#esme the hedgehog

[shadowqueen402]

General Headcanons For Esme Montgomery

Here are some headcanons for Esme Montgomery, my oc's mother. Enjoy!

Esme is a fashion lover. She has a bunch of pretty outfits in her wardrobe that are in colors ranging from magenta and pink to soft green and teal blue. Every year, for Aria's birthday or Christmas, she and her husband would give their daughter pretty outfits.

Cooking runs in Esme's family. She and her twin older sisters spent their childhood learning how to cook. Once her daughter turned 8, Esme started to teach Aria how to cook. It's basically a family tradition.

Esme had met NiGHTS once. And that was when she was only a teenager. Though it has been two decades, Esme still remembers NiGHTS. She has yet to actually meet Reala. But she had also met Wizeman the Wicked.

She loves animals of all kind and even studied them when she first became a veterinarian. But if she had to pick one wild animal to be her favorite, it would be the hedgehog. Esme finds them really adorable.

On the nightstand of hers' and Roy's bedroom, she keeps a framed picture of her and her husband on their wedding day. Despite the fact that it was…crashed, she still managed to have a good time.

[vivianleighwishesshewasme]

Worth my Weight in Gold-9

Bunny's Baby

They make camp near Bunny Boswell who has an interesting suggestion for the two adults.

___________________________________________________________

They'd just made camp near Bunnys Vardo at sundown. Aberama and Gypsy were busy preparing the camp for the night. Gypsy now helping to tend to two camps since the baby had just been born a few days ago. 

The girls were content to play and coo over the baby.

She desperately wanted to hold the little baby girl. She had a man and three girls of her own to care for and her older sister.

“When are you going to have a baby for us? I want a girl.” Nan smiled up at her taking a break from holding the baby's tiny little fingers. Seh had been so gentle.

 Bunny and Gypsy laughed.They both exchanged looks, the dark haired sister blushing furiously.  

“Like she’s ordering dinner.” Bunny mussed. She was enjoying the break while her nieces played with the newborn like it was a doll.

“It doesn't work like that hunny. It’ll happen when the timing is right. We also don't get to pick if it's a girl or boy.” Gypsy ruffled Nan’s hair affectionately.  The campfire was roaring now and she had a pot of veggies going. Hopefully Abe will be back soon with some meat. Bunny needed the protein for her and the baby. 

“Boys are gross, they pee on everything and smell stinky.” Esme added to the conversation. Bunny and Gypsy laughed, shaking their heads, as she only knew that in a few years her opinion would change drastically. 

“Umm excuse me? How many boys are you friends with? Should I talk to your dad? You seem to know a lot about boys?” Gypsy teased her daughter. Things were settling down for them all now that they were away from the Gold camp.

“We’ll I’m going to marry a Shelby boy and be rich.” She proudly proclaimed. She seemed very resolute in her claim.

“Oh, there is more to life than money.” The raven haired women added. She didn't need Esmeralda and Nan getting snooty. Their father dressed them all well and took very good care of everything and every possession he had. They weren’t dirt poor by any means. 

“It helps though.” Bunny mused  while bending down to cradle her baby. It was dinner time for at least the smallest Boswell. 

“So what happened with you know who…?” Bunny trailed off making eye contact with her sister. She’d only gotten a little bit of knowledge about Abe’s ex wife when she’d stopped by the camp. It was enough to peak her curiosity. 

“She said I would have problems conceiving. Probably not a good conversion right now Bun.” She nodded to the three little girls who were pretending not to listen. They could still hear though. 

“ She said that to you!? She cursed your womb…..I hope she gets the clap.” Bunny shot off loudly. The girls looked around confused. Gypsy signed and glared at her sister. She knew it was coming now. 

“ Bunny no! We don't talk about things like that infront of small ears and big mouths.”

“ What's the clap?” Esme asked, her voice echoing off the tree line. Gypsy rolled her eyes to her sister and placed her hands on her hips. 

“ It's a whores disease. “ Aberama said, walking off from a dark path leading away from the river. He was also glaring at Bunny. 

He’d dropped the wood he’d collected near the fire. Gypsy had been pleasantly surprised when he dropped not one but two hedgehogs into his hands.  It was getting into late spring so they stopped hibernating. They were also her favorite.  

She smiled at him and Bunny had caught it when he’d winked at his wife. She could see how affectionate they were with one another. 

The women dropped their voices but she knew he overheard snippets of their conversation. 

“ So nothing yet, he has 3 girls gypsy. Give him a boy Gyps. That'll show her.” Bunny’s soft suggestion pulled at her heart. She’d been trying. Honestly she’d always wanted a boy. 

“ What do you think we've been trying to do?” She gently challenged her blonde sister. 

“ Why don't I stay with the girls tonight? You two go off by the stream and….you know.” Bunny’s voice dropped to a low suggestive purr. 

A red crimson flush raced across the raven haired beauty's face. She liked the thought. 

“It'll be too much on you with all the kids. I can’t.” She was worried about Bunny even though the women bred like a rabbit. What if something did happen? 

“ I'm okay. I promise.” Her sister winked and tossed her head toward the creek. 

Gypsy turned and looked at Abe.  He was bent over correcting her fire. She liked that view too. 

“ If you insist.” They giggled in league with the plan. Aberama chose that moment to turn and exchange a concerned look with both ladies.  They were planning something and he knew it had to do with him too. 

_________________________________________________

[shadowsfascination]

YAAU - Chapter five - Division

 “Guess we’re sharing a room together again.” “C’me on! Aren’t you secretly overjoyed?” Sonic poked Shadow in his flank, hoping to evoke a reaction from him. The dark colored hedgehog only glanced at him cynically. “Did you look at the schedule yet?” He asked Sonic. “Nah.” “I’m going to take a look at it and head to the gym afterwards. Are you joining me?” “Fine.” Shadow grabbed a towel and swung it over his shoulder and so did Sonic. They closed the door to their room and stepped into a hallway that led to a wall with a screen on it. This was where all the announcements were placed on as well as the schedule for this mission. The location where they were staying during the mission was a training basis where they had been staying before. It had plenty of bedrooms with a bunk bed in them. The staff that organized the missions would always make a list that showed where everybody would be sleeping and Sonic and Shadow were to share a room again. Besides bedrooms, the basis also had a lot of training facilities and bathing facilities. It was a training mission, but their team had climbed up to a level where the training part of this mission merely existed from the supervision from the colonel, Azul the Lizzard. He would accompany the team on the mission and give them instructions through high tech devices every member of the team had been given. A colonel wasn’t the highest rank in the military. Azul had a couple of other Mobians above him that had more power than he had. The team Sonic and Shadow were in mostly existed from men, but there were two female members. One of them was in training to become a corporal like Sonic and Shadow were, the other one was a third grade soldier. Most of the members didn’t really like Azul because he was a strange one and he seemed to enjoy abusing his power and so everybody simply kept their interaction with him to a minimum. The hedgehogs arrived at the place where the screen was placed. “Ah, we’re off duty tonight.” Sonic mumbled. “We’re only leaving for the actual mission on Sunday?” “What’s it matter?” “Nothing, I’m just surprised. I thought that we would be leaving earlier this week.” “Plenty of time for training, I’d say.” “Guess you’re right.” The two hedgehogs moved on and entered the training facility with a pass that granted them access. The training facility had a huge swimming pool, a tennis court, a track, soccer field and many more sport related things. They started by doing exercises for warming up and both went to do some training. Afterwards, they took a shower and walked back to their room. Halfway through the hallway, just around the corner, there were two of their team members talking. Sonic wanted to keep walking, but Shadow backed down against the wall and signaled to him to keep quiet. The blue hedgehog gave the black one his signature impatient look, but was quick to understand something was going on. They both kept as quiet as possible and Shadow twitched his ears at the mention of his name in an attempt to hear everything that was said. 

