#Waterproof Fairy Tale Light

[headcanonsandmore]

'Fright Night' Chapter One

Summary: In a dark and stormy planet, the Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Nyssa find themselves separated from the TARDIS and are forced to seek refuge in a old castle nearby. However, strange things are afoot on this alien world and, in the gothic rooms and corridors of the castle, one of the time-travellers begins to find themselves changing...

~~~~~~~~~~~~ Read on AO3.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘Tegan, I think you’re being a bit overcautious.’

Tegan zipped up her waterproof jacket.

‘I don’t care what the Doctor says,’ she replied, checking to make sure that her boots were properly laced. ‘We don’t know what weather this planets going to have; I may as well be prepared.’

Nyssa chuckled. The Trakenite was sat at the end of Tegan’s bed. She was wearing her new stripy shirt, with the jersey tied around her middle. Tegan ignored the stammer in her own heartbeat as Nyssa kicked her legs absentmindedly beneath her.

Why had Nyssa decided to stop wearing her usual jumpsuit? On the one hand, Tegan could understand that Nyssa had likely gotten tired of wearing the same sort of clothing every day, but… good grief, Tegan’s heart was having a tough time seeing so much of the Trakenite’s legs.

It really wasn’t fair. Nyssa had always been pretty, but Tegan seemed to get distracted by her every other moment these days. It was as if her time spent away from the TARDIS had changed how she viewed the wonderful woman she shared a room with. Nyssa was her best friend, and she had developed a crush on her, probably from the moment they had first met on Logopolis, but now… that attraction had evolved beyond a simple crush. And Tegan knew -was absolutely certain- that Nyssa had no idea that Tegan saw her that way. More than that, Tegan was sure that Nyssa did not see her the same way.

So, here she was, in love with her best friend who didn’t realise that her feelings had grown beyond the platonic.

‘You sure you’re alright? We can pick up a thicker jacket for you from the TARDIS wardrobe if you want’

‘It’s fine,’ Nyssa said, smiling as she got to her feet. She picked a light waterproof jacket off the coat-stand nearby, her brown curls bouncing prettily. ‘Let’s go.’

Nyssa slipped the jacket on, and immediately linked one of her arms through Tegan’s. The Australian felt her heartrate escalate, as it always seemed to do whenever Nyssa initiated physical contact without warning.

Hoping against hope that she wasn’t blushing, Tegan allowed Nyssa to walk them out of their bedroom, and down the corridor towards the console room.

The Doctor was, of course, waiting for them, wearing an expression of excitement as he took readings from the central console.

‘Ah, there you both are,’ he declared, looking up as they entered. ‘Rather splendid planet, by the looks of things.’

Tegan exchanged a look with Nyssa, who giggled. The Australian ignored the giddy dance that her heart made at the sound, and raised a disbelieving eyebrow as she turned to look back at the Doctor.

‘Really?’

‘Oh, ye of little faith,’ the time lord, wagging his finger at her. ‘Come along, let’s go and have a look around…’

*

Tegan stared at the brooding forests around them, the dark clouds above that seemed to cast the entire landscape in a dim twilight, and could even hear the sounds of unpleasantly course birdcalls. The TARDIS had landed on what appeared to be halfway down a mountainside. In every direction, all that could be seen were dense forests with a scattering of towering cliffs inbetween them. If Tegan didn’t know any better, she would have assumed the Doctor had deliberately landed in darkest Germania during the dark ages.

‘Splendid planet?’ she repeated, with a frown in the time lord’s direction. ‘That’s one way of putting it. Doc, this place looks like something out of Grims Fairy Tales!’

The Doctor glared irritably at her, before unfurling his hat from his jacket pocket and setting it neatly on top of his head.

‘Always the pessimist, aren’t you, Tegan?’ he said. ‘Cheer up; you and Nyssa both have jackets, and I’ve got my umbrella, after all.’

‘What umbrella-’

Out of (apparently) a jacket pocket, the Doctor pulled out a long umbrella. The handle seemed to be formed into the shape of a question mark.

Smiling smugly, the time lord unfurled the umbrella, and put it over his shoulder.

Tegan gave him another glare. The Doctor ignored her, and set off along the path that weaved down the mountain towards a river, which streaked jaggedly through the forest.

Nyssa gave Tegan an encouraging smile, and the Australian allowed herself to be led along by the arm. She really wished she could say no to Nyssa when the Trakenite smiled at her like that, but she knew that it was impossible. Those soft grey-green eyes had a habit of burrowing into her soul. And the irritating thing was, not only did Nyssa clearly have no clue as to the effect she had, but that Tegan liked it. She would have stopped time if Nyssa asked her to. It was as if her heart had a massive “property of Nyssa” stamp on it.

Overhead, there was the distant rumble of thunder. In the horizon, Tegan could see rain falling over the forest trees. She felt gooseflesh erupt unpleasantly up her skin; every single atom of her being was telling her to get back inside the TARDIS now.

‘That doesn’t sound good.’

‘Oh, probably just a spot of light rain,’ said the Doctor, airily, from in front. ‘I find the weather isn’t nearly bad as initial impressions suggest.’

Tegan doubted this very much, but by this point they had reached the river. A small stone bridge lay across it.

There was another rumble of low thunder.

Nyssa slipped her hand into Tegan’s as they followed the Doctor across the bridge.

‘Nys?’ the Australian asked, softly, as she turned to look at the woman stood next to her. ‘You okay?’

Nyssa nodded, quietly.

There was another crack of thunder, and this time, Nyssa’s hand squeezed tightly against Tegan’s.

‘It’s okay,’ Tegan said, giving a soft smile. ‘I’m here.’

Nyssa smiled, cheeks dimpling.

‘Thank you, Tegan,’ she said, softly. ‘I always feel safe when you’re here.’

Tegan felt her heart well with love for the Trakenite. It was all she could do not to burst into tears right there and then, and throw her arms around her friend.

‘I’m sorry for leaving you,’ she eventually said, ignoring the lump in her throat.

‘Don’t blame yourself for that,’ Nyssa said, with a nod of her head towards the Doctor. ‘You weren’t to blame.’

‘I heard that!’

Tegan laughed, as the Doctor let out a huff and strode off at a faster pace.

‘You didn’t leave me, Tegan,’ Nyssa said, still smiling at the Australian. ‘I’m just happy that I managed to find you again.’

‘Almost sounds like you missed me.’

‘Of course,’ Nyssa said, with a gentle nudge of her shoulder. ‘I can’t have a universe without you, Tegan Jovanka.’

Tegan’s heart seemed to pummel against her chest. What the hell did that mean?

‘N-Nys,’ she stammered, feeling her face burn. ‘I… you don’t have to… I don’t deserve you-’

There was another loud rumble of thunder, and the two women startled, coming to a stop.

The path they had been walking along was stretching upwards across the other side of the valley. The Doctor, a few hundred feet in front, turned to face them and pointed up the path.

There was a crack of lightning.

On a rocky outcrop sticking out from the mountainside was a castle. Well, somewhere between a castle and a fortified keep. It must have been at least two hundred feet tall, with ramparts and several towers stretching up. Gargoyles of strange creatures adorned the outside and Tegan could have sworn that, in the afterglow of the lightning, they seemed to move.

The path led up to the main doors, which stood at least ten feet high.

There was another crack of lightning, and the heavens opened.

Near instantly, the rain seemed to crash down around them, turning the path into a mud pit. Tegan squeezed tightly on Nyssa’s hand to help them both stay upright.

The Doctor charged down the path, wobbling as he struggled to maintain his balance amid the mud and rain. His umbrella was barely keeping him dry. 

‘Over the bridge, now!’

The two women turned.

A horrible sight met their eyes.

Looking down the path towards the way they had come, Tegan let out a groan. The bridge had sunk beneath the rising water of the river.

The three time-travellers turned once again and, feet slipping, ran up the path towards the castle. The path gradually became stone-paved as they grew closer, and Tegan was glad for the change, as she could already feel her boots beginning to get dirty. As they reached the entrance, the Doctor hammered on the huge doors, which swung open with a horrible creak. The time lord hurried inside.

Scrambling inside out of the wet, Tegan pulled Nyssa by the hand after her. The Trakenite seemed to have been momentarily shocked by the sudden change in weather.

Looking around, Tegan now saw that they had entered into some sort of entrance hall. It was rather small and cluttered, with various suits of armour haphazardly shoved anywhere they could fit. Several pairs of walking boots had been left scattered nearby a large doormat, which was a tired burgundy colour and had clearly seen better days. The door, in front of which the mat stood, was in barely better condition.

The Doctor pulled the doors shut behind them, and put down his umbrella, wiping his brow with a damp sleeve.

‘Well,’ he said, with a bit of irritation. ‘I suppose you’re going to tell me that you told me so-’

‘Never mind that!’ Tegan exclaimed. ‘Look at Nyssa!’

The Trakenite was shivering under her jacket. Damp curls lay against her face, and Tegan was horrified to see that Nyssa’s cheeks had turned a cold pink colour. 

Without thinking, Tegan unzipped Nyssa’s jacket and helped her friend out of the wet garment. She wasn’t sure why she herself wasn’t feeling the cold as much; perhaps Traken had a much milder climate? Whatever it was, Tegan didn’t like how cold Nyssa was to the touch. She immediately put her own hands around Nyssa’s and began to rub them, trying to get some warmth into the younger woman’s skin.

‘You bloody stupid time lord!’ Tegan said, glaring now at the Doctor. ‘I swear, if she gets hypothermia…’

‘She’ll be fine,’ the Doctor said, feeling Nyssa’s forehead with his palm. ‘Although I don’t recommend that we go back out into that storm anytime soon. Perhaps if we see if the inhabitants of this place can put us up for the time being…’

The Doctor stepped over to the door, and wrapped smartly on the wood with his knuckles.

‘Hello?’ he called. ‘Anyone home?’

Tegan quickly pulled off her jacket and was glad to find that, aside from a little bit of rain on her trousers, she was mostly bone dry. Her boots, of course, had been waterproof anyway. She was immensely thankful that she had decided to wear a warm wool jumper over a blouse, with thick winter trousers; why on earth she had ever thought that a pair of shorts and matching tube-top was a suitable outfit for rainy cold Amsterdam was beyond her.

Well, actually, she had thought it was cute and decided to wear it on the off-chance that she might meet Nyssa again, but that was beside the point. 

She immediately wrapped an arm around the young woman’s shoulders, rubbing her side. With her other hand, she continued to rub Nyssa’s hands.

Nyssa gave a shiver, before sneezing.

‘T-thank you, Tegan,’ she said, a little nasally. ‘Sorry, I’m not normally this bad when it comes to rain.’

‘Hey, don’t worry about it,’ Tegan replied, as softly as she could. ‘We got caught unawares by that storm; let’s just focus on getting you warmed up, okay?’

Nyssa nodded.

At this point, the door opened

‘Oh, hello!’

The speaker was an elderly man. He was balding, but with large tufts of white hair around his ears. A large pair of spectacles was perched on his nose, and he wore a long white lab coat over a battered suit. He looked like the textbook definition of “mad scientist” but his eyes -magnified through his glasses- were kind and gentle.

‘Good evening!’ exclaimed the Doctor, hurrying forwards and shaking the man by the hand. ‘My apologies for the intrusion, but I’m afraid we have become separated from our craft in the storm.’

‘Oh, another storm?’ said the old man. ‘Those are always terrible at this time of year. I tend to stay inside mostly… can’t deal with the cold at my advanced years, I’m afraid.’

‘Understandable,’ the Doctor agreed. He then looked back at Nyssa and Tegan. ‘Er… my young friend here is somewhat the worst for wear; could we get her some warm blankets?’

‘O-oh, yes; please, come in…’

Nodding encouragingly to the two women, the Doctor followed the old man inside. Grimly, Tegan squeezed Nyssa’s side in a supportive manner, and followed. The door creaked shut behind them.

‘Welcome to my home,’ said the man, as they walked into a large sitting room. It was a rather cluttered place, filled with bookshelves crammed haphazardly with old tomes. A couple of slightly dusty-looking sofas adorned the middle of the room. Several test-tubes lolled on a desk, which was covered with scattered papers. ‘I’m afraid I don’t normally have visitors, so you’ll have to excuse the mess. You know how it is, being on your own and focused on work.’

‘I know the feeling,’ the Doctor replied. ‘I’m the Doctor, that’s Tegan, and the young woman who is currently feeling the worst for wear is Nyssa.’

‘Professor Brockenfeld,’ the old man said, smiling kindly at Nyssa and Tegan. ‘And it’s a pleasure.’

‘Oh, you’re a scientist?’ exclaimed the Doctor, now squinting at the titles of the books on the shelves.

‘Yes!’ exclaimed Brockenfeld, eyes widening in excitement. ‘My current field of specialty is preventative medicine, you see. All throughout the galaxy, people want to live longer and healthier. So I’m currently researching scientific means beyond the usual diet-and-exercise that is normally recommended.’

‘Fascinating,’ said the Doctor, keenly. ‘Gosh, it’s wonderful to meet another scientist. Nyssa, weren’t you looking into preventative medicine a while back?’

In response, Nyssa gave another squeeze. Tegan glared at the Doctor reproachfully. However, the time lord didn’t seem to notice, and instead launched into a lengthily discussion with Brockenfeld about the various aspects of his research.

Tegan rolled her eyes.

‘Can you understand what they’re saying?’

‘Mostly,’ Nyssa said, thickly. ‘But I’m afraid I won’t contribute much to the conversation.’

‘That’s more than I can. C’mon; let’s see if we can find a kitchen and get you warmed up; that rain chilled you to the bone…’

*

The kitchen was thankfully not too far away.

It was a bit tidier than the rest of the house, and reminded Tegan somewhat of recreations of Victorian-era kitchens that she’d seen during history class in school. Well, except the various machines that kept steaming randomly. Tegan gently eased Nyssa into a chair, and then doubled back to an airing cupboard they had passed on the way.

She pulled several thick, warm blankets out from the wooden shelf sat above the boiler, and hurried back to Nyssa. She quickly wrapped several of the blankets around Nyssa, who gave a contended sigh of gratitude.

Now… hot drinks were in order.

On the plus side, the kettle did not steam randomly, and barely a minute later, Tegan had poured out two mugs of hot chocolate, one of which she gently placed into Nyssa’s hands.

The Trakenite gave a soft moan as she slowly digested the warm drink.

‘Better?’ Tegan said, smiling as she sat down next to the younger woman at the table.

Nyssa nodded.

