly do you think that's going to effect it? " Izana muses, peering down into the mess of ingredient

There's no easy way to fix THAT much vanilla extract as far as Izana knew. It wasn't like flour or sugar where you could potentially scoop it back up. Nope! The vanilla had already started to seep into all the other ingredients and ensure it would not be taken out of the equation unless they wanted to start the whole process over. Which probably wasn't very likely. But really, they shouldn't have been left to be the ones baking as it was.

" Do you want to start over or just keep going? " Izana squints at the bowl for a moment. " Maybe if we add more flour and chocolate chips it'll turn out fine?

Izana is silent for a few moments.

" If we continue though, I vote we make Shion try one first. " Just in case.

[deathfavor]

It's like watching a switch turn on, how Mikey's blank stare goes from hollow to suddenly wide eyed and seeming to flounder with the situation. Even when it vanishes, the expression is different than moments ago when a gunshot had filled the air and pain exploding through his nerves.

" No. "

One simple word that fills the space as Kazutora stares up at Mikey, chin tilted upwards a fraction in steeled determination. That was one thing about Kazutora. Once he had his mind set on something, it was near impossible to get him to change his mind ( for better or for worse - more often times worse in his experience ). Maybe this resolve means nothing to Mikey. That wouldn't surprise Kazutora to learn ; why would it? But that doesn't mean Kazutora won't try. That he won't uphold his end of he words he'd spoken. " I told you. I'm not abandoning you. "

Finally, Kazutora starts to move. It hurts like a bitch to move, sweat beading across his forehead as he struggles to get back to his feet. More blood gushes from his leg but Kazutora doesn't seem to pay it any attention when his eyes remain on the other in front of him. He was the one who was shot, he was the one who was hurt, and yet he doesn't seem afraid.

" Sorry, Mikey. " He tilts his head with a smile, lips trembling slightly. " It's all my fault. All of this. " He whispers, staring at his own hands for a second. " I hurt everything that comes near me. No matter how hard I try not to, it always happens. Everything is my fault. If you'd never met me - " If Baji had never introduced them... His voice trails off, the bell in his ear ringing when he tilts his head back slightly, eyes closed as he gives a tired exhale. " I said I'm not abandoning you. If you want me to join Bonten I will. I'll sharpen my claws for you, I'll do whatever you ask. And if you want to kill me, I'll let you. I don't blame you, it's what I deserve. I've thought that for years . " His eyes open, staring at the ceiling of the warehouse and then his eyes drop to Mikey. " I never really though you'd forgiven me anyways. I can't forgive myself. But I'm not leaving. "

Kazutora wobbles, the strength starting to fade from him as pain becomes more pronounced. " We already know I'm already crazy - no sane person would come chasing you. " Kazutora breaths a laugh that cracks with pain and sorrow, eyes falling. " I can't pretend shit's fine. Because it's not. You deserve to be happy - and I know its my fault. " He winces when he tries to move, starting to sway. He should...really sit down. " Guess I'm too fucked up for the happy life everyone else is living. But...I can at least be here for you. I'm the one who can't stand being abandoned, every time I think about it it feels like my brain snaps and it's so dark....I don't know what happens..." He mumbles, chewing his bottom lip with a distant look before refocusing. " So how could I abandon someone? "

Ah.... what happened...?? He... shot Kazutora?

For a moment, Mikey's eyes widen, and a look crosses his face that Kazutora's likely never seen before. Whether it's from the shock of having shot him, or from Kazutora's words, he doesn't know... but the expression is gone in an instant, as everything in Mikey shuts down, leaving him surrounded by a cold, emotionless shell let again.

Of course. Because Mikey is a monster. Because Mikey can't protect anyone. He's known those things for so long now - that there's something fundamentally wrong with him, something broken in him from the day he was born... yet he still finds himself horrified as he watches the blood start to pool on the floor. Maybe, deep down, he was hoping for something different... it makes him want to laugh, a bitter and cruel laugh, because how stupid can he get?

He wanted to believe that he could protect his friends, no matter how low he sank, but this was always destined to be the end result, wasn't it? It's a miracle he didn't shoot Kazutora dead on the spot. But how much longer does he have until he loses control again?

"Kazutora - leave. This is your last chance." Even though it must be hard for Kazutora to even move at all after being shot in the leg, Mikey still tries to force him to go. But even though he's not saying anything different to before... this time, there's a desperation in his words that's begun to show through the cracks. Even though his eyes are dull and empty, there's something more vulnerable about him now... Fear is starting to creep into his voice. He feels sick, like the world is spinning around him.

He knows it must be impossible for Kazutora to understand. Why would Mikey be afraid, if he's the one who shot him to begin with? Mikey's never told a soul the truth - about the way he loses control as if he's possessed, about how he blacks out and only comes back when it's too late... if he said anything, anyone would think he was crazy... But even so...!

If Kazutora doesn't leave, he'll die! Even though he said he'd join him... and that he wouldn't abandon him...!

"Hurry up and get out of here!!"

[deathfavor]

@raytm said: you don’t approve. killua to kalluto (:

A shadow. Kalluto exists as little beyond a shadow, or a doll for his mother to play dress up with. ( And yet, to Kalluto, that is love. At least she acknowledges him. ) He is not the eldest and he is not the heir. His relevance is nothing outside of jobs. It matters not that he's years ahead of Killua when it comes to Nen training or technique, it matters not that he's got a higher success rate than Milluki. Kalluto is little but a shadow. He wonders if anyone had even noticed when he slipped out from the house, leaving one less shadow in a mansion.