“Did you hear about Shadow?” a male fox asked his female co-worker. “Yeah, I can’t believe it!” she replied with a shocked expression on her face. “Me neither. I mean: it’s just…” “Creepy.” She filled in the blanks for him. “Well, it does put certain things in place from the last mission.” “Ya don’t think…?” “It has to be.” “No way… He wouldn’t do such a thing!” “Come on, Esme. You’ve seen that video tape with your own eyes didn’t you? He almost sold us out completely.” He saw that her face grew white. “Does it scare you, Esme?” “A little.” “You’re lucky that I’m here to protect you from him.” “Thank you, Ferry.” She gave him a weary smile. “I won’t let that traitor any cause harm to you.” He stepped in on her and gently stroked her cheek with his left hand and put his right hand on the higher part of her waist, near her chest. It left a flustered color on her face and she put her hands on his chest. “You know this isn’t allowed. If they catch us…” she said, while looking away from him. “They won’t”, he replied determined. He continued: “We’re on cleaning duty for the sport complex, so nobody will be looking for us and I know a spot where there are no cameras.” The female’s face clearly showed some hesitance. “We should be training and cleaning afterwards. We can’t afford to waste our energy, Ferry.” He closed in on her and whispered in her ear: ‘this will be the best work out you’ll ever have, I promise’. She gave in and nodded at him. They footed their way in the direction of where Sonic and Shadow where standing, just around the corner. Sonic’s eyes widened in fear, nervous that they would be discovered. Shadow grasped his hand, drew a circle in the air with his free hand and they vanished from eyesight. The couple continued their way towards the sport complex and when Shadow heard the door close behind them, he let them reappear. “How did you do that?” “Chaos energy. I bet you’re able to pull it off as well.” “Can you show it to me later?” Shadow nodded. “Why were they talking about you?” Sonic asked. “I don’t know, but they mentioned a video tape?” “I dunno.” The next morning Shadow opened the folding doors to the cafeteria to get breakfast. A sleepy blue hedgehog followed him. “There he is!” Azul was standing on a platform that was placed in the middle of the wall, right to the corner where breakfast was served. “The ultimate life form.” Azul spoke mockingly. Hearing those words woke Sonic up and alarmed Shadow. Suspicion grew inside the ebony and crimson striped male’s heart. “What are you talking about, Azul?” “The ultimate life form: that’s what you’re supposed to be, right?” Shadow remained silent, keeping his eyes locked on the one on the platform. He had no idea where this would lead to or how Azul had gotten to know about this ‘ultimate life form’ crap. “This guy is supposed to be the ultimate life form, also known as project ‘Shadow’. He was created to destroy everything and everyone we’re trying to protect with our lives.” Restless conversations started among the other team members. “And guess what?” Azul continued. “He already tried to once before on another planet called ‘earth’.” The restless talking turned into a big cacophony. Sonic saw the color drain from Shadow’s face and watched as his fellow teammates’ eyes widened in shock. “You clearly left out the fact that he ended up saving earth, let alone the times he saved us from other danger.” “Oh, screw you, Sonic.” Azul snored at him. “You all saw that video, didn’t you?! He yelled at his co-soldiers. “You two seem awfully close, even back then. Maybe you’re siding with him and plotting against us.” Reluctantly Shadow walked up to the platform, shared a look with Azul and grabbed the microphone. He took a deep breathe. “Not that I owe anyone an explanation, but it’s true that I was created as project Shadow, but my original purpose was NOT to destroy the world. I thought that my purpose had become to take revenge on the people who murdered my friend and my creator. Looking back, I can now say that the path I walked down then had everything to do with the one who woke me from my sleep and his bad intentions. I was only programmed to grant his wish and due to the fury and revenge that filled my heart, it came that far. Someone made me realize getting revenge would not bring me back my friend and that it had never been my original purpose to kill. In fact it was my purpose to-” “Oh, cut out the sentimental crap! Just programmed to…? What if you’ll be programmed again to obeying such orders? That could mean the death of us!” “Shut up, Azul!” Sonic shouted. “He’s telling the truth.” He added. “Why on Mobius should I believe that?” “Because he SAVED that planet and he would have sacrificed his life to make things right! Isn’t that what counts?!” “How can we be sure he’s changed for the better?” Someone screamed above the restless crowd. “You can’t be sure. He’s a monster!” Azul answered. “How can someone change for the better like that when evil is in his heart?!” “Should he even be trusted with the responsibility this job brings with itself?” Questions were fired at him from all over the place and even though he was more than 100% sure that he wouldn’t fool around on the dark side anymore, he couldn’t find the words to convince the others. His eyes shifted over the faces of his teammates and ended up locking eyes with Sonic. Sonic clenched his fists together, his eyes showed anger and – oh, boy- did he see his spines get darker and darker? Shadow blinked again to make sure he wasn’t seeing things and was relieved to find he was just imagining things. The black hedgehog had come to know that this was one of Sonic weaknesses and even though things would barely eve get ugly enough for Sonic to let his dark side get the best of him, he had to control himself to not make things worse. Shadow’s mouth formed the words ‘control yourself’ and Sonic came to his senses. Both of the hedgehog’s eyes were drawn to the origin of a voice in the crowd again: “I think he could be held responsible for what happened during our last mission.” “How can we entrust this monster with our lives again, this coming Sunday?!” “AZUL!” a new voice made entrance in the cafeteria and everybody abruptly stopped talking. “General? I’m glad you’re here. You see, this-“ “Quiet!” “B-But, general-“ “ Enough, Azul!” Azul was muted by the general. “Enough with this nonsense. You ALL know very well that what happened last time was interplay of unfortunate circumstances. Instead of blaming it on a single individual, you should be reflecting on it to learn prevent such happenings in the future. You’re supposed to be working together, trusting in each other and form a unity. I want to hear no more of this. This conversation is over and we’re all gonna work together. That’s an order. Azul?!” “Yes, sir general!” “Everyone?” The entire team rose from their positions and saluted in obedience. “Yes, sir!” That night, after a hard day of constant training, Shadow hit the hay early. His mind was full of thoughts while his body was drained from energy. He rested his head on his pillow and soon drifted off into a deep sleep. His mind teased him with worrying thoughts in his sleep and he dreamt restlessly. Azul was there and he got a hold of Shadow, but he was in no state to fight back somehow. He felt powerless and vulnerable, watching as Azul and the ones that agreed with him earlier that day, took him somewhere familiar. The place looked like a lab and they placed him in a transparent tube. He felt cramped and desperate in there. His restless body started to anxiously build up energy and suddenly he felt so much more powerful than before. Red energy fluttered around him in the tube and he could hear the crackling of the electricity in it. Viciousness grew inside his heart and he was taken over by the drive to get his revenge on Azul for what he had done to him earlier. Alarmed by the ache for revenge he suddenly felt overcome by feeling that Azul was right about him all along. He shook off that thought and built up some more energy. There was no backing out now. Shadow bared his teeth at Azul, but Azul didn’t appear to be impressed by him. “If I were you, I wouldn’t release that, hedgehog. That would be suicide.”

