#Christmas tree ravioli

[thetockablog]

Christmas Tree Ravioli: Spinach and 3 Cheese Ravioli

Spinach and 3 Cheese Ravioli IngredientsFor the fresh spinach pasta200g baby spinach, washed3 large eggs, at room temperature2 tbsp olive oil400g 00 flour For the filling250g ricotta cheese15g cake flour2 tbsp fresh herbs, finely chopped60g Parmesan cheese, grated60g Pecorino Romano cheese, grated1/4 tsp black pepper1/4 tsp saltPinch of nutmeg Method For the fresh spinach pasta To blanch the…

[perfectlyoongi]

HAPPY HALLOWEEN—FROM BTS ⠀⠀summary: there are countless ways to celebrate this holiday, but only BTS knew how to make it special.

⪩ pairing: bts (separately) x gn!reader. ⪩ genre: headcanons, fluff. establish-relationship. ⪩ word count: 3.5k total, ~500 each.

SEOKJIN 𓏲 ִֶָ ๋ ᡣ𐭩

Halloween has always been an enchanting time for Jin. maybe it was the bright colors of the trees, or the quicker dusk of days, but the reality is that, when autumn began, Jin was radiant, almost glowing. and when Halloween arrived it seemed like all the color in the streets and all the excitement in the houses came together inside Jin’s little heart. for him, there was no better time of the year than Halloween.

every year, when Halloween approached, Jin was quick to prepare a perfect celebration for that wonderful day. he started with food, always with food. as the end of october approached, Jin quickly found recipes online that made you smile due to their creativity. there were ghosts of ravioli, tacos that hugged food like a spider hugs its victim, hot dogs that seemed to be mummified by bread — the ideas were endless, just like Jin’s love for Halloween.

with full bellies and satisfied hearts, you and Jin cleaned the kitchen amidst singing and laughter, the soundtrack of ‘nightmare before christmas’ playing happily in your home. it had long since become a tradition of yours: cleaning the kitchen while singing. and on that special day, you had to hear something special. so, when doing duets of ‘rocky horror picture show’ or imitating plants with ‘little shop of horrors’, you and Jin cleaned the table and washed the dishes with as much joy as there was in the world. just for a few minutes the whole world seemed like a stage waiting for you two.

when the music stopped and the songs died down, when the night was about to take you to bed and snuggle up on that lively day, you and Jin sat at the living room table, each with your computer, and passed the remaining hours shouting between laughs. once when researched, it was amazing how many horror games could support two players. as such, during those ninety-so minutes, you and Jin ran away from monsters, built forts, and even mourned the other’s dramatic death. although the genre was horror, the number of laughs released by the two of you made that experience memorable and very dear to both of you — in the midst of all the chaos and terror, you knew you would always have Jin by your side, even if he had you locked away in the room with the killer.

and it was something simple, little moments that marked your Halloween. with small traditions that would always take place in your home, always in the comfort and safety of each other, you and Jin lived each Halloween with the magic and charm of Christmas: just pure happiness that culminated in eternal hours of pleasure and affection. every Halloween was an annual adventure that would forever be respected and loved by both of you.

YOONGI 𓏲 ִֶָ ๋ ᡣ𐭩

Yoongi wasn’t so much a fan of Halloween as he was of the fall season. there was something magical about the colorful destruction of all nature that provided Yoongi with an extreme comfort that only matched the comfort he felt when he was in your arms. as such, Yoongi wanted to make that holiday something magical.

every year, Yoongi spent endless amounts of time on the internet to prepare for the big month and holiday. the first thing Yoongi would look for was recipes for sweets and drinks with a more welcoming and nostalgic magic, making a selection of those that he knew would leave you with a smile on your lips. small colorful cookies and cakes, coffees and teas of the most varied flavors, a whole autumnal treat awaited you when you got home after a long day of work. and every year, without any exception, Yoongi would always wait for you with a bouquet of beautiful dried flowers and a smile so big on his lips you just couldn’t stop yourself from falling even more in love with him.

after having the recipes ready and the ingredients already chosen, Yoongi would look for the most nostalgic pumpkin patch in the region, making sure that its warm and bright colors were enough to make you happy. walking beside you among the pumpkins, listening to the laughter and screams of happy children, left Yoongi in a trance of pure comfort. holding hands with you, fingers intertwined to make sure you didn’t move away from him, Yoongi admired you whenever you suggested a pumpkin and he could only smile. there were no words he could say that sounded as melodious as your happiness.

back home, after preparing your drink and placing several cookies on the table, you and Yoongi carved the pumpkins while remembering childhood memories that surrounded this time. in the midst of all that confusion, among pieces of pumpkin and cookie crumbs, your living room table took on tones of serenity and refuge, covering the entire surface with the fragments of memories that that tradition of yours brought. when everything was ready and the candles were already lighting up the interior of your creations, you and Yoongi placed them at the entrance of your house and retired to the living room sofa with your hot drinks in hand, putting on a film that reflected all the magic and comfort that this season contained. more classic and films already reviewed so many times were enjoyed by the two of you for the rest of your night.

every year, wrapped in a blanket with Yoongi beside you, this special holiday was spent in the comfort of your relationship. a little of the magic of that time was carried in Yoongi’s small acts and gestures, which wrapped you in a blanket of pure happiness. Halloween for you was an important date, not because of the scares or legends, but because of Yoongi’s effort and attention — in just one day, Yoongi painted your life with pallets of the most comforting and beloved colors he could make. on just that day, only you and Yoongi existed.

HOSEOK 𓏲 ִֶָ ๋ ᡣ𐭩

with a smile on his lips and an extensive list of activities in his pocket, Hoseok wished every year that this time would come as soon as possible so he could celebrate with you. throughout the year, Hoseok found himself collecting little ideas for dates and activities that could cheer you up during this time. all year long, Hoseok prepared each day of the week with precision to ensure that the comfort of this month and the joy of this holiday wrapped you in a blanket of pure bliss.

among so many ideas and suggestions, Hoseok had to admit that walking with you through the park was his favorite activity. whenever the two of you stepped onto the colorful blanket of all of nature’s dreams and that crunchy sound of happiness and hope echoed your footsteps, Hoseok felt free. of course there was magic in dancing and a certain charm on stage, but there, at that moment, hand in hand with you and an immense forest of conversations and laughter in front of him, Hoseok felt dazzled. there, in that moment, with you next to him, Hoseok felt infinite.

but it wasn’t just the walks that made Hoseok happy, no. what he liked most, and what he insisted on doing every year, was spending the whole night watching movies lying down with his head on your chest. the trick here is that since your first Halloween together, Hoseok has discovered the vast world of pre-1980s horror films. it was you who introduced him to these peculiarities when you said, almost begged, that you wanted to see the 1977 film ‘house’. it only took ten minutes for Hoseok to be completely surrendered to the terrible edits and even worse scripts.

since then, your Halloween nights were spent in bed, covered with a small blanket, and completely focused on the screen. while you combed Hoseok’s hair, gently massaging his head and providing Hoseok with extreme relaxation, he just looked at the screen and let the magic of the movies steal eternal laughter from him. from ‘nosferatus’ of 1922, to ‘carnival of souls’ of 1962, going through ‘the invisible man’ of 1933, an extensive list of adventures with the worst recommendations and the most amusing reviews were preciously stored on Hoseok’s phone.

in all the Halloweens that have passed and in all those that are yet to happen, Hoseok knew that that magic only came in your company. you were the one who enchanted Hoseok’s days, and you were the one who made him feel grateful to live each day by your side. and that was enough for him. just you, a film that made you laugh, and he felt like he was in heaven.

NAMJOON 𓏲 ִֶָ ๋ ᡣ𐭩

on the last day of october, Namjoon had no plans. after working all day, only talking to you once in a while when time allowed, Namjoon was longing to get home and just rest. he would do anything to leave work early — perhaps because the month seemed so long, or because the days were starting to get shorter, there was no concrete answer; all Namjoon knew was that that day would only become good when he was in your company.

so, when he came home and saw you distracted in the living room reviewing those Halloween classics of yours, Namjoon would just smile: you were simply divine. without having any time to take in that heavenly sight, Namjoon was quick to crawl over to your couch and wrap you in a tight little hug that made him smile in relief. finally, there was some tranquility in that long and painful day. finally, Namjoon was with you, ready to really start living that day you loved so much.

after kissing your forehead and ordering your favorite food, Namjoon was going to take a long shower to relax before returning to the living room with dinner in his hands and two bottles of alcohol in his arms. Namjoon just wanted to decompress, he didn’t really want to do anything, but you liked that holiday, you were enchanted by the mysticism that surrounded that day — Namjoon would do everything for you to have a good night, even though he just wanted to sleep.

you ate excitedly while ‘the grim adventures of billy and mandy’ played episode after episode on your big television. that dinner, with the familiar voices of the characters, was always essential for you; whether it was Halloween or a regular tuesday, your dinners were sacred. each one listened attentively the other as their day was recounted between sighs and smiles. it was a tradition of yours that continued to fuel your flame — and, on Halloween, your conversations only got livelier: you looked stunning at this time of year. when dinner was over and all the dishes were clean, you and Namjoon were beginning the second and final part of your tradition. it was you who came up with the idea, and Namjoon was quick to accept — it was the perfect end to another long, boring day of work.

