#ev my queen of night city

[quaddmgd]

[munson-blurbs]

Living After Midnight (Failed Rockstar!Eddie x Motel Worker!Reader)

♫ Summary: Being a perpetual people-pleaser meant that you were constantly putting others before yourself--particularly your parents and the eccentric guests who stayed at their motel. But when a surly and mysterious musician checked in indefinitely, he flipped your whole world on its head. (3.1k words)

♫ CW: slowburn, strangers-to-lovers, angst, drug use, parental conflict, poverty, eventual smut (18+ only, minors DNI)

♫ A/N: Thank you to my numerous beta readers, including but not limited to @the-unforgivenn, @lofaewrites, @lokis-army-77, and @corroded-hellfire, and to @hellfire--cult for the divider. I am forever indebted to y'all.

chapter one: room for one more

It was always the quiet nights, wasn't it? The ones where the only sounds came from cars barreling down Queens Boulevard and splashing through puddles left by an earlier rainstorm, or from the clock ticking on the wall. 

The ones where your mind wandered until you’d thought yourself in circles, overanalyzing every last decision you had ever made.

The ones where you allowed your guard just down enough that the slightest oddity threw you off-balance—something or someone out of place. 

It was during the quiet nights like that night where you should have expected the unexpected, because New York City never stayed still for long. 

The evening’s sluggishness was normal; tourism always slowed in the springtime. The newest shows on Broadway were already months old, not to mention the warmer weather brought both an uptick in crime and pollen count. If out-of-towners were going to schlep to the East Coast, they’d prefer to see the cherry blossoms hours south in Washington, DC than to get mugged on the 1 train. 

Business picked up in the winter months when people flocked from around the world to witness the Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, or Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve, even though they were several bus and subway transfers away. Outsiders to the tri-state area struggled to differentiate between boroughs; it was unfortunate for them, but you counted on it to keep business alive. 

The only guests who consistently frequented your family’s motel were junkies looking for a place to shoot up away from the NYPD’s watchful gaze or affair-havers who were considerate enough not to sully their marriage beds—just their vows. You were in no position to judge; their money was what kept the lights on, but it was impossible not to compare your clientele to the suits who stayed at the Marriott down the street. They wouldn‘t even allow homeless folks to sit within twenty-five feet of the building, let alone stay under their roof.

You leaned on the desk, wood grain pinching your elbows. You tapped your pencil against your textbook as you read, its margins cluttered with notes about different types of parent-child attachment styles. 

Sleep prickled at the corners of your eyes, blurring the words on the page in front of you. Focus. 

Secure attachment occurs when—no, you’d already read this line. Twice. 

“Dammit,” you muttered under your breath, gently slapping your cheeks in a futile attempt to stay awake. Taking a full course load instead of your usual part-time was your academic advisor’s ill-conceived idea, bolstered by the prospect of an earlier graduation. In your haste, you’d neglected to consider two important factors: all of your studying now had to be done during your night shifts, and graduating meant telling your parents a truth they were unready to hear. 

They were so proud of the motel, regardless of its reputation. It might as well have been The Plaza from the way your dad boasted about it. The three of you shared an unspoken understanding that you worked the front desk because paying an actual employee would put them under. Maybe if finances weren’t so tight, you could have freely admitted that your future plans didn’t involve taking over the business. 

Your eyelids fluttered shut as your head rested on your book, a small puddle of drool pooling atop Bowlby’s theories. 

Ping ping ping ping!

Time slowly stretched out before you, your conscious brain clawing its way out of its hazy fog. It took a beat for you to recognize that the incessant noise came from someone repeatedly smacking the tiny bell that sat on the desk. 

“Hey, hello?” an impatient voice called out, jolting you from your impromptu nap. You blinked away the residual sleepiness and took in the sight in front of you: a curly-haired man, likely not much older than you were, a cigarette that had been nearly smoked down to the filter tucked between his lips. He had a patched guitar case strapped to his back and clutched a black garbage bag filled with what you hoped was clothing.

“Sorry,” you grumbled, wiping the moisture from your chin. “Need a room?” 

“Mhm.” You could practically hear his eye roll: no, I just stopped by in the middle of the night for a quick chat. Fancy a cup of tea and a scone? 

He plopped the garbage bag on the ground; its soft landing and the way it wrinkled told you that whatever was inside was, thankfully, not a body.

You nodded and turned around to the wall of keys behind you. There was no shortage of rooms; the only occupied one was being rented by Phyllis, a sixty-year-old self-described ‘entertainer of gentleman’ who paid double her bill in exchange for your silence. 

He stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray on the countertop, grinding it into the base for good measure. “How much per night?” he asked, digging into his pants pocket and pulling out a wallet held together with duct tape. 

“Fifteen.”

The man breathed out, his bangs fanning over his forehead. “Jesus.” He fished two twenties and a five from the billfold and placed them in front of you. “This should cover me until Friday, yeah?”

Nodding, you folded the bills and tucked them into the register kept under the desk, only accessible by key because of a series of break-ins during the late ‘70s.

The man lit another cigarette as you pulled out the ledger and a pen. “Name and date here,” you said, pointing to the ‘check in’ column. He took a drag before scrawling his name on the line: Eddie Munson, 5-4-93. 

“All right, you’ll be in…” you scanned the assortment of keys dangling from their hooks. The walls were thin, and this guy seemed decent enough, so you decided to spare him the theatrical sound effects of Phyllis’s room 10 endeavors. “…room 4. Make a right down the hallway, and it’ll be the second door. Can’t miss it if you try.” 

Your attempt at humor fell flat, both of you too exhausted to laugh. You strode past it, clearing your throat as if dispelling the tension. When you placed the key in his calloused palm, you couldn’t help but notice that the base of each fingertip is a half-shade paler than the rest of his skin. 

“Thanks.” Eddie mumbled. He tapped the cigarette above the ashtray, the gray flakes falling into a neat pile. His right bicep flexed underneath his denim jacket as he heaved the garbage bag over his shoulder, careful not to bang it against the guitar. 

He scuttled out of the tiny room masquerading as a lobby, shoulders hunched from the weight of the bag and of the burdens he inevitably carried. No one shows up to a motel in the middle of the night without a story or two. 

After years of greeting guests at the front desk, you liked to think you had a decent read on them. Eddie was quiet, maybe even introspective, but not necessarily shy. He was tired; no, more than that: he was worn down, like so many other people who had come through these doors. 

Most importantly, Eddie didn’t seem like he'd be much trouble. He didn’t stumble in wasted and reeking of booze or fidgeting as he awaited a fix. He wasn’t shouting or poorly concealing a wandering eye or making lewd comments. He’d made pretty much no impression at all besides being a bit gruff, which was just fine with you. Your personality wasn't composed of rainbows and sunshine at this hour either.

You looked at the clock and sighed when it only read 2:17. It’s already tomorrow, you thought grimly. Just under four hours until you could walk ten feet to your room, curl up in your bed, and sleep until it was time for your afternoon class. After years of balancing school and work, you were in the last two weeks of your final semester, and then…what? You casually inform your parents that you were leaving the family business–essentially forcing them to close it–to pursue a career in social work? 

That was sure to go over well.  

To their knowledge, you were studying hotel management and hospitality in order to “improve the business.” That was why they’d relented when you’d asked to start taking classes, switching you over to the night shift to avoid having to hire a new employee.

What they didn’t know is that your school didn’t even offer that as a major. Nor were they aware of the acceptance letter into NYU’s Masters of Social Work program that was stashed inside your dresser drawer, hidden from sight. That was a conversation for another day when you found the strength to face their disappointment.

Chaos waited to strike until the end of your shift. 

Just as you packed your book back into your bag, a familiar, skunky odor wafted past your nostrils. 

Ignore it, you thought. Let it be Dad’s problem when he takes over in five minutes. But if you could smell it, so could any of the cops patrolling the boulevard. One more citation and the motel was in jeopardy of being permanently shut down, and you couldn’t take that risk.

With a frustrated sigh, you yanked open the desk drawer and reached in for a pen, instead pulling out an unopened box of crayons. A twenty-four pack of Crayola—the good kind. You plucked a waxy cornflower blue from its spot and scribbled Be back soon on a Post-It note, sticking it on the front of the desk. Grabbing the pepper spray canister from its spot next to the register, just in case, you started down the hall. Marijuana wasn’t Phyllis’s drug of choice, though it might have been one of her various gentleman suitors’, but the scent was too strong to be coming all the way from room 10.

Maybe this Eddie Munson was trouble, afterall.

You knocked on his door, firmly but without aggression. It certainly wasn’t the first time you interrupted someone’s buzz, and it wouldn’t be the last. You knew better than to go in guns a-blazing; it’s easier to catch flies with sugar than vinegar. 

Eddie opened it after a moment, cracking it halfway and revealing a lit joint pinched between his plush lips. One forearm was perched on the doorframe, showing off faded ink of a litter of flying bats and a dragon-esque creature. He was clad in only navy blue boxer briefs, but his lack of attire was no surprise. Many guests were shameless, not bothering to cover the holes in their Fruit of the Loom tighty-whities and showcasing faded yellow stains on the crotch. What confused you was the elastic waistband proudly proclaiming ‘Calvin Klein’ that cut off the soft hair trailing from his belly button. It seemed absurd that he would have been lugging around any designer clothes in that trash bag, but there was no other possibility. 

“Can I help you?” he asked, shaking his curly bangs out of his face. Half-lidded brown eyes scanned your form, trying to determine whether you were a narc or trying to bum some bud off of him. His window was cracked open enough to let in fresh air, which also meant that the acrid smell could easily be let out.

“You can’t smoke that here,” you reported matter-of-factly, just as you had a million times before. When he cocked a challenging brow, you continued. “Cigarettes are fine, but no weed. The police will come after us and you.”

He looked around the room, unbothered, and absentmindedly scratched at his bare chest. A demon’s head was sketched just above a sparse patch of hair. Under different circumstances, or maybe in another life altogether, you would’ve asked him about his tattoos; if they had some philosophical meaning or were the products of spur-of-the-moment decisions. You could have blathered on about the ideas you had for your own future tattoos, if you ever worked up the nerve to actually get one. 

“You mean to tell me that with all of the skeevy shit that goes on around here, the cops are gonna waste their time on a little pot?” He scoffed and took another defiant pull, holding it for a few seconds before exhaling away from you.

I guess chivalry isn’t dead, you mused, stifling an eye roll. “No, but they’re always looking for an excuse to ‘investigate,’’' you threw air-quotes around the last word, “so they can bust us for more serious things, and that is the perfect one.” You gestured to the joint only to be met with an eye roll. “Look, you can either put it out, smoke it somewhere else, or you can leave. Full refund, but you can’t stay here.”

