#festival offers variety

[lionheartlr]

Exploring Belgium: A Comprehensive Travel Guide

Belgium, a charming country nestled in Western Europe, offers a rich tapestry of history, culture, and modernity. This guide will take you through Belgium’s history, colonial past, political landscape, education system, and practical travel information, ensuring a delightful and informed visit. A Brief History of Belgium Belgium’s history is a blend of influences from Roman times to modern-day…

[ldydeath]

You’re the Only One | Kwon Ji-yong (G-Dragon)

Summary: Ever since you broke up with Jiyong you’ve been miserable. You fly out to his show to surprise him and get him back, but will he still want you? Warnings: Mild Language Author’s Note: This is a sequel to We Were Never Meant to be, which you can read here. I am obsessed with his look from yesterday and had to give them another shot. 

It had been three months since you’d moved out of Jiyongs place. Three months since you’d broken both your hearts because that’s what you thought was best. Turns out you were miserable without him and you’d heard through mutual friends he was too.  You weren’t usually the one to go back on your word, but how long were you supposed to wait to be happy? If this had been the right decision you wouldn’t be checking in on his life, waiting to see if he posted something cryptic about how he was doing everyday. You wouldn’t pick up the phone wanting to call him all the time.

Sure you’d had your problems there at the end but maybe that really was just because he’d been so stressed about the upcoming album, variety show, and world tour. Maybe you’d been a little too selfish to think he needed to fit you into that schedule. You should’ve been there for him more, like he’d always been there for you when you needed him.

Jiyong had always been big on romantic gestures so you hoped as you flew the few short hours to Thailand that he’d actually be happy to see you. He was playing a festival that night and Daesung, his always loyal friend, had promised to help pull this surprise off. You weren’t going to see him until after his set and you knew he had a flight straight back home so you had to move quickly. 

“Hey!” Daesung's cheerful voice greeted you as you made your way backstage. “You made it!” 

He embraced you in a warm hug and you smiled up at him. It was good to see him, even if it felt weird that he was the one greeting you. You could hear Jiyong’s laughter down the hall and your heart clenched. All you wanted to do was run to him, tell him you loved him, and never let him go again. Daesung smiled at you before leading you to his room. 

“He’s on right after me, if you want to watch from the stage.” You nodded, opting to watch Daesung’s set from the safety of his room. Once he was done, you grinned at him. “That was amazing!” 

It had been so long since you’d seen him perform his own set, it really was like the old days again. Except that you weren’t here with Jiyong, not technically. You watched the start of his set with Daesung in his sitting room before you both agreed that it was probably safe to watch the rest up close.

You knew his routine in his old songs so well, he’d be too distracted to look your way. You watched proudly as he moved around the stage without missing a beat. You’d seen his performance in December and January through crappy live feeds, seeing him in person was so much better. It was as if no time had passed, as if he’d never forgotten who G Dragon was. It truly was a sight to see. 

He’d just gotten done run-rapping across the stage when his eyes met your and his breath caught in his throat. He’d officially gone crazy, right? He shook his head, his hands going to mess with his hair and he turned his gaze towards the fans. He only had a couple songs left. He’d get himself checked out with medical right after. Maybe the heat was finally getting to him. Maybe he just needed to take his jacket off. He shrugged out of it, turning to throw it backstage but there you were again. What the fuck? 

You hadn’t wanted to be caught, not while he was busy, but you offered him a small smile of reassurance and he raised a brow at you, clearly confused before turning back to finish his set. You noticed that he made it a habit to not turn towards you for the reminder of his songs. That was fine, you were enjoying the view either way. Maybe you shouldn’t have been though.

Your heart started racing the second his set finished and the lights went dark. You hadn’t exactly practiced what you were going to say when you came face to face with your ex, you figured you’d just let your heart speak for you. But now here he was and you had nothing to say.

“Hi.” Smooth. He blinked at you before moving to walk past you. “Jiyong, wait.” 

He turned slowly as if afraid that once he did you’d be gone. He blinked a few more times before ushering the dancer and his security away. You saw Daesung poke his head out of his sitting room before quickly ducking back inside.

“What are you doing here?” There was nothing malicious in his words but you still couldn’t help the panic rising in your body. Your heart really needed to slow down. 

“I missed you.” You bit down on your bottom lip, making eye contact with him. “I think maybe I made a mistake with this whole breakup thing. I’m miserable, I can’t get you out of my head. I honestly don’t think I want to. I love you so much, I’m going crazy.” 

His arms were around you before you could even register what was happening. You melted into him, wrapping your arms around him, burying your head in his chest. You didn’t even mind that he was drenched in sweat as you breathed him in. It just felt nice to be close to him like this.  

“I missed you too.” He mumbled into your hair. His heart thumping so loudly in his chest he thought you’d might be able to hear it.

It didn’t matter anymore that you’d broken his heart. The late nights he’d spent awake trying to find the words to make you come home, or how fucking lonely he’d felt releasing songs, going to shows, and launching his show without you by his side. It didn’t matter anymore because he was holding you and that broken piece inside of him had healed the second he’d met your eyes. 

Without any hesitation he bent down, his finger lifting your chin until your lips met his and he practically devoured you. Every ounce of pain he’d felt over the last few months poured into that kiss, but so did all the love he still felt for you. You held onto him tightly, pulling him closer never wanting this moment to end.

When he finally pulled away, you felt dizzy. Bringing a hand up to your chest, to calm your breathing, you dared a look at him and he was grinning at you. You couldn’t help but grin back, his smile had always been so contagious. 

“I love you. Can we please try again?” His eyes were wide as he asked the question and your heart just about leaped out of your chest. 

“Yes, if that’s what you want. I want it too.” He nodded at your words, his hands reaching to grip yours.

“All I have ever wanted is you. None of this has ever meant anything without you. Please come home.” 

You nodded your head at him and he leaned in to kiss you again. He turned, leading you down the hall and towards the awaiting car. This is where you belonged, it had just taken you some time to figure it out. Once you were both in the car you leaned over to peck his check. You were never going to make the mistake of leaving Jiyong again. You were his and you’d be his for as long as he’d have you. And he would have you forever if he had any say in that. 

tag list:@wcnderlnds @alosss-blog @sooyasya @dprvivi @infinetlyforgotten @mirahyun @loveesiren

[mrs-stans]

Sebastian Stan Is “Still Shaking” After Getting Two Golden Globe Nominations

On the heels of recognition for both The Apprentice and A Different Man, Stan speaks to Vanity Fair about his “surreal” journey to awards recognition, as well as being nominated in the same year as Pamela Anderson.

BY SAVANNAH WALSH

It’s not every day that an actor earns a Golden Globe nomination, much less two in the same morning. But Sebastian Stan joined the likes of Selena Gomez and Kate Winslet on Monday by getting dual Globe nominations. “It’s certainly surreal,” he tells Vanity Fair, “still sort of shaking from it.”

Stan secured recognition for both his dramatic turn as Donald Trump in The Apprentice and his more comedic performance as a tormented aspiring actor named Edward in A Different Man. It is the first time that a male performer has pulled off double nominations in the lead acting categories since Ryan Gosling managed to do it back in 2012. “Listen, one of my favorite actors of all time,” Stan says. “I’d be very glad to be in that little stat with him.”

In the early hours of nomination morning, Stan was getting some shuteye—or, at least attempting to. “I actually woke up in the middle of the night at 4:00, and was like, Oh, okay, there’s an hour and a half. I fell asleep again, and then I got a call from my publicist,” he tells VF. Since then, “I’ve been sending a lot of pictures to my mom.”

Some excitement is to be expected, especially when considering what it took to get both of Stan’s nominated films to the screen. “I never would’ve dreamt that I was going to be going to the Globes with both of these films, I never would’ve dreamt that both of the films would’ve come out in the same year,” he says.

Aaron Schimberg’s A Different Man sat in limbo for two years before debuting on the festival circuit this year. At the Sundance Film Festival, it was acquired by A24 for a fall release. The film then screened in Berlin, where Stan won the Silver Bear for best lead performance. Meanwhile, The Apprentice, directed by Ali Abbasi and written by Vanity Fair special contributor Gabriel Sherman, premiered at May’s Cannes Film Festival to positive reviews. But the film faced a treacherous road to distribution in the days before the 2024 presidential election.

“To even be in one room with both films is not something that’s ever crossed my mind,” Stan says. “So, I’ll be digesting that probably throughout the holiday season.” The recognition for each movie feels extra gratifying because “they both felt really challenging in terms of what the roles we’re requiring,” he says, “obviously one being one of the most famous people in the world, with a lot of people having very strong feelings about [him], and many, many impressions having been done. How do you go in there and find something new, or try to offer a different perspective?”

As it turns out, bringing a young Donald Trump to life during the dawn of his fortuitous relationship with Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong, now Globe-nominated for best supporting actor in a feature film) was only half the fight. Stan recently opened up about the struggle to promote The Apprentice in the wake of Trump’s re-election, including having to pass on Variety’s Actors on Actors because other participants were reluctant to talk about the president-elect.

“The movie has had a really uphill battle since Cannes,” says Stan, who also recently nabbed an Independent Spirit Award nomination for the movie. “It’s been hard for people to have permission to express how they feel about the movie, and today feels very gratifying in terms of having the Golden Globes recognize the film, and the work. It feels like hopefully going forward people can feel okay talking about it, and see it.”

