#a.k.a. the house of rain

[naradivision]

Hello! uhhh 🏠 for Fusau

🏠  for a moodboard about my muse’s home aesthetics

I rechecked with @hypster-weebster and verified that this ask is for my moody ex-tycoon, Saigo-san. Well, I’d like to say you totally hit the jackpot there! His house is so far the most interesting one and can be called the Miraitabi meeting place.

So...

❖ Welcome to 『Ajisai Residence』 ❖

Mun’s note: I listen to this song for aesthetic and inspiration in regard to his house's idea 🎶

Warning: somewhat long tidbits below

His place is very well-known among the neighborhood as the “Ajisai Resident” because this area is seemingly surrounded by the lavish number of hydrangea (紫陽花). No one knows why there’s so many of them —Maybe someone intentionally planted them there?

This place isn’t originally his estate. He inherited it from his late mother and she had bought this place a few years before her death.

His uncle, Shūkaidō Minazuki, is the one who brought up this place to him, but the main reason why he decides to move in is because he wants to know more about his mother

This mansion was built in the taisho-roman style which is a mix of beautiful western and eastern retro fashions, so in order to save its grace; he had to go through several contacts with talented remodelers, architects (hopefully, involving WHITE CO.), and traditional craftsmen to revive this place against the tide of time

Yes, like any ancient residence with obscure history; this mansion was rumored at one point to be the ‘haunted’ place. Some passersby indicate their sight of the mysterious lady with long hair and white kimono by the mansion’s window from time to time

However, this rumor soon fades away after he has moved in with his attendant (Bodyguard in disguise), and Saigo himself swears to never encounter any superstitious phenomenon during his stay there. Also, he strongly doesn’t believe in ghosts to begin with

Ergo, this causes some of his clients beg him to accept their believe-to-be stigmatized properties into his care —And that’s maybe why he called his MC name “Tsukumogami” out of annoyance ...By the way, no one knows whether the ghost they saw is the real thing or not

Not only its mysterious atmosphere, this mansion also has so many secret passages built in almost every nook of it. But so far the only one who seems to remember all details of this mansion beside the rightful owner like him is his attendant, Chishio —He is the one who takes care of the security system there

Chishio’s personal room is also hidden in the basement and he seems to enjoy using those secret bypasses to jumpscare other people on a regular basis, both visitors ...and thiefs. Honestly, knowing this man... He is way scarier than ghosts. R.I.P. those burglars in advance

All three of Miratabi crews establish an agreement that they’re going to have dinner together at Saigo’s place for the sake of team bonding (Of course, this was Asahi’s idea)

P.S. More delicious bonus: The “Hydrengea” is also the symbolic crest of his uncle’s household, which I plan to reveal A LOTTT later... I’ve already mentioned few of them somewhere and the members of this weird family are all named in the theme of ‘flowers’.

Thanks for the ask :)

[vee-week]

Please join us in celebrating our favorite basilisk by creating fanworks for Vee Week a.k.a. Veek!

From August 14th - 20th, we'll be reblogging posts with fanworks related to the following prompts:

Day 1/August 14: Hug | Shapeshifter | Cabin 7

Day 2/August 15: Mama | Languages | Movie Night

Day 3/August 16: Home | Name | Coffee

Day 4/August 17: Nocedas | Not a Monster | Grom Night

Day 5/August 18: Safe | Number 5 | Masha

Day 6/August 19: Sisterly Bonding | Piercing | Rain

Day 7/August 20: Family | Extinct | Demon Realm Human Realm Exchange Program

Alt Prompts: Doing Crime | Siblings | Free | Date | AU

All kinds of fanworks are welcome — digital art, traditional art, latte art, 100 word drabbles, ficlets, longer fics, poems, embroidery, rec lists, cosplay, music, gif sets, vids, etc. If you don't feel inspired by any of the prompt options for a given day, please feel free to use an alternate prompt.

We have a banner you can use for your posts and participation/completionist badges — check out all our graphics courtesy of @kkupttown!

We also have an AO3 Collection where you can post fanworks.

So that we can find your posts and reblog them during Veek, please tag Tumblr posts with: #veek 2024, #day [x] or #alt prompt, #prompt name, #the owl house. We also encourage additional tags for Vee and/or The Owl House (#vee noceda, #vee the owl house, #vee the basilisk, #toh, etc.) and fanwork type (#toh fanfic, #toh cosplay, #toh fanart, etc.). Please be sure to tag for content triggers (#child abuse, #self harm, etc.).

Check out the FAQ for more details and feel free to send asks if you have any questions!

[omegapheromone]

Can we talk about how sometimes I see people confuse nests and dens completely? Because it happens a surprising amount.

First of all, what IS a nest when it comes to mammals specifically, considering Omegaverse draws inspiration from animal behavior?

Here are some NON-BIRD google results for "animal nest", "mammal nest" and similar searches, a.k.a. This is a representation of Animal Nests:

Notable features:

the nest is BUILT. The structure is specifically created/crafted from materials that may or may not belong to the surrounding environment, but it is clearly built by the animal for either themselves or their offspring, usually for the purpose of resting in.

The nest is built in a mostly-round shape, and the sides of the nest are covered, while the top usually isn't. The height of the sides varies however, so the space in the middle may appear more cavernous at times. Nests are often made in sheltered locations where they remain hidden, but actual shelter from rain etc is not necessarily a part of a nest.

Now then, what are the searches for DENS? Here's what google comes up with when you look for "animal den" or "mammal den", a.k.a. a generic representation of what dens are:

Notable features:

Dens are DUG, instead of built. They are tunnel-like features in the terrain that do not utilize manipulation of material to craft a structure, like nests do.

Dens are tunnel-like. They are covered at the top and most sides, with an opening at the side for entry and exit. They are dug into hillsides, under trees, and occasionally flat ground in order to ensure a space where the top of the den will be covered, much like a cave.

So, what's the difference when it comes to omegaverse, especially lifestylers?

A nest is a structure you build. An example of a nest is when you organize all your blankets and pillows to form "walls" around you in your bed (shape, structure, meant for rest, utilizes the action of building with materials). A nest could also be a bean bag in the corner of your room that you surround with soft things and maybe even other larger items to block a direct view into it (sheltered location, intentionally buolt structure). Nests also are generally far softer- not that dens are uncomfortable, but nests tend to be made in places that are ALREADY comfortable, such as bean bags, beds and sofas.

A den is a bit more difficult to define, but to me, a den is anything you build UNDER something, i.e. utilizing an estabilished structure to provide shelter, including a closed top. Bringing blankets and cozy things under your desk or bed to create a super sheltered tunnel-like structure? That's a den, buddy.

One thing I find is "a bit of both", is pillow/blanket forts. It's obviously built intentionally and doesn't utilize an existing structure, but it usually includes a covered top and a tunnel- or cavern-like internal structure. It isn't quite a nest, but it also isn't truly a den because it involves intentional creation of a structure. Personally I tend to lean more towards them being den-adjacent, but depending on how comfortable and soft the interior is, you could consider pillow/blanket forts "dens with a nest built inside".

Anyway, I feel it's important to add that your dynamic doesn't necessarily determine which you prefer. An Alpha can nest and an Omega can burrow. It's personal preference- the only reason there are any associations are mostly because omega nests are seen as cozy, comfortable structures built to house offspring and/or made for sleeping/resting, while alpha dens are seen more as shelters from the elements and structures inside of which you can isolate yourself to get over a rut or even just to hibernate.

Additionally... An idea for a headcanon reasoning is that Omegas generally don't burrow and are discouraged from creating dens for themselves by society because it's seen as an "alpha thing" and that Omegas don't need the shelter and protection a den offers because "an alpha will come and take care of you anyway, so you can just share the alpha's den". Similarly, alphas could be discouraged from nesting because it's seen as "omega behavior" and not 'suitable' for an alpha. Very much mirrors emotional vulnerability, interests and preferences irl; men aren't "allowed" to like soft things or 'be' soft emotionally, because it's "feminine", while women are discouraged from being independent and having a "hard shell" because it's "too masculine". Utilizing this in a headcanon about nests/dens is a good way to explore patriarchy and gender roles & expectations.

Anyway the only reason I actually made this post is because I see so many people call their dens "nests" when what they actually have is an obvious den. Please embrace it!! Dens are great!! Dens offer shelter and safety and create a more private space separate from your surroundings!! There's nothing wrong with building dens/burrowing, as opposed to nesting!! If you want the shelter/safety of a den, that's great!! You don't have to be an alpha to do that!! And also for the alphas- you are allowed to nest!!! It's not a weird thing!!! Nests are super cozy and comfy for a reason, AND you maintain a visual connection to your surroundings more easily if you feel like you need to stay alert/guard!!! Betas can have a nest! Betas can have a den! Betas can have both if they like, why are we forgetting about them when it comes to this anyway??? It's INDIVIDUAL preference.

Random addition I couldn't fit anywhere else: I personally tend to think that an alpha definition of a den can be a little more fluid than just "a tunnel/cavern dug into the ground/under an object". I mean, technically, a room is a den, too- covered at the top with a tunnel-like entrance (door) in and out. Personally I've never subscribed to "alphas have dens and omegas have nests" either way, I actually headcanon alphas especially being more concerned about perceived/claimed "territory" they see themselves as having claimed/being in charge of, such as being protective of their rooms/houses/living quarters etc, as well as lockers, assigned seats, cars, etc, while omega 'territory' protectiveness is more about privacy/safety/comfort, even though it also commonly includes one's own room (for omegas, more specifically, bedrooms) and similar things such as sofas, arm chairs, etc.

Another headcanon I have is that betas especially adore pillow/blanket forts and like building them both just for themselves, as well as big ones to share with the pack. I don't have any particular reasoning because I mean, who doesn't love a blanket fort? I just think it's kind of funny in an endearing way, and a neat idea.