Kalluto hadn't expected to cross paths with his brother. He certainly hadn't expected to be addressed. Kalluto's pink eyes focus on his big brother, then drift to the other boy in the distance who looks to be admiring something in a store window. Gon. He remembers the boy's name, along with Killua's two other friends, Leorio and Kurapika.

Friends. It is a foreign word to assassins. The Zoldycks did not need friends. They had the family and assassination. That was all they needed.

What was the Troupe to him? Kalluto opts to not reflect on it too deeply. And thankfully, the one-of-a-kind spider which brands him as a member lays hidden beneath elaborate silks. Would Killua even notice if it were out? Kalluto has some doubts on how much people truly recall about him. He has even slimmer belief that Killua would with his apparent lack of assassination lately. Killua, who always preferred Alluka and never even glanced at Kalluto.

Until now. Kalluto doesn't know what to do with the weight of eyes on him now. He doesn't know how to speak with Killua. He doesn't know what to do. Only their Mother and Illumi were frequent interactions for him before the Phantom Troupe had taken him under their wings and embraced him as one of them.

Sad, isn't it? He finds freedom and joy with them more than with family.

Kalluto stares at Killua again and eventually adverts his gaze to the ground. " It is not my place to judgge. " He finally responds with a slow care like he's walking over a tightrope. " My words hold no weight even if I were to cast judgement. " This is a fact as far as he is concerned.

[silverdune]

..humbug | prologue.

"please.. forgive the intrusion of us three festive spectres.."

minors dni. ageless blogs dni. blank blogs dni. you'll be blocked.

..humbug masterlist | next ->

character(s): choi seungcheol, yoon jeonghan, joshua hong as the ghosts of christmas past, present and future (ft. you as scrooge, mentioned ?? svt member)

tags: retail worker!reader, reader doesn't like the holidays, 95z are sarcastic and they sorta break-in(??) (it'll make sense), banter, mild suspense, ghosts, reader gets freaked out and questions their reality, retail stores during the holidays, stress, food (eating), christmas music, past relationships/breakups, crying, angst, explicit language

word count: 4.0k

summary: you come home, stressed from your christmas eve shift and three people have shown up in your apartment. they claim they're the ghosts of christmas past, present and future, but a christmas carol is a work of fiction.. right?

a/n: i didn't expect the prologue to be this long haha but here it is. hopefully i can get the rest of this up by christmas, if not, just after?? anyways, i hope you enjoy;

Christmas Eve.

It's always dialled up to eleven on the last day before Christmas. The speakers are only playing holiday music, you've got to wear the tacky sweater and your stress levels are indisputably at their highest.

This isn't your favourite time of year by any means.

Every chance you get, you eye what seems to be the only clock in the entire store. It rings an hour before closing time, and you've got to spend a further hour clearing everything away and shutting up shop before you can spend two blissful days in solitude.

The queue for the checkouts stretches as far as the eye can see. As you pass by to take a stack of baskets back to the entrance, you can't help but take a gander at everyone's trolleys, filled to the brim with their last minute buys. It truly makes you wonder why anyone would wait until the last second to get everything in for the holidays.

The journey is slow as people go back and forth across the aisles, trying their best to gather all the stuff they could possibly need and want. Your mind is ticking over, wishing and waiting for your shift to be done with so you can go home and eat.

The stack of baskets finally end up back in the holder, and you're immediately called away to jump back on tills.

An hour becomes forty-five minutes, to half an hour, to fifteen minutes, to shutters down.

The speakers are turned off and you glance at your co-workers with a heavy sigh. One of them remarks that it's another Christmas Eve over with!

You snort to yourself and say beneath your breath, "Ain't I glad for it."

You get to work wiping down the tills, making sure everything is tidied away, and helping a few other staff members replace leftover stock from customers who could not stomach the neverending queue. Soon enough, it's time for you to go home.

You had exchanged gifts with the rest of the staff throughout the week, and as you head to your car, you wish everyone a happy holiday and new year. They shout back with more energy than your sleep deprived self could manage, and you climb into your car before starting the engine and driving home.

You keep the radio off. You had heard enough Christmas music on this day alone.

Pulling into the tiny driveway of your house sometime later, you clamber out, collecting your bag of presents from your friends at work as well as your shoulder bag. Eventually, you get it all to the front door, and upon entering the code, you almost fall into your abode and haphazardly shut the door behind you.

The bags hit the floor. Your shoes are the first thing to come flying off, followed by your hat, coat and scarf. It had started snowing recently, though thankfully none had fallen so far tonight.

Stepping into your house, you take a deep breath in then turn on all the lights. You then decide to head to your bedroom and get changed into your pyjamas. Much better.

It's almost 10pm when you start preparing dinner. Nothing too fancy or elaborate, just a quick bite to eat before you inevitably get into bed and fall into the deepest sleep imaginable. Slumber had been slipping away for days, you know you'll be thankful for the first good night's sleep in ages.

The house is quiet and still, save for the sounds of the hood fan above your stove, the clacking of pots and pans, the faucet turning on and off as you wash your hands, and the timer on your phone letting you know your meal is done.

As you plate your dinner and toss the pans into the sink, the wind picks up outside. It howls at your kitchen window, startling you a little, before you notice drops of something fall in front of the nearby streetlight.

Immediately, you think it's snow, and a quick poke of the head outside your front door confirms that theory. You hum, then go back inside before your dinner gets cold.

You take the dish into the living room and place it on the table before taking a seat on the floor. Without a second to waste, you tuck in.

The wind gets stronger with each passing minute. You figure the snow could only be getting heavier. Perhaps it's cold enough for it to stick.

