#Enchanted Sundae

[frostedsketches]

Sick of Toasted Rose? Meet S'more's brother and HIS future wifey, Enchanted Blossom! Daughter of Tree Hugger and Zephyr Breeze~

She's kinda a famous singer and dancer in Equestria, not to brag or anything 💅 — though she was raised in her parents hippie ways and enjoys meditation and reading her horoscopes, she's a lot more modern and a lot less zoned out.

Ugh, I love em!!! I love Toasted Rose still too but for right now I'm on an absolute Enchanted Sundae STREAK, and will be focusing on on them a bit more ;)

[puckinghischier]

Taking Nico to Disney: Headcannons

i know this is a little…specific, but as someone who has both grown up going to and has worked at disney world…HEAR ME OUT!!!

- you’ve always wanted to go to disney with nico, but the timing has never been right with off-season training, play offs, his trips back home to visit his family, and whatever else comes up. but this time? this time you’re making it happen.

- the trip has been booked, flights arranged, and your glorious week of magic and quality time with nico was finally upon you.

- he’d be just as giddy as you are. the minute he found out about your love for the theme parks, he told you how he always wanted to go as a kid, but obviously a trip to orlando is hard for a swiss kid.

- he insisted on buying themed luggage, themed shirts, themed hats, and he even bought themed socks.

- when you mentioned matching shirts as a joke, his eyes lit up, excited at the idea. he’d search for hours for the funniest pairs, buying a couple of sets, but not telling you what they were until you were there.

- your first day, of course you’d go to the magic kingdom. you were so excited to see nico’s reactions to all of the fairytales come to life throughout the park.

- you made him walk in front of you as you walked backwards around the corner on main street, wanting to see his reaction to the castle for the first time. you were lucky he was so distracted by the large structure to notice your crying, his amazed eyes and small “wow,” as he stopped walking to take it all in really got your emotions stirred.

- he’d follow your lead all day, trailing behind you with a map while you yapped and explained all about your favorite things to do as a kid. eventually you’d take the map from him, telling him you know exactly how to get around the park. “schatz, i’m trying to see what rides i want to do, give it back,” he’d argue with a huff. “neeks, we’re doing everything, don’t worry about it.”

- you loved watching his excitement and wonder with every ride the two of you went on. your heart melted at his giggles at the scenes on pirates of the caribbean, him singing along to the german (and french) section of small world, his bewilderment at the special effects of haunted mansion, his foot taps to the beat and amusement during enchanted tiki room, his screams on space mountain, his competitiveness on the buzz light year ride, his need to lift dumbo to the top for the whole ride, and his genuine cackles at every joke during jungle cruise.

- he’d also make you stop every time he saw a photographer, wanting every picture he could get from this trip. you’d happily oblige, loving all of the different fun and cute poses the photopass photographers would have you do. and the pictures where they added little effects and characters? nico has every one saved to his phone.

- and the food? good lord nico was in calorie heaven. “what do you mean i can get a foot long hot dog?” “i read about this big ice cream sundae in a mickey sink, can we get one please?” “i can’t eat this pretzel…mickey’s looking at me!”

- speaking of mickey, when it comes time for the two of you to meet the famous mouse? nico is as excited as a kid (more than child in line in front of you, honestly). he’s nearly bouncing up and down by the time it’s your turn, speed walking to the small mouse and engulfing him in a crushing hug. mickey would point out your matching shirts, ‘laughing’ silently at his “we finish each other’s” shirt and your “sandwiches.” shirt. you’d watch nico’s chest puff out, proud he got a laugh out of mickey. your lock screen from that moment on is a candid picture of you laughing and nico’s own dimpled expression while both of you look at the mouse, amused with his implied words.

- when it comes to the fireworks at the end of the night, you’re camping out to make sure nico has the absolute best possible view. guarding your spot with your life as he goes and gets something for to two of you to snack on while you wait. “god, i’m glad you’re back, this women tried to sit her four kids down right in your spot!” you’d sigh in relief while he handed you a fried corn dog. “y/n…you should’ve just let the kids sit here, it’s fine,” he’d laugh out. “no! your first fireworks experience is going to be perfect,” you’d huff, crossing your arms in a pout.

- when the fireworks started, nico would do the cliche of standing behind you while wrapping his arms around you from behind, resting his chin on your shoulder while your own hands rested atop of his wrapped around your waist. you’d hum along to the various songs incorporated into the show while nico watched intently, eyes sparkling with the images in the sky. he’d give little kisses to your cheek and neck during the section that showcases all of the different disney couples, whispering a small “thank you so much for bringing me here, i love you,” into your ear.

- the other parks? nico loved just as much. he spent hours in the star wars section of hollywood studios (and rode tower of terror as many times as you wanted). he enjoyed drinking, and more importantly eating, around the world in epcot, not caring about the amount of time he’d have to spend in the gym once the two of you got home. at animal kingdom, he’d keep dragging you from animal exhibit to animal exhibit, obsessively play carnival games in the dinoland section to win a stuffed dinosaur, and talk about how amazingly intense the avatar ride was for the rest of the day.

- and the second you two got back to jersey? immediately on the phone with his family, already planning a trip next off season to fly them out and take them with the two of you, wanting to experience the whole thing with his family like he wanted to when he was a little boy.

- and the next summer, when that trip came around, you got to watch him play tour guide to his parents and siblings. explaining to them everything you explained to him during his first trip. of course, like you always do, you started and ended your trip at magic kingdom. the last day of the trip with his family, though, he dropped to one knee during the fireworks and proposed to you right then and there. you always told him how even though people say it’s cliche, you always loved watching people get engaged in front of the castle, and now you were the one people were cheering and clapping for.

- and a year later, when the two of you were able to have the wedding of your dreams, the first place he flew you to was disney. you had booked an all inclusive, tropical island getaway for your honeymoon, but nico wanted to surprise you with a couple days in your his favorite place first.

- in true fashion, you started off your honeymoon in none other than magic kingdom. this time, however, any time the two of you would pass the spot where he proposed to you, he’d stop and tell anyone and everyone that walked by “this is where i proposed to her! and now she’s my wife!” while taking your wrist in his hand, holding your own up to show off the shiny ring on your finger. he’d even make you two get the matching bride and groom ear hats, customizing them with your wedding date. and the second he found out about the ‘happily ever after buttons?’ he was rushing to guest services to get a set for the two of you to wear (and he did, proudly, right on his chest).

- don’t even get me started on when the two of you decide to start a family, and your pregnancy is timed up perfectly with your (now annual) trip. you’d not only announce your pregnancy with a recreation of some themed announcement picture you found online, but also do your gender reveal the same trip. you’d take the sealed envelope to mickey, giving him the honor of revealing the gender of your unborn child.

- and the first trip the two of you take as a family of three?? oh god. nico is just…over the moon. he’s showing them everything, as if they’ll actually remember the trip. “and this is where your daddy proposed to your mommy, and this is where we told the world about you, and this is where your daddy ate a foot long hot dog for the first time, which is a really bad idea and he doesn’t recommend it,” he’d speak to your infant in a carrier strapped to his chest, bouncing and bobbing them along.

