#I’m might make a pumpkin hat to cosplay her I’m going insane

[thechanglingchronicles]

I’m SHOCKED that no one else has said anything

but Shelby’s area unknown character is so her orgins character before she died.

We know that her orgins character was a bunny that Wilbur killed so he’d have a friend. Her new AU character is a bunny!

Her character is going to live in a pumpkin house

She was even like I got to remember my character likes pumpkins not carrots.

In her bun hole their is a pumpkin with the same carving as her orgins characters pumpkin.

I know there the same I don’t need Shelby to tell me they are, I know.

I think I need to go watch some orgins smp vids and vods to see if theirs more hints

Everything she says about bun Shub is causing brain rot

Why did she run from New Jersey??

I looked up the meaning of the teeth falling out dream incase it told me more about her character.

I’m obsessed I keep drawing them.

I love all the new people Shelby’s interacting with im obsessed with them and gravel, guqqie, and Acho it’s delightful

[killianmesmalls]

FINALLY!!! My con recap is... long. And I’m wordy. And it’s long. BUT IT’S HERE! Below the cut for anyone who is crazy enough to read it all. 

Friday:

By the time the weekend really got started, I had already had the chance to meet up with @lillpon Wednesday evening for a last-day-at-work happy hour and then again when she, @justmilah, and @fraddit came over to my place to hang out, watch Once, and put the totally last minute touches on my Tilly cosplay. (Also, BTW, yes I am using nicknames because 1) I figure it’s easier for people to follow along and 2) I don’t know how much some people want their real names to be attached to fellow crazies and sent into the ether.) We ended up venturing down to pick up the car from my father-in-law, and on the way found a meeting place for @queen-mabs-revenge to gather with us. Now, we couldn’t find her, kept checking to see where she might be, when LO, HERE COMETH A TINY ITALIAN IN A BIG MCFRIGGIN HAT. Yes, she was indeed sauntering down 8th Avenue in her Lt. Jones hat, which was probably the 18th weird thing most passing New Yorkers had seen in the two hours since they had woken up.

We then all tackle each other and me, @fraddit, @justmilah, and @queen-mabs-revenge continue on to meet my FIL for the car, where Mabs was super on board with helping him trek stuff from the trunk back to his apartment after seconds of meeting him. Such a polite. Without much ado, we make our way to the middle of friggin nowhere New Jersey, aided by the very comforting fact that Mabs navigates the way I need to be navigated to. Much thanks. Many appreciate. Wow.

Our first stop once we go around in circles a few times since driving in Whippany itself is a damn adventure was to meet up with @thesschesthair. While Mabs is confusing the front desk dude with her hat, Chesty over there gives us a call and I sneak out, lock eyes across the dingy parking lot of the Red Carpet Inn, by its derelict diner, and leap into her arms. She then comes over to attack Milah and Fraddit before properly grabbing Mabs so hard they were close to osmosis.

I’m not going to lie, it’s at this point through to Monday evening where things sort of blur. Mabs and Chesty requested rooms beside each other and GUESS WHAT. Yep, you guessed it, they had rooms that actually were connected by a door that was hidden behind Mabs’s oversized fridge. Oh! And there was a random toilet just hanging out outside their rooms. Because, why not? When Puh Pah has to go, he has to go. Also, it’s here that Mabs gives us all Alice-themed totes from Poundland (YES, LAUGH, IT’S GREAT) and then we do roundabouts again to get to the Marriott where the rest of us are staying.

Registration was a breeze, and then we collapse into the lounge area where we meet up with @theonceoverthinker and an already-registered Chesty, where she and I are off to the side making inappropriate jokes and then deciding it’s time to wine o’clock this con. Guys? The pub in the Marriott got some play by the Pirate Crew (thank you, @freifraufischer for dubbing us all as pirates), we tried their Poisoned Apple sangria, shot the shit, and then went about checking in and getting ourselves settled while at various points meeting up with @captregina, @lillpon, and @freifraufischer.

At some point (again because all is a blur) we went to Chris’s Q&A where I asked him a couple of questions and honestly blanked on most of the experience because OMFGITALKEDTOSMEE. Then Jared came on, was very much however you’d imagine Jared being, and I was still very much focused on Chris saying how much Smee would love Alice and knowing that Colin and Rose day was tomorrow.