Thoughts pass absent-mindedly through your head as you eat. Gotta call parents in the morning. Make sure dinner is prepared. They're coming at around 2pm. I need to tidy up a bit before they get here too.

Finishing up your dinner, you get up to grab your phone from your bag. It lets you know it's just past 11pm and your eyes widen in surprise - has time really gone that fast?

As you re-enter the living room, you ensure you have an alarm set for 9am the following morning, then pick up your plate and take it into the kitchen.

The wind grows rather fierce outside, and the howling becomes.. eerie. A blizzard hails and you wonder when it's going to calm down, if it will at all.

You clear everything up and put everything back, then wipe the countertops down. It's an extra step before you can go to bed, but you know you'll be thankful for it in the morning. Once you switch off all the lights, you head into the bathroom and brush your teeth.

The baying wind causes a noticeable raucous outside as you splash your face with warm water and turn off the faucet. The nature of it is almost otherworldly and it brings you to a halt.

Never before have your hairs stood on head at the mere appearance of a gale force wind.

You pick up your towel to dry your face, now slightly perturbed at just how forceful these gusts are.

You won't lie, it's making you feel uneasy.

Setting the towel on the side, you hurry out the bathroom to switch on one of the floor lamps so you can feel comfortable turning off the bathroom light. You're not sure why the weather is making you feel like this, but the way it's picked up in the last hour is genuinely starting to scare you.

Your mouth is a few seconds ahead of your brain when you call out, "Hello?" You shake your head slightly, unsure of where that exclamation came from.

What, do you suppose there are ghosts here?

A chuckle escapes you - surely not. It is just an incredibly powerful wind, coupled with snow. This has happened hundreds of times before, this is nothing new!

Exhaling, you turn off the bathroom light, turn off the floor lamp, then go into your bedroom. The clock reads just shy of midnight.

For some reason, this makes you pause.

A lump forms in your throat that you promptly swallow. Nothing to fear, you think, and get into bed with the promise of a wonderful night's rest.

You close your eyes, knowing you'll be off to sleep in no time..

Thud.

You jolt upright.

"What the fuck?"

You heart picks up speed. You place a hand on your chest as you try and take the deepest breaths possible.

Your shaky hand reaches out to turn on the bedside lamp. Slowly, you pull back the duvet and get out of bed, grabbing your phone in the process and switching on the torch.

Inch by inch, you trudge out of the bedroom and head in the direction of the kitchen, where you assume the noise came from. It sounded like a clattering of pans.. you don't even know what would've caused it.

But more than that, you are chilled to the bone to discover you can.. fucking hear voices?

Coming to a stop in the middle of the hallway, every sense is on high alert as you point your torch to the floor. What the fuck is going on, and who the fuck is in my house?

Assuredly not what you were expecting in the early hours of Christmas morning.

Nobody had entered the house as you were getting ready for bed. There was no break-in, no disturbances other than the loud wind, and certainly no sign that someone had managed to find another way to enter.

This is truly something else.

And what gets to you more than anything, is that as you start treading carefully towards the kitchen again, the voices become more distinctive.. and there's three of them.

.

.

Usually, a more graceful entrance through the chimney would be in order.

But where no chimney exists, the next best option is.. the oven.

"Damn it!"

"Good one, Joshua.."

"Don't look at me, Jeonghan. I'm not the one who decides to get thrown down- or I guess in this case out- first." Joshua picks himself up off the ground and dusts down his jacket. Jeonghan follows suit, then moves to brush off Joshua's shoulders before getting shooed away. "And Seungcheol's going to get a lovely entrance, I bet.."

Much to their shock - and joy - Seungcheol flies through the open oven door and lands with a thud against the kitchen island opposite.

Jeonghan and Joshua both guffaw as the latter closes the oven. "Ah, I'm almost glad I spoke too soon."

"Bastard," mutters Seungcheol beneath his breath, rubbing his head as he scrambles to his feet. "Could've helped me.."

Both Jeonghan and Joshua - whom Seungcheol unabashedly nicknames The Bothersome Brothers - look at one another then turn to Seungcheol in mock sympathy. For dramatic effect, Jeonghan gently covers his mouth with his hand as Joshua shakes his head in shame.

"Oh.. we are so sorry, forgive us, dear elder.." Jeonghan drones, hand now on his chest to feign sadness.

Seungcheol fixes them a less-than-pleased glare and rolls one shoulder back at a time to relieve some tension. "I will roast you both."

The pair fake a gasp simultaneously. "The horror!" says Joshua.

"Couldn't imagine!" follows Jeonghan, back of hand on his forehead.

"Alright, enough you two. We need to figure out where we are and who we're assisting."

The two drop the act and instantly shift into gear. "Well.." begins Joshua, putting his hands behind his back and taking a walk through the kitchen, "we're in a house.."

Jeonghan snorts. Seungcheol does not have the patience for this.

"Seriously?"

"What?" Joshua exclaims; Seungcheol's raised brow says it all. "..Fine." Out of thin air, he retrieves a large, ancient book that he opens to about the halfway point. He recites the information within back to the other men. "LN.FN. Late 20s-early 30s. Retail worker. Reason for hating the holidays.."

Shriek.

.

.

When you wander into your kitchen, you let out an earth-shattering scream.

You abruptly reach for the nearest light switch and turn it on, revealing three men standing in front of your oven, one of them fumbling to hold onto a giant book as it nearly slips out of his hands.

The flashlight on your phone gets shut off. You stare blankly at the trio, unable to fathom just why they are currently standing in your kitchen.

"Who the hell are you? What are you doing in my house?" you yell, hoping to God this is either a very realistic nightmare, or that if it is real, one of your neighbours understands there are currently three intruders in your home so they can come and help you.