- and the year he lead the devils to a stanley cup win? you had the BIGGEST surprise waiting on him during the trip he still insisted your family go on. you arranged with the team to fly the stanley cup down to orlando for a day, and managed to get into contact with disney management, ensuring nico and your kids get their own, private meet and greet with mickey and the stanley cup. you worked with tom and the equipment managers and disney wardrobe experts themselves to special order a customized devils jersey for the mouse. so when nico rounded the corner into the large room, thinking it was your normal mickey greet, only to see mickey standing there, in a devils jersey beside of the cup sitting on a large table, the look on his face made all the planning and hassle worth it. the league had even sent representatives out to get their own promo pics, having nico pose with a stick in his own jersey beside the character. to this day, you still laugh at how it’s the league’s most liked picture on instagram.

- and as your family grew, the trips became better and better each year, but you always appreciated the times you and nico got to go without your kids, thinking back to that first trip you were able to show him your love for the place and watching his childlike wonder. he still tells everyone he proposed to you there every time you walk across your spot. he still points it out to your children every trip. he still makes sure your entire family is wearing matching shirts each trip. and he still has that first-trip wonder on his face each trip, still in awe of all the disney magic. but most of all, he’s in awe of you, the life you’ve built together, and your love of this place you poured into him resulting in the memories it holds for the two of you and your family.

[iguessricciardo]

@.danielricciardo enchante cafe collection. spaghetti and sundaes.

[thebluestbluewords]

Important Auradon Prep dining hall facts from the Villain Kid’s book for new VKs 

The school has an ice cream sundae bar the last Friday of every month.  

Mal is a mint chip ice cream lover (this is very important to me personally, mint chip ice cream is delicious and doesn’t deserve any of the hate it gets, much like Mal herself…)

The school does Sunday brunch. As someone who went to a relatively fancy college that also did weekend brunch meals, this is somewhat confusing and distressing the first weekend when you go down at your expected breakfast hour and find NO food out yet. 

Bunch doesn’t start until noon….the VKs definitely learned this the hard way. 

Evie likes eggs Florentine- as well as everything else on the brunch list, which is delicious carbs. #leteviehavebread2k23 

Auradon Prep has pasta mondays…..every week? Once a month? No clear timeline on this one, but after working in a bunch of  different real-life dining hall kitchens, I know that it’s nice to have a set meal rotation, so pasta every Monday probably makes sense for a high school. 

Another important note here is that pasta night is ~fancy~ and they put out white tablecloths and dim the lights. Weird choice for a high school dining hall, but I guess when your student body is unimaginably rich and also likely confined to campus during the school term, you’ve got to make your own date opportunities. 

Side note: is there an Auradon Prep hierarchy of “good” date nights? Is being asked out to Monday pasta night like a basic, everyday-tier date? The enchanted lake is clearly where students go to have a romantic picnic and then hook up, but what other common school dates are there? Is brunch appropriately romantic? Does the dining hall let anyone request a picnic, or is that reserved for actual royalty? Many questions here. 

The funniest thing so far in the dining hall section of this book is the sample menu they have- WHO is feeding high school students escargot? Mussels? I guess they’re coastal enough to have fresh mussels on a somewhat regular basis because we do see them on a boat in D2…and like, they’re in relatively close proximity to the isle, which is In The Ocean, so I guess that part makes sense. But printed menus every night?? 

In my heart the printed menus are a sort of once-a-week special occasion thing. Maybe once a week they have fancy dinners where they’re all expected to eat nicely with the teachers, or with whatever visiting royal family is there to see their kids, or just to practice proper formal dinner etiquette. 

The Auradon Prep dining hall serves grill cheese with tomato slices in the middle. Jay is apparently a big fan of this. I’m only sad about this one because I have a scene 90% written where the dining hall is serving grilled cheese and tomato soup, and now for ~canon accuracy~ I’m going to have to edit that. 

[prettytamagnii]

I was tagged by the lovely @bougainvillea-and-saltwater to describe my character(s)!

I'll tag: @rakimaiirisa @skyrim-crossing @hircines-hunter

(it's not Sundas anymore but oh well, schedules 🙃)

Tatianna Kormey is a 29 year old Breton with medium-light skin with rosy undertones and long brown hair. Her eyes are a mix of amber brown, blueish grey and hints of green, perhaps her favorite physical trait since she knows no one else with eyes like that.

She is lean, not very athletic but can hold herself up in a fight if needed (still, she prefers to use her magic). Sometimes, she finds scars on her body she can't remember how she got - a faint one on her face is the only indication something happened during the eleven years between the day she left the Vigil of S'tendarr and the day she woke up there like she had never left. Her face can be very expressive, particularly her gaze. It's been a long while since anyone has seen a wide smile on her face (life hasn't been easy or calm but she hopes the world will still give her reasons to smile).

When on the field, she prefers enchanted robes and an armor spell than actual armor, the fur-trimmed archmage robes being her favorite for Skyrim's weather. She loves cool colors, blues being her favorite and purples a close second. When at home, either blouses and leggings or cozy dresses. As for jewelry, she likes necklaces, specially enchanted, sometimes wears an amulet like Akatosh's, and keeps an amulet of S'tendarr on her pocket to remember her parents by.

Miraak is an Atmoran with roots on southern and eastern Atmora, and has a pale complexion* and shoulder-length dark brown hair. His eyes are of a deep, cool green that is reminiscent of a forest, and some find his gaze unsettling.

Around 190cm or taller, Miraak is rugged with broad shoulders, dark hairs sprinkled around his body, scars that tell sad tales. The years spent in Apocrypha have taken a toll on him, dark veins akin to the realm's ink sea, darkened sclera, things he hides under his robes and his gilded mask.

As a Dragon Priest, he wore deep purple robes with golden accents (thought sometimes he liked how dark greens would compliment his eyes) and a priest mask adorned with gold. His draconic nature is drawn to gold, sometimes other precious metals but mainly gold.

(*His mother had roots in eastern Atmora where people had "ruddy skin", and he could possibly tan if he spent enough time in the sun, but because he spends most of his time indoors/in an Oblivion realm with no sun he often looks pale.)

[mara-tevith-solo]

One Enchanted Evening

Just a little Adam Warlock fluff. This MFer restarted my Will Poulter era and I stg... man’s too good for this world

Pairing: Adam Warlock x Ex-Avenger/ Guardian!Reader

Warnings: It’s fluff, mentions of drinking, Blurp being adorable, flirting, established relationship, making out

Rating: 18+

Words: 1.1k+

"C'mon Y/n! Let's go get pretty boy wasted for the first time! Drax, Nebula, and some of the others will be there!" Rocket called from the front door, sounding way too enthused with his little side quest as Adam smiled brightly, and innocently, beside him.

"I can't, I have to take over for Ullette tomorrow; her daughter is coming for a visit." You apologized with a breathy laugh, shaking your head at the two. "Don't poison yourself, Rocket. I'm betting a quarter mil that his alcohol tolerance is about as good as Steve's."  

"I'll take you up on that bet!" He laughed with pride and little foresight.

"Who's Steve?" Adam asked, cocking his head to the side slightly. There wasn't any jealousy there, just pure curiosity.

"He was one of Y/n's Super Soldier Earth pals, worked on the same team together for over a decade, stopped the world from ending a few times, we all reversed the Snap together about three years back. Good guy. Was hung up on a broad he used to know."

