#Durin's Day 2020

[draculagerard]

My Chemical Romance (commonly abbreviated to MCR or My Chem) is an American rock band from Newark, New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way. They are considered one of the most influential rock groups of the 2000s and a major act in the pop-punk and emo genres, despite the band rejecting the latter label. Founded in September 2001 by Gerard, Mikey, Toro, and drummer Matt Pelissier (and later joined by Iero), the band signed with Eyeball Records and released their debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, in 2002. They signed with Reprise Records the next year and released their major-label debut, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, in 2004. Shortly after the album's release, Pelissier was replaced by Bob Bryar. The album was a commercial success, attaining platinum status over a year later.The success of the band's previous albums was eclipsed by that of their 2006 rock opera concept album, The Black Parade. A major commercial success, its lead single "Welcome to the Black Parade" topped the UK singles chart. The album solidified the band's following, despite negative coverage in the Daily Mail generating controversy. The band's fourth studio album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, was released in 2010. Bryar departed the band prior to the release of the album, and in 2012, they added touring keyboardist James Dewees. In 2012 and 2013, the band released a series of singles they had recorded in 2009 under the collective title Conventional Weapons. My Chemical Romance announced its breakup on March 22, 2013. In 2014, a greatest hits album titled May Death Never Stop You was released and a tenth-anniversary reissue of The Black Parade was released in 2016. On October 31, 2019, the band announced a reunion show, which took place in Los Angeles on December 20, 2019. In January 2020, they announced additional shows and a Reunion Tour, which commenced in 2022 after a two-year postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic and concluded in early 2023. 2001–2002: Early career and I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love Witnessing the September 11 attacks influenced Gerard Way to form My Chemical Romance.The band was formed by frontman Gerard Way and drummer Matt Pelissier in Newark, New Jersey, soon after the September 11 attacks. Witnessing the World Trade Center towers fall influenced Way's life to the extent that he decided to start a band. Shortly thereafter, Ray Toro was recruited as the band's guitarist because at the time Way could not sing and play the guitar simultaneously. Way has said "music was this thing I secretly wanted to do" and later wrote the song "Skylines and Turnstiles" to express his feelings about September 11.The name of the band was suggested by bass guitarist Mikey Way, younger brother of Gerard, who was working in a Barnes & Noble when he was struck by the title of a book by Irvine Welsh named Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance. The first recording sessions were undertaken in Pelissier's attic, where the songs "Our Lady of Sorrows" and "Cubicles" were recorded. The band refers to those sessions as "The Attic Demos". After hearing the demo and dropping out of college, Mikey Way decided to join the band. While with Eyeball Records, the band met Frank Iero, the lead vocalist and guitarist for Pencey Prep. Following Pencey Prep's split in 2002, Iero became a member of My Chemical Romance, just days prior to the recording of the band's debut album. They recorded their debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, just three months after the formation of the band and released it in 2002 through Eyeball Records. The album was produced by Thursday frontman Geoff Rickly after the band became friends with him while playing shows in New Jersey. Iero played guitar on two of the tracks, one of which was "Early Sunsets Over Monroeville". During this time, the band was booked at the infamous venue Big Dadd

sounds fake. source?

[nightsidewrestling]

D.U.D.E Part 16 - International Velvet (set in 2020/2021)

Note: This is set in a universe where Men VS Women / Intergender matches can happen.

Chapter 1: here Chapter 2: here Chapter 3: here Chapter 4: here Chapter 5: here Chapter 6: here Chapter 7: here Chapter 8: here Chapter 9: here Chapter 10: here Chapter 11: here Chapter 12: here Chapter 13: here Chapter 14: here Chapter 15: here

Tags: @piratewithvigor @tantamount-treason @thedollmaker16 @janetreader

Around 2000 Words. 18+ in places (those chapters will be marked as 'Mature / sexual content' just to be safe). Please inform me if you wish to be tagged or untagged from posts. If the text is in italics and orange it's Kirby's inner monologue. If the text is coloured but not in italics, it's either dialogue or a P.O.V change (P.O.V changes will be in bold and translated dialogue will appear in square [ ] brackets), Key below. Quick note on Geia's text colour: Yes I do know that as Greed she should be in yellow but I decided to colour the men's dialogue yellow so Geia was changed to be pink like the other women in the story outside of the main 8.

The Main 8: Damo - Bio. Vi - Bio. Billie - Bio. Geia - Bio. Kirby - Bio. Honey - Bio. Eli - Bio. Sara - Bio.

Kirby's P.O.V:

"Stop, no, Eddie, ya hands are freezin'." Kirby giggles, her voice sounding more Irish than usual.

Eddie's eyes brighten, "Say that again."

"Say what again?"

"What ya just said."

"Wha? Freezin'?" Her accent thickens as she, fully, drops the 'work voice' she uses around English speakers.

Eddie kisses her deeply, pulling away to whisper against her lips, "Ya voice is much sexier with the accent."

"If you react like that when ya meet my family, ya gonna have a ragin' stiffy the entire time we're there."

"You think I care about that, when ya voice is so sexy, C'mere." Eddie pulls Kirby onto his lap, kissing her deeply.

"You go do ya work, I'll stay here and do mine, okay, a stór [my treasure]?"

"A'ight, Ma, I'll let ya sort everythin' out. I'll make sure we see ya family durin' the holidays."

"Okay, my darlin', I love you."

"I love ya, so fuckin' much, my Celtic princess."

"My American boy, Soldier of New York."

Eddie gives Kirby one final kiss before he heads off, it's short but sweet, and Kirby's left smiling after he leaves.

During the show, four photos 'glitch' onto the screen, the first during the first match, the second during the second match, and so on, the only untouched match is Moxley vs Omega. All four are put there intentionally. All four were agreed upon by Tony Khan and us... I hope people get the message loud and clear.

A couple days pass, Kirby moves all of her stuff into Eddie's home again, she gives up her life in Virginia fully, returning to the wrestling world. The only difference is that she's no longer brainwashed by Damien. On the 9th Eddie has work and Kirby comes with him.

A further four images are shown, this time avoiding Eddie's match. That match has whispers all throughout it, playing over the loudspeakers.

"The road to hell is a one way track, I'm driving backwards to escape it." Is the first line, two minutes into the match.

Around two minutes later comes the second whisper, "Some bridges must be burned."

Another two minutes pass and a third whisper is heard, "Some demons have demons, it's time to fight mine."

Right before the end of the match comes the forth and final whispered line, "I speak the ugly truths, his hounds never listen."

Eddie ignores Kirby's plans to celebrate his 39th birthday, opting to stay in bed together, and Eddie sleeps for the majority of the day. Kirby works beside him and chuckles when Eddie wakes up, only to kiss her. Eddie manages to convince her to have 'birthday sex' with him, several times over, and unprotected each time.

Eddie and Kirby fly out to Wales on the 18th, spending Christmas with her parents, before flying back to Jacksonville on the 27th. Eddie goes to work for the tribute show on the 30th. Kirby stays in their hotel, she sits in bed all day, numb from the news, only moving for food, or to get a bottle of water, or to throw up. Eddie makes sure they fly home, to New York, that night, immediately going to bed with Kirby and falling asleep.

Kirby wakes up to the sound of Eddie humming, she checks her phone '10:00 Thursday 31 December', "Shit, ten am, I slept in, fuck." she whispers to herself.

"Wifey," Eddie smirks from the doorway, "Got ya somethin', several things, also..." he leaves for a moment, coming back with Homicide by his side, "look who came over." Eddie beams.

"That's all well and good, now go away so I can get dressed."

Eddie pushes Homicide out of the doorway, and looks at Kirby intently, his body filling the doorway, "Sexy Wifey?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Edward, ya know damn well I sleep in my underwear... only reason I don' have a bra on, is 'cause ya broke it."

Eddie closes the bedroom door behind himself, climbing on the bed and pinning Kirby underneath him, kissing every inch of skin he can get to. He gets up and watches her get dressed, pulling her into a gentle kiss, refusing to let her be more than an arm's length away from him.

"So sexy, my wife, sexiest woman in the world, ya so fuckin' beautiful, and ya mine, an-"

Kirby kisses Eddie to shut him up, "Eddie, shush, ya got me stuff, I would like ta know what."

Eddie hoists her over his shoulder, she makes herself comfy, he proceeds to carry her out to the back patio. Homicide shakes his head as he looks at Eddie, whispering something in Spanish that Kirby doesn't fully hear, he chuckles when Eddie puts Kirby down.

"Hi Nelson."

"Ey, Mami, ya married his idiotic ass?" Homicide jokes, earning himself a 'you stfu' look from Eddie.

"Eddie, do not start 'effin and blindin' at this time of the mornin'." Kirby warns.

Homicide looks at Kirby like she's an alien and Eddie chuckles.

"I won't, I promised ya mother I'd be respectful around ya," Eddie smiles softly, "I will, howeva, tell you to eat the breakfast I got ya."

"A chopped cheese ain't breakfast." Homicide murmurs.

"Eddie, stop glarin' at 'im. As my grandmother would say, stop glarin', stop gawkin', keep talkin'."

"Why do ya talk like tha'?"

"Because, Nelson, I was raised by a primarily Irish family, who speak Irish slang an' have Irish accents. I, me self, was born in Kilkenny in Ireland." Kirby explains, midway through eating her 'breakfast', aka the chopped cheese Eddie bought her.

"You were born in Ireland?" Eddie asks, a beaming grin on his face.

"Yeah, I thought my Da told ya."

Eddie shakes his head 'no', lifting Kirby's head to kiss her passionately, refusing to leave her side, even as he lights up a cigarette.

"My wifey, my Irish woman. For so long, I thought you were born in Wales, but ya weren't. Can you eat faster, I wanna make a baby."

"Fuckin' niño [child/boy]." Homicide groans.

"With how my stomach's been actin' up recently, ya already have." Kirby mumbles.

Both Eddie and Homicide go still, Kirby can feel them staring at her.

"The feck are ya gawkin' at me for, your the dope who wanted ta have 'birthday sex'."

"Homicide, keep her there, I'm gettin' a fuckin' pregnancy test." Eddie grabs his wallet and rushes off, leaving Kirby with Nelson for around ten minutes.

"Ya married him?" Nelson/Homicide asks.

"Indeed I did."

"Congrats. Ya think ya pregnant?"

"At the least it's a stomach bug, but considering the amount of times me and Ed have, you know, 'gone at it', I'll be fuckin surprised if I ain't up the duff."

"Ya gon' let him smoke aroun' the baby?"

"Eddie's smart enough to know not ta. I trust him on that."

"So... ya got any name ideas?"

"Something with an 'E' at the beginning," She murmurs as she finishes her breakfast, "I gotta put this in the bin, so we gotta go inside."

Homicide follows Kirby into the house, taking in the changes she's made to the place. Kirby smiles when she sees Homicide smile.

"This place..."

"Actually feels like a home now?"

"Yea, I like it." Homicide murmurs.

"Thanks, I kinda want to paint the walls, but that's for another day." Kirby shrugs.

"I thought I told you to keep her there." Eddie grumbles as he walks back into the house.

"Hey Papi."

"Hey Ma, go figure out how to use this, I gotta figure out how to gain back street cred."

Kirby takes the box and goes to the bathroom. It'll be fine, it's too early to tell.

She quickly figures out how to use the test and does so. Oh well, time to pee on a stick.

She paces back and forth as she waits for the results. God, could this take any longer.

She looks at the 'stick' and freezes in shock. How am I gonna tell Eddie?

"Oh fuck... Homicide, make Eddie sit down!" She hollers through the door, taking a deep breath and grabbing the test, checking her pulse before leaving the bathroom.

"Ya not, ya not or the test is too early, or somethin' right?" Eddie asks, his eyes wider than usual.

"Edward, you know ya love me." She mutters, holding the test behind her back.