The man furthest to the right takes a step forward. They are all noticeably just as freaked out as you, and it befuddles you since, you know, they are the ones in your house.

"Our sincerest apologies.." He says it so intently and it's disquieting. "We did not mean to frighten you."

The man in the centre continues, "Please.. forgive the intrusion of us three festive spectres.."

The man holding the book completes the sentence, "You must be N." He smiles, and now you have to try and wrap your head around the fact that he just said your name. "It is very nice to meet you."

You are at a complete loss for words. Everything goes still as you try and make sense of all of this.

You try again with asking questions. "..Please tell me who you are and where you came from." The words leave you in a controlled yet urgent tone.

"Bizarrely, of the two queries, the latter will be the more difficult to understand.." remarks the man in the centre.

What in the- "What in the name is that supposed to mean?" you ask.

Bookkeeper answers, "What he's trying to say is that our method of arrival was both unconventional and incomprehensible."

Your head is spinning irrevocably. The walls feel like they are closing in. Everything about this is wrong and you just want to wake up from whatever sordid dream this is.

"Okay.." You try again, this time with a shaky voice. "I am going to politely ask you- in fact, no, I am going to demand that you leave my house this instant or I will call the police!" Your voice quickly reaches its peak volume and the trio are taken aback.

The first man to speak to you tries to de-escalate the situation. "We can explain why we're here!"

"And how!" says the man in the middle.

Good God, is this nightmare over already?

At that moment, the three men form a line. One by one, they introduce themselves.

"My name is Seungcheol. I am the Ghost of Christmas Past."

"My name is Jeonghan, I am the Ghost of Christmas Present."

"My name is Joshua, I am the Ghost of Christmas Future."

They bow in unison.

You laugh.

They glance at one another as they lift their heads, then look over at you. Both arms are tucked across your stomach and you are fully bellowing out laughter.

Their backs straighten. Joshua tucks the book under his arm. The three exchange another glance before they turn back to you.

Once you have finally calmed down and wiped a stray tear, you come back to the room and say, "Holy shit, that is the funniest thing I've heard all year."

Jeonghan goes to speak, "Um- we're- we're afraid that it's-"

You continue chuckling, effectively interrupting him. "That is quite the cover story."

"Beg your pardon?" Joshua cocks a brow.

"All fun and games, huh? Thought you'd get a last minute steal in, and if I found you, you'd pose as the three ghosts of Christmas from the Dickens novel." A snort involuntarily escapes you at the ridiculousness of it all.

The trio perk up at that. Jeonghan mutters to them, "That author's name again!"

Seungcheol gazes at you. "Um, excuse me? Did you mention.. Dickens?"

You stop. "Yes? His famous novel, A Christmas Carol has three ghosts that show up in it: Christmas past, present and future.." Their bemused facial expressions are not lost on you. "Surely you.. must have heard of it if you're referencing the characters and literally introducing yourselves as them." You are still in disbelief over that.

"Well," Joshua begins, "to be honest, we've only heard of the novel through other visits we've done.."

"Yes, literally everyone we have interacted with has brought that story up in connection to us but we have no knowledge of it!" Jeonghan explains.

"Some have even gone as far as to say we are actually from that novel and we've come to life!" says Seungcheol.

Frozen solid to the spot you're standing on, you take a good look at three men in front of you. They are all wearing similar attire of a vintage persuasion: suits under long trenchcoats with slacks. Their hair is styled in a way reminiscent of the 40s.

This is baffling to say the least.

Festive spectres..

"Jeonghan, is it?"

Jeonghan eyes you. "Yes?"

"You mentioned you were.. festive spectres.. Is-" You cannot comprehend the fact you're going to inquire about this. "Is that.. legit?"

Jeonghan smiles. "Undoubtedly. And if you want to know the answer to your other query.. We entered through your oven."

Your jaw drops.

That's enough.

"Okay!" You enter the kitchen and go to stand behind them so you can escort them out of the house. "Thank you very much for your company, but-"

As soon as your hand brushes Joshua's shoulder, you squeal and step back.

He is frightfully cold.

The men pivot and see you standing on the other side of the kitchen, back pressed against the sink with one hand covering the other.

"Oh!" Seungcheol understands. "Yes, we are.. quite chilly." The other two catch on and nod in agreement.

Your pupils grow three sizes. "Quite chilly?" you scoff. "You're a damn glacier, fuck.."

"Again, apologies," Seungcheol quietly laughs. "Comes with the territory."

You can do nothing but stare at them; this all well beyond you at this rate.

Joshua opens the book again to the same place as before. "Your name is N.. Late 20s-early 30s.."

"Hang on a minute!" You point a finger. "How the hell do you have that information?"

"Oh! When we are assigned folks to visit during the early morn of Christmas day, we're given a basic information log on who they are and their reasons for disliking the holiday season," says Joshua with a grin on his face.

That last part throws you off. "My.. reasons for disliking Christmas?"

"Yes! A few are listed here actually.. The music, working in a retail store, putting up with distant relatives, commercialisation, consumerism, etc, etc.."

The list is all accurate, but something stings in the back of your mind. You ignore it. For now.

"Right and as the self-proclaimed ghosts of Christmas whenever, you're here to try and make me less of a Grinch?"

"Grinch..?" Joshua furrows his brow in confusion.

"We had a few people mention The Grinch, remember?" says Jeonghan, trying to poke at Joshua's memory. "He's a cartoon of a character who hates Christmas so much he tries to steal it."

"And eventually his heart grows three sizes and he learns to love the holiday and be more cheerful," you finish explaining. Now your head is spinning much faster.