[g0ry0re0]

"One Love, One House", Josh Futturman (Future Man, 2017, TV Show) - Imagine

Description: AU where Josh never beats Biotic Wars. Instead, he lives with you (his partner) in a cozy little apartment in L.A. / Josh Futturman x GN!Reader

General Notes: Established Relationship, Gender Neutral Reader, Pure Fluff/Comfort, Second Person POV, Lots Of Physical Touch (some a bit sensual/intimate?), Not A Lot Of Dialogue, Reader Has Some Internal Dialogue (“italics”)

Author's Note: Posting my first official imagine on tumblr, yippee! Also, my titles will almost always be inspired by songs ("Sweater Weather" by The Neighborhood, song link at the bottom of the post). Enjoy this short blurb!

Word Count: 1,031 Words

California needs the rain, that's what everyone always says, and you agree. You love the rain...

Just not right now. You did not have the best day at work and leaving was all you could think about. On top of that, driving in Los Angeles was already terrible enough. But when it rained? God, you wanted to be home already.

Mental and physical state being in rough condition, you finally hop in your car at the end of the day and start the twenty-minute drive back to your apartment (though, in reality, it was an hour's drive with this weather and L.A. traffic). Your safe haven.

Walking into your apartment felt like the weight of the entire world finally lifted off your shoulders. Your back cracks as you roll your shoulders to slip off your jacket, the warmth of the room enveloping you as you leave your shoes by the door and walk into the adjacent room, the living room (a.k.a. The Game Room, as dubbed by you and Josh the moment you moved in).

You could see Josh's messy hair popping up over the couch, facing away from you with his headset on. He must've gotten out of work early. Not totally unusual, but still welcome nonetheless. You're not sure if he knows you're home as he seems very entranced by his game. Of course, he was playing Bio Wars again, he couldn't get enough of that game. Sure he played others, as well as some with you, but he was addicted to that game in particular.

You walk around the couch, him still not taking his eyes off the screen until you plop down across from him and put your feet up on his lap, immediately relaxing your sore bones by lying along the couch. He jumps a little but finally faces you, just for a brief moment, and flashes you a smile before turning back to his game.

"Hey, hun. How was work?" He asks distractedly, but still smiling, clearly happy that you're home now.

"Not great," you sigh and rest your forearm over your eyes. "Everything hurts. Happy to finally be home, though." You mumble, already feeling your eyes flutter shut from exhaustion.

Josh hums in response, seemingly hyper-focused on his game, but he was listening. He always listened to you.

You both sit together, basking in the contentedness of the moment. The warmth of the apartment was amplified by the warmth you felt from your feet resting on Josh's lap. The aches in your body were slowly melting away the longer you lay on the couch, your breathing starting to slow down. It was quiet, but the sound of rain could be heard faintly from the somewhat open (broken) window in your kitchen, gently watering the half-dead tiny plants sitting on the window sill. You could also vaguely hear Josh's game coming from his headset, the ambiance slowly bringing you a sense of peace.

You remove your arm from its resting spot on your face and cross both over your stomach, wrapping yourself up almost cocoon-like. Your eyes are still closed, and your breathing slows even further, despite your efforts to fight off the sleep you so desperately need. You can feel Josh set down his controller on the side of the couch and you can hear indistinct voices coming from his headset. Must be some kind of cutscene.

Suddenly, you can feel Josh's rough hands squeezing your feet. Your closed eyelids flutter a bit and you sigh out of appreciation. Josh seemed to appear distracted more often than not, but he always paid attention to what you communicated to him, both verbally and subtly. This man adored you, he practically worshiped the ground you walked on. He would do whatever he could to see you smile, and right now, the signals bouncing off your body were telling him that you needed a little more attention than what he was currently providing.

He promptly paused his game and took off his headset, placing it on the coffee table before looking over at you. You weren't asleep yet, but you were dangerously close. He gently smiled at how serene you looked, probably staring for a bit too long before he snapped out of it. He tapped your left knee, prompting you to open your eyes and maintain eye contact with him for longer than two seconds since you got home. He was still smiling gently at you as he brought his legs up on the couch and started crawling between yours. He slowly made his way to you, softly caressing your calves, your thighs, and your hips with his hands along the way before laying his head on your stomach and beginning to settle down.

He rests his hands on the sides of your waist now, tenderly squeezing while making the rest of his body comfortable between your legs and on the couch. Your arms untuck themselves from around your torso as he does this. You rest one of your hands on his head, scratching delicately, pulling a deep, contented sigh from him. He mumbles something unintelligible as he relaxes against you, pushing a quiet, single laugh from you.

"What'd you say, love?" You ask quietly, continuing to gingerly scrape your nails along his scalp.

"Nothin', just happy you're home." He slurred sleepily before pressing a delicate kiss to your clothed stomach.

He then resumed his position with the side of his head resting against the exact middle of your tummy, his hands still lovingly gripping your sides. You hum happily and close your eyes again, your and Josh's movements both slowing to a halt as you fall into a shared slumber. The warmth you felt earlier has only increased, Josh quite literally working as a weighted blanket, both your body heat keeping one another fulfilled. Any aches you felt before were gone, intertwined bodies relaxing against each other appreciatively. Breaths and heartbeats slowed and in sync, the downpour heard outside and the ever so quiet Bio Wars soundtrack playing from Josh's headset, lulling you and Josh into a tranquil sleep.

Masterlist Link

Divider: saradika and saradika-graphics on tumblr

Gif: harryshumjjr

[no-see-um-incorrect]

The long awaited

The highly anticipated 

The thing that’ll make you swoon 

I’m bout to make you leave y’all’s man’s 

✨William/Marie✨ headcanons 

(A.K.A my actual antidepressants

⚠️Warning it gets really sappy⚠️

: he does that thing when they’re sitting next to each other (usually at a table) he will gently rub his knuckles up and down her thigh 

: if the ground is wet or her feet hurt, he will pick her up without hesitation. This man is a 500+ year old vampire. she weighs nothing to him. 

: chivalry died. William turned it, and became his maker.  we’re talking opens the doors, hold her bag, offers his jacket if she’s cold or if it’s raining

:he sends her flowers very frequently. And make sure he sends them to her work or milo’s house  and not her house

: she will address him like  ”Will honey” or “William sweetheart” it makes the man’s heart skip a beat

: Milo said when he first learned that they were going out ”treat her like royalty Will ” and William responded fairly quickly with a ”don’t be ridiculous Mr. Greer……I will treat her like a goddess”

That comment is what won Milo over

: Marie is Handsy…..not like that you hoes. I mean, she’s very affectionate with her hands, like putting her arms around his neck, holding his face, putting her arms around his waist, linking their arms together. just overall very physically, affectionate.  and William melts into it every time. 

: William’s favorite thing to call her is his dove. Because she is the love and peace in his life. 

: Marie did not expect how ripped  this man is.  like she thought that the strength he had was invisible strength.  she was not expecting him to be jacked. 

: Marie is also fairly muscular (I mean she spent roughly 17 years chasing after a bunch of shifters and working double jobs what do you expect) so when she took her jacket off during solstice to help David with something man could not take his eyes off. Like Vincent was laughing at him because he could not stop staring. 

: lets her know how gorgeous he thinks every inch of her is (if I elaborate I might die)

:👏Queen Treatment👏

: One time  William had a meeting with Vincent later in the morning  and this particular morning, just happened to be the “morning after” a date night. And William did not realize that Marie had left a bright red kiss mark just above where his collar sits.  and of course Vincent being Vincent noticed it immediately but didn’t say anything until he got home to lovely. 

: another thing Marie loves to kiss this man. Just anywhere. anywhere and everywhere. red lipstick kiss marks all over his chest, shoulders, jaw,  this man is Well Loved. 💋

: One time he noticed that some of Marie’s clothes were a bit worn, and some things that she would wear have tiny holes in them. So he gave her a credit card and just told her to max it out. so she took Milo on a little mother son date, that she always wanted to do, and they went clothes shopping and got lunch 

: The first thing he noticed about her was her laugh. He heard it from across the room and did not stop until he found the person responsible for that laugh.  and once he found her.  just love.  instantly.  like it just hit him like a fucking freight train. 

: she has crows feet when she smiles……………..If it was possible for someone to die twice, William did it just then. 

: Milo had the upmost joy, helping his mother kick his father out of their apartment/house 

: William loves to give gifts to her (kind of to compensate for the fact that he can’t really be around during the day) and she was so upset at herself because she couldn’t give him gifts. And then he explained to her in very um…… passionate detail that her existence in his life is the greatest gift he could give her and anything that comes from her is a blessing to him

(if that makes sense)

(I feel like I’ve said this next one before. Forgive me if I did.  but even if I did, it bears repeating)

: 👏INSECURITY KISSES👏 if there is a single part on her body, rather that be stretch marks, scars, bumps, bruises, ANYTHING. He will kiss it as if it was a priceless diamond.

And that’s all you’re getting (for now 😉) hope you enjoyed feel free to re-blog and add more  Love y’all 💋

TAG: @frog-0n-a-l0g @evansotherthoughts @everything-redacted-and-others

If you want me to tag you in the next William/Marie post let me know 

[chameleon66]

Pushed down

Pairings: Alador x Darius

Words count: 1,586

Warning: Angst, abusive parents, Odalia, (Tell me if I need to add anything else)

Author’s note: This is my late christmas gift to you all, this also has no connection to any of my previous Fics and I may or may not post another new fic tomorrow we’ll see what happens. I was also thinking about maybe writing something not about the Owl house but maybe about other shows that I enjoy so we’ll see how everything works out.

“Alador, what's wrong? Why are you crying?”

“Nothing’s wrong Raine, I’m fine.”

“No you’re not Alador, come on you can tell me anything.”

“No I can’t.”

“Alador, you know you can trust me, I’m your friend.”

“Well, ok but swear you’ll never tell anyone.”

“Of course, anything said between us stays between us.”

“I…I-I broke up with Darius today.”

“What! Why? You both are crazy about each other.”

“My parents arranged a marriage for me with Odalia and I don’t marry her then they swore to make sure Darius will never get into the Abomination coven and that’s been Darius’s dream forever. what kind of person would I be if I let that happen?”

