#candlenights fic

[cobra-creampuff]

My Winter Holiday Fics Masterlist (in order of time of year taken place)

Store Bought Is Fine: Taako & Merle + Elderberries Taako stands in front of a display of seasonal berries, the elderberries right up front.

Frigophobia: Mick & The Legends + Hypothermia Or 3 Times Mick Thought He'd Freeze +1 Time He Was Warm and Cozy

Thermophobia: Len & The Legends + Burns Or 3 Times Leonard Thought He'd Burn +1 Time He Was Cool and Comfortable

Beware of Cat: Loki & The Avengers + Winter Solstice Loki gives the Avengers holiday gifts. Entirely altruistically, of course.

Warm and Lazy and Lucky: Stiles/Derek + Literal Sleeping Together When he can finally see past his own blind Bambi panic, Stiles is met with the lovely first-thing-in-the-morning image of a wolfed-out Derek Hale.

No Equivalent Substitute: Taako & Lucretia + Candlenights Dinner Merle, Magnus, and Lup beg Taako to let them invite Lucretia to Candlenights. Merle posits that Taako should try to forgive for his own good, Magnus invokes the spirit of familial togetherness, and Lup just says please. So Taako agrees, even though he's not ready.

And Many More: Loki & Thor + Thor's Birthday Thor is not going to fall for it this time. No he is not. (Yes he is.)

Fair Weather, Friends: Bruce & The Avengers + Thor's Birthday The Avengers overhear an altercation between the brothers at Thor's birthday party.

[fandomsnstuff]

Santa comes TODAY! 🎅🎄 Here are some fics

through the years we all will be together (if the fates allow)

Two Candlenights that Lucretia (almost) spent alone - 2k

weird but fucking beautiful

The IPRE crew is very happy that their plan worked and they've successfully hidden from the Hunger. What they didn't plan for was how cold Faerun could get and the not-rain falling from the sky. - 1k

call me babe for the weekend (tis the damn season)

Barry's mom has been absolutely relentless ever since she found out he's romantically interested in someone, especially now that Christmas is coming up. Lup has a plan to make her stop. - 3.1k

never a clean break

Lup's just trying to help Magnus out and make a little extra pocket change. Why does shit always have to go sour? - 694

This is for Julia

Magnus doesnt understand why his friends want to spend Candlenights killing some guy, but he's happy to come along for the ride. - 2.1k

[jerreeeeeee]

hm. struck all of a sudden with the urge to write a candlenights fic. i don’t think i really have the time for that but its. really strong.

[stevecoven]

Joyous Candlenights to all! Festive Smut be upon ye!

It’s Candlenights Eve, the night before the Boiling Isles holiday that celebrates the end of winter. It’s Steve and Murph’s first holiday season together as a couple, and Steve wants to go the extra mile and surprise Murph with an extra special gift.

Word Count: 5422 Rating: Explicit (see webpage for tags)

[boydykedevo]

considering revisiting my "taako takes part in a charity auction where one of the prizes is a date with him and magnus wins" au...

[yarn-dragon]

New Chapter! The Santa Clauaes, Hyranor edition

[crystallizedkingdoms]

if theres one thing im so fucking stupid about is that I stopped using a tag for all my writing shit. I USED to have one but I stopped. why did I do that

[barry-j-blupjeans]

TAZ 2023 Fic Recs

It is that time of year again! Unfortunately, I don't have as many as last year, mainly because work and Life have been a lot this year. But I am very, very glad to share the fics I have loved this year and I'm looking forward to any other recs!

A Candlenights Barold by @sgrumby - or honestly, all three of the Reaper Squad Candlenights fics! Based off that one liveshow where Merle became Santa Clause. Now it is the job of Barry, Lup, and Kravitz to deliver presents to children every Candlenights! This one is based off A Christmas Carol and is not only hilarious but also super in character.

The Best Version Possible by @thedaisiestdaisy - Taako's experience with past romances, his current one with Kravitz, as well as the aftermath of Story and Song. This is a beautiful, meaningful fic that hits me in the feels every time I read it. It's such a deep, refreshing dive into Taako's character.

a monster might begin to worry by @anistarrose - In short, a Barry-kills-Governer-Kalen AU. In long: Such a good fucking fic. Rose's character voices are top notch and she's so incredibly good at playing with emotions and building up scenes. It's a god-tier Magnus fic, with some fun Magnus-Kravitz interactions and some wonderful hurt/comfort.

