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covenanthomemaking · 2 years

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How to Choose the Perfect Gift for Your Dog, Cat, or Friends

If you're looking for the perfect way to show your pet how much you really care, why not spoil them with some dog or cat clothes that will make them look and feel fabulous? Whether it's a dog coat for a cool evening walk or a dog sweater to stay warm during those cold winter days, there are plenty of styles and designs to choose from. Not only do dog clothes provide practical insulation, but they can also be an expression of style! For cats, there are sweaters and jackets available in a multitude of fun colors and prints that'll have any furry friend looking their best. Shopping for dog and cat clothes online has never been easier with so many fashion-forward options! Now your pup or kitty can strut their stuff in style.

What is Pet Clothing?

Getting your dog or cat into dog clothes or cat sweaters doesn't have to be just a cute fashion statement — pet clothing can also benefit your pet in many ways. Dog sweaters and dog coats are essential for cold weather protection, dog jackets can provide sun protection during the summer, and raincoats and boots are perfect for keeping your furry friend dry when it's raining. Plus, there's no better way to show how much you love your pet than dressing them up in festive holiday apparel or an adorable costume for special occasions like Christmas, Halloween or birthdays!

Types of Pet Clothing

Shopping for the perfect outfit for your dog or cat can be so much fun! When it comes to dog clothes, there’s something for every pup – from everyday t-shirts and sweaters to keep them warm on cool days, to fancy attire such as dresses and bow ties for special occasions. For those colder months, dog coats and winter jackets are an absolute must-have. Don't forget the accessories either! Adorable scarves and hats make any dog look picture-perfect. As for cats, stretchy hoodies are a great go-to piece that provides extra warmth and comfort without feeling too restrictive. Shopping for animal lovers? You can never go wrong with a practical item like a cozy pet bed or food dish - they are sure to love it!

Benefits of Pet Clothing

Clothing for pets isn't just a fun fashion statement--it has many practical benefits as well! Keeping your pup or kitty warm in colder climates is a must and dog coats, dog sweaters, and cat sweaters can do just that. Certain types of clothing, like dog jackets and raincoats, can also help protect their fur from the elements outside and from pesky pests like fleas and ticks. Boots are even great for keeping paws nice and dry during muddy walks! And if you want to dress up your furry friend for special occasions, dog clothes and cat clothes exist just for that purpose—they look so cute! All in all, there are plenty of reasons to consider covering up your pet with some snazzy apparel.

Popular Dog Clothes and Cat Clothes

Pet clothes are the perfect way to pamper your pup or kitty and give them some extra love! From dog coats to dog sweaters and jackets, you can find a range of different dog clothes on the market that will keep your dog cosy throughout the year. Cat owners have lots of options too - why not choose a stylish cat sweater or festive outfit for your feline friend? If you're looking for something special, custom-made pet garments are also available - they're tailored to suit your pet's unique measurements perfectly! Another great gift idea is to treat your pet with engraved tags or personalized collars, which is a token of love they can treasure forever. Whatever you choose, there's something out there for every dog or cat!

Gift Ideas for Pet Lovers

Pets are an important part of many families, so when it comes to gifting for pet lovers, there is a wealth of unique and creative options. From dog clothes to cat sweaters, dog jackets to dog coats, find something special that will please any pet owner. A personalized dog keychain or collar with their pup's name on it can make a cherished keepsake. Or surprise them with a custom-made photo puzzle featuring their furry friend's smiling face. For those who like things a little more practical, consider getting a pet bed with the animal's name embroidered on the front — they'll love how thoughtful you were! If you're feeling stuck for ideas, check out online stores specializing in pet gifts – they have a fantastic selection including mugs, blankets and even clothing accessories.

How to Choose the Right Pet Clothing

Shopping for pet clothes can be a fun and exciting experience! Before you make a purchase, it's essential to factor in the breed and size of your dog or cat. It's important to measure them accurately for the best fit, and use the manufacturer's size chart as a guide. Different dog breeds may need different sized clothes as well--for example, dog coats might not necessarily fit pugs or small dog breeds while dog sweaters may look better on larger dog breeds like Labradors or Golden Retrievers. Don't forget to take a look at product images too; this way you can get an idea of how the garment would fit your furry friend. Also remember that some dog clothes are designed specifically for certain activities or weather conditions; lightweight t-shirts are great on hot summer days while heavier winter coats should be reserved for chilly winter months!

Tips for Shopping for Pet Clothing

Whether you’re shopping for dog clothes, cat clothes, or simply want to get your pup a cozy dog coat or dog sweater to keep them warm, it’s important to keep in mind their size, breed, and activity level when picking out pet clothing. Taking into consideration the climate of where you live is also key; if your dog needs a dog jacket then make sure it’s made from a durable material that will keep them warm and comfortable. If it's for a cat then look for lightweight fabrics that won't irritate their delicate skin and be sure to check for special features like adjustable closures or reflective materials. Additionally, items should always be easy to put on and take off since you want your pet to stay comfy all day long! When shopping for gifts consider personalized collars and leashes as well as toys designed specifically for cats or dogs — there are many gift baskets available too!

Conclusion

Shopping for dog clothes, cat clothes, dog coats, dog sweaters, dog jackets or cat sweaters can be an enjoyable experience! There’s something so rewarding in dressing up your beloved pet and making them feel special. However, it’s important to keep a few things in mind when you’re shopping: make sure that the fit is right for your dog or cat by consulting their measurements; consider their lifestyle when selecting a style and construction that is best suited to them; and importantly, have fun with it! With these tips in mind you’ll no doubt find the perfect pet clothing or gift for yourself or a special pet-lover in your life.

Foto: svetikd/Getty Images

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fulfillman · 2 years

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Best Dropshipping Products

Get More Bangs For Your Buck With – Best Dropshipping Products For Winter!

When it comes to dropshipping, there are always going to be specific products that perform better than others.

And as we move into the winter months, there are a few necessary items you can stock up on that are sure to sell. From cozy winter apparel to must-have accessories, here are the best dropshipping products for winter:

Christmas Trees

Natural or artificial, Christmas trees are always in demand during the holiday season. Make sure to stock up on a variety of trees so that your customers can find the perfect one for their home.

Winter Coats And Jackets

As the temperatures drop, people will hunt for warm outerwear to keep them comfortable. That is where you come in! By stocking up on winter coats and jackets, you'll be able to meet this demand and make a healthy profit.

Beanies And Hats

Beanies and hats are another great winter product to dropship. Not only are they essential for staying warm, but they're also stylish and can be worn year-round.

Winter Boots

When the snow starts to fall, people will need a good pair of winter boots to keep their feet dry and warm. It makes winter boots an essential dropshipping product for the winter months.

Scarves

Scarves are not only great for keeping you warm, but they can also add a touch of style to any outfit. And with so many different colors and designs, you're sure to find a scarf that appeals to everyone.

Gloves

Another must-have winter accessory, gloves are essential for keeping your hands warm when the temperatures start to dip. Plus, they come in handy for several activities like shoveling snow and driving.

Sweaters

Sweaters are always in style and make for a great winter wardrobe staple. And with so many different colors and styles, you will indeed find a shirt that everyone will love.

Winter PJs

As the weather gets colder, people will look for cozy clothing to lounge around in. It makes winter PJs an ideal dropshipping product for the winter months.

vimeo

Socks

Socks are another winter essential that people can never have enough of. And with so many different styles and designs, you're sure to find a pair (or two) that everyone will love.

Flannel Shirts

Flannel shirts are the perfect item for those looking for both comfort and style. And with so many different colors and patterns to choose from, you're sure to find a flannel shirt that everyone will love.

Conclusion:

Winter is officially here! And with a new season comes the opportunity for new dropshipping products to sell.

If you want more bang for your buck this winter, check out our list of the best Dropshipping products. We've covered you, from coats and jackets to boots and scarves. So what are you waiting for? Start dropshipping today!

By stocking up on these items, you'll be able to meet the demand and make a healthy profit. To learn more, visit our website.

At Fulfillman, we offer reliable and affordable dropshipping services to help you take your business to the next level.

Contact How To Start Dropshipping today to learn more about how we can help you succeed!

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ichorizaki · 4 years

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cosy up, cuddle down | o.t.

#PAIRING. oikawa tōru x f!reader #GENRE. fluff #WORDCOUNT. 2.5k #SYNOPSIS. your very bored boyfriend drags you out into the snow to build snowmen. unfortunately, a snowball fight broke out and now you’re shivering and in need of warmth.

✎ author's note is at the bottom of the piece.

Snow danced in the golden beams of sunlight, stunningly choreographed by the rhythm of the gentle winter breeze. The sky was but a grey sea of fluffy clouds overhead. Rays of the sun broke through the clouds like angels’ pathways down from the heavens above. Miyagi has been pelted with a thin white layer of snow, like the city was a cushion so warm and soft. Even through the windows of Aoba Johsai High school, the entirety of Miyagi Prefecture looked like a winter wonderland. Snow was by no means a rarity but it never fails to fill you with wonder and unbridled, child-like excitement.

However, it was a pity that you were so sensitive to the cold. You watched the snow from afar, in the confines of the living room with a mug of hot cocoa made by your ever so talented boyfriend. He was laying down on the couch with his head on your laps, hugging your leg like you’re his personal bolster. There was some movie playing on the television screen that you weren’t paying attention to and he was somehow so engrossed in it. Mattsun and Makki were always recommending him stupid movies to watch and more often than not, you and Iwaizumi were dragged into it too.

“Baaabe.”

“Hm?”

“I’m bored.” You brought the mug to your lips, sipping on the warm drink whilst also trying to get one of the tiny, slightly melted marshmallows to chew on. Upon succession, you placed the mug down on the coffee table before you while he shuffled his position so he could sit up straight. His deep honeyed gaze was fixated on you, lips twisting to the side and pouting cutely. “You’ve got some hot cocoa on your lips, silly.”

Before you could pick up a tissue to clean it or even swipe the remnants of the drink with your tongue, your boyfriend had leaned forward to capture your lips in a kiss. You felt warmth rush up your neck and to the apples of your cheeks, painting them a rosy hue; a telltale sign of how flustered you were by his action.

“Tōru!” Your hand flew over your mouth, brows furrowing in faux anger at him. He all but gave you a cheeky grin in return.

“What?” Oh, that shit-eating grin you wanted to wipe off of his face so badly. “Anyway, Y/N sweetie, I’m boooored. Let’s do something!” Like a child he bounced in his spot where he sat on the couch, legs folded underneath him.

“What could we possibly do, Tōru?” You asked. He hums, eyes fluttering shut while his index finger and thumb cradled his chin. He seemed an awful lot serious for someone who’s bored. Just what goes on in his mind, you didn’t know. Not that you minded. Sometimes his ideas can be rather genius. Other times, however . . . they’re purely idiotic and it’s during those times he’d end up in some shit with Makki and Mattsun that you and Iwaizumi have to end up cleaning. One time they tried to race on shopping carts in the parking lot of a neighbourhood mall. Long story short, Tōru ended up bruising his wrist while Makki had a sprained ankle. How Mattsun managed to escape unscathed remains a mystery to all of you.