Namjoon spent brief minutes trying to find a horror film that contained all the clichés that this genre had; you would spend a few minutes creating a list of all the clichés and phrases that horror films could contain. when Namjoon finally committed to the movie, and you read the list to him out loud, you would each prepare your cup and wait patiently until something on the list happened. for long minutes, you and Namjoon played with the movie that was on the television, letting the alcohol act as a gentle blanket that protected you on that magical night. without realizing it, you end up falling asleep on the couch, involuntarily hugging each other, smiling gently with the rest of that troubled day lulling you to distant lands.

JIMIN 𓏲 ִֶָ ๋ ᡣ𐭩

october 31st was always a surprise for you. every year, Jimin would look for the ideal activity to celebrate Halloween with you. of course, the countless costume parties and home movie sessions were always attractive to Jimin, especially if the night was a little colder. but you deserved something better, something that wasn’t so common. Jimin knew how much you enjoyed this holiday, and as such, year after year, he always found something new to do with you. you never knew what could await you, but that was part of the adventure.

on your first Halloween, Jimin took you to a forest with a basket full of food and a backpack full of scary stories from the internet that had the forest as their backdrop. of course, just a picnic under the moon listening to ghostly stories wasn’t enough — no. with the stories also came the jokes and Jimin made sure that only the best laughs came out of you. he didn’t mind spending the whole night reading the comments to find the ideal ones to make you laugh and ease some of the tension he would create.

you also remembered that Halloween where Jimin took you to an escape room that took you to an abandoned castle where count dracula had you and Jimin trapped in his basement. even though the two of you had only spent sixty minutes inside that room, you’d swear an eternity was spent among loose rocks and squeaking rats. all your wrong theories just made you laugh until you fell on the floor; whenever an employee’s voice came up to help you, you and Jimin just pushed the blame for the mistake onto the other; when the last key took you straight to the count’s room instead of the exit, you only realized that that Jimin’s idea, although hilarious and providing you dozens of good memories, was a little too intellectual for both of you.

you also still dreamed about the magic school you and Jimin attended last year. it was something so simple, something so childish — but it was something so good, something so cozy, something that reminded you why you loved Jimin so much. potions classes were held in the school’s basement, its cauldrons bubbling and glowing different colors; the spell classes were held on the second floor next to the (human) statue that moved on its own. dinner was in the main hall, six long tables occupying the entire space and taking dozens of people to those childhood dreams. for one night, you were magical. for one night, you breathed magic.

and this year only time will tell. Jimin never gave any hint of his plans — it was pure torture. and yet you waited anxiously. maybe he would wake you up with a breakfast themed around your favorite horror movies. who knows, Jimin could even take you to build a scarecrow to put in front of your house. or Jimin could simply decide to stay in the comfort of your house, in the comfort of your arms, rewatching films and series that had a more ghostly atmosphere. no one knows for sure, only Jimin, and that is a secret that he will only reveal tomorrow.

TAEHYUNG 𓏲 ִֶָ ๋ ᡣ𐭩

every year, Taehyung prayed that on Halloween there would be no rain. he didn’t mind the cold, and a little wind didn’t make him mad; but if that day the heavens decided to mourn all the destruction of the world, Taehyung’s day would be ruined. it’s just that, on this specific day, where autumn was beginning and all of nature colored the streets with its farewell, Taehyung only had a single activity in mind. october 31st marked the anniversary of your first encounter and your first date and, devoted to your love, Taehyung insisted on scheduling a picnic just like you did so long ago.

preparing the whole morning for that date, Taehyung spent hours cooking or buying that food that warmed your heart, putting out books, notebooks, pens, everything that could be used to entertain you for an entire afternoon. so, with a small, orange blanket, a basket with all your favorite food and drinks, Taehyung was setting up a small picnic in the park where you first met, near that lake that saw your love blossom on that first date. and he tried his best to make that picnic always better than the last.

sometimes Taehyung liked to recite poetry to you while you rested your head in his lap. there were other times when he preferred to spend the afternoon listening to your stories, delighting in the little laughs you made and falling in love with your soul again. there were also times when the simple silence of nature was enough to lull both of you into the autumnal comfort characteristic of your relationship. honestly, Taehyung didn’t even care much about how you spent those little picnic hours; all Taehyung wanted was to relive those two magical days that completely changed his life. just you, the park and the blanket — nothing else mattered.

when night fell and the cold became a little more aggressive, you returned home while ordering your favorite food from that restaurant he took you to before asking you to be his partner. and that trip back home felt like the arrival of autumn itself: desired, coveted, awaited for too long to be unable to contain you enthusiasm. that dinner on your living room floor, that little tradition that came from so many past dates, was all you two thought about when the moon peeked out of the dark sky.

the day came to an end without any stress or problems — Taehyung made sure of that. there was nothing that could happen that he could not resolve, or omit until the next day arrived. october 31st was the only day when nothing could happen. october 31st was the only day that really mattered. and it was on october 31st that Taehyung declared his eternal love to you again in the memories of a glorious past with promises of a sublime future.

JUNGKOOK 𓏲 ִֶָ ๋ ᡣ𐭩

Jungkook loved celebrating Halloween. he couldn’t say why or what captivated him about that holiday, he just knew that when october arrived, he was counting the days, eager to reach the end of the month. as such, it was quite natural for Jungkook to have all the plans for this season laid out since the beginning of the year. and every year, without fail, among so many different activities and occupations, there were always those three traditions of yours that warmed Jungkook’s heart like a summer sun.

on the orange afternoons of the last day of the month, Jungkook would appear at the front door with a wide smile on his lips and white sheets in his arms. holding your hand gently and taking you to the park near your house, Jungkook liked to spend autumn afternoons taking photos alluding to Halloween. with sheets dressed and glasses on, you and Jungkook impersonated two ghosts who marveled at the modern world. camera rolls were spent amid laughter and poses, the withered time of those afternoons seeming warmer among your good mood.

when you returned home reviewing some photos and choosing the ones to print for your Halloween album, Jungkook could only think about what awaited you that night. his excitement was too much to contain — he was always looking forward to spending Halloween with you. so, after putting the sheets at home and making a quick dinner, your night would begin with scares and lots of screams.

Jungkook knew all the activities that would happen throughout the city and he deliberately chose the best horror houses that would have open hours. waiting in the entrance lines seemed like mere seconds. you and Jungkook had this power to convert time to your needs; your conversations flowed naturally, laughter clearing your mind before facing the manufactured horrors of the house you would visit. you walked carefully around the house, anticipating scares that would never happen and screaming at small noises designed to scare you. every year, you walked through a haunted house hand in hand and hearts jumping, always leaving with your hearts filled with laughter.

already tired from a day full of surprises and scares, you and Jungkook went to your room to finally rest. but since the night doesn’t end until dawn, you two weren’t going to sleep so early. Jungkook would play the playlist he made for Halloween gently in your room, while he waited for you to bring the box of face paint. and to satisfy your inner children and end that day on a more docile note, you and Jungkook painted yourselves as classic characters from Halloween; but it wasn’t that easy, no. one of you was always blindfolded, proving that you knew the other’s features perfectly as white brushes and red pencils danced in your shaking hands and made light laughter mix with the music, creating a melody of pure devotion in your room.

໒ ࣪˖˚ requested by: dear anonymous. ⠀⠀request: hihi!! if u celebrate and ur comfortable and everything, can i request hcs for celebrating halloween w them? any member(s) work(s), idm at all. thank u for ur time 🙏🏽 i love ur work so much, keep being fantastical 🔥🔥🔥 ⠀⠀cole's note: hii <3 tysm for the request !! i decided to include all the members so i did a shorter version but i hope it still makes you happy <3 i just wanted to make sure i give u the absolute best. also ty for ur words :< ilysm /p and i hope u know u have a wonderful soul !!

♡ feedback is appreciated ♡

[jaaklops]

it’s that time of year again

@one-eternal-sigh and @roomwithanopenfire ty for the tags!!!

@raine-st0rm @omg-paperwork @heaven-sent-hell-bent @p0is0n-is-th3-cur3 @pipinghawtcocoa

@astreinomane @mentalisill @ireallyliketalldarksultrymen @nutellllla @kim-carbonara

@monowritestoomuch @onlyhereforthesnacks @sleepy-yak @rudimentary-rutabaga @leviathanleap

@sweetronancer @frog-in-the-bog @feta-cheese-raviolis +open!

no pressure tags obviously…but also😚hey😚

[softpascalito]

Double Shift - 2003!Joel Miller x Reader

Summary: Joel is in over his head with the amount of shifts he's picking up at the construction site and Christmas coming right up. You help out.