Also by Rose and very worth reading:

fill up your lungs, feel better - Barry spies on the BOBs corporate excursion and realizes his family still cares, even if they don't truly know him.

to eat from a poisoned plate - Barry leaves notes in Taako's cookbook.

somewhere over the rainbow (bluebirds fly) - Maureen and Lucretia fall in love. Then, Maureen and Lucretia fall out of love.

midlife crises, laboratory niceties - Barry bulldozes his way into being on the Starblaster crew. Davenport is very concerned <3

colors of space and time - Taako and Lup's relationship with their hair.

Rode Hard And Put Away Wet by @holdmecloser-gandydancer - Band AU!! My beloved!! Lup, Johann, and Kravitz are in a band and it gets. Tough. To put it lightly. Whenever Lup discovers Kravitz and Taako are hooking up. This is a WONDERFUL and super funny fic, that also has it's moments of deep reflections and a lil angst! Plus, Blupjeans! We love that!

Astrology for Horse Jugglers by @noodyl-blasstal - Kravitz and Taako meet at a wedding. This goes badly for everyone except them. This fic is pure chaos and I adore it so, so much.

We Got Boned! - Another one by Noodyl! Barry and Lup write a book for payback, kinda. This one is such a fun, weird turn of events. I cannot describe my love for it.

Revenge Plus One by @ceilingfan5 - Kravitz is invited by his ex (Edward) to go on a cruise. A cruise that will host Edward's wedding. And, to add insult to injury, Edward (rightly) assumes that Kravitz will have no one to bring along. So Kravitz does the responsible adult thing: Invite the gorgeous man who sells bagels in the work cafeteria (Taako) on the cruise with him. There is fake dating! There is tension! There is romance! I love this fic so much, I want to eat it.

a lesson in boy math - Also by Larissa! Speed-dating, Taakitz style. Both Taako and Kravitz are the best shade of weird in this <3

fashion statement by @journalofimprobablethings - Taako takes Lup's robe when he finds her and the umbrella. Lucretia deals with that. This fic? Destroyed me. And I loved it. It's pretty full of angst but the good kind, y'know?? I'm in love.

That's all I got this year!! I hope you all enjoy these fics as much as I did! They're all incredible and I love seeing all the different ideas and takes everyone has :O

[do-you-ship-this-taz-ship]

taz rarepair week 2024

i'm proud to announce... our rarepair prompt week event!! this will run from December 1 to December 7, hosted by yours truly.

i'll be checking the #taz rarepair week tag!

this event's intention is to explore unpopular or underappreciated ships, but different fandoms consider differently-sized pairings "rarepairs." i won't put hard rules on what "counts" or doesn't - that's up to you!

prompts on the left are categories of relationships (especially categories that tend to get a little less attention in fandom!) - and on the right is more general prompts. you're welcome to mix and match as desired!

(more specific rules under the cut)

THE PROMPTS

day 1: f/f ship /// pre-relationship/first meeting

day 2: polyamorous ship /// friends & family

day 3: platonic/queerplatonic ship /// holidays/candlenights

day 4: ship with under 5 works on ao3 /// misunderstandings

day 5: crossover ship (between campaigns or with other media!) /// alternate universe

day 6: divorced/exes ship /// touch/intimacy

day 7: free space!

THE RULES

art and fic are both welcome and encouraged, along with edits, meta, headcanons, or anything else you'd like to contribute. if you're posting a podfic, be sure that you have the original author's permission first!

you're welcome to post prompts out of order, skip prompts, or edit them to your heart's content. you're welcome to interpret prompts platonically, romantically, or otherwise.

i'll reblog anything tagged #taz rarepair week to this blog, with the exception of content that's excluded from this blog's premise (rpf, sexual underage, and adult/minor age gap ships)

this is a don't like, don't read and a choose not to warn event, although content warnings are always appreciated (and this blog will continue to tag content warnings as applicable). ultimately tags and warnings are up to creators!

sfw and nsfw prompt fills are both welcome. please only post nsfw prompt fills if you're over the age of 18; this is a boundary for my own personal comfort. i'd appreciate if nsfw prompt fills were under a cut for this blog's management but this isn't required 🤍

let me know if you've got any questions!

[thiswasinevitableid]

Pinned Moth(man) (Indruck)

The first winner of our Whumpcember fills was: sensory overload.

Note: since this is whumpcember, this fic contains Indrid being tortured. It's not graphic, but I wanted to warn for it.

Torpor did not always pose a risk to Indrid. 

On Sylvain, the area where his kind lived was warm enough that there was never a risk of it in the first place. In the royal city, there were enough spells and enchanted garments to keep the colder days at bay. 