‘Thank you, Tegan,’ she said, returning the smile. ‘You’re always so lovely to me.’

Tegan shrugged, feeling a little self-conscious.

‘Hey, what are best friends for, eh?’

Nyssa’s cheeks turned a healthy pink hue as she grinned.

‘Oh, Tegan…’ she said, eyelashes fluttering. ‘Am I really your best friend?’

Tegan wished Nyssa would stop smiling at her like that; it wasn’t doing her heart any good to see the undisguised joy on the younger woman’s face.

‘No-one better,’ Tegan said. ‘I… you mean so much to me, Nyssa.’

‘I imagine probably roughly the same as you do to me.’

Tegan doubted that very much, but she decided not to say anything. It wasn’t Nyssa’s fault that Tegan had fallen in love with her, after all. Well, technically, it was her fault, but Tegan could hardly hold that against Nyssa. If anything, she held it against herself for continuing to pine for the sweet, kind woman who clearly saw Tegan purely as her platonic best friend. 

*

Once they had finished their drinks, and when Nyssa was thankfully warming up, Tegan had suggested that they head back to the Doctor and Brockenfeld. However, Nyssa had then suggested that they take a detour.

‘Are you sure it’s alright for us to be walking around?’

‘I don’t see why it wouldn’t be; Brockenfeld did welcome us in, after all.’

Tegan looked around. The corridors of the castle were uncomfortably dark, even with the pale electric lanterns that dotted the walls at regular intervals. The darkness was… heavy here, as if the light was intruding on it at its own risk. Tegan also felt uncomfortable speaking loudly. It almost felt like the castle itself was listening in on them. An uncomfortable shiver went up her spine.

‘You’re braver than me, in that case.’

‘I’m not as brave as you, Tegan.’

‘You always say that, but didn’t you hold up the high council of Gallifrey at gunpoint?’

Nyssa flushed. In the half-light, the effect was rather wonderful.

‘How did you-’

‘The Doctor told me,’ Tegan said, trying not to think about how cute Nyssa looked whilst blushing. ‘You’re a bit of a dark horse, aren’t you, Nys?’

‘What… what does that mean?’

‘A bit different than initial appearances would suggest.’

‘Oh,’ Nyssa said. ‘Er… what is my initial appearance, then?’

‘Cute as a button and twice as adorable. Too good for this world.’

‘Oh, Tegan…’

Nyssa was now smiling fondly at her. Tegan felt her own face flush.

‘W-well, it’s true,’ she stammered. ‘You are cute. Cutest woman I’ve ever met, and all…’

‘I would have thought you were cuter, Tegan.’

‘Now you’re just trying to make me flustered.’

‘Is it working?’ Nyssa giggled. ‘You do look pretty when you’re blushing, Tegan.’

‘Oh, ha ha…’

Tegan reached out and put her arm around Nyssa’s shoulders, pulling the younger woman closer to her. The Trakenite let out a happy sigh.

‘Thank you,’ Nyssa said, softly. ‘You’re so sweet, Tegan.’

The two walked in silence for a while, before coming to the end of the corridor. A large door -open- stood in front of them.

Nyssa smiled at Tegan, and the Australian found herself being pulled by the hand into the room.

*

The room -or laboratory, as it clearly seemed to be- was mainly covered in large work benches, which were themselves covered in all manner of scientific instruments. On one long wall, bottles of brightly coloured liquids bubbled away, as if on a slow simmer. Tegan bent down to examine one of them; even from a distance, it smelled vaguely of gone-off cheese.

‘Geez, what do you reckon all this stuff is?’

‘I suppose it’s part of the professors research,’ Nyssa replied. ‘If he’s trying to prevent diseases, then it would make sense to investigate animals with different immune systems to humanoid creatures.’

Tegan nodded, as she continued looking. There appeared to be two huge vents in the ceiling, one of each end of the room. At present, both seemed to have grates covering the entrance to each. Strange, Tegan thought. For ventilation, perhaps?

‘Bit Hammer Horror, isn’t it?’

‘Er… what?’

Tegan cursed her own ignorance.

‘Sorry, Nys; it’s a series of films on Earth.’

‘Oh.’ Nyssa said, with a nod. She didn’t seem hurt by Tegan’s forgetfulness. That she’d forgotten Nyssa wasn’t human, again. ‘Are they any good?’

‘The TARDIS probably has some; I don’t know if they’d be your thing, though. Bit scary.’

‘Scary?’

‘I… oh, I’m explaining this badly. Horror films are films that you watch to deliberately scare yourself.’

Nyssa stared at her, perplexed.

‘Why would you do that?’

‘Er… it’s kinda thrilling, I guess,’ Tegan replied, lamely. ‘And… well, when you watch it with friends, it can be fun.’

‘Oh, I see!’ Nyssa said, eyes widening with apparent understanding. ‘It’s an earth bonding activity, yes? Well, I’d be happy to do that with you, Tegan. As… as long as you don’t mind me holding your hand during?’

Tegan knew fully well that she wouldn’t mind that at all.

‘S-sure,’ she stammered. This was bad, this was bad. ‘I’d gonna go check this bit out…’

There was a portion of the room that was separated off from the rest. Almost like a bunker of sorts, with thick panels. The door stood open.

Tegan headed inside. There was a panel located just inside, looking out over the room. The panel itself was covered in buttons and levers, all of which seemed to be connected to different wires, that ran down into the ground.

TEST 3624 ENGAGED!

Tegan swung around, shocked at the robotic voice that had spoken out of the speakers set into the roof of the booth. The door slammed shut behind her.

Nyssa hurried over, and stared at her friend through the glass of the booth.

‘Tegan?’

‘Nys, there’s some sort of test happening!’ Tegan yelled, through the thick glass. ‘You need to find Brockenfeld and get him to turn it off!’

‘I will!’ Nyssa said, eyes wide with concern. ‘I’ll be back soon!’

The Trakenite hurried across the room but, as she got halfway to the door, there was a horrible… horrible sound.

The sounds of the grates being opened, as if automatically. The door to the laboratory swung shut. 

Nyssa spun round, confused, and her eyes met Tegan’s.

And then they heard it.

Out of one of the huge grates, there was a noise. It was low level at first, but it grew louder by the second, increasing with each passing moment. It was a ghastly, haunting sound. It was a sound that gnawed at the primordial corners of the human psyche. The sound that had terrified Tegan’s distant ancestors, way back in the mists of time. Of a multitude of animals all screeching at once.

Before Tegan’s horrified eyes, a black cloud of bats erupted from out of the duct. Hundreds of them, wings flapping wildly, each of them screeching at the tops of their voices. And heading straight for the Trakenite woman stood in the centre of the laboratory.

‘Nyssa!’

The bats swarmed around the Trakenite, who gave a great cry of surprise. The bats were so great in number that Nyssa vanished inside the buzzing mass of them all. There was a sickening thud as the Trakenite dropped to the floor.

Tegan cried, banging her hands on the glass, ignoring the pain that came with it. She had to do something! Her mind buzzed with terror.

Thinking widely, she turned and began to press buttons on the control panel.

TEST 3624 TERMINATED!

The bats fled out of the second shaft, leaving the crumpled form of Nyssa lying on the ground.

The door to the control room (as Tegan now understood it to be) swung open, as did the main door of the laboratory, and Tegan charged out, running straight for Nyssa.

Dropping to her knees, Tegan turned the Trakenite over. Was… was she…

Tegan’s brain refused to contemplate the end of that sentence. A universe without Nyssa was too horrible a prospect to consider.

Nyssa’s head lolled on her shoulders, eyes closed. Her face was horribly pale, but…

Thank goodness; she was breathing!

Tegan’s pulse calmed slightly, but only a little. Nyssa was clearly much the worst for wear, and she needed medical attention immediately.

No broken bones…no bruises aside from the one on her leg from where she had landed on the stone tiles… no visible signs of trauma…

Tegan’s eyes swept over her friend, quickly assessing the situation.

Unfortunately, maybe a little too quickly.

Because, as she checked Nyssa’s breathing, Tegan failed to notice the marks. Barely visible, just under the collar of Nyssa’s shirt, were several bite marks in the white flesh of her neck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for reading, everyone; hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my spooky Halloween fic! I did promise a fang-tastic October, after all!

[redheadspark]

hey idk if anyone’s asked for this yet but 14 with jack russel?? i’d love to see what you write xx

A/N - I think this is great for Jack! Thanks for requesting this, my friend!

Cinderella

Summary - Jack was always a fan of fairytales

Warnings - Just some fluff for Jack :)

"Jack, do we really have to do this?"

"Yes! It's the perfect timing for it!"

You had to roll your eyes as Jack was kneeling in front of you, helping take off your old books that were worn to the bone and placing them on the side. Your socks stayed on, thick and warm up to your mid calves to keep warm from working out in the snow for most of the morning. But Jack made you come in towards the end of the day, greeting you in the snow as he was returning from a recent monster hunting job out in Sweden.

And he brought you a gift.

You two lived out in the woods, in a rural part of Canada that had no real town for at least 50 miles. It was the perfect place for Jack with his lycanthropy and his need to transform every full moon, with no humans in sight for miles, and plenty of open space for him to roam if he needed it. You both were glad you moved out there some time ago, right after you got married and wanted to settle down. The cabin you found was in decent shape, Jack bought it from an old colleague of his and a past customer that he helped with his monster hunting. With some fine-tuning and a fresh coat of paint, the cabin was your home.

The perfect home.

You loved working outdoors, it brought you peace in a chaotic world. Thanks to getting solar panels and your own wifi working out in the middle of nowhere, you still worked as a journalist. Jack had some decent money thanks to his profession, so there was no real need to be worried about living comfortably in the woods.

One downfall though, was that your clothes would get worn out faster. Some of the winter clothes you had would only last one season and then you would have to buy more in preparation for next winter. Jack never had to worry about it since he ran hotter than the normal human. It was a perk on your end when he would wrap you in your arms and be your personal thermos on colder nights.

But this time, it was your boots that were done.

You were Facetiming Jack a few days before, talking about the upcoming snowstorm that was going to come for the next 5 days and you prepping the cabin. Jack asked if you needed something that he could buy for you, knowing fully well you two would be snowed in for those 5 days with no way in or out until the storm blew away.

"I don't think so, but my boots are on their last legs,"

"That bad, Amor?"

"Yeah, but I think this season will be the last for them, I can manage,"

You weren't expecting Jack to pull in with a trunk filled with food, supplies, and a special box with your name on it.

"How do you know if you got the right size?" You asked playfully, hearing him scoff.

"As if I don't know my own wife's shoe size!" He said in a sarcastic tone, you giggling as he then took off the box of the box and moved the wrapping paper to the side. There was a fresh new pair of winter boots, dark brown and already laced, nestled in the box and ready for use. You grinned widely as Jack took out one boot and held it delicately in his fingers.

"The salesman said these are waterproof, the newest model, and the top of the line!" He said with pride, swiping his thumb over the top of the boot before he then faced you with the opening of the boot near your toes.

"Shall I place it on, Cinderella?" He asked in his light tone, you laughing with a hint of blush on your cheeks.

"Remind me to never introduce you to fairytales," You joked, Jack laughing.

Jack loved a good story, whether it was true or not. He was amazing at telling a tale, ever since you two got together you would be entranced with all the monster stories that he would share with you, or would be willing to share with you. You would hang on to his every word if you could, and you in return told him all the fairytales that you grew up with as a child.

Jack loved every single one.

He seemed like a young child hearing them for the first time, making you stop mid-way through a story to ask questions and get to the bottom of some of the open ends.

"You mean she only needed a kiss to wake up?"

"Why would be want to be a human when she was a mermaid?"

"So he only needed happy thoughts?"

You answered them all of course, always happy to see Jack's face light up in joy as you went from one story to another. But his favorite was Cinderella, thinking of the fantasy story of love and magic working until the stroke of midnight was fascinating.

"She sounds wonderful, but you are far more beautiful than Cinderella, my love," He said against your lips as he descended with you onto the bed, stripping off your clothes piece by piece. Since then, you were his Cinderella, and he never regretted calling you that at one moment.

"Ah, the perfect fit," he said, almost reciting the very fairytale. The boot was a perfect fit, a bit snug but would be broken in within time outside in the snow. You felt a flutter in your heart as he laced the boot all the way up and tied it as a finishing touch.

The road you and Jack traveled on to get to this point was no fairytale. It was more of a bloodbath, but it brought you to where you two were the happiest. You would never trade a single tear or moment of anger, simply because that road lead there, to that cabin, with the one person who loved you more than anything. That was worth more than any priceless story you would tell one another.

Your story was the best one.

You then leaned down to take his hand in your own, pulling him up gently and wrapping him in his arms to kiss him soundly.

"My Prince Charming," You said against his lips as he grinned widely, "How can I ever live without you?"

"You could manage," He said in a shrug, "But I won't let my Cinderella go that easily with one slipper on,"

Jack was a sucker for fairytales, but he had his own true love to care for in the end.

The End.

Spring Prompt Session

[pof203]

A Summoner Birthday

Fashion 23 and (possibly) 24

Arachne: Our next model is one hunk of beef. He's considered a big lovable buffalo with a lot of love and ready to give it to everyone. He's the football captain and super start of Yoyogi Academy. He's ready to make his kickoff to greatness, especially in a hot splash.

The Yoyogi Football Captain Buffalo, Wakan Tanka!

Arachne: Ah, that outfit takes me back to my time as a seaside fashionista. Like the original one, the sleeveless hoodie shows off his muscles and has a sexy buffalo design on the front. The green skintight shorts with black racing stripes make it easier for movement, especially when running, have have matching shoes.

Alice: Though I don't really see how this fits into a fairy tale. I think I have something similar in my closet.

Arachne: I chose this outfit based on the genre known as isekai, when someone, usually a young man or woman, is taken to another world. A world of fantasy, usually on the functions of an RPG. The situation we're in is similar to that, so I think this fits perfectly. But I have made some improvements. The outfit can take a lot of heat in hot places to avoid extra sweating, though, he might still need to cover up in cold places. And the eyes in the buffalo have a camera feature so he can show us everything he sees without his phone.

You never cease to amaze, my Arachne. I know these improvements will help us on our quest.

Arachne: Indeed they might... However, there's another feature your clothes have.

Wakan Tanka: (looking down) Yes, I know... (looking up again and smiling) Don't worry, I'm ready?

Alice: Ready for what?

Wakan Tanka: Here we go... Great Spirit Power, Henshin! Buffalo Up!