“Why didn’t you just tell Darius that?”

“I didn’t think of that, but now it’s too late Darius probably won’t even breathe in my direction now.”

“...Well Alador you might just have to try.”

“What's the point? I’ll still have to marry Odalia and you swore you wouldn’t tell anyone.”

“Ok, you’re right Alador, I gave you my word so I won’t tell anyone.”

“Thanks Raine.”

Despite the fact this conversation happened over thirty years ago Raine still remembered it. Well more like they remembered it after they started the rebellion with Eberwolf and Darius and Darius was always talking about ‘That hack’ A.K.A Alador.

On the outside their rivalry might have looked childish or just driven by jealousy but for Raine who knew the actual backstory of the two it was actually quite heartbreaking to watch.

But Raine was a witch of their word so they at the time just listened to Darius rant about Alador. Even if Darius wouldn’t admit it to Raine or anyone else, they could still see Darius still had some kind of feelings towards Alador but most likely just tried to bury them away and turn them into spite towards him.

Now with the death of Belos the Boiling isles had returned to something near normal. There was now a permanent portal between the Demon realm and the Human realm, Raine had gotten back together with Eda, Alador had divorced Odalia and he was now working on an invention that could remove coven sigils with Raine and Darius helping him work on it.

Darius was still trying to act like he didn’t care for Alador but Raine regnonized the way that Darius would look at Alador when they were both working as the same look that he’d look at Alador with when they were dating.

Maybe if Darius wasn’t so bitter about the break up they would actually happen but that would mean some one who knew why Alador broke up with Darius (Raine) would have to tell Darius and Raine gave Alador their word and they didn’t want to break Alador’s trust.

Raine needed Advice from someone who was stable, rational and had self-control.

—Timeskip—

Darius arrived at Alador’s lab with Raine, though Darius was the old one talking, Raine was being very quiet. Alador also took note of this but let the thought go and continued on with his work. By lunch Darius had enough of the silent treatment and asked.

“Raine, are you ok? You’ve been awfully quiet.”

Raine’s arms stiffened and he looked away but still nervously answered. “I’m ok.”

Alador took the initiative and spoke next. “So why have you been so quiet all day?”

Raine pressed their lips together as their eyes darted around the room, this silence lasted only a few seconds though.

“I accidentally drank a vial of blabber serum instead of my migraine medicine this morning and I”ve been trying to avoid talking all day because I don’t want to say something that wasn’t meant to be said out loud.” Raine blurted out all in one breath.

Darius and Alador looked at eachother then back at Raine. “That’s all.” Darius shrugged, “Raine come on, you're an open book, you don’t have any secrets to spill.”

“Actually I know a lot of secrets.” Raine’s expression conveyed a look of hesitation and embarrassment by the blush on their face. “Like Hunter’s secret fear of thunderstorms, that time I caught Eberwolf sleep walking through the castle, why Alador broke up with you, Eda’s unpaid tab for apple blood at-.”

“Hang on, hang on, hang on, back up.” Darius held out his hands in a stopping motion easing Raine to silence themself. “Did you just say why Alador broke up with me?”

“Yes.” Raine answered back to Darius, Darius glanced back at Alador who was frozen like a deer in headlights on the freeway. Darius turned back to Raine with a hint of a flush on his face. And then came the million dollar question past his lips.

“Raine, why did Alador break-up with me?”

Alador began shaking his head back and forth vigorously at Raine but it was of no use.

“Alador’s parents were forcing him to marry Odalia and he didn’t want to but when he said no they swore to make sure you’d never get accepted into the Abomination coven and Alador knew how much that meant to you, so he broke up with you and the only reason I know is because I found him crying in the bathroom and I promised that I wouldn’t tell anyone.” Raine’s voice was squeaky through his explanation and after they were finished talking they shut their eyes tightly unwilling to look at the two witches.

Darius’s world went blank for a minute, after the break up Darius had always looked at that snake (Odalia) and wondered how Alador could be so blind to her abuse and manipulation. Why had he chosen to be with her when he and Alador were happy together? This led Darius into thinking that he wasn’t good enough and that was a burden he had to fight for a long time.

But it turned out that Alador didn’t break up with him because he didn’t love him quite the opposite. Alador broke up with him because he loved him and wasn’t selfish enough to hold him back from his dreams just because he wanted to be with him even if that just made things worse for him in his life.

He had done it all for him, endured all of those years with Odalia for him.

“Alador?” Darius looked back to Alador who’s eyes were fixated on the ground and his right hand was fisted in the fabric of his coat and the blush was clear on his face. Darius sighed, they couldn’t go on like this. Something had to change.

“Raine?” Raine’s eyes opened to look at Darius and he waited for Darius to speak again. “Can you give us a minute?” Darius’s eyes darted to the door then back at Raine.

“I’ll go make myself some tea.” Raine quietly excused themself and quickly walked out of the room.

Darius turned on his heels to face Alador who still refused to look at him, Darius knew that it was now or never and took a deep but silent breath then spoke softly to Alador.

“Is what Raine said true? About you breaking up with me?” Darius knew it was a dumb question but needed it to be confirmed for him to fully believe it.

“Yeah it’s true.” Alador admitted. “I’m sorry, I just didn’t want you to be held back.” Alador blinked a few times, probably trying to disguise the tears in his eyes but Darius had already taken note of them.

“Don’t apologize Al.” Alador froze, Darius hadn’t called him that nickname in so many years. “You’ve really just wanted me to be happy, even after we broke up?” Darius felt his throat tighten as he finished his sentence.

“It wasn’t easy but I knew how much being in the Abomination coven meant to you and I also figured you’d find someone new, sooner or later.” Tears were now rolling down Alador’s cheek yet he was trying to wipe them away.

Darius acting on pure impulse took both of Alador’s hands in his and spoke again. “What if I don’t want to find someone new, I like what I already have.” Darius watched a flush made its way up Alador’s face “or at least what I used to have.” Darius added.

Alador’s face was now bright red; his eyes quickly went from Darius’s eyes to his lips then back down to the floor. “I…I still…love you too, Dar.” Alador mumbled and Darius smiled hearing his old nickname.

Darius leaned into Alador and captured his lips in a tender kiss, even after all these years the kiss still felt familiar, the way Darius’s hand fonded through Alador’s hair while the other rested in Alador’s hand, it all just felt so comforting and like home.

The next day at work Alador and Darius told Raine they were going to try again and Raine couldn’t have been happier for them.

But Raine really needed to hand it to Hooty, they had not thought that his insane plan would work.

[slafkovskys]

jackxoldestnorris!sibling… Tell me more 👀👀

a failed engagement and the swift end to an almost six year long relationship is what brings twenty seven year old y/n norris back to michigan that summer. cooler than florida (where she had called home for the last four years), a slower pace of life, and the place where mom’s spaghetti was at her beck and call seemed great.

when she wasn’t holed up in the office (a.k.a. josh’s old bedroom that had been worked into a home office for to work remote) she was likely with her family or her brothers’ friends considering her whole social circle still mostly remained in miami. one thing that hadn’t changed in the time she had been gone, though?

the painfully obvious crush that jack hughes had on her.

oh, it was so bad. the way the kid would practically scramble out of a seat if there wasn’t another one available for her or would make sure the fridge was stocked with her favorite things at his house. she couldn’t forget about the time it was pouring down raining and she had been forced to bring josh his sneakers at the training facility. when her middle brother refused to come outside, jack came out with a jacket and ushered her inside, simply holding her hostage until the storm passed and it was safe to drive again.

god, she had always played it off as a silly, boyhood crush, but now she’s single for the first time in more than half a decade, and those stupid kissing noises everyone surrounds them with only seem to get louder. but she needs time to heal and she can’t do that with her twenty two year old brother’s friend, right?

right?

[thewhumpcaretaker]

⚜ 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕤𝕖 𝕎𝕙𝕠 ℍ𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕊𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝕃𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝔽𝕠𝕣 - 𝕄𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥 ⚜

Chidi x Marquis de Gramont, A.K.A. "hopelesslydevoted", bodyguard x nobleman.

TW: canon-typical violence, crying, panic attacks, drug addiction, toxic dynamics, smut, minor character death, grief, Dead Dove Do Not Eat

Summary: Our story opens on Vincent and Chidi in their 20s, with Chidi employed as an ordinary yet promising Myrmidon under Vincent's father. Although Vincent is rarely at home, Chidi finds himself looking forward to every visit from this volatile, princely heir...and wishing he could somehow help him.

𖤓 AO3

𖤓 Cover Image I | Cover Image II

𖤓 Chapter I: Arrival at a Silent House

𖤓 Chapter II: Dinner at an Empty Table

𖤓 Chapter III: Roses for the Fountain

𖤓 Chapter IV: Sparring Matches

𖤓 Chapter V: Discretion

𖤓 Chapter VI: The Worst Day of Vincent's Life

𖤓 Chapter VII: The Marquis Vincent de Gramont

𖤓 Chapter VIII: If the Rain Stops

𖤓 Chapter IX: Crown on High

𖤓 Chapter X: How Vincent Lived in Rome

Extra Ficlets

𖤓 I Want to be Next to You

𖤓 Carrying Your Heart

𖤓 Sweet Tooth

𖤓 Pure of Heart

𖤓 Completely

Worldbuilding and Inspiration

𖤓 The Ask That Inspired the Fic

𖤓 OC: Àlderic Marquis de Gramont

𖤓 Hopelesslydevoted Headcanons

Top banner inspired by images from tobytheeggo which I edited. Background comes from this image.

[ddaome-kr]

Korean Holidays in Spring 🌼

Note (Another note from me, the team member responsible for posting our stuff on tumblr): So, it's basically summer in Korea these days (very hot and sunny!) and this may seem out of the blue... We planned this post when it was spring, but real life (a.k.a college assignments) delayed our schedule a bit. We still hope you enjoy our post about holidays in Spring. Here's the link to our instagram post as usual(part 1, part 2).

