#eve keane

[beetlebethwrites]

🎁 What would be the perfect gift to buy your OC? What would be the worst gift? Are they themselves any good at gifting things or are they really indescisive? How do they wrap their presents? For the ROs!!

Matt is someone who gives and likes to receive functional gifts where possible. He doesn't want a gift just for the sake of it and won't give one just for the sake of it either. His things are entirely adequately wrapped but they will not be neat.

Eve does quite like to receive gifts but she's someone who would prefer to receive things she's requested, whether that's books or specific clothes or something similar. Books are her default gift for people and they will be very well wrapped. A card along with the gift will always be beautiful, picked very specifically.

Alex is a great gifter and receiver. They pick things up when they see them for people they love and will always gift many small things. Anything that is a thoughtful gift is perfect for them. Wrapping is often haphazard, clearly done at the last minute. They have been known to wrap with tissue paper and put everything in a colourful bag.

Jordan is an indecisive but great gifter. Everything they gift will be extremely thought out and will be the best thing they've been able to find. They prefer to receive experiences rather than items in return and like to have experiences they can share with the gifter, usually because they don't have lots of space to store their own things. Their wrapping skills are entirely average.

Char loves to receive gifts but isn't a great gifter, mostly because he isn't great at remembering to buy things for certain dates. A good gift for them would be some nice coffee, a patch or something else that you like and would like to share with them. They wrap badly, roughly and often on the way to an event.

Bo-yeon is not a gift-giver for no reason and doesn't love receiving gifts for nothing either. A nice quality food/bottle of wine is the safest food to gift xem. People xe cares about will always receive a gift on the relevant occasions and they will be thoughtful but not overly extravagant unless specifically requested. The wrapping is flawless, xe's one of those people who can wrap cylinders and bottles perfectly.

[meanrichbitch]

[arcmonkeys]

hello kajs dearest! i’m copying you now and asking to pick your brain for some music recs 🎶🎶🎶

hi bff!!!!! sorry for taking so long to answer this, today has been insanely busy!!

okay so i'd start off with a current obsession of mine... i'd recommend Noah Kahan's Stick Season (We'll All Be Here Forever) which you've probably heard some of before.. stick season got big on tiktok i think and he's been getting a lot of traction lately. tiktok fame aside it's genuinely a good album and i know we're both from small towns so i think you'll like it! (the view between villages extended version is one of my fave songs of the year!)

and to state the obvious i'll say Mitski's new album. i'm guessing you probably already have listened to it or are planning to, but if you're not you should!!! also you should listen to her cover of Bleacher's Let's Get Married!!! soooo good

finally i'll just shoot off some quick ones

jeff davis country blues - the mountain goats

drive all night - bruce, my most beloved

lost in the supermarket - the clash

hot & heavy - lucy dacus

let down - radiohead

call your girlfriend - robyn (a classic!!!!!)

[chemblrish]

hiii!! 🎙️, 📖 and📁 for the studyblr ask pls <33

Hey! Thank you for asking sunshine 💕

🎙️someone in your field, dead or alive, that youd like to have a conversation with?

Okay so I actually can't say her name without doxxing myself lol but she was the first female chemist at my university. I really truly wish I could tell her how grateful I am for what she did, for how relentless and determined she was, for the fact she paved the way for all the women chemists of my uni. I wish I could say thank you and also to show her how many young women there are studying chemistry rn (in the case of my year it's pretty much 50/50 !!). Obviously, I'll never be able to do it bc she's been dead for over a hundred years, but I think about her sometimes

📖 a book/reading from your field you’d recommend/really enjoyed?

Popsci: The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean! It was a very fun read and it doesn't require any knowledge of chemistry except maybe the basic stuff everybody learns in school. I really liked it

Otherwise: Maria Skłodowska Curie's biography but specifically the one written by her daughter Eve Curie. It was beautiful, clearly written with so much love

📁 what is a project/assignment you’re really proud of?

I think that'll be the tungstate synthesis I did during this year's internship! I had to find relevant articles myself and then I did quite literally the whole synthesis (of three different compounds) myself too and I'm really happy with my work :)

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

💖 Sapphic Books Coming Out May 2024

🩷 There's something especially sweet about a sapphic romance. Here are only a few of the amazing sapphic books hitting shelves in May 2024. Which ones are you adding to your ever-growing TBR?

Contemporary 💖 Here For the Wrong Reasons - Annabel Paulsen & Lydia Wang 💖 Perfume & Pain - Anna Dorn 💖 Cheryl - Jillian Fleck 💖 A Little Kissing Between Friends - Chencia C. Higgins 💖 Lavash At First Sight - Taleen Voskuni 💖 The Game of Giants - Marion Douglas 💖 We Were the Universe - Kimberly King Parsons 💖 Oye - Melissa Mogollon 💖 The Summer Love Strategy - Ray Stoeve 💖 Noah Frye Gets Crushed - Maggie Horne 💖 Halfway to Harbor - Nicole Melleby 💖 Sunhead - Alex Assan

💖 The 7-10 Split - Karmen Lee 💖 Trust & Safety - Laura Blackett & Eve Gleichman 💖 Second Night Stand - Karelia Stetz-Waters & Fay Stetz-Waters 💖 How It Works Out - Myriam Lacroix 💖 April May June July - Alison B. Hart 💖 The Ride of Her Life - Jennifer Dugan 💖 One Night With the CEO - Emily Hayes 💖 Dulhaniyaa - Talia Bhatt 💖 A Girl Can Dream - Emily Barr 💖 I Want You More - Swan Huntley 💖 Exhibit - R. O. Kwon 💖 Only a Bridesmaid - Haley Donnell

💖 Thirsty - Jas Hammonds 💖 Housemates - Emma Copley Eisenberg 💖 Don’t Be a Drag - Skye Quinlan 💖 True Love and Other Impossible Odds - Christina Li 💖 Murray Out of Water - Taylor Tracy 💖 The Redemption of Daya Keane - Gia Gordon 💖 Blame My Virgo Moon - Freja Nicole Woolf 💖 From Where We Are - Nicole Zelniker 💖 Cabin Fever - Tagan Shepard 💖 Channel Surfing in the Sea of Happiness - Guy Babineau 💖 Meet Me in Berlin - Samantha L. Valentine 💖 Behind You - Catherine Hernandez

Paranormal/Horror 💖 Primal Hunt - L.L. Raand 💖 Blood on the Tide - Katee Robert 💖 We Mostly Come Out at Night - (ed) Rob Costello 💖 Flowers from the Void - Gianni Washington 💖 My Darling Dreadful Thing - Johanna van Veen 💖 When the Devil - Emma E. Murray 💖 Honeybites - I. S. Belle 💖 My Favorite Thing Is Monsters - Emil Ferris 💖 The Worst Perfect Moment -Shivaun Plozza