Note: there are some sexual references (I'm sorry if that's terribly translated) in this chapter, but I didn't find it nessecary to add the mature content filter. Let me know if you have a different opinion on that (and tell me why, please). Btw: if you have some feedback for me on the story or the grammar (I'm Dutch, so English isn't my native language) , please send me a note. In this universe Sonic and Shadow do get along fine. They will never be the best of friends, but they can put up with each other and even appreciate each other. They are colleagues in the military, so they are spending a lot of their time together and they got each other's backs. Still: they're both really stubborn and competitive and both have a big ego which gets in their ways sometimes. I thought messing with Shadow's past would really fit in his story. As you were able to read, I will use their ability to manipulate Chaos energy in the story, but I'm not going to simply copy ideas from others and it's also not going to be a main theme. In the games and Sonic X they're also able to manipulate Chaos energy, so it was Sega/Sonic Team's idea to begin with I guess. I feel like I need to cover myself for a bit because I wouldn't like people accusing me of stealing ideas from others, which I don't. I'm spending a lot of my free time lately by drawing and writing and thinking about plots for my story and I might be influenced by others or music, tv series etc, but I don't steal ideas. That being said, let's move on.

Previous chapter: read here

Inspirations: - Clannad After Story episode 8 - Arena by Karen Hancock

[annaholak]

Wyrd Sisters Abroad

For this year's inktober I'm reimagining the three Lancre coven members, from Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, as modern day witches (and sending them on a trip to America).

So let me introduce you to:

Gytha "Nanny" Ogg (canon version)

Gytha is the optimist of the coven. She has buried three husbands (and that’s just the official count), she has fifteen children, innumerable grandchildren, an evil cat named Greebo, and only one tooth. She likes smoking her pipe, eating, drinking, playing her banjo while taking her bath, and singing (mostly “the Hedgehog Song” and “A Wizard’s Staff has a Knob on the End”). She always checks under her bed before going to sleep in the hope that there might be a man hiding under it (you never know…).

And:

the reimagined Gytha "Nanny" Ogg

Don't let her pink velour tracksuit fool you; she’s not one of the working out types of octogenarians (in fact she doesn’t do anything tiring if she can help it) - but she does like to be comfy (and maybe a little bit sexy - though she probably wouldn’t admit that). Her sneakers were chosen by one of her many grandchildren and “they’re red because Nana likes red and they have stars on them because Nana is MAGIC!”. Her witch’s hat has a red ribbon on it because she does indeed like red. Not pictured is her foul-tempered, evil-smelling, one-eyed cat Greebo whom, despite all evidence to the contrary, Nanny considers to be a sweet, harmless kitten.

Esmerelda (Esme) "Granny" Weatherwax (canon left, reimagined right)

Esme is the most intimidating of the coven. She is very confident in her abilities. When she says that something is impossible she usually means “for anyone except herself”. Accordingly she is not a good loser (she hasn’t had much practice); from her point of view, losing is something that happens to other people. She’s never scared of walking through a dark forest because she knows that the most terrifying thing in it is herself. Her implicit belief that everything should get out of her way extends to other witches, very tall trees and, on occasion, mountains. Despite being an extremely powerful witch, she prefers to use headology instead of actual magic whenever possible; she is a firm believer in giving people what they need, not what they want. She is Good and she is Right, but she's not Nice. She is feared and respected, but generally not liked.

In canon she is the most "traditionally" dressed of the three Lancre witches: all black, simple dress, sturdy boots, tall witch's hat fastened to her tight bun with hatpins, and the occasional vest. Her goal is to look as much of a witch (and as intimidating) as possible.

In the reimagined version she is still dressed in all black but I opted for a different kind of intimidating-older-woman style: the ageing punk rock virgin with the evil stare.

And last but not least:

Magrat Garlick (canon version)

Magrat's name is an accident; her mother wanted to name her Margaret, but didn't know how to spell it. She is the youngest member of the Lancre coven, and the least confident in her magical abilities (probably the reason why she rarely wears her witch’s hat - instead she prefers to wear glamorous green dresses that would suit more curvy figures than hers, and slightly wilted flower crowns on her unruly hair). She also has a huge collection of occult jewellery, is a vegetarian, and believes in folk songs and the Cycles of Nature. She is the most bookish of the three witches and an excellent herbalist - something even Granny Weatherwax (who usually calls her a “wet hen”) reluctantly admits. In “Witches Abroad” she inherits a Fairy Godmother wand, but is unable to master it; the only effect she is able to produce with it is turning things into pumpkins.

And:

the reimagined Magrat Garlick

As a vegetarian on a quest to save Mother Earth, she wears clothes made of natural fibers, vegan sandals, and reusable tote bags. She’s also wearing a witch’s hat (purely because I couldn’t resist the aesthetic appeal), but it’s dark green instead of the traditional black and the shortest one of the group. She still has a soft spot for crystals and magical jewellery though. She wears an ankle bracelet with tiny bells on it (she finds the soft tinkling weirdly soothing).

[justkeeponsimming]

With more money rolling in, the family is in a stable position to adopt more animals!

Glitch has really taken to furry friends just like his mother, Esme, who owns a vet clinic, and his mother, Zeta, who’s always been an animal enthusiast. He wants more animals to occupy his time now that his sister, Reed, has aged up to a teenager. She’ll have less time to hang out with him, so he wants other friends to keep him company. 

Speaking with his mothers, Glitch asks if he can adopt some smaller pets and be responsible for them on his own. He wants to help out more around the farm too, but starting small with some cute critters will give him experience of how to properly care for animals before helping his mothers with the farm. Esme and Zeta agree, and convert the bottom of the barn into a study nook and animal shelter for Glitch.

Glitch now has four furry friends - a hamster, a rat, a hedgehog and a miniature bubalus! He doesn’t have names for them yet, but loves getting up every morning, heading to the barn and feeding, playing with them and cleaning out their enclosures! 

One day, Glitch will have a bigger pet of his own! 

[catscraftsandcommentary]

More The Witcher/Discworld AU ideas

So Geralt amd Jaskier roll up to Lancre, as they do. Geralt goes to check the town notice board (aka nail in a post for when the mail coach comes through). Meanwhile Jaskier takes his lute to the one tavern in the flyspeck village huddled on the outskirts of a rather underwhelming castle.

He's just agreed to play a few songs for his and Geralt's supper, with the possibility that someone in town will find them a spare bed, or at least a dry barn to sleep in, when a cheery old woman asks him if he knows "the Hedgehog song, it's me favorite!"

He does not - yet - but he loves learning new songs. By the time Geralt enters the tavern, Jaskier is best friends forever (TM) with one Nanny Ogg, and they are in an unofficial contest to see who knows the most - and the filthiest - brothel songs imaginable.

Jaskier is ashamed to say that he might be losing. He's a little bit in love.

Nanny takes one look at the six foot plus of heavily muscled, even more heavily armed and armored, and disapproving Witcher and promptly trills "coo-ee! Is this your young man, then! He's a handsome one, innt he? Is he as strong as he looks?"