Once he was on earth, everything changed. He enchanted his clothing the best he could, stayed far from cold places come the winter and, once technology improved, crammed as many space heaters into his home as possible. 

But sometimes the weather got the better of him, especially if he’d been distracted by an urgent future or was in the middle of trying to prevent some kind of disaster. Then he’d huddle in blankets or by fires, trying to bring himself back up to a temperature where he could move around. Sometimes he lost the battle and would fall into torpor for days, weeks and, on two occasions, a month (he did feel very bad for startling the nice farmhand who found him buried in the hay in his barn where he'd tried and failed to find warmth).

He’s learned to be careful, has not had an incident since 1998. 

Until tonight. 

He’d been out in the Monongahela, working on a sketch of Duck’s favorite view. They’ve been dating for nine months, and it’s their first Candlenights as a couple, and Indrid is determined to give the human the perfect gift. When he had the idea for the sketch, he peeked at the future and saw it would work beautifully. 

He was so invested in getting the image just right that he missed the first warning signs; the dulling of his hearing, the sense that if his antenna were out they’d be limp, no longer interested in sensing the world. When he notices them, he packs up his things and makes for the trail back to Eastwoods as quickly as he can. It was already slow going with the snow, and with the torpor getting worse each step seems to take forever. 

A snowball hits him and he chirps, annoyed. 

“Whoever is doing that, now is not the time-”

Another hit, this time taking his glasses off. He trills in alarm, scrambling for them, and realizes there are several sets of footsteps running at him from the surrounding trees. Torpor slows his future sight, but he doesn’t need that to know these are not his friends. 

He tries to take off but his wings are sluggish, and he’s tackled to the ground, clawing and hissing as best he can but it’s no use, he’s outnumbered and going numb on top of it all. Something collides with his head, and as he blacks out, he has the horrible feeling it was a shovel. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Indrid, like many cryptids, has recurring nightmares about Area 51. The idea of being caught by humans who see you only as an experiment, or worse, a specimen, miles away from any of your kind or any friendly humans, with no future ahead of you but to be poked and prodded to death. 

This isn’t Area 51, and he is positive these are not government agents, but other than that, he seems to be in a similar predicament. 

“This is so sick, man, it’s the real deal” a hand pokes his inner wing and he bites back a hiss. They might be waiting until he’s awake to start whatever this is meant to be, and the longer he feigns sleep the longer he has to come up with a plan. It’s warm in the trailer, but not warm enough to bring him back to full energy with any useful speed. 

“How come it’s not moving?” A new voice.

“Because genius here hit on the head with a fucking crowbar.” A third voice. 

(Ah, not a shovel, then. Hard to tell when you’re losing feeling in your head).

“I didn’t see you with a better idea.” Voice four snaps. 

Indrid lets his head droop, hazards a peek through one eye and sees four sets of feet. That’s all of them. Not the worst odds in terms of getting free, but not the best. 

“Lemme get this on and then we’ll wake it up.” Third voice again, the leader by his tone.

“Do we need to tie its arms? It left a nasty-ass scratch.”

“I’ve got it under control, trust me.” Third voice comes closer. Then a hand pinches his left antenna, “hey, mothman, wake up.”

Indrid does not give him the satisfaction of so much as stirring. 

“I said wake the fuck up” The man punctuates his words by clapping the antenna between his hands.

It hurts, but his numbness is acting in his favor, and so he keeps still and quiet. He needs to work out an escape before making any drastic moves. 

“Fuck it. Eddy, hand me that.” 

His future sight alerts him of what that is a second before it hits him; an electric kettle’s worth of boiling water. 

He can’t help it, he yelps in pain; going from torpor to high heat is uncomfortable at the best of times, and now he feels scalded and soggy on top of that. 

“There we go.” The leader, in his red sweatshirt, looks Indrid over with a self-satisfied grin, “see, mothman is an insect, so he gets slow when cold. We just needed to warm him up. Carl, start the camera.”

Indrid uses the moment they all look toward the device to look around; he’s in some sort of RV, far larger and nicer than his beloved Winnebago. He’s standing in the middle of a square frame made of iron, his wings trapped open and clamped to some of the frame, and his legs tied to all edges of it by chains. The clamps extend past his less sensitive outer wings; if he can’t get free before the torpor fully wears off, that alone will be excruciating. 

“Sup, guys!” Red sweatshirt addresses the camera, “y’all aren’t gonna believe this, but we fucking did it, we fucking caught the mothman!” He pauses, then whacks Eddie on the head, “you three were supposed to say that with me. Now we gotta fucking reset.”

Recorded, but not live. Thank goodness for that. Once he gets free, he can just delete it and smash the camera. 