Afterwards, we got autographs, where Mabs’s delightful totes came in handy and I had Gil, Chris, and Jared sign the back of the Alice tote. Gil was nice and I complimented Jared on how much him being open about anxiety meant to people, but it was Chris that, to me, was the MVP. He was incredibly personable, funny, and a total teddy bear. I asked him about the blooper he was in where it seemed like Smee was trying to convince Hook to not duel with Ahab (the one where Colin spat in his face) and Chris said he honestly forgot what was happening in that scene, but he would ask Colin. Still, the one thing he did remember was when he knelt down in front of Colin in the post-duel “Congratulations, Captain, you won!” scene, he split his pants. The camera was to his back, but his treasures were on full display in front of Colin.

I also asked Chris for a hug because, I mean, YOLO, and he obliged! Honestly, he’s a damn pumpkin and I adore him.

Now, there was karaoke night after this, but some of us were bad idea bears and decided to say “f--- this” and went into the pool with some sea salt gin Mabs had brought over. We’re super classy, guys.

...What happens at the pool, stays in the pool. :P

Saturday:

OMG COLIN AND ROSE DAY! COLIN AND ROSE DAY! COLIN AND ROSE DAY!

I was legit saying this and hopping up and down I don’t know how many times. I focused most of the morning trying to make sure I had myself together, getting my tights ripped just right, getting my hair done, venturing to @captregina’s room so I could do her hair (where I met @brave-lassie), doing her eyeliner, doing my makeup, meeting up with everyone, and trying to contain my feelings about COLIN AND ROSE DAY!!!

I missed most of the Wild Bunch Q&A in my efforts to get ready and in waiting for Rose’s photo ops. I lined up with Capt just by where the actors enter into the room they do the photo ops in and got my very first in-person look at Rose.

Guys.

GUYS.

That precious angel GLOWS. I cannot say enough how adorable and lovely she looks and is in person, but I will try my best. She’s insanely precious. Honestly, I was probably a walking hearteyes emoji. I try to keep my cool as I wait for her in line, where I’m set to get a picture with her than a shared picture with her and Capt, and the moment she sees me in my Tilly cosplay she exclaims, “NAILED IT!” Then, like a spastic idiot, I told her I couldn’t help myself since she’s my favorite, and she said, “You’re my favorite!” Bless her. She’s insanely personable and tilts her head to you, and is a personified cupcake.

After that, I brought Capt in for a shared picture with her, where we handed her my bunny mask and Rubik’s cube I had made with the help of Lill as we (plus Milah and Fraddit) had lounged on my couch Thursday night. She geeked out a bit over them, I asked her which one she wanted to hold, and she chose the Rubik’s cube, I held the mask, and Capt and I held a pillowcase she had gotten a while back that said, “We’re all mad here.”

Rapid fire they then did Colin and Chris photos followed by Colin and Rose, where all of us collectively lost our minds throughout. There are some pretty stellar ones people got with Colin and Chris, and then OMFG KNIGHTROOK.

Not going to lie, I kind of blanked on it a bit. I just remember saying “hi” to them both, taking a photo in the middle of them, and then ushering in PERFECT TACO HAT LT. JONES MCMABS in for the second photo, where I pulled a crazy face and she pulled that cheesy salute in that pic of him and Bernard.

Then was Rose’s Q&A, and as you can tell she’s still the embodiment of sunshine with a dash of silliness. I must have had a massive smile on my face the entire time in between bouts of laughter.

Before her panel ended, they called for Colin photos, which I needed to get to early because I had Rose’s meet and greet, but HELL NO WAS I MISSING ANY OF ROSE. Nope. So I stayed, then dashed out, and totally thought I’d be fine because…hey, I had already met and touched the man, how hard could this be?

BEING A NORMAL HUMAN AROUND HIM IS IMPOSSIBLE. I just hope I didn’t sound too much like an idiot when I said another hello and asked, “Do you mind if I give you a hug?”

Tired panda just opened his arms and we took a quick picture, and his face was SUPER CLOSE TO MINE and I didn’t know what to do with myself and suddenly that scruff was AGAINST MAH FACE. I think I entered a new plane of existence at some point but remembered I had feed and managed to use them to walk out and not completely venture to a new reality.

