#I have been having a bad day since December

[soaps-mohawk]

I'm so sorry to everyone that I freaked out with the last post, I was trying so hard not to 😭 I have that like instant fear as soon as I see "we need to talk" or something in the same vein. I always think it's something bad.

This isn't bad, at least depending on how your perspective I guess.

So...I'm having thoughts about CRCB in October. I planned out posting schedules for Kyletober and CRCB and my Patreon stuff and it's going to basically be a post every day, sometimes multiple in multiple places.

That's a lot.

So, I am set on doing Kyletober since all of the fics are already written, but I was planning on continuing CRCB during October as well. But...I think I need a little break from CRCB. It's been about eight months of posting almost every single week and it's been a lot. I'm struggling with chapters right now and with work it's vastly limiting the time I have to write and focus on things and I'm kind of burning out right now.

So, what I wanted to discuss was potentially putting CRCB on hold for October while I focus on Kyletober and everything involved with that. Trying to do both is a lot and I'm not sure I can handle all of it, plus life, plus work.

I was planning on not necessarily putting CRCB on hold, but doing more of a "whenever I can/am inspired" random posting chapters kind of like I did in the beginning when I first started writing the fic, in November/December because those are very busy months and I will be dead tired from work and just general life.

I think I might still do that for November/December and possibly into the new year since there's no way the fic will be finished even if I posted every week until the end of December.

BUT

That's something I'll think about and make a decision on later.

Right now, my thought is...would you hate me if I put CRCB on pause in October? IF I do, I promise I won't end Chapter 39 on a cliffhanger. I wasn't planning on it anyway, but I promise I won't end it on a cliffhanger if I decide not to post any chapters in October.

That way if I do put it on pause, then I can not focus on it for a bit and give my brain a refresh, and I can also focus all my energy on Kyletober.

So yeah, it's going to be a lot doing both at the same time, and honestly I'm ready for a little break from CRCB. It's been going for a long time and it's a lot of words to get out in a week. I've been super stressed lately and I'm just struggling a lot trying to get through chapters.

So yeah. That's basically the dilemma here and the discussion to be had. I know y'all will tell me it's my blog and I can do whatever I want, but I would like opinions on it. Are y'all okay with me putting CRCB on hold to focus on Kyletober? Then pick it back up for probably just whenever I can chapter updates for the rest of the year? In January things will calm down and I'll have more time to relax and write and maybe get close to finishing the story. Plus I know a lot of my readers will be busy the next three months with the holidays and vacations and family and school and all of that, so you won't have to worry about getting behind and having to catch up with a bunch of chapters.

So...let me know...

[thebluester2020]

[TWST] "In Another Reality"

Summary: After returning to your original world, you swore that you wouldn't miss anyone there. Especially a certain someone, yet despite the ache you get in your chest when you think about that world. You can't help but reminisce on the moment you fell in love with a draconic prince.

Warning(s): Angst, Yuu!Reader is in their original world, Inspired By Anastasia's "Once Upon A December", Wholesome, Fluff, Malleus being all princely in true Disney fashion.

Side Note(s): I love Leona but after seeing the absolute masterpieces that folks write for Malleus + just recently finishing Anastasia. I gotta throw my hat in the ring too 😔

Also, I struggled between titling this "Once Upon A Dream" or "Once Upon A December". I only went with the first option cause it fits the theme of this fic. 😔

How was it that you could miss a world that wasn't originally your own?

For the last week or so, since you had arrived back to your original world. You've been trying to figure out the answer to this question while also trying to get used to "normalcy" once again. No longer did you have a mouthy talking cat next to you at every turn, calling you "henchman" and practically clawing your leg whenever he wanted tuna. No longer did you hear the chiming of multiple bells across a large campus that was all boys, you were a tad bit unnerved by it at first but...then it simply became an everyday thing.

You had even missed the friends you had made there. Ace and Deuce were the first ones you thought of immediately when you arrived back home.

They were always there for you when the loneliness and longing for your old home grew too much, immediately, they would rush over to your dorm and stay with you until you were having too much fun to be sad anymore.