"Stronger," Jaskier confides, smirking. "And he can keep going all night."

Jas you horrible lech

Geralt looks like he swallowed a lemon.

"Ooh, I remember those days. O' course, some o' them weren't that long ago!" She leers at them both and produces a bottle from somewhere - Geralt does not want to think where - and three tiny glasses appear on the table, courtesy of a passing barmaid. "Have a drink with me! It's apples - well, mostly apples."

By the time Jaskier has played himself out, eaten a solid meal, and drunk entirely too much of the alarmingly strong apple liquor, Nanny has successfully cornered his Witcher at her table and given him a rather larger glass of the apple scumble. He's drooping on Geralt's free shoulder when the tavern door opens and another woman swoops in, heading directly for their table.

Or rather, for their companion.

"Gytha Ogg. You should know better."

"Oh, Esme."

Long story short, Geralt is "allowed" to hunt the wyvern in the mountains, in return for which Nanny's son reshoes Roach and resilvers all his blades, Nanny gifts him several bottles of scumble, and they spend two nights at the castle with "our Magrat." Geralt finds the entire experience deeply odd and is glad to leave. Jaskier has been all but adopted by Nanny and has been given - of all things - a pair of cookbooks to take with him.

(Oh yes, she went there.)

***

I need Aiden chasing human!Greebo because REASONS, okay, just go with me on this.

So yes, Lambert and Aiden end up in Lancre, despite or more likely because of Geralt's warnings that the place is deeply, deeply strange but not actually hostile. Also, it has a damn good smith, and that's a useful thing for a Witcher.

They offer to go hunting in the woods - just regular hunting, not monster hunting - to fill up the castle's stores, since Queen Magrat is being kind enough to give them shelter and meals. She graciously accepts.

(Better them than that lanky boy who tried learning martial arts from a book, ye gods. What is this place?)

Which is where they startle Greebo on his own hunting trip. An ancient, scarred, one eyed tomcat who just took down a stag and looks very unhappy to be interrupted.

The Witchers flank the hissing cat, swords cautiously drawn, and the yowls become yells, the claws become hands, and what the fuck IS THIS PLACE --

Lambert and Aiden forget about the stag in light of the completely unexpected and very naked shapeshifter and give chase. Through dense forest, steep mountains, across a gorge, back into town, over several roofs, in and out of a few barns, around and through the tumbledown battlements of the castle, and finally up the halls into the royal family's wing.

Where the creature dives into the princess's bedroom.

Oh shit oh no oh shit

They go racing after it, expecting to be greeted with screams of terror (a naked man just ran into the princess's bedroom!) but instead --

Instead --

Queen Magrat - tiny, soppy, sweet Queen Magrat - snarls at them and pulls a shortsword when they come thundering into her daughter's bedroom, swords drawn. "Drop. Your. Swords."

"Ah - the man - "

Aiden looks around. The tiny princess is halfway under her bed, and he can hear muffled cries of "here kitty kitty!" and joyful laughter.

"The cat. He's Nanny's, and Greebo loves her. She feeds him entirely too much."

The Witchers slowly lower their swords, and as they do, their medallions stop humming with danger. The child squirms back out from under the bed, an enormous gray cat clutched to her chest, and Magrat makes her own sword disappear into her mending pile.

"Mama look! Mister Kitty!"

Greebo's head fits just under little Margaret's chin and his back paws rest on the floor, but the look he gives the other three is pure arrogance. "I'm exactly where I want to be and you can't move me" it says. Then he starts purring.

The next morning, a dead stag is left outside the castle's main gate.

***

Lambert didn't actually do anything last time, and he'd be perfect for this next idea, so guess what.

(I would like to apologize in advance to all Lambert fans. He's actually one of my faves, and I constantly want to hug the shit out of him, but he's in for a ride.)

So Lambert is wandering through a place called the the Downs, or maybe the Chalk? All flat grassland, lots of sheep, little farms, that kind of shit. Kind of pretty, in a very flat, grassy way.

Eventually he hears about sheep disappearing. Except it's not the usual "carried off by winged monsters" or "disemboweled in the fields" it's more...zooming off with their legs completely still and a very confused expression.

That's...a new one. But what the fuck. He's a Witcher. He can handle it.

So he spends a few nights (and days) with the flocks, watching carefully for any sheep that wander too far or suddenly move without fucking moving.

When he finally does spot something, he has to look closely. Several times. There are tiny, red haired, blue skinned men, wearing kilts and carrying swords, and each tiny man is lifting one hoof of a very confused and unhappy sheep.

He gets just close enough to draw his sword - silver, since he doesn't know what these are and he's not taking any chances - when something impacts his head from behind and everything goes dark.

He wakes the next morning, wondering if it was a dream, but there's a lingering scent of alcohol and grease that doesn't belong to him or the sheep. And he recognizes when someone has tried to sweep away their footprints, even if it is apparently on a tiny scale.

He tracks the odor to a burrow which appears to be a rabbit den but sounds and smells like a small, buried city. With hints of roast mutton.

As he draws closer, the burrow erupts with dozens - no, hundreds - of the tiny men, all of them armed and angry and aimed at him.

Lambert goes down - fighting, swearing, and killing as many of them as he can, but he does go down. Though oddly, they only disarm him and tie him up before they drag him through the narrow entrance.

Inside is dark and smoky. A short, impossibly fat woman waddles up to him and gives him a measuring look. "Ach, ye'd be one of the warrior hags Mistress Weatherwax sent word of. Well, I have a job for ye an' me boys."

And that's how Lambert meets the Nac Mac Feegle and learns several new swear words.

I have had A Thought, and now I have an Important Question.

How much crossover is there between the Discworld and the Witcher fandoms?

Because you CANNOT TELL ME that (if Geralt and Jaskier ever wandered into Lancre accidentally) Nanny would not IMMEDIATELY try to adopt this adorable little bard and set him up with one of her dozens of daughters. Probably while groping Geralt's biceps and offering him a glass of scumble.

("It's apples! Well...mostly apples.")

(Never drink Nanny's scumble.)

The old woman in the corner (where Geralt would LIKE to sit, actually) is giving him a piercing stare that reminds him uncomfortably of Vesemir when he knows that Geralt is hiding something. He doesn't know who she is, but everyone nods respectfully to her and a few greet her with "Mistress."

He'll just tell his brothers to steer clear of this strange valley when he gets home this winter...especially after the vicious hangover from the apple drink from the grabby old woman - apparently she's the blacksmith's mother? A good smith, at least.

...except, of course, Lambert thought he was JOKING about the whole weirdness, so he and Aiden wander in the following spring. They startle a one-eyed cat while out hunting a stag (what cat - a literal cat, not a cat witcher - tries to hunt a fucking STAG?!?) and it turns into a man and attacks them. Then runs off through the forest. The hell IS this place.

[therealvinelle]

Why do you think Edward’s room in the books is decorated so differently from the rest of the Cullen house? Black, dark gold carpet, a sound system vs everything else being white, wood-paneled, and light. Is it Esme treating her favorite differently from the rest, or does Edward care about interior design? Or is it a shadow the hedgehog situation, where something is supposed to be conveyed about his personality through the different design aesthetic.

I imagine for the same reason why Carlisle's office is so different from the rest. They do their own decorating.