"Yeah, you're my calm." He smiles softly.

"Would you love me if I was chubbier... say nine months chubbier?" She asks, handing him the test.

Eddie looks at the test, then at Kirby, then back at the test, then back at Kirby. He beams, getting up from his seat, picking Kirby up and spinning her in his arms, "I'm gonna be a dad, I'm gonna be a motherfuckin' father." He chuckles wildly, putting Kirby down and pulling her into a passionate kiss.

Kirby smiles softly, "We're gonna be parents. We're gonna have a kid, there's gonna be a little mix of us running around."

Eddie hoists Kirby over his shoulder, "where the fuck is my phone? I gotta call Moxie, and Ma, and your father, and I gotta tell Eric, and my dad..."

"Eddie, breathe. Breathe, my handsome warrior, breathe." Kirby whispers.

Eddie keeps Kirby in his arms, grabbing his phone and calling everyone he can, and practically getting in a shouting match with Moxley, his brother, Eric, and his dad, Earl. About an hour after calling Ruth, she knocks on the door.

"Edward, let me in!" Ruthie yells through the door.

Kirby slinks her way out of Eddie's grasp, and goes to let her in, immediately being pulled into a hug.

"Hi, Ruthie." She sighs happily.

"Eddie told me the news."

"I know," Kirby giggles, "he had me over his shoulder when he called you."

"Eddie and you are the greatest thing to happen to each other, mi nuera [my daughter-in-law]. I'm so glad Eddie has you, you keep my son happy and calm. I may be his mother, but from now on we both will worry about him, don't let your fear mess with the baby's health. I'm always a phone call away." Ruth whispers, cupping Kirby's face in her hands before pulling her into a hug.

"Gracias, mi suegra [Thanks, my mother-in-law], if you ever need anything from me, Mamá [Mother], don't hesitate to call." Kirby whispers, pulling away and wiping her eyes.

"Everythin' okay over here? Ma, sweetheart, where you two cryin'?" Eddie asks, gently hugging his mother.

"Maybe... a'ight, yeah, but in my defence, it's not everyday that I get to have a sweet moment with ya Mam."

"C'mere, baby mama," Eddie chuckles softly, "let me hug both women in my life."

Kirby joins in the hug, kissing Eddie as she takes in the moment. Her husband, Eddie, her mother-in-law and the baby, or babies, growing in her womb, for the first time, in a long time, she feels like all's right with the world.

Kirby's parents are the next to find to find out, her Da whooping and hollering that his family's legacy will be continued, her Mam crying tears of happiness, and wishing the best for the 'young' couple.

The final person to find out, through Kirby and Eddie, is their boss, Tony Khan. Tony wishes them well, and tells them that Kirby can continue to work, as long as she doesn't get in the ring. Kirby agrees with the compromise.

She relaxes for the last few days of the year, and the first two of 2021, eventually getting bored of laying around and doing nothing.

"Eddie, baby daddy, Papi." Kirby calls from the bed as Eddie showers.

"Yeah, sexy Mami?" He calls back.

"There's ten days 'till my birthday, what do ya wanna do?"

Eddie smirks as he walks over, a towel around his waist, "I think you know what I wanna do, Ma."

He lets the towel drop and goes to kiss Kirby. She puts her hand in front of his face to block him.

"Ya already got me up the duff, Kingy, and we gotta fly back to Jacksonville soon. So, what do you wanna do before we leave?"

"I wanna fuck my wife, ya know, let her know I fuckin' love her." He chuckles.

[delafiseaseses]

Common misconception, that. It isn't entirely outta nowhere, though. Generally a place that 'ad a cathedral back in the day was a pretty significant parta the local area, so they'd end up bein' cities, it was seen as somethin' of a requirement (and nowadays 'ave the specific term 'cathedral cities').

Then the industrial revolution 'appened, an' Birmingham, then without a cathedral it later got one, petitions and gained city-status based on it's massive population now gained city-status on the 14th of January 1889.

There's been plenty of different criterias for where gets t' be a city. In 1907 a set of rules were established for city-status three criteria: 300,000+ population, "local metropolitan character" (which means somethin' like an identity of its own) an' a 'good record of local government' (whatever that means). These rules did not make old city rulings obsolete, the city of St David's over in Pembrokeshire in Wales only 'as a population of 1,751, but 'as been a city since... the 12th century. An' I'm pretty sure there were exceptions all over the shop, I'm also pretty sure those criteria no longer am considered as much.

Places get granted city status mostly durin' big royal aristocracy nonsense nowadays. The coronation of the Queen was a big 'un. An' the latest round was 2022 durin' the Platinum Jubilee. Places bid an' argue an' do campaigning t' become cities nowadays. So the original post is outta date, there's 76 cities in the UK.

Honestly, it's all a loada nonsense, in my opinion. What's the difference between Wrexham back in 2020 an' Wrexham now post 2022 when it's a city? Nowt. It's jus' a word change. Like, I don't think there's any benefits t' bein' a city outside of sayin' y'am a city.

Anyway, I kinda went on an' on there. While I think its silly, I do find it interestin' in its way. 'Opefully that ramble was interestin' too.

69 cities in the united kingdom and forty seven thousand pubs

[luciano6254]

Art Made with Clip Studio Paint And finished with Photoshop CS5 durin 2 Days.

Japanese Translation:

Otaku Elf

DO NOT RE-POST MY ART WITHOUT MY PERMITION!!!

Edomae Elf © by Akihiko Higuchi / Kodansha.

#Art #DigitalArt #Digital #Drawing #CLIPSTUDIOPAINT #Anime #Manga #2020s #Elf #Fantasy #SliceOfLife #Shinto #EdomaeElf #Otaku #OtakuElf #Elda #eldaliilmafanomenel #ShrineMaiden #Miko #Kimono #エルフ #江戸前エルフ

[brookston]

Holidays 10.13

Holidays

Astronomy Day

Azerbaijani Railway Day

Blame Someone Else Day

Bonn Phchum Ben (Ancestors’ Day; Cambodia)

Chuuk (Teachers’ Appreciation Day; Micronesia)

Clean the Crumbs Out of the Broiler Oven Day

Cold Turkey Day

Dashain Festival (Nepal)

Dia del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural (Argentina)

Doi Taikomatsuri (Japan) [13-15]

Durga Puja (a.k.a. Dasain (Sikkim, India)

Dussehra (a.k.a. Durga Ashtami; Parts of India)

English Language Day (UK)

Festival of Unmediated Play

Geologic Map Day

Ghatasthapana (Nepal)

Global Fertilizer Day

Good Samaritan Day

The Great Memorial Day (Thailand)

International Cassette Store Day

International Civility for the Girl Child Day

International Day for Failure (a.k.a. National Failure Day)

International Day For Natural Disaster Reduction (UN)

international Day of Education in Prison

International Plain Language Day

International Skeptics Day

International Suit Up Day

John Peel Day

Karva Chat (Himachal Pradesh, India) [Women’s Festival Only]

King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great Memorial Day (Thailand)

Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day

Modern Mythology Day

National Chess Day

National Erection Day

National Guinea Pig Day (Peru)

National Herpes Awareness Day (Australia)

National Motorcycle Ride Day

National No Excuse Day

National ‘That’s What She Said’ Day

National Transfer Money to Your Son Day

Navy Establishment Day

No Bra Day

Oilfield Prayer Day (Oklahoma)

Paramedics’ Day (Poland)

Peach Day (French Republic)

Prince Louis Rwagasore Day (Burundi)

Railway Day (Azerbaijan)

Rwagasore Day (Burundi)

Silly Sayings Day

Swiftie Day

Templars Day

Train Your Brain Day

Treat Yo’ Self Day

Wan Tamruat (a.k.a. National Police Day; Thailand)

White House Day

Witches’ Festival (Elder Scrolls)

World Bank Action Day

World Cage Free Day

World Thrombosis Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Friday the Firkenteenth (Grey Lodge, Pennsylvania)

National M&M Day

National Peanut Day

National Pumpkin Day

Yorkshire Pudding Day

2nd Friday in October

Durin’s Day (The Hobbit) [When Last Moon of Autumn & 1st Sun of Winter Appears in Sky Together]

Forest School Day (UK) [2nd Friday]

International Children’s Palliative Care Day [2nd Friday]

International Foster Carer Appreciation Day [2nd Friday]

National Boss Day [Weekday closest to 10.15]

National Haunted House Day [2nd Friday]

Vet Nurse Day [2nd Friday]

World Day Against the Death Penalty [2nd Friday]

World Day of Botanical Gardens [2nd Friday]

World Egg Day [2nd Friday]

Feast Days

Aequinoctium Autumnale VI (Pagan)

Alan Turing Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Alexandrina of Balasar (Christian; Blessed)

Allan Ramsay (Artology)

Arrabiata Sauce Day (Pastafarian)

Campanella (Positivist; Saint)

Colman (Christian; Saint)

Daniel and companions, of Ceuta (Christian; Saints)

Edward the Confessor (Translation of the Relics Day)

Fautus, Januarius, and Martialis (Christian; Martyrs)

Fontanalia (a.k.a. Fontus; Old Roman God of Wells & Springs)

Gerald of Aurillac (Christian; Saint)

Maddalena Panattieri (Dominican Order of Preachers; Christian; Blessed)

Mariotto Albertinelli (Artology)

Miracle of the Sun

Moley the Mole (Muppetism)

Our Lady of Fatima (Roman Catholic)

Seven Friar Minors (Christian; Martyrs in Morocco)

Theophilus of Antioch (Christian; Saint)

Very Saucey Day (Pastafarian)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Unlucky Day (EU, US) [Friday the 13th] (2 of 2 for 2023)

Unlucky Day (Canada, Germany, Ireland, UK, US) [Friday the 13th]

Premieres

All About Eve (Film; 1950)

The Babysitter (Film; 2017)

Badlands (Film; 1973)

Batman: Death in the Family (WB Animated Film; 2020)

A Bear Called Paddington, by Michael Bond (Children’s Book; 1958)

Bee at the Beach (Disney Cartoon; 1950)

Billy Elliot (Film; 2000)

Code of the Samurai: A Modern Translation of the Bushido Shoshinshu of Taira Shigesuke, by Daidōji Yūzan (History Book; 1943)

Crimes and Misdemeanors (Film; 1989)

Fat Bottomed Girls/Bicycle Race, by Queen (Songs; 1978)

Fly with von Drake (Disney Animated TV Special; 1963)

The Foreigner (Film; 2017)

Goodbye Christopher Robin (Film; 2017)

Harvey (Film; 1950)

The House of Mirth (Film; 2000)

Jane the Virgin (TV Series; 2014)

Linda McCartney’s Sixties: Portrait of an Era, by Linda McCartney (Book; 1992)

Look Who’s Talking (Film; 1989)

The Nightmare Before Christmas (Animated Film; 1993)

…Nothing Like the Sun, by Sting (Album; 1987)

Riley’s First Date? (Pixar Cartoon; 2015)

The Rum Diary (Film; 2011)

The Scarlet Letter (Film; 1995)

The Seventh Seal (Film; 1958)

Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), by Beyoncé (Song; 2008)

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Concert Film; 2023)

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, by Edward Albee (Play; 1962)

Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys (Novel; 1966)

Yankee Dood It (WB MM Cartoon; 1956)

, by Prince (Album; 1992)

Today’s Name Days

Eduard, Gerald (Austria)

Bogoljub, Eduard, Romul, Teofil (Croatia)

Renáta (Czech Republic)

Angelus (Denmark)

Ebba, Ebe, Epp (Estonia)

Taija, Taina, Tanja (Finland)

Géraud (France)

Andre, Eduard, Koloman (Germany)

Agathoniki, Chrysi, Florentia, Florentios, Karpos (Greece)

Ede, Kálmán (Hungary)

Benedetto, Edoardo (Italy)