Oh, and despite the constant smell of mold and dampness. You missed Ramshackle Dorm strangely enough.

You welcomed the constant sounds more than the silence of your own room to be frank.

Grimm's quiet snores as he slept by your head aside, the walls of Ramshackle were often filled with the noises of the local ghosts that haunted the building. On some days, you'd hear laughter, other days the ghosts would argue and yell at one another for the most strangest of reasons. And other, more rarer times? They were silent.

But you enjoyed it when they made noise.

All of it combined into a unique lullaby that made you feel right at home and sometimes made you chuckle in your sleep at the antics they tried to keep down.

Yet...all of this dulled in comparison to the love you held in your heart, then and now, for the draconic prince Malleus. Perhaps it was cliche to say but you enjoyed everything about him, you enjoyed his fascination with gargoyles and his gentle nature. You enjoyed how sweet he was with you when it was just the two of you, how the tips of his ears would turn pink when you complimented him, how—you just missed him.

Even more so now that you remember that...you were supposed to go to a ball that he invited you to. One located in his homeland of Briar Valley, you remembered how you stressed to Grimm about how excited and nervous you were. You needed the best dress in the world if you were going to a ball that a prince personally invited you to!

A little late to feel bad.

A little late to be upset that you wouldn't be able to go but...that's what dreams were for, right? Imagining the impossible and wondering about what could've been. So, you did just that, imagine.

| Somewhere In Briar Valley... |

Your heart was threatening to beat out of your chest as you stood along the pathway that led up to the large mansion where the ball was being held. An intimidating structure made of dark stone, gargoyles stationed in front of the giant doors like unmoving guardians whilst the eerie windows, long vines and moss blanketing them halfway but not too much to where you weren't able to see the golden light that emitted from within.

Even from where you stood, being passed by all manner of fae-folk alike. You could hear the enchanting music, soft violins, and the haunting keys of the piano playing the lower notes. "Should I have even gone to this thing?" You murmured to yourself as you continued up the steps, the clacks of your heels only serving to make you more nervous as you held up your dress just enough to where you wouldn't accidentally trip and make a fool of yourself.

Even if the prince of this valley personally invited you. You still stuck out like a sore thumb!

A human walking up the way to a mansion where a ball was being held.

Briefly, even, you wondered if some type of cruel prank was being played on you by Malleus. Perhaps the second you stepped inside, you'd be greeted by everyone inside immediately staring at you and then laughing, would Malleus join in the laughter at your foolishness for thinking that you'd have the chance to dance with a prince? Would he call you out and even dare to make you say how excited you were to be invited—

No. No.

Malleus wouldn't ever think to do that you. The same man who loved to rant to you about the history of gargoyles and how they've been used throughout history, the same man who would flush at the tips of his ears when you gave him a compliment— "Y/N." A familiar voice called out for you at the top of the steps.

You couldn't help the smile that immediately came onto your face as you stopped to look at Malleus. Was it appropriate to bow to him at this moment? As the other fae-folk passed him by, they made sure to bow as they did so! "O-Oh!" You said before you bowed. Then, you felt a hand on your shoulder before you steadily looked up to see Malleus smiling at you.

"Please, don't."

"Everyone else is doing it," You said with a shy giggle. "It felt right."

The fae prince shook his head with a sigh before he offered his arm for you to loop your own with. "You are my honored guest for tonight, I personally invited you. I don't need you to bow to me."

You mentally rolled your eyes at how sweet he was being towards you, your mouth opening to retort back to him until...you immediately lost your train of thought once you were inside of the mansion. Although it reminded you of a mansion on the outside, it seemed like the entire inside of the building had been made specifically for ballroom dancing. The open floor was huge and appeared to be made out of gold (although you were certain it was just colored marble), with people of all manner of species and races dancing and spinning around! Farther out in front of you, to the right, the musicians was playing the music on a slightly heightened stage.