Stan earned his first Globes nomination for playing Tommy Lee in 2022’s similarly controversial based-on-a-true-story project, Pam & Tommy. How does he feel to be nominated in the same year as the real-life Pamela Anderson, who became a first-time nominee for The Last Showgirl? “I’m so happy for her, and [it’s] so well deserved. It’s a beautiful film and a beautiful performance,” says Stan. “From our end, this was always part of the goal and the intention [of the series]—to somehow shine a light where it hasn’t been shined before, and hopefully contribute in a way [to her success]. So yeah, I’m ecstatic for her.”

Stan is also rooting for many of his other fellow nominees. “My two favorite films of the year are Sing Sing and A Real Pain,” says the actor, who then praises one of his competitors in the musical/comedy lead actor race. “Jesse Eisenberg, I want to say congratulations to him because he’s somebody I worked with years ago, in 2006 [via Fred Durst’s feature directorial debut, The Education of Charlie Banks], and the man’s a genius. I love that movie so much.”

He also spotlights The Substance, a film that, along with a release date, also shares themes with A Different Man—more specifically, issues of transformation and fixation on physical appearance. “There were a lot of articles that kind of put us together, in terms of the themes of the movies,” says Stan. “But they’re unique in the sense that they are original. Sing Sing, A Real Pain, I should say Anora while I’m at it—to be able to have films that are standing on their own without any IP, or anything about them that we know but their true original film storytelling, is amazing.”

The Globes are seen as something of a precursor on the way to potential Oscar gold—but Stan isn’t getting ahead of himself. “The fact that we’re here today in itself is such a massive step, but it is very much a one day at a time experience,” says the 42-year-old. “As an actor in this community, besides the work that you do on the day, when you go home at night and feel like you’ve left it all on the field, there’s nothing more gratifying than the actual recognition of your peers. I’ve been doing this for 20-some odd years, and I’m pretty grateful. So, knock on wood, and whatever happens next happens—but we’ve already won in a major way.”

[twostepstyless]

Elves Wanted

Main Masterlist

SFW

Author’s Note: Y/N and Harry are drama students from two separate drama schools just looking to make some extra money over the Christmas period. Colleagues to friends to lovers ig? No major warnings I don’t think, maybe a tiny little chat about Christmas being a hard time of year. 

This is my first piece of writing in a looooong long time, so please be gentle  

As always, likes, reblogs and feedback of any variety is encouraged and always appreciated - G x 

Word Count: 7.7K+

It was the middle of November when Y/N saw it. The poster looked threatening. A large font, emboldened and in scary looking shade of red. The paper had gone a bit wrinkly as if it had been clutched tightly in a hand full of piles of the same advert printed over and over again. A contact email was printed multiple times along the bottom on tear-off tabs of paper, the fact that only one tab containing the address was missing added to the overall unappealing look of the advertisement that Y/N found on the ‘Opportunities’ board in the reception of her drama school. It looked threating compared to the opportunity it was offering. 

ELVES WANTED was printed at the top of the sheet followed by a short, bulleted list of qualifications:

Must have an enthusiastic and friendly personality

No experience necessary

No maximum height limit!!!

Great pay for festive season!

DBS checks will be carried out. 

Illustrations of holly leaves and berries bordered the A4 advert and severe looking underlines on the next steps asking for a headshot and CV to be forwarded to the recruiter’s email attached to the tear-off slips. A mall elf. Santa’s little helper. Y/N didn’t think it was the worst gig she could have in the world. Another thing to add to her CV she supposed. She realises she’s trying to convince herself into doing it and she was of the mindset if you had to convince yourself something is a good idea, it probably isn’t. But the Christmas holidays were looming and her student loan never in a million years could stretch towards Christmas presents and the zero hours contract she had a greasy spoon café down the road from her flat was certainly not helping either. She was desperate for consistent income to see her through Christmas. So, with a sigh, she ripped off the email information. 

***

Across the city, Harry was stood in front of an advert on the ‘Opportunities’ board in the reception area of his drama school. Harry frowned, then leaned in closer to get a better look. He read the poster twice, then a third time, and despite his better judgment, he felt a strange pull. There was something ridiculous about it, something he couldn’t quite shake. The idea of becoming an elf at Santa’s Grotto in a shopping centre, a 6-foot (on a good day at least) elf at that, on the surface, was completely mental. But then again, he thought back to the acting gig he had over Christmas last year and thought anything would be better than that. Plus, he loved Christmas really, and getting to spread a bit of joy can only be a positive thing. He rubbed his temple as though to clear his thoughts, still staring at the flyer. ‘Great pay’, the poster said. That was tempting. What the hell? He could be an elf for a month. Maybe there was something strange and fun about playing a cheerful holiday character—something a little whimsical and different from his usual typecast as a tortured soul or brooding romantic lead. Harry's lips quirked into a smile. “I can totally do this,” he muttered to himself, snapping a photo of the requirements and ripping off the contact email and shoving it into his pocket. 

***

Y/N trudged back to her flat after leaving uni, fell into her bed and fished out her laptop to send her email to the elf recruiter. She attached her most recent headshot and newly updated CV and sent it off to the email address she clung onto. As her laptop screen faded to black, she caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection of the screen. She didn’t look happy. She looked knackered actually, with heavy dark circles around her eyes. The past few months had been a lot. Exhausting, frustrating, and filled with self-doubt. She’d just finished a semester of intense Stanislavski system classes which were emotionally, physically and psychologically taxing when she was applying them to the acting pieces she was performing. She longed for a break, for something to remind her why she had fallen in love with performing and acting in the first place. Maybe this odd elf job would do that—maybe she could rediscover some joy in performing, even if it was just a month or so of prancing around in stripy tights and painted on rosy cheeks.

Y/N sighed and shook her head, but a small smile crept onto her lips. Why not? she thought again, maybe she could learn to appreciate Christmas again. 

***

Winter had truly set in the next week when Y/N arrived at the shopping centre’s service entrance. The wind nipped at her face, the only bit of her not covered up by woolly or fleece fabric. Despite the cold, there was a gentle hum of festive energy beginning to spark. She had her phone open directing her to the disused unit nearest the newly built grotto which they had turned into a dressing room and break room for all the actors who were going to be working there over the holidays. She had to agree there would be something distinctly unmagical about a child seeing the elf that had shown them to Santa, or the big man himself, walking through the mall with a backpack over their costume to catch the tube home.  

This was it—the first day of her “elf job,” as ridiculous as it seemed. She still wasn’t entirely sure what she’d gotten herself into. At least Noelle seemed nice enough as a manager when they’d spoken over zoom after Y/N applied. (Y/N still wasn’t sure if that was her actual name or that Noelle just loved Christmas that much, she’d given it to herself, she wouldn’t be shocked if it was the latter) And hey, it wasn’t like there was anything else on her schedule at the moment, classes having broken up for an extended Christmas break this week to allow the students to pick up winter acting gigs. 

The smell of cinnamon and something distinctly chocolatey wafted through the air as she hurried through the shopping centre, the disused unit between the small Boots (the big boots was on the second floor) and Clarks shoe shop was her end goal with a note to show up at 8:30 to be assigned her costume, meet their Santa and the other elves and to be talked through what their role was and what do before the kids started arriving to meet Saint Nick at 10:30 A.M. 

She was first there. Not a shock, she’s notoriously early to everything. Just Noelle in the space, ticking Y/N’s name off the list attached to her clipboard and urging her to pull up a chair until the rest of her colleagues arrived. Tubs of celebrations and heroes cracked open on the tables for the employees to pick at if they were on break. 

Y/N quickly snagged a Malteser one from the red tub knowing those were her favourite but always the first to run out in a box of Celebrations. As she rammed the chocolate into her mouth a deep, slow voice called out.

“Hey! Are y’here for the elf job too?”

Y/N looked up. A boy—no, a man—was walking toward her, a friendly smile on his face. He was tall, like worthy of stating in your dating profile tall, with chocolatey, perfectly tousled hair like he’d just ran his fingers through it and it fell perfectly. His cheeks were also flushed from the cold, and there was an energy about him, an air of confidence that could potentially approach cockiness, but not in a dickhead way, a way that made Y/N feel suddenly self-conscious. She straightened up, trying to look more confident.

“Uh, yeah.” Fuck, she still had the half-chewed Malteser sweet in her mouth, she swallowed it harshly. “I am, yeah,” she said, his voice coming out a little awkwardly. 

The man laughed lightly, as if sensing her discomfort, and stuck out his hand. “M’Harry. S’my first day, too. So, we’re in the same boat.”

Y/N hesitated for a second before shaking his hand. His grip was firm, and his-Harry’s eyes sparkled with a kind of warmth that she wasn’t used to.

“Harry,” she said. “Yeah, I figured I wasn’t the only one.”

Harry raised an eyebrow, glancing around. “Have y’seen the costumes?” he asked with a grin. “Noelle was pulling the rail out as I came in,” he nodded towards the rail now in Y/N’s peripheral, “and not that I’m biased towards the fact me n’you are here first… but I think we’re going to look the best.” 