“Let’s make a snowman.” You would’ve choked on your drink if it wasn’t placed far from your reach. Your face had distorted into one of abject horror at his suggestion, while his was akin to that of a child on Christmas morning. “What? It’ll be fun! I’ll wrap you up in many many many layers, I promise.”

“Tōru, that’s the least of my concerns right now,” you sighed. “There’s barely enough snow on the front yard to make a snowman.”

“Then we’ll make a mini one!” He responded as-a-matter-of-factly, like it was the most obvious thing to do; the perfect compromise for the snow, or lack thereof. “A cute little snowman. Maybe even more than one. We could make a whole family of mini snowmen!” You all but stared at him, not quite sure on what to make out of this idea of his. On one hand, you got to see his nose and the tip of his ears turn that adorable rosy hue of spring blooms in the beginning of winter. On the other hand, you were terribly sensitive to the cold. There was a reason why your parents were so against you leaving your house during this time of the year.

Tōru had slithered from his position across you and onto his belly, arms snaking around your waist. He dragged himself up into what resembled the cobra position, resting his chin on your stomach with that handsome grin of his on his stupid handsome– okay, Y/N. You gotta resist. Do not fall for his trap. Whatever you do, absolutely do not fall for his stupidly handsome grin, the one that never fails to make your heart flutter and race like you’re a girl in middle school all over again.

“Okay, we can make snowmen.” Well, you tried. That’s an A for effort. Maybe you could stall him . . .

“Yay! Y/N baby, you’re the best girlfriend ever, I love you so much!” His palms were now flat on either side of you as he pushed his entire body weight up to press another kiss to your lips. This kiss, you savoured all that you could of it. Your fingers trailed up to cup his jawline, tilting your head just the slightest so you could deepen the kiss. A soft hum of appreciation fell past his lips, swallowed by your own before his tongue had found its way swiping at your bottom lip. His rough, calloused fingers had now found purchase on your waist, hiding underneath the fabric of your sweatshirt. He massaged mindless and shapeless blobs into your sides while his tongue ravaged your mouth like a beast, making sure no corner was left untouched before he pulled away to catch his breath. “As much as I’d love to make out with you, I really wanna make snowmen, baby girl.”

It was your turn to pout, chest rising and falling as you chased for your breath. So your plan to make him stay inside a little longer was foiled. Could you refuse his cute face? Absolutely not. You were putty in his hands. He knew it, you knew it, and he knew that you knew it. Tōru leans back with that handsome grin of his so omnipresent on his face, resting his haunches on the heels of his feet. You missed the warmth of his touch but you knew one way or another, you’ll be back and cuddling up to each other.

As promised, your boyfriend had wrapped you up in a ridiculous amount of layers. He on the other hand, simply had a winter coat, a scarf, and a pair of gloves which had his name embroidered in an elegant golden. Your heart swelled with pride upon seeing that: it was an expensive gift that you’d gotten for him last Christmas. He was always complaining that his hands were cold, so you decided to get him a pair of gloves. Turns out, he was just making excuses to hold your hand during wintertime.

“Do you think we should make one by your gate so it can be seen by others?” Tōru takes your mitten-clad hands in his own, his warm breath billowing onto your joined hands. You looked up at him with a frown on your face. “What? No good?”

“If we’re gonna put it on the floor, why make snowmen at all, babe?” He nodded slowly in agreement. “How about on top of my mailbox? I’m pretty sure we can somehow try and balance it. The surface’s not curved.”

“Sounds good!” He cheered, leaning in to press a warm kiss to your lips. How could he be so warm in this cold weather? It was probably one of the perks of being an athlete, you guessed. ‘Athletes run hot’, you remember one of the boys said. You couldn’t quite remember who, but you distinctly remember your boyfriend agreeing because of his ‘attractive face and hot charms’.

The two of you walked over to the square-shaped mailbox embedded into the cobblestone fence that guarded your little house. Your task to build an army of tiny snowmen was quickly forgotten when your boyfriend had decided to smother your cheeks with snow. Yelping out from the sudden biting chill of the snow, you quickly bent down to scoop however much snow you could in your tiny hands before shoving it onto his chest.

“Y/N, that’s no fair!” He cried out at how cold the snow was as the temperature penetrated through his winter coat. However, peals of laughter quickly resounded in the air. “I’m so gonna get you for that, pretty girl.”

Your eyes watched him carefully as he scooped up a generous amount of snow in his palms. The second he began charging towards you, you were screaming while he chased you around the tiny yard. Your heart was rapidly beating against your chest as you tried to catch your breath. He was way too fast for you and quickly gained on you before dumping the snow on your head.

“Tōru!” You shrieked. “You’re so mean!” The chills of the wintry breeze caressed your rosy cheeks, tangling with the locks of your hair until you could feel it freeze among your strands. A sneeze ricocheted through your system. It was so strong that you jumped in your spot.

“Eh? Baby girl, are you okay?” Perhaps he had finally remembered that you were sensitive to temperature, especially in freezing negative digits. A loud gasp of realisation and shock was due when you suddenly sneezed once again.

Then another sneeze. And then another. And then another.

“Okay, okay! Immune system, quit being mean to my poor girlfriend!” He sulked, pulling you into his arms. Immediately you were embraced in warmth, but it wasn’t enough even through the five layers (yes, he made you put on five layers) of winter apparel. You were still sneezing and it was beginning to make your eyes water. Now, you were beginning to be afraid that your eyes were going to freeze up in the cold. Bursts of apologies were profusely coming from his lips like a desperate prayer to gain back the gods’ favour to somehow miraculously cure you that instant. Tōru swayed your body side to side, peppering warm kisses that felt like delicate butterfly wings made by the sun against your face. “Aw, my poor baby. Let’s go in, shall we? I’m so sorry for making you play with me, I genuinely forgot.”

“‘S okay, T-Tōr– achoo!” He finally guided you back inside where the snow could be observed from afar and heaters warmed up the space. No matter how slobbery your running nose was, your boyfriend was ever so kind to give you encouraging kisses on your cheeks and forehead while stripping you out of your winter clothes in your room. He ran around the vacuity of your house, already so familiar with the space having spent an ungodly amount of hours there to the point where your parents could recognise his shoes in the entryway, along with Iwaizumi’s.

He had always been so gently with you, and this moment was no different than the rest. He grabbed all of the comforters that you had, all of the blankets that were in the house (except for your parents’, of course) and tossed them onto the couch next to you. You would have complained if it wasn’t for the fact that Tōru was so frenzied by the idea of being the reason you were catching a cold.

“My poor, poor baby,” he cooed softly. His big hands were quick to wrap you in a layer, and then another, and then another, and one final one. Satisfied, he placed his hands on his hips and stared at you, bundled up in four different layers that wrapped around your body. All you needed left was him to cuddle you. “Anything I can get for you, baby girl?”

“Some hot cocoa, and lots of kisses and cuddles, please.”

“Okay, I’ll be a second. Don’t miss me too much, yeah?” Though his words were teasing, you knew he meant well. Before your boyfriend disappeared into the kitchen, his index finger and thumb cradled your chin to bring your gaze to meet his. He places a kiss on your forehead, the tip of your nose, and then finally one last kiss fully on your lips. “I love you.”

Ah, he just knew how to make your knees weak, didn’t he? The telltale heat of a blush creeped up your snow-cold cheeks and he grinned triumphantly. You could all but muster a weak response that mirrored his words exactly and then he was off into the kitchen. Right as he promised he was back before you knew it. Or was it because the cold was making your brain freeze too?

“C’mere.” Tōru gently peels the layers from your fingers so you could hold the mug with your two hands. As soon as your fingers came into contact with your mug, you swore you could have melted right then and there. Your nose was clogged no longer thanks to the steam from the mug and the heat that radiated had sent goosebumps rippling in waves from your hands and all the way to your spine.

He had settled himself right behind you on your bed, adjusting the pillows with one hand and being careful so he wouldn’t accidentally cause another accident. Tōru manoeuvred his way around like you were a glass doll until he could confidently settle his arms around your frame. Melting into his embrace, you’d nearly forgotten about the hot cocoa in your hands. You took small sips as he sung quiet hymns of praises and apologies right next to your ear. His chin rested on your shoulder while his left hand moved to caress your hair and tuck locks of it behind your ear. Given it was a little difficult, but he prized your comfort over everything else.

“Feeling comfy, my pretty princess?” He prompted when you handed him the half-finished hot cocoa. He reached over to place the mug on your nightstand. Your fingers were no longer freezing and you could finally feel your hands.

“Very.” You got onto your knees, turning around and resting on your haunches and opening up your arms with the layers of blanket acting as wings for you. To him, you looked like a cute little snow angel. “Now get your ass under the covers so we can cuddle.”

Tōru all but laughed. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around your frame before carefully laying the both of you down on your bed with you on him. His hand reached up to push the mountain of blankets and comforters away from your head so you could properly rest on his chest. Fingers carded through your locks, gentle and tender whilst he hummed a nameless tune. Warmth finally spread throughout your body and it felt like you were sinking into a warm, toasty marshmallow. Yeah, you were right: one way or another, you both ended cuddling up to each other.

꒰💌꒱ A LETTER FROM SOL!

hi @mindfulvenus! i’m your secret santa. i hope you love your gift and it was up to standards♡ oikawa tōru is a goofy, needy boyfriend and i will die on this hill i’ve created.

#oikawa toru fluff #oikawa fluff #oikawa toru x reader #oikawa tooru #oikawa x reader #haikyuu x reader #hq #bbthots #haikyuucreations #꒰⚡️꒱ ⨾ zeus’ thunderbolt

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sylvie-writes · 4 years

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hi um can i request a steve rogers x reader with fall/winter vibes? like fluffy parkas, hot chocolate, bonfires, kissing cold noses, idk. i'm soft

a/n: babe this is the best idea ever! I may have turned this into a one-shot...

Snow Day

The first snow of the season was one of the most beautiful sights. Seeing unique flakes flutter in the air, falling onto anything in sight, coating the world in a white layer of fascinating snow piles.

Today, you and Steve were just going to go out and enjoy some late fall, early winter festivities. Last night you even dug around in the coat closet to pull out for parka. It was your first winter coat of the season!

With the snow not falling to heavily, you and Steve were still able to keep your plans for the day, first stop, the farmers market.

You’re parka clad arm was wrapped in Steve’s. The man was only wearing a sweater, no jacket. Boy, had 70 years in the ice done him good.

The two of you strolled around the market, enjoying the little snowflakes falling on your hair. Like a child, you playfully stuck out your tongue to catch a snowflake as Steve looked over the apples in the crate. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of you out the corner of his eye. With a chuckle and turned back to the apples, with a free hand inspecting them. You heard his laugh and knew he had been staring at you.

After inspecting the bruised apples, you finally found some good ones at the bottom of the barrel. With the help of Steve, your numbly held the plastic bag and put in the apples. So maybe you should have brought gloves. As you put the apples on the scale, Steve paying the cashier, he once again caught sight of you, but this time seeing you warming your freezing hands. He politely said goodbye to the cashier and grabbed the bag of apples, walking over to you. The only thing that sucked about going to the farmer’s market while it snowed was that all of the “buildings” were outside.

Steve set down the bag and grabbed your hands in his, making you confused until his warmth encased your hands. He smiled at your blissful expression and you felt your cheeks warm under his gaze as he continued to warm your hands with his own.