It was probably a good thing I didn’t have time to transcend to nirvana because ROSE’S MEET AND GREET WAS NEXT. It got off to a late start since Emilie was still in the room when we got up there, but I’d wait howmstever long for her.

SHE IS AN ANGEL. I mean, absolute, 100%, grade-A, undiluted angel. She makes an effort to engage with everyone and really make eye contact with you, speak to you for as much as she can, and is just naturally her sweet and funny self. She then took selfies with everyone, where I told her my name was “Carrie, like the movie” which is my default at Starbucks because then people know how to spell it. She fake scared and pretended like she was ducking her head and going to walk out, which we shared a laugh at before our picture.

I missed most of Karen David’s panel, but right afterward was COLIN!!! Tired panda did his best to wake up and be his silly, smartass self, bless his heart. I’m so glad he said he wished there were more to the KnightRook story because he feels like there’s more to explore with that and HARD AGREE, COL! Also massive, MASSIVE shoutout to Overthinker for her crazy awesome questions!!! You are indeed worthy of being his favorite!!! Also, props to @the-girl-in-the-band-tshirt for her original question about craft services. Dudes, the things we don’t think about!!! I need to try a grilled cheese with pickles now, that sounds AMAZING. OH! OH!!! AND HE DID THE WORM! AND SANG! How were we this #blessed?!?!

We then had a hot minute (or roughly 30) before KNIGHTROOK PANEL!!! Guys, those two and their dynamic will never not kill me. THOSE TWOOOOOOO!!!! HOW PERFECT ARE THEY?!?! I think their humor together is priceless and she’s like a damn coffee bean to him. It’s a good thing I like odd things because I CAN’T EVEN WITH THEM. (:smirk:) AS IF THAT WEREN’T ENOUGH he goes and kills us with his Millian answer and I see Mabs and Milah vibrating into the ether.

After that is almost immediately autographs, where they had us line up for Colin then head over to Rose. They tucked tired panda behind this black curtain, and Mabs, Capt, and I coordinated getting various things signed for us and others. When I told him something was for someone who had contributed to the Whitecaps charity, he replied, “Oh! Very good.” Then he got my spyglass and went all childishly curious, peeked inside the box, then raised his eyebrow and gave me a smirk.

Then it was off to see Rose, who was taking more time to talk to fans, which is understandable given the fact that Colin had a longer line and Rose also can’t seem to help herself. Chesty gave me her badge so I could get a second autograph, like a friggin champ, and I had Rose sign the spyglass and also had the title page of the manuscript I’ve written (I NEED TO FINISH EDITING IT) and told her it was a 1920s Alice in Wonderland retelling, and I thought having her sign it would be a good luck charm. She sounded super enthusiastic about it and wrote a long note for me on it, which I will for sure cherish forever!!!

OH! And on my way to get into the Rose line, I hear someone say my name and LO AND BEHOLD, IT’S @leiandcharles!!! HUZZAH!!! I probably sounded like a spaz because I was on a Colin and Rose high and was all over the place but she pretended to not be terrified of the insanity that was me… ANYWAY!

It was then time for dinner. With the pub PACKED TO THE GILLS, especially after there was a bomb scare at a nearby hotel so the people there had to come over to ours for a bit, a group of us went up to Capt’s room to hang out and get pizza. I’m probably going to blank on everyone that was in that room, but I do remember dragging Leia there, meeting @coaldustcanary, Overthinker kicking over my drink and being roasted about it by Chesty (still makes me giggle!), and generally being a nuisance with Capt, Mabs, and Milah while Fraddit, and Lill went off to introduce Chesty to Chipotle. It has since changed her life.

At some point we declare we should hang out at the pub again, and a group of us went to go shoot the shit until Mabs passed out right there in the booth (CALLIN’ YOU OUT, POPS!) and everyone was sufficiently either toasted or tired. Some of us then venture up to my room, and shenanigans ensued. THUS ENDETH COLIN AND ROSE DAY!

Sunday:

While I was sad this seemed like a less crazy day for us, I was also a bit relieved because hot DAMN was I tired after the day before. Still, we didn’t have much time to really collect ourselves because the Mills fam gold panel started at 10, so a group of us wandered down to breakfast.