His stare locked onto your steely eyes and clenched jaw, only breaking when you’d straightened your posture to stand your ground. “Whatever,” he huffed, but he snuffed it out. A glimmer of a smile danced on his lips, disappearing nearly as quickly as it arrived. Despite its fleeting nature, it managed to thaw you enough so that your arms weren’t held quite so tight to your body, your expression less rigid. “Just trying to relax and get some sleep, like you were while you were supposed to be ‘working.’” It’s his turn to supply the air-quotes, both in mockery and as a gotcha. A teasing lilt elevated his voice, smoothing out the edge he’d greeted you with earlier. 

“I wasn’t sleeping, just…resting my eyes,” you volleyed back, your smirk betraying any semblance of the tough façade you’d worn. 

Eddie crossed his arms and walked over to the garbage bag of clothes. He rummaged through it for a moment before procuring a pair of gray sweatpants, stepping into them hurriedly as though he just remembered his minimal attire. 

“Maybe if you chose more interesting reading material, you wouldn’t be sl—resting your eyes on the job,” he amended, gesturing to the textbook in your canvas tote bag. “Ever heard of Stephen King?”

“I live in a motel, not under a rock.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You live here?”

Shit. That wasn’t information you regularly divulged. Sure, this guy seemed harmless, but looks can be deceiving. Prime example: wearing designer underwear while using a trash bag in lieu of a suitcase. 

It was too late to double back, so you nodded. “Yeah,” you admitted reluctantly. The sole of your sneaker dug into the old carpet. 

Eddie looked like he wanted to say more, lips parted and eyes wide like there was a follow-up question sitting on the tip of his tongue. Before he could ask it, your gaze landed on the clock radio: six AM on the dot. 

“I need to go,” you said hurriedly. Shame at your sudden shyness burned a hole in your belly. Eddie Munson was a guest; for all intents and purposes, he was a total stranger. There was no reason to be intimidated by him. “Good luck falling asleep,” you added with a weak smile. 

The easy banter that had been building between you dissipated in an instant, taking his good mood with it. His goodbye was a sardonic salute, the mattress springs creaking wearily as soon as you closed the door behind you. 

Sure enough, your dad was in the tiny lobby, assessing some peeling wallpaper. “Gotta fix that,” he mumbled to himself, thumbnail picking at it aimlessly. He turned around when he heard the door open and smiled when he saw you. 

“Sorry, I was helping out a guest,” you rushed to explain, hoping he wasn't too anxious to find the desk left unattended. 

The wrinkles in your dad’s forehead became more pronounced. “Is everything alright?” The phrase ‘helping out a guest’ could range from unclogging a toilet to calling the police for a domestic dispute. 

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” you reassured him quickly, flashing an exaggerated thumbs-up. “No law enforcement necessary. Didn’t even need to use the pepper spray.” You waved the canister in your palm before placing it back. 

He beamed, leaning in and pressing a kiss to your scalp. “It’s times like this where I just know I’ll be leaving this place in good hands.” 

You swallowed the bile that crept up your throat and feigned a smile when  he pulled you in for a tight hug. The mingled scents of Irish Spring soap and drugstore aftershave tickled your nose, and tears stung along your lash line. 

If only you knew, you thought, giving him one last squeeze before you headed to your room. Disappointed wouldn’t even begin to cover it. 

Your parents would never say the word aloud; they’d look at each other and heave identical weighted sighs. Their lifelong goal of a long-standing family business would vanish in the blink of an eye. Dad would pretend there was a chance that they could afford a new hire, even going so far as to fumble through the years of financial statements before inevitably throwing in the towel; Mom would force a pained smile and hoarsely encourage you to follow your dreams, even at the expense of theirs.

You shook the thought away as you trudged towards your room, sneakered feet like sandbags below you.  Dwelling on this scenario had you teetering on the brink of insanity, so you’d willed yourself to focus on something else. Anything else.

Like the motel’s newest guest and his smile. The way it softened the hard lines on his face, offering you a glimpse of how he wore happiness. Something about it made you want to see him happy again. 

You can’t even figure out how to make yourself happy, you thought, peeling back the starchy sheets and finally crawling into bed, much less a stranger. For all you knew, he was just relaxed because his high was starting to kick in, and not from some warming presence you’d supplied. 

The sun cracked pink through the sky, visible through the paper-thin curtains hanging on the window. You had become accustomed to this backwards routine, able to fall asleep while daylight broke. It took a few extra moments this time; you were anticipating marijuana-tinged fumes to float through the vents when Eddie ignored your instructions. 

It was that flicker of a smile that had you almost certain he would spark up once you’d left. The smile of someone who so naturally flouted authority that he no longer bragged about it. Yet time ticked by without a hint of evidence that he was smoking again. 

Which begged the question: if the smile didn’t signify defiance, what did it mean?

Eddie Munson is definitely trouble, you surmised just before you drifted off, but nothing you can’t handle.

--

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[tessa-liam]

Turning the Page  

Now and Then

 - Chapter 9-

Choices, The Royal Romance, AU 

Series Premise: As Riley Brooks journeys through life as a single parent in New York City, an epiphany strikes as she contemplates the future for herself and her two-year-old son. 

Turning the Page Series Masterlist 

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Riley Brooks 

All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except William Brooks (Rys) and Matteo Magro, who belongs to this series. 

Category: On-going series, contains angst/fluff/depression. Cross-over fic with Choices, Perfect Match. 

Rating: M🔞Warnings - Series will contain crude language, NSFW material – not Beta’d - please excuse all errors. 

Words: 2498

Now and Then – 9 

Chapter Summary: Riley and William arrive in Cordonia 

Title & Music Inspiration: 

Now and Then, The Beatles                                       

When You Love Someone, Gretchen Peters, Bryan Adams 

Wherever You Will Go, The Calling 

A/N1: In this alternate universe, after King Constantine orchestrates two individual scandals to humiliate and entrap Riley Brooks and Olivia Nevrakis in shame, Madeleine Amaranth secures her position as the Queen of Cordonia. Riley, as the King’s mistress and Olivia, in self-imposed exile. Tariq is never found.  

A/N2: My submission for @choicesflashfics, Week#67, prompt #1 - “Nothing could ever change how I feel about you.” 

A/N3: My submission for @choicesjanuary2024, prompt Day 25 - ‘Remembrance’ #choices monthly challenge @lilyoffandoms #choicesjanuary2024 

A/N4: Damien Nazario has been assigned as William’s personal bodyguard. 

In Flight, Cordonian Royal Jet, above the Mediterranean Sea 

Looking out over the vast expanse of water below her, and under the clear blue skies above the Mediterranean Sea, no clouds were in sight ... not a white cloud, nor a black cloud. 

Riley gazed out the large passenger window of the private jet, in solace, with her memories. Everything felt calm; almost too calm. The flight from New York to Cordonia was eight hours in duration, and even though they left early in the morning, they would not arrive at the palace until late in the evening with the change in time zones. 

Trying to and not getting any rest, her thoughts returned to the events over the holidays.

...Remembering when Liam arrived at her door, in New York on Christmas Eve, a short week ago. The expression of elation on his face as she opened the door for him... 

[‘Hello, my love,’ he tenderly smiled; He was standing there with an exquisite bouquet of long-stemmed red roses, as uniformed delivery drivers from the toy store waited patiently at a distance behind him, as the Royal guard performed a security check. 

Liam stepped over the threshold, leaning down to draw her in for a kiss on the cheek, as she accepted his gift. ‘Oh Li, these are gorgeous; thank you so much.’ 

At Bastien’s prompt, the delivery people entered the brownstone with prewrapped gifts and placed them under the Christmas tree, also filling the extra space in the living room very quickly. 

Chuckling, Riley watched as Liam thanked them with a generous tip, as he closed the door after them. 

“Our son will be so thrilled at what Santa brought him; wait till he wakes up tomorrow.”  

Liam laughed, moving quickly to put his arm around her, pulling her to his side. “Who says all these gifts are just for him? Hmmm?” Riley turned her head towards him, as Liam bent to capture her lips in a passion-fueled kiss. 

“Ah yes, your gift is right here.” Liam slipped his hand inside his coat to reveal a small box, wrapped in gold with a red ribbon. “This is for you.”} 

Riley breathed out, shaking her head. 

...Remembering wanting him so badly that evening ...as he kissed her forehead to say ‘good night’ before turning to the guest room; Leaving her feeling so confused, once again. 

...Remembering how excited LiLi was when he saw his father again Christmas morning ... and the look of pure joy in Liam’s expression as he watched his son blissfully playing with his new toys. 

...Remembering the look of adoration between Liam and his son; a private and sacred bond established between the two ... a bond only meant for them. 

Riley looked down at her phone and smiled fondly at the picture of William. He was proudly standing beside his gingerbread house gift for Liam, alongside Daniel and Matteo, to smile at the camera. Riley marveled at how unequivocally her son loved his father, so quickly. As if two loose puzzle pieces finally clicked into place. There was never a doubt in her mind that William needed to be wherever his father was. The connection between father and son was undeniable. 

...and with those thoughts, she agreed to return to Cordonia.  

And now, she found herself on the Royal jet headed back, leaving behind her New York world for the place that shattered her ‘happily ever after,’ again. 

Liam, being the new, ever-doting father was pointing out to his son the shores of Cordonia through the window. She saw the look of marvel in Liam’s eyes, as he watched his son’s reaction to seeing Cordonia for the very first time. They were sitting in seats across the aisle from her as she glanced over. 

Catching Riley’s eye, Liam responded with a wink and a smile. 

"Welcome home, love." 

Riley smiled in return, as her heart skipped a beat. 

Home... 

It had been a while since she had felt this way about Cordonia. Another lifetime; so much has changed, and yet remained the same. 

***

Damien Nazario, the Interpol agent who was now permanently assigned to be William Rys's personal bodyguard, was reviewing the Crown prince's dossier, and his duties to the Cordonian crown, his new employer. Bastien took a seat beside the young agent to answer any questions he may have, as head of the Royal guard, at the rear of the plane's cabin. 

"So, Damien, any questions for me?" 

"No, sir. I believe I have a handle on the situation.” 

"Good, because you are now the official head of the security detail for Prince William, the future king of Cordonia." 

"Understood, sir.” Damien was well aware of the complexity of a constitutional monarchy. 

"Now, there's one more thing I need to discuss with you,” Bastien eyed the young agent. 

"Yes, sir?" 

"Madeleine Amaranth, the former queen of Cordonia. I have forwarded her updated dossier to you." 

"Yes, I've read it through.” Damien paused, waiting for more information. 