Irma, Mirga (Latvia)

Eduardas, Edvardas, Mintaras, Nortautė, Venancijus (Lithuania)

Tarjei, Terje, Torgeir (Norway)

Daniel, Edward, Gerald, Geraldyna, Maurycy, Mikołaj, Siemisław, Teofil (Poland)

Agatodor, Agatonica, Andrei, Carp, Papil (Romania)

Koloman (Slovakia)

Eduardo, Fausto (Spain)

Berit, Birgit (Sweden)

Eddie, Eddy, Eduardo, Edward, Edwardine, Ned (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 286 of 2024; 79 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 41 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Gort (Ivy) [Day 11 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Xin-You), Day 29 (Jia-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 28 Tishri 5784

Islamic: 28 Rabi I 1445

J Cal: 16 Shù; Twosday [16 of 30]

Julian: 30 September 2023

Moon: 1%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 6 Descartes (11th Month) [Campanella]

Runic Half Month: Wyn (Joy) [Day 2 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 20 of 89)

Zodiac: Libra (Day 20 of 30)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 10.13

Holidays

Astronomy Day

Azerbaijani Railway Day

Blame Someone Else Day

Bonn Phchum Ben (Ancestors’ Day; Cambodia)

Chuuk (Teachers’ Appreciation Day; Micronesia)

Clean the Crumbs Out of the Broiler Oven Day

Cold Turkey Day

Dashain Festival (Nepal)

Dia del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural (Argentina)

Doi Taikomatsuri (Japan) [13-15]

Durga Puja (a.k.a. Dasain (Sikkim, India)

Dussehra (a.k.a. Durga Ashtami; Parts of India)

English Language Day (UK)

Festival of Unmediated Play

Geologic Map Day

Ghatasthapana (Nepal)

Global Fertilizer Day

Good Samaritan Day

The Great Memorial Day (Thailand)

International Cassette Store Day

International Civility for the Girl Child Day

International Day for Failure (a.k.a. National Failure Day)

International Day For Natural Disaster Reduction (UN)

international Day of Education in Prison

International Plain Language Day

International Skeptics Day

International Suit Up Day

John Peel Day

Karva Chat (Himachal Pradesh, India) [Women’s Festival Only]

King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great Memorial Day (Thailand)

Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day

Modern Mythology Day

National Chess Day

National Erection Day

National Guinea Pig Day (Peru)

National Herpes Awareness Day (Australia)

National Motorcycle Ride Day

National No Excuse Day

National ‘That’s What She Said’ Day

National Transfer Money to Your Son Day

Navy Establishment Day

No Bra Day

Oilfield Prayer Day (Oklahoma)

Paramedics’ Day (Poland)

Peach Day (French Republic)

Prince Louis Rwagasore Day (Burundi)

Railway Day (Azerbaijan)

Rwagasore Day (Burundi)

Silly Sayings Day

Swiftie Day

Templars Day

Train Your Brain Day

Treat Yo’ Self Day

Wan Tamruat (a.k.a. National Police Day; Thailand)

White House Day

Witches’ Festival (Elder Scrolls)

World Bank Action Day

World Cage Free Day

World Thrombosis Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Friday the Firkenteenth (Grey Lodge, Pennsylvania)

National M&M Day

National Peanut Day

National Pumpkin Day

Yorkshire Pudding Day

2nd Friday in October

Durin’s Day (The Hobbit) [When Last Moon of Autumn & 1st Sun of Winter Appears in Sky Together]

Forest School Day (UK) [2nd Friday]

International Children’s Palliative Care Day [2nd Friday]

International Foster Carer Appreciation Day [2nd Friday]

National Boss Day [Weekday closest to 10.15]

National Haunted House Day [2nd Friday]

Vet Nurse Day [2nd Friday]

World Day Against the Death Penalty [2nd Friday]

World Day of Botanical Gardens [2nd Friday]

World Egg Day [2nd Friday]

Feast Days

Aequinoctium Autumnale VI (Pagan)

Alan Turing Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Alexandrina of Balasar (Christian; Blessed)

Allan Ramsay (Artology)

Arrabiata Sauce Day (Pastafarian)

Campanella (Positivist; Saint)

Colman (Christian; Saint)

Daniel and companions, of Ceuta (Christian; Saints)

Edward the Confessor (Translation of the Relics Day)

Fautus, Januarius, and Martialis (Christian; Martyrs)

Fontanalia (a.k.a. Fontus; Old Roman God of Wells & Springs)

Gerald of Aurillac (Christian; Saint)

Maddalena Panattieri (Dominican Order of Preachers; Christian; Blessed)

Mariotto Albertinelli (Artology)

Miracle of the Sun

Moley the Mole (Muppetism)

Our Lady of Fatima (Roman Catholic)

Seven Friar Minors (Christian; Martyrs in Morocco)

Theophilus of Antioch (Christian; Saint)

Very Saucey Day (Pastafarian)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Unlucky Day (EU, US) [Friday the 13th] (2 of 2 for 2023)

Unlucky Day (Canada, Germany, Ireland, UK, US) [Friday the 13th]

Premieres

All About Eve (Film; 1950)

The Babysitter (Film; 2017)

Badlands (Film; 1973)

Batman: Death in the Family (WB Animated Film; 2020)

A Bear Called Paddington, by Michael Bond (Children’s Book; 1958)

Bee at the Beach (Disney Cartoon; 1950)

Billy Elliot (Film; 2000)

Code of the Samurai: A Modern Translation of the Bushido Shoshinshu of Taira Shigesuke, by Daidōji Yūzan (History Book; 1943)

Crimes and Misdemeanors (Film; 1989)

Fat Bottomed Girls/Bicycle Race, by Queen (Songs; 1978)

Fly with von Drake (Disney Animated TV Special; 1963)

The Foreigner (Film; 2017)

Goodbye Christopher Robin (Film; 2017)

Harvey (Film; 1950)

The House of Mirth (Film; 2000)

Jane the Virgin (TV Series; 2014)

Linda McCartney’s Sixties: Portrait of an Era, by Linda McCartney (Book; 1992)

Look Who’s Talking (Film; 1989)

The Nightmare Before Christmas (Animated Film; 1993)

…Nothing Like the Sun, by Sting (Album; 1987)

Riley’s First Date? (Pixar Cartoon; 2015)

The Rum Diary (Film; 2011)

The Scarlet Letter (Film; 1995)

The Seventh Seal (Film; 1958)

Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), by Beyoncé (Song; 2008)

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Concert Film; 2023)

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, by Edward Albee (Play; 1962)

Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys (Novel; 1966)

Yankee Dood It (WB MM Cartoon; 1956)

, by Prince (Album; 1992)

Today’s Name Days

Eduard, Gerald (Austria)

Bogoljub, Eduard, Romul, Teofil (Croatia)

Renáta (Czech Republic)

Angelus (Denmark)

Ebba, Ebe, Epp (Estonia)

Taija, Taina, Tanja (Finland)

Géraud (France)

Andre, Eduard, Koloman (Germany)

Agathoniki, Chrysi, Florentia, Florentios, Karpos (Greece)

Ede, Kálmán (Hungary)

Benedetto, Edoardo (Italy)

Irma, Mirga (Latvia)

Eduardas, Edvardas, Mintaras, Nortautė, Venancijus (Lithuania)

Tarjei, Terje, Torgeir (Norway)

Daniel, Edward, Gerald, Geraldyna, Maurycy, Mikołaj, Siemisław, Teofil (Poland)

Agatodor, Agatonica, Andrei, Carp, Papil (Romania)

Koloman (Slovakia)

Eduardo, Fausto (Spain)

Berit, Birgit (Sweden)

Eddie, Eddy, Eduardo, Edward, Edwardine, Ned (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 286 of 2024; 79 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 41 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Gort (Ivy) [Day 11 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Xin-You), Day 29 (Jia-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 28 Tishri 5784

Islamic: 28 Rabi I 1445

J Cal: 16 Shù; Twosday [16 of 30]

Julian: 30 September 2023

Moon: 1%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 6 Descartes (11th Month) [Campanella]

Runic Half Month: Wyn (Joy) [Day 2 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 20 of 89)

Zodiac: Libra (Day 20 of 30)

[streetlights-was-taken]

a bunch of fic ideas

I'm still sick but can't sleep, so rather than do my actual work I'll procrastinate by writing all my fic ideas so far (genshin only)

I can't say I'll do them all this year, or at all, since I'm a slow writer. but who knows?

anyway, in no particular order:

secondary gain (a treatise on life) — the dottonari ethics fic (with a side of scarae). I already outlined my ideas in its own tag but the main concept is about the clash of perspectives between dottore (boattore) (life-tolerating, scientifically idealist, wants to create something beyond human) and tighnari (life-affirming, scientifically pragmatic, affirms the humanity in all life). the segments also play a little game here, so we'll see some contrast between boattore and selfishtorre. finally, the underlying plot is that scaramouche consumes the divine knowledge capsules and the only way to save him and nahida lie with tighnari and aether.

Scaramouche consumes the Divine Knowledge Capsules earlier than expected, the segments play a little game, and Tighnari and Aether are caught in the middle of it all. Or: Dottore brings a most interesting patient unto Tighnari’s expertise. How do you medicate sleeping gods?

spooky action at a distance (we're in superposition baby) — a nonsense dream fic (think alice in wonderland) featuring kunikuzushi, venti, and aether during the time they were all asleep 500 years ago. kunikuzushi was put to sleep by ei; venti fell asleep after defeating durin; aether was asleep and sent forward in time by the sustainer of heavenly principles. the idea is that when they sleep, they enter a chaotic space. a special dream world that is more like a "probability space" that warps and changes based on its occupants, the events of the real world of teyvat, and so on.

"What is this place?" The music stops. The bard looks up from his lyre, momentarily taken aback. "Oh? It's rare for me to get visitors. Welcome! Thre's not much I can tell you. This place has no name and has no observers. Nothing makes sense here." Two glasses of wine appear in his hands. "Care for a drink, traveler?" Aether accepts the glass but doesn't drink. He eys the two clocks hanging from the sky, ominous and ever present. Flowers bloom from the cracks on the floor, the walls, the spaces between the bard's fingers. "Who are you?" The bard smiles. It's a nice smile. "This is your dream. Why don't you tell me?" 500 years of Venti visiting Aether in his dreams before he awakens in Teyvat. Or was it Aether who intrudes on Venti's dreams? In the world of slumber, nothing really matters, does it?

eclipse — the gender fic. academia/idol AU where albedo's research assistant, aether, is more than what he seems. I already have notes for this fic in its own tag.

FACE — the fashion heist revenge fic. fontaine fashion week is upon us, but someone in the shadows is creating a team whose whole purpose is to crash the most glamorous fashion event of the year. this idea is basically inspired by high society grifting scams (think anna delvey — the actual person not the netflix show, how to crash paris fashion week, faking a model to fashion week, faking as a billionaire, and so on). this one will probably lead me to a lot of research, so I'm putting this off until we get to fontaine in-game.

life in the rearview — a modern roadtrip fic featuring: meteorolgist!venti (who is a storm chaser), failed attempts at wedding planning, aliens, and a witch cult. albether are on a roadtrip to plan their wedding; venlumi hijacks the event and journeys with them around mondstadt. a bit of fake marriage going on (venlumi pretends to be engaged so they can do the cake tasting with albether), mostly a fluff fic with a stealth "reincarnation" plot at the end. this was an idea I had back in 2020 and I actually have a lot of worldbuilding notes for this. I might post those one day.

surface tension — modern spy AU. diluc's personal spy team that work as bartenders by day, undercover spies by night. featuring: criminal psychologist mona, intelligence officer albedo, field agents aether and lumine, etc. not sure what to do with this setting yet; my first thought is that it would just be the background for a quick albether oneshot with dom/sub undertones focusing on aether's hero complex and albedo being very meticulous with results/control. it could be the setting for a casefic as well, or some found family type of fic. depends on where this idea ends up.