Once your hands were sufficely warned, you grabbed Steve’s free hand, wanting to hold it, but with the cold, you held it in your coat pocket. Steve just smiled and kissed your temple.

You and Steve ventured around the farmers market, visiting some of the handmade items stands, where many talented people displayed handmade soaps, paintings, and even hand-sewn apparel. The farmers market was much more than fresh produce, it was a place where people came and expressed them selves. You always enjoyed talking with the stand owners, each of them telling you about their stories. The farmers market often attracted old souls and they were just so kind and friendly. In particular one older woman said something that made your heart warm.

You were looking over the scarves, an array of hand knitted accessories. Steve stood by your side, complementing you every time you asked his opinion on a scarf. Each answer was along the line of “you look gorgeous in anything, honey.”

Finally, you found a cream white chunky knit scarf, perfect for this weather. Yes, you were still cold.

As you handed the older woman some cash, you complimented her handiwork, to which she smiled and told you how the money was going towards her grandkids Christmas gifts this year. Just as you were about to walk away, she motioned for you to lean close.

“Darling, that man you have over there. Might I just say, he’s a keeper. Y’a know my husband used to look at me like that.”

She smiled reminiscing as if the man was gone, which you had inferred from her sad tone.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, he looks at you like you are his everything. Honey, he’s in love with you and might I say you look to be in love too.”

She offered you a kind smile and sweetly patted you on the shoulder.

Her words weighed in your mind as you thought about taking your relationship with Steve to the next level. Lately, you’d been imaging a future with him and the kind stranger’s words confirmed your daydreams.

“The scarf looks good, doll.”

You were met with Steve’s charming smile as he held out an arm for you.

“Well, thank you, Monsieur!”

Steve started to walk, and you just followed, not sure where you’d both end up.

“I saw this drink shop around the corner, they have hot chocolate! Whaddya say?”

You outstretched a hand in a “lead the way” mannerism.

A few steps later, you were at the shop, where only four people stood in line. You had only suspected that a small amount of people would be crazy enough to be out in this weather.

Putting in your orders, you waited a few minutes, soon having a large mug of steaming hot cocoa, large marshmallows floated atop, caramel drizzled over the fluffy squares, resting in your hands. You looked to Steve who had a hot cocoa mustache, making you laugh. He quizzically looked at you when you just shook your head and reached for a napkin. Gently, you dabbed his upper lip and he too started to laugh as you both looked into each other’s playful stares.

Hot cocoas finished, the day at the farmers market had been successful. Earlier, Nat and Bucky had invited you and Steve over for a bonfire that very evening and you both were more than happy to go. You calculated the time correctly as you and Steve were able to enjoy the farmers market, leaving just enough time for you to make it to Nat and Bucky’s.

You and Steve did a quick once over of the farmers market, making sure you hadn’t missed anything. Seeing as you’d hit up all the stands, you both started to head for the car. The sun was setting meaning the time was the bonfire lighting was nearing.

At Nat and Bucky’s place, they both welcomed you in with open arms, literally. Nat engulfed you in a hug as you hadn’t seen her in ages. Bucky doing the same. The two stood, arms wrapped around each other, making small talk with you both as you and Steve shed off your coats. Nat and Bucky were recently married and you only hoped to have a love as theirs with Steve. The way Bucky held her hand, or the way Nat kissed his cheek while they laughed over a joke, made you long for that feeling with Steve. They had recently moved into this lovely house and there was no better way to have a house warming party than by hosting a bonfire with your closet family friends.

Nat led you to the kitchen while Bucky and Steve went out back to light the fire. Your best friend had managed to remember your love for s’mores and got all the ingredients.

“Tasha. You did not.”

She smirked and popped a marshmallow into her mouth, eyes rounding.

“I very much did. Babe I haven’t seen you in ages!”

You looked down to the granite countertop, “I know. We haven’t seen each since Steve and I helped you move in three months ago.”

Looking up you saw her sad smile, as she assembled a tray with the s’mores ingredients.

You walked over to help her, “Never mind that, all that matters is that we are here now!”

Her lips tugged into a happy smile and she engulfed you into a hug.

“Girls! The bonfire is ready.”

You saw Bucky pop his head in through the sliding glass door, smiling at the two of you.

Natasha nodded and picked up the tray as you grabbed the roasting sticks.

Outside, the snow had stopped and now a minimal layer of white coated the grass. Regardless, it was still cold and you curled into Steve’s lap. There were chairs surrounding the fire and both you and Nat sat in your significant other’s lap.

Steve wrapped his arms around your waist, holding his own marshmallow over the fire as his head rested on your shoulder, allowing him to see. Nat and Bucky mimicked the actions and the four of you chatted and laughed, just like old times.

You turned to Steve who held a freshly-toasted marshmallow to your lips. The corners of your lips formed a smile as you laughed, mouth open. Steve loved seeing you laugh and he enjoyed these little moments. In the light of the fire, he could see you slightly shivering and went to kiss your ice cold nose. You smiled sweetly and stole the marshmallow from his grasp making even Nat and Bucky laughing at your antics.

The four of you stayed out till dark, wrapped in blankets as you all reminisced about the old times.

Little did you know, that this time next year you’d be in the same place, but as Mrs. Rogers, enjoying yet another snow day with your husband and your married buddies.

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x y/n #steve rogers fanfiction #Steve Rogers fluff #steve rogers one shot

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noisycowboyglitter · 2 months

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Chill Out and Enjoy: Tis the Season to Be Freezin' with These Frosty Favorites

"Tis The Season To Be Freezin'" evokes the chilly embrace of winter, when frost patterns decorate windows and breath becomes visible in the crisp air. This phrase plays on the familiar Christmas carol lyric, injecting a humorous nod to the cold reality of the season.

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As temperatures plummet, people bundle up in layers of wool and down, their faces barely visible beneath scarves and hats. Icicles form crystalline chandeliers from rooftops, while snow blankets the landscape in a hushed white. The season brings a paradoxical mix of discomfort and beauty, as nature showcases its frosty artistry.

Freezing weather transforms everyday activities into challenges. Simple tasks like starting the car or fetching the mail become mini-adventures. Yet it also ushers in beloved winter pastimes: skating on frozen ponds, building snowmen, and sipping hot cocoa by the fire.

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This time of year reminds us of nature's power and our own resilience. It's a season that tests our mettle but also brings communities together, as neighbors help shovel driveways and families gather indoors for warmth and company. "Tis The Season To Be Freezin'" captures this unique blend of adversity and camaraderie, celebrating winter's icy grip with a wink and a shiver.

"Funny Christmas" conjures images of holiday mishaps and lighthearted moments that bring laughter to the festive season. Picture tangled strings of lights, lopsided trees, and ugly sweater contests that push the boundaries of good taste. It's the chaos of last-minute gift wrapping, with paper cuts and tape stuck everywhere but where it should be.

Imagine the family gathering where Uncle Bob falls asleep mid-dinner, face-first in the mashed potatoes, or the cat that refuses to leave the nativity scene alone, continually repositioning baby Jesus. It's the poorly executed Pinterest crafts, the reindeer antlers on confused pets, and the inevitable burnt cookies that set off the smoke alarm.

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Funny Christmas is about finding humor in the imperfections of the season. It's embracing the awkward family photos, laughing at bad cracker jokes, and sharing those "you had to be there" stories year after year. It reminds us that amidst the stress and expectations, there's always room for a good laugh.

Infant Christmas gifts are thoughtful presents designed for the youngest members of the family celebrating their first holiday season. These items often blend practicality with festive charm, catering to both the baby's needs and the parents' desire to create memorable moments.

Popular choices include soft, Christmas-themed onesies, plush toys with holiday motifs, and board books featuring winter or nativity stories. Personalized items like ornaments or stockings with the baby's name and birth year are cherished keepsakes.

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Safety-conscious parents appreciate teething toys shaped like candy canes or snowmen. Developmental gifts such as musical toys playing carols or sensory blocks in holiday colors stimulate young minds.

For a touch of whimsy, miniature Santa outfits or elf costumes make for adorable photo opportunities. Ultimately, infant Christmas gifts celebrate new life while introducing babies to the joy and wonder of the season.

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silentexplorer18 · 5 years

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A Holly Jolly Christmas: A Draco Malfoy Short

Summary: You throw a party on Christmas Eve for some Hogwarts alumni. However, the weather has other ideas in mind for you this holiday season.

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Female Reader

Warnings: Slight mentions to before the war and not seeing your family at Christmas time.

Read it here on AO3.

Masterlist

Golden flickers trailed up the wall and over the glittering tree that burst from the corner of your parlor, the warmth of the fire adding a glorious heat to the otherwise chilly room. The tree was real, charmed to retain it’s deep green hue, and adorned with a plethora of festive ornaments. Garland trickled up the mantle and through the room, teasing doorways with hints of holly and mistletoe. For the second time that evening, you bustled through the homey space, assuring all the presents were snug under the tree and the cookies, one of many assortments of holiday treats, were arranged delicately on your favorite platter.

Everything was in order for a perfect holiday celebration. Thus, you were eager to open the door when the first set of sharp knocks echoed through your home.

Swinging open the sturdy wood, a cold gust of wind slapped against your figure as your blond guest slipped through the entryway, tailored shoes resting stiffly against your old, woven rug. His face contorted in distaste. Presumably, that’s what happens when a man of polished wood furniture and marble pillars and pristinely pressed outerwear encounters a woman of mismatched furniture and homemade holiday decor and distinctly overzealous Christmas apparel. That’s just what happens when Draco encounters you.

At least he had the decency to withhold a sneer; undoubtedly, his cheeks were too numb to form a proper one.

“Draco,” you spoke warmly, attempting to hide the discomfort in your voice at being alone with someone who quite earnestly abhorred your lifestyle, “I’m so glad you could make it. If you’d like, I can take your coat. Then we can wait in the living room for the others.”

He eyed you with an expression you couldn’t quite place, already beginning to unwind the snow speckled scarf from around his neck. “No one else is coming,” he stated, the sharpness of his tone forming a pit in your stomach with each new syllable. “The local floos are all shut down from the blizzard, and the weather is far too unfavorable for people to be apparating tonight.” Your look of shock morphed to one of disappointment and dismay before his very eyes, an expression he did indeed scoff at. “And as if things couldn’t possibly get any worse,” he huffed, “I’m trapped here until the storm lifts.”

Numbly, you took his scarf and coat, draping them over the coat rack near the door. Nobody was coming. All your festive excitement had been a waste. “I suppose you should make yourself comfortable while you wait,” you suggested, attempting to ignore his blatant disgust, instead opting to attempt a civil evening for the both of you. With a wave of your hand, he stepped into your all too festive living room. Draco spared you any scathing remarks on the decor, instead perching himself uncomfortably on one of your mismatched chairs. The beige paisley was hideous, even you had to admit, but the joy of it being yours, your first piece of furniture, made up for the unsightly pattern.

He held his hands toward the fire. Again, you were struck with what he had said: a blizzard. On Christmas Eve no less.

“Tea?” you queried.

“No, no thank you.” He mustn’t have been as cold as you thought.

“Is there anything you’d like?”