"Good, because she has expressed malicious intent towards Prince William and Lady Riley, should they return to Cordonia." 

"Understood. I'll ensure her movements are tracked and reported inside and out of the country, sir." 

"Thank you, Damien.” 

"My pleasure, sir.” 

Bastien, looking pleased, leaned back in his chair, checking the time on his watch, as he felt the plane begin its descent. 

Cordonia, Capital 

The jet touched down smoothly on the tarmac, as the engines powered down. The cabin door opened, and the stairs were lowered. 

Riley could feel the warm breeze blow past her as she stepped off the plane. 

Taking a deep breath, Riley looked around. The air was different here. It was fresh and clean. She closed her eyes and let the wind brush her cheeks. 

Liam followed, with William sleeping in his arms.  

"Is everything alright, love?" Liam’s brows were raised in concern, noticing her hesitation. 

"Yes, I'm just taking it all in." Riley, looked down, unable to keep eye contact. 

"Are you sure, Riley? You've been very quiet throughout the entire flight home." 

"I'm fine, Liam. It is just a lot to process. I'm just a little overwhelmed." 

"All right, I understand. Let us get to the palace, so you and William can get settled and rest ... okay?" 

"Yes, thank you, Liam." 

Liam glanced over at Riley with concern as he personally buckled his son into the car seat. It was quite easy for him to see and feel the apprehension in her mood. She could not hide her emotions from him as well as she always thought she could.

Riley had remained noticeably quiet during the ride to the palace as well, looking out at the passing countryside. Liam could not help but wonder if she was having second thoughts about returning to Cordonia, and/or to him. 

As they pulled up to the palace gates, Liam looked over at Riley, noticing a small smile on her face. 

"What is it, love?" Liam spoke softly, reaching for her hand. 

Riley returned his touch with a squeeze. "This place...it's beautiful." 

"Thank you, that, it is. Welcome home." 

“William will be so excited when he wakes up.” Riley glanced at a still sleeping William as the SUV slowed to a stop. 

"I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me.... to have you both here." Liam confessed. 

"You're welcome, Liam. It's the least I can do."  

Liam's heart sank at her words. He hated the distance between them. He wanted to take her in his arms and make everything right, but, for right now, he knew that was not the best strategy. 

He had to accept that things had changed, and their relationship was different now. He had to be patient and give Riley the space she needed. 

But he also had to make her see how important she was to him. He had to show her how much he had missed her ... that he wanted a future with her and William in Cordonia. 

As the SUV door opened for her, Riley felt a sense of Deja vu. This was where she had started her journey with Liam in Cordonia all those years ago. And now, here she was, back again. 

"Do you want me to take you and William to the guest wing, or do you want to stay in my chambers?" 

"I would like to stay with you, if that's okay." 

"Of course, Riley. I would love that." 

It was surreal for Riley as she walked the pristine palace halls towards the Royal Chambers. Liam carried William, who was fast asleep in his arms beside her. 

 The memories of the past times she was here flooded her mind and her heart ached as she pushed the painful memories aside. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. 

As they reached the large double doors of the entrance to the Royal east wing, the guards opened the doors for Liam and Riley to enter. 

Riley stepped inside; the same chambers where she had spent so much time before. The familiar scent of Liam's cologne filled the air, sending a wave of longing for a past time through her mind. 

Walking into her room ... it was exactly as she remembered it. Everything was in its place, from the elegant chandelier hanging above the bed, to the intricate paintings adorning the walls. 

Riley took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the bed. She looked around the room, taking in every detail. 

 She felt a pang of sadness as she remembered those past times. 

After tucking William into his bed in the adjacent room, Liam came in and sat down next to her. He gently placed his hand on hers, and she looked up at him, their eyes meeting. 

"What are you thinking about Riley?"  

"I'm okay, Liam. I was just thinking about how much things have changed since I was here last." 

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her close. "I know it's a lot, but I'm here for you, and I'll help you in any way I can," Liam whispered. 

"Thank you, Liam." 

He pulled away and cupped her face in his hands, staring into her eyes intently. "You're welcome, Riley. Always. Nothing could ever change how I feel about you.” 

He moved in to press his lips to hers, and she melted into his kiss. 

It was soft and gentle, and full of longing. 

He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavily. "God, Riley, I've missed you." 

"I've missed you, Li." 

He leaned down and kissed her again, deeper this time. 

His tongue swept across her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth to him. 

Their tongues tangled together in a dance that was familiar and yet new. 

They were no longer the same people they were when they had last been together. They were both older and wiser, and the passion between them burned even brighter. 

Riley pulled away and put her hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating beneath her palm. 

"Liam, I..." 

"Shhh." 

He placed a finger over her lips. "Don't say anything, Riley. Just feel." 

His lips found hers again, and the world disappeared. There was nothing but the two of them, lost in each other. 

She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

She moaned into his mouth as he slid his hands down her back and pulled her closer. 

He broke the kiss and buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent. 

"Riley," he breathed. "God, I want you so much."

“Liam, I ...” 

Liam pulled back and looked into her eyes, “stay with me tonight.” 

📌All fics & edits: @ao719 @txemrn @queenmiarys @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @alj4890 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @harleybeaumont @busywoman @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @lovingchoices14 @kyra75 @tinkie1973 @emkay512 @malblk21 @kristinamae093 @charlotteg234

📌Liam x Riley, OC: @emersyn-in-cordonia @mainstreetreader @belencha77 @walkerdrakewalker @iluaaa @mysticalfangirl @queenwalton @bascmve01 @umccall71 @choicesfrog @amandablink @ownworldresident

📌Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @choicesflashfics @choicesjanuary2024

[trashsfanficgarden]

Some silly things Adam and Eve would say in my Good Omens AU

Talking about some paranormal/demonic activity happening on earth that they have to stop or something

Adam: So… I thought I'd go there myself and investigate

Eve: Fair enough, What time will you take the train?

Adam: Actually I'll take the car

Eve:...What car?

Adam: Our car

Eve: WE don't have a car

Adam: of course we do… *points to Eve's car*...isn't she a beauty?

Eve: this is MY car

Adam: Yeah, just like the music shop is "mine", but we both get plenty of use out of it...*strike a sexy pose trying to seduce her*...don't we?

*He doesn't get to use the car*

---

An important meeting in Hell about their next attack on Heaven

Demons: All hail the King and Queen of Hell!

Eve: *Drunk as fuck and running late*… Hello guys

---

Eve: Tonight I took down every cell phone network in the city

Adam, who is stranded somewhere trying to call his wife: AAAAAAH

---

The reason why Adam isn't allowed to use the car

Eve holding on for dear life while Adam drives like a madman in the middle of the night to a forest for a romantic picnic and ends up running over a man

Eva: you hit someone!

Adam:…No, someone hit me

*the man was Alastor*

---

Eve: Didn't you have an angelic weapon?

Adam: …

Eve: You did! It was a shiny axe! what happend to it?

Adam:…

Eve: You lost it?

Adam: ….

[simlit]

Chosen of the Sun | | dawn // fifty-one

| @catamano | @keibea | @izayoiri | @thesimperiuscurse | @maladi777 | @poisonedsimmer | @amuhav | @sani-sims | @mangopysims | @rollingsim

next / previous / beginning

TALILA: What’s going on? This all seems very official… EVE: And worrisome. Kyrie, you look like you’ve seen a ghost. KYRIE: I’m just upset… No, I’m passed upset. EVE: It’ll be alright. We’ll get through it, whatever it is, but first you need to calm down. KYRIE: I’m trying. EVE: Deep breaths. KYRIE: Right. ÅSE: Enough of this. Stop smacking around tree. What is going to be done! TALILA: Has something happened? KYRIE: Please, everyone, sit down. KYRIE: I made a promise to you all to be honest. Admittedly, I don’t know all the details myself, but the truth is… I’m alone in this. I expect some of you still see me as part of this system, and I can’t fault you for it. But with things getting so difficult, I don’t know who else to turn to but the ten of you. I trust all of you more than anyone else. SARAYN: And him? Shouldn’t we be introduced to our mysterious twelfth? KYRIE: Everyone, this is Elion. He’s been assigned to my protection, and I can go nowhere without him. You see, before you all arrived here, my sister, Lady Alphanei Loren, was taken hostage by a vigilante group known as the Knights of Dawn. They are ransoming her life in return for the disbanding of the trials. A plan that won’t work for them while I still live. They’ve already made one attempt on my life. If Lord Tev’us hadn’t been with me that night, surely I’d already be dead. ÅSE: Mm… TALILA: How awful! But… how are we just now hearing of it? Why wouldn’t they want us to know? THERION: I expect they don’t want anyone to know. Stirring up confusion and fear makes for panic. Panic is hard to control. INDRYR: And they are all about control. EIRA: So what? If we sit here with our thumbs up our asses, they’ll just send more people to kill you. Does your Priestess think she can lock you— and us— up forever? KYRIE: Lucien is dead. This isn’t something they can contain. The entire city will be in chaos soon enough. EVE: Lucien is dead? But why? Who would kill him? INDRYR: That is the question. Considering everything, it would be naïve to think the two matters were not connected. ÅSE: He is innocent child! What cares he about knights and dawn? It is absurd! INDRYR: Yes, the child was almost certainly innocent. I expect it is more what he represented. ASTER: Well, don’t speak in riddles! Not all of us grew up in libraries, you know! KYRIE: Represents… Of course. EVE: Oh… Lucien’s mother… KYRIE: The Aravae offer enormous financial support to the church. Aside from the Eveydan Crown, they’re the main source of funding. Unbelievable. The Queen of Kera was the leading supporter for the Selenehelion’s reformation… SARAYN: Then they are not at all interested in compromise. Bloodsport or not, it seems they will stop at nothing to bring the ceremony down entirely. I expect they have very good reason. EIRA: Being angry about how a ceremony was conducted centuries ago doesn’t make a great case for slaughtering children. SARAYN: But it was not centuries ago. Those that have been robbed by these trials still live. To lose a love, a purpose… a King. No, I doubt they have forgotten. And I doubt less they shall forgive.

[thecorycrow]

ROP OC Designs & Concepts

Because no one stopped me. Please don’t take it too seriously. Characters under the cut.