[childrensward]

List of children's TV shows you (probably) have never heard of

(A.K.A. my excuse to infodump about obscure shows that only I care about)

I know there are many pieces of media that are very popular within the age regression community, and for good reason, but I also wanted to share some lesser-known shows that I think are worth checking out as well! This list will consist of both old and new shows alike :)

Wee 3

One of my personal favourites is Wee 3, a Canadian live-action television show surrounding the friendship of three, four-year-old toy monsters as they come out from hiding in a young child’s bedroom. If you were ever curious as to who’s the character in my icon, it’s Bunwin from this show! Unfortunately, not all of the episodes have surfaced online, but I’ve linked a playlist of the episodes that are on YouTube.

YouTube playlist

Dragon

Based on the books by Dav Pilkey, Dragon is a stop-motion animated show surrounding the titular Dragon, an awkward and always smiling dragon as he does many things every day with his friends and pet cat.

Seasons 1-3

Pumper Pups

Pumper Pups details the adventures of Pumper the talking firetruck with his crew of fire-fighting puppies! It’s a rather short, but sweet show.

YouTube playlist

My Friend Rabbit

Based on the picture book written and illustrated by Eric Rohmann, My Friend Rabbit is all about the adventures of best friends Rabbit and Mouse as they get into and out of some tricky spots together!

YouTube playlist

The Koala Brothers

Another stop-motion animated show, The Koala Brothers surrounds two koala brothers named Frank and Buster, as they seek to help their friends in the Australian outback.

YouTube playlist // Apple TV

Mighty Machines

Are you a fan of anything related to all kinds of machines that you can find around the world? Then you’ll love Mighty Machines! This is a Canadian educational show produced by TVO that teaches kids about many different types of machines and how they work, from construction machines to buses and airplanes!

Seasons 1-3

Toopy and Binoo

I know this is supposed to be a list of shows you haven't heard of, but some of you who grew up Canadian might know this one. Based on the French book Toupie et Binou, the show centers around Toopy the mouse with his best friend Binoo the stuffed cat as they explore the world around them during their colourful adventures!

Season 1 // Season 2

My Big Big Friend

My Big Big Friend is a Brazilian-Canadian show about the friendships of three children-- Yuri, Lili and Matt -- each of whom have their own imaginary “Big Big Friend” that’s invisible to adults and other children besides their friend group.

YouTube playlist

The Dog and Pony Show

Another favourite of mine is The Dog and Pony Show, which centers around the chaotic adventures of the bothersome dog and the magical Pony after choosing to leave their hometown of Rainbowfjord and move to the great big city of Unicity. I’m currently in the middle of recording and uploading all of the episodes on my archive channel, but you can also watch a few episodes if you have Stack TV!

Season 1 // Stack TV

Esme and Roy

I’m surprised this one isn’t as talked about considering it’s by Sesame Workshop. Esme and Roy focuses around a young girl named Esme and her monster friend Roy as they babysit (Or should I say, “monster sit”) various young monsters in their neighbourhood of Monsterdale and solve problems through play and helping out!

HBO Max

Becca's Bunch

This British puppet television series centers around a little bird named Becca as she and her friends-- Russel, Sylvia, and Pedro -- go on adventures in the Wagtail Woods that highlight Becca’s unique ideas and brilliant leadership skills!

Paramount + // CBC Gem

Pikwik Pack

Another one of my personal favourites, Pikwik Pack is an animated show that surrounds the adventures of animal friends Suki the hedgehog, Hazel the cat, Axel the raccoon, and Tibor the hippo, as they deliver packages to the citizens of Pikwik! But not before encountering various obstacles along the way that they must solve!

Hulu

Digby Dragon

Digby Dragon is about the kind-hearted dragon-in-training Digby in all of his adventures that leads him into some unusual situations. He shares his vibrant world with his best friends Grumpy Goblin, Fizzy the fairy, and Chips the squirrel!

Paramount +

Miss Persona

Miss Persona is a live-action show inspired by programs such as The Big Comfy Couch and Mr. Dressup, where the titular Miss Persona uses songs, games, and dress-up role play to teach children how to solve problems. There’s also LGBT characters in the show, becoming the first Treehouse TV show to feature LGBT themes!

Season 1 // Season 3

[byorder-fanfic]

Peaky Blinders Thought:

You know how Bonnie and Aberama made fun of Michael when he was going travelling with them? And how in s3 everyone kept on teasing him for being the boss? Well, I thought how there is one canon little shit who would take that to an absolute extreme:

John.

If John was alive in s4 (he is in my heart) and Michael didn't got to america -a lot of ifs but bear with- then I absolutely, 100% believe that, not only would he laugh at Michael's disgust at travelling, but he would totally join in.

I mean, he'd learn it from Polly when she comes back from her meeting with Aberama (with a strange amount of mud and leaves on her clothes, but no one dares ask her). As soon as Bonnie got back, he was harassed by one of the Shelby brothers into bullying the Gray boy. He was pretty alright with it tho, cause michael was probably bitching during the whole thing. So, john comes back to camp with the Golds on 'officail business' and starts talking to Bonnie in Romanes right in front of michael. They give him side eyes and scoff and smirk whilst Michael is slowly getting more and more annoyed. He obviously thinks they're talking shit about him. However, they're actually just politely asking each other about the weather and Bonnie's asking about John's kids or something really mundane, but they make a right show out of it. In the end, Michael just hiffs and puffs away and, surprisingly, it's Aberama who bursts out laughing first.

Like, he would definitely get Esme in it cause she's a badass who won't let a pretentious country boy turned rich kid make fun of her and her heritage, and they would just be an absolute pain in his arse. They'd probably force Tommy to call family meetings at their big country house and get all their kids to ask their "Uncle Mickey" to come and play with them in their caravan. They'd give him dinner and when he asked what it is they'd day it's hedgehog soup just to watch him gag. Esme would totally do a fake, stereotypical Romani curse on him. Or the smoke and mirrors stuff from s2 just to watch him piss his pants. Polly would pretend to be disappointed but after Michael leaves in indignant frustration, she gives them a grin and apologises for ever doubting Esme.

Polly then goes home and reads his tea: it says he'll get a swift kick up the arse if he doesn't start showing some respect.

[panlight]

What video games do you think the Cullens play?

Emmett always wants the newest and latest whatever and loves playing online with other people because he’s such an extrovert but he has to kind of keep to himself in real life to protect the vampiric secret. The camaraderie of some video game where he’s part of a team really appeals to him. 

The kids got Esme into the Sims years ago, but she pretty much spends all her time building houses and never actually plays the rest of the game.  She has tons of amazing houses for download on the gallery. 

Carlisle’s not really into video games but when he does play he’s surprisingly good? Like Emmett always challenges him thinking it will be hilarious to watch him flail around, but Carlisle’s a surgeon, and these days some laproscopic procedures are kind of like video games and Carlisle always surprises him by picking up the technique quickly.  He was like, really good at Guitar Hero back in the day. 

Animal Crossing and Alice? 

Maybe Jasper likes puzzle games? Like he was really into Tetris at the time. Also world building simulation games, or things like Civilization or Age of Empires. He sometimes joins Emmett’s campaigns, too. 

I feel like Edward is like an Old School Video Game Purist like if it’s not Donkey Kong or Super Mario or Space Invaders just don’t even talk to him. MAYBE Sonic the Hedgehog. 