We then get in to see Andrew, Lana, and Bex, where Lana and Bex were of course hysterical together, Andy looked cute, and you could feel the collective vibrating of all Regina and Zelena fans which was adorable. I mean, I love Regina, but there was some LOVE in that room from her Evil Regals. I do wish Andy had gotten a bit more attention or had been a bit more vocal, but it’s got to be hard to not just let Lana and Bex own the stage.

There was then a decent break before Bex’s panel. That woman, as you all likely know, is HYSTERICAL. She kept the room laughing through most of her panel, and you can see she has nothing but love for her fans and her costars.

After her panel, I don’t have anything I’m too fussed about until 2 (MILAH WAS ROBBED IN THAT VID CONTEST, BTW, JUST SAYING) and so some of us gather together for lunch in, you guessed it, the hotel pub! Dudes, our options were limited and it looked like a library and had loaded potato soup. What more do you want?

It’s then time to MEET LANA, where me, Mabs, and Capt try to strategically settle ourselves somewhere out of the way but close enough to the side door to get a good look at the queen as she walks in. And, DAMN, that woman is gorgeous! Me and Capt then leap into the line where she proceeds to get two very adorable photos done and then I get pulled in to get hugged by Lana (!!!!!!!!!) while Capt hugs her from the back. She was super sweet and patient the whole time with everyone, and you could really see how much she loves spending time with her fans.

We then decide some of us need shots because some of us (*cough* Capt *cough*) are about to pass out from being so near Her Majesty’s presence, and then we wander into the ballroom for Henry Squared’s panel. Andy was adorable, Jared was typical Jared. I’ll be honest, I don’t have anything from that panel that seems to stick out to me as a solid memory, though maybe that was the whiskey shot’s fault.

Then comes Lana’s panel and, once again, you can feel the energy of the Evil Regals in the room. For however silly Colin, Rose, and KnightRook panels are, HOLY DAMN Lana panels are just filled with all sorts of emotions! It was like a damn rollercoaster! I laughed, I teared up, I was generally all over the place. SO MANY FEELINGS, GUYS. It was delightful but also made me just desperately need to laugh about fart jokes with my fellow Colin heathens. WE DON’T KNOW EMOTIONS.

Sadly during the following break, it is time to say farewell to the spun sugar that is Lillpon. I console myself knowing I’ll see her again, but it’s depressingly others’ last time with her, but ONLY FOR NOW. Yes? Yes.

Next up is autos with Andrew and then Lana. Andrew was a sweetheart. I was standing next to Capt and Mabs, where we proceeded to tell him how great we thought he was in season 7 and how much that season and his performance in it meant to us and brought back some love for the show. He seemed genuinely touched and said it meant a lot to him to hear that. Bless that boy.

We then wait a bit for me, Capt, Mabs, and Milah to venture up for Lana’s autos. By the time we got to her, we had this whole strategic thing planned out where I’d bring up S7 Hooked Queen, Capt gets her Hooked Queen picture signed, and Mabs gets the word for Capt’s tattoo. Lana says she did expect when they started that she thought Hook and Regina were going to be a thing but alas. Oh! And Mabs tells her that they’ve got family from the same area of Sicily, where Lana proceeds to say they do kinda look alike, and it is now confirmed #fam.

With everything over, we head once again to, YOU GUESSED IT AGAIN, the hotel pub. Chesty and Fraddit have already settled in and eaten, and me, Mabs, Capt, Overthinker, and Milah get ourselves all ordered up where we both mourn the end of the weekend and still buzz from the high the last three days had given us. A series of more shenanigans ensues, and none of us are ready for the weekend to be over. I’m pretty sure we collectively tried to drag it out for as long as possible.

For one last hurrah, we then venture to the pool again and meet up with @reginamotherfuckingmills and @agntreginaskywalker, where we all debrief and collectively laugh about the weekend, in addition to getting all into our feels about how Swan Queen fans and Hook fans are being all chill and friendly with each other. WHO KNEW PEOPLE COULD HUMAN?!

It was a fantastic end to the weekend, and there were more days ahead that involved ridiculous conversations in the car (Thicc Lady and Pointy Boi! Is this Central Park?! etc), meeting Mabs’s ENTIRE FAMILY, hearing Chesty lose her mind several times, enjoying super Long Island experiences with them, Milah, Overthinker, and Fraddit, and so on. Some of us also went sailing on a tall boat later, where we hoisted the main sail and felt like proper pirates! Then there was just general hanging out, but I won’t bore you further with that.