Naneth: Mother of Uruks

The idea was born after I learned about Adar; in my head he was something like the Adam of the Uruk, so I made him an Eve

She’s a second generation elf from the ones who awoke at Cuiviénen; her given name was Êluin (“of the stars“)

She`s an Avari

Has white freckles

She and her brother (her younger twin) are blessed by Eru Iluvátar himself

She was one of the 13 Moriondor - Morgoth especially wanted her, because he wanted to destroy someone Eru himself blessed

Her and Adar were held together; the night before he was brought to that nameless peak he had told her his name

She did not accept Sauron‘s or Morgoth‘s offerings, which didn’t matter because Morgoth turned her into an Uruk regardless

She accepted her fate and stayed with Adar, making his goals (a home for their “children“) her own

The Uruk called her “Moredhel“ (Dark Elf), before they gave her the name Naneth

She almost lost her left eye in capture and when she turned the darkness corrupted it, yet gave her her sight back somewhat

Núincýron: High Advisor of High King Gil Galad

The younger twin of Naneth/Êluin

Has white freckles

His given name is Núindûel (“under the black sky“) which he changed later to his current name, which means “under the new moon“

Before he became an advisor of Gil Galad, he worked in the library of Lindon, where he soon became Head Librarian

He does not like fighting, but is pretty good with bow and arrow (practice calms his mind)

He wears blue as a tribute to his sister, who he hopes she died because he can only feel pain through their strong bond

Workaholic

Very good friend of the King

Has the gift of foresight

Míthanor: Captain of the Guard in Eregion/Personal Guard of Celebrimbor

Celebrimbor is my favourite, so obviously he got an OC at his side too

He personally chose her as his guard

The red markings in her face are makeup

He calls her “Ruin“ (red flame)

Míthanor means “to kiss the sun“

Her grandmother was a smith and worked alongside Fëanor

When Fëanor made the Silmaril her grandmother had been pregnant with Ruin‘s mother (also a smith later), who got influenced by the magic of the Silmaril which accumulated and was inherited by Ruin (I know the Silmaril don’t give their owners powers but let me have this)

Thanks to this she is unnaturally resistant to heat, her sometimes look like flames and she can’t be easily swayed by the darkness

She followed the path of her father, however, and became a soldier rather than a smith

She takes her duty very seriously and is completely devoted to her lord and the city

She‘d follow her lord to the Halls of Mandos without hesitation

Lórëlen: Herald of Queen Varda

Her name means “dream of the stars“

She is a Maia and the Herald of Queen Varda

She calls herself the voice of the stars

She‘s my oracle (quite the strong foresight)

Sticks her nose in everyone’s business, who she knows the fate of

“Fate is water in a river, you can change it`s course.“

“But where death waits, death takes.“ (Meaning you can save one but another takes their place)

She wanders far and wide but always returns to those she holds dear

Elrond gave her the name “Ránëlen“ (Wandering Star)

She loves often and freely

She also has white freckles

She waltzed into Adar‘s camp once because she was curious

The Uruks call her bright thing

She knew Sauron as Mairon, when he was still a student of Aulë

She prays in form of playing songs on a flute/ocarina/etc

Bonus:

Swapped Fate AU: where Núindûel got caught by Morgoth and Êluin changed her name to Elrhûn (“East Star“) and became a Commander of Gil Galad‘s soldiers.

[aching-arc-reactor]

Walk Out Songs pt 2

James Bond:

For you, I would cross the line I would waste my time I would lose my mind They say, "She's gone too far this time" Don't blame me, love made me crazy If it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right Lord, save me, my drug is my baby I'll be usin' for the rest of my life

Q:

'Cause karma is the thunder Rattling your ground Karma's on your scent like a bounty hunter Karma's gonna track you down Step by step from town to town Sweet like justice, karma is a queen Karma takes all my friends to the summit Karma is the guy on the screen Coming straight home to me

---

Side note, I'll allow "screen" because I suppose James is the "guy on the screen".

Another side note: I didn't intend them to both be T Swift songs, but hey, I'm a Swiftie, and so is Q.

Alec Trevelyan:

Just one more lie and then I fall Don't play pretend, you had it all I'd kill for you, don't even start Dancing alone all in the dark

Eve Moneypenny:

Don't just stand there staring, honey Try to move your feet If you think they're looking at you They're looking at me I could make it nice and easy I'ma take the lead They ain't even looking at you, baby They're looking at me

Bill Tanner:

We live in cities you'll never see on-screen Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things Livin' in ruins of a palace within my dreams And you know, we're on each other's team

BONUS:

Q:

What if I told you none of it was accidental And the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me? I laid the groundwork and then, just like clockwork The dominoes cascaded in a line What if I told you I'm a mastermind? And now you're mine It was all by design 'Cause I'm a mastermind

James:

(H)e said "I've got a problem with your shoes and your tunes But I might move in and I thought that you were straight Now I'm wondering"

And I know when you're around 'cause I know the sound I know the sound, of your heart

[illuminopseudonymous]

Every single Brawl Stars character as songs

So, I was unhappy with my prior posts on this topic, both because of the song choices I made and because I didn't properly credit the musicians behind them. Ergo, I'm going to compile all of the brawlers into a single list below the cut, and then update and reblog this post each time a new brawler is released.

Feedback regarding song choices is encouraged if you think you have a better fit for a character.

8-Bit: "Pac-Man Fever" by Buckner & Garcia

Amber: "Burnin' Up" by A Flock of Seagulls

Angelo: "There! Right There!" from Legally Blonde: The Musical (written by Nell Benjamin and Laurence O'Keefe)

Ash: "Trash Day" by "Weird" Al Yankovic

Barley: "Bottle Action" by Ms. B'Havin

Bea: "Lord of the Hornets" by Robert Calvert

Belle: "Disciple of Lightning" by DJ the S

Berry: "Skipper Dan" by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Bibi: "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" by Albert von Tilzer and Jack Norworth

Bo: "The Wild West is Where I Want to Be" by Tom Lehrer

Bonnie: "Human Cannonball" by Webb Wilder

Brock: "Rocket Jump Waltz" from Team Fortress 2 (by Valve Studio Orchestra)

Bull: "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen

Buster: "Rock-And-Roll Nerd" by Tim Minchin

Buzz: "Run This Town" by JAY-Z featuring Rhianna and Kanye West

Byron: "A Little Heart-To-Heart" from Team Fortress 2 (by Valve Studio Orchestra)

Carl: "Diggy Diggy Hole" by The Yogscast

Charlie: "Spider-Man (1967) Theme" by Paul Francis Webster and Bob Harris

Chester: "I Remember Larry" by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Chuck: "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" by Johann Sebastian Bach

Clancy: "Crab Rave" by Noisestorm

Colette: "Every Breath You Take" by The Police

Colt: "Shoot to Thrill" by AC/DC

Cordelius: "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane

Crow: "Young Dumb and Ugly" by ""Weird Al" Yankovic

Darryl: "He's a Pirate" from Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (Composed by Klaus Badelt)

Doug: "Surf Wax America" by Weezer

Draco: "Through the Fire and Flames" by Dragonforce

Dynamike: "T.N.T." by AC/DC

Edgar: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana

El Primo: "Mexican Wrestler" by Jill Sobule

Emz: "Respectless" from Hazbin Hotel (Composed by Sam Haft, Andrew Underberg, Andrew Alderete, Gooseworx, and Parry Gripp)

Eve: "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space" from Little Shop of Horrors (Composed by Alan Menken)

Fang: "Kung-Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas

Frank: "Fireflies" by Owl City

Gale: "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)" by Garth Brooks

Gene: "Arabian Nights" from Aladdin (Performed by Robin Williams)

Gray: "Scheming Weasel" by Kevin MacLeod

Griff: "Big Boss Man" by Jimmy Reed

Grom: "Main Theme" from Bomberman (Composed by Jun Chikuma)

Gus: "Turn the Lights Off" by Tally Hall

Hank: "Send the Marines" by Tom Lehrer

Jacky: "Poundcake" by Van Halen

Janet: "Death from Above" by Turbonegro

Jessie: "More Gun" from Team Fortress 2 (by Valve Studio Orchestra)

Juju: "Friends on the Other Side" from The Princess and the Frog (performed by Keith David)

Kenji: "Title Theme" from Fruit Ninja (Luke Muscat)

Kit: "Nyanyanyanyanyanyanya!"/ "Nyan Cat Theme" by daniwell featuring Hatsune Miku

Larry & Lawrie: "Back to Back" by Pretty Maids

Leon: "Right Behind You" from Team Fortress 2 (by Valve Studio Orchestra)

Lily: "Return of the Giant Hogweed" by Genesis

Lola: "Big Shot" by Billy Joel

Lou: "Sky-High Sundae" from Mario Kart Tour (composer unknown)

Maisie: "What's Up Danger" from Into the Spider-Verse (by Blackway & Black Caviar)

Mandy: "Cookie Land" from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (Composed by Shinobu Tanaka and Kenta Nagata)

Max: "Caffeine" by Psychostick

Meg: "Peach-ball Launches! Robobot Armor" from Kirby: Planet Robobot (Composed by Hirozaku Ando and Jun Ishikawa)

Melodie: "Miku" by Anamanguchi featuring Hatsune Miku

Mico: "Beverly Hills" by Weezer

Moe: "Cripple's Shield Wall" by The Knight in Leslie Fish

Mortis: "Hate the Day" by Behind the Scenes

Mr. P: "Hotel California" by The Eagles

Nani: "Time in a Bottle" by Jim Croce

Nita: "Wild Child" by The Doors

Otis: "Graffiti Crimes" by Mi-Sex

Pam: "You Will Be Okay" from Helluva Boss (Composed by Sam Haft and Andrew Underburg, performed by Bryce Pinkham)

Pearl: "Pass the Biscuits, Mirandy" by Spike Jones

Penny: "You Are a Pirate" from LazyTown (by Stefan Karl Steffanson and composed by Máni Svavarsson)

Piper: "A Spoonful of Sugar" from Mary Poppins (Composed by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman)

Poco: "Spooky Scary Skeletons" by Andrew Gold

R-T: "Eye in the Sky" by The Alan Parsons Project

Rico: "Pinball Wizard" by The Who

Rosa: "Garden Song" by David Mallett

Ruffs: "Send the Marines" by Tom Lehrer

Sam: "Super Macho Man" from Punch-Out!! Wii (Composed by Mike Peacock, Darren Radtke, and Chad York)

Sandy: "Enter Sandman" by Metallica

Shade: to be released

Shelly: "Faster Than a Speeding Bullet" from Team Fortress 2 (By Valve Studio Orchestra)

Spike: "Super Mario Bros. Desert Theme" from Super Mario Maker 2 (Composed by Koji Kondo)

Sprout: "Trees" by Tom Lehrer

Squeak: "Slime Creatures from Outer Space" by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Stu: "Drive Fast (The Stuntman)" by Bruce Springsteen

Surge: "Rules of Nature" from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (Composed by Jamie Christopherson)

Tara: "Hot Rails to Hell" by Blue Oyster Cult

Tick: "Drop Da Bomb" by Doctor Steel

Willow: "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Fishmen" by H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society

[gorbalsvampire]

𝖃𝕴𝕴𝕴 𝕿𝖆𝖑𝖊𝖘 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝕱𝖊𝖚𝖉𝖆𝖑 𝕭𝖔𝖍𝖊𝖒𝖎𝖆

𝔄𝔠𝔱 ℑℑℑ, 𝔰𝔠𝔢𝔫𝔢 𝔦𝔦

Our story continues with 'alf a coterie, as player availability is becoming a Factor. There are only two or three nights to go until Kupala's Eve (ol' relleytrots is keeping this both loosey and goosey in case we get caught in a "no more time for things to happen but we need a filler session" bind), and the coterie has several Problems ahead of them.