"What's a broad?"

"Its a term for a woman, though it's not so respectful. Y'all better get going before Drax pre-games too hard."  

"Alright alright, I'll keep lover boy out of trouble, swearsies."

Adam shifted on his feet, looking at Rocket's retreating form before looking at you like a puppy who didn't know which way to go. You placed your hands on his chest, the fabric of his t-shirt soft under your palms as you raised up onto your tip toes to press a kiss to his cheek "Don't let them drink too much. Last time a challenge like this happened, Drax had to have his stomach pumped."

"Should I be worried? Because I'd be more than happy to just stay home with you and we could finish that show and--"

"It'll be fine, Adam. Go have fun with the others. I'll still be here when you come back." You smiled teasingly before pushing him the rest of the way out the door, Rocket's crossed arms and exasperated expression in your peripherals, shaking his head at the two of you.

"Don't have too much fun without me." He finally conceded with a cheeky wink before turning and making to leave with the Raccoon.

As soon as the door closed, Blurp let out a soft little whine, making you turn back towards him with a small pout that turned into a frown as soon as you saw the sadness on his little face, the worry in his eyes that was always there whenever Adam left without him. You swooped up the little fuzzball and nuzzled your face against his "Oh, come on fluff, you can help me make some ice cream sundaes for us." You hummed as you began dancing to a phantom melody only you could hear, his eager agreements nearly busting him loose from your arms. You laughed as you set him on the counter, motioning for him to sit and stay while you went for ingredients.

It wasn't the first time the two of you had done the late night treat, the F'saki watching as you began making two bowls, his topped with Orloni jerky with strawberry sauce while yours was just a simple vanilla with hot fudge sauce. He was vibrating with anticipation as you picked up both bowls and began leading the charge back to the living room, being careful to not trip you on the way. He'd done it once, and only once. He'd gotten too excited and had zipped over your foot while you were beginning to take a step, resulting in you faceplanting into the hard wood covered cement floors, breaking your nose in the process. He'd felt so bad about it, and hadn't zipped anywhere near your feet since. He sat by the couch, tall and pretty as he waited for you to put his bowl down "There ya go, buddy. Enjoy!" You giggled softly as he dug in with a happy chirp. You curled up on the couch to enjoy yours. Afterwards, you didn't bother with the dishes, suddenly too exhausted, laying down just a bit to nap until Adam returned. Blurp was all too happy to join you, cuddling up on your stomach with happy little purrs, falling asleep well before you did.

"Y/n!" Adam's whispered shout pulled you out of a light doze, still curled up on the couch with Blurp, an excited Adam leaning over you both. Blurp didn't even flinch, just grumbling softly in his sleep as he curled up tighter, much like a sleepy, disgruntled cat. "Sorry!" He giggled, still whisper shouting "I figured it out!"

"Figured what out, handsome?" You hummed groggily, smiling sleepily up at the golden man who was smiling ear to ear at the endearment, a dreamy gleam in his eyes.

"Drax helped me figure out why my chest burns whenever I think of you... and when I'm around you... when we're apart... any time you're even mentioned really. He said that's how he felt about his Ovette. He called it 'love'." Your heart skipped a beat, realizing where the conversation was going. "He said that I need to make sure you know how I feel about you, that you never doubt how much I love you. And then he cried... a lot... he's very drunk..."

Your heart felt like it was soaring as you reached up and cupped his cheek, your fingers then moving to trace his jawline and his chin. He moved down with you, like he didn't want you to stop touching him, an intoxicated warmth to his eyes that wasn't from the liquor. When your lips touched you could swear it was unlike any kiss before, it was electrifying to your very core, your very soul. It made your breath stutter as one of his hands planted firmly on the couch by your shoulder as the other gripped your hip. "I love you too, Adam." You murmured against his lips, your voice feather light, just for his ears. His kiss became hungry, devouring everything that you gave him like a man starved, some of his hair falling into your face, the tickling sensation making your toes curl and your heart splutter.

He almost closed the distance between you, but Blurp squeaked in protest on your stomach, almost pouting up at him like you'd both mortally betrayed him "Sorry Blurp. But I need to borrow my love." He was gentle as he picked up the F'saki, usurping him of his position. The fuzzy being only huffed and went to steal your bed. Adam didn't give you a moment to laugh at the situation, swallowing the sound eagerly as his tongue begged for entrance, his hard length making its presence well known against your thigh. He moaned loudly as your tongue came out to play with his, your hips bucking up into him, begging for friction "Y/n, oh gods." He moaned, giving you the perfect opportunity to kiss and nip at his neck.  

[lathez]

Sujamma has Brutally Murdered Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak and Tossed Him to the Flames

@sanza-17 talked to Sujamma this week and gave him a great idea! Since his eyes are giant and extended, he can't see very well, therefore:

Share Some Details About Your OC's Appearance!

Do they wear jewelry? Is it enchanted? What's their day outfit like? Any unique body modifications? Are they disabled? Do they use a disability aid? These are just some ideas. Do whatever you like!

This week Sujamma is tagging four friends! @sanza-17 @pinessydr @illumiera and @lillxart

If you want to participate, please make a post and use the tag Sujamma Sundas! (You can also use the banner if you like!)

**Little note that if you want to talk about your interpretation of a canon character during Sujamma Sundas, this is also encouraged!**

[reblog-house]

A Normal Day at the Cat Cafe

Written for Hermit-a-day-May, day 24: Cleo!

Wc: 1,111

Ao3: Here!

Cleo’s Kitty Café was a complete success. Everyone got their cups of tea or coffee, surrounded by many wonderful kitties, and promptly ignored their cups just to get the completely free enchanted books attached to them. An incredible business model, if you asked her! No downsides whatsoever. And its placement in the shopping district was also very strategic. They should be commemorated, for all the good they’ve done to the server.

A remunerated good, but good nonetheless.

Cleo dragged their hand over the hardcovers as she walked. The texture of leather was familiar under her touch. 

They were brought back to their surroundings by a kitty rubbing its face against her legs.

“Aww,” she said and picked it up from its torso with both hands. “Now, who were you?”

Should she know the name of the cats she tamed for the shop? Probably. But also, she wasn’t the one who named most of them. Everyone was free to engrave whatever name they wished on the cats’ collars. So it was very fair, actually, that they wouldn’t know.

Its collar read ‘Poptart’.

“Aww, hello Poptart.” They tilted their head, and the cat followed the motion. 

The cat really looked dumb from that angle, being held up in the air, little feetsies dangling down.

As if the cat knew what she was thinking, Cleo received a paw to the face, right between her eyebrows. She shut her eyes instinctively and turned her face to the side.

“Right, you win.” They let go of the cat mid-air and a gentle thunk and tap tap tap taps let them know the cat had landed safely and walked away.

At the noise, little heads rose from their slumber, tired eyes blinking heavily. When they saw no threat, they went back to sleep. The more wary ones stood in alarm, ears turning in every direction, and only sat down when Cleo made eye contact. Those ones didn’t go back to bed, or not immediately. And others only twitched their ears at most, no reaction otherwise, as they were too busy sleeping soundly to care. 

Jellie was one of them. She rolled to the side in her sleep, completely unaware of the outside world.