There are occupational hazards that come with working under an underground spy network. Most agents find healthy ways to cope. Mona runs her cosomolgy blog, Fischl takes up ventriloquism, and Lumine has her idol boyfriend to distract her. Aether... doesn't cope. It falls on Albedo to take control of the situation

all the world's a stage — modern theater au. the immernachtreich theater produces plays based on ancient teyvat; however, the lives of the actors tend to parallel the story of the play they stay in. I haven't fully fleshed out the concept, but some examples are: enkanomiya's story with kokomi as the vishap experimentee, gorou as the guard assigned to the experiment, and kazuha as the person who wants to see the surface. sal vindagnyr's story with albedo as the princess painting the fresco and aether as the outlander. and so on. here are my notes from my phone:

[lathalea]

Remember

This is the story I wrote for the @gatheringfiki challenge - Durin’s Day 2020.

It’s my gift for the wonderful @mewpet because we both love cute brotherly fluff :)

There is an amazing piece of art that goes with this fic, created by mewpet, check it out here!!!

Relationships: Fili and Kili (brotherly affection, no warnings, rating G) Read it on AO3 here.

* * * * *

Remember, Brother, that time when you said ‘hi’ to me for the first time? You were so restless back then. I was but a pebble myself, but I remember that evening as if it happened yesterday. 

Mother is sitting by the fireplace, surrounded by heaps of pillows, and I press my ear against her protruding belly. It is one of our quiet, cozy evenings. Father and Uncle are away on some grown-up business again, so there are just the two of us at home, enjoying each other’s company.

“Mother! He kicked me!” I protest when something rapidly pushes against my cheek, making me move away.

“He?” Mother chuckles, placing her hand on her belly. “And what if it is your sister?”

“It isn’t! A girl would punch me!” I decide, recalling how that annoying copper-haired girl, Geira, treated me just a day before. My jaw still feels a bit tender. Perhaps I shouldn’t have taken her toy axe after all…

“Very well, then. A brother,” Mother smiles. “Your brother is simply saying ‘Hi!’,” she explains, her steel blue eyes brimming with warmth.

“Why can’t he come out already? I’m bored!” I complain.

“He will, my little mountain lion, be patient,” she ruffles my hair in an affectionate gesture. She smells of flowers and freshly baked bread. “It won’t be long now, I promise.”

“But I want to meet him now!” I huff loudly and stomp my foot. Mother chuckles again and I feel a bit silly, not quite sure why, though. Gently, I place my little hands on Mother’s belly, ripe as a watermelon ready to burst, and whisper our first shared secret to you, “Hello, Brother, come quickly to me so we can play together and help Mother when Father and Uncle are away! And… If you come soon, I will show you my collection of stones!”

Triumphantly, I grin at Mother who tenderly smiles back at me and places a warm kiss on my forehead. My beautiful stones of all shapes and sizes, how proud I am of them. “That should convince him!” I think.

And it does. You arrive in the world screaming and wailing less than two weeks later. There are plenty of women in our house, but Father still hasn’t returned. I sit at the window, the only place at home where I don’t disturb the grownups. I take a sip of the warm milk Auntie Bestla gave me before she returned to our Parents' bedchamber. Mother is loud and from time to time I can hear her shouting very, very bad words that I’m not allowed to listen to nor repeat. Auntie Bestla says that it is normal and that Mother is doing well. I stare into the darkness, the evening wind blowing through the trees. 

Only then do I hear the hoofbeats outside and see Uncle Thorin’s familiar figure. He dismounts his pony. And Father is there too! Finally! I can clearly see Uncle taking both ponies to the stable while Father turns his steps towards home. I jump up and dowm in excitement and rush towards the entrance door. Soon, I’m enveloped in Father's embrace. He smells of woodsmoke, leather, and road dust. He winks at me and presses his forehead against mine. A warrior’s greeting! And then his blond braids intertwine with my hair. Mother often says that I should be very proud that I inherited his hair color because it brings luck. And when she does, Father usually smiles, takes Mother into his arms, and tells me that he found Mother thanks to his luck. And then she calls him “her golden warrior”, and then they kiss. Yuck!

Father sets me down, and I tell him everything that has happened since he was gone, that my brother is coming, that we have two new chickens, and that I lost a tooth. He asks me if I have been a good boy, and of course, I say I have, and then he asks if I did my duty and helped Mother while he was gone, and I nod with pride, and his dark brown eyes smile at me, and then he gives me a pouch filled with my favorite hard candy. I start munching on it right away! 

When he removes his cloak, I hear your first cries (Mahal, I still remember how loud you were!) and gasp in excitement. Father rushes to the bedroom door and gives it a small knock. We, men, are to wait outside until the midwife invites us in, he says. This is the Dwarven Tradition, he says. Stupid tradition, I think. I want to see my brother now! I’m so angry, I say out loud one of the very, very bad words Mother shouted before. Father’s brow furrows and he’s about to scold me when the bedroom door cracks open and Auntie Saga is there, beaming, her lush chestnut beard braided in two beautifully plaited sidebraids.

“Fili, my boy, come to say hello to your… Vili, you’re back!” she opens the door and ushers us in. Mother looks very tired, but very happy at the same time. 

“Dis, my dove,” Father kisses her forehead and they murmur grownup things to each other while I curiously look at the bundle in Mother’s arms.

“Do you want to see your little brother, Fili?” she asks.

I’m so eager to meet you that I nod enthusiastically.

Soon, I’m on the bed, together with Mother and Father, both happy and confused at the same time. Is this tiny bundle really my brother? Your impossibly big blue eyes are open wide (I wonder if they will stay like this or will they change color at some point?) and there are a few unruly tufts of dark hair on top of your head. You blink, and I instantly know you just have said ‘hi’ to your big brother. To me.

“Hello, Kili,” I touch your tiny hand with mine and your fingers immediately wrap around my index finger. Our eyes meet and at that moment I already know that we are going to have so much fun together!

Many, many new things. Darkness. Flickering light. My heart beats fast.  So fast. It’s happened. I’m here. Softness. Textures. Breathe in. Breathe out. Everything seems so blurry, but I’m so curious! And there is that smell. The smell of flowers and freshly baked bread. Mother. She’s so warm. So cozy. So safe. Touch. I like touch. More sounds surround me. Mother is humming a lullaby. Father is there, too, he’s so happy, he even sheds a tear! He speaks something, but then I notice you, peering at me, your bright blue eyes sparkling with joy. You look much too serious for your age and I decide I’ll have to do something about it, and keep doing it often.

***

Remember, Brother, that time when Father hadn’t returned home? Remember, what I promised you on that day? You were still a babe…

The autumn rain is pattering on the window panes when Uncle Thorin enters our home. He should have returned over a month ago, together with Father. Mother runs to the door. Uncle is soaking wet, and he is still wearing his armor. It’s dented. And then I notice a large, dark stain on his trousers. Why is he limping? Why is his face so pale, so strange?

“Uncle! You came back! Do you know that Kili tried to eat Mother’s sketchbook? And the neighbor’s goat got lost and I helped find it! And Mother baked a berry pie! And... Where is Father?” I cling to his wet clothes and feel his large hand on my head. He smells of wet horse, tobacco and… something weird I can’t quite place.

“You have grown, Fili,” he speaks, but there is no joy in his voice. He sounds so hollow and I don’t understand why.

Mother’s eyes rest knowingly on Uncle. They widen. He shakes his head slightly and looks down. Her lips tremble. A sob escapes her mouth. 

“Mahal…” she whispers, covering her mouth with her hand.

“He is in the Halls of Waiting now. He said that he would await the day when he met you there,” Uncle speaks, embracing her.

I don’t understand why Mother is sobbing, whispering Father���s name. I don’t know why Uncle tells her all those strange things.

But then they tell me.

Wiping my tears away, I’m standing over your cradle. You reach out your hand to mine, flashing a wide, toothless smile, your eyes already as dark as Father’s. 

I recall his last words to me when we said our farewells, “Keep an eye on your little brother. Protect him from harm, my son.”

“Don’t worry, Kili. I will protect you,” I explain and your smile widens even more. I want to keep you smiling so innocently for as long as I can.

I remember only a few vague sensations from that day, detached from each other, withering away as a bonfire smoke on a wind. A very old tune played by a musical box. A low murmur. A gasp. Some steps. Mother sobbing. And then your forehead touching mine. And your whisper.

“We’ll go through this together. We’re warriors. Just like Father.”

I don’t understand much at that point, but your words sound very solemn. I want to show you that I’m there for you and you shouldn’t fret, so I do the best I can at that moment and press my tiny hand against your nose (Mahal, you’ve always had a nose like a potato!). You frown, so I  realize that it doesn’t work. Time for Plan B. I grab one of your temple braids and shove its tip into my mouth, munching on it.

“You’re disgusting!” you take your braid away from me and scowl at the mess I made. You’re always so touchy about your hair.

And then I burp and start giggling. Of course, you can’t help yourself and a chuckle escapes you.

Mission accomplished.

***

Remember, Brother, that time when we climbed that apple tree in Old Cotter’s orchard? Oh, what fun we had!

The gnarly branches are not easy to climb on, but we will make it. It’s a dare, after all, Gimli’s idea, in fact. And I already know one thing for certain: the Dwarves of the line of Durin never step back from a challenge! That’s what Uncle Thorin says… although deep inside I’m not sure if he would approve of this particular dare. Old Cotter is a grumpy Man, not overly fond of Dwarves. But surely, he won’t even notice if a few of his apples are gone. Or a bushel.

“Fili, give me a leg up!” you complain, your arm reaching towards a thick branch above us, full of apples. Your tunic is already bursting at the seams with the ones we’ve already gathered.

“You almost got it! Stretch a bit more, Shorty!” I reply, busy picking my own share of apples. They smell so good! My stomach growls.

“I’m not a shorty! I’m almost as tall as you!” you protest, furrowing your brows in that funny way, trying to mimic one of Uncle’s glares.

I burst out in laughter, “Only if you stand on a stool!”

You move towards me and the branch we’re sitting on sways underneath us.

“I’ve grown since last week! A lot!” you exclaim.

“No, you haven’t,” I stand by my opinion. I’m almost sure that you are quite a few inches shorter than me! At least you were lat time Mother measured us…

“Yes, I have! Mother told me yesterday! I’m catching up with you”

“No, and you’ll never outgrow me!” I declare firmly. I’m the older one after all!

“Yes, I have!” you squirm on the branch.

“No, you haven't!” I’m grabbing a branch above us, trying to stretch and show you who’s the taller one once and for all. 

“But I have!” you mimic my movements and now we’re both standing on the branch, face to face.

“No, you have not!” I stomp.

“I have!” you swing.

“No---”

And then two things happen at once. The branch gives way beneath us with a loud crack and we’re hanging from the flimsy branch above, flailing our legs in the air. And the second one? A dog starts yapping. No, make it two dogs. Old Cotter keeps two large guarding dogs, you see. I’m not sure why he does that, really. It’s not like we’re coming here that often. Besides, it’s just a few little apples, right? Anyway, the point is that his dogs are always as angry as he is, or perhaps even more. And they have teeth. Huge teeth. I meet your gaze, your face seems paler and your eyes widen.

“Crap!” you say. “Old Cotter’s pups! We can outrun them, right, Fili?”

“Of course! Ready?” I give you a reassuring smile. You nod in return “Now, Kili!”

We both let go of the branch and fall to the ground with a thump, like two ripe apples.

“Ouch! I think I landed on my… apples,” you scrunch your face. I’m trying not to think how much the part of my body I landed on will hurt tomorrow.

“Get’em, my beauties!” a screeching shout comes from the other side of the orchard. That’s where Old Cotter’s house is. The barking becomes louder, more intense.