The introduction doesn’t take long, just long enough that his system is becoming oversensitive from the sudden change from cold to hot. His wings are beginning to hurt. 

“So, we’re gonna start by taking some readings. Y’know, be scientific and shit. Plus a blood sample.”

Indrid moves all four arms behind his back. 

“Come on you big bug” the one the leader calls Shane tries to grab his lower left arm. Indrid hisses and snaps at him. 

A cattle prod connects with his side and he screeches, flailing his arms out to try and bat the weapon away. In the process, his wings flap on instinct, tugging against the clamps, and he yelps, overwhelmed by the pain. 

“Let’s get one thing straight” the leader jabs the prod into his left wing and Indrid swipes at him, missing by only an inch, “we’re gonna show our followers exclusive footage of mothman. That can be us running our experiments, or it can be us showing the audience how much damage a huge fucking bug can take.”

Indrid tries another gambit; there’s four of them, it might work on one. 

“You do not need to do this.”

“Holy shit man, it can talk.”

“Yes, rather eloquently when I am not being electrocuted. I would be glad to do an interview for you and your followers. Surely that is more interesting than footage of me twisting about.”

The instant they agree, he is flapping out of the door. 

“Pfft” the leader snorts, “our followers don’t wanna watch some shit like that. They’ll just think you’re a guy we put in a costume.”

“I am” he winces as his limbs regain their full feeling and then immediately register the chains scraping at the chitin of his legs, “I am demonstrably not a man in a costume.”

“Our subscribers wanna see cool shit. Like what color mothman’s blood is.”

“The fuck is it with you and blood, Shane?” Eddie looks disappointed, like his was interested in Indrid’s offer.

“You telling me you don’t wanna see what an aliens blood looks like?”

A horrible understanding curls in Indrid’s chest, “Were any of you by chance the kind of children to pull wings off flies?”

“Nah” the leader shrugs, “we did get 60 million views for the video where we put a hamster in a microwave, though.”

“Well, fuck me I guess.” Indrid murmurs, then hisses when he gets shocked for what is clearly just the amusement of his captors. 

He does alright for the first fifteen minutes, even when they successfully cut his chest enough to see him bleed. Then he’s bleeding and his wings are aching and every sensation is heightened tenfold thanks to having been in torpor not an hour ago, and all he wants is to cry. But he will not. 

Then one of the wretches starts trying to see how hard you have to drag a pocket knife on his chitin to carve it, and another is trying to see if it’s fireproof and catches a chest feather instead, and then the fire is whacked out by far too hard hits as the four men laugh at his increasingly pained chirps. 

He gives up on tracking what’s happening after that. It hurts, yes, but more than that there is so much sensation, so much input into his system, that he wants to weep from overstimulation alone before he even gets to the injuries. 

He tries to look at the futures, for escape, for rescue, but it’s so hard to see through it all, and who is he kidding, who would rescue him, he’s trapped who knows where, no one will notice until he’s too late, if they do they won’t find him in time, he is going to die here, his system is going to shut down in a last hope to escape the oversaturation of torment.

Knockknock

All four men freeze, shushing each other. 

“Hello? I know y’all are in, there I can see the lights are on and you got your generator runnin’.”

He knows that voice, has half a mind to call out, but if they know Duck is his ally, they might try to hurt him. 

Another knock, then, “You ain’t in trouble, I just gotta ask you a question about the site.”

The leader moves to the door, pulling a curtain across the hallway to hide the room from view. 

“Hi, sorry, we had the T.V up high. What’s up with the site?”

“Well, for starters, this area of the campground is closed for the winter.”

“Oh shit, sorry, we didn’t know.”

“Huh. That so.” Duck clicks his tongue, “funny thing is, we always close the road up here. Ah well, guess the storm must’ve knocked the gate loose.”

“Must have. We’ll move to another campsite.”

“Glad to hear it. Now, I got one other question. You mind tellin me why these are all over the front step of your trailer?”

“What, crow feathers? No idea.”

A chuckle, “These ain’t crow feathers, not unless the crow is eight feet tall and got one hell of a wingspan.”

“I don’t-”

“You got ten fuckin seconds to show me where he is. You let him go, I’ll let you go. You feel me?”

“Go fuck yourself.”

The punch is a supremely satisfying sound, as is the ripping down of the curtain as Duck strides into the room.

“You three gonna cooperate?”

“Fuck you man, you’re outnumbered”

Duck whips Beacon from his waist, brandishing the sword and driving the three men into the corner. 