A gentle smile pulled at Cleo’s mouth, and they looked away.

Honestly, for being a cat café, these kits kept to themselves a lot. Minus ‘Poptart’, apparently.

Cleo went to the dispensers and selected a hot chocolate. The machine whirred like the cats that surrounded it, and Cleo waited, the tall sundae glass set in place. 

Liquid chocolate poured down in a nice stream. Though the glass was tinted, they could still tell how much liquid was inside.

As she waited, she entertained herself by opening the money cabinet and seeing how many diamonds she’s made. 

51 diamonds. Good sales as always. The day they get less than 40 diamonds, they’d run out of business.

No, they wouldn’t. People may not need their services as much at certain times, but their shop was indispensable. Everyone needed it eventually. Particularly those who didn’t have, nor were interested in, trading set-ups and who were very prone to losing their stuff in lava.

Once the diamonds were safely pocketed, she turned around to the sound of tiny marshmallows plopping onto the drink.

And to think everyone ignored their beverages after so much care and attention had gone to their finest production.

Nah, at first, she’d put in the effort to get each flavor and recipe right, but when it became clear nobody was actually drinking them and were just using the cups and mugs as decoration at most, they stopped caring. No need to use up good ingredients on them. As long as the color was right, that was all that mattered. Edible dyes were more than welcomed and pisspoor quality required.

Not the hot chocolate, though. That one, she still got to perfection. It was the only drink she cared about in the whole establishment and the only one she’d ever wanted to drink. Cocoa beans crushed by hand and made into a fine powder. Just the right amount of sugar for it to be sort of sweet but not too sickly. Just the freshest of milks collected every day.

Everything else stayed there for weeks until the contents ran out.

Because she had to restock the hot chocolate every day, they only prepared enough for two drinks each morning, and basically forced people to buy the other beverages if they weren’t going to enjoy the drink.

The hot chocolate was for true enjoyers only, and they wanted to keep it that way.

With both hands, they picked up the glass — it was warm under her palms — and set off to one of the chairs; the only one not occupied by a cat. Instead, the cat was nicely curled up on the windowsill, making the most of daylight.

The cafe had seats, a couple tables here and there. It wasn’t her fault that the cats preferred taking up as much seating space as possible, barely leaving anything for the consumers.

Well, not like people sat down to actually drink anything. Any more tables would obstruct the path of the main event: the books.

…No need for Doc to know they’d said that. 

Eh, he’d already made them pay, anyway.

The cat on her left made a little squeak when it felt her approach, eyes still shut. 

Across the room, Jellie stretched, still laying down, and then got to her feet. 

She yapped and made her way over to Cleo, swaying slightly from side to side. Cleo set the mug on the table and prepared to greet the cat. 

From their side, the kit stretched, her paws coming to the side of their thigh, and then-

Fwoomp!

The queen was on her lap, staring up at her with big round eyes. She started making biscuits and gave them a slow blink.

“Aww…” Cleo presented their hand to her nose and, once Jellie sniffed it, pressed their hand over her head.

It went down with the pressure, and when Cleo let go, the head bobbed back into place. The purring was even stronger than before, like the grumblings of the beast from below.

Cleo felt Jellie’s feet search for the best position and then descended into place. Her body was comfortably warm and heavy as a folded blanket. She sighed, content, and leaned against the back of the chair. 

The cat curled up against the window sighed through its nose, and Cleo reached back for her chocolate.

It was warm, but not scalding. Sweet, but not saccharine. 

She reached down to pet the purring cat.

It was perfect.

[honey-flustered]

Scoops Ahoy Ken! - Steve Edition Imagine/Headcannon

Inspired by my post which is blowing up because everyone loves babygirl Steve 😫❤️

Ken Doll come to Life!Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader

Warnings: oral (f & m recieving)(implied), nsfw below cut, fluff

So I’m thinking in the scenario where you randomly decide you’d like to buy a doll because you didn’t have a childhood where you got to play with dolls or any toys but as an adult, now on your own, you get to live out your dreams.

So you purchased this limited edition ken doll called “Scoops Ahoy Steve” because you thought he looked so pretty.

One day, you have a dream that he comes to life. Then, some luck of god and the next morning he’s life-sized and alive, sitting in your living room and waiting for you. You’d teach him about life and he’d be such a cute little himbo.

🍦 🍦 🍦 🍦 🍦🍦 🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦

Fluffy Headcanons

I think he’s the type to be very possessive of you because he still has memories of himself as a doll and remembers how well you’ve taken care of him so he’s madly in love with you

He’d try cooking for you but he’s not very good at it—because how the frick do you work a stove without burning everything down?

He knows how to fix a mean ice cream sundae, though 🍨

Scoops Ahoy Steve’s lore is that he’s a part-time babysitter so he’s great with kids and he’d like to imagine that someday you and him could have kids, however that works 🤭

Scoops Ahoy Steve’s personality is very whimsical because he’s always wanting to know about the world. Think of him like Giselle from Enchanted. He’s always so friendly with everyone he meets and loves putting smiles on everyone’s faces.

Whenever you’d curse too much, he’d lovingly call you a “sailor mouth”

Scoops Ahoy Steve makes such a great boyfriend because he loves to be attentive to you like a true Ken doll. He’s very supportive of everything you do and always wants to make you feel special

He loves wearing his sailor suit from time to time even though he has plenty of options of clothes to choose from since you’ve taken him shopping. He especially loves the way you look at him when he’s in it.

He’s very stylish though with his Ken doll background and sometimes will coordinate outfits for the two of you

He never has a bad photo or bad hair day. Ever even if you’ve tried catching him off guard the guy’s a model. Meanwhile, he has tons of photos of you in his phone ranging from cute to down right embarrassing but he loves looking at them whenever you’re not around

He gets a job as a manager to an ice cream place and he’s so happy because it’s what he knows and that the real world’s not such a scary place after all

He eventually adjusts better to our world and figures out he’s good at other things like playing sports and making children laugh. So he dreams of some day going to college to work towards being a teacher or coach 👨‍🏫

Again this man loves you. Like he LOVES YOU and will go all out to prove his love and devotion to you. I’m talking extravagant parties, anniversaries, just any event where he can make it all about you.

🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦

NSFW Headcanons

Scoops Ahoy Steve would find your little ‘toy’ and he’d be so curious but jealous about it like, “Do you play with it as much as you did with me?” And it just be such an innocent question but he wouldn’t exactly understand the implications.

In the world he comes from, sex is nonexistent because everything is meant to be innocent. But he knows there’s more to just being boyfriend and girlfriend because he always gets the sudden urge to hold you down and kiss you, rubbing himself all over you

So when he finally does some research on exactly what that means, he’ll do everything he can to study the ways he can pleasure you

And pleasure you he does! The first time he performs oral for you was such an unsuspecting day because you didn’t see him as the type to be interested in sex. But that day he cooked you a meal he learned from a youtube tutorial, gave you some nice wine to sip on, and, of course, he wears thee suit. Then, once he feels like you’re relaxed enough he’ll start kissing all over your body.

You’d be so hot all over but feel like it’s wrong but he lips just feels so soft, wet against your skin after each kiss. You’d watch him kiss down your body, pulling off down your skirt and underwear and you’d know where this was going.