Relationships: 2003!Joel Miller x Reader WC: 1800 Tags/Warnings: Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Grief/Mourning, Christmas, Crying, Parent Joel (The Last of Us), Pre-Cordyceps Outbreak Joel (The Last of Us), Pre-Cordyceps Outbreak (The Last of Us), Joel Needs a Hug (The Last of Us), Established Relationship, Financial Issues, This is pretty sad yall im sorry Read on AO3 full advent calendar (updated daily)

notes: hello loves! sorry this is kinda late, my week is so incredibly stressful and im super behind on writing but hey we're only 5 hours late! i hope you still enjoy this and please READ THE TAGS. this one is a lil sad!

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Joel doesn't even remember the last full day he has taken off. It seems to him that he knows the house they’re building better than the one waiting for him at the end of his shift. And he hates it.

He spends every possible second on the construction site, every other possible second with Sarah, helping her with math homework in the evenings, taking her out on the weekends when he can.

And every second at night, when it's too late to be out working and when Sarah is asleep, he spends worrying about money.

It's been a rough year, both financially and emotionally. But he doesn't have time to dwell on it, to complain about it, hell, he doesn't even have time to grieve. He has a daughter at home and that's the one thing he knows, the one thing that keeps him going. It's always her.

That's his thought anyway when you meet during the summer and it's his reasoning for keeping you away for a while. But as the leaves turn orange and the air crisp, he brings you home more. Sarah and you get along great, the girl instantly taking a liking to the way you do things differently than her father or her uncle.

Joel finds himself thankful to have someone to watch Sarah on weekends, someone to also spare him awkward conversations about tampons and boys (or girls) - though he always insists Sarah is still too young for the latter.

By the time Christmas rolls around, the three of you have settled into a routine, with you watching Sarah twice during afternoons, often staying for dinner on Joel's demand. It’s almost like a little family night.

Today, a text lets you know there'll be no such luck.

Have to finish the flooring tonight, will take a few more hours. Tell Sarah she can order some food. See you next week, baby.

It's past ten when the truck finally pulls up in the driveway, Joel letting out a heavy sigh as he sits in silence for a moment. It takes him every ounce of strength not to cry. He’s tired and it’s Christmas week and he still hasn’t ticked off more than one thing off Sarah's Christmas list. He knows this will be a sad one, the few presents he has waiting in the linen closet, wrapped in the daily paper. The thought has been looming over him for weeks. He sees lights on in the living room. It looks like something dim, definitely not the big light - maybe the TV.

When he opens the door to the kitchen and hears music drifting from the living room, he’s certain about what he’ll find. Sarah asleep, curled up on the couch with the TV on and some leftover food in front of her.

Last week, he found her having a can of ravioli for dinner- something they usually only keep stocked for their camping trips. It was the moment he realized he may not have been as sneaky about keeping their financial struggles to himself as he would have hoped.

It's the only time he curses when thinking about how smart his daughter is.

Joel damn near passes out when he does enter the living room. Because yes, Sarah is there, asleep on the couch. But she’s curled up against you, your hand gently stroking her back. And yes, the TV is on. But the source of light he’s seen from outside is a Christmas tree in the corner, decorated with colorful lights and bulbs and a golden star on top.

Your head turns as you feel his presence in the doorway and a small smile spreads over your face. Your voice is barely a whisper, trying not to wake the girl beside you, “Surprise.”

It’s the second time Joel wants to fucking cry tonight. He makes his way over to you, pressing a gentle kiss to your lips before turning towards Sarah, “I'll take her to bed.”

You give a small nod, shifting slightly to allow him to pick his daughter up. You watch him as he carries her up the stairs, moving carefully to make sure not to bump her head.

It barely takes a minute before you hear him closing Sarah's bedroom door and coming back downstairs. He stops in the middle of the room. And he looks so lost.

“You did- uhm- you did this?” He asks, a little choked up and you yawn a little as you let your eyes wander over to the tree, “I know I should've asked but Sarah told me last week that she really wanted a tree and I thought...” you drift off, carefully watching his reaction.

“What, so you made my daughter conspire against me?” It comes out a lot rougher than he intends, if your face is anything to go by.

“Are you mad?”

Something about the way you ask so quietly, so softly, draws a sigh from Joel's throat. God, he’s an asshole.

Whatever words he prepared a moment ago are washed away and he shakes his head, “No. No, I'm sorry, it's just been a long day.”

“It hasn't just been one long day,” you say gently as you climb off the couch to stand in front of him, wrapping your arms around his slightly stained shirt. He smells like wood and paint and sweat. The mix of those scents smells like home.

“Look, I’m not- I’m not trying to overstep my boundaries. I just want her to have a nice Christmas, that's all.”

“I do too,” Joel mutters, bowing his head a little, his eyes wandering over to the tree in the corner. He blinks a few times but it doesn’t help. The tears still come.

“I don't want to fail her.”

The lights blur in his vision, the colors dancing around in long stripes as the tears gather in his eyes. It looks so beautiful. It would look so beautiful. If his heart could only stop hurting, if his chest would stop being so tight.

And then you're there. Making yourself a little taller than you are, one hand pressed to his back, the other pulling his head into your shoulder.

“You're okay. Come on, you're okay.”

You whisper the words into his ear. It hurts to see him like this, it always does. He rarely shows emotion, no matter if it's about Sarah or you or the grief.

The only time you've seen him cry is the night the hospital called. He hadn't cried on the phone, had only nodded along, taken some notes, asked a few questions. Then, he had gone to Sarah's room. Her sobs alone had made you cry, despite the fact that you weren't even a part of this family. Not yet, at least.

Joel had held the small frame of his daughter, letting her tire herself out with crying, shushed her whenever the sobs got too loud, stroked her hair for what must've been hours.

He had insisted that you could go home for the night. You had insisted on staying.

His tears hadn’t come until you were both in bed, when his body began to shake and you felt him beginning to cry silently beside you, forcing himself to make no noise in case Sarah could hear.

You had let him sob into your chest, tucked him so close to you it almost felt impossible to have your bodies so flush together. It was the only time you saw him cry.

Until now.

You pull him onto the couch with you, still holding him close. When he has calmed down enough for you to lean over, you reach for a small package hidden behind the couch, “I was gonna make this a surprise for both of you. But maybe- we should make it a surprise for her rather than that.”

Joel frowns a tiny bit, reaching out to lift the lid of the small box- and being met with three tickets to a Halican Drops concert. He knows what they are worth. He’s been starting at the price on the ticket office poster every time he passes it.

“You shouldn't-”

“But I will. In fact, I already did,” you smile gently, putting the box back into its hiding place. “I got her some other stuff too. And I will get you some proper Christmas paper to wrap everything in, by the way. But this we could- it'll be from both of us.”

When he continues to stare at you, you go on, “I got a small Christmas bonus. You know I don't have anyone else to spend it on. And I want her to have this. And you. I want you to have this, Joel.”

“I want to have this,” he whispers back. You're both not really talking about the concert anymore. It doesn't matter. You’ve always been good at speaking this way, both reading between the lines, knowing what the other one means. Noone has understood you that way until him.

“I don't know how I got so lucky,” he mumbles, sighing a little as he looks around the living room once more. There’s the tree and some garlands, a few dried orange slices dangling in front of the window, “And the decorations are-?”

“Well, the bulbs are yours. I just got some new lights. Pretty sure the old ones were a bigger fire hazard than your cooking.” It draws a small chuckle from his throat. “Sarah had the idea with the oranges. I think they turned out real pretty,” you explain as you reach to touch one of them.

“Yeah, they did.”

You’re halfway through whatever Christmas movie is on during the night when Joel looks over at the tree again, pondering something for a split second before he speaks.

“I'll get you a key for Christmas.”

You frown a little, “I have a key. You know that. I wouldn't need it if Sarah didn't forget hers every day but-”

“No,” Joel interrupts, shaking his head a little.

“I meant, I'll get you one if you want. For you. To use it. So you can-” He swallows a bit, turning his head to find your face next to him. Soft, brown eyes, so close that you can see the patterns of his iris. There’s a speck of gray in the brown.

“So you can come here. After work.”

It takes you a second to follow his train of thought. And then you realize what he's saying.

“Are you asking me to move in with you? Because if so, you're doing an absolutely horrible job at it.”

“But will you?”

You smile a little at how nervous he suddenly seems, his hand sliding over your thigh and squeezing slightly.

“Yeah. Yeah, I will,” you mumble, leaning in to kiss him, sighing against his soft lips when they part for you.

“Merry Christmas, Joel.”

“Merry Christmas, darlin’.”