“Run, Kili!” I urge you, and off you go. In a blink of an eye, I’m on my feet as well, frantically rummaging through my bag. The barking intensifies and I see two dark shadows rushing towards me among the apple trees. I’m not escaping. I’m waiting. They are closer and closer. I’m standing my ground. I can see their eyes now. Their white teeth. They are snarling at me now. That is when I throw the contents of my bag at them and quickly take to my legs, running as fast as I have never run before.

“Are they gone, Fili? Are they still following us?” you ask, gasping, when I finally catch up with you. We’re hiding behind a fallen tree in a nearby grove.

“No, we’re good, Kili. They really liked those steaks we found in the kitchen,” I reply and the moment I see the merry sparks in your eyes, I chuckle. 

“Poor Old Cotter! I wish I could have seen his face!” you burst with laughter.

“You should have seen the look in his dogs’ eyes! I bet no one has thrown a proper steak at them in their entire lives!”

“Yeah, Old Cotter probably feeds them only with apples!”

We’re rolling on the ground, laughing our heads off. The grass is so soft, the sun pleasantly warms our cheeks and the ever-present smell of apples fills the air. 

All of a sudden, a large, menacing shadow looms over us.

“So this is what happened with those steaks we were supposed to have for supper,” the shadow speaks in a low, rumbly voice. A very familiar voice. Darn.

“H-hello, Uncle…” we mumble in unison, knowing that we are in deep, deep trouble. 

Stupid Gimli and his dare.

I still remember that those were the best apples I’ve ever tasted. So what if they weren’t quite ripe yet? And no, this certainly wasn’t the cause for our upset stomachs afterwards! It’s not as if we were getting supper, anyway.

***

Remember, Brother, that time when we got lost in a blizzard on our way back from an unlucky hunting trip?

“We should have turned right by that triple rock,” you shout through the storm.

“We did, Kili!” I reply as the freezing cold snow finds its way into my mouth. When it melts on my tongue, it tastes like the butter buns Mother bakes every morning. We hadn’t eaten for over a day. The game has been scarce.

“No, we turned left, Fili, I’m sure!” your words are carried on the wind along with the snow.

“You’re talking nonsense! It was right, we always turn right there!” I approach you and see your narrowed eyes. The rest of your face is hidden under a hood, protected from the cold by a knitted scarf. Geira made them for us last year. Yours is dark green while mine - dark red, like my vambraces. Of course, once I got the scarf along with a new dagger, you wouldn’t stop teasing me with silly songs informing me that “Roses are red” and hinting at the activities I should perform with her (“Fili and Geira sitting in a tree…”). Younger brothers are such a menace. I’m really fond of my new dagger, though. And I’m fond of...

“Fili! I’m talking to you!” you interrupt my thoughts. “Why aren’t we at Frigg’s Pass yet?” you demand.

That’s a valid point. I take a look around, but the visibility is getting worse by the minute. There is no pass in sight, of course, and the blizzard is growing more and more intense.

“Let’s find shelter,” I decide.

“We’re lost, aren’t we? I forgot you’re just like Uncle Thorin, you clot!” you huff, clearly displeased.

“We’re not lost,” I grunt, “We just need to find someplace to wait out this bloody storm!”

I pass you by and walk ahead. I know my way in the wilderness around Ered Luin much better than Uncle… I think.

We set up camp by a rock wall that shelters us from the blizzard. The night comes. Wrapped in our furs, we wait for the dawn in silence. The storm has almost passed, there is just a flurry of snowflakes in the air. None of us feels like talking. I’m trying not to notice the cold. Instead, I’m thinking about roasted lamb with cranberries. Oh, and mashed potatoes with butter. Lots of them. And for dessert, I…

“Did you hear that, Fi?” you prod me.

“What?” I open my eyes. No, it’s not what you think, I wasn’t sleeping. Really, I wasn’t!

“That growl… There it is again!” you insist in a low whisper. At that point, I hear it too. Something shuffles through the snow in the pale predawn darkness. The noises are approaching us.

“Get your axe ready,” I signal in Iglishmêk. You do. And so do I.

We rise on our feet at the same time when the first warg attacks. Wargs! Here? But there is no time for such thoughts. This is the moment my swords were waiting for all this time. They slash through the air, finding the foe with every swing of the blades. From what I can see in the corner of my eye, you’re doing quite well with your axe too. Then, I realize that the warg pack tries to surround us, but we know how to act. Standing back to back, just like we were taught, we fight them off, one by one, slowly, but methodically. Their skinny bodies fall on the ground, their unmoving contours clearly visible in the first light of the day. The last one yelps and tries to escape, but I take out my new dagger from its sheath in one swift move and throw it at him in a blink of an eye. Almost instantly, the beast falls with a groan.

“Great aim, brother,” you grin, resting against a rock. 

When I return to you after retrieving my dagger, you sit on the snow-covered ground. A puddle of blood surrounds you.

“Ki, you’re hurt!”

“It’s nothing, brother,” you smile faintly. I rush to you and find a nasty bite wound on your right thigh. Bloody wargs.

“That’s quite a big nothing, if you ask me!” not listening to your protests, I’m taking care of your wound the best I can in these conditions, but you’re still losing blood. It doesn’t look good. I need to take you home as soon as possible.

“You know what, Fi?” you speak slowly. “I think we turned right by that triple rock after all. I found the Frigg’s Pass…”

“Hmmm? Where is it?” I finish dressing your wound.

“Here… we’re in it,” you look at me as if you’ve just managed another mischief. 

I look around and finally recognize the rocks around us, the trail leading down to Ered Luin, and the little frozen creek nearby. Home is just a half a day away. On foot. I steal a glance at your wound.

“Fi?”

“Hmmm?”

“I don’t fancy walking right now. I think I’ll take a nap. Go home and get some help. I’m not going anywhere,” you force a wink at me.

“You’re as stupid as a goat’s ass if you think that I’m leaving you alone here, Shorty!” I protest vehemently. 

“You’re shorter than me and you know it, Potato Nose!” you point out with a slight grin.

“It’s only two inches! It doesn’t count because you’re younger!” “You know it still does!” 

“No, it doesn’t!” I assert firmly. “Besides, you have less muscle on you!”

Our customary bickering is interrupted by our growling bellies.

“What would you say about a dozen fried eggs and a pound of bacon on the side?” I ask.

“Alright, alright. You convinced me. Let’s go,” you nod weakly and I pat you on your shoulder. You’re a bit paler than before. I know we have to make it before dusk.

You rest your weight on me and then we start walking. Slowly. Step by step. It seems like forever. 

And then your good leg gives way. You fall on the ground.

“How about I just sit there?” you propose. I see the shadows under your eyes.

“No way, you lazy bum. We’re going. Get on my back,” I try to keep a light-hearted tone of voice, but I know you see straight through it.

 “Why are you so eager to get back all of a sudden?” you attempt to joke with a small smile at the corner of your lips. “Ah, I know! I bet you can’t wait to take Geira to the Yule dance!”

“Get on my back or I’ll carry you in my arms as I used to when you were a just pebble”, I growl. What do you know about girls, anyway? Knowing you, if you were ever to meet a maiden you liked, you would probably bore her to tears with that mawkish story about a huge fire moon we’d seen once in Dunland while escorting some merchants, together with Uncle Thorin. I’m almost falling asleep now, just thinking about it.

Finally, you grunt something about your warrior’s pride being wounded, but you do as I say for the first time in your life. A miracle. Praise Mahal!

We move ahead even slower than before, but at least I don’t feel the biting cold.

“Mother will not be thrilled when she sees us...” you speak in a slightly dazed voice. I’m plowing ahead, worried that your wound is infected and you’re getting a fever.

“Why would she?” I try not to groan under your weight. Either you’re getting heavier or I’m getting weaker. Naaah. Not me. I’m sure you’re getting heavier.

“She’s been looking forward to some venison and we… we’re coming back empty-handed,” you explain.

“What are you talking about, Ki? I have my game right here,” I poke you so that you know whom I mean. “A game leg, to be exact, but beggars can’t be choosers.”

You snort faintly in amusement.

“Just make sure you don’t faint before coming home, Shorty,” I warn him. “I don’t feel like carrying you all the way to your bed as if you were a dwarfling again.”

“No worries, Potato Nose. I’ll be fine,” you whisper. “We’ll be fine.”

Soon, we reach home.

And yes, we are fine.

I have to say that you were right bringing those stupid fancy-pants swords of yours on our hunting trip, but I’ll never admit it to anyone. And certainly not to you. A pack of stray wargs so close to Ered Luin. Who would have thought...

 And then, there comes the day when we’re to accompany Uncle all the way to Erebor, to reclaim the home of our ancestors.

“A great warrior has to be always prepared for battle,” you say pompously as we are preparing for the road. I roll my eyes. You grin at me, sheathing those fancy swords on your back, and leave our house, doing that stupid springy walk of yours.

Maybe you’re not a total clot, but you’re a terrible show-off anyway.

“Are you coming, Ki?” I hear your voice from the outside.

Of course I am. I belong with you, after all, brother.

***

I place my hand on a polished piece of stone. It’s cold. 

It’s the last week of November again. I feel its chill in my bones. The old wounds healed well enough, but I still feel them at this time of the year. It’s snowing today, my brother, just like it snowed over 150 years ago, when we rushed into that fateful battle, arm in arm, just to be separated forever by an Orc blade.

Remember, Brother…?

I place my hand on a polished piece of stone. It’s cold. Freezing cold. 

They came at us, we were outnumbered. Uncle Thorin was already wounded. Our Uncle. The closest thing we had to a father. The King Under the Mountain. Our King. The one we swore our oath to. And so we stayed by his side, an ice-bound river beneath our feet. Stronger together. The Pale Orc gathered his troops and led a frontal attack while Bolg’s Orcs came at us from behind. The battle raged on, taking lives on both sides of the conflict. The ice under our feet was singing in terror. In warning. But we fought on. Fiercely. Desperately. Until an Orc carrying a battle scythe in his paws tore through our defenses, aiming at me. You pushed me away, but the bloodthirsty blade reached you instead. 

And the snow kept falling from the sky, covering both the bloodstains and the unmoving bodies with a merciful white blanket.

I was the one supposed to protect you. Just like Father said all those years ago.

Remember, Brother…?

I place my hand on a polished piece of stone. It’s cold. Freezing cold. As cold as an ice-bound river. 

The unseeing eyes of your marble likeness sculpted by the best artists of Erebor, white as snow, look into nothingness. There is no smile on your face. Instead, you look rather like a fierce, solemn warrior clad in formidable battle armor, an eternal frown on your face. You don’t resemble yourself at all. The constantly laughing Dwarf with a head full of mischief.

You became the hero of our people. The one who saved the life of their future king. Me, your older brother. You were the one who gave your own life in return.

“A life for a life… A fair trade,” you whispered through your pale lips at the very end. “Go on, marry your Geira, be happy, Potato Nose,” you said, your voice alarmingly hoarse. “You will make a great king…”

Remember, Brother…?

We named our firstborn Kili. I know that he will become a worthy King Under the Mountain one day. Soon. I’m not young anymore. Before long, I will join you in the Halls of Waiting, leaving a worthy successor behind. King Kili. His mind is sharp and he fills my heart with pride every day. He laughs just like you. Would you believe if I told you that when he was but a dwarfling, he brought some apples home, offering them proudly to me, like a spoil of war? With mischief glinting in his eyes, he let me in on a secret. Apparently, his boon came from the orchards of Dale. What’s more, he and his friends may have forgotten to ask their owners for permission. What a rascal. Luckily, there were no dogs involved, but the apples weren’t ripe at all, of course.

Remember those days, Brother…? 

And a whiff of wind lost in the corridors of the Lonely Mountain whispers back.

I remember, Brother…

And I’m waiting.