Fantasy 💖 The Honey Witch - Sydney J. Shields 💖 The Fireborne Blade - Charlotte Bond 💖 Chained Destinies - D. Jordan Redhawk 💖 Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea - Rebecca Thorne 💖 Grand Slam Romance: Major League Hotties - Ollie Hicks & Emma Oosterhous 💖 Snake Charming - Genevieve McCluer 💖 The Witches of Silverlake - Simon Curtis 💖 Death’s Country - R. M. Romero 💖 Snowblooded - Emma Sterner-Radleygh 💖 Bird Suit - Sydney Hegele 💖 Farzana's Spite - Felix Graves

Historical 💖 The Good Women of Fudi - Liu Hong 💖 Spitting Gold - Carmella Lowkis 💖 Adrift - Sam Ledel 💖 A Heart Divided - Angie Williams 💖 A Liaison with Her Leading Lady - Lotte R. James

Mystery/Thriller 💖 The Deadly Spark - Roxie Key 💖 The Advice Columnist - Cade Haddock Strong 💖 The Lilies - Quinn Diacon-Furtado 💖 Loyalty - E. J. Noyes 💖 Clean Kill - Anne Laughlin 💖 Have You Seen This Girl - Nita Tyndall 💖 The Last to Pie - Misha Popp

Sci-Fi 💖 The Sunforge - Sascha Stronach 💖 Road to Ruin - Hana Lee 💖 Exile in Guyville - Amy Lee Lillard 💖 The Lily of Enarah - Arden Brax 💖 The Z Word - Lindsay King-Miller

[imkazz]

Can u do me a favor & drop that genmui playlist u mentioned? Also which song of that playlist is your personal favorite?

Maybe I’ll find a new song to obsess over <3

yessss (the description i have for the playlist is "pov we're teenagers in love and about to bleed out but i want to kiss you -genya" and that perfecty sums up how i feel about their relationship in the canon universe (not kimegaku) its sorta like right person wrong time) my favourite circulates but right now its "i wanna be your boyfriend" because it just feels like genya swooning over mui and it sounds so silly (i put them all in chronological order of how their love story lolll)

i wanna be your boyfriend - hot freaks

i wanna be you boyfriend, i wanna go on walks with you, i wanna have long talks with you (it just sounds like genya pining over mui what can i say)

hey lover - the daughters of eve

life's a problem in my hands, but if you really, really love me, in my heart, you'd be a big man (hey lover just sounds like something they would call each other)

beautiful boy - john lennon

beautiful beautiful beautiful, beautiful boy (just how he sings it is so sweet and how i imagine mui saying it to genya)

say yes to heaven - lana del ray

say yes to heaven, say yes to me, i've got my eye on you, i've got my eye on you (i could imagine genya whispering this in the middle of the night to mui)

paper rings - taylor swift

i like shiny things, but i'd marry you with paper rings, uhuh, that's right, darling, you're the one i want, and i hate accidents except when we went from friends to this (whimsical childish thinking that they would both survive the final fight)

i wanna be yours - arctic monkeys

secrets i have held in my heart are harder to hide than i thought, maybe i just wanna be yours (just them reciting their vows, both bleeding out and ready to die)

see you again - tyler the creator & kali uchis

can i get a kiss? and can you make it last forever, i said i'm 'bout to got to war, and i don't know if i'ma see you again (they're going to war and the song sounds like teenage love)

derniere danse - indila

je remue le ciel, le jour, la nuit, je danse avec le vent, la pluie, un peu d'amour, un brin de miel (translation has really pretty symbolism and it sounds like battle edit music)

daylight - david kushner

oh i love it and i hate it at the same time, hidin' all of our sins from the daylight, from the daylight, runnin' from the daylight (genya flashing back to his backstory)

muichiro tokito theme - samuel kim

0:31 - 0:45 (love the accompaniment of the bell with the rest of the growing music)

džanum - teya dora

ova duša nema dom, ova duša nema ton, crne zore, svеće gore, moje morе, moje more, moje more (the translation. omg.)

mr loverman - ricky montgomery

i'm mr loverman, oh, and i miss my lover, i've shattered now, i'm spilling out (genya worrying over mui during the battle. mic drop.)

softcore - the neighborhood

i'm too consumed with my own life, are we too young for this? feels like i can't move, sharing my heart, it's tearing me apart (they really were too young, and genya's fear of being useless)

chandelier - sia

i'm holdin' on for dear life, won't look down won't open my eyes, keep my glass full until morning light, 'cuz i'm just holdin' on for tonight (desperation to stay alive long enough to be useful during the fight)

wildest dreams - taylor swift

he's so tall and handsome as hell, he's so bad, but he does it so well, and when we've had our very last kiss, my last request is; say you'll remember me (mui just thinking genya would survive and he would die)

titanium - david guetta & sia

i'm bulletproof, nothing to lose, fire away, fire away, ricochet, you take your aim, fire away, fire away (muichirou telling genya to shoot even though genya could've shot him)

somewhere only we know - keane

and if you have a minute why don't we go, talk about it somewhere only we know, this could be the end of everything, so why don't we go, somewhere only we know (it sounds sad and the lyrics could imply an already-present relationship)

blood//water - grandson

we'll never get free, lamb to the slaughter, what you gon' do when there's blood in the water? (guilting kokushibo over killing two children)

[theowritesfiction]

I've only just started my deep dive into Year 2004 in music, and I already know what my song of the year will be.

Normally, I imagine I would treat Keane just like any other harmless pop music that simply fades into the background. But I believe that we all have those moments where a song or entire album resonates with something we're currently going through in our lives, thus attaining a far greater meaning than it otherwise would. So, I wanted to contextualize why Keane's 'Hopes And Fears' means so much to me.

At that point in my life, I was pretty lonely and depressed. My childhood friends had all moved on, and I hadn't really made any new friends in the college. That was when I really threw myself into writing fanfics and made some friends in Baldur's Gate fandom. Eventually, we decided to have a RL meeting and go together on a vacation. Keane's 'Hopes And Fears' was the album I listened on the eve of traveling to meet my friends.

Well, long story short, the friends I met became friends for life, and embarrassingly many years later, we still travel to meet every summer and spend our vacations together. This is why songs like 'Somewhere Only We Know' and especially 'Everybody's Changing' mean so much to me, because they're forever linked to the events that changed my life for the better.

[finnofamerica]

Original Characters

Aaron Jones: Blog (Faceclaim - Rahul Kohli & Raymond Ablack)

Age: Late 30s Early 40s Birthday: September 22nd Occupation: History Professor Sexuality: N/a Cannon Ships: N/a Aaron is a History Professor at the North Beach University. He enjoys photography in his free time. Avid Coffee drinker. Has a decently-sized apartment in North Beach. Older brother to Ryker Jones. Devon Reed: Blog (Faceclaim - Froylan Gutierrez)

Age: 22 Birthday: February 28th Occupation: Singer/songwriter for They Might Be Wolves, plays a multitude of instruments as well. Sexuality: Demisexual/Demiromantic Canon Ships: N/a

Devon Reed is quite introverted; he and his brother Everett moved into a duplex-style apartment together as soon as Everett turned 18. Everyone is quite protective of the youngest of TMBW. He is very slow to warm up to people.