Another scoff. Pronounced even more with an eyeroll. Somehow, he still managed to make them appear elegant, posh even when they were directed toward you. “I’d like to be home on Christmas.” Tone icy, heat rose to your cheeks as he continued. “I don’t see why you feel it necessary to hold these parties so close to Christmas anyway.”

“Christmas Eve is as good a time as any to celebrate,” you shot back, not bothering to mask your irritation.

“Christmas is meant to be spent with family. These parties encroach on that time; it’s rather selfish of you.”

“I know,” you snapped, noting the way his brows arched in surprise. “I know.” With a huff, you plopped down on the carpet beside the tree, hands pulling out the carefully wrapped parcels. Silently, you began to sort them.

Potter. Weasley. Weasley. Weasley. Longbottom. Potter. Potter. Weasley.

The silence was almost peaceful until Draco had to break it. “What in Salazar’s name are you doing now?”

“Sorting,” you sighed, eyes raking up to meet his own. “I’ll need to owl everyone their presents now, won’t I? All of them but yours.” You continued sorting.

“Mine?”

Reaching under the tree, you pulled out a thin box with golden wrappings. The paper was ornate and glimmered in the firelight as you slid it across the carpet to him. When you’d done the wrapping, you’d adored the beautiful, golden cover, and figured Draco would find it lovely. The sinking feeling in your chest suggested you were wrong.

“You got me a present?” he asked, eyeing it warily. With a nod, you finished sorting the last of the packages, allowing yourself to look up at him again.

He’d picked it up while you weren’t looking, turned it in his elegant hands and examined it with a scrutinous gaze that seemed to bore through everything.

“I simply can’t take this,” he stated, holding the package out toward you. “I haven’t gotten a thing for you.” Aggravation still ebbed into his voice despite the fact that his gaze had softened considerably. “Your invitation clearly stated not to bring presents.”

Rising, you perched on the couch, clearly avoiding taking the box from his hands. “I know what I mailed out.” His pointed look prompted you to continue. “It’s just nice, is all, giving a little something to everyone. That’s what Christmas is all about, mind you, bringing people kindness and joy.”

“Well providing presents to people who can’t provide anything back certainly isn’t joyful,” he snapped. “Just take it, give it to someone else. Why waste your money on a gift for me, for any of us?”

“Not all of us have family to give gifts to.” You offered him a sad smile, and the look of surprise and discomfort that washed across his face, through his body, stiffened his spine all the way down to the bones in his dapper shoes, sent a pang through your heart.

“I thought your parents were muggles?” It was more a statement than a question, as you both remembered the word mudblood fall from his lips as you crossed paths in Hogwarts.

You bit your lip, choosing your next words wisely as he studied you. “They are.” Your tone was awkward. “I needed to obliviate them to protect them from…”

Death Eaters. You both knew the end of that sentence, both too uncomfortable to finish it.

Although you’d forgiven Draco for his part in the war, knowing wholeheartedly that his decisions, while seemingly wrong, were based on his upbringing and protecting those he loved, Draco seemed far less accepting of his choices. It seemed he would never forgive himself for what he’d done. What he often failed to forget was that regardless of what side he’d chosen, Voldemort’s or Harry’s, people would have died either way, and, regardless, he would have blamed himself for those deaths. Over time, he’d gotten much better at being unruffled by the mentioning of Death Eaters and the war, but tonight, on Christmas Eve of all nights, he wasn’t prepared for it.

“I should go,” he rushed out, rising and heading toward the coat rack quickly, having gently deposited the present on the coffee table. His coat was pulled on rapidly, scarf in his fist as he pulled the doorknob.

The snow was a good half a meter high with fluffy flakes still floating downward rapidly. Having followed him to the door, you stared in shock at the vast amount that had accumulated. With a shiver, you placed a hand on Draco’s elbow. The blond glanced at you, pushing the door shut again with nominal effort.

“I think I’ll take that tea now.”

The two of you sat on the couch together, a little farther from the fire but still warm nonetheless. Draping some blankets across both of your laps, you dug into some of the holiday treats you’d made for the party, gently sipping at tea along the way.

He’d been pleasantly surprised by your options, even offering a compliment as you displayed a small array of tea bags. The conversation was civil.

You could tell he was still uncomfortable from what you’d mentioned before, so you opted to choose a slightly different route. Desiring to be vulnerable enough to even the playing field, you began, “My parents only celebrated Christmas because they had me. My father hated holidays, all of them, and my mother was always exceptionally frugal. But they wanted me to experience Christmas, so they celebrated for a long time. I’ve gone back a few times after obliviating them, just to see how they are. I don’t talk to them or go inside, just use a little magic to check on them. They don’t celebrate anymore. I don’t exist, so they never had a reason to celebrate.”

Draco was staring at you, nearly gaping at your words. He probably would have been, were it not for his desire to appear poised and dignified at all times. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“Don’t be,” you shook your head. “They hated Christmas. If anything, I did them a favor,” you laughed.

He cracked a smile at your joke, eyes still holding a little guilt, but the joy was enough to move forward with.

Saying the two of you became fast friends would be a bit of a stretch, especially since you’d known one another since First Year, but as the night progressed, awkward silences became less frequent and there were jokes aplenty. The longer Draco was by your side, the more comfortable he seemed to become, offering a great deal of conversation amongst cookie munching and tea sipping.

By one in the morning, you’d drifted off to sleep on the couch beside him, and the blond realized with a flush that it was Christmas Day. Reaching forward hesitantly, he grasped the gold box in his hand, gazing at it in faint wonder. The paper tore gently and it didn’t take long for him to slide open the black box inside.

There was a note, incredibly simple in your neat scrawl, as if you’d taken time to assure your writing was pretty and legible.

Draco,

I saw someone with one of these and thought of you. I remember you saying once that you adore decorative things.

Happy Christmas!

Pushing open the tissue paper revealed a handkerchief. Cream colored and already folded for a suit pocket, he gazed at the swirling green lettering on the corner. D.L.M. It was elegant, beautiful in every embroidered loop and swirl the dark threads provided. Securing the box lid on it protectively, his cheeks flushed with realization as it occurred to him that it must have cost a fortune for you to purchase something custom for him, even getting the color down to the perfect Slytherin green - his favorite.

He had to make things up to you.

Eight in the morning was far too early to wake up on Christmas Day, you realized glumly as you rose from the couch. Bleary eyed and off balance from your unusual surroundings - it was not often you found yourself asleep on the couch -, a small sigh left your lips as you noticed Draco had disappeared. Gift no longer on the table and coat no longer on the hook, it was safe to assume he’d awoken and taken the closest floo back to the manor. He had mentioned his mother always adoring Christmas.

The light tap on the door startled you. It was not often someone came knocking at such an hour. Standing, you waved your wand, muttering a few quick spells to freshen your appearance before carefully opening the door.

It was Draco.

And more.

Before you could really register what was going on, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, Neville, George, Angelina, and all the children came bustling through the door, pulling off coats, unraveling scarves, discarding gloves, and offering jovial greetings.

Your eyes shot to Draco’s. He was waving his wand casually, the cookie trays replenishing themselves, kettle cleaning itself and preparing tea anew, blankets and pillows righting themselves on the furniture, and, of course, the presents sliding back under the tree, as well as a few others, a few new ones, that seemed to have arrived with your merry bunch of friends.

“Draco, what in Merlin’s name are you doing?” you asked, unable to hide the surprised smile on your lips.

With a smirk, he replied, “Spreading a little kindness and joy. That is what Christmas is about, after all.”

Your smile was priceless, and although he would deny it later, Draco was smiling, too, when you all sat down to enjoy a cheery holiday morning together.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you all enjoyed it. Happy holidays to all of you out there that celebrate. I hope you all are doing well. :)

#draco malfoy #draco malfoy x reader #draco malfoy fanfiction #draco malfoy imagine #draco malfoy x y/n

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lucy-mors · 10 months

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Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Marvel Spider-Man Gingerbread Dog & Cat Turtleneck Christmas Sweater (M) 1Pc..

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vikinglanguage · 5 years

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Winter in Danish

[Image description: A black and white gif of a snow falling in a little foresty area. End image description]

NB: fk. and itk. indicate grammatical genders. fk.=common (fælleskøn, “en”), itk.=neuter (intetkøn, “et”)

General vinter, fk. = winter december = December januar = January februar = February vintersolhverv, itk. = winter solstice juleferie, fk. = Christmas break (typically from around December 20th until January 2nd or 3rd) vinterferie, fk. = winter break (either week 7 or week 8, depending on the municipality) hygge, fk., uncountable = a general feeling of coziness, having a good time

Weather sne, fk., uncountable = snow at sne = to snow tøsne, fk., uncountable = big, wet snowflakes (falls when it is around or just above 0°C) frostsne, fk., uncountable = fine, dry snowflakes (falls when it’s below 0°) slud, itk., uncountable = sleet at slude = to sleet is, fk. = ice hagl, itk. = hail at hagle= to hail regn, fk. = rain at regne = to rain storm, fk. = storm at storme = to storm kold = cold (adj.) frost, fk., uncountable = frost istap, fk. = icicle frossen = frozen (adj.) snefnug, itk = snowflake

Holidays helligdag, fk. = holiday (not to be confused with ferie=holiday/vacation) hanukkah = Hanukkah* jul, fk. = Christmas (and no, it is not capitalised in Danish. Lowercase ‘j’ jul) lillejuleaften (fk.) = “little Christmas night”, 23rd of December juleaften (fk.) = Christmas night, 24th of December (in Denmark most people celebrate Christmas on the 24th) juledag (fk.) = Christmas day, 25th of December helligtrekonger(sdag) = Epiphany (holiday), Three Kings’ Day, 13th day of Christmas, 6th of January kyndelmisse (fk.) = Candlemas, 2nd of February Luciadag (fk.) = Saint Lucy’s Day, 13th of December nytår, itk. = new years nytårsaften (fk.) = New Year’s Eve

Foods and beverages te, fk. = tea varm kakao, fk. = hot chocolate snemandssuppe, fk. = “snowman soup”, hot chocolate with marshmallows and a candy cane Bismarck-stok · julestok · bolsjestok, fk. = candy cane småkage, fk. = cookie/biscuit gløgg, fk. = mulled wine (closely related to German Glühwein. Warm, spiced red wine, typically with raisins in) æbleskive, fk. = “apple slice”, a sweet dumpling-like “cake” made from pancake-dough, originally containing small pieces of apple (read more in Danish here and in English here)

Activities (main verb italicised) ski, fk. = ski at stå på ski = to ski snemand, fk. = snowman at bygge en snemand = to build a snowman skøjte, fk. = ice skate at stå på skøjter · at skøjte = to ice skate snebold, fk. = snowball sneboldkamp, fk. = snowball fight snowboard, itk. = snowboard at snowboarde · at stå på snowboard = to snowboard luciaoptog, itk. = Lucia procession (read more in Danish here and in English here)

Apparel (vinter)jakke, fk. = (winter) jacket (vinter)frakke, fk. = (winter) coat anorak, fk. = parka handske, fk. = glove vante, luffe, fk. = mitten (hals)tørklæde, itk. = scarf flyverdragt, fk. = snowsuit (vinter)støvle, fk. = (winter) boot

#danish #langblr #dansk #language #language learning #dansk sprog #winter #vocab list #vocabulary #danish vocabulary #holidays #vinter #scandinavia #original #danish langblr #tongueblr

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insanguinity-blog · 5 years

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Don We Now Our Gay Apparel

Like many who do not have families, my partner Francis and I have a network of friends and associates – a “chosen family” if you will – with which we are occasionally obligated to engage. I prefer to do this sparingly (family relations work best when they are sparing) but I unfailingly acknowledge the necessity of the network’s existence, and our need to maintain it. It is not an easy thing to be in this world without familial support. None of us should be without love.