It eventually registers with Joshua, "Ah! Yes, I do remember that story now. Not mentioned as frequently as the other one."

"I mean.. no surprise there, you are literally telling people you're three of the characters from that story." You rub your forehead in exasperation. Quite frankly, you're tired, stressed and just want to go back to bed.

"So, I think with all that settled, we should get to the bottom of what really upsets you about the holidays," announces Seungcheol.

Your eyes split open. Huh?

"Excuse you?"

"The real reason for your hurt at this time of year," Jeonghan informs.

"Yeah, I got that part, but the fuck?"

You are yet to find a good explanation for anything occurring right now and these three "ghosts" want to unpack all the problems?

It is still unclear if they are even telling the truth!

Joshua closes the book and sighs. "I listed many reasons, all of which are perfectly valid and understandable, but there's something much deeper."

"It has been troubling you since well.. last year," laments Jeonghan.

"And only when you confront it, can you learn to move forward," Seungcheol affirms.

Your legs nearly turn to jelly and you have to prop yourself up on the side of the sink just to remain steady.

The something much deeper?

The thing troubling you?

The thing you must confront?

You have to turn away from them.

Staring out of the window, all the memories come flooding back.

You had spent three Christmases together.

Everything was going so well. You had considered moving in together up until late last year.

That was when things got worse.

You grew ever so distant in the weeks leading up to Christmas. It was to be your fourth together and yet, by the time December rolled around, you both decided it was best if you broke it off.

No closure. No final words. No cards or gifts or well wishes from either of you.

Truly a lonely holiday.

You had of course spent it surrounded by family, but after almost four years together, it hurt to have an empty seat beside you at the dinner table.

Even waltzing around your own house reminded you of everything you shared. You'd often stay the night at each other's places.

Now it was your second Christmas apart, and despite all the time that has passed, it could still bring you to tears just thinking about it.

You often wonder what he's doing. If he ever thinks of you. It crosses your mind that he clearly hasn't, otherwise he'd pick up the phone, but the hypocrisy would be so loud, and it never stopped you from thinking about him.

With a heavy weight on your shoulders, you take a deep breath in. It occurs to you that the three ghosts have been standing behind you this entire time, and you brush a tear away before turning around.

"Sorry.." you whisper. To them? To him? To yourself? You don't know.

"It is more than okay. We are only here to help," says Seungcheol, gently.

"And if you'd like us to, we can guide you through these three different times," follows Jeonghan. "But it is up to you."

"If you wish us to leave, we shall," Joshua vows on behalf of all three of them.

Something uncanny twists in your stomach. You are unsure of when or how the atmosphere shifted but, you find yourself unable to do much else but choke a sob. They watch on sympathetically, unable to conceal their sorrow.

"How do I- kn-know that you're really those ghosts?" you sniff.

"Well, aside from the temperature, does this help you?" wonders Joshua, before he levitates the book above his palm before throwing it into the air, causing it to vanish.

You blink. "W-Wow.."

"And perhaps.." Seungcheol backtracks out of the kitchen, subtly guiding you towards the standing mirror in the hallway. You follow, and once you're standing in front of the glass, it reveals zero reflection of the man beside you.

"Oh, shit-" You can't see, but Seungcheol smirks behind you. You lift a hand to the mirror and gulp. "Okay.. So.. How would you plan on guiding me through these times?"

"I answer your question with another: who do you see before you?"

".. Not you," you joke. The trio chuckle. "But, seriously.. myself, of course."

"Yourself, when?"

"Now. Today."

"And what year is it currently?"

"..2023."

"Correct. Now.." Seungcheol lifts an arm, then moves his hand in a circle motion, causing a spiralling ripple effect on the mirror.

Your mouth gapes open and a gasp escapes. This is insane, how is this even real?

Seungcheol eventually lowers his arm. "..What do you see?"

The picture clears. You say what you see. "Christmas lights.. That's the front of my house! It's snowing.. There's someone laughing-"

The words get caught in your throat.

Wonwoo.

Your ex.

"That's.." You struggle to say his name. It's like you haven't said it in years. "..Wonwoo."

The name tastes of salt on your tongue. Or maybe that's the tears that have since started shedding with reckless abandon.

"Your ex-boyfriend, correct?"

You swallow thickly. "Y-Yes.."

The picture starts to change. It becomes so much darker. The tone is shifting. It was only a vignette of the past and yet you wish you could hold onto it for dear life.

The world becomes foggy. The words are mumbled and the voices are not defined. You shudder in your own living room, wiping your cheeks free of tears.

Seungcheol stands before you and holds his hand out.

"I stood you before the mirror, as while it does give you your reflection at present, it can also reflect so much of what has been left in the past. It acts as a window to everything that has transpired to make you who you are."

You look at him, then the mirror, then back at him.

"Take my hand, if you wish to revisit the past."

Pushing your shoulders back, you take a moment to consider whether this is a good idea.

In seconds, your hand ends up in his.

He guides you through the mirror, and as the door closes, your living room is shrouded in darkness.

Jeonghan nudges Joshua, "Admirable."

Joshua nods. "I do hope this brings them some much needed closure."

× tristeetconfus (ave). do not repost. ×

[countessofravenclaw]

El Lugar más Feliz de la Tierra: Chapter seven

To all that come to this happy place, welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. - Walt Disney

Luna had never heard these words before, nor had she heard of the man who had said them... well until she and Mateo end up having a movie night and Luna comes up with an idea. If there is really a place that can be called "the happiest place on the earth" she wants to see it for herself. So she and all her friends leave on an adventure ... an adventure over to a place where you can leave today and enter the world of the past, future, adventure, and fantasy.