Suddenly, the glowing green ribbons from before wrap themselves around Wakan Tanka in a human sized cocoon, almost like a magical boy transformation. Wakan Tanka's glowing body changes from green to brown. A burst of light comes from it. Then, it fades...

Arachne: From the World of the Great Spirit is its World Representative who has worn himself out giving his love to others. But he still has much of it to give, even though it hurts him and sometimes us. But he has a heart of gold and it won't give way to doubt.

The Bone-Weary Bovine, the Permeator of All Creation, Wakan Tanka∞!

Everyone was surprised to see this.

Arachne: Wakan Tanka's original outfit can change when he does. This attire is based off of his usual attire. The tunic have a good design to go well with his belt that has a turquoise buckle. They also have feathers that match. The metal bands also bring out his tattoos which glow and for decorations many necklaces of turquoise, minerals, and feathers.

Alice: (curious) Is he... wearing anything under there?

Arachne: Sorry, confidential unless he says so. The improvements I've made is that the tunic is bulletproof, waterproof, fireproof, cold resistant, and the bands also deflect certain attacks. Not much else to add since in this form, he's extremely powerful.

I have to say, this is fine work. Even I can hardly tell that this is not the same garment I wear when I am in this form.

Arachne: And now...

AUTHER'S NOTE: I'll explain how Wakan Tanka can change into his Infinity form later. Also keep in mind, this takes place after Chapter 13 which I have only seen some of on YouTube and have not made it there myself in the game. Feel free to tell me if I missed anything, but don't spoil it too much. Thank you.

[chronos-lights]

Beautiful Ideas for Christmas Lights to Brighten Your Holidays

Illuminate Your Holidays with Beautiful Lighting Ideas

The Christmas season is all about joy, warmth, and celebration, and what better way to express this than through beautiful Christmas lights? They not only brighten your home but also create a festive atmosphere that captures the spirit of the season. In this article, we’ll share beautiful ideas for Christmas lights that will enhance your decor and make your holidays unforgettable.

At Chronos Lights, we specialize in innovative and stylish lighting solutions that elevate your festive decor. Visit www.chronoslights.com to explore our wide range of Christmas lights and brighten your holiday celebrations!

1. Dazzling Christmas Tree Lights

Your Christmas tree deserves the spotlight, and the right lighting can make it shine even brighter.

How to Light Your Christmas Tree:

- Instructions: Start at the base of the tree and wrap the lights around each branch, working your way up. This method ensures that the lights are evenly distributed.

- Tip: Mix white lights with colorful ones for a dynamic and cheerful look. Adding larger ornaments can also create depth and interest.

Check out our stunning collection of tree lights at www.chronoslights.com.

Hashtags: #ChristmasTreeLights #FestiveDecor #ChronosLights

2. String Lights for Outdoor Spaces

Outdoor Christmas lights can transform your home’s exterior into a winter wonderland.

Creative Outdoor Lighting Ideas:

- Instructions: Wrap string lights around trees, bushes, and railings. Consider outlining your porch or entryway with lights to create an inviting atmosphere.

- Tip: Use waterproof lights for outdoor displays to withstand winter weather conditions.

Explore our range of outdoor string lights at www.chronoslights.com.

Hashtags: #OutdoorChristmasLights #WinterWonderland #ChronosLights

3. Whimsical Fairy Light Displays

Fairy lights add a magical touch to your decor, perfect for creating a cozy atmosphere.

Ways to Use Fairy Lights:

- Instructions: Drape fairy lights across curtains, or place them in glass jars to create enchanting centerpieces. You can also use them to highlight wall art or family photos.

- Tip: Use battery-operated fairy lights for versatility; they can be placed anywhere without the hassle of cords.

Discover our collection of fairy lights at www.chronoslights.com.

Hashtags: #FairyLights #CozyChristmas #ChronosLights

4. Elegant Table Centerpieces

Transform your dining table into a stunning holiday setting with creative lighting.

Designing an Elegant Tablescape:

- Instructions: Incorporate string lights or candles within your centerpiece arrangement. Use clear vases or bowls to house the lights and create a glowing effect.

- Tip: Combine greenery and festive decorations with the lights for a beautiful contrast.

Browse our selection of table lighting at www.chronoslights.com.

Hashtags: #ChristmasTableCenterpiece #ElegantDecor #ChronosLights

5. Lighted Wreaths and Garlands

Wreaths and garlands adorned with lights can enhance your holiday decor and add charm to your home.

Creating Lighted Wreaths and Garlands:

- Instructions: Wrap lights around your wreaths or garlands and hang them on doors or over mantles. Incorporate natural elements like pinecones and berries for added texture.

- Tip: Use timers for your lights to ensure they turn on and off automatically, adding convenience to your holiday routine.

Check out our collection of decorative wreaths at www.chronoslights.com.

Hashtags: #LightedWreaths #HolidayGarlands #ChronosLights

6. Unique Light Displays in Your Garden

Let your garden shine this Christmas season with unique light displays.

Innovative Garden Lighting Ideas:

- Instructions: Use stake lights to illuminate pathways and wrap lights around garden sculptures or trees. Consider hanging lights from branches for a fairy-tale effect.

- Tip: Use different colored lights to create a whimsical atmosphere.

Browse our selection of garden lights at www.chronoslights.com.

Hashtags: #GardenLighting #CreativeDisplays #ChronosLights

7. Festive Lighting for Your Entryway

Create a warm welcome for guests with beautifully lit entryways.

How to Light Up Your Entryway:

- Instructions: Hang string lights around your door frame and place lanterns with candles on either side of the entrance.

- Tip: Incorporate a lighted wreath for an extra festive touch.

Explore our range of entryway lighting at www.chronoslights.com.

Hashtags: #FestiveEntryway #HolidayWelcome #ChronosLights

8. Beautiful Bedroom Lighting

Transform your bedroom into a cozy retreat with creative lighting.

Ideas for Bedroom Christmas Lighting:

- Instructions: Drape lights around your bed frame or hang them above your headboard. Use soft lighting to create a tranquil environment.

- Tip: Incorporate scented candles alongside the lights for a calming aroma.

Discover our collection of bedroom lights at www.chronoslights.com.

Hashtags: #CozyBedroom #ChristmasLights #ChronosLights

9. DIY Lighted Crafts

Get creative this holiday season with DIY projects that incorporate Christmas lights.

Fun DIY Ideas:

- Instructions: Create lighted jars by filling them with string lights and using them as decor around your home. You can also make a light-up holiday sign using your favorite holiday phrases.

- Tip: Personalize your crafts with paint or embellishments that match your decor style.

Check out our DIY supplies at www.chronoslights.com.

Hashtags: #DIYChristmasLights #CraftingJoy #ChronosLights

10. Magical Photo Opportunities

Use lights to create stunning backdrops for your holiday photos.

How to Set Up a Photo Backdrop:

- Instructions: Hang string lights against a wall and decorate with seasonal elements like garlands or ornaments. This setup creates a perfect spot for capturing holiday memories.

- Tip: Use a mix of colored and white lights for a vibrant and festive backdrop.

Explore our selection of photo backdrop lights at www.chronoslights.com.

Hashtags: #HolidayPhotoBackdrop #ChristmasMemories #ChronosLights

Conclusion: Brighten Your Holidays with Beautiful Lighting

With these beautiful ideas for Christmas lights, you can create stunning decorations that will make your home shine bright this holiday season. From your tree to your entryway, the right lighting can transform any space and set the perfect festive atmosphere.

At Chronos Lights, we are dedicated to providing innovative lighting solutions for your holiday decor. Visit www.chronoslights.com to explore our extensive range of Christmas lights and brighten your holidays!

[kashmirticketscom]

Gulmarg: Your Snowy Getaway in February

Nestled in the heart of Kashmir, Gulmarg turns into a breathtaking winter wonderland every February. With its pristine snow-covered landscapes, thrilling activities, and serene charm, this hill station is the ultimate destination for snow lovers and adventure seekers alike.

Why February Is Perfect for Gulmarg

February marks the peak of winter in Gulmarg. The valley is blanketed in a thick layer of soft, powdery snow, making it perfect for winter sports and scenic beauty. Temperatures dip below freezing, transforming the entire region into a magical fairy tale scene. Whether you’re an adventure junkie or someone who just wants to enjoy the snow, February in Gulmarg promises an unforgettable experience.

Winter Wonderland Activities

Gulmarg is a playground for winter enthusiasts. Its world-class ski resort offers slopes suited for everyone—from beginners to seasoned skiers. Expert instructors make it easy for newcomers to get started. Beyond skiing, there’s snowboarding, snowmobiling, and sled rides through picturesque snow-laden meadows. For those who prefer a more relaxed pace, simply soaking in the beauty of this snowy paradise is an experience in itself.

The Iconic Gulmarg Gondola

A trip to Gulmarg isn’t complete without a ride on the Gulmarg Gondola, one of the world’s highest cable cars. The two-stage ride offers mesmerizing views of the snow-covered valley and the towering Pir Panjal mountains. The second stage takes you to Mount Apharwat, where the panoramic vistas will leave you spellbound.

Picture-Perfect Moments

For photographers, Gulmarg is a dream come true. The contrast of the white snow against clear blue skies creates stunning visuals. From rustic wooden cottages to untouched snowy meadows, every corner is picture-perfect. The soft lighting of early mornings and late afternoons adds a magical golden hue, making your photos even more spectacular.

Cozy Stays Amidst the Snow

Gulmarg offers a range of accommodations, from cozy wooden cottages to luxurious resorts. Many of these feature warm fireplaces and stunning views of the snowy outdoors, ensuring a comfortable and memorable stay. Book in advance, as February is peak tourist season.

What to Pack for Gulmarg

Warm Layers: Thermal wear, sweaters, and insulated, waterproof jackets are essential.

Footwear: Opt for waterproof, insulated boots with good traction.

Accessories: Don’t forget gloves, hats, scarves, and sunglasses to protect against the cold and bright snow glare.

Camera Gear: Capture the beauty of Gulmarg with a well-protected camera.

Whether you’re carving through fresh snow on skis or simply taking in the enchanting views, Gulmarg in February promises a magical escape.

For more details, visit: Kashmir Tickets

[altruistbloger]

Enjoy Christmas with Family: A Guide to Tree Skiing for the Holidays

When we think of Christmas, cozy nights, festive lights, and family gatherings come to mind. But this year, why not take it up a notch and celebrate among the snow-covered trees with an unforgettable tree skiing experience? Tree skiing offers a magical winter adventure that combines the thrill of skiing with the natural beauty of a snowy forest, making it a perfect holiday activity for families looking to bond and enjoy the outdoors together.

What is Tree Skiing?

Tree skiing involves navigating through trees on a mountain slope, offering a unique skiing experience unlike the open trails most people are used to. Skiers weave through forests and glades, finding paths between snow-covered evergreens. While it might sound challenging, it’s a rewarding way to experience nature’s beauty up close—and for those with experience, it adds a fun layer of adventure!

Why Try Tree Skiing with Family?

Experience Nature’s Winter Wonderland: Skiing between trees covered in glistening snow feels like stepping into a winter fairy tale. Your family will get to enjoy the serenity of the forest while experiencing the joys of skiing.

A Unique Christmas Adventure: For families looking to try something new, tree skiing is a memorable way to spend time together over the holidays, bringing a bit of excitement and novelty to your Christmas celebrations.

All Ages Can Join In: With the right guidance and choosing slopes suited to your family’s skill levels, kids and adults alike can enjoy tree skiing. Many ski resorts offer beginner-friendly tree skiing areas, so everyone can have fun safely.

Tips for a Safe and Fun Tree Skiing Adventure

Choose the Right Terrain: If it’s your first time, look for resorts that offer beginner-friendly tree skiing. Some areas have carefully spaced trees, perfect for learning and enjoying a relaxed ski.

Stay Together: Tree skiing is more fun as a group activity. Ski close to each other and make sure to check on each other regularly, especially with kids in the group.

Dress for Warmth and Safety: Layer up with warm, waterproof gear and wear helmets for safety. Staying warm is key to fully enjoying the experience!

Listen to the Guides: Many resorts offer guided tree skiing tours, where experts can show you the best trails and offer tips. It’s a great way to explore and learn with peace of mind.

The Best Spots for Family Tree Skiing This Christmas

For a festive tree skiing experience, try some of North America’s top ski resorts known for scenic glade trails. Whistler in British Columbia, Jackson Hole in Wyoming, and Aspen in Colorado all offer excellent tree skiing areas, with some magical Christmas lights and decorations around the resorts.

Wrap Up the Day with Festive Fun

After a day of skiing through the trees, settle in at your lodge or cabin with some hot cocoa, holiday music, and maybe even a cozy family movie. Celebrating Christmas in this unique way combines winter sports with quality family time, making it a Christmas to remember.

So, are you ready to enjoy Christmas with your family in a fresh, snowy forest? Tree skiing might just become your new holiday tradition.

[vastudecor]

10 Creative Ideas for Using Customised Wallpaper in Your Home

Customised wallpaper is a fantastic way to add personality and style to your home. With endless design possibilities, you can create a unique look that reflects your taste and complements your decor. Here are ten creative ideas to inspire you, especially if you’re considering customised wallpaper in Pune:

Feature Wall: Create a stunning focal point in any room with a customised wallpaper feature wall. Choose bold patterns or vibrant colours to make a statement, or go for a subtle design that adds texture and depth.

Ceiling Accent: Add an unexpected twist by applying customised wallpaper to the ceiling. This can create a dramatic effect, especially in rooms with high ceilings or unique architectural features.

Hallway Transformation: Turn a bland hallway into a stylish passage with customised wallpaper. Opt for light colours and intricate patterns to make the space feel larger and more inviting.

Nursery Magic: Design a whimsical and enchanting nursery with customised wallpaper. Choose themes like animals, fairy tales, or outer space to spark your child's imagination.

Bathroom Bliss: Give your bathroom a spa-like feel with waterproof customised wallpaper. Select calming patterns or nature-inspired designs to create a serene atmosphere.

Kitchen Backsplash: Instead of traditional tiles, use customised wallpaper as a kitchen backsplash. It's an easy and affordable way to add colour and pattern to your cooking space.

Staircase Highlight: Make your staircase a standout feature by applying customised wallpaper to the risers. This creative touch can add visual interest and tie together different levels of your home.

Furniture Makeover: Revamp old furniture by covering it with customised wallpaper. Dress up cabinets, dressers, or bookshelves with patterns that match your decor.