“You don’t have to do that, Steve. I’d love you even if we never—”

“But I need to,” He’d protest, eyes blown from a feeling of list he’s never experienced before. “I need to taste you.”

When the man eats, he’s a man starved. His studying paid off for sure because you think he’s mastered the art of cunnilingus. Every gasp and whine you make would egg him on and he’d do the most to get you to be as vocal as possible.

He wouldn’t mind when you’d curse all that much knowing how good you must feel. In fact, he’d even test some of those words on his lips as he moans into your core.

“Fuck, you taste so good, love. So creamy and sweet.” He’d groan against your core, thinking of all the various things he plans to do with you now that he’s had a taste. He’ll possibly involve some ice cream play in his next tryst with you.

Loves when you pull his hair and grind against his face because he knows he’s doing a good job

But he doesn’t understand the concept of overstimulation and tears of pleasure so when you weeping and forcing his head away 5 orgasms later, he thinks he did something wrong until you reassure that it’s so good that it becomes painful

He’s still confused asking you to show him so you ask if you could return the favor and you blow the hell out of him and his mind

Aftercare involves him just cuddling you and telling you how lucky he is to have you, hands all over your body to remind you that he loves your body as is even when you don’t always feel like beautiful.

We stan fictional men here! Scoops Ahoy Steve as white boy of the month pls 😘❤️😍

[silvershewolf247]

Andy: Do you like coloring?

Tiffany: I sure do, kiddo! In the first grade, I won a free ice cream sundae for my work on the “Enchanted Pony Island Coloring Book”!

Andy: You’re weird.

Chucky: He’s got you pegged.

[Andy kicks Tiffany’s shin]

Tiffany: Ow! Little boy, don’t you know it’s not nice to kick people in the shin?

[Andy steps on Tiffany’s foot]

Tiffany: Ow! Look, Kid, I know Santa, and someone just made the Naughty List!

Andy: I’m Jewish!

[wizardingworldlibrary]

Christmas Activities Masterlist

Albus Severus and the Enchanted Christmas Tree (ao3) - torestoreamends scorpius/albus G, 7k

Summary: It’s Albus and Scorpius’s first Christmas spent at home together. It should be a time for festive joy and creating new traditions. Instead they’ve been too busy to get a tree, Scorpius is unhappy, and any chance of a merry Christmas is crumbling around their ears. Can Albus save the day?

christmas at godric’s hollow (ao3) - Maven_Morozov james/lily T, 906

Summary: James and Lily prepare for Christmas in their first winter in snowy Godric’s Hollow.

Christmas Memories (ao3) - Janieohio draco/harry E, 33k

Summary: It’s Draco’s first Christmas living with Harry, and okay, maybe it’s a little bit “extra”, but he’s Draco sodding Malfoy and if he wants to give Harry the best Christmas ever, it’s his right as his boyfriend. So strap on your Santa hat and hang on tight, because this is going to be a bumpy, and slightly ridiculous, sleigh ride.

Christmas Parties and Candy Canes (ao3) - curiouselfqueen luna/blaise M, 2k

Summary: Pansy Parkinson throws the most fabulous parties in the wizarding world. Blaise and Luna go to Pansy's Christmas party together, and stay only as long as he can take her teasing.

Christmas Surprise (ao3) - Luna0092 hermione/harry G, 1k

Summary: Harry and Hermione go to a Christmas gathering at the Burrow. Gifts are given, surprises are revealed, family brought closer.

Fluffy Town (ao3) - adenei seamus/dean G, 4k

Summary: Dean and Seamus are bored during the Christmas holidays at Hogwarts (4th year). Dean has an idea and suggests they build a blanket fort to pass their time. Friendship shenanigans ensue!

Golden Rings and Special Things (ao3) - emlohamora hermione/draco M, 14k

Summary: Draco Malfoy has a personal goal to keep his wife as happy as she can be. He gives her everything, will always do anything to bring her more joy than she has at the present. This, unfortunately for him, includes going full out for her favourite time of year— the first, might he add, of which they are spending together while married.

They're her special things.

They're his special things too.

Harry's Happiest Christmas (ao3) - LostOpportunity harry/ginny E, 37k

Summary: Harry and Ginny get together during Christmas of his 6th year, and things quickly escalate.

I'll Be Home for Yuletide (ao3) - lyraonyx harry/snape, neville/draco E, 69k

Summary: When a miserable, lonely Harry meets a well-adjusted Severus at the Hog's Head on Christmas Eve, he finds a chance for a better life and a little holiday magic of his own.

Not so much a Christmas story but more of a story that happens to take place during the holidays.

Kiss (ao3) - heyitsamorette (AmoretteHD) draco/harry E, 15k

Summary: Harry and Draco are forced to kiss over and over again, because that’s just what happens to two arch-enemies around Christmas.

Magical Gingerbread Men and Other Benefits of Christmas at Hogwarts (ao3) - bootsy_mine draco/harry, hermione/ron E, 46k

Summary: Dumbledore grants the students a week of fun before the holidays complete with magical gingerbread men, whipped cream fights, and a sundae bar so they can make their own sundaes

& May Your Days be Merry and Bright (ao3) - mllenoire lucius/narcissa G, 1k

Summary: Their first Christmas, the very first one, was a white one. Lucius takes Narcissa to find their first family tree.

Mistletoe Mishap (ao3) - dreamsofdramione draco/ginny N/R, 800

Summary: When Ginny Weasley finds herself trapped under magical mistletoe, none other than a certain blond prat wanders into its clutches.

Sleeping In the New Year (ao3) - GaeilgeRua hermione/ron G, 2k

Summary: Instead of ringing in the New Year with their friends and family, Hermione and Ron take a different route to their celebration. Or lack thereof.

Small Decisions (ao3) - Meiri hermione/harry G, 1k

Summary: The Potters are spending Christmas in Perth with the Grangers, and doing some shopping at a local craft market.

As always, the Harry Potter universe is not mine, but I love to play with it now and again.

(Star)Gazing at You (ao3) - Three Guesses (Thr3eGuess3s) seamus/dean G, 3k

Summary: It's Christmas and all Seamus wants to do is get Dean alone under the mistletoe, but Hogwarts and it's mysteries may just get in the way of that.

The Dating Game - A Christmas Story (ao3) - digthewriter draco/harry E, 16k

Summary: [2015 25 days of drarry] Harry and Draco have their first date on Christmas Eve and Harry is nervous. His friends aren’t helping.

Underneath the Mistletoe (ao3) - pennygalleon draco/harry T, 2k

Summary: The mistletoe never lies. But when Professors Malfoy and Potter find themselves caught beneath it, both are mistaken as to whose feelings have actually been outed.

Wolfstar on Ice (ao3) - YumeNouveau sirius/remus T, 3k

Summary: After Sirius accidentally tells Remus he wants a kiss from him, Remus ponders what it would be like to be in a relationship with his best friend as Christmas Holidays begin

Working Late (ao3) - orpheous87 draco/harry, hermione/ron T, 3k

Summary: After a late raid, Harry and Ron decide to stop off at The Leaky Cauldron for a quick drink. Hermione and Draco join them for drinks and they end up reminiscing until late.