Rosalie rolls her eyes and pretends she doesn’t care about video games but then when she’s home by herself she secretly practices everyone’s favorites until she’s mastered them, and so the next time they invite her to play she kicks their butts and is all “what, like it’s hard?” Edward and Alice kind of know what she’s up to but Emmett and Jasper’s frustration mixed with respect is too funny so they don’t say anything. 

(She’s also made Sims of herself and Emmett and had them have so many kids which she lovingly names. Esme’s done this with a self-sim and Carlisle, too but only once).

[tamilhobbit]

I am so behind on this. 😅 😩 Darktober Day 12 - Witch.

I thought I'd have a go at drawing a young Gytha Ogg, from the Discworld books. Unfortunately I couldn't quite do a saucy expression, and she looks too sweet. 😩 I'd have liked to draw a disapproving young Esme Weatherwax in the background, but there is no way I could do her justice.

Greebo wouldn't have existed yet when Nanny Ogg was young, but I really wanted to include him, so let's call this a wrinkle in the Trousers of Time. 😉 There's also an alarmed-looking hedgehog, and a couple of apples left over from when she was making the scumble she's holding.

[prismatales]

GET TO KNOW ME TAG

Tagged by: @hanniejji

Tagging: @honeytama @hawks-senseis @samanthaa-leanne

Thank you so much for the tag bby! Now it’s time to play! 🔥

name: You can call me Esme! 

nickname: Prism, but one of my friends calls me Dodo, so why not?

gender: female

sexuality: Bi

height: 🤫 Shhhh

languages: Spanish, English

nationality: Mexican! 🇲🇽

current time: 7 pm (I live somewhere else!)

favorite season: Winter, I despise the heat 😤

favorite scent: the smell of citrus🍋, coffee☕, and the clear air from the mountains is just…*chef kiss*

favorite color: Black, neons, pastels….I really don’t have a clear favorite alsjdjalk

favorite animals: Listen, if you give me a guinea pig, I’ll love you forever! Also cats, dogs, ferrets, and hedgehogs!💖

favorite fictional characters: Hawks, Dabi, Bakugou, Shouto from BNHA. Takashi Shirogane from voltron. Conner Kent and Jason Todd from DC. 

normal amount of sleep: WhAt Is SlEeP?! 

coffee, tea or hot chocolate: Coffee is a must have in the mornings, but Tea and hot chocolate are a nice, yummy option during the evenings. Also, Chai tea for the win!!!😋

number of blankets you sleep with: Depending of the weather, if it’s too hot I only have one blanket….But if it’s freezing? The minimal is three lmao.

dogs or cats: Both, but if I have to choose, I’d say dogs

dream trip: A trip to the mountains, if it’s during winter and everything’s covered by snow, even better! 💕

followers: Why?

blog established: When? no really, when????? I FORGOT!!! 

reason for url: It sounded pretty when I thought about it, and it took me a while to come up with it hahaha

random fact: I may forget things easily sometimes, but one thing I can’t forget even if I tried to, is the wifi password of my very first router, we’re talking about 12 years ago.

[leech-lover]

─ ✧ 8 PEOPLE I’D LIKE TO KNOW BETTER ✧ ─

Tagged by @missbellaswan thank you!! ❤💗💖

favorite colors: Purple, Pink, Pretty much any shade of blue

last song I listened to: Queen of Disaster by Lana Del Ray (It’s been stuck in my head because of TikTok) and Welcome to Wonderland by Anson Seabra

favorite musicians: I’m a newfound fan of Anson Seabra. I also enjoy lots of showtunes! 

favorite song: OMG how could you even ask me that?! I guess right now I’m really into the two aforementioned songs. But it changes all the fricking time! Like, you can’t even ask me my favorite twilight songs anymore! I’ll tell you my girlfriend and I have 2 songs: “A Million Dreams” from the Greatest Showman, and “Love Don’t Run” by Steve Holy

last film I watched: When Marnie was There. Honestly, a masterpiece. I highly recommend it and if anybody wants the link for it, I will share it.

last tv show I watched: I’m rewatching Anne with an E. But the last NEW episode I watched was from The 100

favorite original character: Right now I absolutely am in love with Evelyn Miller from Eve of True Love

sweet, spicy, or savory: ALL OF THEM! LITERALLY ALL OF THEM I LOVE THEM ALL SO MUCH!!!

sparkling water, tea, or coffee: You know, it all depends on the occasion for me. I have developed a taste for sparkling water because I gave up soda 2 years ago (part of weight loss). I’m a theatre kid,so I developed a love for tea. And I always adore my hazelnut coffee!

pets: I technically don’t have any of my own. But here’s a list of the ones my family and I have owned:

Whizzer (Jack Russell Terrier) we had from before my birth until I was 13ish

Vladimir the Impaler (Hedgehog. The only pet that was 100% mine) I had him from 13 until 15. At 15, I gave him to a family friend because high school took up so much time that I felt I couldn’t give him the best life he could ever want. He passed when I was 16.

Monty (American Bombay cat) He was our sweet stoopid bby. We got him before Vladimir I believe...Maybe slightly after. He liked to jump into Vlad’s pen and try to snuggle him. He passed very suddenly when I was about 17 from pneumonia. He had upper respiratory issues...

Tutti (English Bulldog) We rescued this guy four years ago. He was a stud dog most of his life, and lived in an outdoor shed. His only human contact was being roughed up by the guy who owned him and being fed. But his last few weeks/months there, he wasn’t fed at all. We still have him. But he has one paw in the grave and three on a banana peel right now.

Frank (Jack Russell West Highland Terrier mix) After Monty died, my mom and I went and donated all the unopened cat food to our local humane society. This was after that awful hurricane in Florida (Can’t remember it’s name). Frank’s name at the time was Majick, and he arrived before the dogs from Florida, and was there after all of them. My mother fell head over heels for him and decided to foster him. We signed the adoption papers the next day...

i’m tagging: (or anyone else who wants to do it, tag me so i see them!)

@rose-lily-hale @esme-owns-my-heart @basicallyacullen @edwardfucks @the-golden-onion @roselenses @911esme @rosaalee 

[twistedrunes]

The Arrangement

Prompt: This was written for the Peaky Blinder Fic Exchange on AO3. One of my prompts was for Esme and Tommy - there were a number of ideas for this pairing (here) - but I chose to focus on the arranged marriage prompt. 

Warnings: Fluff, drinking, canon typical racial slurs.

The flash of black and white through the trees as his only guide Tommy spurs his horse onwards in a vain attempt to catch up to the Gypsy girl leading him on a merry chase. He ducks down to avoid a low hanging branch taking the opportunity to look behind him. He hadn’t seen a soul behind him, other than John and Arthur since they left the lanes of Birmingham. Yet the Gypsy had insisted they were followed and had commanded they follow before darting off between the trees.

She was an exceptional rider, while he doubted she could match his ability on a track, or around town, here in the forest she and the horse were one. Her raven hair streaming out behind her, matching that of her horses tail. The pair move effortlessly through the forest.

“Stop,” Tommy calls out, pulling back on the reigns of his own horse. Arthur and John falling in behind him.

The Gypsy lifts her head and slows her horse to a trot, turning in a circle to come alongside Tommy.

“I’m here to meet with Queen Mary Lee, not to careen around the forest like some Lord on a fox hunt,” Tommy says haughtily.