Tonight, Theodericus and Alzbeta deal with one of those problems: or rather, it deals with them. They awake to find the Knights Hospitaller activated - Libussa is under armed guard, and the Cainites are escorted post-haste to meet her. In the cloister garden, they are met by said Libussa, clearly exhausted beyond endurance (she's hanging on to her guards' halberds just to stand up), and Prince Brandl, along with some mortal hangers-on - the constable of the Old Town, and some minor courtiers.

Prince Brandl wished to know why his dictat concerning Vysehrad had been ignored - when he said forbidden to all Cainites he was not speaking in jest. Theodericus tried to claim that a lady - a queen, even! - was in danger, and the rules of chivalry could not be gainsaid, and that Libussa's masters and descendants were trying to take the city from Brandl -

Oh no. He knew. That doesn't wash. Of course the Fiends were trying to take the city; they had been trying to take the city for three hundred years.

Theodericus also committed his first ever act of deceit - although he can't actively lie he can omit elements from his report, and he simply didn't mention that any other Cainites had been there. A heroic effort on the part of this simple soul. Pity Alzbeta blew it out of the water immediately by asking permission to share the details of her visions, as further cause and evidence to disobey the Prince.

The Prince, sighing, explained that not all visions and callings are necessarily divine in origin: that he, in fact, can summon Cainites and mortals alike into his presence, and if he can do it, does it not follow that others can do it also? Alzbeta had not considered this, and neither had Theodericus, and they felt like right twits.

Turning to Libussa, the Prince demanded she explain herself, exerting his Presence to that effect, and -

*record scratch* Let's talk about my storytelling style for a moment here. I've always struggled with SPC Willpower - when they should and shouldn't spend it - as it's easy to fall into an adversarial mindset here. Recently, I've taken to asking questions like "how badly do we want this to go?" or, as I did tonight, "whose side are we on here?" - this establishes what the players want out of a scene and gives me guidance on how hard I need to go to avoid disappointing them. It's not about giving them what they want - if I have ever given a player what they want it has come at a cost - so much as avoiding them feeling like they had no say or agency in what happened, which can happen when their characters confront an SPC who's an order of magnitude more powerful than them.

Anyway, the crew were more pro-Brandl than before! Alzbeta wanted to help Libussa without putting anyone else in danger; Theodericus now understood the Prince was more competent than he'd thought, and that he might have backed the wrong horse, considering how Libussa was still acting like a woman possessed.

The Prince thus pushed on Libussa, getting the truth out of her; that she was indeed the Queen of the Goths, sworn to serve the patron goddess of her people, entombed beneath Vyserhad. Brandl, moved to pity or perhaps sensing an advantage, made her - and the coterie - an offer. He would take Libussa under his protection, free her from her Blood Oath to Shaagra one way or another, and they would owe him a boon for their defiance, but he would keep schtum about their transgression as long as they did.

Libussa accepted this offer.

*record scratch* So this is another thing that occasionally gives me hives: something that I think is cool as shit, but the players have no way of knowing because it's tied to details about the SPCs that they don't even know to look for. I want to communicate those things because they're cool as shit beats on which a story can turn, but short of roleplaying with myself or writing flash fiction very quickly I don't quite know how to manage that.

Anyway, Alzbeta wasn't sure she was doing the right thing, and so she attempted to force a premonition - INSTEAD activating her new Aura Perception. The splashes and blurs of colour around the Hospitallers; the dark bodies and deep ruddy cores of the Cainites with their Beasts; the hollowness of Libussa, eaten inside out, dark and dead as a Cainite but without that inner bloodlust's light; and a spectral presence, white and evanescent. Octavio. Octavio standing before her, awaiting judgment. She wondered if, perhaps, he was a Prophet by choice, or if he had been compelled to this by some outside force as well - and in that moment of compassion, the presence of Octavio walked through her, and she felt her heart beat, just once.

Prince Brandl accepted her subsequent apology, and left Libussa in the care of the Hospitallers; the coterie had to bring him Octavio to earn their forgiveness in his sight.

Alzbeta took the moment to comfort Theodericus, offering to pray for him - he hoped merely that she could forgive herself. Libussa, at this moment, broke down weeping, and Theodericus rushed to her and asked what she wanted. Really. Truthfully. To die? To be free? To be normal, just for a few days, before the end?

Through her tears Libussa answered that it didn't really matter. Having betrayed her goddess, her defilement was complete. It was better that the Cainites watch over Agnes, her descendant in the convent, who they're collectively sure is destined to be a sacrifice to awaken Shaagra. Libussa could live another three hundred years as a traitor, if it meant another could be spared what she has endured.

Here endeth the session - but I wonder what Mariam and Marsillius were up to?

[bright-and-burning]

tagged by @landoisokay and @bsaka7 to do my 9 favorite albums (with commentary. i had a lot to say...)

these are all relatively recent because i pick and choose older songs individually more than i listen to them as a single album. like i could pick at least an album’s worth of queen songs, but they’re not all off the same album, ya feel.

in no particular order!! w some explainers below the cut:

dreamland (2020) - glass animals. i almost put how to be a human being but i’ve been listening to that album basically on repeat for the last three weeks so i needed to switch it up. such an experience of an album honestly?? where how to be a human being makes me feel like the main character in an over-saturated murderous movie set in miami, dreamland is like, over-saturated fast car movie set in tokyo (the like. hollywood idea of tokyo, to be clear). forever intertwined with midnight walks through empty cities during covid, driving too fast, the first time i hung out with people after getting to come back to college, neon lights on cinderblock walls and $12 plastic handles of liquor. fundamentally bittersweet as an album imo? but so full of bangers that you forget that it’s . really sad. tokyo drifting with denzel curry was my top song of 2020 and spotify helpfully informed me that i listened to it 30 times on my 19th birthday. lol. the “get loose, streetfighter” with the street fighter sound effect… oh yeah baby that’s art. it’s all so incredibly loud also a song of all time tbh. whole album is floaty and sharp all at once, insane production, the perfect sadness layered underneath, every song building into this brilliant crescendo… perfect album for 2020 eve for like so many reasons, i could wax on about this for AGES so if u want more drop an ask no joke it’ll make my week. still holds up soooo well

lemonade (2016) - beyonce. LOL. this album dropped right around when i was getting cheated on by my gf of. over a year. and then we broke up and i signed the papers to transfer schools the next day without telling anyone. so this album fr got me through uprooting my entire life to start over. (what timing, to get cheated on right as beyonce drops her got-cheated-on album). i knew beyonce belonged on here (too influential musically to me to Not) but i was stumped on what specific album to include (i had 4 on cd in my car in high school, for example, and homecoming: the live album felt like cheating) until i remembered how much play time this one got, and how much i leaned on the album and the visuals then (which. by the way. i bought on itunes bc it wasn’t available for streaming. used precious data bc school wifi wouldn’t let me download it. possibly the last album i bought on itunes??)

save rock and roll (2013) - fall out boy. oh man. 2015 me was on one bc i was a HUGE mcr/fob/atl/p!atd/green day girl but at the Exact same time. a 1d girlie. my shuffle would literally go from mama to up all night. ANYWAYS. was stuck between american beauty/american psycho and save rock and roll, but i think american beauty/american psycho didn’t hold my attention for long and only recently came back on my radar (has some very toxic inspiration won’t lie). the mighty fall ft big sean? life changing. big fan of rappers being dropped into songs that you aren’t expecting them to feature on. “i’m either fuckin or workin so the grind don’t stop” is a work of art. young volcanoes and save rock and roll were legitimately like. the most comforting songs of all time as a sad and lonely 14 year old

when we were friends (2019) - the backseat lovers. starts out so strong and keeps it going. what an album to listen to while absurdly into someone who then starts dating your roommate lol. just like, beautiful stuff. makes me yearn. crazy good to belt out in the car while driving

cleopatra (2016) - the lumineers. feels like home, and being dumb young and in love to me. i’ve been listening to them since ho hey played on our local membership supported radio station when i was . 11?? finally got to see them two summers ago and bawled my eyes out the entire time. this whole album no skips but also like. so overwhelmingly nostalgic and infused with feelings with nowhere to go that i can’t help but want to cry. i learned how to play ophelia on a piano in a basement of a dorm i’ll never see the inside of again lol. patience makes me insane and it’s literally just piano. the lumineers in general make a lot of music that makes me ache for times and places i can’t return to, but this album is pretty peak for it

lungs (deluxe edition) (2009) - florence + the machine. god florence just does not miss does she. dog days are over another local member supported radio station hit. i started listing all the perfect songs off and then had to stop because i was listing the entire track list. floaty and romantic with a heavy edge of morbidity and violence. remember when i said i love when rappers on songs you aren’t expecting? if you listen to anything from this post PLEASE listen to you’ve got the dirtee love ft dizzee rascal from this album. a long ass album that’s good the whole way through, i’ll truly never tire of it

ctrl (2017) - sza. i think SOS might be better and eventually take this slot but i’m trying not to let recency impact this too much. drew barrymore went quintuple platinum in my bedroom in high school. it really was the perfect album for insecure 16 year old me? speaks of growth that listening to this album doesn’t hit me where i live half as much as it used to, that instead of being like damn so real sza to things like . “im sorry im so clingy i dont mean to be a lot... lonely enough to let you treat me like this” im like. damn good song

hozier (expanded edition) (2014) - hozier. take me to church another song that member supported ad-free radio station introduced me to. what a fucking album my GOD. angel of small death and the codeine scene… jackie and wilson was literally like. the love song to me. still is can’t lie. need to be saved and have hands through my hair. every single song has lines that literally make my jaw drop, i feel like i discover something new on every listen through. “free and young and we can feel none of it”… foreigner’s god makes my chest ache. i can’t fucking believe this album is ten years old???