* * * * *

Read it? Like it? Reblog it!

Happy Durin’s Day!

[linane-art]

Morpheus (Fullzise)   |   Morpheus (Even-More-Fullsize)

The chariot barreled toward him with such graceful speed, its very own wind left Kíli reeling through the air.

      “What are you doing?” He heard.

He found his balance and his rhythm and darted from the heat on his back. It singed the very tip of his wing, but with the breeze of his flight, the fire and pain didn’t travel upwards. So he flew on, grabbing hold of the chariot’s edge.

      “No!”

Kíli realized, but it was too late. Of course the gold of the chariot would be as blazing as an open flame. He hissed in pain, but flew on until he matched Helios in his flight.

He called the Sun God’s name, letting it grace his lips for the first time. “Helios!”

      “Are you daft?” Helios cried, yanking on his reins with a force that turned his knuckles white, but the horse didn’t slow.

      “I’m Morpheus!”

---- Helios and Morpheus by @legolaslovely

[estethell]

Happy  Durin’s Day 2020!!! This is my gift to @lazysaturdayonthebeach for Fiki event 2020!! I hope you like it!

We have decided to create a little story where Fili and Kili are two cupids who help Nori and Bofur to make contact, because those two are timid! And in helping them, they both remember why they love each other! Only love here!

[ofahattersmind]

"Stop creeping people out," says Fili in his head, and Kili laughs.

My submission for my partner @dragonquill for Durin's Day 2020. Happy belated Durin's Day, Quill!

[gatheringfiki]

Hello, hello!

As promised, we will try to run a Durin’s Day Gift Exchange again this year, provided we get a minimum of 10 people signed up :) If we can’t get enough people, we’ll try to run a different event.  

You know how everybody is always going: ‘I’d die if  someone drew something based on what I write!’ and ‘I wish someone wrote me something based on what I draw!’? We’re going to make this happen for you!

Now, according to this source, the Durin’s Day this year falls on the 17th of October. What a perfect opportunity to make someone’s day, we thought!

The Plan:

We’re looking to pair up fanartists (including graphics/edits makers) with fanfic authors

If you sign up, you will be expected to create a gift for your partner: either as a part of a joint collab or based on their existing works (art or fic)

If you decide to do a collab, it has to be a brand new idea (not an existing verse), which the two of you will work on together, one writing, the other doing the art for it.

If you decide to base your gift on your partner’s existing work, you can pick anything they published so far. You will have a month to familiarise yourself with their works and create your gift. As a bonus, your own work gets some extra exposure too :)

Guideline effort required: we suggest minimum around 3.5k words and ah, equivalent in artwork. (How do you quantify artwork?!) Like, decent stuff, folks.

Whatever you create is kept a secret until the 17th of Oct (i.e. Durin’s Day), when everyone posts their gifts.

Tag your creations #Durin’s Day 2020 (with spaces) and we will reblog it

Please Note:

You agree that someone else creates something based on your work. Could be a spin-off, fanart, little story, graphic etc. But basically it’s somebody else’s interpretation of your universe.

We accept all the usual pairings (i.e. Fili/Kili or any fictional pairings based on Dean’s and Aidan’s characters). However, if you have specific pairing preference, please let us know in the sign-up. E.g. “looking for at least some Britchell content”. We’ll do our best to accommodate, and if we can’t, we’ll contact you.

The worst thing that could happen with this event is if multiple people drop off throughout. Whilst we understand that RL > fandom, please keep in mind that someone else is creating something based on your work and will be looking forward to it just as much as you are. Please keep your partner and us updated with your progress.

Dates:

12 - 15 Sept (ish)  - Artist’s signups

16 - 18 Sept (ish) - Writer’s signups

19th Sept - Pairs are assigned at random and published in a post

17th Oct - You post your gifts for each other, we reblog them

We will go ahead if we get a minimum of 5 artists and 5 writers signed up.

Sign ups:

To sign up, please drop us a message on GatheringFiKi. Please include: whether you’re signing up as an artist or writer and if you have content outside of tumblr (AO3 / deviantart etc.), please include a link. Also, please let us know if you have any specific pairing needs.

Please see the dates above - we start with artists simply because we have fewer of those in the fandom.

Once we know how many artists we have on Tue, the 15th of Sept, we will announce how many writers slots we have available, for example: 7 fanartists = we can sign up to 7 writers

This will be done on a first come, first served basis so please keep an eye on Tumblr.

It is entirely possible that some overeager organisers might go canvassing during the signup times…

As always, please let us know and give us a shout if you have any questions!

~gatheringfiki

[legolaslovely]

Helios and Morpheus

A/N: Here is my part of our collaboration for the Durin’s Day Gift Exchange for @linane-art ! Thank you for brainstorming with me and being so supportive and patient. You made this even more exciting than I thought it would be, and let me tell YOU, I was thrilled about it all in the first place. I hope you enjoy it. I am so excited to share it! :)

This is somewhat loosely based on Greek Mythology, AKA it’s an Alternate Universe! Rated Gen. Get ready for some LONGING and some FLUFF.

LOOOOOKKKKKKKK AT @linane-art​ ‘s ARTTTT LOOOOOK AT THE PERFECT BOYSSS!!!! Thank you for giving us SUCH gorgeous works. 

The link for Fili is HERE!! And Kili is HERE!! Please go give @linane-art​ some love!!!!!!

Helios and Morpheus

Tell us of the impossible lovers, O Muse.  Those who defied Fates, Furies, and Almighty Zeus, Who found forever hidden in distance between, Paradise more perfect than Elysian serene.

Tell us of Helios, the God of Golden Sun Who rides in his chariot before night’s begun. His radiance shines as he watches and he waits For God of Dreams, Morpheus, to fly from his gates. 

Perfumed with his poppies and directives to spare, Roused only by his One with the rays in his hair, Morpheus stars in dreams prophetic and divine, Telling his love in sleep, “You are mine, you’re all mine.”

One alone rules the day as sky’s singular light. Another’s domain lies in the darkness of night. As stubborn as star-crossed, fierce as Cronus, they were, Bridging the cosmos for a love that was most sure.

Book I

To those below and above, he was known as Morpheus. To those around him, however- to his parents and his brothers, the Oneiroi- he was Kíli. To himself, he was a dreamer.

One could suppose that’s how it all began.

From very early on in his eternal life, he was known around the cosmos for his talent of deceit. But the true-hearted Kíli only deluded with his physical appearance. With a bit of concentration and a blink of time, he could shift from his godlike form into any other imaginable. Those below often said that no other was more skilled than he in representing the gait, the features and the speech of men, but little did they realize, Kíli could manifest as much more. Truthfully, he just thought the world of men had very tiny imaginations, even in their dreams. 

And so, his talents were put to use. Zeus commended him and dubbed him the leader of the dream makers, called the Oneiroi. He was to spend his nights flying through the world of men, delivering messages from the gods to their pupils through their dreams. Instead of using his skills for amusement, for playing pretend and hiding from his brothers, Kíli- Morpheus- would exhaust himself and his power by playing messenger boy for the King of the Gods.

Still, Kíli learned to have his fun. 

You see, though Kíli was explicitly told what message to send to whom, the how was entirely up to him. He could morph into a towering cyclops and poke the belly of his recipient until he listened. He could make a pit stop in the sweetest dream of the prettiest semi-divine woman and make her fall in love with him just before night’s end. He could even visit Hades to make ghost children into brave soldiers, or Hephestus to take a lesson in sword forging. As long as he delivered his messages on time, he had the power to do whatever he wanted.

But it all ended with the rosy-fingered dawn.

Every night had its end. For others, that was a hopeful thought, even a prophetic one, but for Kíli, it just meant he’s run out of time. His freedom was stripped away by the clouds painted orange. For a long while, some thousands of years, he stomped back through his gates like a tantrum struck child, furious at his forced time-out. He’d grunt at the guards and leap over the Rivers of Forgetfulness and Oblivion, and lock himself in his cave to sleep among the poppy seeds until he received the orders for his next outing.

In the recent millennia, however, he’d been risking everything to hide behind the lock of his ivory gate and watch the black night sky lift and glow indigo, then violet. He’d wait to see the golden chariot cross the cosmos, pulling aside the curtain of night to reveal the bright blue day behind it. He’d heard the stories all his life. He knew what happened in the universe that took his time away from him and turned it into day. But he only recently saw the phenomenon for himself and since then, he never wanted to miss the show.

It wasn’t the glittering coat or glistening mane of the thundering horse that he was interested in. It was the one inside the solid gold chariot that first caught his eye. It was Helios, God of Sun, he wanted to watch because, though he was almost blinded by the sunny halo every morning, Kíli was sure Helios was smiling at him.

Book II

Helios was happy. Though others often wondered how he could be.

Those above pitied him for his status. It was unjust for the God of Sun- the deity of something as important as creation, light, and life- to be considered a minor god. He would never see the world below from the peak of Mount Olympus. He couldn’t watch the measly humans through the silver, puffy clouds. Sure, he had his own clouds to peer through way up there on his own throne, but they weren’t as pretty as the ones that surrounded Mount Olympus. Not at all. Helios only had regular clouds. What a shame.

It may have been that those below pitied him even more than the Olympians. Helios was alone. Yes, he had power, eternal youth and breathtaking beauty, but he’d never share any of it with anyone. How sad! To spend the light of day watching the world below, only to be so distant from it. Poor, lonely Helios.

Solitary and depressed, but never forgotten. For who could forget the sun?

In return for his service and out of their pity, the gods above gave him the most beautiful land to shine on and watch over. Artemis kept her trees tall and her meadows vast so long as Helios kept them green. Demeter graced the farmlands, encouraging crops to grow up to the light of his rays. Even Poseidon, grateful for the glimmer of warmth Helios left on his sea, returned the favor and controlled his waves whenever the halo of sun crossed the sky at day’s end.  And sometimes, Zeus would throw some thunderbolts and give Helios a day of rest when he especially deserved it after weeks and weeks of impeccable radiation.

Helios was the only being who couldn’t understand the world’s view of him. Between those generous gifts from the higher gods and the worship and prayers from the humans below, how could Helios ever be unhappy? In his opinion, he had it made. 

Because he was a minor god, he didn’t have to deal with the problems of Olympus. He was glad the fabricated kidnappings, adulterous adventures, and cannibal snacking rituals were kept way over there on that mountain and his warm, serene hours were spent way over here on his very own throne. He shined his brightest on his own. 

Still, that didn’t mean he disliked watching the humans from afar. On the contrary, he adored them.

He smiled down on them as they wept in his name. He peeked through the dreary, grey clouds and gave them warmth as they built his temples stone by stone. Attentively, he watched as they danced and sang for him, begged him for his blessings and thanked him for his creation. In their words, he was gracious. He brought joy to mortals. Again, their words, not his.

He was given all this simply for being beautiful. He was pure light. He ruled the sky for thousands of years and was grateful, never wanting any change.

Then, as randomly as an autumn leaf falls to the ground, his lands brought him something new. Or rather, someone. As Helios crossed the sky and brought the dawn, he looked down on his endless estate and spotted this someone watching him. It was not a farmer, nor a thief or human forced to wake before the day. 

Instead, it was clear this Dark One enjoyed the night. He stood unshrinking from the black sky and smiled at Helios, clearing any blame for his bringing the sun. This someone, this Dark One was happy to make his sacrifice to Helios- a ritual the Sun God had never enjoyed until now. Now, it was a gift.

Never in his eternal life had Helios pulled on his steed’s reins to slow the sunrise. It wouldn’t work. His chariot would plow on with its duty with time warping speed, never paying a hair’s attention to the Dark One in the shadows. There was no time. Dawn must come.