Y/N snorted, suddenly picturing the pair of them in the green and red get up she could see swinging around on hangers that Harry pointed out. “Yeah, right. I’m not sure there is a looking the best in those but I’ll try not to look too much like a walking, talking Christmas tree.”

Harry laughed again, his voice light and carefree. “You could be a very stylish Christmas tree. And if not, I’m sure the kiddies will love you anyway. I mean, it’s hard t’look serious in tha’.”

Y/N had to agree. She could see tiny bells on the tips of the curly toed shoes and around the base of the pointy hat that were jingling in an absurdly cheerful way as Noelle pulled the rail up towards the congregating elves, more of whom had arrived in the time she had been speaking to Harry not that she noticed them arrive. 

“I’m guessing you’ve done this before?” she asked.

“Nope,” Harry replied with a shrug, his eyes crinkling with a smile. “But I’m an actor, so literally trained in fake it til I make it.” She glanced at him knowingly. “I’m sure you can, too.”

There was something about the way he said it, so effortlessly, as if being an actor was the most natural thing in the world. Y/N felt a pang of recognition. She was the same way, always pretending like she had her shit together when, in reality, she felt like she hanging by a thread the vast majority of the time.

“You’re an actor, too?” she asked, as Harry pulled a twirl out the box of heroes and snaffled it down just as quickly. 

“Yeah,” he said round the mouthful of chocolate, “Where d’you go?” 

 “Oh, I’m at RADA,” she said with a sheepish smile, as though it were no big deal. “How about you?”

“The Conservatoire,” Harry replied in a similar tone. “It’s… kind of intense there. Everyone’s obsessed with Shakespeare n’like fuckin’ Laurence Olivier,” he chuckled. His voice tinged with self-deprecation. “Which is fine, and y’know same but sometimes it feels like m’in an endless cycle of waiting. Auditions, classes, workshops, more auditions…” He trailed off, realizing he was rambling. “Though suppose you’re the same at RADA,” He finished.

Y/N’s eyes softened a little. “I get that. Sometimes it feels like I’m auditioning for my own bloody life instead of actually living it, and the constant seriousness can really knock the wind out of it and make you forget why you started acting in the first place.” She leaned back against her chair, crossing her arms. 

“At least this elf job is different. It’s kind of nice to do just… do something fun, you know?” Harry suggested.

Y/N nodded, a little surprised by the ease in which he found the bright side. There was a grounded quality to him that she hadn’t expected, especially when he said he attended the conservatoire. He didn’t seem to be caught up in the competitive, high-strung nature of their shared world, or if he did, he was doing a damn good job of hiding it.  Maybe it was his willingness to embrace something as silly as playing an elf that made him stand out to her.

“Yeah, you’re right,” she said, letting out a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. “I think I’m just overthinking it. Like, this is the first thing I’ve gotten in a minute that’s actually paying me, and I’m being weird about it. Plus, I’ve got the perfect excuse to wear a fun outfit for a month,” she giggled, hoping to match his blasé attitude. 

Harry smiled back, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes. “Exactly!” 

Before their conversation could go any further, Noelle, decked out in an obscene Christmas jumper with glittery yarn and flashing lights stood at the front of the now full room.

“Hiya chookies! Welcome to your first day as Santa’s helpers!” she said brightly in her bubbly Welsh accent, clapping her hands together. “I’ve spoken to you all before but just to reintroduce I’m Noelle and I’ll be your manager for the duration of this job! You’ll be working alongside our Santa Claus, Arthur, bringing the magic to life for all the little ones we’ll have coming to visit right up until the 24th of December. You’ll mostly be working in pairs which I can split you up into- or I see most of you have split into little groups already so that will do just lovely too!” 

At the mention of already being in pairs, Harry and Y/N’s eyes flickered up to each other’s with a small smile from Y/N and a wink from Harry that made Y/N’s stomach swoop as he mouthed ‘partner’ at her. 

Noelle continued, “so we’ll get you costumed and your elf’s name assigned to you, then we’ve got a few little training things to get through before we kick off the festive season with our first visitors at 10:30!” 

***

The rest of the morning was a blur of final costume adjustments, training videos about handling children, and learning the ropes of the “Santa meet-and-greet” routine. Introduce, smile, take the kid to Santa, reassure any nervous little ones, pass out candy canes til you’re blue in the face, and sprinkle as much magic and joy in there as possible as they went. As 10:30 approached, Harry found himself standing next to Y/N at the edge of Santa’s grotto ready for the first batch of children to arrive. 

Through the noise of the shopping centre, chatter and the beep of checkouts and the rush of activity, Harry caught Y/N’s eye and offered her a dazzling smile. “Well Sugarplum,” he said, now referring to Y/N as her Elf name, as was required in their training, his voice low enough for only her to hear, “here we go. Let’s see if we can make some Christmas magic without completely embarrassing ourselves.”

Y/N laughed softly, knocking her hip against his playfully. “You’ll do great. Just remember to smile like you mean it and even if we’re pretending that it’s the most magical moment of your life.”

Harry rolled his eyes but found himself smiling anyway. “I’ll try my best. Elf-ing is harder than it looks I reckon.”

As the first family approached the line, Y/N leaned closer to him, her voice playful. “Ready to bring some joy to the world, Jingles?”

“After you, my jolly little elf,” Harry said with a smile, feeling something spark between them that he couldn’t quite name, their shoes jingling as they bounced forwards to greet their first family. 

***

The first shift was chaotic.

Y/N had been bracing herself for the madness of it all, but nothing quite prepared her for the relentless pace of the Santa meet-and-greet. From the moment they arrived at the grotto and workshop themed area, complete with twinkling lights, piles of fake presents, an enormous, fluffy teddy bear in the corner and nutcrackers as tall as Harry, it was clear that the role of an elf was not as simple as it seemed.

The instructions from Noelle had been brief—"Smile, be enthusiastic, don't get in Santa's way, and make sure every child gets their gift!"—but in practice, it felt like a never-ending whirlwind. The line of eager little children accompanied by parents and carers lapped around the grotto and down the hallways of the mall and the air buzzed with the excited chatter of families, the high-pitched giggles of toddlers, and the occasional wail of a child whose feet hurt from waiting or was a little scared of the man with the round belly and red suit. 

Y/N was feeling the initial confidence boost Harry gave her, waver. The green tunic was a tad itchy, the makeup to paint her cheeks rosy was 100% going to cause her a spotty breakout and the pointy shoes, which she’d thought would be a fun novelty, now felt like they were cutting off the circulation to her toes. She was supposed to be cheerful and welcoming, but every time she smiled, it felt a little forced. And then there was the jingle. The tiny bells attached to the hem of her outfit, hat and tips of her curly shoes made every step a clinking reminder that she was no longer the serious actor she aspired to be. No, now she was an elf, and that meant every footstep seemed to ring with the joyful spirit of Christmas. 

"Alright, Sugarplum!" Harry’s voice cut through the noise as he slid into place next to her. "You’re doing great! Just keep smiling!" His eyes twinkled with mischief, and Y/N couldn’t help but return his grin, even if it was more of a grimace.

“I’m not sure I’m pulling off the ‘joyful, Christmas spirit’ look,” she muttered, glancing at Harry. “I think the kids can tell I'm not really feeling it.”

“Oh, please,” he teased, adjusting his own costume, he had managed to twist one of the legs of his red tights around his leg as he peeled them up when he got changed and seemed completely unbothered by it. “You look like you just stepped off of an elf runway. Like we are North Pole Fashion Week right here. Autumn/Winter 2024’s finest!”

He was, in fact, a burst of holiday cheer. His costume fit well, minus the small problem with his tights. His movements were smooth and confident, and he had this way of leaning into his role that made it seem effortless. Every time a child came up to him, he greeted them with enthusiasm, making silly faces to the young ones who couldn’t talk yet, or twirling around to make them squeal and giggle.

Y/N, on the other hand, had already almost fell onto the nutcracker when a child approached her from behind. 

***

"Hey, Elves!" a little girl said in a high-pitched voice, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She was maybe seven years old, with a haughty expression on her face that both Harry and Y/N couldn’t help but find hilarious. "I want a unicorn for Christmas."

“Uh, okay, a unicorn,” Y/N repeated, trying to channel the enthusiasm Noelle had instructed them to have. “Is that, like, a stuffed unicorn or an actual unicorn?”

The little girl stared at her blankly. “A real one. With wings.” As if that was obvious, Y/N thought.

Y/N blinked. “Oh… right. Well, I think we’ll need to ask Santa if he can make that happen. Santa has magical powers, you know, isn’t that right Jingles?” she gestured to Harry, desperately wanting to involve him in this conversation to get it over with quicker.  

“That’s absolutely right Sugarplum, but I’m not sure the unicorn’s gonna make it through customs...” Harry trailed off

The girl raised an eyebrow. “I don’t care about that. I want a unicorn. With wings.”

“Understood.” Harry nodded seriously. “I’ll put in the request to Santa’s workshop immediately.” Y/N couldn’t help but laugh at Harry so turned away to get her giggles out as she organised the piles of gifts for the kids as the little girl continued on.

She gave a dramatic sniff before turning to her adult and questioning, “mummy why does that elf have all those on him?”