My own contributions to the maintenance of this network take the form of letters and occasional visits, but I have not much gone in for ritual. This was to come to an abrupt end this year when Francis breezed in to announce, apropos of nothing, that we would be leaving on the 18th for “Family Christmas”. He had made a plan to assemble members of the family in New York City, had arranged that we would go to Midnight Mass at Saint Patrick’s, and was insistent that he would drive there via several other locations and up the scenic route through the mountains. He was also insistent that I would come.

Far be it from me to deny the spiritual significance that ritual electively invested with meaning does have, but it must be said that there is really nothing about December 25th of any true significance. It is not even canonically Jesus’ birthday and instead was celebrated as such in order to co-opt the Pagan Winter Solstice for political reasons. If Francis wanted to go visiting, I told him, why not just do it on his own schedule? The traffic, the accommodation, all of it, was sure to be pure hell. I did not particularly want to go, and I did not think he would enjoy it either. If we really were to visit family for a religious holiday, we’d be better to do it as part of giving up joy for Lent.

Francis did not find this funny and did not appreciate jokes about Mass. I said I was sure Jesus would have plenty of party guests, and that living as we do we are probably damned anyway, as I’m sure many of this paper’s regular readers do still earnestly believe, but he did not find this funny either. In fact, he told me to shut up and called me a Christmas Grinch. We were seeing family – and Jesus – for Christmas and that was that.

I know when I am beaten. Francis does not, I think, enjoy family so much as navigate to some internal sense of order and propriety that appears very much to make sense to him even if it cannot be easily translated to the world at large. And I do love him, and he would not be dissuaded, and thus it was, that with a triumphant spirit (his) and a weary heart (mine), we departed for New York by way of Louisiana (don’t ask).

Our nights spent with my boyfriend’s ex-boyfriend and his girlfriend (I did tell you not to ask) were eventful, but mild and warm in weather, meaning it had not occurred to either of us that any non-Freeway route via Appalachia would require snow tires. Ours did, and despite Francis’ careful planning, on the evening of the 24th, we found ourselves two days behind schedule, and still in Virginia. We had found a place we could replace the tires, but it would not be open tonight. New York was six hours away, and we were not going to make it to Mass even on clear roads. It was at this point that I begged Francis to pull over. The holiday season had defeated us both, and we discussed our next move.

Francis is Catholic, but it is not the style of Catholicism you or I might remember from Sunday school, in that he holds that god probably loves you and generally speaking will reward you for good behavior. I’m never entirely sure how sincerely he believes this (or perhaps how desperately he believes this) but it is what he usually says and as such I had not expected him to be as agitated about Midnight Mass as he was. He took it symbolically. We could not be with family and we could not go to Mass, and this must, he thought, say something of his value and fate in the universe. By the time we found a passable motel, he had combined mania and exhaustion into a Frankenstein’s monster of a mood, and I told him to lie down. He did so with a washcloth over his eyes and sighed dramatically while I phoned New York to tell everyone that we would be late.

Nobody minded. Everyone was content to remain in place until we could arrive. The date of Christmas was not, after all, significant, as one friend reminded me, before painstakingly explaining the pagan significance of Winter Solstice and its relationship to the Roman festival of the Birth of the Unconquered Sun while I politely pretended he had never done this before. What mattered is that we would see each other. I relayed all of this to Francis and he was soothed, but still distressed about Mass.

It is an odd thing to love someone. It’s odder still to love someone so much you walk the streets of a dead little Virginia town hoping against all hope that there will be a Catholic church that will let you attend Mass and will not notice that you are, for lack of a less pejorative term, Big City Homos. We did not find one, but once Francis pulled it up on his phone, we were able to locate one within drivable-without-snow-tires distance. We drove there as hastily as the roads allowed, arrived in time, sang along, praised Jesus and drank his blood as Catholics are wont to do, and headed back to the motel to sleep.

I didn’t hold his hand at Mass, of course – I’m certainly not stupid enough to do that in Virginia any more than I am in Alabama, and besides, I needed my hands for the rosary – but looking across at him in the candlelight during the service was quite enough for me. I’d made him happy, anyone could see that, and it made me happy to have done that, no matter the small concessions I’d had to make. Perhaps he was right after all: we need not consider ourselves exempt from normalcy or wholly damned provided we may have access to these rituals, and through them, family. It is hard to be in this world without family, after all. And, I thought of saying but did not: being in a church you’d prefer not to be, out of love and an attendant sense of obligation, what more authentic experience of Family Christmas could one have? (2011: Press-Register; Mobile, AL)

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stickystarspectrumtroll-ocs · 5 years

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This mashup

youtube

But with my OCs performing it!

Assuming they actually somehow got Eliote to participate.

Yes, it probably starts out with all of them chattering over just like this video does. Jasper’s definitely the one arriving late and asking around for the sheet music. Not sure who else is sayin what. Then Allets is the one to just shout “GUYS, SHUT UP!!!” to make it stop.

Now I’m gonna go through the song segments one by one. It’s gonna take awhile, considering I’ll be retyping all the lyrics, so I’m gonna put it under the cut.

DECK THE HALLS

(EVERY SINGLE OC)

Deck the halls with boughs of holly

Fa la la la la, la la la la [on these lines there are silhouettes of Jewel and Maddie T]

‘Tis the season to be jolly

Fa la la la la, la la la la [silhouettes of Penny and C.C.]

Don we now our gay apparel

Fa la la la, la la la, la la la [silhouettes of Finley, Allets, and Eliote]

Troll the ancient yuletide carol

Fa la la la la, la laaa, laaa, laaaaa! [silhouettes of Luna, Jasper, and Twig, with Twig’s being the biggest in the middle]

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU

(FINLEY)

I don’t want a lot for Christmas

There is just one thing I need...

(MADDIE T)

I don’t care about the presents

Underneath the Christmas tree!

(MADDIE T AND FINLEY)

I just want you for my own

More than you could ever know

Make my wish come truUuuue!

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAAAS, IS YOUUU!

Youuuu, baabyy!

JINGLE BELL ROCK

(PENNY AND TWIG)

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock!

(TWIG)

Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring!

(PENNY)

Snowin’, and blowin’, up bushels of fun

(PENNY AND TWIG)

Now the jingle hop has begun!

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock!

(PENNY)

Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time!

(TWIG)

Dancin’, and prancin’, in jingle bell square

(PENNY AND TWIG)

IN THE FROSTY AAAIIIR!

LET IT SNOW

(ELIOTE)

Oh the weather outside is frightful

(JEWEL)

But the fire is so delightful

(LUNA)

And since we’ve no place to go...

(ELIOTE, JEWEL, AND LUNA)

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!

(ALLETS)

When we finally kiss goodnight...

(FINLEY)

Oh how I’ll hate going out in the storm!

(PENNY)

But if you really hold me tight...

(ELIOTE, JEWEL, LUNA, FINLEY, ALLETS, AND PENNY)

All the way home I’ll be warm!

IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

(LUNA)

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

(JEWEL AND LUNA)

Everywhere you go

(JEWEL)

Take a look at the five and ten

(LUNA)

Glistening once again

(LUNA AND JEWEL)

With candy canes and silver lanes agloooww!

(JEWEL)

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

(LUNA)

Soooon the bells will staaart...

And the thing that will make them ring

(JEWEL)

Is the carol that you sing

(LUNA AND JEWEL)

Right withIIINNN youuur heaaaaart!

SANTA BABY

(PENNY)

Santa baby! [and there’s a caption saying “All I want for Christmas is snow and to play outside in it even if there’s sun”]

(MADDIE T)

Slip a sable under the tree, for me [and there’s a caption saying “All I want for Christmas is new spray paints and a pet duck”]

(ALLETS)

Been an awful good girl [and there’s a caption saying “All I want for Christmas is to build snowmen and make snow angels and snow demons and catch snowflakes on my tongue and have a snowball fight and go ice skating and ” but then all of that is crossed out and what’s written instead is “to make my parents proud.”] [OR: a slightly more positive variation would be for the original thing to say “my parents’ approval” but then THAT is crossed out and that whole list I mentioned before begins to write itself bit by bit instead]

(FINLEY)

Santa baby! [and there’s a caption saying “All I want for Christmas is straight A’s and some new books of spells and potions to try”]

(PENNY)

And hurry down the chimney toniiiiight! [and there’s a caption saying “All I want for Christmas is snow and books”]

(PENNY, MADDIE T, ALLETS, AND FINLEY)

And hurry down the chimney toniiiiight!

YOU’RE A MEAN ONE MR. GRINCH

(LUNA)

You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch [and there’s a caption saying “What I don’t want for Christmas is coal in my stocking for all the pranks I’ve pulled and the rules I’ve trampled and all the general mayhem and chaos I’ve sewn this year”]

(JASPER)

Youu reallyy aaare a heeeel! [and there’s a caption saying “What I don’t want for Christmas is to get sick while carrying out evil schemes up where the man they call Santa Claus lives”] [he’s probably heading up there to go steal presents, mess around with stuff in the factory, and snatch a few cookies along the way. coal’s all well and good for juggling, and for its actual use, but you know supervillains want presents too. oh, and C.C. will probably go after him and stop him, as well as fixing whatever he breaks and helping make sure everything gets back on schedule and all the kids get their presents--but she’s definitely gonna give Jasper a present or two as well. Heck, maybe Jasper will end up being forced to come with her to help Santa deliver presents, and they’ll end up getting into some witty banter and play-fighting a bit on the way. And she’ll give him his presents after that. Ooh, I like this......I better stop before I get distracted too much.]

(TWIG)

Your brain is full of spiders [and there’s a caption saying “What I don’t want for Christmas is Hug Time”]

(C.C.)

You’ve got garlic in your soul Mr. Griii-INCH! [and there’s a caption saying “What I don’t want for Christmas is for any supervillains to ruin the best holiday ever”]

(ELIOTE)

I wouldn’t touch YOU...with a-- [and there’s a caption saying “What I don’t want for Christmas is all those annoying Christmas songs on the radio 24/7″]

(LUNA, JASPER, TWIG, C.C., AND ELIOTE)

THIRTY-NINE-AND-A-HALF-FOOT POOOOOLLLE!

BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE

(C.C.)

I really can’t stay

(JASPER)

Baby it’s cold outside

(C.C.)

I’ve gotta go away

(JASPER)

Baby it’s cold outside

(C.C.)

This evening has been

(JASPER)

Been hoping you’d drop in

(C.C.)

So very niiice...

(JASPER)

I’ll hold your hands, they’re just like ice

(C.C.)

I oughta say no, no, no sir

(JASPER)

Mind if I move in closer?

(C.C.)

At least I’m gonna say that I tried...

(JASPER)

What’s the sense in hurting my pride?

(C.C.)

I really can’t stay

(JASPER)

Baby don’t hold out...