"Do I look alright?" You said as you looked down at yourself, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

Malleus tilted his head at your question, as if the answer was obvious. "You look beautiful." He reassured you before leading you to a buffet table where all manners of drink and food were being served. You didn't know if you were oozing nervousness or not but...you appreciated him not immediately leading you to the dance floor and allowing you to adjust via stuffing your face with all of the delicious foods. "I am glad you accepted my invitation." Malleus commented as you took a bite of a frosted cookie, your eyes practically gaining stars in them at the taste.

After wiping your lips, however, you chuckled at the prince's words. "I would be stupid to decline." You laughed. "A personal invitation to a ball from a prince? Isn't that every person's dream more or less?"

"Had I known that such a thing was a goal for you, I would have done it sooner. These events happen often in the valley."

You blushed. "Well...thanks but, hopefully, you'll come with me? I mostly came because I wanted to hang out with you more." And tell you that I like you, is what you thought in the back of your mind as you watched Malleus' eyes widen before a handsome smile graced his features. You wanted to tell him that you liked him so badly that it nearly hurt you.

But all too often, you'd crush your confidence underneath a foot made of "What ifs?".

What if Crowley found a way for you to go home tomorrow?

What if Malleus didn't like you back?

What if he was engaged?! You knew that royalty had a tendency to do that, arranged marriages and all that. The last thing you wanted to do was accidentally cross a royal and make your life in this strange world even harder than what it already was from time to time! But...you were certain that, had Malleus had a fiance of some sort, he would have mentioned them. He would have brought them instead of you.

So you focused on your main worry.

Home.

You didn't know what would hurt you more. Telling him that you liked him and then promptly had to choose between going home or staying in this world with him or keeping your feelings close to your chest and constantly wondering about what ifs— "You're really in your thoughts today, aren't you? What's going on in your mind, perhaps I can alleviate them?"

You shook your head. "It's-It's nothing." You said before the lights suddenly dimmed.

"The slow dance is about to begin, shall we?" Without a moment of hesitancy, you took his offered hand before he led you to the middle of the dance floor.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm going based on the movies but...aren't slow dances supposed to happen later in the night?"

An embarrassed squeak escaped your lips as you felt the fae's other hand wrap around your waist, steadily pulling you in until the both of you were nearly chest to chest. And, he smelled good...like mint and spring rain mixed with a touch of something stronger. Yet, as Malleus smiled at your embarrassment, he did his best to avoid making you blush even harder for the sake of you. "It's late," He answered simply. "Fae parties, especially our balls, they start later in the night. More opportunity to see the stars and witness the fireflies at their most beautiful."

You felt a certain tinge in your chest at the words of "It's late".

You didn't want this night to end so soon.

"Well..." You licked your lips as you tried to find your words as Malleus took the lead in your dance, his hand tight around your own as he kept his eyes focused on you. "...I-I don't want this night to end so soon." You admitted.

"Neither do I," He admitted.

As if time froze...and maybe it was cliche to say but, it felt like it was just the two of you in the entire ballroom when he said that. All of a sudden, the music became a gentle buzz in the background and the people around you faded into meaningless blurs. Yet, it only enhanced the rapid beating in your chest as you mind waged war with itself about whether or not to confess your feelings here in the now or to continue to keep it to yourself.

You gulped. "M-Malleus."

"Yes?" God you wished he wouldn't smile like he did whenever you said his name, you wished his eyes wouldn't appear to brighten up like lights on a tree whilst gaining a look that...you thought was excitement, a certain expectancy of something in particular.

"How- S-Sorry if I'm such a bad dancer." Way to blow it brain. "I should've taken dance classes beforehand,"

He laughed quietly as his arm around your waist tightened ever so slightly as the two of you spun a couple of times before you fell back into a gentle two-step, back and forth, back and forth. "I think you're a fine dancer, perhaps not as experienced as myself but good." He joked.

"I don't think there's anyone in this world that can match your skill."

"I don't know," Your eyes widened a little when his face got closer to your own. You were certain he could see your face turning as red as an apple with how close he was. "I think you would be able to catch up to me in no time if...if you continued to remain by my side."