Closet Interiors: Add a pop of colour and design to your closets by lining the interior walls with customised wallpaper. It’s a small detail that makes a big difference.

Home Office Inspiration: Create an inspiring workspace with customised wallpaper. Choose designs that reflect your personality and help boost productivity.

If you’re in Pune and looking to transform your home, customised wallpaper in Pune offers endless opportunities to express your creativity and enhance your home’s aesthetic. With these ideas, you can turn any space into a personalised haven.

[alex-sweetoblivion]

Creative Ways to Use Mini Led Lights for Home Decor

Mini LED lights are a versatile and stylish addition to home decor. Use them to create a cozy ambiance in living rooms by draping them along bookshelves or around picture frames. In bedrooms, string them above the bed or wrap them around headboards for a romantic touch. Illuminate kitchens with under-cabinet LED strips for task lighting and a modern look. Outdoor spaces can be transformed with waterproof LED lights around trees, pathways, and furniture.It also add festive flair to holiday decorations and parties, making them perfect for any occasion. Their creative potential is endless, enhancing every corner of your home.

Transform Your Living Room: Mini LED Lights for a Cozy Atmosphere

Enhance the ambiance of your living room with the subtle glow of Mini LED lights. Drape them along bookshelves, under furniture, or around picture frames to create a warm, inviting space. Choose warm white lights for a cozy feel or colorful LEDs for a playful touch. These versatile lights can highlight architectural features, create focal points, and add depth to your decor, making your living room a comfortable and stylish retreat.

Bedroom Bliss: Mini LED Lights for a Serene Sanctuary

Create a serene sanctuary in your bedroom using mini LED lights. String lights can be hung above the bed to mimic a canopy, or wrapped around a headboard for a romantic touch. Incorporate LED strip lights under the bed frame or along the baseboards for a soft, ambient glow. These lights can also be used to accentuate a vanity or mirror, adding a touch of elegance and tranquility to your personal space.

Illuminate Your Kitchen: Functional and Decorative Mini LED Lights

Mini LED lights can add both functionality and style to your kitchen. Install LED strip lights under cabinets to provide task lighting for meal preparation and cooking. Use them to illuminate shelves or glass-front cabinets, showcasing your dishware and adding a modern touch to the space. Additionally, consider placing LED lights above the countertops or inside drawers to enhance visibility and create a well-lit, efficient kitchen environment.

Outdoor Oasis: Mini LED Lights for Garden and Patio Decor

Extend your home’s decor to the outdoors with mini LED lights. Wrap string lights around trees, shrubs, and garden structures to create a magical nighttime landscape. Use waterproof LED strip lights to outline pathways, decks, or pool areas, ensuring safety while adding a decorative element. These lights can also be used to highlight outdoor furniture, planters, and water features, transforming your garden or patio into a charming, illuminated oasis perfect for evening gatherings and relaxation.

Festive Flair: Mini LED Lights for Holiday and Party Decorations

Mini LED lights are perfect for adding festive flair to holiday and party decorations. Use them to adorn Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands, creating a bright, cheerful atmosphere. For parties, hang LED string lights in unique patterns, such as zigzags or spirals, to create a fun and energetic vibe. These lights can also be used to decorate tables, centerpieces, and backdrops, ensuring your celebrations are vibrant and memorable.

Creative Kids' Rooms: Mini LED Lights for Fun and Imagination

Spark creativity and imagination in kids' rooms with the playful use of mini LED lights. Create whimsical shapes and patterns on walls or ceilings, such as stars, animals, or fairy tale scenes. Use LED lights to highlight play areas, reading nooks, or art displays, making the room more engaging and interactive. Additionally, consider incorporating color-changing LEDs that can be controlled with a remote, allowing children to customize their space and enjoy a dynamic, fun environment.

Artistic Accents: Mini LED Lights to Highlight Artwork and Decor

Accentuate artwork and decorative pieces with the strategic placement of mini LED lights. Use spotlights or strip lights to illuminate paintings, sculptures, and photos, drawing attention to their details and enhancing their visual impact. Place LED lights inside glass cabinets or display cases to showcase collectibles and memorabilia. By highlighting these elements, you can create a sophisticated and visually appealing atmosphere in any room, turning your home into a gallery of personal treasures.

Conclusion

Mini LED lights offer endless creative possibilities for home decor, transforming ordinary spaces into extraordinary ones. Whether you're aiming for a cozy living room, a serene bedroom, a functional kitchen, or an enchanting garden, these versatile lights can be tailored to suit your needs and style. Each title and description above provides unique ideas to inspire you, ensuring that your home is beautifully illuminated and filled with personality. Embrace the versatility of mini LED lights to enhance your decor, brighten your spaces, and create a warm, inviting atmosphere throughout your home.

[dreamslogs]

January 10, 2023: Log #89

☁️Weather: Sunny with a high of 60, low of 33, humidity of 56%, feels like 50

💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

💜9:30 AM: Wake up

🦋9:45 AM: Make coffee & sit in bed for a while

💜11:00 AM: Eat breakfast & talk to my roommate

I had grits

🦋12:00 PM: Get in the shower & do my morning routine

💄Todays Makeup

Primer: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Eyeshadow Primer: Elf Power Grip Primer

Concealer: Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

Blush: Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in Encourage

Highlight: Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight in Transcend

Powder: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder

Eyebrows: Kosas Brow Pop Clean Dual-Action Defining Eyebrow Pencil & Kosas Air Brow Tinted Clean Volumizing Eyebrow Gel

Eyeshadow: Fenty Beauty Diamond Bomb All-Over Diamond Veil in How Many Carats?!

Mascara: Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Waterproof Mascara

Lipstick: NYX Shine Loud High Shine Long-Lasting Liquid Lipstick in Make It Work

Lip Oil: Dior Lip Glow Oil in Universal - Clear

Setting Spray: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Setting + Refreshing Spray

Perfume: Dirty Hinoki by Heretic

💜1:00 PM: Leave for campus

🦋1:10 PM: Walk around campus for a little bit to make sure I knew my schedule

💜1:45 PM: Go see my aunt who works at the campus clinic

🦋2:00 PM: Head to the store to buy some household essentials

💜2:45 PM: Get back home & eat lunch

I ate chicken nuggets

🦋3:15 PM: Do some Japanese vocab and look at the first lesson we will be going over

💜4:00 PM: Hangout with my roommates

🦋5:30 PM: Continue our marathon with Dead Men Tell No Tales

💜6:45 PM: Eat dinner

I had salad, potatoes, and country fried steak

🦋8:00 PM: Judge Golden Globes looks with my roommates

💜8:45 PM: Separate for bed

🦋9:15 PM: Take a shower & do my nighttime routime

💜9:45 PM: Straighten my hair while watching Mike’s Mic

🦋10:30 PM: Read The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake for a little bit

💜11:10 PM: Settle down with melatonin spray, a candle, fairy lights, and some ASMR

🕯️Candle Scent

Bath & Body Works: Fresh Balsam

🦋12:00 AM: Turn everything off & go to sleep

💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

🖋️Notes on the day🖋️

Last day of freedom before class. I didn’t do much, but I did get my Stanley cup from my aunt so I’m very excited for that! Entering my basic era lol it’s fun. However, my shower water was cold and never got hot. What the hell was that about? I wanted good vibes before the first day of class and I didn’t get that. Oh well. I have hopes tomorrow will go well.

[holykillercake]

Love Ordeal

SANJI X f!READER

word count: 2k

summary: The Strawhts decide to play Secret Davy Treasure and Sanji doens´t stop asking whom you got. 

highlight:  ¨Sanji,¨ you sighed ¨I love you, but if you don´t stop, I will be forced to throw your cigarettes in the ocean and straighten your eyebrows.¨

warning: F.L.U.F.F.

notes: Guys! This a part 2/3 of a request for a fluff where they have a s/o that made them a thing with crochet and how they would react. Also, Secret Davy Treasure is like Secret Santa, but you know. ALSO, there is a surprise at the end! 

𝕷𝖊𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖘, 𝖗𝖊𝖖𝖚𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖘, 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊!

¨Just pick one, Luffy!¨

¨But which one?¨

¨It doesn´t matter!¨

¨Hmm, can I pick two?¨

¨NO!¨

Earlier that day, an old lady told Nami that whichever path Luffy chose would always lead to another Winter Island. So with the end of the year approaching and the cold weather, you decided to play Secret Davy Treasure, a great South Blue tradition.

It consisted of the participants writing their names on a piece of paper, mixing them in a bowl - or Luffy's hat - and drawing them.  Whoever’s name you picked is who you will buy or make a Secret Davy Treasure.

You should have guessed that even something that sounded so simple would be complicated in the Thousand Sunny. The crew didn´t seem to understand nor follow the rules of physics, reality, and the game. 

At first, Zoro folded his paper with his name on the outside; then Brook picked himself and didn´t tell anyone. Now you were struggling with Luffy, who couldn´t pick one because A) he wanted to know what was written inside, and B) he wanted to pick more than one. 

While Franky, Usopp, and Chopper yelled at him, trying to make him understand, Brook laughed at the whole situation, and the rest of you wished to die and get reborn as clams. 

Sanji adjusted the blanket around your bodies and hugged you tighter, chatting until the commotion was over.  

¨Will you tell me?¨ he blew some smoke, and you tilted your head to look at him. 

¨Tell what?¨

¨Who you got.¨

¨What? Of course no!¨ you laughed ¨This is not how you play it!¨

¨But we are a couple, Y/N-chan!¨

¨.., and?¨ you sang the word.

¨We shouldn't keep secrets from each other!¨

A cloud of white smoke came out of your mouth when you giggled before snuggling deeper in his arms. 

¨Okaay,¨ Usopp crawled closer to you, defeated and holding Luffy´s hat ¨he will be the last one.¨

Despite your captain yelling that he should be the first to pick, you were all getting tired and opted to ignore him. 

¨Thanks!¨ you used the blanket to cover yourself as you unfolded it.

A chuckle left your mouth when you saw the name written, and the blonde behind you tried to peek over your shoulder. But you were faster to put the piece of paper with the name of your boyfriend inside your bra.

You turned and gave him a peck on the cheek while he pouted. 

You would have one week to come up with a Davy Treasure for Sanji, and you knew exactly what to do, but some butterflies still flew in your belly, wondering if he would like it. 

As a matter of fact, he loved everything you did, from sweet love to extremely salty culinary disasters. He would find perfection in every little thing done by you.

Enjoying your last days on the island of Snow Globe Pole - yeah, almost as bad as ¨Long Ring Long Land¨ - you decided to tour the city, looking for what you needed to make your gift. Or rather, to crochet your gift.

That was the easy part, for you were on a winter island, yarn and wool were pretty abundant. Every style possible of every possible color, anything that crossed your mind was available in the store. It would have been distracting if you didn´t have the colors already chosen. 

But again, so much for an innocent game. So much for a bit of fun. So naive to believe that Sanji would stop asking you whom you picked. 

In his defense, he had gotten calmer during the first night. But after seeing the bag you brought from the store, he became even more annoying. 

Charming, loving, but still annoying. 

¨It´s not Franky, right? His hands wouldn´t fit in it.¨

¨His regular-sized-robotic-mannequin hands would.¨ you looked at him with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. 

You could almost see the gasp stuck in his throat and his heart skipping a beat. 

After that, he kept bringing you desserts, offering massages, and doing everything in his power to bribe you. Skypiea Sanji was not the real Love Ordeal. Secret Davy Treasure Sanji was the real Love Ordeal. 

¨Sanji,¨ you sighed ¨I love you, but if you don´t stop, I will be forced to throw your cigarettes in the ocean and straighten your eyebrows.¨

He grumbled ¨I love you¨ back among some other things and marched to the kitchen with flames on the top of his head. You chuckled and went back to your colorful wools. 

Before you chose his gift, you thought about Sanji and the things that he liked or needed. From cooking to smoking and women. 

Cooking for him would be outrageous. You wanted to give him something amazing, and you couldn't compare to him in the kitchen. At all.

Women. You were the only woman he wanted and needed, and honestly, you were the woman for the job. 

Now, smoking. You would not buy or make him cigarettes, obviously. But he had this adorable and clumsy thing of always burning the tips of his mittens whenever he lit a cigarette. 

Because of that, you decided to crochet him one of those fingerless gloves that come with a mitten flap so he could cover his fingers once he was done. Like that, he would be warm and natural disaster-free. 

¨There is orange, Y/N-chan! You got Nami, right?!¨ you jumped and almost stabbed yourself with the hook when he yelled in your ear.

¨Oh, my sweet Davy Jones, give me strength...¨ you whispered ¨There is also purple, Sanji-kun. It could be Brook or Robin.¨ 

He pondered over it a little, frowned, and made his way to the door.

¨Hey!¨ he turned with sad puppy eyes ¨Is this really important to you? To know who I got?¨ he nodded. 

You gestured with your head, telling him to come closer. A big and bright smile appeared on his face, and your heart beat stronger. That smile, you would punch the Red Line broken to create another All Blue for that smile. 

Oh, how you love this cook. 

¨Ok! Just because I am asking I´ll tell you first, ok?¨ he spoke with a lower voice but still sparkly. You smiled and nodded. ¨I got Chopper! And I bought him a new backpack with a lot of compartments for his medical stuff.¨

The way he paid attention to the tiny details made you melt. He was always taking care of others, complimenting the crew - except Zoro - and celebrating even the smallest of the successes. 

He showed you the blue backpack, very similar to Chopper´s current one, but a lot stronger, prettier, and more practical. He would love it, no doubts. 

¨Well,¨ you began ¨I got... Usopp.¨ 

You felt terrible about telling him a lie, but you couldn´t spoil your surprise.

 ¨Since we´re going to winter islands, I don´t want his finger to get tangled when, Uhm... he´s picking his Ketchup Stars, Green Stars, or Let´s-scare-creepy-girls-to-death Stars. I really hope he likes it.¨

If you were not paying enough attention, you would have missed Sanji´s disappointed look, which he quickly hid with a kind smile. 

¨You always think about everything, Y/N-chan. He will love it.¨ he kissed your forehead and went back to the kitchen. 

You waited until he closed the door to cringe ¨You are going to hell, Y/N.¨ 

Finally, the Secret Davy Treasure day arrived. You would exchange gifts and then have a nice dinner if Luffy didn´t make a party out of it. He definitely would. 

But you were also grateful that today was the day. Since you told Sanji that you had picked Usopp, he has been acting a little upset. The other guys didn´t notice, but you did. 