The song of the chapter v ¤

Nothing can stop us now

“Uuuuu, uuu, what do you think he’s gonna be like?” Luna was skipping ahead in the queue, “I mean I read like that he’s like the boss.” 

“I don’t know if I could ever work for a mouse,” Matteo joked as he walked behind her with Gastón and Nina. 

“Well, good thing you don’t have an employer,” Gastón patted him on the shoulder. “You could never survive with my boss.” 

“I thought you liked your boss,” Matteo rolled his eyes at Gastón, “Or. Don’t you have like multiples? I will never understand how that works.”

“I mean, there’s my direct supervisor who answers to the division manager Mr. Gomez. We all contribute to things the executive works on, and they are under the CEO’s direct management.” 

“Stop talking about work!” Luna turned around frustrated and linked her arms with Nina and then went to grab Ambar as well. She started dragging them further along the queue. 

“I think it’s safe to say that this Disney obsession of hers won’t end anytime soon,” Gastón noted as he and Matteo kept on walking as well. 

“As long as she is having fun,” Matteo shrugged and look ahead at Luna. 

“Okay, next group!” The character attendant yelled and opened the gate. Luna could almost burst from excitement. The rides were awesome, of course they were, but she absolutely had loved meeting all the characters. It was so cool seeing them basically come to life, with the costumes and everything. 

Obviously, she knew that they weren’t real, she wasn’t stupid, but it was fun to pretend. The characters with the big head—Nina had called them something fur—were especially adorable. They were fuzzy with big eyes and mouth… In short, extremely huggable. 

“Hello my friends!” A high-pitched voice was heard as Luna entered the area where Mickey Mouse was standing.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Luna was suddenly taken aback. “You talk?? He talks? This is so awesome!”

None of the other characters that had these big heads talked. 

“It is so nice to see you!”

“It is so nice to see you too Mickey!!” Luna started jumping up and down before hugging a ginormous character.

“Have you had fun at my home!” 

“Absolute best!” Luna continued, “We’ve been here for a long time now. We’re going home tomorrow, but I don’t want to leave.”

“Where are you from?” Mickey kept asking Luna questions.

“Buenos Aires!” She responded enthusiastically. 

“Thank you for coming so far to see me.”

“You’re welcome! But like, it’s not that far,” Luna started, “Or is it? The flight was very long, let me tell you…” 

“Have you visited that one house on New Orleans Square?” Mickey started asking.

“What house?” Luna looked at him confused. 

“I once went there, and I think it was haunted.” 

“Oh!” the realization hit Luna, “YES!! We went there on our first day here! It was spooky.”

“I think a ghost tried to follow me home from there,” Mickey continued.

“Oh me too!” Luna looked over her shoulder, “Hopefully it didn’t happen… Matteo! Has there been a ghost chasing me this whole time?”

“Not that I have seen,” Matteo laughed and walked up to where Luna and Mickey were standing and offered his hand. “Hello, Mr. Mouse.”

“Mr. Mouse?” Luna looked at Matteo.

“Well, he was the boss, wasn’t he?”

***

“So, my Jaz-fans, today we start our day with some culinary delights—”

“Jazmin were going to be buying churros,” Delfi noted as Jazmin kept hyping up the snacks to her camera. “I don’t think you can really call them the most exquisite culinary delights.”  

“How do you know?” Jazmin turned to her after shutting the camera off. “Have you ever eaten churros?” 

“Literally the last time we went to Costa Park, but you didn’t want one because, and I quote “they would destroy your outfit.” So, yes, I have had them,” Delfi rolled her eyes. “You surely have too, they’re super common, you probably had them at ours. Those were Aaron’s favorite dessert.” 

“I mean maybe I have, but these are Disney churros,” Jazmin shrugged, “So must be better and make better content.” 

“Delfi just shrugged and laughed as they received their long treats. 

“Uuf, all this cinnamon is ruining my outfit!” Jazmin started complaining.

“I tried to warn you.” 

“Anyways,” Jazmin grabbed a few selfies with her churros and then pulled her camera out, “So, who guessed right? The answer is Churros! So, all my Jaz-fans, you get to see me take my first bite of a Disney churro.”

“Can we get these for the wedding?” Pedro asked as he was munching on his own churro. 

“So, a finger food buffet isn’t enough for you?” Delfi raised and affectionate eyebrow at Pedro. He had been surprisingly involved with the wedding planning, especially when it had come to the food.

“Isn’t this finger food?” He countered, “I don’t see forks.” 

“We’ll see what we can do once we’re back in Argentina.” 

***

“Where are they?” Luna was tippin on her toes as they were waiting on for the others in the middle of Toon Town. 

“Delfi texted me that they are on their way now,” Ambar looked at her phone, “Now that they’re done with their churros.”

“I wanna churro,” Luna stopped on her tracks, “Matteo! Why haven’t you gotten me a churro?”

“Because you literally had three macarons and an ice-cream sundae,” Matteo responded, “No one wants to deal with you while you’re hangry. But wait like an hour, because you’re really hopped on sugar right now. You’ll get your churro.” 

“I’d better…” Luna rolled her eyes. 

“We’re here!” Suddenly they saw Jim, Yam and Ramiro jog toward them, “We almost got kidnapped by pirates!” 

“Only because Ramiro neglected to tell us about the drops,” Yam scowled at Ramiro. 

“I thought it was obvious.”

“We’re very close to banning you from third wheeling us ever again,” Jim continued. 

“And now we have entered the world of cartoons…” Everyone turned around as they started hearing Jazmin’s voice. Low and behold, she was walking toward them—camera in hand—with Delfi and Pedro. She directed the camera toward Luna, “So, tell us. What are we doing here?” 