Just less than a century ago, almost every individual in Korea were farmers. Even in the 1960s, more than half of the total population grew crops for living. If we count from the days of Dangun (단군, the mythical founder of Korea), for more than 4000 years, the people of Korea were largely committed to farming.

In a society where farming is central to the community, the weather and the seasons hold great importance. Really, because if there is a storm or an extreme raining season, that would mean that the crops will be ruined that year, leading to a year of celebration. Thus spring, which marks the beginning of the year and also the beginning of the planting season, was full of traditional celebrations which wished for a good year and the blessing of the ancestors. This post will further investigate the traditional spring holidays of Korea and its unique customs which were set to celebrate such comings of life. 

Seolnal [설날], also known as the Lunar New Year and Chinese new year, marks the beginning of the new year and celebrates the rise of the first moon. Now when the first moon rises, it appears as a very small crescent figure. After 15 days, it becomes the full moon. On this first full moon of the year, the jong-wol-dae-borum[정월대보름](hereon referred to as jeong-wol)holiday is celebrated. In the very early morning of the jeong-wol, families celebrate the day by eating bu-rom[부럼], which is a set of hard nuts such as peanuts, walnuts and chestnuts. By putting the hard nut in your mouth and purposefully breaking it with your teeth, you wish for good luck. More specifically, you wish for no bad luck this year.

This bu-rom breaking tradition stems from a homophonic term with bu-rom: bu-se-rom[부스럼]. Bu-se-rom refers to little pimples, thus by breaking the bu-roms, referring to bad luck in general, the people wished to have a healthy body in the new years which is essential for harvest. Traditionally, people would eat jabgok- bab[잡곡밥], which is rice cooked with nuts, with the na-mul[나물](seasoned spring herbs)s together. 

(A picture from our family dinner in the new years week, which features the additional servings of jabgokbab, namul, and other traditional dishes)

During the middays, people went around each family’s houses and farms, each carrying traditional celebrations. Ji-bul- nori[쥐불놀이] was a ceremony of intentionally setting fire to the farmland. Attaching a small paper or a can to a long rope, the players of jibulnori would hold the end of the rope and spin it, while lighting up the small paper or can attached. After spinning the rope a few times, the player would throw the fire inside the land. The fire was thrown in not only to wish for good farming but also to eliminate the bugs and the weeds that have grown over the winter. The community came together and later played yut-no-ri[윷놀이] and many other activities. 

After spending the day together families would gather and watch the first full moon rise together. People usually granted wishes, and they also predicted the outcome of the farming through the shape of the moon as well. 

Due to the development and industrialization of Korea in the last few decades, however, many of the traditional celebrations have been reduced in its size and significance. Nevertheless, the core traditions remain and many rural parts of Korea still celebrate such traditions. 

Thanks for staying with us and we hope you have enjoyed your five minute reading with us. 

[melishade]

In the Peaceful Timeline, I can imagine Maria accidently finding Optimus or Megatron's alt mode and being excited over her discovery. So excited, in fact, that she drags her mom, Pop, and Meg to see it. Too bad it "mysteriously" vanishes, A.K.A. got tf out of there, leaving Maria very confused and frustrated.

Part 4: Arcee and Wheeljack’s lack of involvement

Oh fun. I'm gonna add a little drama to this though.

So Optimus, Megatron, and Ymir keep their powers/titan forms a secret for about six to seven years after she's born. Maria doesn't suspect anything is wrong at that age. She'll ask where Optimus and Megatron are going, and Ymir will say that they either went to help the town or went to find food and resources and all that stuff. Maria doesn't doubt it. When they do come back, they come back with food and supplies to help repair and clean the house. Additionally, they get Maria some pencils so that she can write and draw. Maria's fine with the arrangement. She still gets to be with Optimus and Megatron. She'll ask Megatron for piggy back rides and Optimus about certain items she's found. She adores her papas, and she loves her mama. However, Optimus has tried in the past to discuss with Megatron and Ymir about telling Maria the truth, only to have Megatron shut it down and Ymir acting despondent. Both of them do not want to tell her the truth, and Optimus is annoyed by that. Maria has to know eventually.

One day, Maria is out playing in the woods, finding new items to show to Optimus and ask about. However, she ventures a little too far, and spots Optimus in titan form staring out at the mountains and the skies. Maria stares in awe at the being, but she doesn't get to see his face. Instead, she runs as quickly as possible back to the cabin without alerting Optimus. When she enters, she screams at the top of her lungs as Ymir and Megatron are interrupted from a small conversation. She grabs her mom and drags her by the arm, confusing both of them. When Maria says that she saw a giant red and blue man, Ymir looks at Megatron in fear, and Megatron quickly contacts Optimus to leave without Maria noticing. Optimus quickly nopes out of there as Maria continues to guide Ymir and Megatron to the spot, but is confused when Optimus isn't there anymore. Maria is confused while Ymir is sighing with relief. Maria explains to them both that she saw something, but Megatron retorts by saying there's nothing here. He then picks up Maria and carries her on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, earning groans and complaints from Maria. But Maria notices the tracks that Optimus left behind and smiled mischievously.

Later that night, she still does try to explain what she saw again to get them to believe her, this time with Optimus in the room, but they all play dumb which all three are pretty guilty about and it frustrates Maria. She's telling the truth! Ymir tells her to go to bed and sleep this off, and Maria grumbles and relents. As she goes to her room, the three have an immediate discussion. Megatron is scolding Optimus for letting himself slip up, but Optimus demands why no one was watching her in the first place. Regardless, they need to tell her and they cannot lie about this for the rest of her life. Megatron is adamant. He is not telling Maria about who they are. He would rather die than tell her the truth.

"Megatron we cannot keep lying to her," Optimus told him.

"What about 'robots in disguise'? Didn't seem to be a problem back on Earth," Megatron proclaimed.

"We are helping raise a human child!" Optimus reminded.

The two get no where with that conversation and call it off, and both are annoyed. Optimus demands to know why this is such an issue, but Megatron refuses to answer. Ymir goes to check in on Maria, but screams in horror and realizes that Maria escaped though the window.

Meanwhile, Maria searches the woods and finds the same path that Optimus took in alt mode. She follows it in the rain and thunder and finds it ending at a rocky cliff. Maria thinks Optimus climbed that and tries to do it herself. But Maria ends up slipping and falling off the cliff, before she tumbles further down, Ymir finds her and transforms into her titan form to catch her. Maria is stunned at the sight as Ymir slowly brings her back up. Optimus and Megatron them and watch in horror as Ymir sets her daughter down. Maria can only watch in shock as Ymir pulls herself out of her titan form and climbs down. She sees her daughter staring at her and her titan marks, and immediately assumes the worst. Ymir tries so hard to explain, but she's just remembering all the trauma and looks of fear she's gotten in the past and can't think of anything.

Megatron is not happy. He's angry at the fact that Maria put herself in danger, but also afraid what this possibly means for the rest of them. Megatron grabs Maria by her shirt and yells at her for her stupidity. What was she thinking, putting herself in danger like that?! You could've been killed you stupid child! Optimus forces Megatron to let go, but the damage is done. Maria is looking at Megatron in fear and with tears in her eyes. Megatron never yelled or demeaned Maria like that. Usually if she did something wrong, Optimus and Ymir would explain why and Megatron would stay out of it. Sometimes he would entertain her queries, but that was it. Not this.

Optimus can only pick up Maria, who still pretty traumatized by the events, and he helps Ymir to her feet and brings them back to the cabin. Megatron ends up leaving for a while, Optimus doesn't know where. Maria watches Ymir go to her room, and her heart breaks when she hears her mom sobbing.

"Papa, I...I didn't mean to," Maria pleaded with Optimus, "I didn't mean to make mama upset. I-!"

"I need to console your mother," Optimus merely said as he took Maria to her room.

Maria waits in her room under her sheets, and it's an agonizing wait. She's trying to process what she just saw, while hearing her mother sob. Maria wants to apologize, but doesn't know what she saw. She wants answers. She wants the truth. Maria hears the door open and raises her head to see Optimus sit by her bed. Maria can only ask what happened, and Optimus explains as best as he can. He tells Maria that her mother was a prisoner of an cruel king. She came across that power she just saw and was forced to use it for the cruel king. Until he found her and rescued her from the king. They had lived a quiet life and kept her powers a secret to protect her. But Maria doesn't understand. Why didn't her mom tell her the truth? Why didn't Optimus or Megatron?

"Because..." Optimus trailed off, remembering how fearful his own Autobots were when they thought he had turned against them, "we were afraid. We were afraid that your perception of us would change, and that...you would no longer look at us the same way again. We are afraid that...you would fear us instead."

Maria was confused by the phrasing, but then remembered what she witnessed earlier, and how Optimus' clothing matched the red and blue giant she saw. "You...you're the giant man."

"...I am," Optimus relented.

And suddenly, things begin to make sense for Maria. About why Optimus and Megatron don't eat at the house. Why they take long trips. It all comes into place. She then hugs Optimus, and tells him that Ymir was still her mama and he was still her papa. Nothing would change that. Optimus is touched at such a proclamation, but there's still much to be discussed and tells Maria to get some rest. Maria tells Optimus that she loves him, and Optimus kisses her forehead and tells her the same thing.

Optimus then goes to the ship that he and Megatron found, and finds Megatron sitting down, hunched over. Optimus tells Megatron that he understands why he didn't want to tell Maria the truth, and that he was sorry for not understanding before.

"...it was a human," Megatron mumbled, "A tiny, frail, little, human that looked at me with admiration instead of fear. I never realized how much I missed that...and I know that when she sees me, she will look at me in fear. Just like everyone else has. Just like you have....I don't want to lose that."

It was Megatron and Ymir's greatest fear the entire time. They had always been feared and ridiculed by others, be it choice or not. If they lose it with Maria, they don't know what else they would do. But Megatron was certain he ruined it with the way that he acted with Maria. Optimus places a servo on his shoulder and tells him that their might be some adjustment, but Maria would still love them. Megatron asks how could be be so sure, and Optimus says its because she's their own.