You would always notice. And you had an idea why. 

The gift exchanging rules were pretty simple.  The Secret Davy had to offer information about the person receiving the treasure, and the others had to guess. 

It started with Usopp, whose Secret Davy was Franky. He gave him a bunch of super tools and some colored light bulbs for the ¨Party Nipple¨ idea.

Franky´s Secret Davy was Robin. He gave her a journal with waterproof pages he created. 

Robin´s Secret Davy was you, and she presented you with a beautiful copy of a fictional adventure book since you were always reading them on the ship.

Then it was your turn. You held the gift wrapped in a shiny blue paper and began to describe your Secret Davy. 

¨My Secret Davy is... slightly annoying sometimes.¨

¨It´s the stupid-eyebrow.¨ Zoro said.

¨Shut up, marimo head!¨

You continued after Nami punched them. ¨My Secret Davy always takes care of us.¨ 

¨It´s Chopper!¨ you shook your head.

¨Hmm... my Secret Davy is an exceptional fighter! Really strong!¨ 

¨It´s me!¨ 

¨No, Zoro! It´s me! I will become the Pirate King!¨ 

¨Shut up, you two!¨

¨My Secret Davy is...¨ you looked at Sanji and smiled ¨... loving and caring.¨ 

He looked back at you, confused.  Why would you say those about Usopp? Not that he wasn´t loving and caring, but... still. 

¨My Secret Davy is... the man of my dreams, the prince of my fairy tale, and the love of my life.¨

A minute or two passed while everyone waited for Sanji to say something, but he remained frozen with a perplexed expression. 

¨Sanji-san, I think the treasure is yours.¨ Brook said calmy. 

The cook made his way to you slowly, taking the gift from your hands and opening it gently, without tearing the wrapping.  

Did he get upset because of your lie? 

¨Sanji...¨ you called him, but he kept staring at the gloves. 

You saw his eyes fill with water before he excused himself and exited the deck, leaving everyone staring at you. 

¨I don´t... I´m gonna...¨ you pointed and left too. 

When you entered your room, he was standing, back turned to you. Was he really crying, or you saw things?

¨Sanji-kun?¨

¨You remembered...¨ he turned around, still holding the mittens ¨These colors...¨ 

¨Yeah, they don´t really match, but...¨

¨I wanted it so much, Y/N. When I saw it, I wanted it so much.¨

He rushed in your direction and hugged you tight. He hugged you and you felt all his emotions, you felt the weight he carried in his heart. Not a bad weight, just the weight of missing someone you love. 

You knew that that was the reason he was pestering you so much, the colors. You had chosen the colors that Zeff, Sanji´s mentor, wore. 

The fingers were orange and purple, like his striped shirt. You added yellow details of his hair; the blue of his ascot, and the white of his apron. 

As you said, they didn´t match, but apparently, Sanji didn´t care.

He would always share stories about their lives and cook recipes that Zeff taught him. Despite him always calling him old man or damn geezer, the Red Leg was his father.

¨Thank you, Y/N-chan. I loved it.¨

The sound of him sniffing made you hold him stronger. 

¨I miss that damn geezer.¨ 

¨I´m sure he misses you too, Little Eggplant.¨ 

¨Oi!¨

You squeaked and laughed when he threw on the bed.

¨I´ll show you Little Eggplant!¨

Hey, Guys! SURPRISE! Here´s my first decent art? hahaha THE MITTENS!

I don´t know if the quality dropped. I´m using krita and still don´t know how to adjust the settings stuff when I´m saving a jpeg. Anyway, I hope you liked it!

[palimpsessed]

✨❄️✨ Carry On Countdown 2020 ✨❄️✨

Day 10: Crossover

@carryon-countdown

No fic chapter today, loves, because instead I give you the next pop culture sensation!

Coming this winter, if you love Queer Eye, good for you! Here’s another show that is absolutely not a complete ripoff!

Critics are raving:

“A gift!” - O. Henry

“Please, please, please, I beg you, whatever you do, do NOT take life advice from these people!” - R. Rowell

All episodes streaming Dec 24, only on Notflix!

Read more for season one highlights!

(Don’t get too excited. These are just the quotes that were my basis for casting the roles. All quotes by Rainbow Rowell, obvs.)

Agatha (grooming):

“She’s got her hair pulled back in a giant frizzy ponytail that would probably be nice and wavy if she’d put any product in it at all. Anything. Hand lotion. Shaving cream.”

“The sun is setting, and it’s making his grey skin look almost warm. I know it’s setting my hair on fire.”

“...she’s got the brightest eyes and rosiest cheeks of anyone I’ve ever met. Maybe it’s the beetroot.”

Baz (fashion):

“Aunt Fiona stomped out in her heavy black Doc Martens boots (clichéd)”

“Simon looks stunning in a grey suit.”

“(Simon Snow in America: jeans and a white T-shirt”

“Bunce tends to look a bit absurd, even at her freshest. She dresses like she’s still in Watford uniform, or wishes she was. Short, tartan skirts. Knee socks. Mary Janes or brogues. The only concession she’s made to civilian life is a series of oversized T-shirts. I wonder if she even realizes she still wears so much purple and green.”

“I buy myself a few more suits. Plus clothes for the drive. A few changes for Simon. I see a dress that would look lovely on Bunce, but they don’t carry her size. I buy it anyway. We can alter it with a spell.”

“Lamb is waiting in the lobby, wearing sunglasses and a three-piece suit. Tiffany blue. Which sounds vulgar, but very much isn’t. He looks trim and fresh.”

“Go ahead and shoot me. This isn’t my favourite shirt.”

Simon (Food and wine):

“I just can’t pass the scones up if they’re there. They’re soft and light and a little bit salty. Sometimes I dream about them.”

“I didn’t care if magic was real at that moment. Because roast beef and Yorkshire pudding are fucking real as rain.”

“I’d eat butter with a spoon if it were acceptable. (I did it anyway, my first year, whenever I was the first one down to breakfast.)”

“A Unicorn Frappuccino. It tastes like strawberry Dip Dab.”

“This menu’s staggering. There’s a whole page of taco salads. They’ve got macaroni and cheese, regular or fried. And every kind of chicken—look, orange chicken.”

“Crowley, this burger is gorgeous. It has hash browns on it.”

“It’s not French stuff. It’s just really sad pastries and bad tea. Oh and you missed Baz eating a squirrel.”

“I’ve found a way around the sandwich problem. Beef jerky! This place sells at least thirty different kinds.”

Penelope (design):

“I’m disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of his house—or even dig into the library. I went to the bathroom a few times, but it’s just down the hall, and it seems like a modern addition. (There’s a Japanese toilet in there with comforting music and a seat warmer.)”

“The vibe here is very, Let’s kill a virgin and write a great Led Zeppelin album. (Though the library is lovely, and Baz’s stepmum seems very nice.)”

“I step into their house. I love this house. I stayed in the spare bedroom when I came to see Micah two summers ago. All the rooms are huge, and only the bedrooms and bathrooms (there are four bathrooms) have doors. And everything—all the walls and furniture and the two dozen kitchen cabinets—is in peaceful shades of cream and tan. There are at least three tan leather sofas. There are two beige sitting rooms. There’s wall-to-wall carpeting exactly the shade of porridge. Ugh, it’s so comforting. My house is every colour, none of them planned. And our furniture is whatever colour it was when my father spotted it at a yard sale. Also, our house has stuff everywhere. Micah’s family must have stuff somewhere, but you never see it. The only things on the coffee tables (how many coffee tables are there? easily nine) are cream-coloured vases with cream-coloured flowers and tan, marble lamps.”

“(For a cheap hotel, this shower is massive.)”

Shepard (culture):

“You’re something new. Or maybe something old. I’m hoping you’ll tell me over a hot cup of coffee.”

“My strategy is simple: I tell the truth. I always use my real name (even though fairy tales tell you not to). I always say exactly what I want from a situation and exactly what I mean.”

“Brought you some good news. I liked this [book]. Kind of sad. Good jokes though. This one takes itself too seriously, but I know you’re a sucker for Westerns. I would have brought more, but I didn’t know I was coming. I did get this [radio], though, on the way. Waterproof.”

“Who else will listen? Who else wants to hear their stories? There are trolls who’ve spent the last two hundred years sitting alone under a bridge. If you can get past the bluster and the wooden clubs, if you bring them a little bone broth, they’re just grateful to have a sympathetic ear. If you tell them that you mean no harm, and then you never do any harm … They start to like you. They start to look forward to you coming around.”

“Well, I told you, he doesn’t carry a backpack. He’s got this pouch, and all that’s in it is a comb and a carving knife. I gave him my toothbrush, and he was pleased as punch with it. I need to get back up there, get him another toothbrush.…”

[silencebetrayer]

Little People - An Irish Fairy Tale Part 2

The reign of dreams and roses

"Don't bother them, my dear. You were lucky they found your little trap hilarious!" "Mister O'Reilly, what happened in this valley? Why is everyone warning me against the little people?" A long silence followed, during which the old man sipped his Connemara peated whiskey. "Sweetheart, you may hear a lot of tales down at the pub, but also in our family there's something to tell. You've never known your cousin Billy, haven't you? Well, he might tell you about that time he became slave of the Queen of Spiny Roses for a whole moon cycle." "Slave?" "Don't be surprised. They're ancient souls. They conceive only those rapports they can understand and here in the citadel for a thousand years there was a Count and his servants. They don't understand this free life thing, without owners, where everyone seems equal to each other. They have a very strict hierarchy and I can promise you.. if you keep giving enough rope, they will tie you up. At least, that's what happened to Billy." "What did Billy have to do for the Queen?" "At that time Billy would have sold his soul to fill his glass, to those vices the good people like to cling. A night in the woods a little crowd of fairies bumped into  giant Billy, the Queen ordered her folks to bring their guest a glass of the bitter Spirit's nectar. He guzzle that witches' brew without a single word. He could swear it was tasty like ambrosia of all forgotten Gods. The Queen claimed a payment for his drink and Billy started to mock her 'Is it I pay you?' said Billy 'could I not just take you up and put you in my pocket as easily as a blackberry?' The Queen did not let go of that insolence and the good lords  tightened the invisible harness they caught him in and led him to their ruler like a steed. She imposed a vow of obedience till the end of next moon cycle and on occasion she showed off their rivals her power over him, claiming his tongue as footrest." "I don't get what you're saying, sir. You did tell me we've got power over fairy manifestation.. that it depends on our thoughts and our desires, our hopes and fears." The old man smiled "From what slavery would a man be freed? From drink-slavery or from a queen-slavery?" The girl understood that story was concealing a metaphor of redemption and humility. The old man's stories are indeed so bewildering: you never know where the symbol ends and the anecdote begins. "Anyway when we found Billy he was covered in stings from the waist up. He said the ball of Roses court had been held on his chest. A ball where every damsel's heel is a thorn of a flower and all skirts are petals. To us he had fallen in a field full of nettles." "What a strange story. I would never be enslaved by such a wicked Queen. Why didn't he rise up against her, I wonder." The old man shrugged muttering a proverb of his parts "The lake is not burdened by its swan, the steed by its bridle, or a man by the soul that is in him".

***

That night Elizabeth wrote a quick note in Gaelic by the windowsill:"I want to meet you. Come and see me.". She left a sugar cube as gift. The girl rolled over her bed restlessly, hoping her message would reach its destination and, as often happens, sleep came  all of a sudden, like a swoon. She found herself in a very strange place never seen before. It resempled an ancient kitchen on the basement of a castle, with no windows, red briks as walls and roof, painted cardboard as wallpaper on one side, a makeshift chimney. Outside the noise of the rain was heavy and emptied out of the comforting sensation with which it gifted melancholic souls. She was identifying in that room a combination of minuscule things. All chairs were small wooden cubes of an old child's game, and so was the table. They weren't comfy, but pieces of cloth stuffed with wool, roughly sewn, gave softness to the seat. A pocket mirror served as tray for a miniature porcelaine tea set, a bit chipped, but lovely at first sight. The sugar cube she had left in gift was lying right next to it, with an awl sticked at its center. The girl realized she was falling in a bizarre dream scenario, but something real was also taking place. "Is this a dream?" "Of course, little girl" answered a middle-aged male voice from the outside. The small door of that sort of kitchen was a metal shutter. A man was moving it with his shoulder, carrying a bundle of sticks or twigs bound together and a bucket of water. Covered with a waterproof plastic bag, the man laid down all the materials and cast a glance over the table to be sure everything was in place. His big nose and bushy eyebrows gave him an austere touch and there was something of the  craftsman's wisdom in his skilled hands and his silence. He hunged his unusual coat on the knight's head of a chessboard (his clothes rack, she guessed). The girl was paralyzed and hugged herself in the nightgown. She wasn't cold, the atmosphere was warm enough, she was feeling a sense of vulnerability that made her closed off. The man took care of the fireplace and fill the water on the teapot. "Come closer to the fireplace, kid!" He had a raspy voice and an unjustified scowl to her feeling. "Why'd you bring me here?" He looked her up and down like a fool, then he nodded toward the table where a piece of paper was serving as tablecloth. 'I want to meet you.' read the girl, recognizing her handwriting. "But.. are you Tuvia!?" After a moment of silence, during which the man was trying to  catch the sincerity of the question, he laughed outright "AHAHAH Me? That leaf in the wind? Do I seem a rain spirit?! I thought you were a smart one, kid, but if these are the premises.." The girl didn't seem to appreciate the little man humour "So Sir.. you picked up a message that was not addressed to you. Why should you interfere with my correspondence?!" "Correspondence? Look, sweetie.. what do you think we have a mail service here in Bluebell forest? We give more values to a tree then your own kind.. we don't waste their sheets for a futile message." "Who the hell are you, anyway? Little people? What are you doing here in my dreams?" "That's how we meet for the first time. We don't accept invitations from strangers." The teapot started to splutter on the fireplace, the steam bubbles looked like small domes and the water sounded so much deeper then usual.. she understood that her size was making every sound so alien and unsettling. From the infusion aromas of wildflowers started to spread in the room. "What's your name?" "My dear, what sort of question is that? I'm the guardian spirit of O'Really's family. My name's O'Really, of course" "So.. Do Guardian spirits take the name from the family they protect?" He didn't answer. He didn't seem to like rhetorical question, but was forcing himself to stay kind and served the tea calmly with a piece of sugar cube in it. "Listen, child. We Home spirits don't talk more than is strictly necessary. Our silence is our invisibility. So let me get right to the point: you heard elder O'Reilly advice before.. Do not upset the spirits of these woods. He's telling you this for your own good" Being called 'child" from that Spirit turned Elizabeth against him. She changed attitude and the tone of voices turned sharp and bitter. "So you just don't collect someonelse's letters, you also eavesdrop their conversations!" Talking to her was a great exercise in patience, he acknowledged. "It's not what you're thinking.. I can't just ignore whatever happens inside these walls. We're born from the feelings of this family, if they are worried for you, so am I. That's why I appear in your dream." "I weep from your sudden sentimentality" she said sarcastically "but I'm willing to bet that you were able to eavesdrop on our conversations simply because your lair is not so far from the fireplace" "I'm warning you, don't try to find it. You'd cause trouble to the O'Really family!" "Perhaps you should've considered that before you invited me in first place, you silly little man! Now, give this KID here a good reason she should not wake up and start to play cat-and-mouse game with you?" She sipped the tea, staring at the little spirit with an imperious smile that didn't bode well. "A reason, you say? With humans reasoning is not persuasive. I just pointed the sill you shall not cross, my dear, I didn't mean to push you through it" "Advice I didn't ask for" she crossed her arms and the situation freezed up. The home spirit resigned himself. "How do I wake?" she asked. "Don't worry, soon enough you'll be laying in your bed. Humans have control over the waking hours, but we spirits have our revenge in dreams realm. You're lucky we didn't inherit your cruelty. Anyway, if I can't dissuade you, I will be your messenger and maybe one day I will lead you to Tuvia" "I don't get if you're here to sabotage me or to help me" "We should not threaten the delicate balance currently in place in Bluebell forest. The Queen of Roses is the keeper of this equilibrium, she can't bear humans intrusiveness into her reign. Especially from someone that does look like her." "Do I look like the Queen of Roses?" Elizabeth's questions were to him as sharp and wit as the echo of a well. "Tuvia fought The Court of Roses, you know?" "That light thingie? He's fragile like a blade of grass. I bet if I dare to lay down in the garden he'd become a stain on my dress. Also, if he's so brave why isn't he in the forest, why doesn't he just keep fighiting?" "He's an exile, he no longer knows the comfort of a border. He's devoted to the rain, cause he sees himself and his destiny in the clouds. A new Queen would save him. But he doesn't want to be saved!" The Spirit of O'Reilly got pretty mouthy with sadness. Elizabeth recognized some of the distinctive features of elder Mr O'Reilly and the hardness of Mrs O'Reilly too. A weird mix of both personality traits. Elizabeth sipped the infusion, this time fully enjoying the aroma of freshly picked flowers. She felt her body tossing in her sleep.. she didn't want to wake right now. O'Reilly spirit stared at her then nodded as a farewell. When she opened her eyes, the Spirit's last words were echoing in her head, filling the heart with an odd hope "a new Queen.." she repeated to herself. She could have sworn to feel the wildflowers taste on the tip of her tongue.