“All what, princess?” The little girl’s mother barely took her eyes off her phone while responding to her. 

“All those drawings,” she pointed her sticky looking hand to Harry while her mother finally looked up and over with distaste to see Harry’s lower arm exposed from where the fluffy cuffs on his tunic had ridden up, exposing the inky swirls that littered his arm.  

“I got these in prison,” Harry said to the child, seriously. 

“HARRY,” Y/N shouts whipping her head round from the reorganised piles of presents and a series of giggles. 

“Um, its Jingles to you, Miss Sugarplum,” he responded to Y/N with a sly look in his eye before turning back to the little girl, “I broke a lot of elf and safety rules,” he nodded with a sad sort of soft smile as the girl and her mother moved farther up the queue and away from Harry and Y’N’s section.

“You’re going to get sacked,” Y/N laughed. 

“Nah, no chance, I don’t reckon there’s any understudies for elves, I’m just trying to brighten the place up, they say Christmas cheer is spread through laughter,” Harry said reaching for one of the candy canes they had in a bowl to give out to customers.  

“No one says that” Y/N responded.

“Wel, I did just then,” Harry smirked before shoving his newly unwrapped candy cane between his lips. 

***

Y/N found herself laughing more, letting go of the relentless pressure she usually placed on herself. She still had moments of doubt, but they were becoming less frequent. And more often than not, Harry was there, laughing with her, encouraging her to embrace the more sparkly, joyful side of things.

By the end of the week, both Harry and Y/N were beginning to look forward to their shifts—not just for the pay check, but because of the time spent with each other. Their friendship was growing, deepening in those small moments of shared joy. They spent their breaks together, sharing their lunches and swapping stories about their schools, about their aspirations, about everything and nothing.

“I jus’ couldn’t face doing panto again this Christmas for some work experience, last year I ended up in a production of Cinderella at holiday park in the arse end of nowhere and let me just tell you never again,” Harry said round mouthfuls of the Subway sandwich he’d ran to go pick them up on their joint lunch break.

“You didn’t?!” Y/N gasped dramatically, putting her own sandwich down. 

“I did.” 

“Oh no you didn’t,” Y/N refuted.

“What y’on about? I did, I played Buttons.”

“Oh no you didn’t!” Y/N teased.

“Oh no you didn- OH ha ha, very funny,” Harry rolled his eyes playfully.  “But yeah I had to stay in a static caravan for the length of the run, and not one of those nice, posh static caravans with the deck and did y’know some of them have actual baths in ‘em too? It was a shit one, that smelt of damp and sand from the beach and had a scorch mark on the carpet from the fan radiator someone had put on upside down, the thing probably would’ve looked better if it had gone up in flames.”

***

It was the week before Christmas, when the shopping centre was at its peak. Crowds of shoppers were everywhere. Pushing, jostling, and frantically checking their lists. Santa’s grotto had gotten busier and busier and December went on, and Harry and Y/N were in the thick of it, dodging around children, parents, and cameras, keeping up the relentless pace of their elf duties. 

They were stationed in the photo line, dishing out candy canes left, right and centre to anyone who didn’t already have one clutched in their hands. The music overhead had transitioned from classic carols to the more upbeat, catchy tunes—"Jingle Bell Rock," "Last Christmas," and, of course what’s Christmas without a little bit of Mariah. 

“Honestly, feels like Christmas exploded all over this place,” Harry muttered to Y/N as a child skipped past them, jingling her own set of bells in her hair. He adjusted his own costume and shot a glance around at the sea of red and green. “I love Christmas but even I’m starting to feel a little less Santa n’a little more Scrooge.” 

Y/N’s grin was infectious. “I know, right? But I think I’m starting to really love it rather than seeing this as a quick, easy wage every week. It feels like a big Christmas party every day and really is starting to put me in the mood for the 25th.”

Harry snorted. “You’re a better elf than I’ll ever be then. I’m about two seconds from snapping the candy canes and calling it a day.” 

Y/N chuckled, her eyes glinting mischievously. “You could do that. But you’d be the elf who shows up on the ‘Naughty List,’ and frankly, I don’t think you want that reputation,” Y/N shrugged playfully.

“Well, there’s always next year,” Harry replied with a wink.

As the hours passed, the atmosphere only intensified. The mall was bursting with excited chatter, laughter, and the occasional tantrum from an upset child. Harry was starting to feel the weight of it all—the constant smiling, the relentless energy. He glanced over at Y/N, who seemed unaffected by it all. She was laughing, her face flushed from the warmth of the crowd, her energy infectious, but Harry couldn’t shake the feeling that she was hiding something—something more than the seemingly newly discovered holiday cheer that seemed to shine out of her pores like the lights round the Christmas trees. There was a depth to her that he couldn’t quite place. A vulnerability that was hidden beneath her new, bright exterior. He had seen it before, right at the start of their run—brief moments when her eyes grew a little distant or when she would zone out during a particularly quiet lull. She seemed melancholic a lot of the time at the beginning but the closer they got to Christmas her personality seemed to do a switch to the most utterly joyful person you could ever come across. Harry didn’t buy it, not completely anyway. 

After another round of photos, a break finally arrived. It wasn’t much—only fifteen minutes—but it was enough for them to run off to their break room to rest their jingled feet. Harry slumped down in his seat, taking a long, deep breath of the slightly cooler air of their break room. He caught sight of Y/N across the room, filling up a glass of water each for them from the cooler.

"Hey," Harry said, his voice a bit quieter now. “Y’alright?”

Y/N looked up at him, her eyes wide and a little startled by the question. She blinked a couple of times, as if trying to shake off some thought she’d been lost in.

“Yeah, of course,” she replied quickly, offering a bright smile. “I’m just… y’know. Trying t’make the most of the break.” She gestured vaguely around; the room was empty bar the pair of them.

“Right,” Harry said, but there was something in her tone that didn’t quite match the smile she was giving him. He knew her well enough by now to see that something was off. It was slight, subtle even, but it was there.

He took a deep breath, feeling that the awkwardness of the moment would pass if he just said it. “Look, Y/N... I don’t want to make you uncomfortable n’just tell me t’fuck off if I’m overstepping or anything… but I feel like there’s more going on with you than you’re letting on.”

She froze for a moment before placing the now full glass of water in front of Harry. Her eyes shifted to the floor, her expression briefly faltering before she met his gaze again.

“You’re talking about the personality transplant I’ve had in the last few days, aren’t you?” she asked with a small laugh, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Harry shook his head. “No. I mean… yes. But not just that.” He pulled the chair next to him round to an angle so they would be basically facing each other eye to eye as he encouraged her to take a seat. Lowering his voice slightly. “I know m’not the best at reading people, but I can tell y’hiding something. You’re not as… I don’t know… there’s something not quite right about the smile you’re painting on, right?”

Y/N’s smile faltered, and she glanced away. “I’m fine, Harry. I promise.”

But Harry didn’t buy it. He didn’t know what it was, but there was something in her voice, a tone as if she was trying to convince herself of the fact and not just him, that made him feel that she wasn’t fine.

“Y/N, m’not trying to make you talk about anything you’re not ready to share,” Harry said gently. “But… you can’t just bury everything under the elf costume and the smiles. It’s okay to not be okay sometimes,” he said with a soft smile as he nudged his knee against her own. 

The room was silent. Y/N chewed on her bottom lip, clearly battling with something. Harry held his breath, waiting. Finally, she sighed deeply, as if the weight of it all had become too much to carry any longer.

“I didn’t want to bring it up, s’a bit of a mood killer at this time of year,” she said quietly, her voice thick with something Harry couldn’t quite place. “But... I guess I’m just tired. Not physically—well, kind of. But emotionally. I don’t know… I’ve been pretending a lot this year.”

Harry watched her, his brow furrowing. "Pretending?"

Y/N let out a shaky breath and nodded. “My family... my dad... this time of year is always hard for me. Christmas is supposed to be happy, right? But it just... reminds me of everything I’ve lost. Things that don’t work out. People who move on.” She paused, her voice trembling just slightly. “I didn’t want to let it affect my job here. I didn’t want to ruin the fun, or the magic… and I guess it’s been a lot.”

Harry felt a pang of sympathy for her. The words hung in the air like fragile glass, and he could see how much it had cost her to admit it. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say, he just nodded, understanding. “I get it,” he said eventually. “Y’don’t have to keep pretending, though. Not round me anyway.”

She gave him a small, relieved smile, but there was still sadness behind her eyes. “Thanks, Harry,” she whispered, almost as if she were speaking to herself. “I think I just needed someone to hear it. Even if it’s just for a second. I’m just… knackered,” she sighed.

Harry leant closer, offering gentle smile his hand reaching down to squeeze her knee. “Anytime. You know that.”

For the last few moments of their break, they just sat there, sipping on their water and cooling down for a bit, the noise of the shopping centre drifting in from the distance. Harry didn’t push her to say more, but they both knew something had shifted between them in that moment. Y/N wasn’t just his elf colleague anymore. She was a person with a past, with scars, with feelings. And Harry wanted to be there for her, even if it meant just offering an ear if she needed it.

And maybe she just needed to know that someone was there to listen, even someone she met working at Santa’s Grotto.