Everett Reed: Blog (Faceclaim - Herman Tømmeraas)

Age: 28 Birthday: October 28th Occupation: Bassist and Lead Singer for They Might Be Wolves. Sexuality: Straight Canon Ships: Finnlyn Alexander

As the oldest of the group, Everett had always been the protector and fighter. He and Devon started TMBW as a creative outlet to cope with the abuse of their childhoods. Now, they are a semi-successful local band. Everett has a hard time letting people take care of him since he's taking care of everyone else.

Finnlyn Alexander: Blog (Faceclaim - Millaine Friesen)

Age: 24 Birthday: March 17th Occupation: Audio Engineer and Bookstore Cashier Sexuality: Straight Canon Ships: Everett Reed

Finnlyn spent the majority of her childhood in the foster care system until she was fostered by Venera's grandparents before Venera was taken in by them. Despite this, Venera and Finnlyn were never really close.

James "Dix" Dixion: Blog (Faceclaim - Max Barczak)

Age: 26 Birthday: July 25th Occupation: Lead Guitarist for They Might Be Wolves, Barista at Rise & Grind Coffee Sexuality: Chaotic Bisexual Canon Ships:

James, a.k.a Dix, is best friends with Finnlyn and Everett. He and Everett have been friends since kindergarten and will always follow Ev into a fight. He is often found with bruises (from the aforementioned fights) or hickies (He just likes making out with anyone and everyone). Josh is like a brother to him and will beat the shit out of anyone who has anything to say about Josh's sexuality.

Joshua Vaughn: Blog (Faceclaim - BooBoo Stewert)

Age: 27 Birthday: April 15th Occupation: Drummer for They Might Be Wolves, Barista at Rise & Grind Coffee Sexuality: Gay Canon Ships: N/a

Joshua Vaughn has a positive vibe bordering on the hippie of TMBW. As the second oldest, he is very protective and caring of Finnlyn and Devon. He was kicked out of his house as a teenager when his parents found out that he was gay. Dix's parents took him in, and the two have been inseparable ever since.

Leon Keane: Blog (Faceclaim - Kevin Creekman)

Age: Late 30s, early 40s Birthday: August 5th Occupation: Private Security officer Sexuality: N/a Cannon Ships: Venera Toth

Leon Keane is ex-military turned private security. Typically assigned to high-risk cases as a personal bodyguard until the threat is eliminated. Enjoys cooking. Rides a Motorcycle and drives a truck. He is a widower - his wife was murdered in their home while he was deployed (Before moving to America). Has a Scottish accent. Kit Hargrove: Blog (Faceclaim - Luanna Perez )

Age: 28 Birthday: June 21st Occupation: Boudoir Photographer Sexuality: Bisexual Canon Ships: N/a

Kit is a Boudoir photographer whose reputation often brings in business from out of town. She also enjoys hanging out in the North Beach University library and studying books on art and photography.

Ryker Jones: Blog (Faceclaim - ricky_aimee on insta)

Age: 25 Birthday: December 22nd Occupation: On-air personality and Board Operator for NSRB radio station Sexuality: Bisexual Canon Ships: N/a

Rides a motorcycle. Will stab a bitch. Designated drink holder at the bar. Basically, nocturnal runs the late-night show at NSRB. Younger sister to Aaron Jones. Venera Toth: Blog (Faceclaim - Holland Roden)

Age: 26 Birthday: January 15th Occupation: Book Store Owner Sexuality: Bisexual Canon Ships: Leon Keane

Venera is the Owner and Operator of Word to the Wise bookshop. She lives in a small apartment above the store. As an aspiring author, she spends most of her free time writing. Moved in with her grandparents (Previous owners of Word to the Wise) after her parents died in a car accident.

[beetlebethwrites]

Im not sure if this has been asked yet, but how would each RO react to receiving a spicy picture/text from MC while they’re working?

Matt would be pretty receptive to it. It would probably wake him up from the monotony of his job but he wouldn't reply too quickly; he doesn't want to actually get fired.

Eve wouldn't be comfortable receiving something like that while at work. She'd ask you to refrain in future, especially with pictures.

Alex would have to sneak off and reply in kind, it's their way and they do quite like sending a little spicy picture of themself. They're not shy in that way.

Jordan wouldn't be comfortable with it. They'd ask you to respect their boundaries and to not send them these kinds of things to them without asking.

Char would briefly look at it, play it off so well and then tell you that he can't look at this kind of stuff in the day but you'd be welcome to show them in person.

Bo-yeon would reply quickly telling you not to message this to xem while xe's at work. It's not appropriate and xe works hard to look as professional as xe can. That being said, xe wouldn't be unhappy to receive messages like that in other circumstances.

[kwebtv]

Character Actress

Julie Adams (born Betty May Adams; October 17, 1926 – February 3, 2019) Film and television actress, billed as Julia Adams toward the beginning of her career, primarily known for her numerous television guest roles.  

On television, Adams appeared on The Andy Griffith Show portraying Mary Simpson, a county nurse and romantic interest of Sheriff Andy Taylor in a 1962 episode. She also made four guest appearances on Perry Mason, perhaps the most notable being the 1963 episode, "The Case of the Deadly Verdict," when she played Janice Barton, Mason's only convicted client during the show's nine-year run on CBS. In 1963, she starred in "The Case Of Lovers Leap." In 1964, she played Janice Blake in "The Case of the Missing Button." In 1965, she played the role of defendant Pat Kean in "The Case of the Fatal Fortune." Adams appeared on The Rifleman as a dubious vixen and romantic interest of lead character Chuck Connors. She guest-starred in five episodes of 77 Sunset Strip, three of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and two of Maverick,  "The White Widow" and "The Brasada Spur", both with Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick.

More guest-star roles in popular television series followed, including One Step Beyond, Yancy Derringer, The Big Valley, in its classic episode "The Emperor of Rice", McMillan & Wife, Police Woman, The Streets of San Francisco, The Incredible Hulk, Cannon, Quincy, M.E., and Cagney & Lacey. Adams co-starred with James Stewart in all 24 episodes of The Jimmy Stewart Show on NBC in 1971–1972. Stewart played a professor, and Adams played his wife.  She was cast in the recurring role of real estate agent Eve Simpson for ten episodes of CBS's Murder, She Wrote.  (Wikipedia)

[thedarknone]

Two People by Bolesław Leśmian

Often a song sings in my soul, sad and forlorn, For two people, who so yearned to be lovers sworn. In a garden declaring their love in hushed voice, They fled from each other, their needs leaving no choice...

Never did the lovers meet, both being to blame; Time moved ceaselessly on, never staying the same. But they'd love again: reaching for a flower once more, They fell ill like no one had in the world before.