To Be Continued...

Ita version

Il regno delle rose e dei sogni

"Non disturbarli, ragazza mia. Sei stata fortunata che abbiano preso con umorismo la tua piccola trappola! In qualche modo devono aver trovato la tua provocazione uno spasso!" "Signor O'Reilly, cosa è successo in questa valle per cui tutti mi mettono in guardia da loro" Ci fu un lungo silenzio in cui il vecchio sorseggiò il suo Whiskey, rigorosamente torbato del Connemara. "Sweetheart, ne potresti sentire un bel pò giù al pub. Ma in famiglia abbiamo già di che raccontare. Tu non lo hai mai conosciuto il cugino Billy. Beh, lui potrebbe dirti di quella volta che restò schiavo per una luna intera della regina delle fate Rosa Spinae." "Schiavo?" "Non ti stupire, sono anime antiche, concepiscono solo i rapporti che conoscono e per più di 1000 anni qui nella rocca c'era un conte e i suoi servi, non la capiscono questa faccenda moderna del vivere senza padroni, dove tutti sembrano uguali eccetera. Hanno una rigida gerarchia e puoi giurarci che se continui a dargli spago ti daranno il bel servito, come fu per il vecchio Billy" "Cosa fece Billy per la regina?" "A quel tempo Billy si sarebbe dannato l'anima per riempirsi il bicchiere, ed è ai vizi che il buon popolo si appiglia. Quando una notte in un bosco la piccola schiera si imbattè in quel gigante, la regina ordinò che gli fosse portato un bicchiere del fiele degli spiriti, lui non se lo fece ripetere e lo trangugiò d'un fiato. Billy giurò che era il nettare liquoroso di tutti gli dei ormai dimenticati. La regina reclamò un pagamento e Billy la derise 'Io pagare te? Ma se posso metterti tranquillamente in tasca come una mora!' La regina non passò sopra quell'insolenza e il buon popolo lo legò a briglie invisibili che non potevano essere sciolte e quel che è peggio gli impose il voto dell'obbedienza per una luna intera. Di venne il destriero della regina, ma all'occorrenza la regina dava sfoggio di potere alle sue rivali, reclamando la lingua del gigante come poggiapiedi" "Non mi torna quel che dite, signore. Avevate detto che noi abbiamo potere sulla manifestazione delle fate e che dipendono dai nostri desideri" Il vecchio sorrise "Quale schiavitù potrebbe desiderare un uomo? Quella del suo bicchiere o della sua regina?" La ragazza capì che quella storia celava una metafora di redenzione e umiltà. Avevano questo di disorientante, i racconti del vecchio: non sapevi mai dove finiva il simbolo e cominciava l'aneddoto. "Comunque quando lo trovarono Billy era ricoperto di punture dalla vita in su. Disse che sul suo petto si era tenuto il ballo della corte delle Rosa Spinae, in cui ogni damigella ha per tacco una spina di un fiore e per gonna i suoi petali, ma per molti era solo caduto su un campo di ortiche" "Che storia strana. Ma io non sarei mai schiava di una regina così perfida. Perchè non si è ribellato, mi chiedo?" commentò lei "Il cigno non pesa sul suo lago, la briglia non pesa al suo cavallo, né l'anima sull'uomo che la possiede" cantilenò l'uomo, facendo spallucce.

Quella notte scrisse una piccola nota in gaelico che lasciò davanti al davanzale. Diceva soltanto: "Voglio conoscervi. Venitemi a trovare", lasciò una zolletta di zucchero in dono. Si rigirava nel letto inquieta, nella speranza che il messaggio arrivasse a destinazione, e come spesso accade il sonno arrivò come un deliquio, senza preavviso. Si ritrovò in un luogo che non aveva mai visto prima d'ora. Una specie di antica cucina, senza finestre, mattoni rossi tutt'intorno, carta da parati di cartone con le sembianze di un giardino davano più respiro alla stanza. Fuori il rumore della pioggia era pesante e svuotato della sensazione di conforto che regala agli animi malinconici. Individuava negli oggetti della stanza una combinazione di cose minuscole. Le sedie erano piccoli cubetti di legno, appartenuti a qualche antico gioco. così come il tavolo. Non erano per nulla comodi, ma i pezzi di stoffa imbottita e cucita grossolanamente davano sollievo alla seduta. Uno specchietto da beauty asserviva alla funzione di vassoio sul quale erano poggiate tazzine che potevano provenire da un servizio da the in miniatura per bambole di porcellana, un pò sbeccato, ma grazioso a vedersi. La zolletta che aveva donato stava su un lato del ripiano di legno, con una specie di punteruolo conficcato al suo centro. La ragazza capì che era un sogno, ma aveva qualcosa di reale. "E' un sogno, questo?" "Certo, ragazzina" Rispose la voce di un uomo di mezza età dall'esterno. La porticina della cucina non era che un pezzo di serranda di ferro, l'uomo entrò con in mano dei legnetti rilegati e un secchiello d'acqua, avvolto in un impermeabile di tela. Poggiò l'occorrente a lato della porta, le sopracciglia cespugliose gli conferivano un'aria severa e le mani vissute, una saggezza artigianale. Appese l'insolito impermeabile sulla testa di un cavallo di scacchiera, che evidentemente fungeva da appendiabiti. La ragazza era paralizzata e si stringeva nella sua camicia da notte, non per il freddo, l'atmosfera era calda nonostante il rifugio sembrasse improvvisato, erano le pareti laterali di mattone ad emanare calore, ma avvertiva un senso di vulnerabilità che la faceva chiudere a riccio. L'uomo si premurò di accendere il fuoco in un buco del mattone e di riempire la teiera sospesa sul paiolo sostenuto da una corda e un ago, dalla capocchia ornata da una manigliuola. "Vieni più vicino alla luce del fuoco, ragazzina!" Aveva una voce roca e il tono presentava un cipiglio ingiustificato agli occhi di lei. "Si può sapere perchè mi trovo qui?" L'uomo la squadrò come a darle della matta, poi con un cenno del capo fece notare che la tavola era apparecchiata sul suo frammento di pergamena "Voglio conoscervi", riconobbe la ragazza. La sua scrittura. "Ma.. siete.. siete Tuvia?!" Dopo un attimo di silenzio, in cui l'uomo la fissava per cogliere in lei la sincerità della sua domanda, scoppiò in una fragorosa risata "AHAHAH Io? Quell'uccell di bosco di Tuvia!? Ho l'aria da piovano, io? Ti credevo sveglia ma se queste sono le premesse.." La ragazza non sembrava aver apprezzato l'umorismo dell'omino "Allora signore.. avete forse raccolto un messaggio non rivolto a voi!? Come vi permettete di interferire con la mia Corrispondenza!" "Corrispondenza? Senti dolcezza, cosa pensi che abbiamo il servizio postale in quel di Bluebell? Noi ai fogli d'albero diamo ben altro valore. Non lo sprechiamo per messaggi futili e sconsiderati." "Chi diavolo siete voi e che ci fate nei miei sogni?" "E' così che ci si incontra noi, la prima volta! Non accettiamo inviti dagli sconosciuti" La teiera cominciava a scoppiettare sul fuoco, le bolle di vapore avevano un aspetto cupolare e un suono più cupo del normale, dovevano essere quelle dimensioni a rendere ogni rumore anche il più familiare totalmente estraneo e inquietante. Nella stanza cominciò a diffondersi un odore di fiori che proveniva dall'infuso. "Come vi chiamate?" "Che razza di domanda è? Sono lo spirito protettore degli O'Reilly, quindi mi chiamo come loro" "Gli spiriti protettori portano il nome della famiglia?" Non rispose, sembrava un pò scocciato dalla retoricità delle domande, ma la ragazza aveva l'impressione che si sforzasse di essere gentile. Aveva messo in infusione una manciata di briciole di the e polline che raccoglieva da una bustina dilaniata come un sacchetto. Versò l'infusione nella tazzina che stava di fronte a lei. Staccò un paio di pezzi dalla zolletta per lei, sapeva persino come prendeva il the. "Ascolta ragazzina, noi spiriti della casa non parliamo più dello stretto necessario. Il nostro silenzio è la nostra invisibilità, quindi fammi andare al punto: Hai sentito cosa ha detto il buon vecchio O'Reilly stasera no? 'Non disturbare gli spiriti del bosco', lo ha detto per il tuo bene." Al sentirsi chiamare 'ragazzina' il tono della voce di lei si fece più risentito e squillante "Quindi oltre che profanatore di lettere, anche un origliatore maleducato" L'omino sospirò con enorme esercizio di pazienza "Non è come pensi.. non mi è possibile ignorare quello che succede entro queste mura, siamo nati dai sentimenti della famiglia che ha costruito questa casa. Se ti appaio in sogno è perchè questa famiglia si preoccupa per te" "il vostro sentimentalismo mi commuove" disse sarcasticamente, "ma sono pronta a scommettere che voi avete origliato per il semplice fatto che questo vostro rifugio si trova vicino al focolare" "Ti avverto ragazzina, non cercare di trovarlo, causeresti un dolore agli O'Reilly" "Dovevate pensarci prima di invitarmi qui, razza di stupido omino. E adesso datemi una buona ragione per cui questa 'ragazzina'" rimarcò la parola "non dovrebbe svegliarsi e venire a farvi fare la fine del topo" Sorseggiava la tazza di the adesso, fissando l'uomo con un sorriso imperioso, che non prometteva nulla di buono. "Ragioni? Se c'è qualcosa che so degli esseri umani è che la logica con voi non è persuasiva. Ho solo indicato la soglia da non varcare, ragazza mia, ma non era mia intenzione regalarvi la determinazione per attraversarla." "Il vostro consiglio non è richiesto" Incrociò le braccia. Calò un pò di gelo tra i due. Il sadismo giovanile di lei aveva fatto affiorare al viso del vecchio uno sguardo triste, leggermente rassegnato. "Come faccio a svegliarmi?" "Non ti preoccupare, presto sarai sul tuo letto, bambina. Voi avrete pur il controllo dei momenti di veglia, ma noi abbiamo la nostra rivincita nei sogni e sei fortunata che non abbiamo la vostra stessa crudeltà. Comunque.. se non posso dissuaderti, sarò il tuo messaggero e un giorno, forse, ti porterò da lui." disse quasi burbero "Quasta poi.. volevate sabotarmi e adesso vorreste anche farmi da guida" "La foresta di Bluebell si basa su un fragile equilibrio, il custode di quell'equilibrio, la Regina delle Rose, non ama l'invadenza umana, specie da una che le somiglia così tanto" "Io... somiglierei alla Regina?" Ignorò ancora quelle domande che avevano la stessa arguzia dell'eco di un pozzo. "Tuvia l'ha combattuta, sai.. la Corte delle Rose Spinae." "Quel cosino? Ma se è fragile come un filo d'erba. Scommetto che se mi stendessi in giardino, potrebbe diventare una macchia sul mio vestito. Se è così coraggioso, poi, perchè non è nella foresta a combattere?" "Lo vedi in giardino perchè è un esule e non conosce più la comodità di un confine. Si è consacrato alla pioggia, perchè si riconosce nelle nuvole. Una nuova regina.. questo lo salverebbe. E lui.. non vuole essere salvato!" Lo spirito degli O'Reilly con la tristezza si era fatto stranamente loquace, riconosceva qualcosa nel vecchio in lui, aveva la stessa dolcezza sotto una scorza dura che era più simile a quella della signora O'Reilly, uno strano mix. Elizabeth sorseggiò quell'infuso, stavolta godendone appieno l'aroma. Era come di tiglio. Avvertì che si stava agitando nel sonno. Non voleva svegliarsi proprio ora. Lo spirito degli O'Reilly la fissava e con un cenno del capo sembrò quasi accomiatarsi. Quando riaprì gli occhi sul suo letto, le ultime parole dello Spirito riecheggiavano ancora nelle sue orecchie riempiendola di non so quale speranza.. "Una nuova regina", si ripeteva. Poteva giurare di sentire ancora il sapore di tiglio sulla punta della lingua.