The break ended with the sound of a loud cheer coming from the main concourse of the shopping centre, where a new group of children had gathered to see Santa. Y/N downed the rest of her water and gave her cheeks a few quick pats to wake herself up, as if the moment of vulnerability had never happened, and smiled at Harry.

“Ready for round two?” she asked, her voice lighter than before.

Harry nodded. “Let’s do this Sugarplum.” And for the first time in a long while, Harry realized that sometimes, just being real with someone else was the greatest gift of all.

***

The day before Christmas was a blur of lights, music, and the constant hum of holiday energy. For such a manic day, it was a slow one. Harry had stopped counting the hours long ago of his shifts long ago; it was just a matter of getting through the day, but with Y/N by his side, it felt bearable. Their friendship had become a steady constant, something Harry looked forward to in the midst of the holiday madness. They spent their breaks together, talked about everything and nothing, and found little ways to make each other laugh.

But today felt different. There was a quiet tension in the air between them, an unspoken awareness that lingered longer than usual. It was approaching midday on Christmas Eve, the final shift before the big day. The mall was packed, the halls full of families rushing to get those last-minute photos with Santa, children buzzing with excitement. Harry and Y/N had just finished their break and were back on as Jingles and Sugarplum, standing in front of the grotto. They had gotten good at this—good at smiling until their cheeks hurt, good at posing for photos, good at handing out candy canes like it was second nature. But today, something felt… off. Something wasn’t quite as simple as it had been before.

“Last day,” Y/N said, adjusting her costume, the bells twinkling and punctuating her sentence, her tone almost too casual as she looked around at the busy area. “Can y’believe it’s finally Christmas Eve?”

Harry shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. “It kind of feels like we’ve been doing this forever, doesn’t it? Like, time doesn’t even work anymore.”

“Yeah,” she said softly, her eyes scanning the crowd. Then, turning back to Harry, her gaze lingered a moment too long. “You know, I’ve actually really enjoyed this. Not the work, obviously, but… the time we’ve spent together. It’s been…” She hesitated, glancing down at her costume before meeting his eyes again. “Nice. A break from my usual, I guess.”

Harry’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t say it directly, but there was something in her voice that made him wonder if she felt the same way he did.

“I get that,” he said, his voice a little quieter than before. “It’s kind of hard to explain, but I feel like we’ve gotten into this rhythm. You know what I mean?”

She smiled, that familiar, easy smile that made him feel like he was the only one in the room. “Exactly. We’ve somehow survived this madness, and now it’s almost over.”

As they stood there, exchanging glances with the busy families waiting in line, Harry couldn’t help but feel a sense of… finality. He had been dreading the end of this gig, not because he didn’t want to go back to the conservatoire and his classes after break but because he didn’t want to not see Y/N every day. The idea of her becoming just another friendly face in the crowd of his life was akin to one of Shakespeare’s tragedies to him, he didn’t want that at all.

“You’re right,” he said slowly, “I don’t want it to be over. This... thing we’ve got going on, I mean.”

Y/N paused, her eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion. “What do you mean, ‘this thing’?” 

Fuck, Harry thought as looked down at his hands, suddenly feeling self-conscious, a rarity for him. Maybe he was reading too much into it. Maybe he was just imagining that there was something between them. But the way her voice softened when she spoke to him, the way they laughed together, the way he felt this inexplicable pull towards her. 

“This thing where it’s easy to talk t’you. Where we don’t have to pretend with each other,” he said carefully, his heart pounding a little harder in his chest. “Where… I don’t know… I feel like I can be myself at least.”

She blinked, processing his words. Her expression was unreadable for a moment, but then her lips curled into a slow, thoughtful smile. “I know what you mean,” she said softly. “It’s like… we don’t have to be perfect all the time, right? Like, we can just… be. Together.”

The way she said the word “together” sent a small shiver down Harry’s spine. He could feel the air between them shift, and suddenly, he wasn’t sure if it was just the holiday magic, or something more. Something deeper.

He took a deep breath, stepping a little closer to her. “Y/N, I—”

Before he could finish his sentence, a loud wail from a child pierced the air, cutting through the moment like a knife. The child, no older than six, was tugging at her mother’s sleeve, refusing to get anywhere near the front door of the grotto where on the other side she’d meet Santa. Her voice was a screech of fear almost, desperate to leave.

Harry and Y/N immediately snapped back into their roles, the brief, intimate moment forgotten in an instant. It was as though the world had snapped back into its chaotic rhythm. Harry plastered on his best elf smile and turned to the mother, ready to jump back into character.

“Everything okay here?” he asked, though his mind was still racing with the things he had almost said to Y/N.

Y/N, ever the professional, was immediately by Harry’s side, kneeling down to the little girls height. “Hey there sweetness, I’m Sugarplum and this is my pal Jingles,” she said in a gentle, soothing voice nodding to Harry who waved at the shy little girl. “Y’know, Santa’s not so bad. Look, we’re elves and have worked with the big man for forever, and we think he’s pretty cool, isn’t that right Jingles?” 

The little girl sniffed, wiping her nose on her sleeve of her little red coat, before glancing up at Y/N and Harry with watery eyes. “Really?”

“Absolutely!” Harry said with a wink, before he too knelt down to the girls’ level, his voice bright and reassuring. “Santa’s just a big teddy bear. In fact he gave me this,” Harry pulled a candy cane from his pocket with a flourish, “t’give to you before we go in and see him!”

The girl seemed to hesitate for a moment, before nodding slowly reaching out to wrap her fingers around the candy cane Harry held out to her, “Okay…”

As the little girl settled, Harry couldn’t help but glance over at Y/N. She had a way with the kids who were a little scared or nervous, a warmth that made him admire her even more. She always knew exactly what to say, always had the right level of energy to make them feel better. It was something he’d noticed before, but today, it felt like a piece of the larger picture. When the little girl finally took a seat on the stool next to Santa’s chair and was yapping away listing off things she wanted for Christmas as well as things she thinks he should give her baby brother, Harry and Y/N exchanged a smile at a job well done. 

As the rest of the day wore on, the mall’s energy peaked and then began to mellow. The final families arrived, children almost vibrating with excitement at Santa’s imminent arrival, parents frantically snapping photos. In the quiet moments between families, Harry found himself stealing glances at Y/N. She was still the same—cheerful, warm, effortlessly glowing—but there was a new layer between them now, an unspoken understanding.

Finally, as the evening came to a close, the last group of families having exited with their pictures in hand. Santa waving a big goodbye to any straggler groups citing that he had a long night ahead of him and had to go see Mrs Claus before he set off on his journey around the world. Harry and Y/N were left alone in the grotto, it was just the two of them now, standing in the glow of the Christmas lights, the last traces of holiday music playing softly in the background.

Y/N turned to Harry, her eyes locking with his. “I guess this is it,” she said softly, her voice quieter now, almost hesitant.

“Yeah,” Harry replied, his heart beating just a little faster. “It’s weird. I kind of thought it would feel like a relief when it was over, but… now it’s here, it feels… wrong, somehow.”

Y/N smiled softly, stepping a little closer to him. “It’s not over, Harry. It’s just… different now.”

He swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper. “I hope so.”

And then, as if drawn by an invisible force, they both leaned in, just inches apart. The air between them was charged, the magic of Christmas, the long month and a half of working side by side, and the undeniable pull they felt toward each other all converging in that one perfect instant.

Before Harry could think too much about it, Y/N closed the small gap, her lips meeting his in a kiss that was soft, tentative, but filled with something deeper—something neither of them could deny any longer.

The moment held, timeless and sweet, as they finally gave in to the feelings that had been building between them, and as they pulled back, breathing in the shared warmth of the kiss, it was clear to both of them: this was only the beginning.

“D’you think we can go get changed now? I never want to see or feel another pair of fucking tights anywhere near my legs for a long, long time,” Harry said as Y/N burst into fitful giggles her face slumping against his shoulder as she laughed

***

They had swapped numbers early on in their job, Harry’s suggestion since they were paired together in case one of the two were to be poorly or running late but had never used those numbers. As much as Harry’s fingers twitched to do so. 

They separated outside the mall after their kiss, both rushing off to get to their families to spend Christmas Day with them. Christmas morning came with a quiet calm. Y/N had expected to wake up feeling exhausted, her muscles sore from the constant running around, the endless hours of standing in character, smiling for the camera, but instead, she woke up in her bedroom at her Mum’s house… on edge. Like something had shifted, and now the world around her seemed to have rearranged itself, in ways she wasn’t quite sure she was ready for.

She also woke up to a text and her heart took off running. 

Harry 🧝‍♂️ 🎄 : Merry Christmas Sugarplum!! Hope your day is as magic as you are xx

Fucking hell, he sent kisses, KISSES… Should she send kisses back, never mind the kisses she needs to type the actual text first.

Y/N: and a merry christmas to you jingles. have a lovely day with your family Harry xx

He sent two kisses so she sent two kisses, that seemed a safe bet. 

Harry 🧝‍♂️ 🎄: When are you back in the city? Xxx

THREE KISSES!

Y/N:  i’m back on the 28th, you? :) xxx

Harry 🧝‍♂️ 🎄: Crazy, me too! I’m going to hope you don’t have New Years plans yet and wanted to ask if you wanted to do something with me? Ring in the new year together? Xxx 

A second text came in before Y/N even managed to process what the first one had said. 