“There’s a gun in the desk you fucking assholes!” Comes the shout from the other room. 

“I also got one right here. And it’s bigger than yours.” Mama drawls from the front door, then calls, “All yours, Stern!”

Duck is in front of him now, taking in his injuries. His face is doing something Indrid doesn’t recognize, darkening and contorting into a frankly frightening expression. The his poor, battered mind catches up with him and he understands that for the first time, he is seeing Duck Newton furious. 

“Oughta take their goddam toes off for this.” He whips Beacon across the chains, breaking them.

“Yeees, yeeees you should, let their blood-”

“Can it” He replaces the sword to his waist, then starts gingerly removing the clamps, “it’s okay sugar, I got you, I’m here, I’m gonna get you home”

He chirrs weakly, too overstimulated to speak. 

“Shh, shhh, I got you. I got you.” Duck repeats as he eases the second clip free. 

Indrid collapses on the floor, Ducks knees hitting it a moment later as warm, familiar hands try to gather him into the rangers arms. 

“Fucking knew the feds were covering it up!”

“I have not idea what you mean” Joseph’s voice, calm and collected, “I’m here because of the two kidnappings you four perpetrated on federal land.”

“Two?��� Aubrey now, and Indrid could cry with relief that a healer is nearby.

“Nabbed one of the Hornets last week. Got away, which y’all better thank your lucky fuckin stars for. Hollis don’t fuck around when it comes to protectin their crew.” Mama’s bootfalls enter the room and her voice softens, “jesus, Indrid, what’d they do to you?”

“What didn’t they fuckin do?” Duck growls, “fuck, shoulda gone lookin for you sooner, sugar, I’m so fucking sorry-”

“Don’t” Indrid manages to croak out the words as he rests his forehead against Ducks own.

“They’re on their way into town now.” Stern comes in, adjusting his winter jacket as he regards the ‘research station’ with disdain, “Animals. Do you need help getting to the car?”

Indrid nods, and between Mama, Duck, and Joseph, they get him to his feet and out the door. Aubrey is waiting by the van, Ned already in the front seat, and opens the side door so they can help Indrid in. 

“Can’t believe the snow tires worked on this thing.” Duck mutters. 

“That and a little boost from our lovely Lady Flame can do wonders.” Ned peers from the driver's seat to the open section of the car when Indrid is huddled, “Don’t worry, my friend, I’ll take it nice and gently down the hill. And should any more of them be lurking in the trees, simply say the word and I shall merrily run them off the road.”

Indrid tries to smile in thanks (possibly succeeds, he isn’t sure). As the van starts down the road into town, Aubrey sets a hand over his chest. It begins to glow, but only gets as far as closing the cut before he hisses and shakes his head. 

“It, it is too painful when I am like this. When I am healed by Her magic it is an intense sensation. Usually a good one but I am so over-sensitive it is too much to bear.” He rests a hand on her knee, “thank you for trying.”

“Guess we’re gonna do this the old-fashioned way.” Per his request, Duck isn’t holding him, but it’s evident he wants to. 

“Indeed. Though we have passed the Lodge.”

“Ned’s takin’ you to my place. Easier for me to look after you there.”

“I suppose it is.” It feels like an imposition for Duck to take him in when he’s in this state.

“Besides, you left the pink and yellow pajamas there. Know those are your favorite.”

He manages to purr once, leaning himself against the ranger. He’s so tired, he wants to sleep,  but his system is still too engaged in a fight or flight response to let him. 

Ned lets them off at Ducks apartment, and once inside Duck ushers him to the bedroom, Pinecone yowling at them the whole way. 

“I know, my elegant ball of fluff, you are upset I am not scooping you up for attention.” 

The mass of grey and brown fur sits primly in the hall in reply and pretends to ignore him. 

“How much touchin’ do you think you can handle?” Duck rolls up his sleeves.

“A little. I, I can patch myself up, I am used to it. To doing it alone, I mean.”

“Just cause you’re used to it don’t mean you gotta do it this time.” Duck stands before him, looking up earnestly, “tell me how to help, sugar.”

“Some aloe and bandages, please. And something to drink.”

“Roger that.” Duck rises on his tiptoes, kissing his cheek before heading to the kitchen. 

Indrid sits on the bed, taking stock of the injuries. His wings are bruised from the clamps. There’s a nasty gouge in the chitin of his upper right arm, and the burnt patch on his chest. 

Duck returns with the aloe vera and massive mug of instant cocoa, sets both on the bedside table. As Indrid begins soothing the burnt patch, he asks, “Is it like when someone gets frostbite and then someone dunks ‘em in a hot bath trying to help?”