“Oh, I thought you liked playing at being high born.” The Gypsy girl laughs.

John snorts and earns himself a clip over the ear from Arthur.

Tommy scowls “Stop wasting my time and take me to her.”

“I am.” The girl’s voice is light and playful. “If we don’t keep stopping to chat we should be there before nightfall.”

“Nightfall?!” Tommy can’t hide the irritation in this voice.

“What did you think she would just meet you, in some clearing, on the edge of the city?” She scoffs.

“She would have been safe.”

“Oh, so those men were your guards were they?” The girl mocks.

“There were no men.” Tommy snaps.

“There were. If you’d taken the time to pay attention you would have noticed. The forest would have told you.”

Tommy sucks his teeth. “Don’t try that Gypsy bullshit on me girl.”

The girl straightens on the horse, shoulders back, head held high, jaw set and eyes blazing. Tommy realises she’s not quite the girl he had thought, in her mid to late twenties, he guesses now he’s looked closely. Pretty. “You’ve forgotten who you are, Thomas. Forgotten your heritage.” She chastises before she digs her heels in the side of her horse and urges him on. “Try to keep up, if you want to get there before dark.” She calls over her shoulder, as she disappears between the trees. Tommy clicks his tongue and digs his heels into the horses flank, feeling a rush as he pursues her.

                                      -----------------------------------------

“Finally,” John moans as they reach the circle of caravans by a small river. He slides off his horse immediately and kneads his ass.

“Give me a car any fuckin’ day.” Arthur agrees, joining his brother on the ground.

Only Tommy remains mounted, watching the girl already striding across the clearing.

“I’ll take your horse, Mr Shelby.” A young man says appearing at his side. “There’s some sweet grass down by the river and we’ve got some oats.”

Tommy nods and dismounts, handing the reigns over before striding after the young woman. A wave of irritation washing over him. He wasn’t in the habit of chasing after anyone, especially women. Normally they came to him, more so recently since he’d earned a reputation as someone dangerous to know. Yet this woman seemed indifferent to him. She hadn’t given him a backwards glance since they’d arrived.

“Oi! Lads!” Johnny Doggs calls from the fireside. “Come wait ‘ere by the fire.” Tommy ignores him and continues after the girl. “Now Tommy you’ll not be winning any friends bursting into people’s caravan’s uninvited.” Johnny chastises. “Here to make peace remember.”

Tommy grunts in irritation, but follows Johnny’s counsel at joins him by the fire.

“Here you go, Tommy.” Johnny says pushing a bottle into his hand. “A little some’in’ I made meself.”

Tommy takes a long pull on the bottle, nearly choking as the harsh liquid hits him like a punch in the gut. “Fuck!” He manages before handing the bottle to Arthur.

“Ay, it has a kick,” Johnny says proudly.

“A kick?” Arthur splutters “More like being hit by a fucking freight train.”

“So where is she, Queen Mary?” Tommy, irritated with being made to wait, demands.

“She’ll be out presently,” Johnny says handing the bottle back to Tommy.

                                     ----------------------------------------

The sun has set, and more people had joined them by the fire, the evening taking on the air of a party. As the moon rose more bottles were opened and dinner was served. Still, Tommy waited. He declined the offer of food from Johnny and excused himself under the pretext of needing to check on the horses.

“Shhh,” He whispers against the horse’s neck as it whinny’s softly. “It’s just me, I know you’re not used to being out here. But you’ll be okay, it’s only for tonight.”

“He’s beautiful.” A voice says from the other side of the horse. The woman who had led them here ducking under the horse’s neck. “Not as beautiful as my boy of course.” She says teasingly, the reflected firelight dancing in her eyes.

Tommy can’t help but smile, “You ride well.” He acknowledges. “How old were you when you learnt?”

“I could ride before I could walk my dad says.”

“It shows,” Tommy says awkwardly, unsure of what else to say. He turns his attention back to the horse, petting his neck and casting subtle glances at his companion. The silence between them draws out like the night, seemingly going on forever.

“You should eat something, Mr Shelby,” she says, eventually. “You can have some of what I’ve made. There’s no hedgehog I promise.” Her voice has a hint of a laugh behind it.

Tommy finds himself smiling at her quick tongue. “What a shame, just what I was hoping for.” He quips.

“I'm not one of your city girls Mr Shelby, you can't just get whatever you want here.” She shoots over her shoulder as she strides towards the caravans.

Tommy steps out from the huddle of horses and pulls a cigarette from the case, lighting it and drawing the smoke deep into his lungs, watching as she strides towards her caravan. Tommy glances over at his brothers. They seem to be trying to organise a fight, John stripping off his shirt and Arthur calling for bets.

Tommy’s just about to head over and put a stop to it when she calls to him. “Thomas!” Tommy’s head snaps back to face her. “Keep up.” She calls back, turning to face him and walking backwards as she does so. The firelight behind her brings a glow to her hair, her eyes dancing as she beckons him to follow.

He does. She stops at one of the caravans and lifts the lid on a pot of stew hanging over a small fire. She picks up a bowl and serves out a portion. She motions to one of the stools by the fire and holds the bowl out to Tommy.

“Thank you.” He says taking the bowl.

He’s just about to take a mouthful when a young man approaches. “Mr Shelby. If you come with me Mary will see you now.”

Tommy stands but hesitates for a moment with the bowl in his hands.

“I’ll keep it warm for you.” The woman says holding out her hand for the bowl.

“Thank you,” Tommy pauses realising he doesn’t know her name. “What’s your name?”

“Esmerelda.” She says with a smile her eyes truly sparkling this close to the fire. "But my friends call me Esme."

“Thank you, Esmerelda.”

"Esme," she says taking the bowl from his hands

                                        -----------------------------------------

“A Shelby must marry a Lee.” Queen Mary says with finality. “Join the families in kinship, it’s the only way to end this war.” She looks to Zilpha Lee and then to Tommy “Agreed?”

Tommy nods, already deciding it would be John who would marry. He needed a mother for his children."

Zilpha glares at him across the dimly lit room “Only if it’s you Tommy.”

“What?” Tommy splutters.

“You are unmarried are you not?” Queen Mary challenges.

“And you are head of the family. It will show that you take this seriously.” Zilpha adds.

Tommy sits for a moment, lighting a cigarette as a way to give himself some time to think. This time no easy plan springs to mind. He thinks briefly of Grace, the subtle glances and accidental touches.

"Tommy?" Queen Mary pushes.

Tommy nods once "A wedding it is then."

“The sooner the better. The Lee’s are here, you are here. We will hold the ceremony tomorrow morning.” Queen Mary decrees.

“Who?” Tommy asks.

“Does it matter?” Zilpha quips. “I will need to consult with my people. Tomorrow should be soon enough shouldn’t it?”

“Tomorrow then.” Tommy agrees.

Tommy hasn’t felt this dazed since the world collapsed on him in France. He can’t see a way out. He can feel himself starting to panic as he stumbles across the camp. He flinches away when Arthur’s heavy hand claps down on his shoulder. Arthur doesn’t notice, eyes pinpricks and breath heavy with liquor. “All sorted brother?”

“Sorted,” Tommy confirms, taking the offered bottle from his brother before slipping out of his grasp. “Horses.” He grunts by way of explanation as he walks away.