[iris-flower1019]

:33

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@galaxysplove @cloverthesimp365 @shootingstar-17 @im-just-here4853 @gandazle922

[secret-third-thing]

Hello, you naughty little darling! What is your opinion of *Love Actually*? Is it a better Christmas offering than *Die Hard*? How do these films compare to *Home Alone*? What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

-🎅🏽

Oh no you’re about to find out that I’m not only a freak but also a weirdo.

I found Love Actually to be totally unremarkable but vaguely remember the sign at the door thing. I googled it to confirm I was correct about it being in that film haha. I’m a love skeptic, I’m afraid, so romance films usually don’t do it for me.

Die hard is NOT A CHRISTMAS MOVIE but who am I to say because I’ve never seen actually seen it. 👀

Home alone is the best hands down, though this is partially because I have memories of watching those films as a child with my now late grandmother. But I still - to this day- watch this and home alone 2 every year. 😈

Fun ramble about traditions:

For 12 years, My family made me write a speech every year for Xmas. I was relieved when I was old enough to stop. My fav tradition though is that every Christmas Day lunch, my family gets together and eats ravioli. Even when I was stuck in another state for the holidays because of pandemic travel risks, I handmade ravioli so we could all eat together still.

My favorite general Xmas tradition? Decorating the tree and hearing the stories behind the various ornaments. My mom and I place a specific Santa ornament first every year because it was the first ornament she ever bought when I was a baby.

[pbandjesse]

Today went by very fast. I'm surprised it's so late. It was a pretty nice day though. I got to spend the day with my husband and that was just really nice. Even if I didn't feel incredible. It was a good day.

I slept really late. I slept alright but I slept really deeply. I woke up a few times. I felt a little uncomfy. I set my alarm for 930 but I must have turned it off and woke up a little after 10.

When I woke up James texted me that they couldn't come say good morning yet because Sweetp was sitting on them. That's alright. I pulled myself together and went to take a shower.

Which helped. I just felt like my body was falling apart. The shower at least made me feel normal. I got cleaned up and dressed. James said my new skirt made me look like a teddy bear in the best way. Made me feel nice.

James made me an omelet which was nice sweet of them. We sat together on the couch and discussed the day.

The plan was to go out to hunt valley to go to the garden store and get Christmas ornaments. Then we would go to the goodwill to look for pants for James. Then the grocery store. A very nice day.

It was surprisingly cold out. Brisk. I did not wear a jacket but I probably would have benefited from another layer. And once we got outside I realized I couldn't walk in the shoes k chose. I made it to the car and James would go back upstairs to get me boots instead. Best husband.

We drove out to the garden store and it was a nice drive. The store was pretty busy! The Christmas spirit was there for sure.

We didn't have a huge plan. I just wanted to find an ornament that reminded each other of the other. We went through the whole store. Eventually settling on a nature theme. I really love the food ones but then the bristle animals really spoke to me. The otter made me think about James. And then James picked a squirrel for me! We also found a peapod for Sweetp.

James accidently dropped an ornament and it broke. So we would buy that one too. I will glue it back together. I felt bad that that happened though.

I was having a lot of fun with James though. Looking at the Christmas stuff. The little displays. The trees. It was really sweet.

After we paid we would walk around their outside part where they had the trees and such. They had a huge tree dressed up like a gnome. I don't like gnomes but it was very cool still.

We took some pictures but my camera has been acting weird. But it was fine. I would get a little to cold and let James know so we headed out.

James picked a different goodwill then I expected. But it was actually a good one! James got two new pairs of pants. I found a new pack of corn cob holders. And best of all I found a table! It's a fold down table and it's great. It's a little scratched up but it was cheap and perfect. I'm thrilled. It has a drawer and the parts that keep up the folds are fitted onto the sides in a beautiful way. It is heavy and great. I'm very happy.

We carried the table together to the register. The cashier confused me when he was trying to say I almost had enough on my reward card to get money off but he phrased it so strangely and I had no idea what he was trying to tell me. I am sure he thought I was an idiot but I was truly confused. But we sorted it out and me and James carried the table to the car.

After we loaded the car up we drove down the street to go to Lidil. Which is like Aldi. And it was fun! James found a bunch of interesting seasonal ravioli. I got vanilla cream brioche. We got almost everything off of our list. It was an excellent trip.

Once we were done there James took me to Uber bagel. Which was in the same shopping center. And it was very good. I got a cinnamon sugar bagel with apple cinnamon raisin cream cheese. James got a BLT on an everything bagel. We didn't have to wait long and then we were off.

I had half the bagel in the car while we drove to get gas. And then to the organic market for fake meat products. And finally to the giant to get the final couple items. I didn't feel amazing and my eye wouldn't stop twitching. But i was having fun with my husband.

While we were out Harold our realtor let us know there are a few other offers on the house and they will decide tomorrow. So if we get the house that will be great, but if not the search continues. Its in the universe hands now.

We would get home and bring the table inside. Which was a struggle. But we got it and James went to get the groceries. I was a little woozy. Thankfully my eye stopped twitching. And I started to feel a little better. It helped that it was cozy and warm in here.

I would spend the afternoon cleaning the kitty litter, cleaning the fish tanks, hanging out with sweetp. James would go for a bike ride. I would hang out in bed. Our wedding book came and I was excited to look at it. It looks so good and I'm excited to share it with everyone.

When James got back they would work on bread making and painting their nails. While I had a veggie hot dog for dinner and continued to work on my camp schedule.

I had taken a break after it went to poorly last week. But after two hours I was able to figure it out!! I think I got it! I figured out what couldn't overlap, what could, it was a lot of sorting, I even tried to use chatgbT for the first time. Which did not work but it did encourage me to have a nice camp season. But around 730 I finally typed in the last block. I can't wait to show it to Heather. I will have to make all the specialty schedules still but the groups schedule is there! And I'm thrilled.

I would take a bath after all that computer work. And I feel a lot nicer now. Not amazing. But nicer. I'm cozy in bed again. Ready to sleep.

Tomorrow I have jury duty! I love jury duty. I hope I get to see a case. But more so I hope the day goes smoothly.

I hope you all have a good night. Sleep well and take care of yourself! Goodnight everyone!

[obito76]

[Closet Secrets]

Chapter 22 : The date

You can read my full work here on AO3.

---

Raven sat nervously at her desk, fingers fiddling with her bracelet as she stared outside at the darkening sky. The minutes slowly ticked by as she waited, and she let her mind wander if only to keep herself from obsessing about when Dick was going to come.

Starfire was at Titans East’s all-weekend party, and between that and her excitement over meeting her old team members she was too distracted to realize everyone but Raven and Dick were out of the house for the night. For the moment, the pale girl saw no reason to stop her. Not that the she intended for anything….like that to happen, but it was nice spending some alone time with him.

Jason was out visiting friends for the next two days, or so the former robin had said. Dick had admitted he had no idea who Jason knew who would live close to this area, and while it was possible it was someone he had never met there were areas nearby that met Jason’s usual requirements of finery and wealth to house one of his friends.

Raven was started from her thoughts by a soft knock. “Come in,” she called, turning around in her seat slowly.

Dick poked his head in, a bright if somewhat nervous smile on his face. “Are you ready?” he asked as he stepped the rest of the way into the room. He was wearing a nice pair of comfortable khakis, and a collared, button down short-sleeved shirt that he’d left un-tucked. His hair was neatly arranged, and he’s shaved again. Raven hardly noticed the details, she just knew he looked wonderful and hoped she measured up.

The leader, on the other hand, was hoping he hadn’t gone too casual. Raven was wearing a one-piece wrap around dress that tied in a neat knot to the left of her waist. Her hair was down, but nicely arranged to frame her face, and she wore a set of matching silver jewelry with red stones that Dick had never seen before. On her feet were flat sandals that matched the dress.

She looked absolutely beautiful.

“Y-yes,” she said quickly when she realized he was waiting for an answer. “I am.”

“Good.” Dick offered his arm, and Raven accepted it gingerly. Both were so focused on trying to hide the fact that they were blushing that neither noticed the line of pink gracing their companions’ cheeks. Raven was so occupied, in fact, that she didn’t notice they weren’t heading for the front door until she was looking at the backyard.

And it was perfect.

Hundreds of tiny Christmas lights winked at her from the bushes and trees. Dried leaves and others signs of plant litter had been hidden away. A small, two-person table had been set up amidst the trees, candles lit on the white table cloth and others nestled in sheltered nooks around them. One of Vivaldi’s ballads played softly in the background.

“May I take you to your seat?” he asked after giving her a moment to take it all in. From the look on her face, his hard work had paid off and that eased his nerves more than he’d hoped.

“Yes,” she replied, giving him a small smile. “You may.”

Dick gallantly took her down the steps, leading her to the table and pulling her chair out. Raven accepted the gesture graciously, settling herself in as she surveyed the table more closely. In front of her was a plate with a lid on it. Dick reached for it and pulled it off with a flourish.

“Dinner is served!”

The meal was Italian themed. Ravioli, bread with oil or butter, and a small salad on the side. There was water to drink, and for dessert another dish directly in the middle of the table still covered. Dick uncovered his own plate and grinned as he sat across from his companion. “Shall we?”