[chocolatequeennk]

The Full Christmas Experience, 1/3

The Doctor and Rose are on their way back to London to celebrate Christmas with Jackie. But they make a few stops along the way...

Ten x Rose, post Doomsday fixit, telepathic bond

This is part of True Things, and comes after Lesson Learned

This is for @doctorroseprompts​ 31 Days of Ficmas. This is for Day 3: Shopping.

AO3 | FF.NET

The Doctor moved slowly around the console, shifting each dial deliberately. Rose rolled her eyes; he was purposely stalling, and they both knew it.

Still… She stuck her tongue out slightly while she thought.

“You know what?” she asked, after making up her mind.

The Doctor looked at her hopefully, his hand stopped in midair halfway to the dematerialisation lever.

“There’s one thing we’ve forgotten—presents!”

He blinked owlishly at her. “Presents?”

Rose bit her cheek to hold back her laughter. “Yeah. I mean, if we’re gonna go to Mum’s for Christmas, we should bring presents, shouldn’t we?”

The Doctor stared at her for a few more seconds, then his face brightened and he spun away from the lever, moving back to the navigation controls.

“Right you are, Rose Tyler! And if we need Christmas presents, there’s really only one place to go: the holiday market on Noel.”

“Noel.”

“Yep!”

“There’s a planet named Christmas?”

“Well yes, but we’re going to Noel. We can visit Christmas next year.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “All right, fine. Tell me more about Noel,” she said.

The Doctor finished setting their new coordinates and then shoved the lever into place. Holiday music started playing as the TARDIS shifted into the Vortex.

“Noel was settled in the 34th century.” He hopped up on the jump seat with Rose and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “A group of human explorers landed on Christmas Day, and for some reason beknownst only to them, they decided to name it after the date.”

“Like Easter Island,” Rose interjected.

“Exactly,” he agreed. “Anyway, they didn’t really intend to become a holiday destination, but with a name like that, it’s hard to avoid. Eventually, after two centuries, they quit fighting the inevitable. Now, the entire planet becomes a massive Christmas market during the winter.”

Rose raised an eyebrow. “Unless their star system is different than ours, the entire planet doesn’t experience winter at the same time,” she pointed out.”

He rolled his eyes. “All right, fine. The main city on the main continent becomes a massive Christmas market during the winter months.” He huffed. “That just doesn’t sound nearly as dramatic.”

Rose laughed, just as the TARDIS wheezed and dropped them onto Noel with a gentle thud. “Come on, I think this is going to plenty impressive, even if it isn’t a planet-wide market.”

She hopped off the seat and wrapped her scarf around her neck. The Doctor darted past her and opened the door for her.

Rose started smiling when she heard the merry strains of Christmas music floating into the console room. She jogged up the ramp and stopped stock still at the door.

The entire city looked like something out of a fairy tale. There were hints of a modern society if you knew where to look—hover carts, etc—but the buildings and the streets looked incredible.

Garland was strung between the buildings on the narrow street. A light dusting of snow covered the cobblestones, and the sun shone down on it, making everything glisten.

A familiar scent teased her nose, and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Smells like cinnamon and clove,” she said, without opening her eyes.

“And apple and roasted chestnuts and mulled wine.”

Rose opened her eyes and looked at the Doctor, taking in the broad grin on his face and the way he bounced on his toes. “You think you’re so impressive,” she teased.

The Doctor had to swallow a giggle, he was feeling so giddy. He rocked back on his heels, his hands in his coat pockets. “I mean… I did bring you to the perfect Christmas market,” he said nonchalantly. “I think that’s a little impressive.”

Rose closed the door and walked towards him, her tongue teasing him from behind her teeth. He watched her, holding still as she placed her hands on the lapels of his coat.

“Maybe a little,” she allowed. “So… what’s next, Doctor?”

He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her close. A Christmas kiss, to start the day? he suggested as he bumped his nose against hers. She giggled, and he quickly shifted and pressed his lips to hers.

Rose leaned into him for a moment, but too soon for his taste, she pulled back, ending the kiss. “Come on,” she said. “We can find mistletoe later and continue. Right now I want to find out what smells so good.”

The Doctor took her hand, lacing their fingers together. “Excellent idea,” he agreed.

He watched Rose as they walked down the narrow street. She’d been impressed by her first sight of Noel, but she had yet to see the true beauty of the market.

Rose’s eyes widened as they stepped out into the open town plaza. The space was as large as Trafalgar Square, and it was absolutely packed with holiday booths and people doing their holiday shopping.

An enormous tree stood in the centre of the market, its boughs decorated with red garland and gold bows. High on top sat a star that lit up the square every night.

On the town hall stairs, a small group of carollers were singing. Shoppers rushed by, but no matter how hurried they were, every one of them stopped to drop a few coins in the bucket placed on the street in front of them.

“Doctor, this is…” Rose turned in a slow circle, trying to take it all in.

The Doctor let her soak it in, then tugged on her hand. “Come on, food is this way.”

They followed their noses and were very soon standing in line at a concessions booth selling pastries.

Soon they were walking away from the stand, pastries in hand. “This is amazing,” Rose said around a mouthful of food. “Is it apple, or something like apple?”

The Doctor took a bite of his own pumpkin scone and hummed before answering. “Close enough to not make a difference,” he answered once he’d swallowed.

While they ate their pastries, they did a full circuit of the market. The Doctor was surprised when Rose grabbed his hand and pulled him in a very determined direction as soon as their pastries were done.

“Come on,” she told him, sensing his confusion. “I saw some places I wanna check out.”

He understood then; Rose had paid attention to the shops and booths as they’d walked and made a mental map of the path she wanted to take.

The market was busy, but Rose wove her way in and out of the crowd, intent on returning to the clothing booth she’d spotted. Several sellers tried to catch her attention, but she didn’t stop.

“I thought we might find something for Mum here,” she told the Doctor when they reached the booth.

The Doctor reached out and touched one of the tops, and nodded approvingly. “Excellent idea.”

“May I ask who you’re buying for?” the vendor asked.

Rose smiled at her. “I need a Christmas present for my mum. Do you have anything that might be especially appropriate for someone living in a city where it rains all the time?”

The seller brightened. “Of course!” She walked straight to a rack of jackets and coats. “These are all 100% waterproof,” she told them.

“Oh!” Rose walked over and looked at the jackets. “They’re pretty, too.”

“Thank you. My family makes them.”

Rose felt the Doctor come up behind her. He reached around her and touched one of the jackets. “Is it rezista?” he asked.

“Yes, it is.” The woman raised an eyebrow. “You’re more familiar with our native fibres than most visitors.”

The Doctor flashed her a winning smile. “Well, when a world has a truly waterproof fabric, that’s pretty appealing to travellers,” he pointed out.

Rose tuned them out for the most part, browsing through the rack of jackets looking for one she thought Jackie would like. There were some that appealed to her, with sleek, slim lines etc etc. But she knew her mum—if she offered anything with a style too different from her own, Jackie would get upset and think she was trying to change her.

When she got to the last item on the rack and still hadn’t found anything she thought Jackie would like, she sighed. The shopkeeper, attuned to the sound of a disappointed customer, turned immediately.

“I have a few other items that I haven’t put out, plus some of last year’s items that didn’t sell,” she said. “Would you like to see those?”

Rose bit her lip. There was nothing on this rack to indicate that the shop had anything that would appeal to Jackie, but she really didn’t want to walk away empty handed.

“Yeah, all right.”

The woman nodded and hurried to the back of the booth. Meanwhile, the Doctor moved closer and wrapped an arm loosely around her waist.

Nothing that you think Jackie would like? He asked.

Nah, everything so far would make her rant about airs and graces again, and how living on the Estate was always good enough before and why did we need to change?

The Doctor grimaced; he’d overheard that argument more than once since meeting Rose. It never made any sense to him that a parent wouldn’t want their child to have a better life than they’d had. But, he supposed it was the implication that the old life hadn’t been good enough that grated.

He felt Rose tense slightly when the saleslady came back with an armful of coats. “Here we are,” she said, draping them over her table.

The Doctor and Rose both spotted the right one immediately.

“That one,” he said, pointing to the puffy jacket.

“Yeah, definitely,” Rose agreed.

The woman smiled. “I can give you a discount on this coat,” she said. “This is the one I spoke of, the style we tried last year that no one seemed to be interested in.” She set the coat aside. “Is there anything else you would like?”

Despite knowing it was a sales tactic, the Doctor still felt interested in looking around the shop some more. The benevolent gesture of the discount had done its work once again.

“What about you, love?” He gestured at the coat and warm tops. “You don’t really have a good coat to wear in the rain.”

Rose rolled her eyes. A raincoat would be more helpful if we knew it was going to be raining when we left the TARDIS, she pointed out.

The Doctor tugged on his ear. It was true that most times when they got caught in bad weather, it was because their landing had gone a bit south. Or north, or early, or late… Anyway. If they landed when he expected, they rarely ran into foul weather.

Still…

I can keep it in my coat pocket, he reminded her. Stashed away for a rainy day.

Rose rolled her eyes again at his ridiculous pun, but she did move back to the first rack of jackets. The Doctor wasn’t surprised when she pulled one out without needing to browse the rack again. The deep blue, knee length coat had caught her eyes when she’d looked the first time.

“We’ll take these,” he told the shopkeeper, handing over their credit stick.

Two minutes later, they were leaving the shop with a bulky package in hand. Without needing to consult each other, they wordlessly went back to the TARDIS to drop them off.

“All right, what’s next?” Rose asked the Doctor.

“Don’t you have other shops you want to check out?” he asked.

“Well yeah, but why don’t we just roam for a bit? See if something catches our eye.” She winked at him. “See if maybe there’s some kind of dangerous alien activity that needs our intervention.”

The Doctor pouted. “This trip has been perfectly—”

Rose slapped her hand over his mouth, muffling the rest of his words. “Don’t you dare,” she said, laughter in her words. “Don’t you dare jinx us like that.”

She felt his lips move, but the sound was still muffled. With one more warning glare, she pulled her hand back.

“Fiiiiiine,” he said, with an exaggerated pout. “Let’s go walk through the market and see if we can find any nefarious aliens looking to overturn the holiday fun.”

Rose nodded once, sharply. “Better.”

She slid her hand through the Doctor’s arm as they walked back to the main part of the market. There were a few other booths she wanted to explore, but honestly it was enough to just be here, on this magical planet, exploring it with her Doctor.

The Doctor hummed when he picked up on that thought, and a moment later, he let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist instead, pulling in close.

I love you, he told her as he brushed his lips over her temple.

Love you too.

They stopped in front of the city hall again and watched the new group of musicians. This time, it was a brass ensemble. Thankfully, they weren’t dressed as Santas. Rose didn’t think she could have stood there watching a group of trombone playing Santas.

The Doctor laughed. “Quite right,” he agreed.

She pressed her tongue to the back of her teeth. The Santas had brought back another memory from the previous year.

“Could we take Mum a new tree?” she asked. “I mean, she thought we sent her a new tree last year—that’s why she accepted it.”

“And you’re thinking that maybe she’d actually appreciate a new tree?” the Doctor said.

Rose nodded. “She’s had hers since I was… God, I don’t even know. Since I was a kid,” she said. “Maybe she’d like something new.”

The Doctor looked down at her, and Rose bit her lip to hide her excitement. He had a plan.

“Is she set on having an artificial tree, or would she maybe be interested in a real tree?” he asked.

Rose put her hands over her mouth. “We never had a real tree,” she said. “I always wanted one, but we never could.”

He nodded. “There’s a Christmas tree farm outside of town. We can go later this afternoon, or maybe tomorrow if we end up spending the whole day shopping.”

Rose clapped her hands. “That would be amazing. Thank you, Doctor.”

Shouts of laughter drew their attention to the large park that ran along one side of the market square. “Come on,” Rose said, pulling the Doctor in that direction. “That sounds like something I want to be involved in.”

As they wound their way through the park, Rose noticed the wide swaths of pristine snow covering the ground. Tall evergreen trees towered over the park, their branches weighed down with snow.

“It’s like something off one of those old Christmas cards,” she said.

The Doctor nodded. “It’ll nearly be like a picture print by Currier and Ives,” he sang.

“These wonderful things are the things we’ll remember all through our lives,” Rose replied.

The Doctor grinned at her. Despite the cold, his hearts were warm as he walked through the park with his wife. As far as ideas went, this was one of… He paused. One of Rose’s better ones.

They drew to a halt suddenly when a snowball whizzed by them. The Doctor looked around and realised they’d walked right into the middle of a snowball fight.

“Mind if we join in?” he called out.

A second later, a snowball hit him on the shoulder. The buzz of giddy amusement and exhilaration he felt over the bond told him exactly who had thrown it.

“Oh, you will regret that Rose Tyler,” he growled as he spun around.

But Rose wasn’t standing next to him anymore. He spotted her red coat disappearing into the trees and took chase. Snowballs flew through the air all around him, but he ignored the rest of the party.

Another snowball flew out of nowhere, and the Doctor only missed it by ducking and rolling. Rose laughed, and he leapt to his feet and chased after her as she ran from one cover to another.

Rose darted from one tree to another, trying to hold back her breathless laughter. She could feel the constant tug on the bond as the Doctor used it to keep track of where she was. However, that advantage worked both ways, and she was easily able to stay one step ahead of him.

But skulking in the bushes wasn’t really her style. A large snow fort stood on the opposite side of the clearing, and Rose was itching to reach it.

She peered around her tree, looking in both directions. At the same time, she tried to pull back from the bond as much as possible, hoping it would temporarily make it harder for him to find her.

And then she ran. Halfway across the clearing, she heard a familiar shout and footsteps crunching through the snow. She stretched her legs, trying to run just a little bit faster, but about ten feet from the fort, the Doctor slammed into her from the side, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to the ground.

Rose rolled, trying to get out of his hold, but the Doctor rolled with her, pinning her to the ground every time. “Gotcha,” he growled.

The rough voice sent a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the snow going down her back. “Yeah, you do,” she said breathlessly. “What are you going to do about it?”

The Doctor didn’t need any other invitation. He swooped down and pressed his lips to hers.

Rose sighed and tilted her head, letting him deepen the kiss. It might be cold and wet, but there was still no place she would rather be at that moment than on her back in the snow with the Doctor kissing her.

Finally, though, the jeers of the kids around them penetrated their private world. The Doctor pulled back and smirked down at Rose. “I suppose we’ve given them enough of a show.” He rocked back on his knees, then jumped to his feet.