Instead, I’ll bore you with shoutouts!

@lillpon DESCUSTANG!!! You’re such a damn delight. Both sharing a bed and hoisting the main sail with you was brilliant and I love you forever. YOU MET COLIN!!!

@queen-mabs-revenge What are words? I have none. And if I started I’d probably turn into a mess so FARTS BELLY PT CRUISER POINTY BOI FARTS! I’ll probably emotion at some point and send it to you in private and then go run off to watch bloopers or something to get back to some sort of state of normal.

@fraddit SEVEN?! WHAT’S IN THE BOX?! Resting judge face or no, you’re fantastic, I love you, and you’re forever welcome in my apartment! Or basically anywhere with me.

@thesschesthair You funny asshole, I don’t know what I would have done without you to be there to say jokes as foul as mine. You were such a good sport about me being an annoying shit. I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed we can celebrate your birthday with a Captain Charming shindig!!!

@justmilah You’re so sweet and so funny and just damn precious. I LOVED going to the American Girls store, traipsing around Rockefeller Center, exploring actual Central Park, getting Millian and Knightrook feels in the AMNH, and wasting time at Johnny Utah’s with you. You’re always welcome!!!

@captregina Mah darling! I’m so glad and relieved that you had a good experience! You earned it, and I’m excited to talk about it over brunch with you.

@theonceoverthinker YOU FAVORITE PHD GENIUS! Stellar questions from a stellar person. It was amazing to hang out with you and we should do it again soon!!!

@the-girl-in-the-band-tshirt You’re a precious angel and it was delightful to meet you! I’m so glad you felt welcomed into the fold. But, of course you were! You’re wonderful!

@brave-lassie From one “mom” to another, thanks! Also, you’re a sweetheart and YOU MAKE AN AMAZING RED!!!

@leiandcharles @freifraufischer @coaldustcanary @reginamotherfuckingmills and @agntreginaskywalker IT WAS LOVELY TO MEET YOU ALL! And thank you for being so patient and awesome with some of the shenanigans.

[allofusandco]

Merry little Christmas

Christmas with Nik and Ronnie.

With @moonoverbourbon

Ronnie:

Veronica felt a sudden cold sweat across the back of her neck.

“I’m having traumatic flashbacks to the Sadie Hawkins dance in middle school,” she said. “Jimmy Patterson. It didn’t go well. I don’t really get the whole Sadie Hawkins thing anyway. It’s not the fifties, you know?”

Alright, this was stupid. She rubbed her fingers over her temple.

“It’s just we’re so new, and maybe it’s too much. But I spoke to my dad. And despite the fact that he’s been a Sheriff and a private investigator and he’sactually solved actual murders, he’s going on a cruise with his new girlfriend, who’s young enough to be my… okay, my mother but a young one, to solve apretend murder. In twenties cosplay.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear. “So I thought, maybe – you know. We could do Christmas together? Honestly, I’m not a bad cook. I do pea hens. Unless you prefer something else. We could even go out, I just don’t want to do it by myself. I can’t sit at home and pretend it’s just another Friday.”

–––––

Nik:

Nik stepped out of the doorway with a smile, inviting her in without saying a word. Behind him, the floor of his living room was a scattered mess of tinsel, ornaments, and pieces of artificial tree limbs that looked as if they’d seen better years.

“So I was going to surprise you,” he began sheepishly, shutting the door behind Veronica. “And have the place all decorated when I awkwardly asked you to spend Christmas with me, but I think my tree has seen its final days. I was just about to head to the tree farm out on Route 6 to pick up a little one this year.”

Shaking his keeps in his hand, Nik gave her what he hoped was a flirty smile (and not just totally goofy) and jerked his head toward the door. “Want to go with me? Help me pick out a tree, and then come back here to decorate?” He waited a beat before answering the question she’d initially asked, “And of course we can do Christmas together. I’d, uh, I’d like that very much. I’m even off work Friday and Saturday, so we don’t have to end the festivities early.”

They could stop by the store on the way back, pick up a few things for Christmas dinner. It was still a couple days away, but Nik was suddenly ridiculously excited for the first time in a long time. Perhaps this Christmas was going to be better than he’d originally thought.