Raven needed no further urging. The food smelled delicious, and it tasted just as good. The ravioli was stuffed with cheese and some herbs she was unfamiliar with but made the pasta melt in her mouth. She let Dick take charge of the conversation, and the handsome man joked and told stories through the meal. The difference between now and the last time when Dick had accompanied her to the concert was the stories were about him and not his students or friends at the league. And as she listened, for the first time Raven got a good idea of what it was to grow up as Dick Grayson.

The stories about Gotham were not the wild tales of the criminals he’d seen or adventures he’d had, but about the family life of the Grayson’s at their camp outside of different carnivals. And, surprisingly, most of the stories were about Dick’s father than his mother. Slowly, it became apparent why. Mary Grayson had loved her son, but had actively lacked the mother instincts that most women were born with. Thus, John Grayson had been the main caregiver in young Dick's life. And he had adored his father.

Then came the accident.

Raven had expected to be dwelling on that topic for awhile, it was a sign of Dick’s maturity when she realized how quickly they skated past it. Dick was past his parent’s death. It had probably been a very painful and traumatic experience as a child, but time and loved had healed the wounds and left only scars in their place.

Raven was quite surprised when she found her plate bare of all but crumbs and a few traces of tomato sauce. “That was very good,” she said as she leaned back in her seat with a satisfied sigh. “Thank you, Dick.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied, smiling at her from his seat. “Do you have room for dessert, or do you want to wait awhile?”

“I think I’d rather wait, if you don’t mind,” her companion mused after a moment of thought. “Dinner was so good I couldn’t help but finish all of it.”

“Not a problem, I’m glad you liked it.” The leader flushed, and turned away as he rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s take out, actually,” he admitted with a shrug. “I didn’t want to risk trying to cook myself and ruin it for both of us.”

“You’re not a bad cook, Dick,” Raven admonished softly with a frown.

“No, just a forgetful one sometimes,” he countered, ducking his head in embarrassment. “And Murphy and I are too good of friends for me to take that chance.”

Raven started the saying as she rolled her eyes, “If it can go wrong…”

“It will,” they finished together, smiling all the while.

The conversation died out for the moment, but the following silence was a comfortable one. Dick watched as Raven inspected her transformed back yard again and found it very much to her liking. She flushed when she realized she was being watched, but met Dick’s gaze head on and held it.

“Would you like to dance?” Dick offered when the moment began to stretch too long.

Raven paused, and then said, “I’m not sure I can.”

“I promise I’ll be careful,” he said as he held out his hand. “Please.”

His date took the offered appendage, and with his help rose to her feet. It was then that Raven realized her cane was still in her room, and that Dick had quite successfully helped her around without it from the very beginning. With that thought, her confidence in him grew and she willingly accepted his support as he led them in a slow circle through the clearing. Strands of lights peaked through the leaves overhead, and gave the darkness a warm glow. Raven didn’t remember laying her head in the crook of Dick’s neck, but suddenly she was and it felt…right.

Dick was in heaven. The music had switched to a mix of his favorite slow-dance songs, and the woman in his arms responded gracefully and willingly to his every touch. They weren’t moving much, or far, but for him, leading it was more than enough. He wasn’t sure if Raven was aware of the way she would occasionally nuzzle his neck, but it felt wonderful and she smelled wonderful and everything was just…wonderful.

He wasn’t so far gone in his joy that he didn’t notice the way his partner stiffened up in the middle of a step. “Your leg?” he asked as he stopped, still holding her close.

“Yes,” she replied with a hint of disappointment. “I think I need to sit for awhile.”

“That’s just fine,” Dick replied, quickly masking his own disappointment as he turned them back towards the table. “Ready for dessert?”

Raven managed a smile as he slid arm around her shoulders. “Sure.”

Dick seated his date before removing the lid from the dessert plate with another elaborate swirl. On the dish was tiramisu, a dessert Raven had loved when she stayed at a Center at the time she joined the Titans and their tower was just taking it's shape. She was also fairly certain she had never mentioned that particular love to Dick.

One brow rose slowly as she looked at her host. “How…?”

“Vic,” Dick admitted after a moment’s pause. He grinned sheepishly. “You’re not mad, are you?”

“Only,” his date replied as she picked up her fork and snagged a corner, “if it’s not any good. It’s not nice to be teased like that.” Dick laughed as she popped the bite in her mouth and paused as if weighing the merits of the morsel in her mouth.

“How is it?” Dick asked as she swallowed and closed her eyes.

“Delicious,” she declared as she beamed at him. “Where did you get it?”

“Same place as dinner,” Dick explained as he fiddled with his own fork. “Park’s, the new place near the botanical garden. They took the space Food Panda used to be.”

The pale girl's brows knit together thoughtfully. “That place is tiny.”

Her date agreed. “Yes, it is.”

Then, she grimaced. “And it was very dirty.”

“Now it isn’t,” he countered quickly. “They cleaned it up real nice. You could probably eat off the floor now.”

Raven’s brows rose appreciatively. “Really? And their food is good.”

Dick nodded. “I agree.”

“I should like to go eat there sometime,” Raven declared with a twirl of her spoon after eating another bite of the cake.

“My lady’s wish is my command,” her companion intoned as he bowed slightly at the waist. “May I try a smidgen of yonder morsel, or might I lose some appendages in the process?”

Raven’s eyes crinkled with held in laughter. “How long did you have to rehearse that before you could say it right?” she asked teasingly.

Dick made a face back. “A week. May I?”

“Yes, you may,” Raven nudged the plate closer to her companion. “Tiramisu this good is meant to be shared.”

“Good because I have never tired tiramisu before,” the leader admitted as he nabbed a bit for himself and popped it in his mouth. “Mm! This is pretty good.”

“Pretty good? It’s delicious!” Raven turned the pointed prongs of her fork towards her partner, punctuating her statement with a swift poke.

“Ok, I’m sorry!” he cried, waving his hands in surrender as he laughed. “It’s delicious.”

The pale girl went back to her dessert, somewhat mollified. “That’s right, it is.”

Dick laughed as Raven cut another bite out of the cake and nibbled on it with a look of pure delight.

“Which do you like better?” Dick suddenly asked with a teasing glint in his eye. “Tiramisu or Vivaldi?”

“Why?” she replied, surprised.

He set his fork down and leaned on the table with his elbows thoughtfully. “Because, both of them give you a look of…well, it’s like watching a cat get scratched behind the years in that perfect spot. You’re practically purring.”

Raven blushed, but reached for another bit regardless. “I am not,” she replied in the tone that usually resulted in immediate compliance from her teammates. Dick, however, was not just her teammate and the impish sparkle in his smile only grew.

“Oh yes,” he replied with a look that dared her to prove him wrong. “You are.”

“I am not a cat,” she growling warningly.

He just smiled and tilted his head to the side with a slight smirk. “And yet you purr.”

“If I was to purr, and I am not saying that I do,” Raven quickly clarified as she set her eating utensil aside. “Even tiramisu this good could not coax it from me.”

“Oh really, and what would?” Dick asked with a daring look.

“I’m afraid I can’t say,” the sorcerer explained calmly, unable to stop the excited jitters going through her stomach regardless. “I have never purred before a day in my life, thus it is impossible for me to know.”

“I bet someone could help you find out. Someone persistent and caring and handsome and charming…” his hand slowly inched its way across the table top, coming to meet finger tip to finger tip with her's before loosely lacing their fingers together.

Raven didn’t look down at their hands, but flipped her hand upside down so they were palm-to-palm. “Do you think so? Do you know anyone like that?”

Dick shrugged, enjoying the feel of her skin against his limited though the contact might be. “I might. There’s a friend of mine, he’s got a real thing for you too. A bit absent-minded sometimes, but I can tell you this. He’d never hurt you. Not in a million years.”

The young woman sat back a bit and looked away, as though reliving something in her mind. “Oh, I’ve heard that before.”

Her companion nodded, but persisted, “Probably. But not from me.”

Dick paused as he sensed he had almost overstepped his bounds in the way the Raven tensed ever so slightly, her hand starting to withdraw from his.

“I have another surprise for you,” he said as he rose from his seat still holding her hand. “Would you like to see it?”

“I would,” Raven replied, accepting the escape for to another topic for the time being. She let him assist her up, and then closed her eyes when he asked.

“Do you trust me?” he asked as he carefully led her around the yard.

“Of cour- ah!” Raven relaxed as she realized she had fallen in her hammock, and that the lights had been turned off. Then her mouth dropped open at the sight above. The moon hung full in the sky, surrounded by a banner of stars that twinkled with almost supernatural brightness against the black of space.

Dick cleared his throat after a few minutes of watching her stare. “Is there room for one more?” he asked, just barely about to see her outline as his eyes adjusted to the sudden loss of light.