“More or less, yes. I do not think they knew it would have that effect on me, but even if they did, I doubt they would have cared.” He carefully holds out the scraped arm, “would you wrap that for me? It cannot really become infected the way a wound on skin can, but I would being safe to being sorry.”

Duck gingerly sets to work patching him up, and when he’s done Indrid catches his hand and kisses each knuckle. 

“Thank you for coming for me.”

“Wouldn’t have done anythin’ else. You know that, right?”

Indrid nods. He is finally starting to believe it. 

“I got worried when you didn’t call, went up to your place and followed your bootprints. Soon as I found your sketchbook and glasses on the ground, knew I had to get Mama and the others to help me rescue you. Oh, here” he hands Indrid the spectacles and snow-ruined notebook, “case you want ‘em.”

“Would it trouble you if I turned human? It will help me feel better, but the injuries will be more noticeable.”

“You do whatever you gotta do.” Duck sits beside him as he slides on the glasses. The bruises marks on his wrists and shoulders are by far the worst to look at. It’s when he glances down at his notebook that the tears finally come. 

“They, they ruined the gift I had for you!”

“What? Oh hey, hey darlin don’t cry” Duck gathers him into his arms and for the first time all night Indrid doesn’t have to flinch away, “I’m sure it fuckin ruled, but that don’t matter to me even on millionth as much as the fact you’re okay.” The human kisses his forehead and Indrid chirrs, trying to cuddle closer. 

“Howsabout this? You get all cozy and bundled up under the covers, I’ll make sure any of the first aid stuff you need is in reach, and then we huddle up and watch cowboy romcoms until you’re able to fall asleep.

Indrid purrs, nodding but unwilling to release his hero just yet. Duck chuckles and keeps his arms gently around him and he’s ready to let go.

[sgrumby]

Merle commits vehicular manslaughter

Taako ponders his orb

One of your reapers WILL make out with a jellyfish

only on this year's candlenights fic, Terminator 2 Colon Jingle Day, coming Friday to an ao3 near you!!!

[jamscandraw]

Tagged by @seadeepy!

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

These are all Sturphy (Murph x Steve from TOH) fics unless otherwise stated, and you can read them all here! if you've read any of these and enjoyed them I would love to hear your thoughts, feedback is always encouraged!

Anyone who wants to do this, consider yourself tagged by me :)

(1) Bleeding Hearts Day (2024) [still a working title!] (rated G, ongoing)

The final bell of the school day was still screeching when Steve skidded to a halt in front of his locker.

(2) A Candlenights Surprise (rated E, 5.4k)

The moon was full and bright over the Boiling Isles, but nobody was there to admire it.

(3) Lopsided (rated G, 2.6k)

“Hey Steve. I’ve been meaning to ask you something for a while now.”

(4) Keeping It In The Family (rated G, 5k)

"Murph? Where's the remote for the projector globe?" Steve yells down the stairs.

(5) Preemptive Measures (rated M, unfinished)

"Babe, you're-" "-Super late, I know, I'm sorry."

(6) rough day, huh (rated G, 900)

"Oh, dude, you look rancid."

(7) purple, like me (Murph + Luz, rated G, 1.3k)

"Oh, hey Murph," chirps Luz as she shoves the door to the Owl House open with her butt.

(8) Goose and Scraps (Murph + Gus + Mattholomule, rated G, 900)

“Hey Murph,” Gus sticks his head into the kitchen to wave at them. “We’re heading out to the library to study. We’ll be back before dinner.”

(9) keep close stay warm (rated G, 3.1k) ✨my personal fave that I've written so far!! if you read anything by me please read this one lol✨

“What are you doing with those?”

(10) make a wish (rated G, 1.1k)

“Morning, bud. You look suitably horrendous for this time of day.”

Notable trend: I love starting a fic in media res with incidental dialogue. Easiest way to get the ball rolling and establish the tone/dynamic.

[fandomsnstuff]

I reread and edited these pieces i wrote for taz november celebration 2022 day 24 and day 25 to post them separately because i liked them a lot and didnt want to leave them buried in the one fic i posted all of my 2022 taznc pieces in

Summary:

Two Candlenights that Lucretia (almost) spent alone

[jerreeeeeee]

in lieu of candlenights fic i’ll instead post the holiday tradition headcanons i would’ve written about (and maybe will write about next year)

[lesbianmontrosepretty]

Stay Good Under Pressure: A Candlenights Exploration

Happy Candlenights, @yourbelgianthings! I'm your secret santa nyehehe. Hope you enjoy your hefty serving of Angus McDonald with a side of IPRE pain<3

This fic is loosely built around a line from the Mountain Goats' We Have Seen The Enemy (you know the one). I also tried to intersperse as much tmg as I could! (which ended up being not that much, sadly, but I think it hits) thank you for making me insane about this.