–––––

Ronnie:

Veronica stepped in side, a grin stretching over her face.

“You were decorating? It looks like a bunch of elves got drunk and had a party.” She lifted one of the mangled limbs. Much as she endorsed the environmentally responsible artificial tree, Nik was right. “I can definitely help. All I planned to do today was some shopping. I want a fedora for my dad. A bald man on a murder cruise needs a fedora, don’t you think?”

Veronica slipped her hand into Nik’s – alright, this whole new beau thing was sweet as pie and Veronica was definitely enjoying every cute moment of it.

“Let’s go elbow old ladies out of the way to get the last perfect tree, alright?”

In the car, Veronica slipped a CD out of her bag, subtly.

“I just don’t think Christmas is Christmassy enough until there’s Christmas carols playing everywhere,” she said, turning it on. Yeah! Boy bands were awful until they hit a point in their careers low enough to have them record a Christmas album. All I want for Christmas is you was always a staple, allowing said boys to do a video clip moment where they looked right at the camera. Good place to start.

“So, food. Pea hens look adorable, but to be honest, they’re overrated. And pumpkin pie or pecan pie? I know they’re just a little off season but I forgot to cook at Halloween.”

–––––

Nik:

He couldn’t disagree. A bald man on a murder cruise most definitely needed a fedora. He did, however, raise an eyebrow at her drunken elves remark. “I’ll have you know the elves were not drunk. I was drunk; they were completely sober.”

Nik grabbed his coat, slipping it over his shoulders as he led her out the door and locked it behind them. In the car, he didn’t even argue with her choice of music. It was the season for it after all, and it wasn’t like all the radio stations weren’t playing it anyway. But this…this was torture on an epic level.  He was pretty sure it was New Kids on the Block, or some other horrible boy band.

It was a good thing that he cared so very much for her.

The department store was first up. No sense running around town with a tree strapped to the roof his car. If Veronica needed a fedora, then a fedora they would get. He’d already bought her gift, and his family didn’t speak to him, so Nik considered his shopping done. “I figured we could get your father’s gift first. Less chance for someone to steal our tree.”

“As for dinner, we could cook a small turkey. I found a recipe online for a citrus brined turkey, thought it might remind you of California.” Okay, so maybe he’d been planning on asking her to spend Christmas with him for a while, and maybe he’d just given himself away. Nik didn’t care. “And it must be pecan pie. Pumpkin should never be put into a pie shell.”

–––––

Ronnie:

Veronica grinned as Nik blanched but left the music on – wow. He really was something special.

“I feel a little guilty,” she said, with a mournful sigh. “Taking the last gentleman all for myself. Millions of girls all over the world fighting ESPN Classics for the attention of men that aren’t worth a half of you. Not guilty enough to hand you over to be shared around, but a little guilty.”

She reached over to gently pinch Nik’s cheek.

“Might have to get you microchipped in case of theft. But that seems like more of a New Year’s conversation, don’t you think?”

Citrus brined turkey. That sounded amazing. Veronica had never brined anything before. But wait…

“Hang on, buster,” she said. “You’ve put a lot of thought into this. You were going to ask me?” She grinned, biting the tip of her tongue a moment. “Wow. And here I was worrying this was too soon. I’m glad I asked you first, though. Lets me keep up the whole tough girl persona. I do a mean pecan pie. But what’s wrong with pumpkin? Oh.” She slapped her forehead. “I forgot. I had a British colleague back in the city who said pumpkin was mostly animal feed back home, couldn’t even stand the smell. So weird. Christmas without pumpkin pie. Or Halloween without pumpkin pie!”

Veronica had been back in California over Halloween, sadly. Testifying.

“Anyway, here we are,” she said, climbing out of the car as they parked. Straight and tall, she tucked her arm into Nik’s as they headed into the store. “One fedora, coming up.”

–––––

Nik:

Nik didn’t know how to respond to her words. He didn’t think he was all that special, nor did he think he was particularly gentlemanly. The right thing was simply easier for him to do that the wrong – and it caused less guilt in the long run. Giving Veronica a shy smile, he decided that discretion was the better part of valor and simply said nothing. If she only knew that he felt completely unworthy of her – of whatever this was between them – she might be quick to change her thoughts about him.