Rose accepted the hand he offered and let him pull her up. She shivered when the air hit her wet back.

“I wish I was wearing that waterproof coat right now,” she said, rubbing her hands briskly over her arms. “I hate to take time to go change, but I think we need to.”

The Doctor shook his head and twirled his sonic screwdriver around his fingers. “Nah, I can dry us off in a jiffy,” he said.

Rose sighed in relief. “Come on, let’s get out of the way first.”

The Doctor nodded, and they walked away from the main snowball fight back to the path that led around the park. Once they were no longer in danger of being smacked in the face with an errant snowball, he stopped walking and started waving the sonic round her in circles.

“The sonic is creating molecule excitation,” he explained. “The water molecules in your coat are vibrating in tune to the frequency of sonic waves, and that’s causing them to evaporate.”

Rose sighed when he was done. Before he could start waving the sonic over himself, Rose took the device from him. “Like this, yeah?” she said, waving it over him in slow passes.

She was fascinated by the steam rising out of the brown wool coat. “That is amazing,” she murmured.

“Faster than a laundrette,” the Doctor said as he turned around to face her.

Rose laughed and finished drying him off. “Much,” she agreed. The Doctor took the sonic back and offered his hand, and they strolled through the park the way they’d come.

They were almost to the entrance of the park when Rose started shivering. Even though the Doctor had dried them off with the sonic, now that she wasn’t running across the park trying to avoid being hit by a snowball, she could feel how cold it was.

The Doctor pulled her close. “Come on,” he said. “It’s time for some Christmas cheer.”

Rose hummed her agreement. Some kind of hot beverage was exactly what the Doctor ordered at this point.

Thankfully, the beverage stand was one of the few that was completely enclosed. Rose sighed in delight when they stepped out of the cold wind. They still had to wait in line, but even that just gave them a chance to warm up.

“What do you want?” The Doctor pointed at the menu on the wall behind the person selling drinks.

Mulled wine was the first item on the list, and Rose almost selected it without looking further. She kept going though, reading past the various hot chocolates, coffees, and hot toddies.

The last item on the list caught her fancy. “Hot buttered rum,” she told him.

“Ooh, I like that. I haven’t had that in… er, ages,” he said.

Rose giggled. Well done, she told him. Not spouting out that you’re well over a thousand years old.

The Doctor tugged on his ear. “Welllll…” he said.

They finally reached the front of the line, and the Doctor placed their order. A few minutes later, they were walking out of the shop holding steaming mugs of hot buttered rum.

“I like that it comes in a mug,” Rose commented. “It’s like a little souvenir of this trip.”

She brought the mug up to her nose and sniffed. “Smells all warm and rich and spicy,” she said.

The Doctor took a big swallow of his drink and somehow managed to swallow it even though it was still steaming. “It’s delicious,” he said.

Rose grabbed his tie and tugged him down for a kiss. The Doctor flailed slightly, but managed to keep his mug upright while she snogged him thoroughly.

When she stepped back and straightened his tie, he gaped down at her. “Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?”

Rose looked up at him through her eyelashes. “You had a moustache,” she explained. “I was just helping.” It sounded very innocent, but the way the tip of her tongue showed through her smile suggested otherwise.

The Doctor chuckled. “Well, feel free to kiss anything else off of me.”

It was a sentence that only six months ago would have made them both blush and start stammering explanations. Today, he leaned into the innuendo, using their bond to offer a whole host of suggestions.

Rose sucked in a breath, but somehow managed to speak. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, her voice almost even.

Then she immediately took a sip of her own drink. “Oh, this is divine,” she moaned, licking the foam off her upper lip.

“The perfect thing to warm you up from the inside out,” the Doctor agreed.

The sun was low in the sky as they circled the market another time, drinking their hot buttered rum. There was one kind of shop Rose hadn’t found yet, much to her surprise. Finally, just as the sun was setting, she found it—a large shop specialising in Christmas decorations.

“I wanna get Mum an ornament or something,” she told the Doctor when she slowed to a stop. “Maybe something with the planet name on it? It’d be fun for her to have something that represents our travels, and no one else would bat an eyelash.”

The Doctor agreed, and they ducked into the packed store.

Unlike the first booth, here the salesperson left them alone to browse. Rose felt herself relax. It was a cultural thing, but even after years travelling with the Doctor, she wasn’t used to the overly helpful salesperson.

Left alone to browse, she slowly wandered the store, handing things to the Doctor as she found them.

“This is beautiful,” she said, carefully taking the delicate ornament off the tree. She held it for a moment before she noticed something different. “Doctor?”

He smiled. “Yep! Futuristic snow globes don’t need to be shaken for the snow to… snow. That ornament will constantly show snow falling, whether someone touches it or not.”

“I love it.”

oOoOo

It was dark when they left the shop. The market hadn’t slowed down; if anything the crowds had gotten thicker. “What are they all here for?” she said.

The Doctor took her hand and led her to the edge of the square. “Just watch,” he said.

Rose stared out at the plaza, trying to understand what she was watching for. Then she saw a light. First one, then a second. Then after that, dozens of lights floated up from the square.

“What are they?” Rose whispered.

“Remembrance lanterns,” he said, just as softly. “Every year, the city gathers on the third day of the festival to celebrate those who have been lost in the last year. The families make their own lanterns and bring them to the square on this day. The holiday lights are dimmed, and the lanterns are lit and released to the sky.”

Rose’s breath caught as she watched the spectacle. It was beautiful before; knowing what it symbolised made it absolutely stunning.

“I’m glad I don’t need to let one go,” she said, the words escaping her before she really thought them through. “I could set one off for Mickey, I suppose. It hurt to lose him. But it doesn’t hurt nearly as much as losing Mum would. And…” She bit her lip. “And sometimes I can’t help but remember that we almost lost each other.”

The Doctor shivered and pulled Rose close. The way the timelines had been pulling, trying to get Rose to leave him, he suspected that had been the primary timeline. But they had changed things. Jackie had changed things. And that’s why they could all be together.

“Happy Christmas, Doctor.”

“Happy Christmas, Rose.”

[justlightlysedated]

01 || 02 || 03 || 04 || 05 || 06 || 07 || 08 || 09 || 10 || 11 || 12 || 13 || 14 || 15 || 16 ||

*

day seventeen: handfasting

*

inspired by this gorgeous gifset for @vlamito 😊💖

*

Maria didn’t know exactly what to expect when she and Jenna had gone to Alex’s cabin in the middle of the night and asked him to marry them.

Jenna had asked Maria to marry her, and Maria had told her that she didn’t want to wait any longer. Their lives were so unpredictable, so dangerous, that Maria didn’t want to waste another second not being married when it was something that they both wanted.

After making sure that they were sure about this and that it was something they both wanted, Alex had made some phone calls, and even though it was nearing three in the morning, Isobel had gotten to the cabin not even half an hour after Alex had called her.

She had brought a bunch of party decorations left over from previous events and several dresses in their dry cleaning bags.

Liz had appeared next with Max and her dad and a trunk full of food and a bag full of shoes. Rosa had driven in with Kyle carrying a makeup bag.

While Liz had locked herself in the bathroom with Jenna to help her get ready, Maria and Rosa had taken over Alex’s bedroom.

“You’re so quiet,” Rosa says after a few minutes pass without Maria saying anything as Rosa starts to pin her hair up into an elegant bun.

Maria just exhales softly and looks at Rosa’s reflection in the mirror. “I’m just thinking.”

“Getting cold feet already?” Rosa says, leaning in close and giving her a conspiratorial smirk. “We can totally sneak out through the window.”

Maria just smiles and shakes her head. “No, just wondering how my life got to this point. I swear a year ago I was convinced that I was going to spend the rest of my life alone, and now-”

“You’re getting married, in the middle of the night, in your best friend’s backyard, because you can’t wait a few more days to plan it out properly,” Rosa says in a mocking tone as she goes back to fixing Maria’s hair.

“We could all be dead tomorrow,” Maria points out, and Rosa nods her head in agreement. “And what is the point of having a friend who can marry you if you’re not going to take advantage of it?”

Rosa just shakes her head and smiles at her. “C’est la vie, and all that.”

Maria just smiles back at her and wonders how Jenna is fairing with Liz.

By the time she makes it outside, it’s been two hours since she and Jenna knocked on Alex’s door, and the only person who still hasn’t appeared is Michael.

Maria frowns at that momentarily, but then Rosa leads her towards the back and she forgets all about it.

Isobel had put everyone else to work, and the result was something that made Maria feel like she was stepping into a fairy tale.

The space was lit with fairy lights strung in arches between the trees and the roof of the balcony, candles on the floor carving a path in the center of the space towards two big trees with an archway between covered in white flowers and garlands and silver mesh bows and more fairy lights,  hanging down like icicles. There was a table with a book and a braided cord right on top of it.

Maria takes a step closer, and she can just make out everyone else setting up small tables with food and more candles. She's about to step off the porch when someone clears their throat and she turns around and has to raise her hand to her mouth to stop herself from gasping too loud.

"Mom?" She says, and her mom steps away from where Michael had been leading her up the steps with a hand on her back and she walks towards Maria, holding her hands up.

Maria lets her hands fall as her mom cups her face, and just stares at her with so much love and so much happiness shining out of her eyes that it makes Maria want to cry.

"It's a good thing I used waterproof mascara," she hears Rosa tell Michael.

"I am so happy that you're here," Maria tells her mom.

Her mom just smiles and says. "I wouldn't have missed this for anything."

Maria laughs, and it comes out like a sob, and she pushes forward and wraps her mom up in a hug.

She looks over her shoulder where Rosa and Michael are watching them, and she mouths, Thank you.

Michael just tips his hat at her and then offers Rosa his arm and she hooks her hand into the crook of his elbow, rolling her eyes a little, and lets him lead her over to where everyone is gathering.

Maria pulls back and her mom raises her hands again to cup her face.

Maria inhales deeply, “Will you walk me down the aisle?”

Her mom just smiles and pats her cheeks, “Of course.”

Maria exhales carefully, and then turns back towards the altar they set up, and her breath catches in her chest.

Jenna is standing right underneath the arch, smiling brightly as she stares at back at her.

She almost looks like an angel standing there in a off the shoulder long white dress with lace trimming. Her hair is falling to her shoulders in waves and looks silver white in the light. Her bangs pinned back by a silver diadem shaped like vines, matching the silver flower hair combs that are holding Maria’s bun in place.

She hears someone strumming a guitar, and then Isobel is standing in front of her, smiling bright and proud, holding a bouquet of white roses in her hands.

She hands them over to Maria, and Maria opens her mouth to thank her, but Isobel waves her hand in the air.

“Just know that you owe me and I will come to collect.”

Maria’s smile just gets bigger and she reaches forward and hugs Isobel tightly.

Isobel pats her back and then lets her go.

Isobel moves back to where Max, Liz and Arturo are standing right next to Rosa who has designated herself as the maid of honor and is standing right by Jenna and Alex. Kyle is standing on Jenna’s side and he’s holding his phone out, either recording or he has Charlie on the line watching everything. 

Maria takes a deep breath and turns to her mom. Her mom comes up right next to her, and hooks their arms together. 

“You ready?” she asks her.

Maria exhales all at once and turns back towards where Jenna is waiting. “I love her,” she says in a breathless voice.

Her mom squeezes their arms together and then nods her head and the sounds of the guitar playing the wedding march fills the air.

Maria and her mom step forward as one.

Maria feels her heart racing in her chest, but the closer that she gets to Jenna, the calmer that she begins to feel.

Jenna’s smile is so happy, and there are tears in her eyes, and when Maria and her mom stop in front of her, Maria can tell that she’s itching to reach out for her.

Maria turns to her mom again, who just presses a kiss to her cheek and then lets her go, pushing her towards Jenna with a smile as she moves to Rosa’s side.

Maria reaches for Jenna, and Jenna immediately links their fingers together, pulling her in close as she looks her up and down and then bites down on her lip to keep her smile from spreading too much.

Maria squeezes their hands together feeling like she’s bursting with happiness.

The guitar stops playing, and Alex clears his throat a little, and both Jenna and Maria turn to him.

He smiles at them both and then grabs the braided cord from the table.

He steps towards them, and Maria lets go of Jenna’s hand, so that they can clasp left hands.

Alex moves closer, and wraps the cord around their joined hands, and as he starts to knot it he begins to speak.

“As this knot is tied, so are your lives now bound,” he says and Maria turns to Jenna, who turns to look at her at the same time. “Woven into this cord, imbued into its very fibers, are all the hopes of your friends and family, and of yourselves, for your new life together.”

He puts his hand on top of theirs as he finishes tying the knot, “With the fashioning of this knot do I tie all the desires, dreams, love, and happiness wished here in this place to your lives for as long as your love shall last.”

“May this cord draw your hands together in love, never to be used in anger. May the vows you have spoken never grow bitter in your mouths. May it be granted that what is done before the gods be not undone by man. Two entwined in love, bound by commitment and fear, sadness and joy, by hardship and victory, anger and reconciliation, all of which brings strength to this union. Hold tight to one another through both good times and bad, and watch as your strength grows.”

He takes a step back then, letting go of their hands and continues, “If you have any vows, they should be said now.”

Jenna squeezes her hand and starts to speak. “Maria Angela DeLuca, there is no one else I would rather spend the rest of my life with, and no matter what happens, I need you to know that I will always be right there to face it with you. Your problems will be my problems and your joy will be my joy, and I promise to love you now and forever.”

Maria blinks back the tears and laughs a little when Jenna raises her hand to wipe at the tear that manages to fall down her cheek.

“God, Jenna, I never expected you to come into my life and shake everything up, but you are one of the most important people in my life, and I can’t imagine my life with having you in it. I love you, and I will love you for the rest of my life, and I promise to always be here for whatever you need, and to stand by your side through all of the good and especially all of the bad, in sickness and in health as long as we both shall live.”

Jenna’s smile could outshine the sun, and she tugs Maria in closer with their joined hands, and Maria wraps an arm around her waist as Jenna drops her forehead against Maria’s.

“By the power vested in me by the state of New Mexico,” Alex speaks up, reminding Maria that they were still in the middle of the ceremony. “I now pronounce you, wife and wife. You may kiss the bride, now.”

Maria and Jenna lean in at the same time and as their lips meet in a soft kiss, more like their smiles pressing together than actual kiss, Maria thinks that no matter what happens next, she’ll be able to handle it with Jenna at her side.