Optimus and Megatron come back to the cabin the next day in holoform, and find Ymir awake, drinking water with her red shot eyes. Optimus kneels down and rubs her back. They all hear footsteps, and turn to see Maria walking towards them. All of them are understandably tense, Megatron and Ymir absolutely dreading the worst. But Maria runs up to Ymir and hugs her tight. Ymir can't help but burst into tears and hug her back. She didn't expect this. She thought that Maria would hate her or be scared of her, but she still loved her, even with this monster inside of her. Megatron is stunned by the display, and Optimus turns to Megatron and nods his head. They show her tonight.

Later that night, Optimus and Megatron take both Ymir and Maria far from the cabin and away from any other prying eyes. Optimus then kneels down and tells Maria that they are going to show her their titans forms. And that...no matter what she thinks of them, they would always love her. Maria nods her head, and gasps when both deactivate their holoforms. Optimus drives up and transforms while Megatron flies in and lands on his pedes. Optimus slowly kneels down towards the two while Megatron keeps his distance. Optimus extends his servo to her, and Maria excitedly places a hand on Optimus digit. Optimus can't help but sag with relief as Maria giggles in excitement.

Megatron immediately looks away as he feels all eyes on him. He shuts his own optics and clenches his fists, anticipating the rejection and fear that was going to come with. He didn't want to lose Maria too. He-!

"You look like a porcupine!" Maria exclaims in excitement.

Megatron snaps his head back in shock while Optimus puts up his battle mask to muffle his laughter. Wh-! Is she serious?! A porcupine?! She reaches out for Megatron, and Megatron awkwardly kneels down to reach for Maria, mindful of his claws. And Maria places her hand on the side of his claws and looks up in adoration. It's something that Megatron treasures close to his spark.

There isn't much change in their routine, but Optimus and Megatron are finally able to share more things with Maria, and Maria gets the view of the mountain from their shoulders. Although Maria is grounded for going off on her own. Much to Maria's horror.

[sreegs]

hi! geneticist here, not trying to be snooty or a party pooper but with cats you can't tell whether a cat is a mix of breeds unless you have an actual family tree (not even dna testing will tell you anything useful. even in humans it doesn't really tell you much about ethnicity but that's another story).

selective breeding with cats is a relatively recent thing compared to dogs. cats mostly domesticated themselves without much human intervention into breeding and people didn't need to breed cats for specific roles like dogs (e.g. hunting for ducks vs hogs or whatever) so the vast majority of house cats are just normal landraces a.k.a. non-breed/moggies/domestics. pretty much any trait you see in a cat can occur in some random landrace cat's family so often a cat somehow exhibiting a specific breed's trait, e.g. colouration, is just a cat that coincidentally looks like that. in cats that are selectively bred the visual traits (e.g. spots in certain places, colours, build) will often be genetically linked to other non-visual traits (e.g. behavioural traits, specific genetic diseases, increased risks for certain other diseases). for example the seychellois was created in the '80s by breeding a siamese and a oriental cat and thus shares these breeds' behavioural traits and genetic diseases (e.g. retinal degradation, certain kidney diseases). a seychellois mix would also share some of these traits/diseases, thus might be at risk for getting them and that might be info your vet would like to know. but the odds are much much higher that a cat is a cat with a spot on its neck than that it has a rare breed as an ancestor.

again, i'm sorry if i'm raining on your parade but landrace cats are also great cats! if anything, it makes your cats more unique <3

hi! cat owner here. i looked at a chart to see what patterns and physical traits my cats have that are similar and fully acknowledged my street cats are just a mix of whatever and not anything specific. i do not care if i cant truly tell what breed my funny little guys are. i just saw a big diagram and said oh my cats kinda look like these a bit

people have enthusiastically messaged us trying to tell us the opposite of what you're saying, especially about zouzou because she looks like a Van. none of them were super serious about it, just speculating with a fun game of "what's my cat?"

it doesn't matter. have fun. maybe try posting this on the reddit thread about that guide for upvotes or something

[ssuperficialspacecadett]

The Calm Before the Storm

Chapter Fifteen of The One Condition Series | Chapter Sixteen

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 5.4k

Summary: Pretty Thing and Din spend some time together on The Crest as they head to Daiyu

Notes: I'm back from my little break !! Sorry this was posted way later than I usually do ): This is finals week for me at my university and its safe to say I'm getting my ass beat. Anywayyyy I'm happy to be back and I hope everyone enjoys this chapter (: Feel free to comment !! Happy reading <3

Gar ganar haar haal, baar, bal runi akay haar oyu’baat hettir dayn: [gahr] [GAN-ar] [har] [hahl] [BAR-oor] [bahl] [roo-NEE] [ah-KAY] [har] [oy-YOO-baht] [HAYt-eer] [dain]

Mesh'la: [MAYSH`lah]

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

You almost missed it. A small puff of air causes your hair to flutter. You stop crying and hold your breath. You could have imagined it. It could have just been the wind, but you wait for it again. You feel tiny strands of your hair dance around as another puff of air, accompanied by a heaving chest, makes itself known. 

“I’m stronger than I look, Sweetheart.”

“D-dad?”

“That’s what I’m t-told.”

Even at a time like this your father finds a way to crack a joke. He does his best to smile at you even though you are sure he is in indescribable pain. 

“I’m so sorry, baby.” You can see tears spilling from his eyes. “I should have done more to prevent this from happening. I just never thought-”

“This wasn’t something anyone could have predicted he would do.”

He closes his eyes and slowly nods his head; words getting progressively harder to articulate due to his loss of blood.

“T-the money. I hid it.”

“You what?”

“Under that tree that you two used to climb? It’s all there.”

You don’t know what to say. All you can do is stare blankly at him.

“Take it, baby…please…get far away from here.”

The clouds gathering in the night sky above the two of you finally break open. Rain begins to pour down all around. You place your forehead against your fathers and feel his last breath roll across your damp skin. You aren’t sure if it's the rain or your tears wetting your face at this point. You hold him close as you finally hear the inevitable blaster shot ring out from inside your house. You thank The Maker that your father isn’t alive to hear his wife's death be audibly confirmed. The front door slams open and shut again and you know you are the only living being in the house. Alden has fled the scene of his own horrific crime; his empty hands dripping with blood. 

When the rain threatens to drown you, you find the strength to push yourself to your feet. Your stomach still burns from where Alden rammed his foot into you. Enough logic remains in your body to know that your wound isn’t fatal, but you need to stop the bleeding. The rain makes your shirt sleeve harder to rip off, but the old fabric eventually gives to your will. You fashion it around your neck and hope that it has enough pressure to quell the bleeding for now. 

If you hadn’t lived here your whole life, finding the tree your father spoke of in this torrential downpour would have been impossible. You locate it and kneel before its protruding roots. You don’t even realize you have started digging until your fingers make contact with a wooden box. You numbly remove it from the muddy crevice it has been placed in, barely registering how raw your hands have become from clawing at the earth. 

When you open it you almost feel like laughing. Your body and brain are so exhausted from what has just transpired that nothing feels real. Staring back at you is the cause of your parents death, a.k.a. 50,000 credits. This small box is the reason you have no home to go back to, no family left, and no idea what to do next. 

You wake up feeling a bit relieved. The nightmare sequence is over…at least until it starts again. You are currently living in the next chapter of it you reckon. You made the choice to do something about the memories that plague you. You hired a bounty hunter, you traveled through space, you confronted Thuban, and now you are on your way to Alden. This is going to end. It has too. Din had set the nav for Daiyu, the second time now, late last night. You remember laughing as he hurried out of bed to get to the cockpit. He was muttering something about you ‘keeping the bed warm’ and him not needing another thruster blown out ‘on account of a simple disagreement’. 

He is sound asleep next to you now. His arms wrap around your body snuggly like ivy to a brick wall. You like being the first one awake. It gives you time to soak in this feeling; to live in the now. It also gives you time to reflect on what he said last night.

“Being with what is mine always makes me feel better.”

He called you his. Then he fucked you like you were his. He said it first with words and then with his body. A shiver of excitement rolls through you. You were his. His girl. His Cyar’ika. His sweet thing. You lift the arm that's around your waist up to your lips.

“Mine.”

You whisper and kiss his arm over and over again. Each kiss pressing the word deeper into his skin so it becomes ingrained there. All care for sounding insane and childish has flown out the window into hyperspace. You have never had anyone call you theirs before. You had never mattered that much to anyone in this way before. You were going to take full advantage of the feeling. If that means whispering your truth into his skin in the early hours of the morning, then so be it. 

“Wha’s tha’, pretty thing?” A groggy voice interrupts your personal incantation.

“It’s nothing,” you laugh nervously like a child who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. “I was just talking to myself.”

“You’re not getting off that easy.” His arms work in unison to bring you flush with his own body. A chin comes to rest on the top of your head and while you can’t see you know he is smiling. “I’m curious to know what was being said as my arm got kissed so ardently.”

“I was saying … ‘mine’.”

“Mine?”

“Yes.” 

“And what would you be calling yours, Cyar’ika?” His voice sounds so sultry when he asks.

“More like who would I be calling mine.”

“I’m listening.”

“You. I was calling you mine. Is that okay?”

He answers your timid question by placing his hand on your chin and tilting your face up to his. His lips engulf yours quickly. Your two bodies melt together easily as he moves his hand to cup the side of your face; as if he is afraid you will slip away. You can’t help but let a moan slip at his sudden action. You didn’t see it coming, in more ways than one. Your lips are always so pliant for him. They part like a biblical sea for his tongue. Each of you paw and pant as you drink your fill of each other.

“Gar ganar haar haal, baar, bal runi akay haar oyu’baat hettir dayn.” He says after pulling away to let you catch your breath.

“The last part of the sentence I understood, but the first part is new.”

“It roughly translates to ‘you have the breath, body, and soul until the universe burns out’.”

“Breath, body, and soul.” You whisper to yourself.