Was he...? "Malleus?"

Suddenly, the two of you stopped dancing, Malleus' hand falling from your waist to take up holding your other hand as he gained a pleading look in his eyes, one that you had never seen before. "Child of man, I would prefer you to be frank with me. Something is on your mind, please tell me."

As if a dam had suddenly been torn open, all the water had rushed out as you quickly found your ability to speak to the prince. "I like you—no, I love you. I know it." You blurted out.

"I...I don't know how long I'll remain in this world but, I wish I could've spent it with you. I never should have—"

"Y/N." He interrupted. "What are you—"

"I didn't get a chance to tell you that I liked you beforehand, I just wanted to do this before—" You looked at the clock that hung on a wall behind Malleus.

One minute before midnight.

One kiss. That's all you wanted and swore you forget everything about Twisted Wonderland, that you would move on with your life and never think about Malleus again. Just one kiss.

"Do you love me Malleus? If you do...please kiss me, please." You begged as tears began to brim your eyes. The prince's eyes were as wide as the moon that hung in the sky outside. But...he had wanted to kiss you since the moment he figured out what this emotion in his chest was, he had been waiting so patiently for you to admit your feelings towards him. So, despite his curiosity at how eager you were all of a sudden. He leaned towards you and—

You were awake.

Your eyes snapped open to look at the dark ceiling above your bed.

No ballroom music or dancing fae-folk around you. The taste of the cookies you had "eaten" just a few minutes earlier were suddenly gone and left your mouth feeling dry and parched. Before you had awoken, you could've sworn that you left a wisp of Malleus' lips on your own and...they felt like pillows upon your own. But, this cruel reality...to know that everything was only just a dream, a whisper of another reality you could have lived.

It hurt.

And all you could do now?

It was to cry yourself into a dreamless slumber.

[imwritesometimes]

I'm tired on levels they haven't discovered with medical science yet

[shripscapi]

[oceandiagonale]

okay. 42 inbox, 31 drafts. not all of them are oc sunday things but a lot of them are,,,,, hmm,,,,

(for the new folks, oc sunday is a thing where people send in their pokemon ocs and I post them because having ocs is rad and everyone has their own spin on the pokemon world/plots/stories. but I haven't done it since last july)

[fluffs-n-stuffs]

"For a self-proclaimed researcher... I thought you'd know by now that Psychic-types are weak against Ghost." "Morty-ehehe! B-But I'm nohohot a type specialist!" "Maybe should've thought of that first before deciding to wake me up so early."

A spiritual successor to this lil doodle of mine 🫣💖💕

[chrisbangs]

hello... (and bye ig 👋)

[scorpiusmalfoylovesoscarwilde]

I made a meme do you leik it :)

[kyouka-supremacy]

I'm sorry I didn't answer your messages The Demons got me

[sabraeal]

1000 Followers Update!

Due to some super fun chronic health shenanigans, the posting for the 1000 Followers Celebration is being postponed a month! Posting will start on 2/2 with to all the ghost still standing in this room, and continue as previously planned from there. Thank you guys for bearing with me-- I struggled with the idea of even postponing for a week, but it became very clear on Monday that I would not be able to catch up with the schedule unless I took an extended break to recover. Can't wait to show you guys what I've got up my sleeve!

[safyresky]

Smile Shot: Seeing Red

Jacqueline has a crisis over Rankin-Bass's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

aka, THEY BULLIED AN ACTUAL BABY, JACK!

---

"They were actually SO MEAN to Rudolph."

Jack shut the door behind him, one eyebrow delicately raised as he watched his sister fuss behind his bar, pouring things from his mini-fridge into a tumbler. "Hello to you too, little flurry. Why are you in my condo."

"Because I'm having a PROBLEM with RUDOLPH, okay?"

"And you couldn't have dropped a line? You HAD to come here?" Tossing his keys on the side table and kicking off his shoes, Jack made his way to the bar, sliding onto one of the stools.