[frostedsketches]

Good morning, my two little lovebirds~ have a nice wedding day? Enjoying the Honeymoon so far? Good, good!

I adore them <3 Took me a long time to finish this since I was going for polished, but THIS CAME OUT PERFECT and I'm so glad I took my time on this!!!

[life-winners-liveblog]

The making of the teapot is actually quite tedious but fascinating! I wouldn't normally tell anyone about the production process, business confidentiality and whatnot, but you can't leave the Winner's Void, so it's fine.

The teapot itself is made with porcelain that's enchanted to be practically indestructible and decorated using gold and mother of pearl. As for how it makes tea, it's a very complicated process that involves both magic and chemistry.

See, by the laws of magic, science, and the world in general, something cannot come from nothing, there must be something there. Essentially the conservation of material. So the tea doesn't just come from nowhere, I actually have to magically link the teapot to something that already exists, like a large body of water or a celestial object (after checking to make sure it's not particularly important and no living organisms exist, of course. thankfully I've only needed to do that once). The link basically creates a portal which the teapot siphons materials from. This is the first magic part.

Then comes the chemistry part. The materials, whilst being siphoned, go through a process of purification to remove any contamination and germs. Then it goes through another process called transmutation. By definition, that means "the action of changing or the state of being changed into another form". In chemistry or physics, it's the action of one element becoming another element through the exchange of protons and electrons.

And after the transmutation process comes liquidization, which is exactly what it sounds like as the materials become liquid form, which isn't always needed because water is both very common and the most used ingredient as the teapot primarily dispenses drinks. Plus, water is a relatively simple compound consisting of two hydrogen molecules and one oxygen molecule- 

*five minutes later*

-then the mixture goes through another process of purification-

*ten minutes later*

-so by holding the handle or any part of the teapot, the teapot connects to the mind of the user and identifies what the user wants the teapot to dispense-

*five minutes later again*

-This all happens within the body of the teapot. And because the production process is extremely tedious, the teapot is so expensive that it exceeds all monetary value by multiple digits and regular currency can't be used to buy it. You're quite lucky I gave this to you for free, really. I've only sold six teapots, and five of them were to gods. In fact, it was actually my second customer who suggested the idea of being able to make complex drinks, so I added three more components that put the drink through the process of-

*twenty minutes later*

-and this part happens in the spout. So that’s how the teapot can make latte art and ice-cream sundaes! There's also a feature that prevents the lid from falling off and spilling anything. And that happens through the process of- Ha, no, I'm kidding. It’s called “not making an actual lid”, it just looks like there is one.

Rae-non

Pearl: I totally know what most of that meant, yep.

[Am I stupid for not understanding?]

Pearl: No! No, of course not Olive, It's just a very very complex thing, It's ok...

[wilmingtoncrp]

Join us for Wilmington's vibrant Pride Festival, taking place in midtown from Saturday, June 22nd to Sunday, June 23rd. This colorful weekend will showcase our community's diversity and inclusivity while highlighting some of Wilmington's beloved local businesses.

Saturday, June 22nd:

The festivities kick off at 10 AM with a parade starting at Nash's Supermarket and proceeding down the main street. Floats, performers, and community groups will fill the streets with music, dance, and rainbow flags.

After the parade, head to Lincoln Park for the Pride Festival. Local vendors and food trucks will line the park, offering a variety of cuisines and merchandise. Don't miss the live performances on the main stage, featuring local musicians and drag performers.

As dusk appears, join us at Soundwave for the official Pride After-Party. Dance the night away to pulsing beats and enjoy specially crafted rainbow cocktails.

Sunday, June 23rd:

Start your day with a refreshing Pride Yoga session at Fit & Toned, open to all skill levels. 

Then, fuel up with a rainbow-themed coffee at The Cozy Cup, featuring colorful lattes and pastries.

For the music lovers, visit Vintage Records for a special Pride vinyl showcase, celebrating LGBTQ+ musicians through the decades.

Cinema will be hosting a Pride Film Festival, showcasing a selection of LGBTQ+ themed movies throughout the day.

As the weekend winds down, head on to Bella & Jenny's for a Pride Ice Cream Social, featuring special rainbow flavors and sundaes.

Throughout Pride Month, local businesses are showing their support with special offerings:

TRIC will be hosting a Pride Drag Weekend, where a plethora of drag queens will be performing and working the crowds. Attendees are encouraged to present their best amateur drag 

Handmade pride t shirts/socks/bandanas will be given to anyone who stops by Enchanted Gowns and donates toward the LGBTQ+ community.

Pearce Callahan will be offering free 30 minute therapy sessions to anyone in the LGBTQ+ community from 8AM-5PM, and will donate what he would’ve made to support the suicide prevention in the LGBTQ+ community

Sinful Ink will be doing a Pride Special on tattoos and piercings from 1pm - 6pm. Half off on any piercings or pride related tattoos. Special deals for a combo available. Must be 18 or older, and have ID on hand. 

Nirvana will host a Sapphic Saturday for Pride Weekend. It is a women only event and the first drink is free. The entire Pride Weekend at Nirvana will feature famous LGBTQ+ DJs spinning on each floor of the nightclub and a brand new specialty drink menu to support the rainbow.

Midtown Fire Station 2024 calendar sales throughout the month will be sent toward local LGBTQ+ organizations + station will be offering a choice of either Fire Station Pride tee or photo op with any of our firemen and firewomen for any donation made at the station (that will also be reverted toward local LGBTQ+ organizations) (edited)

Being one of the few athletes that's been out of the closet for over a decade, Amos de Leon will be hosting a very fun-filled Beach Tennis tournament by the name BIllie Jean King's Open (named after the very first pro-tennis female player who was outed in 1981). Everyone is encouraged to join the fun as it's an amateur tourney. All proceeds from tickets, player fees and merch will go to LGBTQ+ organizations and charities.

For every purchase made at Finishing Touches during Pride Month, a portion will be donated to local LGBTQ+ charities.

Drinks at Soundwave will be half off during Pride Month.

Come celebrate love, diversity, and pride in the heart of Wilmington!

OOC

Everyone is encouraged to participate! But as it can be a hassle, please feel free to continue your previous threads.

The event will run from June 22nd at 12:00PM EST to June 29th at 12:00PM EST.

Do not create anymore event thread after June 29th, but you are more than welcomed to continue writing them.

You may tag the event under - event: pride festival 01

Have fun!

[rainbow-nerdss]

Chocolate, Frosting, and a little bit of magic

Written for @augustwritingchallenge day 14: Wizards and Witches Buddie, 1.5k Read it on AO3

Buck's eyes snapped to the door as his charm alerted him to a new customer. A man and his child walked into the bakery, and Buck's eyes widened.

The child led the way to the display case, while his father looked around in a surprised sort of amazement. 

The charm over the door wasn't the only enchantment Buck had over this place. Many of them were simply to make his life easier—alerting him to a new customer, reminding him of his regular's names, calculating change for him, or keeping the pastries fresh for longer. 

Others were a precaution, to keep himself and his customers safe.

There was one charm which kept certain people out, blocked the doorway and wouldn't let them enter, imbued with memories to recognise the people in question before they could cross the threshold. That one had been difficult to weave, but Buck was proud of it. It made this place a home, ensured Maddie and others could feel safe here. 