(C.C. AND JASPER)

BABY IT’S COOOLLLD OOOUUUTSIIIDDDE

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS

(ELIOTE)

Have yourself

a merry little Christmas...

Let your heart be light...

From now on, your troubles will be out of sight...

(ALLETS)

Through the years, we all will be together

If the fates allow...

Hang a shining staaar upon the hiiigheeest

booooouuuuugh...

(ELIOTE AND ALLETS)

And have yourself

a merry little Christmas

nooooowwwww

Jewel: Uh, is it over?

Penny: No! It’s just getting BETTER!

Twig: I’m TIRED X-(

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN

(JASPER)

Ohh, you better watch out

(C.C.)

You better not cry!

(LUNA)

You better not pout, I’m telling you why!

(PENNY)

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING, TO TOOOOO-O-O-OWWWWN!

(MADDIE T AND FINLEY)

HE SEES YOU WHEN YOU’RE SLEEPING

HE KNOWS WHEN YOU’RE AWAKE

(LUNA AND JEWEL)

HE KNOWS IF YOU’VE BEEN BAD OR GOOD

(ALLETS AND ELIOTE)

SO BE GOOD FOR GOODNESS’ SAKE!

(LUNA)

Ohh, you better watch out

(JEWEL)

You better not cry!

(TWIG)

You better not pout and I’m telling you why!!

(ALL)

SAAANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN!

(FINLEY)

Santa CLAAAusss IIIISSS cOoomiiin’...

(MADDIE T)

Tooo towwwn, towwn towwwwwn!!!!!

(ALL)

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING, TO TOOOOOWWWN!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!

[then they all laugh chatter on top of each other about how great that was, with Penny distinctly saying “We made it! Great job everybody!” and it all ending off with Twig going “Ew, C.C. farteddd" in a tone that’s very clearly very amused]

#pure self-indulgence #but eh #then again so's everything on this blog really #happy holidays #personal favorite #all ocs + c.c. and jasper

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mcspirkholidayfest · 6 years

Text

[Master Post] - Contributions from 2015 to 2018

2018 FEST

Round: Winter Holidays [Art, AOS] Stay Warm by tiirabird-art [Art, AOS] Christmas Wonderland Art by tiirabird-art [Fic, TOS] Holiday Season at The Intergalactic House of Parsnips by urbanspaceman [Fic, TOS] In Winter Snow Angels Sacrifice by klmeri [Fic, AOS] Tis’ the Season by snarkysnartes [Fic, TOS] Don We Now Our (Gay) Apparel by willstaywiththemforever [Fic, AOS] Silver and Gold by captainsandraclassof2029 [Fic, AOS] Secret Santa by waywardconsultingtimelady

Round: Halloween [Art, TOS] Fanart by tiirabird-art [Fic, AOS] Through the plane of existence by snarkysnartes [Fic, TOS] For All Tomorrows by lucidstillness [Fic, TOS] One Phase, A Bit to the Left by greensarek [Fic, AOS] Halloween Adventure by waywardconsultingtimelady [Fic, TOS/TOS MU] In the Hollow by captainsandraclassof2029

Round: Favorite Tropes [Art, AOS] Genderswap Art by spacefoxen [Art, TOS] Jealousy on the USS Starship McSpirk by inkfinch [Fic, AOS AU] For the World Is Hollow by starfleetdicks [Fic, AOS AU] A Temporary Thing by iwillstaywiththemforever [Fic, AOS MU] My Mind, Your Mind by beyondtriumvirate [Fic, AOS] Crash Landing by waywardconsultingtimelady [Fic, AOS AU] Sortilege by dewcake [Fic, AOS] Ash and Shadow (Here Comes the Hero) by ladybubblegum [Fic, AOS] Mission Critical by captainsandraclassof2029

Round: Halfway to a Threeway Team Spones [Fic, TOS or AOS] Silly Love Songs by urbanspaceman [Fic, AOS] Love Lorn by waywardconsultingtimelady [Fic, AOS] Summer Nights and Fall Weather Friends by captainsandraclassof2029 Team McKirk [Fic, TOS] Spock (Jolene) by greensarek [Fic, AOS] Don’t take him from me by beyondtriumvirate [Fic, AOS AU] Flowers Like White Stars by starfleetdicks Team Spirk [Fic, AOS] Best Laid Plans by moondragoness [Fic, TOS or AOS] For You by iwillstaywiththemforever [Fic, TOS] Our Snowfall in June by klmeri

Round: Valentine’s Day [Art, TOS] McSpirk Moodboard by movingplant [Art, AOS] Trio Baking Art by tealdearest [Art, AOS] Matching Pendants Comic by boomdeyadah [Art, TOS] Courting Comic by inkfinch [Fic, TOS] Romancing the Stone by urbanspaceman [Fic, AOS] Spock learning Valentines Day by waywardconsultingtimelady [Fic, AOS AU] River Bound by klmeri [Fic, TOS] Experiment 22 by greensarek [Fic, AOS] With Love from Me to You by iwillstaywiththemforever [Fic, TOS or AOS] Love is All We Need by dying-redshirt-noises [Fic, TOS] Giveth My Heart to You by captainsandraclassof2029

Bonus Fills [Fic, AOS AU] The Things He'll Never Know by urbanspaceman [Fic, TOS or AOS AU] You're Out, almost anyway by snarkysnartes

2017 FEST

Round: Christmas & Winter Holidays [Fic, TOS or AOS] Plus Two by urbanspaceman [Fic, AOS] A Starship Sweet Affair by klmeri [Fic, TOS] A Good Old Fashioned Christmas by captainsandraclassof2029 [Fic, TOS] Winter Love by waywardconsultingtimelady [Fic, AOS] Quarantine by berrystartrekkingwithsuperlock [Fic, TOS] Observance by greensarek [Fic, AOS] By Your Side by iwillstaywiththemforever [Fic, AOS AU] Close to the Chest by dewcake [Fic, AOS with AUs] Countlessly They Congregate by starfleetdicks

Round: Halloween [Mix, TOS or AOS] Autumn McSpirk by movingplant [Fic, AOS] Catspaw by waywardconsultingtimelady [Fic, TOS] Grave or Gone by klmeri [Fic, TOS] The Secrets That Makes Us and Break Us Apart by greensarek

Round: Mirror Universe [Fic, TOS or AOS MU] Reflections by captainsandraclassof2029 [Fic TOS MU] Nothing to Lose and No Choice in the Matter by kityana [Fic, AOS MU] A Grave Mistake by iwillstaywiththemforever [Fic, AOS with TOS MU] Taste Like Copper by starfleetdicks [Fic, AOS MU] Claimed by urbanspaceman [Fic, TOS MU] Desperation by greensarek [Fic, AOS MU] Changing of the Guard by klmeri [Fic, TOS MU] Gossamer Bonds by camshaft22 [Fic, AOS MU] Disease by waywardconsultingtimelady

Round: Parents’ Day [Fic, AOS AU] Fatherly Glow by waywardconsultingtimelady [Fic, AOS] Family Pre-Union by urbanspaceman [Fic, TOS] Father’s Day by tildytwo [Fic, TOS AU] Forgotten by greensarek [Fic, AOS] Daddy’s Little Girl by iwillstaywiththemforever [Fic, AOS] The One Thing We All Have in Common by hetercgeneity

Round: Valentine’s Day [Mix, AOS] punk trek by movingplant [Fic, TOS or AOS] The Cure (for a Rainy Day) by tildytwo [Fic, AOS AU] The Wonder that’s Keeping the Stars Apart by urbanspaceman [Fic, AOS AU] Valentines by waywardconsultingtimelady [Fic, TOS] A Well-Deserved Reward by greensarek [Fic, AOS] Thy Roses Came to Me by starfleetdicks [Fic, AOS] We All Fall Sooner or Later by hetercgeneity [Fic, TOS] Invitation for the Spellbound by klmeri [Fic, TOS] Happy Singles Awareness Day by captainsandraclassof2029

Bonus Fills [Art, AOS] New Year's Art by waywardconsultingtimelady [Fic, AOS] Finally by waywardconsultingtimelady [Fic, AOS] All we know by waywardconsultingtimelady [Fic, AOS AU] A Halloween Experience by waywardconsultingtimelady [Fic, AOS AU] Buns in the Oven by captainsandraclassof2029 [Fic, AOS AU] The Deep Orange of Embers by starfleetdicks [Fic, AOS AU] Airport by waywardconsultingtimelady

2016 FEST

Round: Christmas & Winter Holidays [Mix, TOS] cheery christmas by movingplant [Art, AOS] Kid!AU Fanart by sofluffygonnadieeee [Art, TOS] New Year's Fanart by sleepymccoy with Bonus Art [Art, AOS] New Year's Fanart by kaztial-does-art [Art, TOS] Ugly Sweaters Fanart by boomdeyadah [Art, AOS] McSpirk with Sarek Fanart by cocoamocha [Art, AOS] Trick or Treat Fanart by waywardconsultingtimelady [Fic, AOS] Human Tradition by regulationblues [Fic, TOS] Harsh Words, Consequences by greensarek [Fic, AOS] Ice Skating by waywardconsultingtimelady [Fic, AOS] Snow Globes by captainsandraclassof2029 [Fic, AOS AU] When It's Something Special by drmcbones [Fic, AOS AU] The Past Defines Us by goldberryintherushes [Fic, AOS] All the Lonelier Stars by starfleetdicks [Fic, TOS or AOS] Chrisanukkah New al-FitRek by tildytwo [Fic, AOS] Twue Wuv by iwillstaywiththemforever

Unfilled Prompts [Fic, AOS AU] Whatever A Moon Has Always Meant by starfleetdicks [Fic, AOS] Turnabout by drmcbones

Round: Halloween [Mix, TOS or AOS] Halloween Trek by movingplant [Art, TOS] Halloween Party Fanart by regulationblues [Art, TOS] Corn Maze in Costume Fanart by gracesartdump [Art, AOS] Costume Fanart by waywardconsultingtimelady [Fic/Art, TOS] Costume Fanart + Fanfic by sleepymccoy [Art, AOS] Annual Costume Ball Fanart by function-of-art [Art, AOS] De-aged Bones Fanart by boomdeyadah [Fic, TOS] An Unwise Trip by greensarek [Fic, TOS] There and Back Again by captainsandraclassof2029 [Fic, AOS] Halloween in Yorktown by waywardconsultingtimelady [Fic, AOS] Keeper of the McCoy by klmeri [Fic, AOS] We Knew What We Had by iwillstaywiththemforever [Fic, TOS] An Ever-fixed Mark by goldberryintherushes

Round: McSpirk Day [Mix, TOS or AOS] Space Love by movingplant [Art, AOS] AOS MU Art by goindownspookin (cocoamocha) [Art, AOS] Injured McCoy, Part One and Injured McCoy, Part Two by killercobalt [Art, AOS] Genderswap Art by gracesartdump [Art, AOS] Movie Night Art by sleepymccoy [Art, AOS] Outer Space Art by kaztial-does-art [Art, AOS] Female McSpirk Art by boomdeyadah [Fic, AOS] so i'm gonna love you (like i'm gonna lose you) by iwillstaywiththemforever [Fic, AOS] Fly Me to the Moon and Let Me Play Among the Stars by captainsandraclassof2029 [Fic, AOS] Walking the Worlds by klmeri [Fic, AOS AU] No Love for You [Like Mine] by starfleetdicks [Fic, AOS] Let Not Your Past Define You by assininecreator [Fic, TOS or AOS] Anniversary by thecaptainandthesergeant [Fic, AOS AU] No Heart for Me [Like Yours] by starfleetdicks