mt joy (2018) - mt joy. another album that reminds me of home; my whole family listened to this for months on end during covid. i’m your wreck is such an opener… “and whatever happens please remember all the laughter” like i’ll cry. my instagram bio is from this song lol. the bit where it shifts into what my family calls shoulder lean mode… anyways. ASTROVAN!!! A SONG ABOUT JESUS SMOKING WEED but like. also an emotional tale of assuring mom how music’ll work out even if they’re broke the whole time. whole album gives me Feelings. this might be the happiest album on this list and it’s. not really that happy. just a very specific kind of like. optimism. we move forward even when we look back. the world fails us but we build it better. idk. like the last song is a break up song, but it’s whole thing is “so if you worry, don’t worry bout me, i always wanted you to see the california coast-line on your own time.” so like yeah, love is burning out, but don’t worry about me. i told u. Feelings.

uhhhh no pressure tagging @mecachrome @freeuselandonorris @monacotrophywife and @oscarpiastriwdc

[starlight-ascension]

collection of all stars christmas headcanons (these have all been featured on my blog before, from multiple different users, thought i'd compile them in one post)

if you have any ideas feel free to comment 'em

hinata starts hyping in september. everyone tells her not until november. yeah, november, because so many of them start going into christmas mode in early november that everyone's caved in before that month ends

the girls taking Ako, Aguri, and Emiru to the mall to see Santa

Team KiraKira spends three days straight in the kitchen, making enough Christmas cookies to feed an entire village. Seriously, we’ve got over six dozen girls and over three dozen fairies, and some of them eat half their weight in junk food on a regular basis. KiraKira’s gonna be up all night for days, taking shifts for who sleeps and who makes Christmas cookies. They do every recipe in the book and by the time they’re done, they’ve spent tons of money on ingredients which whats-his-name ghost guy fetches (thank goodness Aoi has money to spare, eh?) They also appoint Pikario and Bibury to guard the cookies, so that no one steals from the cooling racks. The fairies and Cures take that as a challenge, and come up with increasingly crazy ways to steal some cookies, which the cookie guards respond with increased security measures to protect the cookies from both other Cures and each other; gotta appoint 2 guards because just one will have no one to stop them from taking all the cookies! it gets to Looney Tunes Heist Movie levels

there's many Christmas movie nights and sometimes on weekends, the girls will watch two or three movies in one night and wind up all falling asleep on top of each other mid-movie. There’s always popcorn with pieces of gingerbread or candy cane in it

Decorating the different teams’ Christmas trees involves every team pitching in, tons of sparkly garlands, bows, glittery ornaments, bells, rainbow lights everywhere because lmao imagine only using one colour for your christmas tree, the tree decked in the team’s motif (i.e. butterflies for team yes!5, clovers for team fresh, flowers for team heartcatch, musical notes for team suite, card suits for team dokidoki, stars for team star twinkle, etc), and flying mascots putting the massive glittery golden star on top

everyone 13 and under puts on a Christmas play for the older ones. Starring Kirara, of course, and complete with musical numbers and precure magic used for special effects/cool costumes. Everyone goes wild at the end

there is a LOT of gay kissing under the mistletoe

Team Suite 100% goes caroling around the city. In costume.

on Christmas Eve, Reika uses her powers to make it snow. she does so while flying above them in Ultra form. people who spot her go "omg i saw a christmas angel" because, well. girl in the sky with white wings and a white feathery dress, a glowing golden halo, and a golden crown. bringing snow.

team heartcatch decorate coppe like a christmas tree

-Inori knows all the secret extra verses to every Christmas carol. The cures who only know the first verse of each song are impressed. 

-speaking of caroling, the girls totally gather around the tree to sing carols. Several fairies who don’t want to sing instead choose to send Mana on a scavenger hunt throughout a dimension of their choice. This is treated like a spy mission that will decide the fate of the world, in the same way sneaking cookies from the cooling rack is treated as a major heist. There’s secret codes involved. 

from just-someone-online, the king/queen/idk what term they prefer of precure headcanons:

Miyuki pulls out all the stops with the Christmas movies. Rudolph, Frosty, everything. Her love of Christmas classics rivals her love for storybooks.

-Setsuna and Yuko teleport the other cures around their respective towns so they can get their shopping done as quickly as possible.

-Mana and Madoka arrange a Secret Santa party for everyone. It turns out to be way more work than either of them expected since there are so figgin many of them.

-Erika, Nozomi, and Hime keep trying to sneak a peek at their gifts. Their respective teams are having a hell of a time keeping them hidden.

-The weather takes a turn for the worse a few days before Christmas so the ice and fire cures work together to keep the roads clear so people can get home safely.

-Yayoi, Mai, and Yui design invitations to the Christmas party. (I know Yui’s not a cure but I feel like they’d invite everyone who knew they were Precure)

-On the day of the party, everyone’s freaking out because they all got a cure that they aren’t overly familiar with (Hikaru got Hikari, Aguri got Nagisa, etc.). Some the gifts end up being right on the money. Others…not so much. Let’s just say Nao didn’t like the ladybug plush as much as Komachi thought she would.

-The MahoPre use their magic to make it snow indoors once they finish with the gift exchange.

-Hugtan and Ai are in little Santa outfits and toddle around giving candy canes to everyone. Everybody gushes about how cute they look.

-On Christmas day, some of the cures track down some of the villains who weren’t reformed and wish them a Merry Christmas. None of them will admit it, but it brightened their day.

from kennycantdecide

- Team Star Twinkle has to take off early to help deliver presents

- Most teams try to join them, but end up getting motion sickness from the ship

- After too many present mishaps, they decide to make it so you get someone from the same color group

- Leads to arguments on color schemes (where does Black and Sunny fit?)

- They all try to have a sleep over at Alice’s manor near Christmas

- Many cures end up sneaking out because they can’t stand watching Christmas movies anymore

- Couples who aren’t officially together yet are always tricked into getting under a mistletoe, and the reactions are varied

- Mai and Yayoi are asked to help design the party decorations

- Erika tries to design Christmas outfits for everyone, but fails because there are so many of them

- The fairies dress like elves, some love it, others despise it

from kiramaipink

-Yuko totally helps KiraKira with the holiday treats!!

-Hana gets so caught up in cheering everyone on with the decorating & baking that Saaya & Homare have to remind her to do her gift shopping

-Ruru & Emiru perform a lil christmas song they wrote together

-Aside from the secret Santa exchange, Mirai, Riko, and Ha-Chan each made little handmade gifts for Mofurun <3

-Hime & Kirara working on styling cute holiday outfits for everyone

-At some point Yukari & Akira sneak away to have a quiet little gift exchange <3

from sunnypokegrapher22

- the ice cures would make a ice palace theme amusment park for the other cures to play in. it aways has a team motif included in the designs. the team motif i decided in a ruffle 

[tomjamesavery]

New Year's Resolutions Written for the Ginnyversary Bingo Challenge with the prompt: #B2 — "It’s time to make New Year’s resolutions!" Read on: AO3 It was 30 minutes to midnight as Harry stood on the rooftop Balcony at 12 Grimmauld Place. He watched the dark horizon, thousands of roofs covered by a thin layer of late December snow, he listened to the faint sounds of partying and music that mixed with the occasional early firework going off, always bathing a few roofs in bright light.

Yet it was still peaceful somehow. Harry had left the busy commotion downstairs for a few breaths of fresh air, with everything going on around Voldemort’s return, the distraction was more than needed. For a single evening, he felt like a normal teenager, leaving the chaos of the wizarding world behind him.

He heard something ruffling behind him, as the rooftop door fell open and a lanky tall redhead stumbled out.

“There you are mate, we were looking for you,” Ron exclaimed, slightly out of breath from the many stairs. “That one here said we shouldn’t let you sulk off by yourself somewhere.” He gestured towards Hermione who was coming up the stairs behind him, equally out of breath, as she gave him a pointed look.

“But to be honest, I agree with her, that’s why we decided to bless you with our divine presence.” Ron joked, earning him a snort from both Harry and Hermione.

But Harry’s lips curled into a small smile, as his two best friends stepped out onto the terrace both plopping themselves down onto the bench he was sitting on.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, just taking in the beautiful winter night. Until Hermione’s curious voice finally broke the quietness.

“So, Harry, do you think Sirius has a firework show planned for tonight? He keeps avoiding my questions about the legality of wizarding fireworks in a big city like London.

Ron and Harry only looked at each other, unable to keep their faces from breaking out into a grin as Harry spoke up. “Hermione, it’s New Year’s Eve, and those are the big questions that are plaguing you right now?” 

Hermione looked slightly offended as she retorted. “Harry, the effects of pyrotechnics on nature and our surroundings are very important questions.” She pointed out. ”I recently read a study about the amount of stress loud noise and firework explosions cause to  the local flora and fauna, it’s highly problematic!”

Harry only raised his hands in surrender, trying to avoid spurring her on further. “You are right, you are right! It is an important topic, still, I’d rather look at the bright side of things tonight.” He let his eyes wander over the far horizon again.

“Well the fireworks will be going off in 20 minutes, so you’ll have a lot of bright things to look at soon anyway!” A very familiar voice exclaimed from behind them.

The three of them all spun around, looking at a grinning Ginny who was just stepping out onto the balcony. 

“But I still agree with you Harry, let’s talk about something more fun.” She plopped herself down next to Harry, and her long hair tickled his right hand, making him blush.

“It’s time to make New Year’s resolutions!”  Ginny exclaimed- “I hope you thought of something.” -Now looking smug “-Cause my resolution is to pet as many cats as possible!”

Harry laughed while Ron and Hermione only rolled their eyes. “That’s a good resolution I am nabbing that!”  “I bet I will manage to pet more than you though!” He dared her, earning him a fiery look from the redhead.

“Are you, Harry James Potter, challenging me, the Queen of Challenges, to a pet off?” She flung herself to her feet, a blazing look crossing her features, only making Harry swallow.

“Well, seems like I am!” He met her confident gaze and couldn’t keep his lips from forming into a smile as he took in her features, her chocolaty brown eyes, framed by those beautiful long lashes, her slightly flushed pink cheeks, and her burning red hair.

“You, my friend…  “…are doomed,” Ginny muttered.  “There can only be one to pet them all! And that one is me!” 

“Pfft, Weasley, you will sink, and it will be me who will stand victorious!” He foretold, now also standing up to face the younger girl. As they stared each other down in fake competitiveness, both struggling not to laugh.

“A tall lanky monster like you will have the cats running in an instant, they just see my good soul and will all flock to my feet,” Ginny stated still feigning greatness.

“Oh so you think that you’re so great-” Harry started before the sound of a closing door drew both his and Ginny’s attention, as they spun around staring at where Ron and Hermione had just disappeared into the house again.

Neither of them said anything for a second until Ginny spoke up.

“Did you notice them leaving?” She turned to face him again, and those brown eyes made his stomach do flips once more as he shook his head.