Another safety charm disguised the front of the store, so those without magic would see a dusty, run down little place, while those with the touch saw it for what it was — yellow shutters, cakes baked with love, imbued with small magics and painstakingly decorated by hand. 

Buck didn't discriminate in who he served, as long as they meant no harm, but it was rare to see a mundane person in here, and that meant Buck's regulars were able to feel more comfortable being open with their magic.

This man, though—Buck knew right away he had no magic. The child, on the other hand… Buck could see something in there. A spark of light, magic. 

Buck stepped out from the back room.

"Morning! I'm Buck, what can I get you?"

The child grinned at him. "I'm Chris, this is my dad Eddie. He said he'd get me any cake I want for my birthday!"

Buck grinned at Chris, then gave the father —Eddie—a softer smile. 

"A birthday cake? Well, that calls for something special!" Buck's charm whispered to him. "Let me guess… You're turning nine?"

Christopher beamed, and Buck felt the magic, pure light, pure joy. This kid was powerful, and his dad had no clue.

Buck showed off his range of birthday cakes, and while Chris deliberated, Eddie spoke to Buck.

"This place," he said. "From the outside, it looked… different."

Buck nodded. He didn't have any hard and fast rules about what he shared with people like Eddie. Some people refused to even talk to them, mostly out of gear for how they might react, fed by negative experiences.

Buck, though… he'd been hurt by enough of his fellow magic users to know it didn't matter how much power someone yielded. If they were a good person, they'd be good. If they were bad, well…

He had a feeling Eddie was good.

"It's magic," he whispered. 

Eddie snorted. "Sure, right."

Ah, Buck thought. One of those.

He inhaled, then blew a gentle breath onto Eddie's forehead, who backed away. "What was—"

"Go look from outside again," he said. Eddie scoffed, took Christopher's hand, and then they left.

Eddie called back an hour later to order the chocolate fudge sundae cake, to be collected in a week for Chris's birthday.

The next time Buck's charm alerted him to Eddie and Chris's presence, he didn't need them. He heard Chris before the door even opened.

"Dad, it looked like that last week! I swear it did!"

Buck looked up to see the pair of them, Chris as bright as ever, Eddie frowning even deeper. 

"I told you it was magic," Buck called over to them. 

Eddie was hesitant.

"Really? Magic is real?!" Chris was delighted, rushing across the small shop over to Buck.

"Of course it is!" Buck crouched down so he was on eye level with Chris. "Try this," he whispered, holding out a small cookie.

Chris looked to Eddie for confirmation that he was allowed to taste it.

"Free sample, for the birthday boy!" Buck clarified, and Eddie gestured for Chris to go ahead.

When Chris ate the cookie, he nodded to show his appreciation, then began to float roughly an inch above the ground. He laughed out loud, a joyful little squeal.

"Dad, look!" He called.

Eddie just stared. "Are you holding him?" He asked. Buck stepped away, hands open and empty. Eddie approached Chris, searched around him for ropes or a platform.

"That's… impossible," Eddie said, finally. 

"If you say so," Buck shrugged, going back behind the counter to retrieve the cake. When he got back, Chris had finished the cookie and was back on solid ground. 

"Can I have another one, Buck? Please?'

Buck glanced at Eddie and saw the answer in his expression. "Sorry, bud. I think one is enough for now. Wanna see your cake?"

He set the box down and let Chris peek in. 

"Is this one magic, too?" He asked.

Buck pursed his lips. "Wanna know a secret?" He asked. Chris nodded so enthusiastically Buck almost worried he'd lose his balance. "All my cakes are magic. This one has a charm that makes it feel like you're eating a real ice-cream sundae, all cold and melty in your mouth!"

Eddie warned Chris not to eat any before they got it home for the party, then gestured that he was ready to pay. Buck took him to the register and rang him up.

"Look, I get you don't believe in this stuff, but…"

"It's not that, Buck. My Abuela has charms of her own, you know?"

Buck raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected that, honestly. "Does she?"

"Yeah. She moved back to Texas recently, but she always said Chris had potential."

"He does. I can see it in him," Buck chimed in, and Eddie's look of surprise was worth the brief panic he'd overstepped.

"Yeah. She makes these tamales, and when you eat them it's like…"

"Like a warm hug from someone you haven't seen in a long time," Buck finished, recognition clicking.

Eddie's mouth dropped open. "How—"

"Isabel was a regular here," Buck explained. "I was sad when she said she was moving. I used to trade these for her tamales once a week." Buck pointed to his éclairs, the ones piped full of cream imbued with a pain-easing charm. "She liked them for her arthritis."

Eddie blinked rapidly, like he was fighting tears staring at the display. "She gave me those once," he said. "When I was hurt on the job."

"Ah, so you're the firefighter grandson she spoke about so much?" Buck checked, though he'd figured that out as soon as Eddie mentioned the tamales.

Eddie nodded, bashful. "She talk your ear off about us?" He asked.

"Something like that," Buck said. He thought of all those times she spoke about her Eddito, telling him to just say the word and she'd be happy to set them up. "She never mentioned me?"

Eddie made an apologetic face. "Only magical friend she spoke about was someone called Evan," he said.

Buck laughed, gesturing at himself. "I kept telling her not to call me that! Evan Buckley, but I'm Buck to everyone—except grandmas, I guess."

Eddie's cheeks turned pink, and Buck figured Isabel must have been saying the same things to Eddie.

"Daad!" Chris called, and Eddie turned to look at his kid. "I know I can't have another cookie, but could Buck come do magic at my party?"

Eddie, to Buck's surprise, turned back to Buck, waiting for his response.

"I don't really have anything for a birthday party, sorry buddy." If he'd had more warning, he could have whipped something up, but those kinds of things took preparation.

Chris didn't seem phased. "Oh well, you can come anyway if you want!" 

Eddie made a face, but it was more thoughtful than a firm no. "You're more than welcome, if you're free later today. Abuela's planning to face-time at some point."

And that solidified it for Buck. He was agreeing before he even thought it through. 

"I close up here at four, is that okay?" He asked.

"Yesss!" Chris cheered, dancing on the spot.

"Here," Eddie grabbed a napkin and a pen, and scribbled something on it. "Our address," he explained, handing it over. "And my number — just in case."

Buck stared at it, then tucked it away in his pocket. "Thanks, Eddie."

Eddie turned to go, picking up the cake and putting his other hand on Chris's back to lead him out.

"Oh, Eddie?" Buck called. Eddie looked over his shoulder. "I'm not sure what Isabel said about me, but… if it's anything like what she told me about you… I wouldn't mind giving it a try."

Eddie's blush confirmed it had been exactly what he thought.

"I—" Eddie stammered. "We can talk about that after the party, okay?"

"Talk about what, dad?" Chris asked, and Buck laughed to himself as Eddie stumbled walking out the door at Chris's question.

Buck made a note to send Isabel a thank you package of all her favorite treats. A little preservation charm on the box, and they should make it to Texas without much difficulty.

He closed up shop early that day, ushering the few remaining regulars out. He had a party to get to.