“What? Oh, um…yeah.” Raven scooted over carefully, aware that due to the laws of gravity and the design of the hammock no matter how far to one side or the other she went, not touching Dick was pretty much impossible. So, she settled for arranging herself so she wasn’t on top of him and hopefully neither of them would get claustrophobic. Or get excited over the idea. Whatever the idea might be.

Dick settled himself as carefully as one could on a hammock, perfectly aware that flipping them both onto the ground would probably end the date, and maybe his chances with Raven Roth period. When he was securely in place, arm brushing up against his companion’s, he relaxed and started to rock them back and forth with his legs.

“Did you know the stars would be this bright tonight?” Raven asked her voice barely above a whisper in the stillness of the dark.

“No,” he admitted cheerfully. “But I knew the moon would be full and the night would be clear and hoped for the best with that. Sometimes you just get lucky.” Dick glanced over at the beauty next to him and smirked suggestively. Raven elbowed him back and the lucky man took the hint, settling back down to stare at the sky.

“So,” Dick asked after awhile, closing his eyes and enjoying the cool breeze and gentle sway. “Was it good?”

“Was what good?” Raven replied her voice low as though speaking from far away.

“The date,” he clarified as he angled his head so he could see her face.

“Is it over?” she replied, glancing at him in puzzlement.

“Well, no, but this is pretty much it,” he admitted with a shrug that only reached one shoulder as the other was pressed up against his date. “I planned the dinner, the dancing, and the star gazing. I figured if I made it that far without being evicted from my own house, burning something down with the candles, or making a mess of things some other way I might be lucky enough to get away with playing it by ear for the rest of the night. And on the other side I was afraid if I planned more than that I might be pushing my luck too far in the other direction.”

Raven laughed, covering her moth with one hand. It was not meant unkindly, but Dick winced none the less. “Not much self-confidence for a leader there, hm?”

Dick rolled his eyes, holding in a sigh. “Well, knowing it was a good date would help…”

“It was a great date, Dick,” his companion cut in with calm assurance.

“It was?” He perked up immediately, sitting up a bit to watch her face. Or that which he could see in the dim light.

“Yes, it was,” she replied steadily, glancing at him before looking back at the sky. “The food was great, the conversation was great, even the dancing. I’ve never really enjoyed dancing before tonight; I hope I wasn’t too clumsy trying to follow…”

“No, you were great; I just hope you didn’t push your leg too much,” Dick hastily reassured the woman. “I don’t want you to hurt tomorrow.”

“No, I should be fine. It was just a minor injury,” she said as she flexed the limb at the knee. “The doctor wants me to exercise it more with my healing anyways, so…”

“Good,” Dick said as he settled back down in his spot. “Next time, just be more careful on a mission.”

“Yeah.” The response was automatic.

“So, what now?” Dick asked after a few minutes of silence, the hammock still swaying them beneath the star-laden night sky.

“I have no idea,” his companion said as she stared at the sky. “You’re the one with the plan.”

He debated with himself for several minutes before deciding perhaps it was time to dive off the cliff. He turned back towards the beautiful woman beside him and asked, “Would it be rude of me to say that I really, really want to kiss you?”

Raven took her time replying, unsure of how she felt about it though her stomach jumped with excitement. She settled for, “Why haven’t you?” and continued to stare up at the sky to keep herself from having to meet her companion’s gaze. She could feel it in the dark, and was glad the lack of light hid her deepening flush.

“Mainly a fear of getting kneed,” Dick said, trying for a joke that still fell a bit flat. “Or told I'm here just to get into your pants.”

“You've been already in my pants, Dick.” the pale girl tried to joke back with a nervous laugh, knowing it was a flop as soon as it left her mouth.

“Rae…” Her name was a question, a plea, and a desire all wrapped into one whisper. She didn’t know how he did it, but it pulled words out of her mouth she hadn’t meant to say. Or at least not yet.

“I love you, Dick,” Raven said as she angled her head so she could look at him as well. Taking a deep breath, she plunged on. “A lot. You have been so kind and generous to me, Even when the time everyone left the team. I owe you a lot…”

“You don’t owe me anything,” Dick interrupted as he looked away with a frown. Suddenly the lack of light that had made things seem so cozy and intimate was suddenly hiding the face he needed to see. “And if that’s why you agreed to this date then we should stop right here.”

Raven felt her breath catch in her throat as the body next to her tensed. “Dick, that’s not what I’m trying to say.”

Again, he cursed the lack of light. He’d know just by looking at her if it was over, if he could just see her face. But the plug was halfway across the yard… “Then is the ‘let’s just be fuck buddies’ talk?” he asked a bit more harshly then he meant to. “Because I know how that one ends too.”

Raven shook her head, sitting up some as she tried to figure out just what had gone wrong. “No, dammit, will you just listen-“

“To you tell me this isn’t going to work out for the tenth time?” Dick chuckled humorlessly. “No thanks. I’ll just-“

Dick’s words were cut off as Raven’s lips sealed over his, kissing him fiercely as he followed her back down to the hammock.

“I don’t just love you,” she said as she broke away, holding him by the collar so their faces were only inches away. Her hands shook so much he laid his over them, clasping them tightly against his chest. “You…I want you, in more ways than one, more than I’ve wanted anyone in a long time. And that terrifies me more than you know.”

“…oh,” was all Dick could say as his mind was still trying to catch up from the kiss.

Raven paused for a moment, biting her lip as she waited. “Did I lose you, Dick?” she asked at last, a hint of hope in her voice.

“You want me.” he replied quickly, the only thing he could think to say right then.

“Yes, I do,” his companion replied as her voice dropped, “Is that bad?”

“Oh, no,” the leader quickly said, his brain finally reaching normal speeds again. “So.. are you willing to give us a chance?”

The pale girl hesitated, and then laughed. “Yes,” she told him as she laid her head against his shoulder. “At this point, I think I’d give you as many chances as it takes for us to get this right.”

Dick probably would have been shouting with joy had his mouth not found itself occupied once again. This time the kiss was gentler, and more exploratory as Dick propped himself up one arm and used the other to draw his date as close as he could without hurting her.

“So,” Raven said when they took a break some time later and were enjoying just being close under the night sky. “What are we going to tell others?”

“The truth,” the leader snorted. “Jinx and Karen been rooting for us since Christmas. They told me I should catch you under the mistletoe.”

Raven flushed as she buried her face in his shoulder again. He smelled so good…“And you did.”

“Completely unintentionally, not that I’m complaining,” Dick replied as he ran his fingers through her silky hair, “but contrary to popular belief, I am not that smooth.”

Raven laughed, softly, as though too much sound would break the spell and leave everything that had happened nothing more than a dream. “And what happens after that?”

“I woo you to your heart’s content, and when I finally get the nerve to propose you hopefully say yes,” Dick explain in a very serious manner

“Been planning this for awhile, hm?” Raven said as she shook her head, unable to even think that far into the future, and yet at the same time unable to imagine a future that did not involve the man beside her.

“Only since I met you. Ok, well, only since I got to know you more,” he replied with a complete lack of repentance. “I knew from the beginning that I liked you and that I was attracted to you. I never guessed it would grow this much.”

“You’re a good man, Richard Grayson.” Raven said as she kissed him again.

“I’ll be your man for as long as you want me,” he replied when they came up for air. “Raven…what is your middle name?”

“Angela,” she replied immediately.

He grinned as he put it together. “Raven Angela Roth.”

“You sure about that?” she asked as her fingers intertwined with his. “It could be a lifetime.”

Dick smiled contentedly, kissing her on the nose as he stared into her eyes. “I’m counting on it.”

[letsjanukhan]

NJ deli crafts fried ravioli Christmas trees that are fry-ing off the shelf

They’re having themselves a cheesy little Christmas. A New Jersey deli is crafting 2-foot-tall ravioli Christmas trees — and they’re fry-ing off the shelf. Taliercio’s in Middletown, NJ, shared their festive Italian creation, trimmed with kale, cherry tomatoes and around 50 fried ravioli, two weeks ago on TikTok and Instagram. They were soon inundated with over 100 orders — and people coming into…

[familyofpebbles]

France/Birthniversarymasyear 2021

Turns out, I had already written about Rothenburg and our whole December and forgotten that I had done that. So, here it is:

-

We made it!  A new year. We’ve managed to dodge the plague while also having an adventurous year together. It flew by, really. And of course, most importantly, BirthNiversaryMasYear was a resounding success.

We begin on your birthday, as always. You had to work, unfortunately. But I took the day off so I could work on one of your presents- an attempt to replicate your favorite meal at Chopstix, one of our regular take-out spots in North Carolina. This process turned out to take the entire afternoon and evening, but it was WORTH it. I made you angel food cake and strawberry sauce first, both of which were successes. Then I started on the largest challenge- homemade tapioca boba. I knew it would be hard, but I was not prepared for just HOW hard. The temperature and timing turned out to be VERY specific and 2 out of 3 tries I SOMEHOW made a non-Newtonian fluid out of the dough. Thankfully, despite my initial confidence, I had thought to buy some premade boba as backup. I ended up using that and now that I know how easy THAT is to get… I think it may just become a staple in our house.