With that, Helios crossed the sky, eventually losing sight of his someone below. When he leapt from the gold to gold, from the chariot to his throne, he searched for the Dark One, but his own light stole the shadows and his someone was nowhere to be found. His passing eras slowed to hours. During the time of his reign, he watched the humans find Aphrodite, Hestia, and Hera and when the night came, he himself found his Dark One waiting for him every morning.

Book III

Morpheus had the ability to enter the dreams of any and all. He could punish the dastardly with nightmares so garish and haunting, his victims would change their ways in the morning. Or he could gift the selfless with visions of peace and profit, the lonely with companionship, or the sick with health. Over the span of his existence, he’d delivered messages and prophecies to billions- humans and gods alike.

Tartarus, he could even sneak into Zues’ dreams and feel the power of the King’s Thunder if he felt like it. But Kíli valued his immortality too much for such a thing.

Bottom line: Kíli could visit all who dreamed. Which was everyone. Or so he thought.

It was really just his luck that the one he so wanted to meet- and even eavesdrop on if Kíli was honest- was out of his reach. Contrary to popular belief, the sun never slept and neither did the god who powered it. 

He didn’t understand why. What did Helios have to do during the night? Where did the Sun God even go when darkness came? Wasn’t there time for the Golden One to rest?

Kíli was determined to find out.

When darkness came on the Winter Solstice, the longest night, K��li flew as fast as he could to the dreamers through the lower lands. He delivered a curse here, and a revelation there. Then, dressed in his best disguises, he climbed up to Mount Olympus to greet the two gods he was meant to visit. His foretellings were clear and concise. There was no time for any mix ups or confusions which, despite Kíli’s best intentions, were a common occurrence with drowsy recipients. 

After all his duties were finished, he tumbled down to his gate with time to spare. There, hanging onto the delicately etched ivory pillars, he waited alone. The night hours he so treasured ticked slowly past- slower than ever before. More than once he leapt from the ground, wings waving and flapping when he was sure he saw a speck of light coming from the east. But he realized his eyes were only playing tricks on him in his anticipation, and eventual boredom.

Still, he didn’t leave his post.

The sky remained dark for so long, Kíli was sure he’d gone blind trying to make the smallest stars into the golden halo he longed to see. He wondered why nothing was happening, why the blanket above wasn’t lifting to indigo, then violet in preparation for Helios. Had something happened to the Golden One? 

He panicked. 

It was unbelievable. 

For ages, Kíli wished for eternal night and cursed the morning Sun, and now all he wished for was the scalding rays to burn his skin. He’d welcome such a painful end if he could see the Sun God one last time.

Then, there was light. 

Real light, nothing Kíli’s eyes or drowsy mind could create. This was it.

His waving wings let him hover just above the ground, his bare toes dipping into the tall grass. He had to be careful, he had to time it right if he wanted a chance to speak to Helios as he crossed the sky and brought the dawn. If his actions weren’t perfect, his flesh would sizzle and leave his bones unsheltered to melt in a matter of seconds. Helios’ light was his end. So he must stay in the shadows.

After such darkness, Kíli could only see a white blur crossing the sky, but after years and years of watching the sunrise, he knew well how Helios’ shining steed cut through the night like a rapier. He raced up to meet it, his every muscle jolting in tandem to flap his wings with enough speed and precision to shoot him to a height that took his breath from his body. There, on the level, he waited.

That was his mistake.

The chariot barreled toward him with such graceful speed, its very own wind left Kíli reeling through the air.

       “What are you doing?” He heard.

He found his balance and his rhythm and darted from the heat on his back. It singed the very tip of his wing, but with the breeze of his flight, the fire and pain didn’t travel upwards. So he flew on, grabbing hold of the chariot’s edge.

       “No!”

Kíli realized, but it was too late. Of course the gold of the chariot would be as blazing as an open flame. He hissed in pain, but flew on until he matched Helios in his flight.

He called the Sun God’s name, letting it grace his lips for the first time. “Helios!”

       “Are you daft?” Helios cried, yanking on his reins with a force that turned his knuckles white, but the horse didn’t slow.

       “I’m Morpheus!”

Helios laughed. His eyes sparkled, glittering like the brightest stars in the sky, like the loudest, most dazzling thunderbolt Zues ever threw had been captured inside the golden head of this god.

Kíli knew Helios was beautiful. He knew of the creamy skin, the aureate halo, and the smile as curved and irresistible as cumulus clouds. But he didn’t know of the blue eyes. They struck him and slowed him down.

Still, before he burned, before he circled back and raced to his gates, flying through without a look back, he heard Helios yell something to him. He saw Helios smile at him, as he’d seen every morning for hundreds of years. But this time, his Sun was close enough to touch.

Book IV

Helios’ days were all the same. It was clockwork and routine- the paths he took to and from the farthest corners of Poseidon's ocean, how long the trek took, when and where he’d begin and end. He knew what he’d see along the way. There were never any surprises because nothing was ever different. 

At least that was the case until Morpheus loomed by his gate for the first time. His first appearance had been unusual and indeed gave Helios pause at first, but even that had become something expected after thousands of years of his Dark One’s presence. 

Morpheus flying to his chariot before dawn, however, that was unexpected. A surprise. Even a fright to Helios that jarred him like nothing else he’d ever experienced. It left him with so many questions. Helios wasn’t used to having any such thing. He was the Sun. He had all the answers. He was the steadiest thing in the cosmos. He was arguably the most dependable god.

But now that Morpheus had flown to him, Helios was unsure. He sat in his throne and glowed dimly over the day, diverting most of his energy to all the questions now crowding his headspace.

Why, he asked. 

He’d spent his eternity thus far watching all beings under his light. They were predictable. He was never surprised by their actions. And yet, Morpheus, God of Dreams, left him flabbergasted without a single answer as to why he’d risk his life to speak to a god in the opposite domain. What was the point? What did he want to say? Wasn’t he terrified?

But Helios’ most important question was: Had Morpheus heard him?

He hoped so. For when he wasn’t wondering and pondering, Helios was dreaming. Well, he guessed he was dreaming. He’d heard his humans talk about it in his temples, running to his altar after a night of his blessing their sleep and revealing himself to them in a vision. It was as if they’d truly seen the god, Helios, and had even spoken to him, though it was obvious such a thing was impossible. Helios never strayed from his post.

But he dreamed on with his eyes open and his rays shining. Just before his mind’s eyes were wings twice the size of Morpheus’ body and black as the fur of Cerberus. He even went inside his fantasy and touched the wings with his fingertips, leaving them with what he hoped was a pleasant warmth. As his dream Morpheus leaned into his touch, even closed his eyes to it, Helios’ halo shone ever brighter to the lands below. 

Then, as if clouds filled the sky, more questions would clog Helios’ mind and his rays would dim as he asked himself why.

So the day went on, sunlight ebbing and flowing until his steed grew agitated. Sparkling hooves stomped into the ground, the glistening tail swished and the impatient head bobbed, strong neck arching tight in anticipation. Dusk was approaching, as was Helios’ long ride. But even after his exhausting day, he leapt into his chariot, ready to work through until dawn when he’d see his Dark One again.

       “Come to me tomorrow,” he’d said. 

He hoped it with every glittering speck of himself.

The reflection of his chariot shimmered in the ocean below as he passed through the sky. His steed took him past mount Olympus and over the thatched roofs of Corinth, then Larissa. He passed wide meadows and gentle creeks, waiting patiently for the chance to fly over Morpheus’ gates. Though the Dream World spanned much of the Underworld, Helios knew exactly where the horn entrance would appear at the break of dawn. He knew where Morpheus would be. 

Morpheus.

It left the great Sun God trembling, for he was aware of the danger his Dark One faced. If all didn’t unfold perfectly, Morpheus would be no more. And it would be Helios’ fault. Even in all his uncertainty, he was sure of that.

Leaning over the side of his chariot, Helios kept his eyes glued to the ground. He stayed low, remained as dim and cool as he could without giving himself a mortal chill. He waited. All things familiar glowed underneath him until the horn gates of Morpheus’ Dream World glittered in his rays. But Morpheus wasn’t leaning on the post. Instead, he was already flying through the air to meet the chariot. Helios’ gut sunk.  His Dark One was wasting his energy. He should have waited! 

It was too late now.

As Helios’ golden horse loped on, quickly surpassing Morpheus’ own swift speed, Helios reached out with a cool hand and dragged his Dark One safely into the seat of his chariot. Then he slid to the opposite side, pulling his limbs as far from Morpheus as the chariot allowed.

The two gods stared at each other. Morpheus was squinting at him, even in Helios’ dim light.

       “You told me to come back to you,” Morpheus said. “You told me to return at dawn.”

       “Yes,” Helios said.

Morpheus scooted closer to him, moving his hand to the back ledge of the chariot to pull himself along. “Why-”

       “Don’t!” Helios cried, dragging his Dark One’s hands into his own. “Don’t touch the chariot. It will burn you.”

Morpheus latched onto him. “But you’re not burning me. How is that?”

      “It’s only dawn. My rays aren’t as powerful now.”

Morpheus was watching him through narrowed eyes, taking in his every feature as if he’d never seen another being before. Like he’d only ever dreamed them, and never actually saw or touched. It took every bit of Helios’ power not to shrink from his gaze. No one had ever looked so closely at the sun.

Morpheus reached for him and ran his icy fingers around Helios’ ear, tucking his shining hair around it. “You’re so warm.”

       “Sorry.”

       “No,” Morpheus was quick to say. “It’s pleasant. You feel wonderful.”

Just below them was the shore of the western ocean. Dawn would soon pass into full morning. They didn’t have much time.

       “Why did you come? It was dangerous for you,” Helios said. He shifted in his seat to shelter Morpheus from the light creeping up to his back. They were close now, closer than any two opposing gods had ever been.

       “I’ve spent so long in the shadows,” Morpheus said. “I wanted to feel your light.”

Helios grinned. Everyone in the cosmos wanted to feel the light of the sun. But he’d keep himself from all the world, he’d let it all freeze over if it meant he could safely shine on his Dark One for the rest of his eternity. Just for a moment, he leaned closer to imagine what it would feel like.

       “I wanted to see you, but you don’t sleep!” Morpheus said, bumping the tip of his nose to Helios’ cheek. He jerked away and hissed, rubbing his sizzling face. “You heat up quick,” he laughed.

       “You must leave,” Helios said with a wince. “I can’t slow the dawn.”

       “I know. But here, take this.” Morpheus reached to the nape of his neck and untied the sticky stem of a single poppy from his hair. He placed it in Helios’ hand and folded his fingers around it. “Tomorrow when the moon rises, I want you to smell this. It’s one of mine. Bring it up to your nose and take a deep breath. Think of me and I will come to you in your dreams.”

       “I’ve never dreamt anything before. I’ve never even slept.”

Morpheus reached for him, but stopped himself before he could touch Helios’ scalding skin. He closed his eyes to the blinding shine. “Then I’ll fly to your chariot every day at dawn.”

       “No. It’s not safe for you.” The poppy was wilting in Helios’ hand without its maker. “I’ll do as you said. As long as you will come to me.”

       “I swear it. There’s no place else I’d rather be.” One eye creaked open and Morpheus smiled before it clamped shut again. “You sure are bright.”

       “You must go.”

His black wings rose above the chariot and opened like wide wooden doors before Morpheus blindly leapt from Helios’ side and dove to his gates. There, he disappeared before Helios’ own rays could burn his flesh.

As the Sun God was delivered to his throne, he held tight to his poppy and dreamed with his eyes open about what the night would bring.

Book V

It was rumored Morpheus’ wings had the strength of a thousand soldiers. Though the feathers were lush and silky, the arching bones crowning the tops- extensions of his own spine- were not to be trifled with. How else would he fly through the cosmos from city to city and even to Mount Olympus to deliver himself to the dreams of his recipients? The wings were so robust, so legendary, and yet his flight was as silent as an owl’s, for what good were they if they woke his dreamers? 