Under a maple tree, two beds, two shadows lay, Under a maple tree, two lovers passed away A hapless death charade, with neither taint nor sin, No happy tears or smiles, or loving glow within...

Their red lips faded to a cold purple of death, Such a pallid paleness the world had never met. They had desired to love on the eternal side, But love had ceased to exist, it too had died.

And lastly on bended knees at their luckless threshold They prayed in hope, but there was no God to behold. Their wills remained to Spring and to Summer's eve, Bent on life: but no more was there an Earth to receive.

Translated by Barry Keane

[weirdocartoongirl]

Misty's Band designs in GL2

Some fellow redesigns for suggest to be rename (formerly Infinite Rhymes) in Gacha Life 2.

Characters (in order):

Misty Rodman

Shoshana Nagorsky/Lunar RockStorm

Fletcher Woodrow/Wildfire Wolf

Christine O'Lawlor

Eve and Clement Keane

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

💖 Sapphic Books Coming Out May 2024

🩷 There's something especially sweet about a sapphic romance. Here are only a few of the amazing sapphic books hitting shelves in May 2024. Which ones are you adding to your ever-growing TBR?

Contemporary 💖 Here For the Wrong Reasons - Annabel Paulsen & Lydia Wang 💖 Perfume & Pain - Anna Dorn 💖 Cheryl - Jillian Fleck 💖 A Little Kissing Between Friends - Chencia C. Higgins 💖 Lavash At First Sight - Taleen Voskuni 💖 The Game of Giants - Marion Douglas 💖 We Were the Universe - Kimberly King Parsons 💖 Oye - Melissa Mogollon 💖 The Summer Love Strategy - Ray Stoeve 💖 Noah Frye Gets Crushed - Maggie Horne 💖 Halfway to Harbor - Nicole Melleby 💖 Sunhead - Alex Assan

💖 The 7-10 Split - Karmen Lee 💖 Trust & Safety - Laura Blackett & Eve Gleichman 💖 Second Night Stand - Karelia Stetz-Waters & Fay Stetz-Waters 💖 How It Works Out - Myriam Lacroix 💖 April May June July - Alison B. Hart 💖 The Ride of Her Life - Jennifer Dugan 💖 One Night With the CEO - Emily Hayes 💖 Dulhaniyaa - Talia Bhatt 💖 A Girl Can Dream - Emily Barr 💖 I Want You More - Swan Huntley 💖 Exhibit - R. O. Kwon 💖 Only a Bridesmaid - Haley Donnell

💖 Thirsty - Jas Hammonds 💖 Housemates - Emma Copley Eisenberg 💖 Don’t Be a Drag - Skye Quinlan 💖 True Love and Other Impossible Odds - Christina Li 💖 Murray Out of Water - Taylor Tracy 💖 The Redemption of Daya Keane - Gia Gordon 💖 Blame My Virgo Moon - Freja Nicole Woolf 💖 From Where We Are - Nicole Zelniker 💖 Cabin Fever - Tagan Shepard 💖 Channel Surfing in the Sea of Happiness - Guy Babineau 💖 Meet Me in Berlin - Samantha L. Valentine 💖 Behind You - Catherine Hernandez

Paranormal/Horror 💖 Primal Hunt - L.L. Raand 💖 Blood on the Tide - Katee Robert 💖 We Mostly Come Out at Night - (ed) Rob Costello 💖 Flowers from the Void - Gianni Washington 💖 My Darling Dreadful Thing - Johanna van Veen 💖 When the Devil - Emma E. Murray 💖 Honeybites - I. S. Belle 💖 My Favorite Thing Is Monsters - Emil Ferris 💖 The Worst Perfect Moment -Shivaun Plozza

Fantasy 💖 The Honey Witch - Sydney J. Shields 💖 The Fireborne Blade - Charlotte Bond 💖 Chained Destinies - D. Jordan Redhawk 💖 Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea - Rebecca Thorne 💖 Grand Slam Romance: Major League Hotties - Ollie Hicks & Emma Oosterhous 💖 Snake Charming - Genevieve McCluer 💖 The Witches of Silverlake - Simon Curtis 💖 Death’s Country - R. M. Romero 💖 Snowblooded - Emma Sterner-Radleygh 💖 Bird Suit - Sydney Hegele 💖 Farzana's Spite - Felix Graves

Historical 💖 The Good Women of Fudi - Liu Hong 💖 Spitting Gold - Carmella Lowkis 💖 Adrift - Sam Ledel 💖 A Heart Divided - Angie Williams 💖 A Liaison with Her Leading Lady - Lotte R. James

Mystery/Thriller 💖 The Deadly Spark - Roxie Key 💖 The Advice Columnist - Cade Haddock Strong 💖 The Lilies - Quinn Diacon-Furtado 💖 Loyalty - E. J. Noyes 💖 Clean Kill - Anne Laughlin 💖 Have You Seen This Girl - Nita Tyndall 💖 The Last to Pie - Misha Popp

Sci-Fi 💖 The Sunforge - Sascha Stronach 💖 Road to Ruin - Hana Lee 💖 Exile in Guyville - Amy Lee Lillard 💖 The Lily of Enarah - Arden Brax 💖 The Z Word - Lindsay King-Miller

[mongrelmutt]

My books read list for 2023! For the first time I met my goal of at least one book a week!! 😁

1. "A Conspiracy of Kings" -- Megan Whalen Turner

2. "Thick as Thieves" -- Megan Whalen Turner

3. "Return of the Thief" -- Megan Whalen Turner

4. "Vatican II" -- John O'Malley

5. "The Catholic Church: A Short History" -- Hans Küng, translated by John Bowden

6. "Confessions" and "Letter to Coroticus" -- St. Patrick

7. "Through the Brazilian Wilderness" -- Theodore Roosevelt

8. "The Wind in the Willows" -- Kenneth Grahame

9. "Period: The Real Story of Menstruation" -- Kate Clancy

10. "Star Wars: Padawan" -- Kiersten White

11. "Star Wars: Master and Apprentice" -- Claudia Gray

12. "Deep Down Dark" -- Héctor Tobar

13. "The Lost World" -- Michael Crichton

14. "Provida Mater Ecclesia: Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius XII Concerning Secular Institutes" (English translation) -- Pope Pius XII

15. "Frankenstein" -- Mary Shelley

16. "Kenobi" -- John Jackson Miller

17. "Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law" -- Mary Roach

18. "Trigun" and "Trigun Maximum" -- Yasuhiro Nightow

19. "Contagion of Liberty: The Politics of Smallpox in the American Revolution" -- Andrew M. Wehrman

20. "Gay and Catholic: Accepting My Sexuality, Finding Community, Living My Faith" -- Eve Tushnet

21. "The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth" -- Beth Allison Bar