"YES." Frowning, she sealed the tumbler shut, shaking it up intensely. "Like. He was born with a red nose that glows. And they bullied the FUCK outta him, dude! Like, right out the gate! He couldn't even WALK and his Dad was like 'what the fuck is this?!'"

Jack chuckled, the mid-century sports announcer voice Jacqueline had used to imitate Rudolph's father nearly bang on.

"And then! Fucking SANTA CLAUS walks into the cave and is like 'WOW! LOOK AT THIS CALF! OH WAIT. WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH THAT NOSE?' like, even SANTA was being mean to him! SANTA!" Placing the tumbler down, she rummaged below the counter top, pulling out two whisky glasses.

"To be fair, Santa is a bit of a dick."

The mini-fridge below the bar whipped open, bottles clinking. She placed whipped cream on the counter, a small bottle of chocolate sprinkles appearing beside it. "But the Rankin-Bass Santa ISN'T Scott, Jack! He isn't Scott!" the fridge door slammed, Jacqueline popping back up, hands on her hips. "He's so WHOLESOME in Santa Claus is Comin' to Town and in Rudolph he is LITERALLY bullying a freshly born baby!!!! A freshly!" she unscrewed the tumbler cap. "Born!" pulling the glasses close, she poured the chocolatey looking mixture into both of them. "Baby!"

"Rankin-Bass?"

"Uh, yeah. I don't think I stuttered."

Jack looked thoughtful for a moment. "Didn't the Rudolph film come before the Santa one?"

Now it was Jacqueline's turn to look thoughtful as she shook the can of whipped cream. "I think so, yes."

"Well at least they fixed Santa's bizz for that one."

"I mean. I GUESS. But they still bullied an actual baby, Jack." She wrinkled her nose, pushing down on the spout and topping the two drinks with whipped cream. Opening up the sprinkles, she gently tapped the bottle, a substantial amount of sprinkles fluttering down onto the whipped cream. "Here, you have to try this monstrosity."

Jack reached out, grabbing the cup that Jacqueline slid his way. He tilted it expectantly; with a feral grin, she clinked her cup against his before taking a frothy whipped cream filled sip, Jack following suite.

"Mmm, monstrosity indeed, what is in this? Chocolate? More chocolate? Only chocolate?"

"Chocolate milk AND Irish cream! Mostly chocolate milk. It's like, 3 parts to one. Then there's the sprinkles, too. I like chocolate."

"I never would've guessed."

Jacqueline rolled her eyes. "Dude! I am having a CRISIS and you are making fun of me? Your cute wee little sister? In the midst of her MASSIVE CRISIS?"

"You are having a crisis over Rudolph, Jacqueline."

"It's VALID! I mean, if I had been born with a bright red nose, would you have been like 'sorry Jacqueline, you simply cannot Jack Frost with THAT schnoz.' like???? Do you see? My problem?"

"You were born with a red nose though. You were very red all over, actually. And squishy. And loud."

Jacqueline blinked. "You held me right after I was born?"

"Well, duh. I mean, after Mom and Dad, of course. I figured it was well earned given that I spent the entire time you were being born fending off Spring."

"Ou. Felt. You'll never guess what I was doing when the Twins were being born."

"Fighting Aunt Spring?"

"Fighting Aunt Spring." she nodded sagely, taking another sip before continuing. "Cute lil' red nose aside, you didn't banish me from Jack Frost-ing because of it! Like, Santa literally sees the nose and is all 'well. You can't pull my sleigh like THAT' and it's like DAMN bitch, bold of you to assume he'd even WANT to! They act like it's some kinda big HONOUR—"

"And it really isn't! Lugging old fatty around and all those gifts? Honestly, their sense of what is and isn't a Big Deal is...concerning."

"And then he pulls the most Jack-shaped card ever and sings about how he's going to fly in his magic sleigh because he's the king?"

"EXCUSE you, are you making fun of me, your delightful older brother, in the midst of your Rudolph imposed crisis?"

"No fucking shit Mister North Pole, North Pole."