Word count: 3052

---

“Hey, guys, is something going on?”

Angus was sitting in the Director's office, on one of the seats across her desk, helping the reclaimer crew navigate the Millers’ rapidly crystalizing lab.

“Guys, is something wrong? I can't hear you anymore.”

It seemed yet another one of Lucas’s experiments was proving more trouble than it was worth. From the crackling, static-ridden other end, it seemed like they had angered a robot that was meant to be a learning tool for children — only the “artificial intelligence” had obviously gotten out of control. Lucretia could not believe this was the same man she had trusted with the safety of this entire world. With the safety of her family.

“I think there's something wrong with the stones!”

The line went quiet.

“Sirs?” Angus spoke into the stone of farspeech as he looked up at her, worry raw in his eyes the way only a kid’s can show.

Lucretia reached over the desk and took the stone from his hands, trying to channel brand new arcane power into it. “Boys? Is everything alright?”

Silence.

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[yourbelgianthings]

candlenights at the lodge

this is my gift for @rindomness from the blinkshark discord candlenights exchange, an amnesty fic and i'm posting it here too! 1.7k words

Madeline Cobb was not one for holidays, except when it came to Candlenights. Being a sylph in Kepler could be lonely anyways, but even more so around the holidays, a time meant to be spent with family and loved ones. She felt that she owed the residents of the lodge a celebration as warm and joyful as everyone else got. Putting it together every year was an expression of her care for them, and this year, with the new Pine Guard team, the Amnesty Lodge family had expanded for the biggest Candlenights yet. She wondered how they and the other people that she had considered friends for longer were doing as the evening approached.

Aubrey Little had been dreading the holidays before she settled in Kepler. They always came around eventually, and she wasn't looking forward to spending that time alone. Yes, she had chosen to leave her parents, but nobody planned on her mom dying, and even the most determined and independent woman like Aubrey needed other people sometimes. It was a good thing Mama had been in the hotel lobby for her show gone wrong that night and she had wound up in Kepler from there. It took some adjustment to the small-town environment, but Aubrey loved living in Amnesty Lodge. There was no way to compare it to any other living situation, but if she had to try, it was the best parts of a college dorm, a hotel, a cabin, and a ski lodge all in one. A crackling fire helped warm the lounge area with its piano and cozy old couch across from the bartop. That was what Aubrey liked best about it, the coziness. Her childhood house was far too big for just her and her parents, all its elegance cold and uninviting. It never felt like a home. Of course, there were worse problems to have then living in a mansion, but as an only child, things could be difficult sometimes. At Amnesty Lodge, Aubrey felt like she could really be herself and have space to grow. Nobody (like her dad) was asking "What are you going to do for a living?" and "No, what are you really going to do? It can't just be magic." It was okay now though, here she was, about to celebrate Candlenights with her chosen family and the best friends she'd ever had. With one last glance in the mirror at her outfit (a fair attempt at being festive from a closet that was primarily black, red, denim, and leather), and headed out to the lobby.

Things had sure been different around here lately, but that wasn't a bad thing. Barclay and Mama had been all of the Pine Guard for so long that he had a little extra time on his hands now. It still wasn't much, since abominations continued to appear and he had to play damage control with that damn FBI agent, but he had been able to cook for fun again. His list of new recipes to try was finally getting some use after gathering dust for months. Barclay was surprised that the three new members of the Pine Guard worked together as well as they did when he first saw them. They all brought talents and all had things to work on, but by and large, things seemed okay. Even though he had been upset at Ned initially for causing Agent Stern to come to town, the two of them actually got along the best now. One night, while Barclay was cleaning up from dinner, he'd brought by a six pack as an apology. They sat and talked long after the cleaning was finished, finding that they could each relate to each other as outcasts in their own way. That was the lodge, that was their Candlenights celebration. All the outcasts coming together in a place they made to be welcomed, where they could let their guard down for a bit. Barclay smiled to himself as he took another tray of gingersnaps out of the oven. The kitchen would be the world's biggest pain in the ass to deal with later, but that didn't even cross his mind now as he was filled with Candlenights cheer.