“I was,” Nik conceded, sparing a second to glance her way as he pulled into the parking lot. “Going to ask you. I was. I, um, hadn’t heard you mention any other plans, so I assumed…” He trailed off, letting her speak so that he didn’t embarrass himself further. “But I am more than happy with letting you be the tough girl in our relationship.”

Relationship.

Such a funny word…and one he didn’t think he’d ever hear associated with himself.

He waited until they were in the store to address the pumpkin comment, managing to get it out as they dodged one persistent last minute shopper after another. “I just don’t like it,” Nik shrugged, side-stepping a mother with a screaming toddler arguing over the last Mickey Mouse doll on the shelf. “It is used as animal feed back home, but once I came here I had a sweet old lady make me a pie for Christmas one year. I couldn’t stand the bloody taste of it, bless her soul.”

Finally. Clothing and outer wear.

Nik pointed to the men’s hats, ducking under a large sign proclaiming everything 40% off for TODAY ONLY. “It takes a special sort of insanity to be out shopping this close to Christmas,” he grinned, “and an even more special sort to go out to the stores with someone shopping this close to Christmas.” He shot her a wink, the grin turning to a teasing smirk as he led them closer to the spot she needed for her father’s gift.

–––––

Ronnie:

–

“That was dad,” Veronica said, dropping her phone on the corner of the coffee table. “I think I’ve ruined him for life. He wanted to know if he was supposed to take the hat ironically or post-ironically. I feel almost guilty being the reason he even knows to ask.”

She slipped into the kitchen, eyeing Nik’s progress with interest, and launched herself up on tip toes to kiss his cheek.

“I told him post-post-ironically, so, like, sincerely,” she finished, with a nod. “I hope somewhere along the line there’s going to be a bowl I can lick.”

It actually seemed unlikely, given the menu, but never mind. Things had gotten busy and Veronica still had a tree to finish decorating.

“Oh!” she said, reaching for her oversized handbag. “Forgot. My reindeer decoration. I made it when I was five. The googly eyes aren’t what they used to be, but Christmas isn’t Christmas without this little guy.” Yes, he was made from three popsicle sticks and a red pompom and yes the googly eyes were looking a little rheumy, but it was tradition. She gave him pride of place. [x]

The tree was definitely approaching professionally spectacular; even if Nik’s original plan of somewhat understated elegance had been obliterated by Veronica’s preference for as much bling as possible (strictly a Christmas thing). It was almost at the stage where the fire marshalls might object.

“I think I’m done,” she said, crawling on the ground the reach the power point behind the tree, to turn on the lights. Voila! “Do I get a treat?”

–––––

Nik:

The tree was beautiful, if a little…over decorated…for his taste. Nik was stirring the last of the pecan pie filling, and just about to pour it into the crust, when he looked up to see her reindeer decoration. He tried not to laugh, but could suppress the grin that stretched half-way across his face. In the entire time he’d known her, Veronica never ceased to stop surprising (or amazing) him. Shaking his head with a chuckle, he turned back to the pie filling to pour it into the shell and stick it into the oven. “You can lick this bowl if you’d like. It’s the filling for the pie, so nice and sweet. Your reindeer, by the way, is spectacular. I can think of no better place for it.”

So what if it was a little…less than stellar looking? The look on her face as she put it on the tree was more than worth any loss of aesthetic.

He wanted to see that look on her face all the time.

Nik looked back in time to see her crawling along the floor to turn the lights on and tried really hard not to let his eyes drift along the curve of her body. It was proving increasingly difficult the more time he spent with her.

“A treat?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “I suppose if the bowl isn’t enough…” Taking a few steps into the living room area, he waited until Veronica was standing and wrapped her in a tight hug. Pulling back just slightly, Nik angled his face to press his lips slowly to hers. The kiss was soft, slow – patient – not pushing for anything more than that moment. His fingers trailed down her cheek, up through her hair, pulling her just a bit closer as he deepened the kiss with a nudge of his lips against hers.  When he pulled away, his eyes remained closed for a moment, savoring in the memory of the kiss. “I’ve no treat other than the bowl you requested, but I can pour you a drink if you’d like.”