Jack put his hands up. "Alright, fine. I'll give you that one. But I WILL remember it."

"I look forward to the ensuing snowball which I will surely dodge."

"That'll be the day," Jack chuckled, leaning to the right as snow flew right past his left, landing with a splat on the wall across them. "Do you mind? That wallpaper is ancient!"

"Just like you!"

Jack frowned, grumbling to himself as he took another sip of his drink. "I will kick you out, Jacqueline."

"Nooo don't!! I have so much to say about Rudolph Jack, come on. Come on. You GOTTA hear what I have to say. I'm just so—" her hands stilled for a moment, hovering just in front of her face as she sought out a word— "BOGGLED by it and so mad, you HAVE to hear my ranting and raving PRETTY please, it's the LEAST you could do after the whole North Pole, North Pole thing."

Jack snickered, taking another sip and crossing one leg over the other. "Alright little flurry, out with it. Let's hear this critic rave."

"THANK you! OKAY RIGHT SO LIKE. He's born with this glowing red nose, and his dad's immediate solution after Santa says he's not gonna make the team is to COVER HIS NOSE. WITH DIRT. TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A REGULAR OLD NOSE. Jack. There's no WAY he could breath through that thing, no FUCKING way! And you know, his mom was all 'we can learn to overlook it' which isn't really ACCEPTANCE but like, it's BETTER than being like HEY LET'S FUCKING HIDE IT AND TELL THIS KID HE ISN'T NORMAL AND MAKE HIM CONFORM UNCOMFORTABLY. OH? HE CAN'T BREATH? WELL! GUESS HE'LL DIE!"

Jack found himself laughing softly to himself. "You. You're really fired up about this."

"I AM! And I don't know WHY!"

"Is it maybe because—"

"We're not psychoanalyzing this, Jack."

"Just ranting?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, don't let me stop you."

"Oh, I won't." She took a long drag of her drink before continuing like nothing had happened. "So THEN he goes to the reindeer games and is like, the TOP of his class. He's THE ace. The reindeer that was teaching them was like YOU'LL MAKE THE TEAM IN NO TIME and you can practically HEAR Donner chortling in the background because it seems like he's got some kind of ISSUES about leading Santa's sleigh that he's projecting onto Rudolph, but that's a subject for another time! So he's rocking these reindeer games and then his PROSTHETIC NOSE comes off and suddenly it's all HAHA LOSER G-T-F-O YOU'RE NOT MAKING THE TEAM. Like really? Does Santa care THAT much about reindeer aesthetic? I mean, LOOK AT THE MAN!"

Jack snorted into his drink, whipped cream poofing right off the top and onto the counter. "HA! Get his ass, Jacquie. The man has NO sense of style! I saw him in jeans the other day, and let me tell you. Nightmare scenario."

Jacqueline laughed. "It can't be that bad."

"He was going for Canadian lumberjack chic and he was WAY OFF THE MARK."

"B-Man was telling me the other day that apparently he has this embroidered blazer?"

"His initials embroidered in gold, Jacqueline. GOLD. On the most GARISH red. He claims it's the same colour as the jacket! It's not. It's the red artists WARN YOU about."

"Like Rudolph's nose?"

"Excuse me, who's being mean to a literal baby now?"

"Okay well in my defence, it is A) a colour comparison and B) at this point in the movie he is one year old which is APPARENTLY old enough to run away."

"Well that escalated quickly."

"I mean, he met this girl who was like 'oh, I think you're perfect just the way you are—" Jacqueline spoke in a high falsetto, folding her hands and fluttering her eyelashes for a brief moment. Jack chuckled, swallowing it when she suddenly SLAMMED her hands onto the counter top. "—and BAM. HER DAD FINDS OUT AND SAYS NO DOE OF HIS WILL BE WITH A RED NOSED REINDEER!"

"Ou, ouch."