Next came the Thai tea- beautiful loose leaf rich smelling goodness. And then finally, the spicy lo mien! (I forgot I was going to try to make crispy tofu too until we were done eating. Oh well.) After the boba defeat this was a much needed morale booster. And it all turned out amazing!! So satisfying to have those familiar flavors again. After dinner I gave you your slippers (multiple pairs to prevent you from stealing mine), and we played the rest of Detroit: Become Human. Not a bad birthday for having to work, I think!

Then my birthday- unfortunately you had to work this day too. But I had a nice one! Enjoyed my slowed down morning routine, did my yearly tarot reading (this year will be largely introspective and refining, and I should focus on relaxing a bit basically), and then took my yearly little portrait session. Then you got home, we did a quick outfit change, and off to Carlos and Jordan’s for a Christmas party AND little surprise birthday party for me!! Jordan got a cake and I was sung to and Carlos gave me a Yankee candle to blow out and it was all very sweet. I have such good friends.

The next morning we were off on a birthniversary surprise trip you planned for me! We went to Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber, a beautiful, romantic, walled German town all ready for Christmas. It was so cozy- we walked around and drank Gluhwein and checked out this massive Christmas village store where we got two new little ornaments for our tree (Obder the gnome and Tauber the owl, naturally). You got yourself the hat you’ve been wanting and therefore completed your transformation to a dapper older man. We walked the walls of the city- one of only a few still completely standing in Germany. We had tea and rum with cake at the coziest café, resolved to come back to get the cutest teddy bears at a certain shop, tried some schneeballs, and you even scored an actual Gutman glass! Dinner was at a fancy restaurant where we had INCREDIBLE meals (pumpkin soup, ravioli, fresh bread and cheese) and wine. We left without room for dessert (we‘ll go back just for the chocolate cake sometime). Seeing places we’ve always admired in pictures will never stop being the most thrilling experience. I still can’t believe we get to do it so often. It was a beautiful weekend my love. Thank you, thank you for putting it together.

I had to work on our actual anniversary, but it was a short shift! We went to dinner at one of our favorite Indian restaurants and went through our 36 questions. I love that tradition. I love the ease in which we answer each other and how there are changes in answers over time. I love growing together.

My gift to you was a scrapbook documenting all of our treasures- where and when we got them and their stories. We had been wanting to do that for a while so we don’t forget, and I finally did!

You got me a beautiful ivy ear cuff, a necklace with a bust of a living Medusa on the pendant which I LOVE, and on top of that you made a video for me, of our relationship through the years. I don’t want to describe it too much because I feel like that takes away from it. Maybe you can post it here. It made me cry, and still makes me cry every time I watch it. I love you so MUCH. We really made it.

My Christmas gift to you was tickets to a 20th anniversary concert of the Lord of the Rings, with Billy Boyd there and everything. It was canceled. That was a swift kick to the gut. Such a disappointment.

Since we weren’t revolving around that anymore, you planned a whole new trip for us while I was at work. You took us to France!!

And what an experience it was. We arrived in Strasbourg on Christmas Eve and headed straight to the Christmas market at the base of the giant cathedral. It’s the oldest Christmas market in France apparently, and it was beautiful. We got some Vin Chaud and the best waffles of our lives (truly), and gazed up  at the spires and marveled at where we were at. We kept on asking each other “Where are we???” as constant little ‘Pinch me’ moments.

We explored more of the town and were amazed at how every single street was fully decorated, lights shining everywhere. At one courtyard there was a massive Christmas tree, and on the hour there was a light show set to The Grand Finale (from Edward Scissorhands) that was so magical I cried a little bit. The whole night was so overwhelmingly beautiful. It was the most magical Christmas to date.

Christmas morning I opened my presents in the hotel- you got me a beautiful wildflower scarf and an adorable pin of a mouse drifting on a leaf umbrella- and we had a delicious breakfast of croissants and cheese and fruit and coffee. We also got a little history lesson from the girl at the front desk. Over the whole trip we found the stereotype of rude French people to be very untrue. Everyone was kind and some even went out of their way to be friendly! Maybe the Christmas spirit helped a bit, but we had no bad experiences with anyone.

Some stereotypes that we DID find to be delightfully true were, 1) Many people of all ages do indeed wear berets, 2) We saw quite a few people carrying around baguettes, including a small child eating one whole, 3) I heard “Ooh la la” TWICE, 4) The bread and sweets are AMAZING. I will forever crave the lemon tarts.

We went to go check out the cathedral and ended up being there as the line for Christmas mass was forming. And well, why not? If I'm gonna experience catholic anything this is probably going to be the thing to see. It was very visually impressive, and the choir was beautiful to hear. What the most interesting thing to me was how ritualistic everything was. All the chanting and specific robes and hats and the staff plus the whole body & blood of Christ thing. Made me think about how humans take comfort in patterns. What struck me most was when the whole congregation chanted together. I didn't know it was coming so it surprised me, and that many people created such a deep rumble that went right to the chest. I used to feel the same way at JW conventions when thousands of people sang together- it's the most moved I ever was. I don't know about a god but people! People unified in a belief have such power. People make things happen. -

We continued on to Mulhouse, which was to be our home base for the next few days. The windows of our Airbnb looked directly to it’s towering church, lit up purple for Christmas. We had brought with us some bread, wine, and regional specialty cheese with us from Strasbourg. The cheese turned out to smell (and kind of taste) like a fart. We are decidedly not fans of Munster.

Another day, we ventured to Colmar, which was my favorite city of the trip. If we thought Strasbourg had every street decorated, Colmar took it up a notch. Mini Christmas markets and stalls on almost every storybook street. Every narrow road was beautiful, the old houses leaning over the street and shining with decorations. We had such a good time exploring, everything picturesque and so many fun stalls and shops to look around. Eventually we stumbled upon a small café and stepped inside. It was exactly what you would picture a French café to be… small tables packed in, very busy, an old woman behind the counter bustling around making tea and coffee, art all over the walls. I had a delicious coffee, you had a limited edition French Christmas beer that was so good you made distressed noises every time you took as sip because you likely wouldn’t be able to find it again. We also had our best meal of the whole trip. Two chocolate éclairs and two incredible three cheese tarts later we blissfully floated back out the door. It’s called Au Croissant Dore. Go find it if you can!

Another score from Colmar was a gorgeous leather satchel bought from a Christmas market stall. It was heavily discounted because of a tiny spot in the leather, so now I have a new bag that will last me ages! I love it. It has lots of pockets and I feel like I’m ready for adventure with it on.

The next day was our castle day, cut short to one castle due to the rain. But it was a great one castle! After listening to so much Harry Potter in the car, it fit the Hogwarts picture in our head perfectly.

Instead of more castles, we drove through a few more lovely small French towns, just wandering (and searching for a good place to eat). We ultimately landed in Riquewihr, the most charming little one yet. We had dinner with some local wine in a small hotel next to a rather stern family, and then walked along the lantern lit streets. It felt like being transported back in time, or like walking through one of our D&D settings. You got a small square tapestry to hang on our wall. As we were leaving we ducked into a small bakery to take some macarons back to our Airbnb with us (they were delicious, except for the hazelnut, which tasted strangely like sandalwood cologne).

The next day was our last, and with a long drive ahead of us we stopped in Colmar one more time to eat at the café again, and pick up some fancy gold flake éclairs and lemon tarts for the way home. Both were, of course, the best of each we’ve ever had.

New years eve we spent with our good friends, playing a small and chaotic game of D&D, and then having a fire and counting down the seconds to the new year. We kissed as the fireworks went off and the church bells rang.

This was the most magical Christmas we’ve ever had. I cannot believe we got to spend it in France, I cannot believe how we get to do these things together. I love that we’re best friends. It’s so EASY to do these things with you. We have such good memories together, big and small. We can go on big trips together completely harmoniously, always on the same page, each others company only elevating the experience. Neither of us like to experience anything new without the other because it’s just not right! You are my partner in everything. Down to the small everyday bits.

I love when we get home after work and I’m sitting on the counter stirring whatever is on the stove, and you pour a beer and do some dishes while we catch up. I love that sometimes at bedtime we are talking and goofing around so much that we have to intentionally go back to back for us to get any sleep. I love that every night is a slumber party. I love that when I finished the video game I’d been playing for over a year we threw a Morrowind themed dinner party for ourselves to retire my character. I love that we have a record player that we can play our song on and dance in our living room together to it. I love cuddling with you and Livvy and even Margo, when she allows it. I love this life. I love you.

These years are flying. I’m trying really hard to savor every single day. It freaks me out how quickly things are going now that there’s so much joy in my life. I want to sink into every moment with you, feel it fully. As long as we’re speeding through the years together, it’s going to be alright. Look at all the stories we already have to tell!