22. "Turtles All The Way Down" -- John Green

23. "All Systems Red (Murderbot Diaries #1)" -- Martha Wells

24. "Artificial Condition (Murderbot Diaries #2)" -- Martha Wells

25. "Rogue Protocol (Murderbot Diaries #3)" -- Martha Wells

26. "Exit Strategy (Murderbot Diaries #4) -- Martha Wells

27. "Network Effect (Murderbot Diaries #5) -- Martha Wells

28. "Fugitive Telemetry (Murderbot Diaries #6) -- Martha Wells

29. "Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History" -- Erik Larson

30. "The Johnstown Flood" -- David McCullough

31. "The Last Days of the Dinosaurs: An Asteroid, Extinction, and the Beginning of Our World" -- Riley Black

32. "Beastly Brains: Exploring How Animals Think, Talk, and Feel" -- Nancy F. Castaldo

33. "The Rise and Reign of Mammals: A New History from the Shadows of the Dinosaurs to Us" -- Steve Brusatte

34. "Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Dog" -- John Bradshaw

35. "Evolution Gone Wrong: The Curious Reasons Why Our Bodies Work (or Don't)" -- Alex Bezzerides

36. "Immune: A Journey Into the Mysterious System that Keeps You Alive" -- Philipp Dettmer

37. "Catholicism and ADHD: Finding Holiness Despite Distractions" -- Alex R. Hey, PCAC

38. "The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery" -- Sam Kean

39. "An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us" -- Ed Yong

40. "Lesser Beasts: A Snout-to-Tail History of the Humble Pig" -- Mark Essig

41. "The Mind's Eye" -- Oliver Sacks

42. "Loveless" -- Alice Oseman

43. "The Monkey Trial: John Scopes and the Battle Over Teaching Evolution" -- Anita Sanchez

44. "The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet" -- Henry Fountain

45. "Kiki's Delivery Service" -- Eiko Kadono (translated by Emily Balistrieri)

46. "Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas" -- Jennifer Raff

47. "Ancillary Justice" -- Ann Leckie

48. "An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives" -- Matt Richtel

49. "System Collapse (Murderbot Diaries #7)" -- Martha Wells

50. "Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth's Most Awesome Creatures" -- Nick Pyeson

51. "Howl's Moving Castle" -- Diana Wynne Jones

52. "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" -- Shirley Jackson

53. "Sarah, Plain and Tall" and "Skylark" -- Patricia MacLachlan

54. "The Haunting of Hill House" -- Shirley Jackson

55. "All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings" -- Gayle Boss (illustrated by David G. Klein)

[notsaints]

#NOTSAINTS [ . . . ] a highly private + permanent low activity multimuse. content on this blog may be triggering, including but not limited to prominent themes of religion, death, violence, etc. do not interact if you are not 21+. muse list under cut. also can be found at drdebt, furters, backrows.

₀₁ CARRD. ₀₂ VISUALS. ₀₃ USFW. ₀₄ BOARDS.

television:

matthew kimble, the new adventures of old christine. mid 20s. therapist. bisexual.

reverend monsignor john michael pruitt (father paul), midnight mass. actually 80 but appears 40 ish. vampire. bisexual.

rupert giles, buffy the vampire slayer. mid 40s - early 50s. librarian, watcher. bisexual.

eve polastri, killing eve. early 40s. mi6 agent. lesbian.

carlton lassiter, psych. 48. head detective. closeted homosexual.

shawn spencer, psych. mid to late 30s. psychic detective. bisexual.

lucifer morningstar, lucifer. immortal. the devil. bisexual.

mazikeen smith, lucifer. immortal. a demon. bisexual.

eve, lucifer. immortal. the first woman. bisexual. no fc.

simon ferguson, over the top. washed up actor. early 50s. bisexual.

rupert mannion, ted lasso. mid 60s. bisexual but extremely in the closet.

film:

spencer rabbit, carter & june. crime boss. 44. homosexual.

shilo wallace, repo! the genetic opera. housebound daughter. 17.

jack daniels/agent whiskey, kingsman. secret agent. mid 40s. bisexual.

mr. (john) boddy, clue. merely a humble butler. early 30s. unknown.

julian marx, upgraded. renowned british artist faking his death for better sales. mid 60s. homosexual.

originals:

marcus white: serial stalker, professional chameleon, general pos. early 40s. hamish linklater fc.

michael west: bastard who copes with abandonment issues & heartbreak with drugs & alcohol. generally slutty. ceo by inheritance. vampire. permanently 28. anthony head fc, but use your imagination.

by request (send me a dm first):

russell edgington, true blood. vampire. 3000 years old. homosexual. canon divergent.

beverly keane, midnight mass.

johnny laguardia, times square. nyc radio show host. late 20s. bisexual.

larry gormley, blue money. irish cab driver with dreams of stardom. mid 30s.

for more information about each muse, please see my carrd. questions are welcome at any time about any character.

[sonnetthebard]

I’ll Be Home For Christmas- A Holloduke Oneshot

Summary: While Duke Keane is struggling with the loss of a friend he can barely remember, he receives an unexpected visitor.

Genre: Light Angst/ Fluff

Words: 4528

Content Warnings: Death of a loved one- grief is a pretty central theme.

Sometimes he still saw her. 

It was silly, he thought. She was gone. He knew that. Holloway was dead. But he was convinced that it was more than just reminiscence. He saw her, felt her, heard her… all of it. It was like pieces of her were left behind, just waiting for him to find them. In a cup of warm coffee from the new Tim Hortons taking the place of Miss Retro’s. In the laughter of a group of kids on their way home from school. In Holly’s vivid red hair- which was probably the most constant reminder, given how it got everywhere. In the strung-out melodies from the local music stores. In every piece of retro memorabilia he saw. She was still everywhere in their little island town, and he could feel it.

It was funny how deeply he could feel about someone who he remembered so little about. He’d talked to his psychologists about it. They’d narrowed it down to a coping mechanism- that his brain was reacting to an intense amount of grief by censoring her from his mind. It happened all the time, they said. He couldn’t even remember what she looked like anymore- only vague details. The large, red hair. The denim. Those eyes. But the clarity of her features… it was gone. The precise details of their memories were fuzzy. The only thing he could remember clearly was that he’d loved her. Maybe that was why he couldn’t let go- why the entire situation hurt so much that he’d repressed his memories. Because he’d never told her. He’d never gotten that closure. 

This time, he’d gotten it at an open mic night. And it was the silliest thing. It was the night before Christmas Eve. Someone was singing I’ll Be Home For Christmas- the old Bing Crosby version- and though he couldn’t explain why he got such a strange sense of deja-vu. He knew it was from her. He could feel it. He couldn’t get a grasp on the full memory, but it was almost like he could hear her singing it. He’d had to leave- which sucked because some of the kids he was working with were performing later in the night. They’d started a band. He had been so proud to get to see them and what they’d been up to- especially since it sounded like the music was helping. It was going to be hard explaining to them why he’d left. But it had just gotten so overwhelming that he couldn’t stay. 