Harry 🧝‍♂️ 🎄: Plus I’m not going to lie, going from seeing you and spending all day every day with you to not seeing you at all today is shit and I’ve decided I hate it xxx 

Y/N:  yes!!! let’s do it, i didn’t have any plans anyway so absolutely want to spend it with you xxx 

Y/N:  p.s i hate it too :( xxx 

***

They had met outside the tube station, a warm embrace on the pavement as a greeting as they began their walk to find a spot on Primrose Hill for the night, filling each other in on what they had been up to on Christmas Day and the days since. They had both booked a few auditions for the first few weeks of January and Y/N had decided she was changing her life in the New Year and had done a massive clear out and deep clean of her flat. And Harry? Well, he’d came home from his Mum’s with a pet cat in tow, one his Mum had recently been fostering and Harry fell in love within the space of a few hours. He’d called her Jingles. 

They found a spot on Primrose Hill, both of them unpacking the bags they had brought with them. A picnic blanket each they layered on top of each other to shield their bums from the cold ground. A flask of soup and a flask of tea to keep them warm as well as some snacks and tinned cocktails to see them through the night to the bells. Harry also had a half-sized bottle of champagne tucked in his bag for them to pop at midnight. 

They spent their evening wrapped up in each other in their own little bubble getting to know one another more than they already did and as Midnight came and fireworks began to pop and sizzle in the sky and people around them waved glittering sparklers around and the nearest church bells rang signifying a new hour and a new year Harry kissed Y/N again, this time with more certainty, feeling the warmth of his embrace, the joy of being with someone who understood her completely. For the first time, in what felt like forever, Y/N realized she didn’t need anything else.

They had everything right here and they thought that was pretty magical.

[navillee]

can you please write more Zayne sub? :( no one does sub Zayne like you

Because everyday is a good day to talk about sub Zayne. ♪

Cozy Holliday's Zayne. What about it?

Zayne subtle sub behavior pt. VI

I'll repeat again, Zayne is such a home husband, all the poor man can think is heading home to his wife;

Especially in december's Hollidays. When the snow covers Linkon city after a day that didn't seem to past fast enough for Zayne at Akso hospital;

Zayne always arrives at home with a shopping bag. He can't help it but want to see your curious glances at him whenever he step inside with new flavours of cakes, pastries, chocolates and other variety of fresh sweet new recepies out of some cozy bakery that still open the day before his day off;

It's okay for him to wait in line, and to get his pitch black hair white with snow, he's heading home after all, nothing on the way matters;

Zayne stopped to use an umbrella in the trajectory from his car to the house's door. So he always arrives looking like a stray black cat covered with white little snowflakes;

That may be true, he did transform into half of it a couple of years ago, right? Maybe there's still some influence from the kitty card's cats from that cafe still running through his veins, after all, you always brush the thin white coat from his hair, and everytime he melts just as the snow in the front door;

He said he avoids kissing you when arriving because the cold weather outside made his face half freezing. But let's face it, his adorable all wrapped up in his scarf with the tip of his nose and ears red, it's like your little personal snowman, and both of you enjoy a way lot the temperature shock when your mouths collide into a warm welcome kiss. Zayne couldn't ask for more, he's home now, and the affect you have on him start to working just like magic, from the moment he step inside;

Zayne always cooks for you, when he has time. Even if he doesn't, he makes time for it;

He knows he got your attention when he rolls up his sleeves preparing the recepies he knows that are your favorites;

When he chops some vegetables and the sleeve garters of his shirt tighten around his arms and he knows you're devouring him with your eyes. Oh, he loves it;

You know when Zayne is entering that space in his mind, he starts to sigh, suave and longs sighs with time intervals that decrease as he feels more impatient, more hungry. It's not about managing the food, forget about it. He needs your actions, towards him preferably;

That's when you know that the conversation about where's the best spot to watch the new year's fireworks at Linkon new year's festival should take a break for now;

When you now that's time to pour two glasses of a sweet fancy champagne brand and offer to him. Drinking a sip first just to show him it's safe, that he won't get out of control this time, like he always does;

What a lie;

Enticing and dangerous as the alcohol running down his throat;

But never as tempting as you adjusting his garters on his shirt, bringing his memories of you adjusting some look alike leather accessory on his neck, days ago;

Or even you hugging him from his back, kissing his shoulder and praising him for doing such a good job;

He's a so very dedicated husband, but he gets sighing and blushing every time you remember him of that;

He stopped your hands from wondering on his inner thighs, more by the necessity of finishing dinner than by anything else;

He has the need to serve you after all. He can get his reward after he does it, he can always wait, like a proper ideal husband would, right?

But when he places you on his lap at the couch, after you provoked him during the entire Christmas eve dinner barely letting you set an ambience soft piano background playlist, you know he had enough;

You watch him as he puts a small ginger bread between his lips for you to catch. He does that all the time, that's how he loves to share chocolate with you, a sweet kiss after a sugary taste is the best;

When he gets bold like that, he always looks fro your approval, it's a soft, warm and inviting look on his eyes;

When Zayne wants sex, when's he's needy to adore you, his eyes get dark;

It's not a metaphor to say how pent up he is. His pupils literally dilate, consuming the bright greenish tone of his eyes into a yearning and relaxed hungry darkness;

Even the Christmas tree cozy lights can't hide the sincerity his eyes show you;

Neither can't his tongue, thanks to alcohol;

When that happens he's vocal. He's a confessor. All the dirty things he thought during the day, how he can't stop those thoughts and how frustrating they are slip out his mouth as he mumbles;

He wants you to forgive him, or to make him worse even. It doesn't matter. Kiss him, or mark him, loose his belt or pull his tie, make him beg and almost cry, freeze until death or meltdown completely;

As the snow accumulates outside, slowly falling from the dark night sky, it doesn't matter to Zayne. It's Christmas eve and he's back home, again. As he should be.

I appreciate the way you guys enjoy my sub!Zayne writing. This is a way shorter than the other parts, but I needed to talk abou him and Christmas/new year's since "snowman - sia" is playing on my head rent free and it's such a Zayne song.

[reallyromealone]

How about part 4 to bakugos brother. The plot has thicken. 🙃🫰🏼

Title: bakugos brother

Fandom: bnha

Characters: bnha ensemble

Fic type: series

Chapter: 4

Pairings: kirishima x male reader

Warnings: male reader, reader insert, angst, reader is awkward, broken sibling relationship, reader is siblings to Katsuki, hurt to comfort, neglectful parents

Notes:

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

(Name) And Kirishima went upstairs as Aizawa sat in the livingroom with the Bakugo parents, (name) looking surprisingly nervous as he went to his room.

"Whatever he did we will pay for" Mrs. Bakugo started and Aizawa raised his hand to stop her "I'm actually here on behalf of U.A to extend an invitation for your son to attend the general studies program as we have recently opened a spot in that class post sports festival" Aizawa began and watched their reactions carefully, Mr. Bakugo seemed curious and a bit excited at the concept of his son having the experience but Mrs Bakugo seemed... Less thrilled "would that affect Katsuki?" She asked simply and Aizawa raised an eyebrow at her statement.

"The two would be in completely different programs, how on earth would that affect Katsuki?" Mr Bakugo said simply and the blond woman glared without any bite at her husband "Principal Nedzu is particularly interested in his intelligence quirk and would like to talk about it when we do the transfer if you are willing to agree"

And the color drained from their faces.

(Name) And Kirishima cuddled on (name)s beanbag chair, a massive thing that was (name)s first purchase as (name) watched kirishima play a phone game "so you're just building and adventuring?" (Name) Seemed intrigued but also deeply confused at the game "yeah, it's a sandbox game-- you can do basically anything"

"Are there animals?"

"Oh a bunch, they actually just updated the dogs so they have more variety"

"Show me"

"And how would he be able to afford it?" Mrs Bakugo said coldly and Aizawa resisted the urge to roll his eyes "U.A has offered (name) a full scholarship" Mr Bakugo seemed excited at this "really?!" The man seemed over the moon at this but his wife less thrilled "I told you to let him apply!" He said almost angrily and Aizawa looked between them "but the chances of katsu--"" you need one parents approval right?" He cut her off to look at Aizawa who nodded "then you have my approval"

"Masaru!" Mrs Bakugo said angrily and the man looked at her seriously "if we don't do this for our son, we will fail more than we already have"

"Kirishima, time to go" Aizawa said simply and looked at (name) "I expect to see you at U.A Monday with your things packed" the pro said and it took the teens a second to process it all before kirishima grinned at his boyfriend "Yo! We get to hang out all the time now!"

"I get to go?"

"Yup, now better pack, you got a week before you start, Nedzu wants a meeting first thing tomorrow"

"YOU GUYS ARENT GONNA BELEIVE THIS!" Kirishima shouted as he walked into the livingroom area and the others looked confused "my boyfriend got into U.A!" He boasted and Bakugo turned to look at his best friend confused "what." Bakugo said flatly and Kirishima grinned "yeah man! Your brother's gonna be in gen Ed!" Everyone looked at bakugos reaction curiously as many emotions passed his face before just grunting and turning back to his phone.