Merry BirthNiversaryMasYear my love. As always, it was a good one.

[arecaceae175]

Decorating the tree

Time lifting Wind up to put the star on the top of the tree

If any of them own a cat, cat in Christmas tree shenanigans

Singing Christmas songs

One of them (whoever owns a car) playing the most obnoxious Christmas songs all month long while the others who ride in car suffer

Ravioli under mistletoe ☺️

GrooseZeLink under mistletoe ☺️

Time and Malon under mistletoe ☺️

One of the aroace Links (Hyrule perhaps?) under mistletoe and giving someone else a platonic but still so full of love hug

Sky would wear outrageous ugly Christmas sweaters. You know he would

So would groose

Looking at Christmas lights

Maybe even all piling in a car to drive around and look at lights

Sitting around a Christmas tree watching the kids unwrap their presents

And also maybe an art of the links wrapping presents for each other

OOH I have an image in my head of Legend at a Christmas market with Sky and Legend is holding two items and he can’t decide which to get for ravio (he gets both)

HELLO GOOD PEOPLE! christmas prompts. give me. give me christmas related prompts (will do them in modern au)

[sophisticatedswifts]

This is one of my favorite tiktok accounts. I love this man’s pasta. Look at his succulent ravioli. How is that edible?? It looks so real.

[katareyoudrilling]

Thanks for tagging me @jazzelsaur!

Tag some mutuals you want to get to know better

Favourite time of the year: Early fall when the kids are back in school, the weather is crisp, and I get some much needed time to myself.

Comfort food: Pasta.  Right now I’m day dreaming about goat cheese ravioli in a creamy, mushroom sauce.

Favourite dessert: banana bread pudding with bourbon caramel sauce or Nocino poured over vanilla gelato

Things you collect: Moose, Christmas trees (decorative ones, not actual)

Favourite drink: Breakfast - an iced Americano with a splash of cream, Lunch - homemade ginger ale with mint and lime, Dinner - Chardonnay

Favourite musical artist: I can’t pick one, I have wildly varied musical tastes lol

Last song you listened to: I can’t remember but Jai Ho by A.R. Rahman and the Pussycat Dolls is stuck in my head right now for some reason

Last movie you watched: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Again lol

Last series you watched: Only Murders in the Building season 2

Series you’re currently watching: What We Do In The Shadows season 4

Current obsession: Asked this out-loud to myself and my husband said “my cock” lolololol

Dream place to visit: I want to ride trains around Europe and the UK

A place you’ve been that you want to go back to: Venice

Something you want: I desperately want to be able to get a good night’s sleep away from my house.  I want to travel, but it’s miserable when I can’t sleep!

Currently working on: I’m thinking maybe the Johnson’s are going to have a Labor Day weekend pool party.... vasectomy kink Dave has some plans...

No pressure tagging: @deadhumourist @wheresarizona @whataperfectwasteoftime @just-here-for-the-moment @fuckyeahdindjarin @grogusmum

Copy and paste into a new post!

[samuel-de-champagne-problems]

i saw this tik tok of someone making christmas tree ravioli and now i want to make spencer christmas tree ravioli

[heaven-sent-hell-bent]

No pressure <3

@feta-cheese-raviolis @jaaklops @ja9-animations @kayatoastkkat @moth-without-toes @no-eyes-yet-but-vibing

@tgshydestan

I stole this from someone else's post to make my own post

To play:

- Decorate the tree in the post you were tagged in (and you can leave a little message in there for the OP, that will be opened on Christmas Day); 🎄

- Create your own tree, post it and tag others; 🎄

- Tell us how you'll be spending the holidays (or don't tell us, also fine 😉);

- Link to the post(s) that tagged you so that others can decorate their trees too! 😍

My tree:

Tagging (no pressure): @twigg96 @ir0n-moon @nsfwitchy @robinsnest2111 @miroyuuu @impsynia @basu-shokikita @klokateer15647 @a-dope-fiend

[carlislecullen-taxevader]

just finished reading midnight sun for the second time and here are my thoughts no one asked for:

(warning: spoilers obviously but this is also stupid long bc I don’t know how to shut up)

am I an edward cullen stan?

yes

do I want to be?

no

he is insufferable

tanya funding edward submerged in a snow bank just sulking

apparently vampires can move so fast they don’t leave any footprints in the snow???

physics smeyer??

but does this mean they could walk on water?

also eddie, buddy, you aren’t hades

you are just depressed and repressed and horny

and bella is not persephone, she hates greenery and her favorite color is brown

speaking of bella being persephone: she was simply eating mushroom ravioli

not condemning herself to the underworld

literally take a deep breath and calm down

also it’s not super cool of you, edward, to throw rosalie’s revenge on her attackers back at her

I truly wish she would have burned edward’s car just for the remark he made

also are we just going to gloss over the blatant favoritism that carlisle and esme show towards edward???

like come on

i know you’ve known him the longest but he’s been sulking around for literal decades and thats who you pick to be your fave??? when literally anyone else exists??

@alice and jasper: y’all need a dog??? i can bark

i’ll never forgive smeyer for making jasper a confederate soldier. never.

emmett my man, he’s just happy to be here

emmett might be our resident himbo but carlisle doesn’t have a thought behind his eyes and I stand by that

no I won’t elaborate

edward debating the entire book if bella is mentally stable

carlisle calling up billy and being like “lol we’re back hehe”

so um does bella not have a screen on her window??

I don’t think she does but if that’s the case then why the fuck doesn’t edward worry about her falling out the window?

he literally is worried about a meteorite crashing through her room during the night but not about her screen-less window

also not him justifying being a stalker with “well my family commits tax fraud on the daily so it’s fine”

and him bringing wd40 to oil the window

“it was enlightening and alluring to watch her in her element” babes she’s making a bowl of cheerios

I can’t stand him

the way eddie is convinced bella thinks he’s repulsive and disgusting

sir

I would live and die for charlie swan

and that’s all I will say on that

carlisle sending edward out for a night on the town so he can set up a christmas tree for him!!!!

emmett and jasper’s huge and elaborate game of chess

alice helping jasper cheat

jasper and emmett not letting edward play so he sulks around like a child

show me more of that smeyer

oh oh oh edward and alice’s relationship

honestly, it’s precious

that’s what I want to see

edward categorizing all the insects in the meadow and the surrounding area to calm his horny ass is peak comedy

very mormon of you smeyer

I knew edward was a car boy

reluctant but aware

however, I still hate it

edward being obsessed with cars: kinda cute bc he really is obsessed but also mainly nauseating

rosalie being obsessed with cars: simply sexy

the way smeyer just elaborates on things after the fact

like just completely neglected jaspers power the entire saga and so in ms she’s like “oops maybe I should talk about that”

and i’m glad she did bc!!! it’s so cool

i’ve always loved what jasper could do but it’s actually super complex and cool and I love him

him using his power to protect bella during the baseball scene from james

emmett and jasper being edward’s side mirrors is peak entertainment

edward making carlisle text babysitting instructions to alice

but also edward mansplaining how much water bella needs to carlisle as if he’s not an actual doctor

also real quick

the amount of malpractice in this damn book

‼️carlisle‼️drugged‼️and‼️left‼️a‼️soccer‼️mom‼️on‼️the‼️side‼️of‼️a‼️phoenix‼️freeway‼️

just left her stranded in the heat

I hate it here

emmett throwing the gaudy stolen car into oncoming traffic was my favorite part

however

aren’t you guys suppose to even vaguely pass as human???

besties

hate to break it to you

but that doesn’t cut it

it would hit me at random times that edward is literally 17 years old

someone tell me why they let the 17 year old orchestrate the car chase????

also edward wasting time trying to pick out which car he likes the best for said car chase and alice is like bitch ur gf is dying we gotta go

anyway someone tell me why edward sucking the venom out of the bite on bella’s hand is synonymous with the mental image of someone putting their head and open mouth under a soda fountain??

edward saying “but i’m a vampire!!” never fails to make me laugh

like babes we know

also you mean to tell me that jasper was in the dance studio with all of bella’s blood and a car with bella bleeding and her blood all over her and edward and carlisle and he never once thought of reacting (if he would have, edward definitely would have said something) but it was a little paper cut in new moon that did it for him????

I don’t buy it

alice wearing an oversized sweatshirt and smeyer calling it avant-garde

an oversized sweatshirt AND jaspers huge watch

that’s not avant-garde bestie

alice having so much fun orchestrating and staging the supposed accident at the hotel

I love her

renee is insufferable

get her out of here

i will say that the way edward describes peoples minds is really cool

like how charlie’s is quiet and low and jacob’s is bright and warm and content

that’s sweet I like that

there’s so much more I could say but this has gone on for too long

will say that it is shitty of eddie to have seen the vision of bella catatonic in new moon and still made the decision to leave her eventually

my final thoughts: edward, do better