And now, as he lay in bed wide awake, he could still hear her. He hadn’t heard her voice since she’d died. God, it was beautiful. She was beautiful. His eyes welled up with tears. He’d been there when she died- that’s what people told him. That he’d been the one to call 9-1-1. He couldn’t remember how it happened. How sad was that? He’d watched the woman he loved die, and he couldn’t even remember it. He closed his eyes, trying to force himself to sleep, but the tears still slipped out, rolling down his cheeks. He held his blanket close, trying to find comfort in some form. It always hurt more around the holidays. He felt a warmth around him, letting out a shuddering sigh as the song ended for what seemed like the millionth time that night. He just couldn’t get her out of his head.

“Heya Duke.” A voice lilted gently. He opened his eyes, confused. It was too clear to be in his head. The hairs on his back raised, and he blinked blearily to rid his eyes of tears before freezing. “What’s with the tears?”

“No…” He breathed softly, blinking again as though trying to reset his eyes to see things properly. Because there was no way what he was seeing was real. From a purely logical standpoint, there was no way someone could have broken into his house and sat on his bed without him noticing. But on top of that, the red hair, the denim… those eyes. It was like someone had opened his eyes and he was finally seeing clearly, but what he was seeing wasn’t possible. She was dead.

“No?” She tilted her head, nudging him softly. “Come on, Duke. I thought we were friends. You never had trouble talking to me before.”

“Stop it.” Duke sniffed, turning over in bed. “Go away. Or… wake me up. I don’t want to have this dream.”

“Duke…” Holloway sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“No.” Duke let out a choked sob, once again into full-blown tears. 

“I didn’t know it would hurt you this much.” Holloway tried. 

“Even if you had, would it make any difference?” Duke snapped, looking back at her. He quickly found himself looking away again. It was still too overwhelming. His voice went quiet. “You died. It’s not like you had much of a choice in the matter.”

“I think we both know that I’m not dead.” Holloway tried to soothe him. “I’m right here.”

“This is all in my head, Holly.” Duke sighed softly. “Every time I feel you, it’s in my head. Nothing is going to change that.”

“Duke…” Holloway adjusted her position so that she could look directly at him, taking his hand gently and rubbing circles on the back of it with her thumb. Something in the room seemed to shift, and Duke felt something drawing him to look at her. He finally regained the courage to look him in the eyes, only to find a tinge of yellow in them. “I’m not dead.”

All at once, everything seemed so clear to Duke. Every hazy memory returned in vivid color, overwhelming him with new thoughts and emotions. He couldn’t cry. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t even move with the weight of what he was processing. He just lay with eyes wide as he tried to sort through information and make sense of everything. Holloway moved her other hand to his head, running a hand through his hair. He wasn’t quite sure how long it was before he found himself capable of speaking again. 

“Holliday, huh? That’s kinda sloppy…” He muttered. 

“I’ve never been the most creative with names.” She shrugged. “So you remember?”

“Yeah…” Duke breathed. “I… This is kinda all my fault, isn’t it?”

“Not at all.” Holloway assured him. “It was time anyways.”

“How am I remembering you?” Duke asked, still in awe. 

“A little something I’ve been working on.” Holloway smirked. “It’s not a permanent fix- I’m working on that. But-”

“It’s not a permanent fix?” Duke cut her off. 

“Not yet.” Holloway winced. “You might not have been too far off when you called it a dream.”

“Damn it…” Duke cursed. 

“But it’s something for now.” Holloway tried, before sighing. “Listen, if I could let you have those memories without everything going to shambles, I would-”

“I know.” Duke sighed, cutting her off. “I know you would.”

“Can we just try to enjoy the time we’ve got now?” Holloway asked softly. 

“How much time have we got?” Duke checked. 

“About eight hours,” Holloway told him. “Give or take.”

“Well then… I guess we’d better get started.” Duke started to move. “If this is a dream… is it like a lucid dream? Can I control my environment?”

“Well… if you tell me what you want, I can make it happen.” Holloway chuckled. 

Duke bit his lip, an impossible decision in front of him. He had eight hours to do whatever he wanted with her before it all went away again. And he had thought about so many things they had never gotten to try. So many firsts he’d wanted to do with her. Theoretically, he could pick them at random, because no matter what he did he wasn’t going to remember this. But that didn’t feel right. If he was getting eight hours with the woman of his dreams, they were going to be special. And then it hit him- it was Christmas. Well, technically Christmas Eve, but this was a dream. Precision wasn’t super important. They could do all the Christmas things he’d wanted to do. He’d never gotten to have a Christmas with her. Hell, he’d only just gotten to kiss her before she disappeared. He smirked softly, taking her hands.

“We’re going skating.” Duke told her, getting out of bed and pulling her towards the door. 

“Duke, you’re forgetting something.” Holloway chuckled, flicking her wrist. 

In that simple motion, Duke found himself in matching Christmas sweaters with Holloway. His was green with snowflake motifs, and hers was red with matching motifs. Of course, you could see less of hers- it was covered by a denim jacket. She really couldn’t go without it. This of course meant that they were both wearing jeans. She had a trademark look. Duke took a good look at both of them, before chuckling. He wasn’t going to hear the end of this from her. He’d been fully ready to galavant around town on their date in his pajamas. Perhaps his excitement had gotten the better of him. 

“Sorry.” He blushed, though the smile on his face seemed permanent.

“You’re a mess without me, aren’t you?” Holloway teased.

“If only you knew…” Duke chuckled bittersweetly. 

“I do.” Holloway softened. “I’m still looking out for you, though. I promise.”

“I know.” Duke assured her, before leading her out the door. “Come on! We’ve got a lot to do today.”

“Don’t tire me out too much.” Holloway smirked, following him out. “D’ya wanna go in my ride?”

“Is that a question?” Duke scoffed playfully. Holloway rolled her eyes playfully before flicking her wrist again, her car appearing. 

“So where are we skating?” Holloway asked.

“City Hall?” Duke suggested. 

“It is always so lovely this time of year…” Holloway hummed contentedly, starting the car. Duke immediately reached to fiddle with her radio, landing on the first Christmas station he could find. Holloway rolled her eyes playfully as she started to drive away. “Seriously?”

“I never got to spend a Christmas with you.” Duke raised his hands defensively. 

“Ok, I did holiday sweaters because I thought it was cute, but… you’re not seriously going to make me go on a stereotypical holiday date, are you?” Holloway smirked.

“Maybe?” Duke blushed. “We’re gonna skate, bake some cookies, make a snowman… I promise it’s going to be fun!”

“It had better be.” Holloway chuckled. “This is my Christmas gift to myself.”

“To yourself?” Duke blinked. 

“Yeah.” Holloway shrugged, before giving him another light smirk. “God, if you thought you missed me, just imagine how this has been for me all these months.”

“Really?” Duke softened. 