Dani was already sitting in the lobby, snug in a Fair Isle sweater and old pair of jeans, absentmindedly petting Dr. Harris Bonkers. Being early was a good way to get samples from Barclay (if he wasn't too busy rushing to finish everything), but that wasn't her intention. She wanted to keep an eye on the rabbit like usual and had gotten lost in thought. It was hard to be in the Candlenights mood when her family was a world away. Being here brought difficult days for all the sylphs, but it seemed like a lot of the others had managed to adjust and fit in better than her. Jake loved to go snowboarding and made friends with Hollis, Barclay had a lot on his plate (no pun intended), and even Moira, who barely left the lodge, occupied her time with the piano. Dani liked to to write poetry and go for hikes if she had the energy to leave the lodge, let alone get out of bed. Aubrey's arrival changed things, though. Here, all of a sudden, was someone new at the lodge who took a genuine interest in her and wanted to be friends. They even found out that they both left their homes and families, albeit in very different situations. Now, Dani had found her person, like everyone else. Oftentimes Aubrey had to leave the lodge for a while, and she left Dr. Harris Bonkers with Dani. She even took comfort in caring for her friend's rabbit; the routine was helpful to have in her day and he loved getting extra attention. Having someone on earth didn't replace the ache in her heart for her family, but a shoulder to lean on at the end of the day meant a lot. With that thought, she snapped back to her surroundings as Aubrey, Barclay, and Mama called her name all at once from the hall entrance, the kitchen, and the front door. Setting Dr. Harris Bonkers back on the couch, Dani got up to go see what her friends wanted. There were things worth celebrating in Kepler and at the lodge, and she was going to help make Candlenights what everyone here needed it to be.

Duck Newton was far from a loner, he was on good terms with everyone in town (except Muffy and Winthrop), he just didn't have a lot of close friends. He, Aubrey, and Ned didn't have a choice but to get along due to the nature of their work, but despite Aubrey's tendency to disregard rules that existed for a reason and Ned's difficulty with keeping secrets, Duck considered them his friends. Aubrey was only a couple years older than he was the first time Minerva approached him, and when she learned the world was something different than she thought, she seemed to move forward with an enthusiasm that would have been impossible for Duck then. Of course, now he had allowed Minerva back into his life and started taking his role more seriously, but nothing was going to change his outlook on life. Even fighting monsters, there had to be a practical way to deal with the situation. Duck didn't think he knew everything, though, and the Pine Guard had been able to put their strengths to come up with some good plans. He and Juno had some wild days on the job, but those were nothing compared to fighting sentient water at H2 Woah! That Was Fun after hours. They deserved a bit of a break, and the Candlenights celebration would be a perfect opportunity. Jane, his younger sister, was out of town this year, so it also gave him somewhere else to go for the holiday. It was almost time for Duck to leave, and he went to pick up his Tupperware of french onion soup that had just finished cooling. As he headed out the door, he heard the most familiar voice, right on schedule as always, exclaim: "HAPPY CANDLENIGHTS, DUCK NEWTON!"

Ned Chicane hadn't celebrated Candlenights, or any holiday for that matter, in a long time. When he was still in his life of crime, especially with Boyd, he didn't have the time or interest, and afterwards, he had nobody to celebrate with. Well, Halloween was the biggest day for the Cryptonomica, but that wasn't really a "family time" holiday, and besides, he was working. Maybe spending those times alone was making up in some way for his past. Or he was rationalizing, and there was nothing he could ever do to make that poor girl's life better. He deserved his sorrow, but it wasn't atonement. Then their paths crossed again, but this time he met her, learned her name: Aubrey Little, even became her colleague. Duck Newton also came asking for his ridiculous talking sword back and things got crazier than Ned could ever have imagined. Trying to convince himself it was a dream didn't work, but as the days passed, he didn't want it to be anymore. The work the Pine Guard did meant something; they were protecting people, which he had never done before. He didn't have magic fire powers or a mysterious destiny laid out for him, but with his enchanted Narf blaster and his friends by his side, he had the chance to do good. It was unfamiliar, uncomfortable, but well worth it. The prospect of a holiday with friends still felt like something he didn't deserve, but if everyone wanted him there, who was he to decline their love and generosity? As he parked the Lincoln in the driveway of the lodge, the warm glow of the candles Mama had placed in every window warmed his heart too.Once everyone had arrived, Amnesty Lodge was buzzing with the sounds of friends catching up, the clinking of silverware, and carols played by Moira on the piano. Even Agent Stern came out of his room to get a plate and socialize for a bit. Mama looked out over the scene with a content smile on her face. It was only one night, but was what they all needed to carry on for the next year. She clinked her spoon on her glass and all eyes turned towards her. Never one for wordiness, Mama raised her glass with the heartfelt toast: "To our Lodge family!"