Round: Mother’s/Father’s Day, Independence Day, Chekov Tribute [Art, AOS] Mother's Day Art by boomdeyadah [Fic, AOS] Bids and Blessings by klmeri [Fic, AOS] As the Summers Die by starfleetdicks [Fic, AOS] Fatherly Figures by green-blooded-computer [Fic, TOS] Space is No Place to Raise a Child by assininecreator [Fic, AOS] Sins of the Father by boomdeyadah [Fic, AOS] Sarek, Part One and Sarek, Part Two by sleepymccoy [Fic, AOS] A Union to Remember by klmeri [Fic, AOS] One, Two, Three by iwillstaywiththemforever [Fic, AOS] Best Laid Plans by starfleetdicks [Art, AOS] Chekov Tribute Art by kaztial-does-art [Art, TOS] Chekov Tribute Art by cocoamocha

Round: Valentine’s Day [Mix, TOS or AOS] Sweethearts Fanmix by movingplant [Art, AOS] A Romantic Time Fanart by killercobalt [Art, AOS] Jealousy Comic by gracesartdump [Art, TOS] Comic by sleepymccoy [Art, AOS] Bonus Fanart by killercobalt [Art, AOS] A Secret Admirer? Comic by kaztial-does-art [Fic, TOS] Uncertainty by assininecreator [Fic, AOS] Lovably Persistent by iwillstaywiththemforever [Fic, AOS] Does He Love You Like He's Been Loving Me by captainsandraclassof2029

2015 FEST

Round: Christmas [Art, TOS] Trio Kisses under the Mistletoe by mohtz [Fic, AOS] It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year by zeldaismyprincess [Fic, AOS] Family Outlives the Season by klmeri [Fic, AOS] Break a Leg by iwillstaywiththemforever [Fic, AOS] Kiss for Prosperity by starfleetdicks [Fic, TOS] Krystallos II by imaredshirt

#2015 fest #2016 fest #2017 fest #2018 fest #master post #mcspirk #mcspirkholidayfest

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diabolicxl · 6 years

Text

Sunrise

DATE ❦ December 29th, 2018 LOCATION ❦ Lake Harmony, Ashbourne. WORDCOUNT ❦ 4,451 TRIGGERS ❦ Drowning SUMMARY ❦ Philippe meets Kolya so he can keep him company as the vampire watches the sunrise for the first time in seventy years.

The tree set up at the center of town square was sizeable, but what caught his sight were the colorful lights that decorated it, flickering in and out of view like fireflies, attached to no source of power. There were all sorts of decorations hung on the tree however, from hand sewn felt ornaments to hanging figurines and the more traditional Christmas balls. Few were the people left around to appreciate the view as the light of day approached and even the nightwalkers were driven back into their homes.

Philippe checked his wristwatch to make sure he was in time, then pocketed his hands and looked around Kolya. He no longer wore that hideous ugly sweater from earlier, but a button up shirt and a coat to keep himself from growing colder. The weather didn’t affect vampires as much as it did the living, but he did prefer not to feel marble cold. A few steps around the quietening square and he spotted Nikolai in the distance. He looked particularly excited --- or was it worried? --- by the prospect of facing the sunlight.

He met him halfway, taking the time to assess the change of clothes. “The only good thing about ugly Christmas sweaters is that they only happen once a year.” Philippe came to a stop in front of him and smiled. “Are you ready to see the sun?” Those words were often presented as a threat to vampires, but in this case they were genuine. Philippe couldn’t remember the last time he went seventy years without a daylight ring. He hoped that never happened to Nikolai again.

It had taken Kolya all of thirty seconds to decide that the best way to cleanse himself of any lingering embarrassment over having waltzed around in that ugly sweater was to make up for it by reminding himself and everyone else with eyes that he did, in fact, still have just as much taste as ever. As a result, he’d ended up dressed a little higher class than one might have needed to be for a visit to the town square, but at least he felt more himself, dressed in pants made of a fitted gold fabric, dark boots and a black jacket with what was perhaps an excess of shiny gold detailing. But gold was appropriate for viewing the sun, wasn’t it?

Upon catching sight of Philippe, naturally the first thing he’d done was inspect what the other vampire was wearing as well. Considerably more flattering than what he’d been in earlier. Kolya made his way over to him, gave a slight wave in greeting. “The bad thing about that is that it gives me an entire year to figure out how to make the next pair even worse than the last,” He teased, offering a smile in return. Kolya removed his right hand from his pocket and looked down at it, tilting it back and forth and watching as his daylight ring reflected what faint light it managed to catch. “Yes,” He said. “I am. Well, mostly. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little…” He shrugged and gnawed on his lower lip for a second before he tore his gaze from the ring and looked back up at Philippe. “I know there are tons of vampires that walk in the sun every day, and maybe it’s not supposed to feel like such a big deal, but it feels like a milestone. And… reaching this milestone doesn’t feel so much like turning a page as it does opening an entirely new book. Does that make sense?”

He almost felt underdressed at the sight of him, though the feeling didn't linger for more than a second or two and he appreciated the view. Nikolai would've been beautiful even without the aid of his perfectly fitted apparel, if the earlier look was anything to go by, but this did help. Philippe grimaced at the threat, "I just realized I'll be busy next Christmas." The words were followed by a teasing smile.

There was a certain hesitation in the air. For a moment Philippe wondered whether the other vampire worried the ring wouldn't work. He wouldn't be the first to doubt its power. "It is a big deal." He frowned. "I have given Henryk five years, but it took me decades to get my own. Back then it was much more difficult to get a hold of a witch who was both willing and capable to make you one."

Philippe motioned around them, to the shadows and the darkness. "You make perfect sense, Nikolai. The night can be a prison too, and it will not keep you anymore. You will enjoy writing this book." He creased his forehead, averting his gaze from the vampire. "Maybe we should a better setting for the first page, no? How about the lakeside?"

"Too busy for me?" Kolya questioned, feigning shock. He flattened a palm over his heart and failed to completely hide his amused grin. "Philippe, you wound me. I don't know if I'm capable of recovering from such a vicious blow." He sighed, and then a smirk spread across his face. "Well... it's alright. If that's the case, I'll just have to make us matching Halloween costumes."

The fact that Philippe seemed to know what Kolya meant came as a relief, and his shoulders lost a little of the tension they'd been carrying. He listened quietly as Philippe spoke of how hard it had been to get his own first daylight ring. "Can I ask... what it was like for you? Were you afraid?" He searched Philippe's face. "What did you feel your first time in the sun as a vampire?"

Kolya could have counted the number of times he'd ever been told that he made perfect sense on one hand. Maybe with one finger, even, and though it was just a small reassurance it warmed him. Philippe understood. "I have a feeling I will," he said, and smiled, just a soft curve of the lips. "The lakeside sounds perfect." Kolya tucked his hands into his pockets and sent one last glance at the tree, running his fingers along the little felt star ornament he'd stolen from it earlier. Something nobody would miss, a small little memento from the night he'd kissed his years stuck in perpetual darkness goodbye. Maybe not all endings were bad. He turned and offered Philippe a smile. "Shall we?"

The dramatic acting amused him, but it was only the threat of a matching Halloween costume that drew a huffed out chuckle out of him. He was impossible.

"I suppose I was." Creasing his forehead, Philippe revisited his memories. So much had become a blur of emotion. Actions were erased within time, but how you felt clung to you through the centuries. "It was a long time ago, when the world was still riddled with ignorant superstition. I knew there were daywalkers among us, but I found it hard to trust." He threw him a look. “I had to give it a try though, how could I not? And it felt incredible, like conquering death. Again.” Philippe lifted his hand to glance down at his daylight ring one more time, making sure it was still there. “Such a small thing, and it eliminates our biggest threat.”

Matching the vampire’s smile, he joined him on his walk towards Lake Harmony. “We shall.” The daylight touching the skin of the water would look beautiful. It occurred him that that’d be his first dawn in Ashbourne too. A few months in the dark already felt like penance, Clio had done Kolya a disservice. “How do you think this will affect your routine?” Philippe knew he took the late night shifts at A Stitch in Time so he didn’t expect any radical changes.

Kolya averted his eyes, avoiding Philippe’s gaze as he spoke of ignorant superstition. He gave a wry grin, a slight, embarrassed flush staining his cheeks. “I suppose I’m… a little wary of the idea. Putting so much trust in a witch, specifically.” Like conquering death. Again. Kolya glanced at Philippe and wondered what the story behind that was, but it was hardly polite to ask someone how they’d died. He was, in fact, capable of controlling the things that came out of his mouth- most of the time, he just didn’t choose to bother doing so.

“I’m not sure,” Kolya admitted. “My life has revolved around the night for so long now. I’ve missed the sun… but I guess I grew used to the idea that it just wasn’t a part of my life some time ago. I don’t know what will change. Most vampire customers come in at night, and my boss seems to think that I’m the least likely to be eaten by them,” he joked. “I’ll still work at night, but the rest of the time… I’ll probably shuffle things around. Routine gets boring.” He shot a glance at Philippe. “I think about running my own business sometimes,” Kolya confided quietly. “Opening a shop. That way I’d be my own boss and I’d have all the spotlight to myself. But it’s such a small town, and tailoring isn’t exactly the most thriving business ever. I don’t know how well trying to compete with an already established business would go.” He shook his head. “What about you, though? Got any big plans for what you’ll do in the daylight?”

Conversation made the trek to the lake pass by easily enough. The water was beautiful even now, and Kolya could only imagine what it would look like with the rising sun painting the surface a myriad of hues. He wandered close to the water, not enough to get his boots wet but enough to observe it. Someday he’d go swimming in it, when the setting was different and the weather was warmer, but for now the urge to strip down and climb in was just a fleeting one. “How much longer do you think it will be?” He whispered, looking up at the sky as if searching for a sign. He was still nervous, a set of butterflies swarming in his stomach, but Philippe’s company helped.

“Oh,” the vampire nodded and his expression melted into a warmer smile, “I see. It is true that vampires have been fooled by witches in the past, but that wouldn’t happen here.” He threw him a quick glance. “Not to you.” Kolya was far too likable to pick a fight with a witch, he was sure there was nothing to worry about. If it’d been a hateful creature like a certain Orphan vampire he knew, Philippe would understand the hesitation, but it didn’t seem like Kolya posed any threat to the witches. Kolya should be fine.

Still, he reached for him to plant a hand on his nape into a supportive gesture. “Trust me then. If anything happens, I will move you away from the sun.” He didn’t think that would be at all necessary, but if it was, he was willing to put in the effort.

“Routine does get dreadfully boring.” Philippe let out a heavy sigh. It was the most sickening thing about Ashbourne, its stillness. “If you need a head start, I could always eat your boss.” He barely contained the amusement at the corner of his lips. “Eliminate the competition.” Philippe made a pause as he mulled over his own predicament. “I like to wake up at noon, give up a little of the night for the sun. I suppose that will always depend on how interesting the evening turns out to be.”