“So, we were just meeting Mickey and heard that he has his own ride here.” Luna started, “I can’t believe that I almost completely missed that while doing research. It was called a run-away way or something like that, so basically a train ride! Now we just need to find it.”

Luna started scrolling through the map. She had never been good with maps—that had been very proven when she and Matteo had once taken part in a city orienteering event at Buenos Aires, because it had sounded cool. They had gotten pretty lost. She finally found the attraction she had been looking for after swiping around for at least 5 minutes. 

“So, we need to be heading toward a theatre of some sort,” She looked up and started looking around, “I have no idea where that could be though…”

“Right there,” Nina pointed behind them. Luna turned around and saw a cartoonish looking movie theatre. It had a billboard that read: “The grand World Prem-Ear”. “Huh, what does that mean?” Luna stared at the sign. 

“A mouse pun?” Gastón shrugged. “Are we gonna stand here the whole day?”

“Lets go in.”

As they entered, they walked over a carpet that said: “El Capitoon Theatre”. Then there was a display that read: “Mickey Mouse and the Perfect Picnic”. It looked like one of those shorts that Luna had watched on the plane.

“High School Goofical?” Luna read off one of the posters. “What does that mean?” 

“I guess it's a parody of High School Musical,” Matteo had appeared on her side. 

“High School what now?” Luna looked at him. “Why would someone make a musical of a high school? Imagine if someone made one of Blake, it would be ridiculous.”

“They made three movies,” Ambar remarked as she came behind them, “And a streaming series. I used to love those movies, but they were a bit silly.” 

“Those movies had the best songs,” Ramiro suddenly started doing some random choreography, “I’m not gonna stop, that’s who I am…”

“Has everyone heard of the High School musicals except me?” Luna looked around. “That’s it! Matteo, we’re watching those movies on the plane back.”

“Sure,” Matteo made a few faces that very clearly tried to convey a message called “help me”. It would be a very interesting flight back. 

They walked forward in the queue and Luna tried to look at all of the posters. They all seemed to be some sort of parodies of movies… not that Luna had ever heard of any of them. Maybe she really should ask Nina to hold some sort of an old movie marathon, so she could get more up to date. But at the same time… She had terrible track record with falling asleep during movies if she was even tad bit bored—one of the reasons why the Star Wars thingies would never work out with her. 

Next, they walked under a banner that read “It was all started by a Mouse”. Since Ambar had apparently read multiple books on the Walt Disney guy who was the founder of all of Disney, she and Nina—who just had known about the history, because of course she did—had given her a crash course on some of the history. The whole company really had been started by a mouse, Mickey to be exact. 

The queue continued onto the next room which looked like a museum display. There was a helm of a ship and a plane hanging off a ceiling. It looked very cool.

Luna stopped in front of a mannequin that looked like Mickey. It was wearing a red rope and a pointy blue hat. Why she had stopped was because the hat just spoke to her. It had a white moon and stars on it. 

“Oh!” Luna staggered back. “It flew! Everyone else saw that right?”

“What are you talking about?” Matteo looked at her confused. 

“The hat just flew off the head of the doll,” Luna pointed toward the mannequin. 

“It’s a hat. You sure you weren’t just dreaming like you usually are?” Matteo looked like she was trying not to laugh, “Those don’t float—Ah, what was that?!”

The hat had started levitating again. Matteo jumped back scared like a bunny. 

“See, I wasn’t just inventing things,” Luna laughed at him. She looked at the hat again. It was floating and she could see sparkles around with some magical sound effects. “This is actually really cool.” 

“Whatever you say,” Matteo nodded, “Let’s move along.”

“Hey, this mirror is haunted!” Jim seemed to be yelling from further up the queue. “I swear I saw a ghost!”

“Nope, not even gonna comment on that,” Matteo shook his head and turned to grab Luna by her shoulders. “Come on…”

“Wow! A beanstalk!!!” Luna had already dashed away, “Mom always used to read me that story.” 

“Here we go again.”

Soon, they were standing in front of the double doors which had three circle windows, making a Mickey shape on the door. The doors opened up and they walked into a space that looked like some sort of a movie theatre. 

“What are we doing here?” Luna was bouncing on her toes excitedly. From what she had learned of the ride, it was supposed to be some sort of a train, so she didn’t fully understand why they were in a movie theatre. 

As they all had entered the room, the screen lit up and started playing a cartoon. 

The cartoon depicted Mickey and Minney apparently going to take a picnic. They came across Goofy who was driving a train. Then something weird happened…

The train that Goofy was driving suddenly rode into a barn and then exploded. 

The weird thing was that the screen they had been watching the cartoon on exploded too. There was a concrete hole in there and now they were directed to go through it. 

“What is going on?” Luna looked around intrigued.

“We’ll just have to see,” Matteo took her hand, and they started walking. 

***

“No.”

“Well, what about this?”

“NO.”

“Why not?”

“I am not buying that.” Matteo sighed as Luna showed him at least a hundred silly looking hats. 

“You can’t be that grumpy all the time,” She rolled her eyes at him. “You promised me that you’ll buy me ears.” 

“Yes, for YOU,” Matteo countered. “I’ll buy you ten pairs of ears, but I will not be wearing any sorts of hats.”

Luna was holding a giant green hat in front of him. As far as Matteo was able to deduce, it was Mad Hatter’s hat. 

“You’ll need some sort of a souvenir,” Luna gave him her best puppy eyes and Matteo almost gave in… He really needed to stay strong, otherwise that hat would end up in their next Christmas card. That would be a field day for his fans. 