[emilylawsons]

2024 Reading Wrapped

I’m a little late with this because I took a Tumblr break right after Christmas and just before New Year’s, but I’ve been trying to read a lot more. It was one of my goals last year when I was teaching English, to try to get back to enjoying books like I did when I was in high school. I mostly chose easy reads, because I’ve sort of ruined my attention span, and consuming fanfic almost exclusively since college has shaped my reading preferences to romance. (A phenomenon that I don’t think is exclusive to me and has actually directly impacted the publication industry.) I’m going to seek out more mature age-appropriate reads this year, but I stayed in the comfort zone for the most part.

That said, here is a list of the books I read or listened to last year and my brief thoughts on each. This is in no particular order.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry - I listened to this one, and it honestly solidified Emily Henry as one of my favorite modern romance writers if not the favorite. She doesn’t just write romance, she builds the world around it. Her protagonists have rich personal and professional lives in which their love interest is but the cherry on top rather than the whole sundae. And the happy ending is realistic. Also, as someone who enjoys a good smut scene (has written plenty) and has read quite a few spicy books (and fanfics), it’s actually refreshing that she doesn’t oversaturate her stories with it; it’s there, a little, but it mostly serves the plot, and she keeps it brief and tasteful. As for this book specifically, it pressed all kinds of emotional buttons, and I adored Nora and Charlie. And I loved how she took the Hallmark formula and turned it up on its head. Probably one of my favorites for the year.

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson - The only fantasy novel I read, and it was so charming! I sped through it because it had me hooked. So so good. Definitely enough to get me interested in diving back into more fantasy maybe this year. Very well written, and Isobel and Rook were compelling as a couple. Overall, a lovely read.

The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy - This one was just fun. Not groundbreaking or anything, but for all the slutty little hockey romances that are apparently a genre of their own now, I’d guess it’s one of the better ones. (It’s definitely better than her early ones.) Gigi and Ryder were right up my ship alley, and I do think Elle Kennedy is a decent smut writer—because let’s be real, that’s what most of what her work is, and if I’m going to read a story saturated with it, I’m going to lean toward her style. All in all, it was a good time. My brain cells got nothing from it, but it was a good time.

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez - This one, I’m sad to say, kind of disappointed me. For most of the book, she had me hooked and emotionally wrecked. Like I was all in on the romance, and I fully felt both Briana and Jacob’s past pains and struggles. I bought into it and them. But toward the end, it felt like the drama was manufactured just to keep them apart a little longer. Maybe because they made so much sense and had so much connection and chemistry it felt too easy, so she thought she needed more conflict? I don’t know. There comes a point where you have to find new ways to build tension, and she threw in a huge curveball at the end that I guess made sense but was also unnecessary. I’m not upset that I read it, and I’m actually listening to another one of her novels now—and maybe someone will have a different opinion—but I had higher hopes.

Funny Story by Emily Henry - The last book I read this year, and it was super nice! Objectively, I don’t think Miles and Daphne had as much chemistry as, say, Nora and Charlie in Book Lovers. But like the other book, she really knows how to hit home with building up her characters outside of the romance and hit those personal buttons. I cared more about Daphne and Miles as individual characters than as an actual couple, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. There are things that she gets that I connect with. And I just really enjoyed the book’s setting and aesthetics. A library. A winery. A cute little apartment in a small lakeside town. It was cozy and a lovely book to finish up while curled up in blankets over the holidays. And I might have spent my extra Christmas cash to buy the special edition of Beach Read and her other two books I've not read yet.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden - I listened to this one because I had Audible credits from a $0.99/month promo, and a coworker recommended it to me. It definitely kept me on my toes, and I'd say it was in that almost surrealist thriller genre. (With the voice the narrator was using for Nina, I kept picturing her as CC Babcock???) It was slow, though. The reason I was so invested for most of the book was simply because I needed it to make sense. Not because I really cared about the characters. (I also think the narrator's voice for Millie ruined the image of her being supposedly young and attractive, which took away from important story points.) The big reveal and subsequent events kept me on edge, though, so in that way I think it was a smart mystery/thriller. But I wouldn't call it the best. I'm curious to see the movie, though, because I definitely think listening instead of reading it warped my perception. I want to see how it comes across with Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney in the roles. (Edit: now that I think about it, there's no way she didn't watch The Nanny and think...what if this but make it murder?)

Briar U: Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy - I'm cheating putting all four of these in one spot (I'm still waiting on The Legacy at the library), but these were all...eh. More slutty hockey books. I really only read these because of the cheap Audible credit I had and used to get The Deal because I wanted to hear Gigi's parents' story. Ended up getting the other three books from the library and actually reading them because it just made sense to go ahead and finish the series. I didn't care for the couples other than Hannah and Garrett. But, I mean, they were fun, fluffy little reads, and I can see how far Elle Kennedy has come as a writer since. I'm still a bit baffled by the blurring of lines between YA fiction and modern adult (explicit) romance. But I guess this was for a younger college-age set, and I'm actually too old for a series like this.

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood - This was another audiobook for me. It was cute I guess? It didn't particularly stand out to me. There were times I physically yelled at it because she's good at writing asshole antagonists that fill me with a burning hate fire - and I fucking loathed whoever the guy was that the main character had to face. But other than that, I can't remember being super invested in the romance. Again, maybe I'm just too old for it. I tried checking out more of Ali Hazelwood's books after, and they just didn't hit. Maybe someone in the 18-24 range would connect better with her work.

Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy - I liked this one even less than the Off Campus books, but that's because I really didn't care for the characters. They bored me. Their romance bored me. She was trying too hard to write Outer Banks or The Summer I Turned Pretty but make it spicy. (I've read the follow-up about the twin brother since, and it's so much better, but this one was a slog.) Again, I'm probably just not in the appropriate age group for this one.

The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter - Another listen. I didn't care too much while it was playing - kinda liked it at the time - but in retrospect, it was a huge disappointment. My girl Ally and I go way back to high school with Cammie Morgan and the Gallagher Girls, and I think she was attempting to write an adult novel for those of us who started with her and grew up. I had fun listening because of the nostalgia, but it was actually kind of stupid. You can't write for grown adults the same way you write for teenagers. Her Embassy Row series was more mature and tackled its themes in a more adult way than this. Obviously, there's comedy and writing a story that doesn't take itself too seriously. But there's a way to do that without making it juvenile. I think she has it in her, but she can do better. And if she wants to write content for adults, she needs practice.

100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons - I like Abbie. She's a gifted writer. Her YouTube has been a pretty valuable source for me. But I was definitely too old for this novel. It was sweet and well-written, but I should have expected not to really connect with a story about teenagers for teenagers. She did not write this one for me. I won't even touch on the controvesial messaging, because there are so many ways people are going to feel about it. (I found it positive, but that's me; others may find it problematic, and I understand.) Would I recommended it for ages 12-18? Yes. Am I glad that I supported an independent writer? Sure. But I, a 32-year-old grown woman, was not the target audience. And that's okay.

The Accidental Dating Experiment by Lauren Blakely - Yeah, this one sucked. The opening had me. The premise was fascinating. But when it got into the story, it gave me nothing. The smut was pretty bad. The characters didn't have chemistry. She dropped the ball on the "dating experiment" part of the story very quickly. I'm glad I listened to this one on my cheap Audible subscription (not even with credits, it was just in the premium plus library) instead of spending brain cells trying to comprehend words.