“Breath, body, and soul,” he repeats. “I want to be yours in every way possible. I never thought I would want to …give myself… to someone like this in my life. I was completely fine with it being just me and the kid. Then you decided to come along and turn everything upside down.”

“I want you in any and every way you will allow me too, Din.” 

“As long as I can have you in the same way, you’ve got a deal.”

“Until the universe burns out.”

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

In an attempt to keep the child entertained, you had started turning anything that wasn’t tied down to The Crest into a toy. First there was a piece of scrap metal. You figured that placing him in the middle of it and trying to spin him would be fun. You were wrong. He might still have been laughing when you stopped spinning, but you certainly weren’t. His breakfast must have decided that you were going too fast because it came back up to say ‘hi’ to you and to the hull floor. After that you found a small strip of rope. You pretended to make it move in a serpentine pattern. You both laughed as you made the faux creature slither all around his little body. You must have been doing too good of a job at mimicking the movements of a real animal because the kid decided to try to eat it. You spend a good five minutes trying to pry the rope out of his little teeth. Who knew he would have such strong jaws?

You decide to bring him over to your bed to play an invigorating game of peek-a-boo. You sit down with your back against the crate that acts as your headboard and place him in front of you. As you adjust yourself, your tote, that's propped up on your right, slouches against your body. The child coos as you move it back to an upright position. 

“I don’t think I have anything in there that would interest you, little one.”

Unphased by your statement, he reaches out his hands and makes a grabbing motion. You figure that if rummaging through your bag of clothes would keep him occupied, you should let him do it. You grab the tote and place it down in between the two of you. You flick open the clasp and lift the flap. He pushes himself up and waddles over to the wondrous new world you have just revealed to him. While you should be annoyed as he flings your clothes out left and right, you just smile down at him. With all the trouble that he is, and he definitely is, he’s worth it. 

When you spent all that time alone on Eadu, you longed for something interesting to happen. Something that would pull you from the monotony of your self induced isolation. Who knew that The Maker would finally answer your desperate pleading in the form of a tiny, green child. You obviously haven’t had the time to have your own children yet. It wasn’t even something that had entered your mind until you were face to face with those beautiful, big, brown eyes. Trust was something that was important to you when it came to family and there was clearly a lack of that in your life. Things are different now, but having one child is more than enough for you. 

The deeper into the bag he digs, the more sounds of excitement he emits. Your clothes now litter the bed. When he inevitably reaches the bottom of your bag he looks up at you in confusion. 

“I told you there wouldn’t be anything interesting.” You laugh.

He looks into the empty tote again and pulls it forward to lay it down. You watch curiously as he crawls halfway inside. The tote, from your point of view, looks alive. It is wriggling around and the spots where his ears are making the fabric protrude outward. You hear a zipping noise coming from inside and see him crawl his way back out again. Your body goes rigid when you see what he found. A small bag, the same worn leather as your tote, filled with credits. Their deceivingly joyful jingle rings out as he shakes it in his hands. A wave of guilt rolls over you. Something as pure as he is shouldn’t be playing with blood money. 

“Baby, are you sure that is what you want to play with?” 

The money itself isn’t inherently bad, it's what it stands for that is. Blood was shed to find it, and blood being shed will earn it. 

“Maybe we can find something else for you-” 

As you reach for the credits bag he pulls it away from you and shakes his head. He is clearly determined to play with it. While you are less than happy to let him play with this bag versus the first one, you know when to pick your battles. You lean back against the crate, subconsciously trying to get your body as far away from the bag as you can, while he tries to open it. He pulls at it with his claws first and when that fails he tries his teeth. Your sympathy for him overpowers your own complicated feelings and you take it from him. The knot you tied around it is absolutely covered in drool and saliva at this point. It takes you a few seconds, but you finally release the knot. You hand it back to him and return to your previous position. He wiggles his fingers inside to fully open it up and again squeals in excitement at what he finds. He mirrors his previous actions and starts pulling credits out one by one. You know that there are fifty in there, so this should keep him busy for a while.  

Soon your clothes covered bed becomes gilded. Once the last credit had been removed from the bag, the baby just looked around at all the havoc he wreaked. You think he looks quite pleased with himself. He picks up a credit and examines it closely. He tries to put it in his mouth and he even manages to get a laugh out of you with the disgruntled face he makes. 

“Well,” you sigh. “Are you going to help me clean all of this up?”

He just smiles at you and shakes around the credit he has in his hand. You manage to collect all the coins and get them in a haphazard pile in front of the kid. You teach him how to place each one in the bag they belong in before starting on your own task of refolding your clothes. It takes you all of ten minutes to get the clothes folded and sorted back into your tote. Unsurprisingly, the credit that you had placed in the bag to show the child how to do it has somehow found its way out of the bag again. 

“Alright, new plan.”

You remove the now empty bag from in front of him and place it in front of you. 

“You are going to hand me a credit and then I’m going to put it in the bag, okay?”

He nods and hands one over. You gingerly take it from him and begin what you can only assume will be a long cleaning up process. After you take the second credit from him and drop it in the bag, the coins clink together. His ears perk up at the sound and he hurriedly gives you another. Each time you drop a coin in the bag and the sound rings out, his ears twitch. It has got to be the single cutest thing you have ever seen. You try not to make a sound just in case that will cause him to stop. You can feel your heart overflowing with love for this curious little creature. 

The two of you aren’t even half way through when he decides that you aren’t moving fast enough for him. Instead of handing you the next credit, he uses the force to bypass your hand. Right above the bag he makes it fall in. It jangles as it makes contact with the others. You sit back and watch in awe of him. Even after all these months you are still amazed that something so tiny could contain something so powerful. All that power and he decides to use it to make sounds with coins.

He has maybe five more credits left to do when his father comes down the ladder from the cockpit. You look over the crate at him and give him a soft smile as he comes up behind you. The heavy pressure of his hands resting on each of your shoulders feels so relaxing that you almost forget to tell him.

“Din, watch this,” you gesture to the child. “Come on, baby. Do the magic hand thing.”

The kid looks up at the two of you and waves happily.

“Oh come on! You were just doing it to pick up the credits! Remember?” 

You pick up two coins that were previously in the bag and ding them together. The baby only laughs as you make the noise he has grown so fond of over the last half hour. 

“Using my kid for manual labor, huh?”

“Oh shut up. He was just doing it! I swear!”

“Sure.” 

“No, no really! He would use the force to lift the credits up and place them in the bag.”

The child is no help while you attempt to plead your case. He only laughs and claps his hands while you try to convince him to move a coin again. You can feel Din’s hands on your shoulders shake as he silently laughs above you. When it becomes clear that no amount of coaxing will get him to do it, you wave the white flag and scoop up the last few credits. Din has moved around to the entrance of your bed now. He picks up the child as you safely return the bagged credits to your tote. As always, a gloved hand is extended to help you up when you finish your task. 

The three of you make lunch together. It is a bit crowded with so many bodies, but you don’t mind. Not even when your ingredients seem to go missing and the only evidence of their existence are crumbs on the child’s clothes. 

“You know you're going to ruin his appetite if you keep slipping him chunks of meat.” You playfully chide to the man next to you without looking up.

“He can eat a lot more than what we think,” he bumps your shoulder. “Plus I have been meaning to give him an extra portion.”

“Oh? What did he do to deserve that?”

“For being a good judge of character.”

Eventually you manage to get the meal into bowls and disperse them to their owners. You take the baby and get him settled down to eat in your bed. Then you make your way back to the pantry to pick up your bowl. Din hasn’t moved from his spot since you handed him his food. You can feel the conflict inside him. You had felt his eyes trailing your body through the beskar as you walked away with the kid. He wants to eat with the two of you, but can’t due to the creed.

“The kid and I are going to eat in my room. We would both like you to stay down here for lunch with us if you’re comfortable. If you decide you want to, just let me know when you are done. No rush.” 

Before you go you squeeze his hand that isn’t holding his food. You don’t want to pressure him, but you want him to know that you are more than willing to accommodate his needs. As you move to release him, he squeezes your hand back and his helmet moves slightly to the side. 

“Thank you.” He says your name before letting you go back to the child. 

The kid has devoured more than half of his meal by the time you get back. Din was right, he sure can put food away. You dig into yours after getting settled in. Not long after, you hear Din making himself comfortable against the opposite side of the crates. You smile to yourself as you chew. Meal time may be unorthodox for the three of you, but you wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Naturally, the baby finishes eating first. When he realizes that you still have some left, he crawls into your lap. He is looking up at you with such pleading eyes. You almost give in and let him have the last bit of your food. 

“Nice try, but you already had a second helping.”

From behind the crate you can hear an unmodulated laugh. 

“You better be quiet over there,” you warn with mirth. “It’s a struggle to say ‘no’ to these big brown eyes.”

“I guess it’s best that you can’t see mine then.”

And just like that, the mental image you have been secretly working on in your mind is complete. You feel like you just got the wind knocked out of you. One tiny detail has completely thrown you off your axis. Brown. He has brown eyes. You had assumed they were brown, but now that you really knew you feel like you are one of the stars you have seen zipping by the window while traveling at light speed. You don’t know where you are going, but you don’t care. Even without seeing them, you can picture them so clearly in your mind's eye. His thick brows would sit above them just so. You think that his eye shape would slope down at the ends. Maybe from the weight of all of his years or maybe from the weight of his job. They wouldn’t be stern, no, they would be soft and caring. Perhaps even a little bit sad? They would be deep pools of mahogany. Showcasing his independence, his innate caring nature, and his confidence.

“Y-your eyes are brown?”

“Unless they have changed since the last time I looked in the mirror.”

His voice is soft. He doesn’t sound nonchalant as he talks. He just sounds…comfortable. You feel your chest swell with your newfound knowledge. You didn’t think your feelings for him could grow anymore, yet here you are. Falling a little deeper than you thought possible and not even worrying about if the ground under you will provide a soft landing or be unforgiving.