(Name)s week at home was tense with his mom but his dad always had his back, always making sure he was cared for and the parent who made an effort, he was (name)s rock.

"Just don't get in your brother's way"

Words he heard constantly up until his dad drove him to U.A, giving him an envelope with money "I'll be sending you weekly allowances... I know you have money of your own but that's your money, this is for any emergency things you need" he said softly and (name) took the envelope quietly "I'm sorry that I haven't been enough for you, I know I could do more"

"Mom's a hard person, I know you feel guilt but I know that she doesn't make it easy and you have been there when it counts and stuck up for me so I could be here... I love you dad"

"I love you too kid, now go be stronger than I am"

The two embraced before the man helped (name) get everything into his dorm, kirishima showing up to help "so you're the boy my son's seeing! A pleasure to meet you" (name) smiled as the two greeted and got along very well "yeah! I'm also bakubros best friend!" He said excitedly and Mr. Bakugo had a small sliver of hope that this young man could bridge the two siblings... It was wishful thinking but he always had hope.

Hope that somehow the relationship his wife ruined would be fixed.

(Name) Didn't sleep well the first night, awkward in the new environment and the sudden shift from what he was used to.

Tomorrow he would get an introduction course under Nedzu, the rat wanted to do some tests to truly know what level he was at to gauge where they should move towards education wise.

Things were awkward during lunch as (name) sat alone, everyone hearing about Nedzu's private student and avoided him as such but (name) just played chess on his little travel chess set in the corner, periodically eating his food.

He had an hour to kill, might as well look for any weaknesses in his plays.

"There you are!" (Name) Looked up to see his boyfriend and other 1A students who looked curiously "Aizawa said we got to have lunch at the same time!" The Bakugo siblings locked eyes and (name) offered a seat to his boyfriend who plopped beside him with a grin "so you play chess, what's that like?" The pink girl named Mina asked excitedly and (name) was shy as he responded "a lot of travelling, I been throughout Japan for openings" he said softly "how many have you won?" A blond boy named denki asked and (name) looked a little more confident "I haven't lost, so maybe 50, I have been playing professionally since I was 9"

"Whoa... What do you get if you win?" He asked and (name) thought "the U.A open won me about 100k... But that was the open to let me qualify to international opens but my dad worries I might be too young for that" he said simply and the others looked shocked at the price and did the math "damn you're rich"

Katsuki didn't know this, how many games his brother went to between school and such or how good he was at it, he didn't think about it much but now...

... He kind of felt envious that his best friend knew more about his brother than he did.

The bakusquad asked all sorts of questions throughout lunch and eventually a few more 1A students joined and Momo even planned a chess match between her and (name) for fun.

And for the first time, Katsuki saw his brother look genuinely happy talking to people, typically he didn't talk to people.

It was nice to see.

[bamfkeeper]

Autumn activities with Kurt~

I love fall, I'm a hugeee Halloween lover so I am feeling very excited that it's August. Anyway here's some fun things to do with Kurt for the fall. This might seem a little different from my usual writing, I wrote this over two days so I came back to it several times.

Warnings: Gender neutral reader, unedited lol

WC: 2.6k

"Come on, Kurt, I don't wanna miss out!" you exclaimed, tugging him along enthusiastically. Your smile widened as you both walked down the picturesque path towards the beloved local farm. You were absolutely thrilled because the farm had already set up the intricate corn maze, which was one of your favorite seasonal attractions. In addition to the maze, they were offering delightful hay rides that meandered through the scenic landscape of the farmland and offered fresh ciders brewed by the farmers.

The farm was also bustling with activity as they sold a variety of pumpkins, crisp apples, and other delicious fruits that were all locally grown and freshly harvested. The entire atmosphere was filled with the excitement of the fall season, and you couldn't wait to explore every bit of it.

"Ja, ja, I can teleport us there too, liebe!" Kurt said with a playful grin, stumbling along with your enthusiastic tug. He tried his best to keep up with your eagerness, his heart swelling with affection. Kurt loved seeing your smile, how it stretched over your entire face, lighting up your eyes as you got to experience something that genuinely made you happy. The joy you radiated was infectious, and he cherished every moment he got to share in your excitement. It was in these moments that he felt closest to you, connected by the pure happiness that seemed to envelop you both.

You arrived at the farm, and a wave of excitement washed over you. The farm's distinctive scent filled the air, perfectly capturing the essence of fall. It was a comforting and familiar smell that you had dearly missed since last year. As you took in the surroundings, vibrant autumn colors painted the landscape, leaves crunching beneath your feet. "Can you smell that, Kurt?" you asked, turning to your blue darling with a smile. You took a deep breath, savoring the crisp, earthy aroma and sighed blissfully, "It's fall, and everything feels just right again..." The moment was filled with a sense of nostalgia and anticipation for the seasonal activities ahead.

Kurt chuckled warmly, clearly happy to see you so thrilled, especially since you had seemed rather down lately. Anything he could do to help you feel happier, he'd do without hesitation. "Ja...they have a lot of things here, don't they?" he said, taking the time to glance around at the beautifully decorated farm. The owners must really go all out for their showings, he thought, noting the intricate details and festive touches that adorned the place. The vibrant colors, the cheerful atmosphere, and the meticulous care put into every corner of the farm made it a truly special experience.

Kurt felt a sense of admiration for the effort that went into creating such a delightful environment. It reminded him of the circus and how they did their very best to present the entire grounds for the public.

"This is beautiful, lots of...pumpkins and apples," Kurt commented, taking in the vibrant decorations and the festive atmosphere around him. You were practically raving beside him, barely able to stay in place, but you kept your excitement under control the best you could. The autumn air was crisp and cool, adding to the enchantment of the scene.

Your eyes immediately went to the snacks they had meticulously prepared for everyone. Caramel apples, popcorn, pies, pops, cider—everything you adored was laid out on beautifully decorated tables. The scent of cinnamon and baked goods filled the air, making it even harder to contain your joy. The laughter and chatter of people enjoying the season added to the warm, inviting ambiance of the gathering.

What surprised Kurt was that there were both humans and mutants freely roaming around the farm. This was not something he was accustomed to seeing; mutants who looked different, like him, usually attracted a lot of unwanted attention in public spaces. Here, however, they weren't given a second glance. He looked around in amazement, almost confused by the sight before him, and you noticed his bewilderment. Your elbow nudged him lightly as you explained, "The owners welcome everyone here. They tragically lost their son, who was a mutant, so…they actively display their farm as a safe haven for all of us."

"Ah...I see," he murmured thoughtfully. He then shifted his gaze back to the owners of the farm, an older couple who stood nearby. They looked like the quintessential image of typical farmers, with weathered faces that told tales of years spent working. Their eyes were kind, filled with a warmth that instantly put one at ease. Their gentle nature was evident in the way they carried themselves, moving with a calm and steady grace. Friendly smiles adorned their faces, radiating genuine hospitality and a sense of welcome that seemed to embrace everyone who came to their farm.

"Come on! Let's go on a hayride! We can get some hot apple cider too, and maybe even pet the horses!" you exclaimed excitedly, tugging him along towards the rustic wooden wagon. The crisp autumn air filled your lungs as you approached, and you saw the magnificent horses already harnessed and ready to pull the wagon for anyone eager for a ride. The horses were gorgeous. They had sleek, well-groomed coats, their manes flowed gently in the gentle breeze of the cloudy afternoon. The horse's ear flicked and it turned its head to look at you approaching.

You grinned widely, feeling a rush of joy, slowing your approach as to not spook the two horses. Reaching up, you gently pet the horse's strong, muscular neck, feeling the warmth of its body and the softness of its fur. The horse nickered softly, acknowledging your gentle touch. "I love horses...they're amazing animals." You commented softly.

"The circus had lots of horses. And zebras," Kurt commented, gently stroking the other horse's nose and then moving his hand up over its forehead. "They are very intelligent animals, more than most think." He paused for a moment, admiring the animal's calm demeanor.

You both climbed into the wagon, eager and excited to go on the hay ride around the expansive farm. The farm was a large patch of land, ensuring that the ride wouldn't be short and sweet but rather leisurely and an enjoyable experience. It reminded you of rides when you were a kid, so excited for the fall holidays to come without a worry in the world. As the wagon began to move, you sat closer to Kurt, feeling the warmth of his presence beside you.

You sipped on some delicious, warm cider, savoring the taste as you looked around the picturesque farm. The brilliant apple trees stood tall, their branches heavy with ripe fruit, and the vibrant pumpkin patch sprawled out before you, each pumpkin seemingly more perfect than the last. The horses wheeled around to see the intricate hay maze, its paths promising adventure and fun. The feeling of these happy things— the crisp autumn air, the vibrant colors, the laughter of families enjoying their day—made you feel so warm inside, a deep contentment settling over you. You were thrilled that Kurt was with you this year to experience all these wonderful moments.

"How do you like it so far? It's nice, right?" you asked, your voice filled with excitement and warmth while you were snuggled into his side, feeling his comforting presence beside you. He smiled in return, leaning his head over yours. "Ja...it's really nice."