"Right? I'd run away too. So! Off he fucks with the elf that wants to be a dentist and is ostracized for it, and a prospector who has literally NO IDEA WHERE THE GOLD RUSH IS. He's like 'this south of the Hudson's Bay!' and I'm like 'sir, your grasp of geography is troubling. I'm pretty sure you're north since you ran into these guys at the NORTH FUCKING POLE! And then they get to the ISLAND of MISFIT TOYS. AND ARE TOLD THAT THEY ARE TOO MISFIT TO BE THERE. THIS GUY JUST CAN'T CATCH A BREAK!"

"And nor can you!"

"I KNOW you're being sarcastic but I'm taking it seriously because I am having a moment. Need a top off?"

"I'm going to need something a lot stronger if I have to keep listening to this." Sliding off the stool, Jack made his way behind the bar, shoving Jacqueline down the counter as he rummaged around for the good whisky. Since, you know. She had used the whisky glasses for this chocolate...thing.

"Felt," Jacqueline agreed, watching as Jack rinsed the glass and poured his preferred drink. She smiled to herself when he reached for her tumbler and topped her off, passing her the whipped cream can.

"And can you pass the sprinkles?"

They slid down the counter, gently bonking into her glass.

"Thank you! You're the best!"

"Sorry, what was that?"

"I said, you're the best."

"Care to say that one more time?"

"What, can't hear in your old age? Don't push it, Jack," she served him with an icy look worthy of Winter herself, managing to hold it just long enough before a grin split her face, eyes crinkling at the corners as she swayed into him.

"Alright, alright," Jack conceded, swaying back. "So. Island of Misfit Toys."

"Right! Yeah! So they get told they CAN'T stay there, except for maybe a night, and maybe could you please tell Santa about us? And they agree to if they ever go back to the Pole which to be honest, I wouldn't if I was treated like THAT. And then RUDOLPH runs AWAY from the other misfits because of the YETI?!?!?!?! Wilding. I didn't think yetis were that bad. The ones at home seem pretty chill, and make a mean snow cone."

"Lots of groups are perfectly pleasant but have one bad apple. Maybe the yeti is the bad apple of the yetis in the movie? Why am I entertaining this?"

"Because you love your lil' sister? Because alcohol? Because snow business today has been impossible and this is leagues better than work? Because fuck El Niño events? Because it's four in the morning and we're both operating on like zero sleep thanks to that funky lil' guy?"

"And instead of sleeping when you finished you got mad about Rudolph."

"I mean. YES but it was ACCIDENTAL! I fully intended to sleep on the couch as it played but then Donner opened his stupid reindeer mouth and now I need to yell! Lady above, do you know what the WORST PART about this WHOLE THING is?"

"What?"

"At the END of the movie they're all like 'we're cool with this red nosed reindeer thing now' which is one thing. But then there's the OTHER THING. Which is that the MOMENT Santa goes OH! RUDOLPH! YOUR NOSE! And he leads the sleigh through an absolutely brilliant snowstorm, everyone's like woo! Yay! He's USEFUL to SOCIETY! And fucking DONNER. HE'S LIKE 'I KNEW YOU HAD IT IN YOU THE ENTIRE TIME, BOY!' Um, HELLO?! NO HE DID NOT! FORTY MINUTES EARLIER HE WAS LAMENTING THAT HE'D NEVER MAKE THE TEAM BECAUSE OF HIS NOSE AND TRYING TO ERASE IT FROM EXISTENCE!"

Jacqueline sighed, looking down at the liquid in her glass. She swirled her cup, the liquid whooshing about, the whipped cream barely moving. Jack waited a beat, swirling his own glass and conjuring extra ice when the clink didn't sound clinky enough.

"I'm sad about snow business this year."

Ah. There it was.

"Oh?"

Jacqueline nodded. "This time last year, we shut down the 401, Jack. We inconvenienced ALL of Eastern Ontario. It was great. It was gorgeous. Now? All I was able to do was freeze the puddles in the cracks and dents in the road because of all the rain. RAIN. IN DECEMBER." she huffed, blowing the little flyaway hairs off of her brow.