“Nope, I didn’t. They must’ve sneaked away while we were arguing.” Harry admitted, feeling slightly confused.

“Well anyway, you’re not winning, we all know that Cats prefer fiery young women, not old broody men!” Ginny teased before she stuck out her tongue.

“Old? I am like one year older than you, witch!” Harry retorted making Ginny grin.

“See, exactly! Basically ancient, old man!” 

Just as Harry was about to snap some form of funny insult back at her, a loud hissing sound lit up the evening, as all around them firework rockets started to light up the now bright night sky. 

The two of them watched in surprise, they must’ve totally forgotten about the time. It was beautiful, colourful, and bright.

Harry almost flinched as just next to their roof a mass of magical fireworks took off. Seems like Sirius did indeed prepare some for midnight he thought.

Ginny had also jumped next to him, and they instinctively clutched each other’s hands. Neither of them thought about it, nor really noticed it, it just felt natural, it just felt normal.

Now hand in hand they stood, on the Grimmauld Place rooftop terrace overlooking London, observing the most wonderful fireworks they had ever witnessed, just each other as company, a perfect New Year’s evening.

[bonesaints]

tho i've been out of the writing/fic game for years, i feel like i might as well write fix it fic for the events of vei/lguard. the elves and the qunari are mine now. same with a certain woofwoof aroo, i'm fucking filing for custody at this point lmgdaoo

while i really enjoyed the game, i have major critiques of it. i hate to say this, but i'm gonna be real with yall: i could've handled the qu/nari and elv/es exponentially better if i'd written it myself.

never minds the complete sanitization of the cr/ows and the sanitization of tevinter, the l/ords of f/ortune (rip isabela....queen i am SO fucking sorry they did this 2 u), and this is an extremely minor nitpick compared to the others, but 'good' sol/avellan ending; it is really NOT the solmanon reunion i wanted. objectively speaking as a writer/person whose masters degree studies focused on hyperanalyzing the structures of narratives in media, i feel like SO much of sol/as's agency as a character was brutally stripped from him, and for what? and honestly i don't even wanna talk about the anta/am, it felt like they had the anta/am break away from the q/un in order to justify the blatantly racist and horrific portrayal of them as if the approach of "see? theyre the bad guys, they dont reflect on the rest of the q/un or the q/unari as a whole" somehow excuses it all. same shit they do with the el/ves with the "we're gonna make them LOOK whyte so that this isn't racist, never mind that they are narratively positioned as poc and are otherwise coded as such."

also, the fact that you have the save the shitty slavery racism city in order to get "the good ending" where as many ppl as possible survive is so fucking bizarre to me... and never mind the fakeout scares of them almost killing dav/rin like 3-5 times.... damn.

the way his relationship w my/thal was executed in the game just felt rushed and ill considered. like i can see what they're getting at, there are definitely some good ideas here, but the execution was horrendous and the final product gave the most hollow, detached, dispassionate third wheel vibes i think i've ever seen in a vidja game protag romance. not to mention they wrote his character in the most bizarre and contradictorily jarring manner to how he was established in in/quisiton?? he insists that neither he nor the ev/anuris are gods, yet in one of the endings, he's practically frothing at the mouth telling r/ook that "they're just a mortal, and i'm...." (you know the words ''i'm a god'' are on the tip of his tongue.) ik we can explain a lot of his dialogue inconsistencies with "oh well he lies a lot" but in this case, such a blatant contradiction of a character's defining ideals is just a hallmark of poor quality.

i suppose i shouldn't expect anything less from ppl who originally made him a bisexual man of colour but then decided that was Too Much so they made him het and whyte, but Damn.

also, we didn't even really get to see the a/gents of fe/n'harel????? where is all the exposition that was set up in tevinter nights?? WHERE ARE THE OTHER ANCIENT ELVES???? i know b/ioware drops the ball on plots/narratives a lot but this felt sloppy and inexcusable. to say nothing of the deeply shitty responses they've had to ppl critiquing stuff even in good faith.

[dianneking]

Setting up for more Pride shenanigans!

I’m going to another pride parade next Saturday! And apparently the group I’ll be hanging out with will be composed by the following: 

- my long-suffering, much loved partner, bless their soul, who dislikes crowds and heat and still makes a valiant effort every year. 

- my ex, who after ten years (!) has apparently buried the war hatchet (or the guilt, since she was the one dumping me - on the eve of our anniversary btw not that I am still bitter about the dinner reservation I had made) and is now able to talk to me without sulking. Incidentally she has now been on several friendly nights out with my partner since they live in the same city and have common friends.

- our good friend who's been dumped by her girlfriend of nine years (that she was desperately in love with) because said girlfriend was "still not sure - she might like men, after all" - said girlfriend then proceeded to go on a streak of several failed and potentially toxic relationship with men while the friend is still somewhat grieving. We hope to find her some decent human being at pride.

- the students of the milf professor I kissed at the previous pride, who apparently can still look me in the face after that (people are surprising sometimes) 

- my straight communist milf friend, who's going to loudly complain about rainbow capitalism, give away condoms and spit at cops and who's friends with every single bear in the parade (I don't know how she does that, there's a lot of them, but she know them all by name and they all squeal when they see her) 

- her even straighter brother (the one person who's single-handedly making me believe that there might be some hope for cishet men), who still insists to dress like a lesbian and sees no harm in it. He usually gets adopted by a pack of sapphics by the end of the parade.  

- my beloved 65yo auntie with rainbow colored hair, and whichever of her variety of lovers of any and all genders she decides to bring along for the ride

- (potentially) my musical theater actor twink friend whose love for drag queens might trump the discomfort coming from the fact that most of the masc crowd (and part of the femme) is made up of people he hooked up with and then left due to his fear of commitment. I feel like I am in a weird queer dnd campaign and I am LIVING for it.

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Christmas Reruns 2023 Day 32: New Year New Town

Merry Christmas if you celebrate it and happy holidays if you don’t!  One of the things I love about Christmas is watching reruns of all the old classic Christmas movies–Christmas is a big time for nostalgia.  A few years ago, I decided to incorporate that tradition into my fandom life and post my CS holiday reruns.  So here you go!  Enough holiday (mostly) fluff to get you to New Year’s Day. (With a new story posting on Christmas Day.)

Rating: G

Word Count: 1868

Other chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

                                                                                                             A/N: Taking place sometime not long before grown up Henry calls for Hook, Regina and Emma to come to his aid in the alternate Enchanted Forest in 7x2, the residents of Storybrooke are living out their Happy Beginnings. With New Years approaching, Regina and Snow decide it’s time for a new town wide initiative. Emma and Killian use the occasion to make a special announcement of their own. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Good morning, Beautiful.  How was your night?”  Killian crooned softly as he leaned down to kiss Emma’s cheek, his hand softly caressing her shoulder.

Emma smiled as she slowly opened her eyes and turned over to meet her husband’s adoring gaze.  She’d introduced him to the song a few months ago, and ever since then, he’d woken her up to it nearly every morning.

They’d been married for five years now, and yet Killian could still make her stomach swoop like a teenager with her first crush.  It should be illegal for someone to be so romantic.

Emma sat up, ran a hand through her riotous curls, and then pulled Killian down for a long, slow kiss.  Life was good.  Life was really good.

Killian pulled away with a reluctant groan.  “I’ll never complain about a good morning greeting like that, my love, but if we continue on in this manner, we’ll never make the city council meeting on time.”

Emma groaned.  “You sure we can’t just skip it?  It’s New Year’s Eve; I’d much rather just stay here in bed with you.”

“Likewise darling,” Killian said with one more smacking kiss to her lips before he threw back the covers and got to his feet, “but you know neither Regina nor your mother would ever let us get away with that given their New Year, New Town initiative.”

Emma groaned again.  “Oh yeah, that.  Can’t wait”

About a month ago, just after Thanksgiving, Regina and Snow had called a special town council meeting.

“We’ve been Big Bad free for five years now,” Regain began without preamble, staring down each of the members of the council, “and you’d think that would mean our town would be nearly perfect, by now, but that is not the case.  I’ve still had to deal with the same petty squabbles as I’ve always had to, and I think it’s high time we do something about it.”

“Just what kind of squabbles we talking about ‘your majesty’?” Leroy asked, scowling fiercely

“Well, for one thing, I think we would all appreciate it if you’d lay off the threats of a lawsuit everytime someone eats the last of Granny’s bacon before you get there.”

“I have always tried to get as much bacon as I possibly could, and my brothers all know it”, Leroy argued.  “They double cross me at the diner counter, they know what to expect.”

Regina rolled her eyes and looked on the point of retorting back, which Snow quickly stepped in.

“The point is not to point fingers at any one person,” she said.  “The point is that I think we all have things about ourselves that we could change in order to become the best versions of ourselves.”

“So, Lady Snow, what particularly are you and the queen proposing?” Killian asked.

“As you all well know, the holiday season is just now ramping up, and before you know it, it will be Christmas and then New Years,” Snow explained.  “Regina and I were talking over tea one day, and we had a thought.  New Years is the time for resolutions.  What if we–all of us–the whole town–made new year’s resolutions to make our town a better, friendlier town?”

“We’ll call it the ‘New Year, New Town’ initiative,” Regina said in her typical no nonsense tone.  “It will, of course, be compulsory for all residents of Storybrooke.”

There was a general groan among the council as everyone began talking at once.  Regina banged her gavel, finally restoring quiet to the council room.

“While I personally don’t think New Year’s resolutions are a bad thing,” Archie said, “I do have questions about how it would work practically, though.  Surely you can see that forcing the town to make New Year’s resolutions is a bit heavy-handed, even for you.”

“Not happening, Sister,” Leroy tossed in.

“For once, I have to agree with the dwarf,” Killian tossed in.  “No bloody way in Hades you will get the town–or even most on this committee–to go along with such an authoritarian scheme.”

Regina sighed in exasperation.  “Listen Captain Guyliner…”

Snow stepped in again before things could further devolve.  “Okay, maybe we can’t make it compulsory, but I was thinking, we could have incentives.  You know, get pledges from various businesses for prizes for anyone who makes and keeps their resolutions until the end of the year.  Make it a fun, citywide competition.  That sort of thing.”

After a fair bit more debate, the council finally voted six to five–with Regina, Snow, David, Archie, Whale and Marco voting aye and Zelena, Emma, Killian, Leroy and Granny voting nay–to implement the initiative.  Emma had been on the fence about the whole thing, but what finally tipped her to the “nay” side, was Regina’s final decree.

“There is one thing I must insist upon,” Regina said.  “If we can’t force the entire town to comply with the initiative, we must at least stand in solidarity in our efforts to encourage full participation.  To that end, I move that the initiative be compulsory for the members of the council.”