“I guess there’s an added layer for you because you think I’m dead.” Holloway considered. “But… just seeing you and knowing that I can’t approach you- that I can’t walk right up to you and comfort you like I want to. Tell you that you haven't lost me yet. It hurts, Duke.”

“I can only imagine.” Duke hummed. “We need to work this out soon…”

“I’m trying…” Holloway promised him. 

“I know.” He assured her, before sighing. “Sorry. I know I said we weren’t going to focus on-”

“I’d be an idiot if I thought it wasn’t going to come up.” Holloway cut him off. “Besides, I kind of started that conversation. I’m alright, just as long as we don’t let it take over our whole day.”

“I’ve missed you.” Duke smiled softly. 

“I’ve missed you too.” Holloway blushed. 

______________________________

“Douglas Keane, what made you think this was a good idea?” Holloway let out a belly laugh. 

“I don’t know, it seemed romantic!” Duke blushed, trying and failing once again to find his footing on the ice. He landed flat on his butt for the fifth time in the past minute he’d tried to get started on the ice. 

“Not if you don’t know how to do it!” Holloway snickered, helping him to his feet and holding his hands firmly in hers. “Don’t let go, okay? I’ll help you get going.”

“Fine.” Duke blushed, holding onto Holloway as she started to skate backwards. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.” She soothed him, giving him a reassuring smile. “I get it. You were trying to do something sweet. Let me return the favor.”

“Ok.” Duke chuckled softly, letting her pull him along. Slowly, he started to relax into it. As he did, he started to enjoy it more. After a few minutes, Holloway rolled her eyes playfully. 

“You could help me out a little though.” Holloway teased him. 

“What?” Duke blinked. 

“You could move a bit of your own weight.” Holloway chuckled softly. “You know… skate.”

“See, that’s where I started having troubles before.” Duke chuckled softly. 

“But before, you didn’t have anyone supporting you.” Holloway pointed out. “Go on. Just try a few steps.”

“Are you sure I’m going to-” Duke started to ramble. 

“Just try.” Holloway cut him off, laughing. 

“Fine!” Duke blushed. 

He tried taking a few strides… and much to his surprise, he stayed upright. He wasn’t failing. He was gliding. Duke started to chuckle almost excitedly, still holding onto Holloway’s hands tightly. She grinned back at him, sharing in his excitement. And at that moment, Duke was fairly certain that he could never be happier. Skating with her, looking into her eyes and seeing that joy and pride. Being that proud of himself. He never wanted it to end. He just continued to glide, looking into her eyes, as she started to smirk back at him. 

“Wanna take it a step further?” She offered him. 

“Further?” Duke blinked. Holloway kept smirking, before letting go of one of his hands and moving to skate forwards beside him. Duke’s eyes widened before he realized that he was still upright. He beamed. “Holly, I’m doing it!”

“Yes, you are.” She beamed proudly. “I knew you could. Sometimes it just takes a minute to get your footing… and a bit of support.”

“I’m glad that I have you beside me.” Duke squeezed her hand gently. 

“You always will.” She promised. “Soon, I’ll probably even let you in on my secret again.”

“I’ll always be here for you too.” Duke assured her. 

“No, you won’t.” She smiled bittersweetly. 

“What?” Duke blinked. 

“I was here before you, and I’ll be here after you.” Holloway told him. “That’s just a fact of life for me.”

“Well… I’ll be here as long as I can be.” Duke tried.

“You know what? I think you really will.” Holloway smiled, before letting go of him, and skating ahead. “Bet you I can skate faster than you!”

“I’m pretty sure you’re right!” Duke laughed, before starting to race her up the ice- thoughts of failure or falling as far away from his head as they could be. 

______________________________

A few hours passed- most of which had been spent on the ice, and about an hour of which had been spent building an attempt at a snowman that they’d named Kingsley. They’d laughed and smiled their way through all of it. It felt like they would never stop laughing and smiling- and neither of them wanted to. Now, they were in the kitchen trying to make cookies. It was going relatively well- Holloway was a good baker. Their only disruption was Holly- the cat- being a cat, and being in the kitchen. Which was actually quite a bit of a disruption, all things considered.

“Holly, no-” Duke started to chide, as Holly’s adventure across the counter resulted in their bag of flour and carton of eggs tipping onto the floor. Holly simply turned to him, letting out a soft meow in return, before continuing. He sighed. “You know the worst part is that I can’t stay mad at her.”

“Who could?” Holloway cooed gently at the cat before setting the tray of cookies she was holding in the oven. She seemed to freeze in realization for a moment before pivoting back to him. “Her name is Holly…”

“Uh… yeah.” Duke blushed. 

“Is that short for…” Holloway checked. 

“Yeah.” Duke looked down, now a beet red. 

“She does kind of look like me.” Holloway chuckled softly, picking the cat up. “I mean, look at that beautiful mane…”

“Yeah…” Duke chuckled nervously. 

“Duke… it’s alright. I don’t think it’s weird.” Holloway assured him. “I’m flattered. I don’t think there could be a higher compliment ”

“You mean the world to me.” Duke told her. 

“Clearly.” Holloway smiled softly, before looking at Holly, who meowed up at her. “Yeah? Do you know you’re the prettiest girl?”

“Maybe not the prettiest girl.” Duke smirked, easing up a bit more as he saw more and more of her reaction. Holly mewed up at Holloway, as though talking back to her.

“Oh no, she’s definitely the prettiest.” Holloway cooed. “You know, I brought her into this because I knew how much she meant to you… I can’t believe it took me this long to figure out why.”

“Wait. Are you saying that’s actually her?” Duke blinked. 

“Well… her consciousness. She’s here in her dream just like us.” Holloway explained. “I would’ve just made a copy of her like I did with everything else, but I didn’t want her personality to be off. That would kind of ruin everything.”

“So we’re spending our fake Christmas with her too?” Duke lit up, walking over to gently pet her. She nuzzled into his touch. 

“Yeah… we’re like a little family.” Holloway smiled softly. Holly meowed up at her. “You like the sounds of that, princess?”

“I think she does.” Duke hummed softly. “I know I do.”

“Do me a favor this time, if I can’t make you remember… make your move quicker.” Holloway chuckled, setting Holly down on the ground and moving to look at the cookies in the oven. 

“You know, you could make a move or two yourself.” Duke smirked softly. 

“I could, couldn’t I?” Holloway smirked back. She sauntered back over to him, a hand behind her back, before pulling it out to reveal she was holding a sprig of mistletoe. She held it over their heads, her smirk widening, her eyes glinting with mischief. “How do you like that move?”

“I like it a lot.” Duke blushed, grinning boyishly. 

Duke took a moment just to take in the situation- something he’d done many times that night. In a way, it didn’t feel real. And in many ways, it wasn’t. That was something he was fully aware of. But it was the both of them there. He had gotten his time with her back, if only for a little while. He really was standing there again, smiling down at her. About to kiss her. This was everything he’d dreamed of since the night he’d started to forget. As always, he found himself stuck in her eyes, dreaming of what was to come for them. Maybe he could remember enough to get things started for the two of them. Maybe this could be real again, sooner rather than later. A light chuckle snapped him from his trance.