Thankfully Arthur is distracted by a pretty girl asking him to dance and simply replies with a hurried “Right.” Before allowing himself to be pulled away.

Tommy presses his face into the neck of the first horse he comes to. He stays there breathing in the scent until he feels a gentle pressure against his back. “Why don’t you come and have that food now?” Esme's gentle voice matches her touch.

There’s something in her tone or touch that renders Tommy helpless to resist. He allows her to take his hand and lead him to her campfire. Once he’s settled in a chair she serves him a fresh bowl of stew and hands it to him. “You’ll feel better once you’ve eaten something.”

Tommy nods and brings a spoonful of the stew to his mouth. He chews slowly, his mind still reeling. He follows it with another and another. It’s good he realises. Really good. “Venison heart?” He asks, looking across at his host.

She nods happily. “Liver too, I’m surprised you recognised it. Perhaps you haven’t lost all your heritage after all.”

“Mum used to make this. When dad went poaching, he’d sell the meat but keep the heart and liver for us.”

“Good food for growing boys.” Esme comments.

Tommy takes a swig from the bottle he had taken from Arthur. He holds it out towards Esme who takes it and takes a long draft and hands it back. Tommy scrapes the last of the gravy from his bowl “That was excellent, thank you.” Tommy feels himself slipping out of the grasp of the panic that threatened to consume him. He sets the bowl down, lights a cigarette and hangs his head back, looking at the sky.

“Did the meeting go well?" Esme asks as she takes the bowl back.

“Hmm,” Tommy confirms looking over towards the main fire, people dancing and talking around it. His eyes follow some of the younger women wondering which will be his bride.

Esme shuffles around the fire, drawing Tommy’s attention away from the larger throng of people. In the firelight, her features shine. Radiant face with a smile seemingly always playing at the corners of her mouth, her brown eyes are deep and warm. There’s fierce independence and intelligence there too.

Catching him looking at her she smiles warmly “Tea?” she offers, placing the kettle on some coals on the edge of the fire.

“Thank you.”

Each holding their teacup in their hands Esme and Tommy sit side by side watching the revellers. They watch John win his fight and then immediately get into another with some men trying to win their money back. Watch Arthur be led away by a pretty girl with deep auburn hair.

“Tell me about your brothers,” Esme asks softly.

“What about them?” Tommy asks, relieved for a distraction from the thought his brother may be about to bed the woman who would be his wife in the morning.

“Are they married? Do they have children? I don’t know really. Just tell me about the Shelby’s, the family who stopped travelling.”

“Why do you care that we don’t travel?” Tommy asks in response.

“I don’t really, I’m just curious about what it’s like to be in the same place every day. Stuck in the city, unable to smell the earth or hear the whispers on the breeze.” Esme pauses tilting her head back to look at the sky. “Unable to see the stars at night.”

“You sound like mum,” Tommy says after hanging his own head back and taking a deep breath.

“Did she miss it?”

“Yeah, she used to take us out sometimes. Usually when dad got out of hand. But then she got sick and we didn’t go anymore.”

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Yeah,” Tommy agrees. “It was nice to run around, not go to school. Plus there were lots of horses.”

Esme tilts her head to look at Tommy, an easy smile, bringing the same to Tommy’s lips.

“So tell me about your brothers.”

Tommy does. Telling far more than he would usually. Finding Esme’s eager expression when he paused or hesitated about telling more easily pulling more words from him. Explaining about Arthur’s troubles after the war, but also his fierce loyalty. John’s children and that he had lost Martha and now seemed lost and overwhelmed by raising a family on his own. Esme listened, asking questions occasionally. She offers tales about her siblings too.

When the wind starts up Esme finds a blanket and they shuffle closer together to share it. She asks about his mother and his father, about how Polly had raised them, about Finn and Ada.

As the bottle, he’d taken from Arthur runs dry so do Esme’s questions. He wants to know more about her. But stops himself. He’s to be married in the morning after all. “How long have you had the stallion?” He asks. A weak compromise, not wanting the evening to end and still wanting to the melody of her voice.

Esme positively beams and happily explains how her father had won him in a bet. Her enthusiasm for horses matching his own they both recount tales of all the horses they’ve owned. As the night gets colder and the party is dying down when they finally run out of things to say about horses. A lengthy but comfortable silence developing between them. Tommy feels lighter than he has in years. He looks down on Esme feeling her weight against his side, on the verge of telling her, he’s to be married. That’s it for the good of the family. That he wishes it wasn’t happening. But Esme has drifted off, long lashes kissing her cheeks and head nodding. Tommy slips his arm around her shoulders, bringing her tight and allowing her head to rest on his shoulder. It takes a long time, but eventually, sleep takes him too.

                                    ----------------------------------------------

“Tommy!” John’s voice bellows from across the camp.

Tommy’s eyes flutter open and he’s disappointed to find himself alone at the fireside. He glances around for Esme but she’s nowhere to be seen. He doesn’t bother to respond to his brothers yelled greeting waiting for both John and Arthur, who was trailing behind John, to reach him before he speaks. “Mornin’”

The brothers nod in returned greeting, both grinning. Tommy waits silently for them to speak, unable to be bothered with their games this early in the morning.

“Johnny tells us you’re to be married.” Arthur breaks first.

“This morning” John adds with a laugh.

“I am.” Tommy agrees, delving into his pocket for a cigarette.

“What?” The brothers cry in unison.

“It’s the only way to end the war between us. A marriage between the families, bringing us together.” Tommy explains tersely.

“Who?” Arthur splutters

“A woman from the Lee family,” Tommy says as he gets to his feet.

                                --------------------------------------------------

Tommy stands in front of Johnny Doggs, a carnation, which Polly had brought with her in his lapel. She had told him how what he was doing would be good for the family. Strong ties to the other families important in case they needed more bodies during the expansion.

While he waits for his bride he looks out over the small ground, disappointed when he doesn’t find Esme amongst them. He can’t help but stare when the small woman is led towards him, a veil obscuring her face. When she reaches him her veil is lifted.

Tommy can feel himself beaming as Esme is revealed to him. Johnny speaks some words and produces a knife. Tommy holds out his hand and doesn’t feel the blade cross his palm. He watches as Esme’s palm bears a scarlet mark too.

“By the mixing of blood, two families become one,” Johnny says.

Esme reaches over and takes Tommy’s hand pushing their palms together. “Family.”

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[shadowsfascination]

Illustration for Division, chapter 5 from my Young Adults Alernate Universe story. This picture was tormenting! My, my. I had originally drawn Sonic and Shadow differently, but I absolutely despised how they looked, so I started from sratch today. I looked up pictures from Sonic X epsiode 2 for pose ideas. Drawing with these lines and perspective isn't really my scene either. I remember that I have drawn the Master Emerald Shrine for an assigment in art class that was focussed on drawing in perspective. The female hedgehog in the picture is Esme the Hedgehog and the guy on her left is Ferry the Fox.

[tarmairons]

“How marvelous! This calls for more of our new laughter! Ha ha hedgehog!” “Tee hee tempeh!” Olaf cackled. “Life keeps getting better and better!” “Sniggle ho ho!” Esmé shrieked. “Our triumph is just around the corner!” “Ha ha Hepplewhite!” Olaf crowed. “VFD will be reduced to ashes forever!” “Giggle giggle glandular problems!” Esmé cried. “We are going to be painfully wealthy!”