A voice, modulated, cuts through your proverbial swan dive. “I’m all covered up. Send the kid out and I’ll put him down for a nap. Lunch was delicious.”

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

“You know that I was just messing around earlier, right?”

Strong arms circle your waist from behind and pull you into cool beskar. Your mind immediately goes to his eyes. Was he just kidding? Was it just a joke? 

“About what?”

“The kid using his powers to pick up the credits. I was just messing around. He did stuff like that before you came along too. I’m sure he just got shy.”

You feel yourself relax at his explanation and wrap your arms around his.

“So you just like making me feel crazy, is that it?”

“No, but I like watching you get all worked up.”

“How would you like to see me all worked up in the shower then?”

He pulls a deep breath in through his modulator at your words. You feel a welcoming pulsing between your legs as you let your mind start to wander. 

“Lead the way, pretty thing.”

He watches you undress from outside the fresher. Your body burns as the helmet dips down and up as you remove each article of clothing. Neither of you say a word as they drop to the ground. You can feel your own need radiating off your body as you finally kick off your underwear and move them to the side. The sound of the water running drowns out your shallow breathing. You mindlessly take your band off your neck and move to cover your eyes with it. 

“Stop.”

“What’s wrong?”

“The band. Don’t wear it.”

“Din, it’s just water. It won’t hurt it.”

He lets your statement hang in the air for a minute before he corrects himself.

“I don’t want you to wear it. I don’t give a damn about the water.”

You let it fall from your hands, discarded, just like the rest of your clothes. You turn and slip into the shower before he can change his mind. As the water warms your body up and wets your hair, you hear him removing his armor. Each time a piece of beskar makes contact with the hull floor your body vibrates with anticipation. When you hear the door of the fresher close behind him, your body feels as if it's floating. 

“Just close your eyes for me.”

You had them closed the moment you stepped under the water.

“You really trust me, Din?”

You jump slightly as his hands come up to cup your face. His lips come down to meet yours. Water trickles down in between the two of you as you swallow each other. 

“If I can’t trust you, I can’t trust anyone.”

He moves behind your body so that his back is blocking the water’s spray. You shut your eyes tighter at the movement; determined to keep them glued shut. You feel his hand move your wet hair to your left side and kiss his way down your neck. He lingers only to leave sweet bruises that you know you will see tomorrow. Your head falls back as his tongue greets your skin like a lost lover. Even with the lack of hot water touching you, you have never felt warmer. 

He can’t believe he has you in his arms right now. He is flirting with excommunication. He watches as you extend your neck so he has more room to lick and suck on you. He can feel himself already hardening as your neck starts to look like a field of poppies. He wants to mark you all over. Make sure people know that you are his. He knows you would let him do anything to you; putty in his hands. That power scares him because he doesn’t know if you know that he would let you do anything to him as well. 

He keeps his eyes trained on your face as his hand moves down to your burning center. Your plush lips part slightly as he starts to rub tight circles on you. The meek whimpering sounds that spill out of your mouth threaten to make his knees buckle. This fear is made worse when you start to whisper his name out to him. 

“You sound so pretty when you say my name. Do you want this?” He makes need known to you as he pushes himself up against your ass. 

“Maker, please. I have been waiting for it all day.”

“If you want it, you have to earn it.”

He knows you know that that means. Two of his fingers slide easily into your slick folds. Your left hand comes up to dig your nails into his shoulder. He works the hand he has inside of you faster as you claw at him like an animal. Your body quickly adapts to the rhythm he has set for the two of you. You’re so beautiful, he thinks. Your brows are furrowed in concentration and the way your teeth bite your lower lip does nothing to silence your wanton moans.

“That’s it, Mesh'la. Cum for me.”

Your legs shake underneath him as he holds you steady. He whispers sweet nothings in your ear as you succumb to your climax. He carefully watches your eyes. He can see them darting around manically behind your tightly shut lids. 

“Such a good girl.” He croons. “Now you can have what you want.”

He moves the hand he was keeping you steady with up to your throat. He waits for you to say ‘no’ or ‘stop’, but you just smile as his grip tightens ever so slightly around it. He brings the fingers you soaked up to your lips. 

“Suck.”

Your mouth greedily takes them in. He has to grind into you to relieve the pressure building within himself as your tongue takes care of each finger. You don’t shy away. As you continue cleaning him off, he feels you arch your back and push up against him. When he can’t take it anymore he pops his fingers out of your mouth and uses your saliva to pump himself. He brings himself up to your entrance and chokes on a groan as you slide your way down unprompted. 

“You’re always so fucking tight, pretty thing. So tight around my cock.” 

He keeps his hand on your throat and moves the other back down to your clit. The two of you move together in unison. With each thrust into you he wills himself to hold on. You need to cum a second time. He keeps a steady pace with his hips, but his hand speeds up. 

“Y-you make me feel so good, Din.”

As the air around the two of you gets thick with steam, he feels you come undone for him a second time. The way your breath hitches and your body shakes is the strongest drug in the universe. It’s completely intoxicating to watch you fall apart for him. 

He gives you no time to recover as he keeps pounding into you. Your body is already drained from giving you two orgasms and your legs are wobbly from standing so long. You have never felt better in your life. When he wrapped his hand around your neck you expected to flinch or not feel comfortable, but all you felt was safety. You knew he would never hurt you and the pressure he applied and was still applying is thrilling. More so than you thought. You scratch your nails down from his shoulder to his bicep and feel him stutter inside you. He cums only a few pumps later. You feel what doesn’t stay inside you run down your legs and mingle with the water droplets on your skin.

When the two of you finish he turns your body back to where the water can fully reach you. He lathers you up with his soap and makes sure you’re all clean. Then he washes your hair. He’s gentle and makes sure not to pull on any knots you might have. You know your hair is past the point of completely soaped up, but you let him take as long as he wants. When it’s his turn to be washed clean, you try your best. He helps your blind self find his head and massage the soap into it. You make sure to take just as long as he did. While you scrub he periodically leans down to kiss your lips and your arms. The shudder your body makes when he touches you isn’t lost to him. 

When the water threatens to give each of you hypothermia, he shuts it off and wraps you in a towel. He dries you off completely before using the same one on himself. When he scoops you up you feel the towel securely fastened around his waist. You wish you could see the way his V tapers into the garment. He gently places you down on the edge of the bed while you hear him rummaging around in a drawer. He tells you to lift your arms up and slides one of his thick undershirts over your shivering body. 

“Do you want me to put my band on or…?”

“No.”

You leave it at that and crawl back under the covers. He follows rights after you and to your delight he has dropped the towel somewhere on the floor. He tells you that you should nap while the child does and when you insist that you aren’t tired a yawn breaks free. 

“That’s what I thought.” 

If you could roll your eyes you absolutely would. Maker, it’s so annoying when he’s right. As you huddle close to him you feel early signs of sleep creeping into your brain. You don’t want to let it take you before you can talk with him.

“Din? Do you ever have nightmares?” 

“Where is this coming from?”

“I don’t know. I guess sometimes I feel like I’m the only one who gets haunted by my past while I’m in the present.”

“I figured that’s what you dreamt about.”

“Yeah,” you scoot closer to him in the dark. “I replay what happened that night with Alden and my parents over and over again.”

“I used to get them. A lot actually.”

“What…what were they about?”

“My parents. I can see them so clearly protecting me before they die. They set me in this bunker and when they closed it an explosion went off. A droid opened the hatch and raised its blaster at me, but right before it fired a Mandalorian shot it.”

“Really?”

“The next thing I remember was being helped out and flown away by them.”

“What do you dream about now?”

“You.”

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[notquiteaghost]

Hi! I was wondering if you had any recommendations for where to start getting into the mountain goats? What little I've listened to by them was incredibly good and made me feel things I can't put into words, so I want to listen to more, I just don't really know where to start. They've got so many songs! Which is a good thing, I love listening to music, it just also means that working out which songs to listen to next is hard.

i wld say, if you remember which songs you've heard & liked, then listen to the albums they're on. and, also, the jordan lake sessions were recorded when they couldn't tour cuz of the pandemic, and are recordings of gigs except the only actual audience of those gigs was the recording equipment. from my memory, they've more newer stuff than older, but they're a good discography grab bag imo

my personal Absolute Favourite songs, if you want a very simple starting point: heel turn 2, amy a.k.a spent gladiator, golden boy, deuteronomy 2:10, rain in soho, almost every door, until olympius returns, dark in here, bleed out

okay that was the tl;dr. now i am gonna infodump a bit

you can split tmg into (rough) stylistic eras: songs for patronius through to all hail west texas is the boombox era, and the majority of these songs are just john darnielle with a guitar; tallahassee through to transcendental youth is early full band, and include more instruments and actual studio recordings; beat the champ to now is later full band/the post-matt douglas era, and Holy Shit There's Woodwind Now

an important thing to note is very early tmg was all cassettes and EPs (as in actual extended play 7" vinyls), and they were then gathered into CD compilations, and only the CD compilations are on spotify (and i assume other streaming services). not all earliest tmg is on those compilations; some early tmg is just not on streaming services. if you really, really dig early tmg and want as much as you can get, you will probably need to do a small crime. this is okay; it's your only option, tmg are aware it's your only option.

another important thing to note is all tmg albums are somewhere on the concept album scale. probably the most concept album is tallahassee, which is about the alpha couple, two fucked up people who should get divorced and very much do not get divorced. but if you are into Songs With Narrative, i v much recommend looking up liner notes (tmg wiki has them) and also the annotated mountain goats (this only covers up to 2017).

also! people record tmg gigs and post those recordings online! some of those people have such good recording equipment their recordings are indistinguishable from a professional live album; best way to find these is to sort that collection by all-time views. there's a decent chunk of tours recorded. these are also a good discog grab bag

and, finally, my Official Album Recommendations:

tallahassee, as mentioned, is about two people in a deeply toxic relationship. there are more alpha couple songs than just this album (annotated tmg has a list under 'series'), but if you've heard 'no children' and liked it then you shld listen to all of tallahassee

transcendental youth is about suicidal ideation and the kinds of people who live with it; the sunset tree is about growing up with an angry man in your house; beat the champ is also about growing up with an angry man in your house but now using professional wrestling as an allegory/framing device; bleed out is about violent desperation and desperate violence, with 70s & 80s action movies as an allegory/framing device; all eternals deck is about a fictional tarot deck and, again, surviving terrible things.