“Then what in the world are you waiting for?” Holloway prompted. Duke blinked, still semi-stunned. She pulled him down gently by the collar. “Are you going to make me make all the moves?”

“Sorry…” Duke mumbled, blushing. Holloway rolled her eyes. 

“Stop apologizing.” She smirked, before leaning in for a gentle kiss. Duke kissed back just as gently, pulling her just a bit closer by the waist. She hummed softly, smirking into it, before pulling away. “Now was that so hard?”

“It’s not that it’s hard…” Duke blushed. “It’s just that I’ve been waiting so long- and so have you. And I just… I get a bit lost in that.”

“I’m just playing with you.” Holloway softened. “I know how overwhelming all of this can be. Take it at your own pace- and if my teasing is ever feeling more like pressuring, tell me to shut up. Okay?”

“You know I’m never going to do that.” Duke chuckled softly. Just then, the oven dinged. 

“I’ll grab those if you get the cat.” Holloway hummed. 

“If I get the…” Duke muttered, blinking before he noticed that Holly had somehow managed to pry the fridge open. He made his way back over to her, starting to chide her as he picked her up. “Holly! Just what do you think you’re doing?”

“She’s on a milk heist.” Holloway smirked as she set out the cookies to cool. “Smart girl!”

“I was going to get you milk, but now I can’t.” Duke sighed, grabbing some water from the fridge instead and putting it in her bowl. “If you behave, you’ll get some later.”

“You know, I really hope you get kids someday.” Holloway smiled softly. “You’d make the best dad.”

“Maybe.” Duke chuckled softly. “For now, Holly’s keeping me busy enough.”

______________________________

Later that night, Duke sat with Holloway in front of the fireplace, one arm around her and one cuddling Holly close. Holloway was playing some carols on the guitar, humming along to them. The room was warm, the ambience was right, and they were full on cookies. Nothing could make this better.  Should they have eaten an entire batch of baked goods? Probably not. There was enough there for at least six people. But it wasn’t like there were going to be any real-life consequences to their actions. Holly was, of course, full on milk and tuna. She got to have her treats too. Duke sighed, counting his blessings while he still had the time to do so. 

One such blessing was, of course, getting to see Holloway in her element. A smile on her face, a guitar in her hands… she was so genuinely at peace. Happy. That’s all he ever wanted for her, he supposed. Happiness. Whether it was with him or elsewhere. The thing was, now he knew it was with him. And he knew that in around fifteen minutes when he woke up on Christmas Eve, he wasn’t going to know that. He wasn’t even going to know where to find her. He was trying his best to push any thoughts of the waking world from his mind so that he could at least enjoy the time he had. 

“Hey, Holly… is it possible since this is like a lucid dream that I will remember it?” Duke tried. 

“I told you, Duke- you’re not the one in control.” Holloway soothed him. “I am.”

“Still… I’m fully aware that it’s a dream. Does that count for anything?” Duke looked down. 

“I’m sorry.” Holloway sighed. “I really am trying, Duke. And I know this was selfish of me, getting my fill of you while you can’t do the same. I’ll make it up. You know, maybe you’re right. I do need to make the first move this time.”

“I’d appreciate it if you did.” Duke smirked softly. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m stuck in a bit of a rut over you. I could use a fresh start with a pretty girl.”

“I’ll never stop looking for a way to bring all of this back. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll figure out a way to let you know my whole story while I’m at it.” Holloway rested her head back on his shoulder. She continued to play her guitar, sighing softly. After a few moments, Duke spoke up again. 

“I love you.” He muttered, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. 

“Really? I couldn’t tell.” Holloway hummed sarcastically. 

“I know, right?” Duke chuckled softly. “I only named my cat after you.”

“Maybe I need to get a cat and name it Duke.” Holloway smirked playfully. “Give Holly a friend.

“Oh, she’s awful with other cats.” Duke smirked back. “She’s only social around people- no matter how hard I try.”

“Sometimes that’s just the way we’re built.” Holloway smiled softly. There was a beat of silence between them. “You know I love you too, right?”

“Oh, thank god!” Duke hummed, contentedly but sarcastically. “I was starting to wonder…”

“Oh shut up!” Holloway giggled- a rare occasion, which served to make Duke grin with pride. He sighed, checking the time. 

“We’ve got anywhere from five to ten minutes.” He told her, his smile becoming more forced as the gravity of the situation settled on him.

“Anything else you wanna squeeze in before you go?” Holloway asked gently. 

“Play me one more song.” Duke squeezed her shoulder gently. “Sing for me.”

“Any song requests?” Holloway smirked. 

“You choose. You’ve got good taste.” Duke prompted. 

Of course the song she chose had to be I’ll Be Home For Christmas. He wasn’t entirely discounting the possibility that maybe that entire scenario with him having to leave the open mic night had been orchestrated by her. It did seem to nicely tie their entire situation together- wrap it cleanly with a bow. It was bittersweet how perfectly the song iterated it. Just hearing it helped him to brace himself for what was to come. And, in a way… it was the perfect way for her to say goodbye again, with fewer tears. As the song started to come to an end, he felt everything start to fade. As hard as lhe clung to it, he knew it wouldn’t last. This was it- for now. He wrapped his arms around Holloway from behind, his eyes welling with tears. He didn’t want to go.

I’ll be home for Christmas… if only in my dreams.

______________________________

Duke’s eyes opened blearily. He wiped at them instinctively, only to find tears in them. His dream from the night before was fading fast, as dreams tended to do. But he knew why he was crying. That much was obvious. He’d seen her again- Holloway. Those were always the sweetest dreams, and the hardest to wake up from. Especially since he could never remember the details. Not even what she looked like. Only how he felt. Everyone told him that would fade with time- and he didn’t blame them. He told the kids he worked with the same thing all the time. But when something was this strong, it never would. He was convinced of it. He heard his phone ring and he reached for it haphazardly.

“Hello?” He muttered.

“Heya, Duke!” A voice responded cheerily on the other end of the phone.

“Miss Holliday.” Duke lit up instantly. “What’s up?”

“I was wondering if we could grab a coffee today, maybe at the new Tim Hortons?” Holliday asked. “I have some things that I think we need to talk about.”

“Sure.” Duke nodded, moving to get out of bed and get dressed. “Is a half hour okay?”

“A half-hour is perfect.” Holloway chuckled. “See ya soon, Duke!”

Duke hung up the phone, before speedrunning his morning routine. Miss Holliday was someone he’d been meaning to get to know better. There was something so alluring about her. Something that gave him the weirdest sense of déjà vu. He set out Holly’s food and milk, giving her fur a gentle ruffle.

“I’ll be back soon, little lady.” He promised, grabbing his coat and heading for the door.

It was Christmas Eve. What better time for new beginnings?

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