“I have a souvenir,” Matteo continued, “The lightsaber. That’s enough… Okay, you can pick something else, but not a hat. Okay?”

“Yayyyy!” Luna jumped on her feet and dashed toward the next display.

“Don’t get lost in here,” Matteo yelled after her. “Our flight leaves in five hours!”

“I am trying not to think about it!” Luna yelled back at him. “Oh, I listened to some of that High School music yesterday while you were asleep. I want to walk down the aisle to one of the songs.” 

“Fun.” Matteo didn’t know if he wanted to cringe or smile. 

The past days had been so much fun but also exhausting… he was looking forward to just crashing on the plane. 

And if Luna had already picked the processional music, maybe they should now actually get some wedding planning done.

All that said, this had really been an adventure. 

{}

So, our journey come to an end, but yours continues on... Anyways, the story is done now. I gotten be honestly, writing this time to time has kind of been mentally taxing on me. It's probably because this idea is years old, and part of those cookie cutter ideas I for project post MOT. This story is very reactionary and nothing really happens so it's not that exciting to write. That being said, I'm not unhappy about how this turns out and I'm hppy this exist. We can move onto some more wacky projects and I hope everyone enjoyed the adveture.

[deathfavor]

Kakucho says he doesn't know, but Izana thinks that must be it. Was it really so subtle, or was Kakucho just biased to it? Then again.... " Mm. The last few years especially. " Did it make him happy? He wasn't entirely sure.

Izana had never shared the details. Nor had he the details of his crimes, but he hadn't been surprised when the police eventually found him and marched him away in cuffs. " It took them ages to do that. I think that was one of the days things changed. " He muses. He watches his own eyes in the glass; they're unfazed, staring right back at him. His head lifts slightly at feeling Kakucho's arms wrap around him, seeming uncertain for a split second before he lets himself relax back into Kakucho's arms and feels him nuzzling in. " That obvious? " Can everyone see it but him, who only sees it in these small moments? " I think you're the only one who thinks that I am. " Izana allows a breathless huff, his eyes sliding shut as he allows more of his weight to rest against Kakucho's chest. " Maybe I am.

"Maybe." Kakucho does his best to still his mind. So that he might make sense to both of them. It wasn't easy. Maybe this is what Izana felt like all the time. Unable to pinpoint the words that he wanted to say. "I don't know if there's a specific time things changed. It's been so gradual, maybe that's why I let it happen, because of its subtleness. Before I knew it everything was different."

Kakucho lifts his focus to watch his king walk off. Standing only to turn and watch him. "I remember." How could he forget? Finding Izana in such a state was burned into the deepest parts of his memory. He watches Izana touch his reflection and his heart hurts. Coming over both arms wrap around his king's waist, holding himself to him. Nose nuzzles against snowy strands before raising to look at them both in the faint reflection in the glass. "I know you do. I feel it every day from you. You're a good man, you just seem... lost."

[zyrafowe-sny]

A Manny Noceda post emerged from my queue and I will take that as a sign from the universe to actually look at my second chapter draft of Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.

[televinita]

tagged by @empress-of-snark to post my recent, current, and future reads! (Which: hahahahaha! an excuse to GET LONG)

recent: Like in the last week? Love Interest by Clare Gilmore (still tap dancing between 4 stars for overall joy and 3 due to demerits); The Seat Filler by Sariah Williams (perfect hand-claspy fluff of fantasies! once I washed the author's notes out of my brain); Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart (a quick but delightful read! brought to you by: "when I left this morning I thought I was just dropping my parents off at the hospital but actually I'm staying with Mom the whole time and will end up staying at the house overnight"); Penhale Wood by Julia Thomas (disappointing meh after I loved her debut).

and on audio, Texts From Jane Eyre (which is a STELLAR listening experience; it's just two narrators but they are full on voice actors bringing the literal equivalent of a script -- with no stage or other directions -- to life. While I only vaguely remember the original...blog? Twitter account? website?, this had me cackling)

God, we haven't even made it to Current Reads yet, huh.

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current: Meanwhile Farm by Margaret Cheney (70s back-to-the-land memoir by a widowed and middle-aged feminist -- bought it at a book sale ages ago and when I was at the house, it ended up being the one that spoke to me most as a Next Read. it's interesting but overwritten, so probably not a keeper but still worth the read); When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord (underwhelming; I really thought LiveJournal was going to play a far bigger role than it has so far, 2/3rds in); Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands (💖) (so much so I haven't gotten past chapter 3 as I keep putting it down to squee)

and on audio I'm working through Goosebumps #10 (The Ghost Next Door) to fall asleep to -- childhood favorite! -- and just started The Only One Left by Riley Sager.

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future: it's incredibly dangerous to even think about next books given the state of the above section, but since there's still a bit of a queue for it and it's checked out right now, will probably try Starter Villain. Beyond that, it could be anything from this list (copied from my temp. pinned post, since it's liable to change):

the first two books in the Maxie & Stretch cozy mystery series by Sue Henry

A Barn in New England: Making a Home on Three Acres

The Big House: A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home

The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus

Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country

and an outside shot at A Bird in the Hand and a Bear in the Bush, which I almost picked over Meanwhile Farm and which definitely looks more fun, a 70s memoir of a family who moved to the country and started rescuing/rehabbing orphan/injured wild animals. Also bought ages ago at a book sale.

Please consider yourself tagged if you wanna talk books! Credit me even! (let me look at your words about books) (even if you simply list titles. which is probably what everyone else does. i simply cannot be contained or even modestly restrained is all) (see also: these extra-unnecessary parenthetical asides)