[lgbtqmanga]

New Releases May 2, 2023

Crossplay Love: Otaku x Punk vol. 4 by Toru

The misunderstandings between the Otaku and Punk continue! When Shimazaki asks Hanae to help him with some modeling, Hana becomes a wig model. Mei is disappointed to see Hana with a stranger (a.k.a. Shimazaki in cosplay), worrying about what their relationship could be. Then Shuumei’s best friend, Yuzuru, recognizes Shimazaki…and figures out that Hana is really Hanae?! Yuzuru is the only one who knows both of their secrets, but what’s he supposed to say?

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (novel) vol. 5 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

The Special Edition comes with a set of 5 postcards, a double-sided bookmark, two folded mini-posters, a sticker sheet, and a lined notebook with exclusive new art shrinkwrapped to book!

The Barnes & Noble Exclusive edition contains the same book contents as the Standard Edition, but with a bonus 8-page color comic by a special guest artist bound into the book! (This comic is not included in the Special Edition.)

FINAL VOLUME!

Foes, allies, and one reassembled fierce corpse converge on the Guanyin Temple for a climactic showdown. With decades-long schemes finally unveiled, and dark secrets unearthed, the events of this rain-battered night will decide not just the fate of the entire cultivation world–but also that of a love story two lifetimes in the making.

Also included are eight short stories that focus on the future and the past. From magical incense burners to tense banquets, to lotus-pod hunting and nighttime expeditions with the juniors, these stories span from dawn to dusk and so much more!

Happy Crappy Life vol. 1 by Harada

After his boss discovers that he has been having sex with his daughter, Kyoutarou gets transferred from his high-powered job in the big city to a ho-hum position in the Japanese countryside. Obviously his first intentions upon being transferred are to return to Tokyo as soon as possible, but after he realizes that everyone in his new village knows exactly why he was demoted he loses all hope for his future...but still finds it in his heart to embrace who he is - a ne'er-do-well with a love for a certain type of sex!

Happy of the End vol. 2 by Ogeretsu Tanaka

After constant moving, Chihiro and Haoran may have settled down, which means a house-warming party. This sudden sense of "normalcy" is a little strange for the two of them as their lives are far from it. Whether it's the scars all over Haoran's body or the violent people in their past, finding moments of peace is their only solace in life today.

Run Away With Me, Girl vol. 3 by Battan

Maki and Midori leave Shodoshima, but instead of returning home, the two women find themselves riding away to a remote corner of a train line. Maki knows they can’t hide forever, but she can’t quite figure out how to tell that to Midori. Meanwhile, Midori doesn’t know where she is in her life any more than she knows where she is on the map, but Tazune is trying to answer that second question—and if he does, it may force Midori to answer the first… The thought of running away was once a wistful dream for Maki and Midori, but when the two women wake up to find it a reality, they’ll have to decide if it was just what they needed to find their way home.

FINAL VOLUME

The Titan's Bride vol. 3 by ITKZ

Kouichi has made the painful decision to return to his world. With their agreement satisfied and his decision made, Caius begins the magical process of sending him back. However, as the process begins, Kouichi watches as Caius’ physical form begins to fade. Unable to help him or ask why, the couple is dragged apart. What is wrong with Caius, and who, if anyone, will be able to help Koichi in his hour of need?!

[phanfictioncatalogue]

The Isle of Man (2) Masterlist

part one

2018 (ao3) - outphan

Summary: Dan has a chat with Kath, about his relationship and future with Phil.

amidst the chaos (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: “Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen” -Bobby, age 7

And, Like Putting On Glasses, I Saw the World in Perfect Clarity (ao3) - cactuslester

Summary: Dan thinks this trip to the Isle of Man will be like all the other trips to visit the Lesters. Little does he know, Phil has a 3 carat surprise for him.

A Quiet Coffee Date on IOM (ao3) - ByTheFire

Summary: Dan and Phil go to explore downtown while Kath runs some errands and find a queer coffee shop

Christmas Coming Out (ao3) - FandomFeels17

Summary: He didn't intend to come out to his mum in his future mother in law's kitchen at Christmas... But here he was, doing exactly that.

Deep Breath (ao3) - ahappyphil

Summary: Dan and Phil visit the Isle of Man to finish TABINOF

from the ashes of everything now (ao3) - dizzy

Summary: a series of stories set after Dan and Phil reach Isle of Man, originally posted in the comments of 'in the half light'

home is in the hills (ao3) - watergator

Summary: dan spends christmas with phil's family on the isle of man

(yes this is an actual thing that happened irl im dead)

i’m fine (if you are fine) (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: But the sun is rising now, streaks of orange and gold spread across the candyfloss-coloured sky, shards of light catching in the sea below. Their faces are pink from the climb, and pressed together on the bench the December chill doesn’t seem so bad. They can see for miles from their seat. He doesn’t want to be cynical about everything any more.

[the morning before dan leaves the isle of man for christmas, he thinks about the future]

maybe this christmas (ao3) - blackbirddan

Summary: In all the years they've known each other, Dan and Phil have never been able to spend Christmas Day together. And it's looking like they still can't, even with how much things have changed this year. Unless...

a.k.a. Dan’s family spend Christmas in the Isle of Man.

Written for schnaf as part of the 2019 Phandom Fic Fests Secret Santa exchange. Prompt: Christmas dinner with the family

Mitten (ao3) - yikesola

Summary: Dan really truly thought it was going to take longer to feel normal on the Isle of Man again. He’s changed so much; the world has changed so much.

A fic about knits and rules.

No Man Is An Island (ao3) - strawberrysunflower

Summary: While drunk and desperate to get away from the creatively-stifling hubbub of London, Dan rents a farmhouse on the Isle of Man for four weeks to finish writing his latest book. All he wants is silence. Peace. Solitude.

Then he meets Phil, the farm owners’ dorky, clumsy, stupidly handsome son.

Safe Place (ao3) - ahappyphil

Summary: The Isle of Man is warm and unseasonably sunny, or maybe it’s just Kath. Maybe her maternal glow just radiates off this little island.

Sea Glass (ao3) - kae_karo

Summary: Phil arrives on the Isle of Man to house-sit at his family's cabin while it's repaired and sold. Except the cabin's in far worse shape than expected, and Phil's got to find somewhere else to stay (Phil POV)

Seagulls Screaming (kiss him, kiss him) (ao3) - Allthephils

Summary: Dan goes to the coast with his family and shares a fleeting moment with a boy on a cliff. It’s brief but it’s clear, this is only the beginning.

In another world, this is their origin story.

shiver, but shiver with a friends (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: it might be cold, but the view of the moon on the black ocean and phil next to him makes it more than worth it.

teach me to breathe again (ao3) - phantasizeit

Summary: Phil reflects on his anxiety while he observes the ocean on the Isle of Man with Dan. This quickly dissolves into playfully chasing each other in the rain.

the brightest shade of sun (i had ever see ) (ao3) - Tarredion

Summary: one dawn on the isle of man can be enough to unite two craving hearts, even if a lot of heartbreaking thoughts are revealed along the way

The Next Chapter (ao3) - wheniamqueenx

Summary: 'Dan is standing on a doorstep just outside of Manchester, it is the twenty first of December and he isn’t supposed to be here. He should be with Phil who has probably has not yet removed himself from the sofa, pyjama pants still softly clinging to his hips.'

or

Dan goes to visit Phil's mum, alone.

these are the places i will always go. (ao3) - commonemergency

Summary: "If it were the last few days on earth where would you want to spend it?" Dan eventually asks, thinking back to that story with Martyn and Phil.

Phil thinks, and then says, "Well I guess it'd be here. With my family and you. What about you?" Or the one where Dan goes with Phil to the Isle of Man and thinks about what family means to him.

Vow (ao3) - Lackless

Summary: Dan and Phil get married

want you so bad i can taste it (ao3) - larasunbetadscribbles

Summary: Protect me from what I want.

Or: Dan and Phil get absurdly drunk and start making out in the middle of a pub, with Martyn and Cornelia coming to rescue them from doing something incredibly stupid.

We Have Each Other (And That’s All We Need) (ao3) - Phanfictionhoe

Summary: Dan and Phil have finished their 2018 tour and are visiting Phil's family on the Isle of Man before they go home. This is supposed to be a nice calm vacation for the two after the stress of the tour, however Phil can't find it in himself to calm down. Dan decides to help him out a little bit...

without twilight or compromise (ao3) - dizzy

Summary: Dan and Phil explore an old bookstore.

[ladysunamireads]

Kikimora's Best Self

Kikimora's Best Self by SilverlockSmith

Destiny on the Boiling Isles takes a sharp left turn when Kikimora, Emperor Belos's neurotic and much-disrespected Personal Assistant, is accidentally granted a vision of the future. She never asked for this. Really, she didn't. But if the choice is between death by Draining Spell and allying with the Owl Lady, she'll just have to grin and bear it…

a.k.a. the Kikimora redemption fic no one else got around to writing. I like a challenge.

Words: 1851, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: The Owl House (Cartoon)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen

Characters: Kikimora, Hunter | The Golden Guard, Philip Wittebane | Emperor Belos, Lilith Clawthorne, Eda Clawthorne, Luz Noceda, Darius Deamonne, Eberwolf, Terra Snapdragon, Previous Golden Guards, Raine Whispers, The Collector, Amity Blight, Gus Porter, Willow Park

Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Eda Clawthorne/Raine Whispers

Additional Tags: Redemption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Girl Coven, Canon Divergence - Episode: s01e18 Agony of a Witch, The Emperor's Coven, Prophetic Visions, Fix-It of Sorts, Worldbuilding

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45080305