Another groan around the room.

“What’s stopping everyone from just making self-serving resolutions?” Whale asked.  

“Well….” Snow began slowly. “Now just hear me out!”

No statement that started like that could ever end well.

“Regina and I discussed that, and we came up with a plan that we think is fair for everyone,” she said. “We, the council, have a say in each other’s resolutions.  Everyone is free to submit resolution ideas for each other, and then on New Year’s Eve, we hold a vote to determine what each person will focus on next year.”

That suggestion got more than a little pushback, but in the end, it was reluctantly adopted.

And so here they were, New Year’s Eve morning, making their way to town hall to decide upon and commit to their resolutions for the coming year.

Emma took a deep, calming breath, as she and Killian took their seats at the council table.  Killian took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze offering her his support and strength.  She couldn’t care less what the council had decided for her resolution; the whole thing was ridiculous anyway.  What did have her nervous and excited and a little freaked out was the plan she and Killian had come up with just before Christmas when they learned the news.  Fact was, it was a big deal, a really, really big deal.

Regina, dressed in her customary power suit, banged her gavel against the table to quiet the gathered council and call the meeting to order.

“Okay, as it’s New Year’s Eve, and I’m sure we all have better places to be, let’s go ahead and get to it,” she said. 

“Here’s how it will work,” Snow said eagerly. “Everyone will vote on the proposed resolutions via secret ballot.  The ballots will be tabulated, and then each one of you will be given an envelope with the list of suggested resolutions the council proposed.  The one picked for you will be listed at the top in red.”

“And if we refuse to go along with that one?” Leroy asked, crossing his arms and scowling fiercely.

“We aren’t unreasonable,” Snow said in answer.  “If you can’t go along with your top choice, you have the option to choose one of the other selections on your list.”

Voting and tabulation were rather quick affairs, and within fifteen minutes the results were in.

“Just to get you all to stop bitching about this and see that it’s not that big of a deal, I’ll go first,” Regina said, taking her own envelope.  Taking her letter opener, she neatly slit the top of the envelope and pulled the single sheet of paper free.  Taking a moment to read through it, Regina scoffed.  “‘Cut back on snarkiness and insulting nicknames’?  Really?  I don’t–”

“Oh yes you do, your majesty,” Killian said.  “I’ve lost count of the number of times you’ve called me some variation of ‘Handless Wonder’ or ‘Captain Guyliner’.”

“Oh, did I hurt your little feelings?” Regina snapped.

“Aaaannd there’s the snark,” Emma commented.

“Fine!” Regina said, “just to prove to all of you that I’m serious about making this initiative work, I’ll accept your stupid resolution.”

With the first resolution reveal out of the way, the rest went rather smoothly.  Snow resolved to refrain from revealing secrets (although Emma personally preferred the resolution Killian had submitted for her mom: Call before coming over to your daughter and son-in-law’s house).  David resolved to make time for his mates now that his farm was taking up so much of his time. Zelena resolved to cut out envy from her life.  Leroy resolved to stop running through the town yelling “terrible news!” about anything less than a full blown emergency.  Whale resolved to stop drinking while on duty.  Archie resolved to actually get a medical degree not given to him from a curse. Granny resolved to replace the uncomfortable mattresses in her inn. And Marco resolved to take classes to bring his woodworking business into the twenty-first century.

Finally, it was down to just Emma and Killian.  The moment of truth.

Emma stood up, and without even looking at what was written on her envelope said, “I resolve to be the best mother I can possibly be and to learn all I can about how to care for a newborn.”

She was met with blank, confused stares as she sat down and Killian rose to make his announcement. 

“And I’d like to address my resolution directly to Dave,” he said with a cheeky grin.  “Mate, my resolution for next year is to not get your daughter pregnant….again.”

For a moment the blank stares continued until suddenly Snow gasped.  “Emma….Killian?  Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

Emma stood, and laced her fingers with Killian’s as her smile bloomed and a tear fell from the corner of her eye.  “If you think we’re saying you’re about to be a grandma again, then yes.  We found out on Christmas Eve.  It finally happened!  I’m pregnant!”

Later that night, after the ball dropped and the new year came in amid fireworks and cheers, Emma settled in bed in Killian’s embrace.

“How are you feeling, love?” he asked, holding her to him and nuzzling her neck.  “Is the little one causing any distress?”

“At the moment all is well,” Emma said.  “Now in the morning when the nausea hits like a ton of bricks I might have a different answer, but for right now, everything feels just about perfect.”

Killian placed his hand on her belly and rubbed gently, his attempt, she knew, to caress their growing child.  “Something tells me this new year is going to be our best one yet.”

“Something tells me the same thing, babe,” Emma said.

They fell silent for another moment before Emma broke the silence with a chuckle.  “How long do you think it will take for the council to realize we totally blew off their resolutions for us?”

[mint-icecreamie]

a-z of vocaloid related things

i got bored.

A:

vocaloids: ARSLOID, Aoki Lapis, ANRI, akita neru

songs:, aishite aishite aishite, ame to petra, aku no meshitsukai, ai no uta, aishiteitanoni, amedama, amygdala's rag doll, anonymous m, appetite of a people pleaser, antichlorobenzene

B:

songs: bitter choco decoration, bug, banana, bad∞end∞night, better off worse, binomi, blessing, brain fluid explosion girl, butcher vanity, butterfly on my right shoulder, baka baka baka!!, breaking things into pieces

C:

producers: chinozo, cosmo@bousou-p, crusher-p, circus-p, creep-p

songs: circus monster, court jester, cute na kanojo, candle queen, cocomelon, casino, 'cause i'm a liar, chelovek, cinderella, coin locker baby, cooler girl, copycat, cutlery

D:

producers: DECO*27, dennokop, daniwellp

vocaloids + utau: dex and daina, defoko

songs: dance of life, daughter of evil, dokuzu, DARLING, DARLING DANCE, Dear, disturbing chicken beets, drop pop candy, digital/physical heart, dizzy paranoia girl, denki yohou, daidaidai kirai

E:

producers: eve

vocaloids: eleanor forte

songs: enko shoujo, ECHO, egoist, ego rock, electric angel, encounter, erase or zero, EYE, ever∞lasting∞night

F:

vocaloids: flower, fukase

songs: failure girl, fake meme, fear garden, fire flower, flos, floating moonlight city, fox's wedding, fukkireta, feel empty!

G:

vocaloids - gumi, gackupo/gackpoid

producers: giga, glue, ghost

songs: ghost rule, god-ish, gomenne gomenne, goodbye sengen, gigantic otn, goodbye to a world, gracious

H:

producers: harumachigohan, hitoshizuku and yama, hachi

vocaloids: ✨HATSUNE MIKU!!!!!!✨

songs: heat abnormal, housewife radio, hello marina, haru no sekibaku, hatsune miku is going to beat you to death, hole dwelling, help me, erinnnnnn!!!, hiding from the truth, honey i'm home,

I:

producers: iyowa, inabakumori,

vocaloid: IA

songs: i nandesu, igaku, identity, i don't care who someone go out with me, ifuudoudou, i met an angel when i was down, i'm glad you're evil too, imigo no tamago, iNSaNiTY, it's a whole world

J:

songs: jinsei count, JOUOU, just a game, just a robot, just saying the body is honest, JUVENILE

K:

vocaloids + utau + cevio: KAITO, kasane teto, KAFU, kagamine rin, 🍌 KAGAMINE LEN!!!!!! 🍌

producers: kikuo, karikibear, kanaria, kid p, kawaii vocaloid

songs: kimi wa dekinai ko, kami no manimani, kokoro, konton boogie, kyofuu all back, kyu-kurarin, KING, koinu no carnival, kurumi ponchio, kara kara kara no kara

L:

vocaloids: 🍌LEN!! 🍌, luka, luo tianyi, leon and lola

songs: lagtrain, lost umbrella, lost one's weeping, love ka, lavie, lower one's eyes, liar dancer, lotus eater, last night good night, lightning hope, lucky me, lie lie lie

leek.

M:

vocaloids: megurine luka, MEIKO, moke, mayu, matcha kobayashi, miku, meme squad

producers: MARETU, mothy, mcki robyns-p

songs: migikata no chou, mesmerizer, monochrome dream eating baku, my r, miku, matryoshka, mind brand, m@gical cure! love shot!, miku no shoushitsu, medical anomaly

N:

vocaloid: neru

songs: nakakapagpabagabag, nazotoki, NAMIDA, newly edgy idols, nightmare, non-breath oblige, (not) a devil, novocaine, nyeh it's magic!, nyanyanyanya

O:

vocaloids: oliver, otomachi una

songs: okusuri nonde neyou, ochame kinou, okaasan, only somewhat seen, orange

P:

vocaloids: piko!

producers: powapowa_p, pepoyo, pinocchio-p

songs: plus boy, p.h, paradichlorobenzene, phony, patchwork staccatto, paiii sensation, paparazzi murder party, parasite, pascal beats, pathological facade, the peachy key, perfect nothing, propaganda

Q:

songs: queen, q-pole theory of evolution/Q極進化論

R:

producers: rerulili, ricedeity

songs: rabbit hole, rakuraku annrakushi, rolling girl, rin-chan now!, rainy boots, ready steady, realize, reckless battery burns, rendezvous, romeo and cinderella

btw ricedeity did animation for some mv's he pretty cool :D

S:

vocaloids: seeU, shian

producers: siinamota, sooichi, shikuira sougo, satsuki/32ki

songs: spice, seisou bakuretsu boy, sayonara hatsukoi, spider and the kitsune like lion, samsa, sand planet, secret garden, secret music, self inflicted achromatic, servant of evil, shinitai chan, shinkaisyouzo, shoujo rei, shoujo fuzei, SIU, snobbism, snooze, streaming heart, strobe last, strobe light, superhero, sweet devil

T:

vocaloids+utau: teto

songs: tsumugi uta, tawagoto speaker, tale of six trillion years and one night, telecaster b-boy, therefore you and me, tondemo wonderz, two faced-lovers

U:

vocaloids: una

songs: umiyuri kaiteitan, UTuber

V:

producers: vane lily

songs: villain, venom, vampire, vampire's∞pathoS

W:

producers: WONDERFUL☆OPPORTUNITY, wotaku,

songs: world is mine, white letter, why do i, white happy, where shall we go, witch hunt, wonder of wonder

X:

idfk.

Y:

songs: young girl a, yobanashi deceive, yoidoreshirazu, you are innocent monster, you are a worthless child, yababaina, yamiaka steroid, yamitsuki,

Z:

songs: zombie. (other than that i can't think)

i lost motivation halfway through and had to force myself to finish this ;-;