–––––

Ronnie:

Completely over the top. Exactly the way Veronica liked it. She smiled, letting her arms slip up over Nik’s shoulders to wrap around his neck as he pulled her close, one foot lifting off the ground as he kissed her so thoroughly – wow, was it ever time for this polite adult nonsense to end. Veronica wanted to find out what else that mouth could do. Stat. Whatever unspoken agreement they’d come to, which seemed to be, in sum, ‘not just yet’ – Veronica was putting an official end date on it right now. New Year’s Eve. She wasn’t going to look back on this year as the year she fell in love and completely failed to get even the teensiest bit of nookie.

Calm, Ronnie, she thought to herself as the kiss ended, and she finished with a little peck to the corner of Nik’s mouth.

“Nice,” she said, as she unlaced her fingers from around his neck, and dragged her hands over his shoulders, over his chest, settling at his waist for a moment. “I’ll take that drink – and the bowl as well.”

Pretty sure there was eggnog in the fridge, and even if this was much to warm for a real Christmas (would she ever get used to New Orleans?) eggnog sounded like just the thing. She followed Nik back to the kitchen, and scraped the blade of one finger inside the pie bowl, bringing it to her lips to taste.

“This is amazing,” she said. “I don’t know what you’re planning to have for dessert tomorrow, because I might eat the whole thing.”

After Christmas sales, expensive underwear, down to the garter belt – Nik was in for the seduction of the century, after just enough champagne to loosen them both up, and some very adolescent making out on the couch. Did it count as a New Year’s resolution if it was supposed to happen before midnight?

“Anyway. What else can we do tonight, or does the rest have to wait until morning?”

–––––

Nik:

If he’d been raised with even a modicum of self-worth, Nik would have already tried to take her to bed. He was so blissfully infatuated with her that he couldn’t half see straight, but there was still that little voice in the back of his head that whispered ‘not good enough for her.’ It sounded remarkably like his father, and every time he thought he might tell her how he felt it echoed louder than gunfire in his head.

And Veronica would probably never understand it if he tried to explain.

“One drink coming up, and help yourself to the bowl.” Nik made his way over to the counter where he’d set up his make-shift bar. A few moments and a great deal of mixing later, and he was back with a spiked eggnog that would knock her socks off. “Careful with that; it’s potent. I was a little heavy handed with the brandy.” He passed it over, returning to the pie that he’d been working on prior to the kiss that still had his head reeling.

“I’m going to bake this pie,” he smiled, shooing away her fingers, “and then everything else will wait til the morning. The turkey is in the brine. The vegetables are cut. The stuffing put together. It all just needs to be cooked.”

He poured the filling into the pie crust, lined the top artistically with pecans, and shoved it into the oven. Forty minutes later and it would be heavenly. “It’s late. If you want to finish your drink and go to bed, I understand. I’m not expecting you to drive home after that.” He grinned a little mischievously, proud of the drink even if it was strong.  “You can have my bed. I’ll need to wait up a bit longer for the pie to finish, lest I burn the house down around us.”

–––––

Ronnie:

Veronica sat up sort of primly at the counter – okay, fine, not primly, she had a glass of eggnog in her left hand and the index finger of her right hand was still stealing leftover batter from the bowl. But she was prim enough. After all – she hadn’t suggested forgetting the pie altogether ad licking the filling off each other’s naked bodies for the rest of the night, had she?

Pretty fucking prim.

But she watched him arrange the pecans, as artistically as he ever did anything – and how could someone not fall in love with a man who just wanted everything to be beautiful? – and slip it into the oven.

Why on earth had he not taken her to bed yet? She was going to figure it out sometime in the very near future and fix it. She ached for it. Ridiculous and adolescent as that may have been. She watched him tidy the bench almost absentmindedly.

Maybe not New Year’s. She didn’t want to break the poor man. He obviously had things he needed to work through – she could continue to cherish every kiss.

“I’ll stay,” she said. “But I’d rather share. It’s so cold.” Cold, ha! It was seventy degrees. But that was cold enough. “I promise not to get inappropriate. And this way we don’t have to politely get out of bed in the morning, e can just roll over and…”

She pushed herself up on the bench and leaned across it, meeting his lips just barely enough to tease.

“… kiss,” she said, and to be perfectly honest it had been one of the best Christmases she’d ever had, so far. And it hadn’t even started.

~complete~