Tonight, however, his wings were still. He had his scroll, his list of messages to deliver and beings to visit, but instead of rushing out of his gates to tend to his duties, he stood just past the lock to his Dream World. For the first time in his endless existence, he didn’t know where to go. 

His most important dreamer didn’t have a regular resting place. As far as Kíli knew, Helios traveled in his chariot all through the night, distributing his light around the universe. It would be impossible to pinpoint his exact location, never mind catch up with the soaring chariot. The only thing Kíli could do was wait to be summoned.

Still, Kíli couldn’t even be sure Helios would be able to dream, or even sleep for that matter. His poppies worked wonders on ailing humans, but he’d never offered one to a god before. It was forbidden by Zues. As was his and Helios’ affair. He knew they were treading a very dangerous path.

Usually, Kíli would be terrified of Zues. He would hide in the shadows of his Dream World, only emerging from it to take orders from the King of the Gods. He’d take his notes with his head down and wings wilted, never quite looking the Maker of Thunder in the eye. Every interaction made him quiver down to his soles.

Now, however, with Helios in his sights, he wasn’t scared. It was as if he had a secret weapon that left him powerful and fearless against anyone who stood in the way of him finding his very own Sun. Nothing mattered beyond his One who glowed and lit up the sky, bringing hope to all in his domain. Kíli felt that now.

So he stood at his gates, daring Zues to threaten him or his love and hoping with every inch of himself that his poppy would work. He waited for Helios’ call.

He closed his eyes to listen.

The wind rustled in the grass and tickled his feet. A cat yowled in the dark. The warm stuffy silence of night muddled his mind. 

Then all was clear. When he opened his eyes, Helios was in his arms, asleep.

His plan had worked.

As expected, the Sun God was warm. Kíli had felt this kind of residual heat before when he entered the dreams of sleeping humans who were wrapped up in too many quilts during the night. However, this kind of warmth wasn’t so oppressive. Instead, it was a balmy comfort that washed over his lap and up his arms. Kíli, the God of Dreams who only came out at night, was feeling the Sun for the first time.

Meanwhile, Helios, who never slept and never left his post, conquered his fears and did so for Kíli. He was peaceful. The poppy had worked and it had given him rest. That knowledge only added to the rush Kíli was feeling in his chest as he pulled Helios closer, protecting him, lest he regret placing his trust in his Dark One. 

Though Helios was not shining, not even glowing, Kíli was still stunned by his beauty. It wasn’t dull or dimmed in the night, but magnified. This close and without his rays, Kíli could see his true beauty- the lines in his lips from his own heat and those around his eyes left by his gleaming grin. Even now, in sleep, Helios smiled and Kíli didn’t miss the dimples in his cheeks and how the left one was deep enough to cradle the tip of his forefinger. 

Kíli took this chance to touch the god, not to take advantage of him, but to appreciate him while there was time to be had, while he was unwatched. He ran his fingers through the silky golden hair, down the strong neck and over the proud, smooth shoulders. It electrified him like the night air never could. Then, after what felt like hours of staring and contemplation, Kíli even dared to kiss his Sun’s head. His lips lingered over the warm skin as he held Helios tight to his chest.

With that, Helios sighed. “Where am I?” he asked, working to focus his gaze on the one above him.

       “You are in the arms of Morpheus,” Kíli said, smiling down on him. “Which is to say, you are asleep.”

       “Morpheus.” Helios wriggled closer, wrapping his arms around any part of Kíli he could reach. “If this is a dream, then let it never end. There’s nowhere else I wish to be.”

Kíli hummed. “You’ve come over to the dark side then, hm?”

       “If that’s where you are, yes. I’ll follow you there.”

Like most things in the world of the gods, Kíli’s flowers affected all beings differently. He was happy enough that Helios had fallen asleep at all, so he couldn’t blame the virgin dreamer for his honeyed state. If Kíli was honest with himself, he didn’t at all mind his Sun’s sweet words, though he knew they were coaxed out by the power of his poppy.

Helios sighed again. “I’d follow you anywhere.”

       “You’re quite the romantic in your dreams,” Kíli said.

Helios grinned. It was bright enough to make Kíli’s heart soar, but not to blind him as it had when they shared the sky. 

       “Have I won you over, then?” Helios asked.

       “Do you think I’d risk my life just to speak with you if you hadn’t already?”

       “Twice!” Helios said with a wagging finger. “You did it twice.”

       “Yes, I did. And I’ll do it again every morning hence if it will allow me the privilege of holding you again.”

The Sun God let his head flop on Kíli’s arm. “Now who’s playing the romantic?”

Kíli would do anything to see those blue eyes more clearly, but as Helios talked on, his lids fluttered shut, lashes feathering against his cheeks.

       “I must have- had too much of the poppy. I did as you said, but the first… it didn’t do anything. I needed to see you, so I...” He laughed. “And now I can hardly keep my eyes open.”

Kíli caressed his cheek. “It’s all right. You can relax, I’ll be here.”

Immediately, the Sun turned to sand in Kíli’s arms, burying his forehead in his Dark One’s chest. Again, Kíli felt immeasurable pride. One of the most important beings in the cosmos allowed himself to be cradled and cared for by him. It made him return to his earlier wishes of wanting the night to last forever.

       “Morpheus-”

       “Call me Kíli.” He smoothed the line between Helios’ brows with his thumb as he explained, “It’s the name my mother gave me. Only when Zues gave me the Oneiroi, did he give me the name Morpheus as well.”

       “But that’s not who you are.”

       “No.”

Helios said his name. His real name. A lazy tongue flicked its way through the consonants and soft lips curled around the sounds with a smile. Then Helios said it again. “Kíli.” He leaned into Kíli’s night-cool touch that grazed the rounds of his golden cheeks and the cliffs of his thick brow. It rumpled as he said, “I don’t remember a time when I didn’t empower the sun. I’ve always been in the sky. Alone.”

       “Not anymore,” Kíli said.

Helios hummed and sighed and sank further into Kíli’s arms as if the disease of his loneliness- an ailment he never knew he had- was cured irrevocably. “Kíli. If you are Kíli, then I must be someone as well. Give me a name, Kíli.”

       “Your name is perfect just the way it is.”

He opened his eyes. “But it wasn’t given to me by anyone who matters.” For the first time, Helios reached up to Kíli and stroked his cheek. The touch was long overdue, but Kíli could forgive it because of the tenderness it evoked. He leaned into it, distantly listening as Helios continued. “Call me Fíli. Similar and yet opposite, just as we ourselves are. I’ll be your Fíli.”

Kíli snorted. “I should call you ‘Silly’ instead-”

He squeezed Kíli’s arm and chuckled. “Just give me this.”

Kíli wasn’t in a state to deny him anything. He’d fallen too far too quickly for such things. So he nodded.

       “Will you give me something else?”

       “Anything.”

Ever so gently, Helios- Fíli- led Kíli’s lips down to his own. Kíli gave him his kiss. In one moment everything between them changed. The cosmos parted and opened the way to a new universe of their own, one in which they could live in harmony and without fear, pain, or isolation. After millenia of giving- Fíli giving life and Kíli giving fantasy- they together stole it all for themselves. They gave each other the impossible. 

But Kíli felt himself begin to fade. 

Fíli held onto him like a stubborn serpent.

       “Don’t leave me,” Fíli said against his lips.

       “I won’t. It’s you who are leaving me.”

       “No.”

Kíli chuckled and his cool air blew over Fíli’s face, making him shiver. “It’s not your fault. You’re waking up.”

       “Stop me.”

       “I can’t. Not even you can slow the dawn. But we have forever now, Fíli.”

Fíli kissed him again. Even on the edge of his dream, the sun inside him was rising, leaving his flesh hot in Kíli’s arms. He would be untouchable in a matter of minutes.

       “Will you come to me again?”

       “Every night,” Kíli assured, risking his fingers to feel Fíli’s smoldering cheek once more. “And I will wait at my gates for you every morning.”

       “Not for too long, Kíli. I won’t have you scorching your wings again.”

       “You’re starting to sound more like yourself,” Kíli said with a scoff.

Fíli smiled. “I’m still your Fíli. And there’s still nowhere else I’d rather be than here in your arms. But you’re right, we both must go.” 

Yet Fíli’s only movement was to kiss his Dark One again. Then he watched until Kíli was a blur in the darkness.

Book VI

When Fíli opened his eyes, he was in his chariot. From the look of the waving blue mountains ahead, he could tell his nightly quest was about halfway through, meaning his trusted steed hadn’t even noticed his mind’s absence. After all, the horse knew the route as well as he did. It was an encouraging display that simultaneously left him bitter with disappointment. While it was made clear he’d be able to remain in Kíli’s Dream World for longer nights in the future, it only reminded him how short tonight’s visit had been.

He didn’t want to wait- not for the day to pass or even the night hours to fade before he could see his Dark One again from high above. But alas, even Zues himself suffered from such impatience for not even the King of the Gods could accelerate time. 

What did comfort Fíli, however, was Kíli’s love of the night. Though Fíli was bored by its boring darkness, his love- yes, his love- relished his freedom under the starry sky. It was his time to thrive. Fíli could imagine him, dream of him flying through the cosmos as he leaned back in the seat of his chariot. Maybe one night, the two would cross paths, he thought.

But when he wriggled down into his seat, something crunched. It set off a familiar smell. He reached up, startled to feel something in his own hair, and gently pulled at not one, but three poppies that were neatly tied and tangled together. Kíli must have left them in his golden waves just before he faded away from the dream. Rolling the stems in his fingers, Fíli smiled, bringing too high a dawn for the middle of the night. But he couldn’t help it. These were a promise from Kíli for more nights like this one in a universe of their own. 

They’d make a life for themselves in the short hours before dawn. Helios and Morpheus, known to only themselves as Fíli and Kíli, would love for eternity.

[marigoldvance]

Orison

AO3

HAPPY DURIN’S DAY 2020!

dearest @shinigami714, 

your art (and your writing!) has always inspired me so, as you can imagine, i was ecstatic to be given the opportunity to properly appreciate, enjoy, draw from and worship your art by writing a godforsaken saga of doom tale that transcends more than just one piece you’ve shared. 

because that’s what happened. 

as i scrolled through your art, oldest to newest and back again, a story started to unfold. and then kept unfolding. like, a Stiles-fashioned, Google-fu, internet leap frog sort of “how did i even get here!?” scenario. the world your art spoke to me of is vast and multidimensional and complex. as vivid as the color palettes you used in each creation. 

i sincerely hope that i did you proud, hon, and that you enjoy the journey. i don’t know if this is what you had in mind seven years ago, when you said, “So…I’ve been thinking about Fili/Kili a lot lately.  And I figure they’d be pretty cool in a sci-fi au sort of setting.”

boom, baby!

ART: 1 2 and 3 

[EVERYONE PLEASE CHECK OUT SHINI’S ART AND WRITING, SHE’S NOT ONLY A PILLAR OF THIS COMMUNITY BUT HER WORKS ARE AMAZING]

◍

FíKí - M - Sci-Fi AU

The world hasn’t always been broken. There was a time, long ago, when people could believe anything they wanted, and it didn’t matter.

But that ended in the inferno they call "The Great Cleansing."

Now, Kíli is forced to travel back to where it all started in order to find something - anything - to help his people overcome the hell that they endure. Before things get underway, however, something is returned to Kíli that he thought lost to him forever; something that, despite its differences, seems too good to be true...

AO3

[oaken-dick]

Happy Durin's day my charming fellas, and remember you make this dwarven heart proud!

[alwaysfarawayeyes]

Happy Durin’s Day!

Happy Durin’s Day to all and especially to @damnitfili.

I have created a fic, based on this gorgeous mermaid AU photoset. You can find the story on AO3.

Hopefully I’ve done it justice and created enough angst to satisfy you @DamnitFili :)