Jack shifted into a lean, surveying his sister closely. He sniffed. He took a sip of his drink. Swirled the ice cubes. Enjoyed the delightful clink. "You know, Jacqueline...we've still got three more months of winter left."

She perked up a bit.

"By all accounts and purposes, we're only just getting started. At least I am." He shifted his weight again, pulling back his jacket and propping his hand on his hip. "You ah, giving up that easy this season?"

"Give up? Give UP?!" lively now, she shot up, looking aghast. "I haven't given UP. I've just. Y'know. Hit a bit of a snag and gotten a little stuck on Rudolph is all."

"That's the spirit! Now, December may be ending on a warmer note. And yes, it's maddeningly frustrating. But January is just around the corner and there will be plenty of opportunity to whip up one hell of a snowstorm. We may not close the highways again, but I'm hoping for a good amount of slipping and sliding and snow STAYING on the ground. Sound good?"

"Good? GOOD? It sounds AMAZING. Absolutely delightful! IDEAL, to be honest."

"There we go! Don't let December get you down just yet! It's almost over! January is right around the corner and so is our wintry weather! We just have to wait a bit. I mean, if we want. We can keep trying for snow, of course! I think a few flurries can manage the temps. But only after a good. Night's. Rest," he poked her shoulder on each of the last three words, satisfied when she laughed a little.

"I GUESS I could benefit from some sleep."

"Then maybe you'd be less of a, what was it you said the other day? Sad sack?"

"I did say that, yes."

"And then you could go flurry crazy right across the hemisphere!"

"That sounds very fun."

"Mmm, doesn't it just? So, how about this: you can stay the night here since I know you're going to ask anyway and you've practically got a second closet going in the second spare room—"

"It's just so easy to stop in Gstaad while doing the rounds! It's, like, central! And so pretty."

"—you know what I'm hearing? I'm hearing it's free real estate, Jack. I should charge you rent."

"There's no need for that! You can crash at my place any time. You know. Once it's in shape enough for metaphorical crashing, not. Not literal crashing. We're having floorboard issues, so we've gotta repair a bunch and then like, lacquer them, or something? Dite was explaining it to me but it went in one ear and right out the other. She looked real cute in the paint stained overalls and I was hella distracted about it."

"I believe the term you're looking for is sealant."

"Sure. If you say so."

Jack blinked. "Right. Anyway! You can stay the night, we'll go out for some breaki in the morning and after that how about some flurries, hmm?"

"They are my specialty!"

"And in the meantime! Since we've got these drinks to finish. How about something...less rage inducing, hmm?"

"Santa Claus is Comin' to Town?"

"If we must."

"I'll go grab my boxed set!"

Before Jack could say anything, she poofed away. He frowned, waving some snow off the counter top just in time for her to reappear and flurry all over it again, flourishing what looked to be a DVD boxed set of all the Rankin Bass specials.

"Keep doing this after a day of no sleep and you'll be well on your way to a sprite sleep."

"No I won't! I'm too excited to sleep."

Jack smiled to himself, pushing off the counter top and gesturing her towards the flat screen. "Some things never change," he murmured, shooing her forward. "You know what makes those old stop motion films so great?"

"What?"

"The way they tell the story using the song. And the staging! Of puppets! Jules's background was actually more musically inclined, and it showed. You know, without his musical expertise, I bet that the films wouldn't be NEARLY as classic as they're considered to be today."

Jacqueline laughed. "You would know that."

"That and many other things! Now then! Let's watch, shall we? Angry flurries aren't as nice as cheery flurries."

Grabbing a fuzzy throw blanket that Jack definitely didn't put on the couch (didn't even remember buying, in fact), Jacqueline bundled up, settling in. "You're the boss!"

[catboyolli]

yay

[orcelito]

So evil when a thing tugs on a healing piercing and u experience the wrath of God condensed down to a single moment

[peapod20001]

Did sleeping help

No </3

[steviescrystals]

i’m fr gonna lose my mind :)

[jeonqkooks]

i’m really not joking when i say i think about these asks all the time