As they walked, he watched the lake fall under their line of sight. The water was still, as if keeping secrets from them. “Lakes always remind me of that tale about the woman who fell in love with the moon, do you know it?” He came to a stop, watching as Kolya wandered closer to the edge of the water, and took off his coat to set it down on the floor before taking a seat. “It shouldn’t take more than ten minutes now.”

It wasn’t often that anyone asked Kolya to trust them. Not with any level of seriousness, at least, and rarely did Kolya ever truly, fully give it. The words caught him off guard and so did the hand touching the back of his neck. Not in a bad way, if the slight discoloration that stained Kolya’s cheeks was to be any indication. It was just a friendly touch, he reminded himself, a reassurance, but oh, he liked having Philippe’s hand there. Kolya shot the man a look, and if his eyes were half- lidded when he did so- well, that was entirely out of his control. “Alright,” he said. “I’ll trust you.” Simple words, but nothing more was needed. Sometimes simplicity fit better than extravagance or excess. There were half a dozen stupid little jokes he could have made, too, something about hoping Philippe was a man of his word or about being glad for their proximity to the water in case Kolya went up in flames, but this moment, whatever it was or might be, would slip away soon enough. Kolya didn’t want to break it prematurely.

Despite the scandalous, gory nature of Philippe’s next offer, Kolya couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, if you’re going to eat anyone, you might as well choose the most productive option, right?” He threw back. Prone as he was to having a rather tense view of competition, he’d never viewed murder as a solution. “That sounds like a good way to do it... get the best of both worlds.” Kolya couldn’t picture himself wanting to spend his time beneath only the sun or only the moon, at this point. Maybe he’d try and split his time between the two as well, as much as he could, at least.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever heard it. Will you tell me?” Kolya requested. He watched Philippe spread his jacket on the ground with mild horror, and bit down on his lower lip as he made his way closer. One jacket in this equation was a lost cause already, might as well capitalize off it as much as he could. “Don’t laugh,” He requested as he came to a stop, though he was nearly laughing at himself as he did so. He wasn’t unaware of the fact that he was high maintenance when it came to such matters, but at least he could own up to it. He held up one finger as he spoke. “I don’t want to get my pants dirty, but I’d sooner stake myself than sit on this jacket. It’s new. I’ve been working on it for weeks. Yours is already grimy, now, so… can I convince you to scoot over and share? Pretty please?”

There was something very real about the way he looked at him when he promised to trust him. Philippe wasn’t blind to the vampire’s interest, but made use of what little self-control he had to keep himself from hurting Kolya. He didn’t make it any easier by looking at him like he’d like to be kissed though. Averting his eyes, he watched the dragonflies kiss the skin of the lake as he listened to the vampire’s colorful laughter. “I never miss out on the chance to solve two problems at once,” he offered, playful, and matched his expression with an amused smile.

It was not all that uncommon that he’d grown closer to the vampire in such a short span of time, but he supposed he had been more… honest with him than most. To a disconcerting extent at times. “It worked for me when I lived in Louisiana.” Another detail that was better off left unsaid.

“There was a woman locked in a tower who grew mad. She fell in love with the moon and, when she saw its reflection in the water, she threw herself from the tower and drowned.” Philippe looked at him to see whether the story had saddened him. “I think about it every time I see the lake, I’m not sure why.”

It was his turn to laugh, and the almost foreign sound crawled up his throat and spilled out. “Please, join me,” he said and scooted over to make room for him. “You can warm me up. I did sacrifice my jacket.” In the distance, the sky started to change color, clearing as the sunlight peaked from behind the canopies of the woods.

Kolya watched Philippe until he looked away, and even then his eyes lingered, a slight crooked grin crossing his face before disappearing as he looked back at the path ahead of them. Interesting. “Resourceful, hm? That’s a good trait to have,” Kolya said, and nudged him lightly with an elbow, and then he shook his head. “A tried and true tactic, then. Philippe the Boss- Devourer. You know I have to ask about Louisiana now… what job was it for?” He asked, as incapable of choking back his insatiable curiosity as ever. Philippe had yet to seem bothered by it, at least. Kolya wanted to learn about his history, wanted to hear about all the little events that had turned him into who he was now in addition to the bigger ones. “You don’t have a job here in Ashbourne, do you? What sort of things have you done in the past? I’ve only ever notably been a tailor. I mean… pickpocketing, petty theft, busking, odd jobs for money… but I don’t think those count the same way designing and making clothes does.”

Kolya stayed silent as he considered the story. It had taken a turn he hadn’t expected and it left him feeling rather melancholy and introspective, but he didn’t regret having asked. It was something he’d think about later, something he’d turn over in his mind and examine again and again, a story that would stick. It made his head spin, not only trying to understand it now, but trying to decipher what Philippe thought the story meant as well

Kolya grinned as Philippe laughed, completely ignoring his warning not to do so. Kolya found he didn’t mind in the slightest. Worth it, to draw that sound out of him. “Thank you,” He said, taking a seat on the jacket and pressing close, willing to give all the warmth he possessed. Maybe being a vampire was counterproductive to such a task, but he’d do his best. He pressed his side against Philippe’s, and after thinking about it for no more than a second he lifted one hand up to rest right below the other man’s shoulder blade, not quite an embrace, but almost. He let his thoughts return to that story of the woman and the moon. “What do you think it means?” Kolya asked, voice hushed. “...I suppose we all have something we’d drown for,” He whispered, staring at the surface of the water. All or nothing. What was the point if you had nothing in your life you wanted badly enough to risk death for? What worth was there in a passionless existence? “Do you think she was very different from Icarus?” He thought aloud, voice still soft. “Except… I suppose the difference is that Icarus was warned. Don’t fly too close to the sun.” He stared at the water for a moment longer before looking at Philippe. “But he was warned not to fly too far from it, either. Not to fly too low.” He fell quiet again, his eyes on Philippe for a long moment before they went back to the water.

He kept his eyes trained on the scenery, growing transfixed by the sky, the way the dark of the night slowly bled away and gave way to streaks of color that began painting the horizon. Night had shades as well, but not like this, not so bright that it looked foreign, blues and pinks and oranges and yellows, a myriad of hues broken up by the sharp, skeletal lines of tree limbs with the glassy surface of the lake reflecting it all. Kolya’s lips parted, his fingers unconsciously curling in the fabric of Philippe’s shirt. It looked too gorgeous to be real, hypnotic in a way no work of art could imitate. There were no words to adequately describe the display. Eventually, with a wide, breathless grin slowly taking over his entire face, Kolya found the presence of mind to glance at the man beside him, wanting to see if Philippe was just as awestruck by the rising sun as he was.

Philippe turned to look at him with brows furrowed in confusion, though he couldn't hide the appreciative smile on his face. "I meant the schedule, but I suppose the murder too." He breathed out a short chuckle, then his expression melted into a pensive one. Avoiding the subject of Louisiana would only make matters worse. "I worked as a Councilman for the Queen in Louisiana, but most of the work I did was investigative. There was someone in town killing vampires and she needed someone to handle it." He wouldn't mention the fact she had requested him to spy on his fellow members of the Council too. "Prior to her request, however, I have only focused on Research. Witchcraft." He threw Kolya an amused once-over. "Petty theft? Who are you?"

The tale was followed by silence and for a moment he wondered whether it'd been too melancholic a subject to bring up in the presence of a Cupiditas. "Icarus was an arrogant fool. He was greedy. Hers was a simple tragedy, a mad woman who did not know what she was doing. Despair," Philippe decided. "I can't say I know what it means, but it stays with you. I suppose we are all afraid to want something so badly we might drown."

He watched Kolya as he looked into the horizon, drinking in every color that painted the sky. His lips parted, it seemed like his breath had been taken out of his lungs and he barely noticed. The light shone in his eyes with such a childish, innocent wonder, such a mesmering look, it brought a genuine smile to Philippe's face. During the sunrise, they were not as cold as the melting snow, at least not Kolya anyway. The sunlight poured in and out of him and he looked more alive than ever in the glow of the warm yellow sunrise. He looked away only when his gaze was caught staring, and he moved his eyes to watch the sun climb on to the sky from behind the canopies of the woods that surrounded Ashbourne. "Isn't it worth risking a little sunburn?"

“Oh,” Kolya said, and grinned, somewhat embarrassed that he’d misunderstood. “Well, that makes more sense, I guess. I just had boss- eating on the brain.” He remembered when they’d first met, Philippe had told him he was sixteen centuries old. That was a long, long time to have dedicated to witchcraft. Who are you? A big question, one Kolya hardly knew the answer to himself sometimes. He wasn’t the same person he’d been seventy years ago, wasn’t even the same person he’d been twenty years ago. He doubted Philippe had meant it as anything more than a passing joke where the petty theft was concerned, though, and that made it easier to come up with a reply. He shrugged. “Someone who survived,” He answered. “Clio had her work cut out for her when she turned me, getting me to be all domesticized.” Russian gutters in the twenties made for wild boys.

Philippe’s description of Icarus twisted Kolya’s mouth into an amused grin. “I suppose you’re right,” He said, though he wasn’t sure at all whether that was where his own thoughts on the matter truly lied. It was something he wanted to sit and contemplate for another twenty minutes, the woman and the lake, Icarus and the sea and the sun. As he stared at the open water, he thought that he, too, would likely think of that story every time he saw the lake from now on. Maybe the only way to truly understand her madness and the story was to experience it for yourself- after all, she wasn’t around to give any explanations.

Philippe looked away, but Kolya allowed his own gaze to linger for a moment, appreciating the way the rising sun illuminated his face, the way he looked against the backdrop of the early morning winter sky. “More than worth it,” He agreed quietly. “Thank you, Philippe. For encouraging me to take that risk, and for being here with me to see it."

Philippe hadn't given much thought to the person Kolya had been before he became who he is now. It sounded like it'd been a mistake. A wild young boy growing up to be as sweet as Kolya sounded like a delightful tale for another time. He smiled. "I am sure she never regretted that." A Cupiditas could hardly have, and he supposed his company was just aware of that as himself.

The other vampire kept quiet, but he didn't seem terribly melancholic. Philippe had given him something to think about, and hopefully it wouldn't be entirely saddening. The tale was as beautiful as it was tragic. That was the allure of love, was it not? Potentially deadly, but oh so enjoyable too.

"Someone had to make sure you didn't postpone this for another day." He watched his brown hair take on golden hues when it caught the light. Philippe could almost see it, the moment Kolya decided he looked better in the sunlight. The idea made him widen his smile into a grin and he bit back a laugh. "The morning is very bright and still. It feels like there is nothing else out there, doesn't it?" Turning to watch the light shimmering on the surface of the water, he added, "If you are not too tired, let's stay here for a while, yes?"

“And that I didn’t burst into flames,” Kolya pitched in, because that had been a valid fear. It did feel a little silly in retrospect, now that it was no longer a concern, but you just never knew. He followed Philippe’s gaze back to the lake and smiled. “It does,” he agreed. The world was quiet, and if Kolya were to close his eyes he could believe that it was empty save for himself and the man at his side. For the first time he could remember since he’d arrived in this town months ago, Kolya didn’t feel trapped. He smiled, and when he spoke, his voice was soft. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”

#kolya ivanov: 4 #& discord.

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