"Just wait! We're gonna get pumpkins, and try the snacks, and go through the corn maze!" you said excitedly, smiling ear to ear. "There will be so many different kinds of pumpkins to choose from. We can get other stuff too if you want, like some apple cider or maybe even some fresh berries. And we can head back home and make pies together. It'll be so much fun to bake and fill the house with the smell of fresh pies...and we'll carve our pumpkins too!"

Kurt listened to you ramble excitedly about all the things you wanted to do with him, smiling at you the entire time. His eyes sparkled with amusement and affection as you listed off your plans. "Ja, ja, liebe...we can do all of it. I have not seen you so happy in a long time," he commented, his voice warm and full of love, not negatively but in a pleased way.

He chuckled softly at the end of your little rant when you mentioned the pumpkins, the sound rich and comforting, and he tilted his head thoughtfully, "Carving pumpkins, it is a little too early for that, ja? They will rot before Halloween if we carve them now!" His laughter was infectious, making you feel even more eager to spend time together, planning and enjoying each moment to the fullest.

"Well," you huffed and sat up straighter, playfully smirking at him, "It gives us a reason to come back here and get another pumpkin next time. We can even make it a little tradition of ours."

He rolled his eyes and smiled at you, clearly amused by your enthusiasm. "Alright, alright, schatz...if that's what you want," he said, his voice filled with affection. He leaned in and kissed your temple softly, then pulled back to grin at you warmly. "Who knows, maybe we'll find the perfect pumpkin next time."

"Both times!" You replied gleefully, savoring the joyous moment as the hayride continued its leisurely pace. After the hayride, you eagerly set off to explore the pumpkin patch, your eyes scanning the vast array of pumpkins laid out before you.

You were particularly picky, determined to find the most perfect pumpkin for you and Kurt to carve together later. Each pumpkin was a potential masterpiece in your eyes, and you examined them meticulously. Kurt watched you with a mixture of amusement and admiration, seeing how you scrutinized each pumpkin with a sharp, discerning eye. You carefully considered the color, ensuring it was the ideal shade of orange. The shape had to be just right – round with a flat bottom for stability when carving. Size was another crucial factor; it needed to be large enough to create an impressive design but not so big that it would be cumbersome to handle.

You hummed a cheerful tune as you eagerly picked up a perfect pumpkin from the patch. With a proud smile, you showed it to Kurt, "This one!" You walked over to him, carefully handing him the round, robust pumpkin. Kurt took it from you and looked at it, returning your smile. He didn’t know much about the nuances of picking the perfect pumpkin, having always assumed you just grabbed one that caught your eye. To him, it seemed like a simple task, but you made it sound so intricate and important, as if there was an art to selecting the very best one from the patch.

"Ah, ja, this one is very plump," he remarked, examining the pumpkin thoroughly before setting it aside. He observed you intently as you scampered off to find another one, admiring your playful giddiness. "Are we going to carry these all the way back?" he called out to you, his voice filled with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. He continued to watch you hop over pumpkins, not receiving an answer since you were too focused on your search.

After the farmers graciously let you borrow a small wagon to pull your proud pumpkins, you both wandered through the expansive and winding corn maze. The maze was a labyrinth of tall, rustling stalks that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. As you meandered through the maze, you found yourselves playing around joyfully.

He would chase you with playful determination, laughter echoing through the corn. "I will catch you, liebe!" Kurt called as you laughed happily and ran from him. He caught you eventually, without cheating and teleporting. You tumbled down carefully and giggled as he blew raspberries on your neck.

After you played chase, you hide behind the towering corn stalks and waited for your chance to jump out unexpectedly, scaring him for fun and eliciting delighted squeals from the both of you. "Liebe! Mein Gott, I almost had a heart attack!" he laughed playfully with you. "You are getting better at sneaking, have you been training in the Danger Room without telling me?" He poked his tongue out at you.

The corn maze was fun, with its winding paths and unexpected turns providing plenty of entertainment. However, after navigating the maze for a while, you both started to feel hungry. Deciding it was time for a break, you headed over to the snack area. There, you found a delightful variety of treats lovingly made by the farmers and decided to try just about everything. There were slices of pumpkin pie and pecan pie, fresh fruits like apples and berries, and delicious caramel apples with homemade caramel.

You were so incredibly excited and completely caught up in the moment, indulging in these delightful comfort foods with such passion that even the sin of gluttony would be envious. It wasn't all your fault...the farmers were so kind and they just kept giving you food like loving grandparents trying to feed their kin. Kurt playfully teased you, gently poking your nose as he affectionately called you, "My sweet little cavity," followed by a chuckle and a tender kiss on your cheek. "I think we've had enough sweets for today... I feel like I'm going to go into a sugar coma," he laughed, somewhat embarrassed. Kurt had eaten far more sugar than he was accustomed to.

By the time you got back to the mansion, you felt the weight of the sugar hit you like a ton of bricks, making you incredibly sleepy, and Kurt felt exactly the same way. After you both managed to carry in your respective pumpkin and bag of goodies, which were now feeling much heavier than they did earlier, the two of you trudged up to the bedroom. Without even needing to discuss it, you silently agreed that you both needed a well-deserved nap to recover from the day's activities and all the sugary treats you had consumed. The soft bed looked so inviting, and the thought of sinking into its comfort was too tempting to resist.

As you lay down on the soft, inviting bed, you felt a gentle wave of relaxation wash over you, knowing that this upcoming nap would rejuvenate you for the rest of the evening. You couldn't help but watch Kurt as he casually stripped his top off, your eyes tracing the way his well-defined abdomen flexed with each movement. The sight made your loins stir with excitement and need. However, it wasn't enough to distract you from the overwhelming desire for sleep. The need to rest and recharge was the dominating feeling right now.

As you snuggled into him, feeling the warmth and safety he provided, you sighed deeply, a sense of contentment washing over you. A soft, serene smile crept up your face, spreading slowly as you reveled in the moment. He could feel your smile against his fur, the gentle curve of your lips pressing into him, and it made him chuckle softly. "What is it, schatz... you are grinning ear to ear..." he murmured lovingly into your hair, his voice a tender whisper that sent shivers down your spine, his accent sounded thicker whenever he was tired.

"Oh, nothing..." you trailed off, your voice barely more than a whisper as you leaned into him. You buried your face in his chest, feeling the warmth and softness of his fur against your skin, and took a deep breath in, inhaling deeply. His fur tended to keep scents for longer than normal, making it feel like you were enveloped in a comforting aroma that lingered. The scent reminding you of autumn days, warm drinks, and cozy evenings by the fire. All of the wonderful scents you had from your eventful day imbedded in his velvety blue skin.

"You just smell like pumpkins," you murmured softly.

Thanks for reading.

*BAMF*

Cover Images: House of X #3 (2019)

Dividers by @/adornedwithlight

[hunieday]

9th Anniversary story - Chapter 1 : Invitation to Celebration

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - (to be continued)

Please note that I am not a professional translator and I'm only doing this to share the side materials to those who cannot access them, if you notice any mistakes please let me know nicely. Enjoy!

Yotsuba Tamaki: One, two, three, four!

Izumi Iori: Ow, ow ow ow…! You’re pushing me from behind too harshly.

Nanase Riku: What are you guys doing?

Yotsuba Tamaki: Helping him go flat on the ground from the waist up.

Nanase Riku: Oh, stretching. Iori, want me to give you a hand too?

Izumi Iori: You must be joking. I’ll pass.

Nanase Riku: Hey, even I can push a little!

Nikaido Yamato: You youngsters have so much energy. Maybe I should join in on the stretching too.

Rokuya Nagi: I’ll help you! One, two, three, exhale~!

Nikaido Yamato: Phew…

Izumi Mitsuki: Good job, everyone. Stretching feels great when you do it right!

Osaka Sougo: Oh, Mitsuki-san, are those new sneakers?

Izumi Mitsuki: Oh, you noticed? Pretty cool, right? They’re the new Nana Sports sneakers!

Nanase Riku: I like that brand too! Not only are they a sports brand but they also have “Nana” in the name!

Rokuya Nagi: I also have a towel from them. The design is Simple and Cute… So Kawaii !

(t/n: Nagi says the italicized words in katakana, including kawaii…yes…)

Izumi Mitsuki: Nana Sports stuff is cute, right? Iori, do you remember?

Izumi Iori: Remember what?

Izumi Mitsuki: The matching sneakers our late grandpa gave us! It’s been around 9 years already, right?

Izumi Mitsuki: He bought us matching sneakers from Nana Sports when the store first opened. That was his last Christmas present to us.

Izumi Iori: …Ah… That’s right. I remember.

Nikaido Yamato: Your grandpa’s last gift, huh…

Rokuya Nagi: OH… What a heartwarming story.

Yotsuba Tamaki: Do you still wear them?

Izumi Iori: Of course not. How old do you think I was?

Izumi Iori: However…they’re quite nostalgic. Those sneakers bring back a lot of memories.

Izumi Mitsuki: Haha, right? Maybe even some awkward memories for you, Iori.

Izumi Iori: …Well…

Nanase Riku: Huh? What kind of awkward memories?

Izumi Iori: …

Nanase Riku: Huh?! It’s that bad?!

Izumi Iori: Of course it is?! Nii-san called them awkward and I nodded. I wouldn’t lie about something like this.

Nanase Riku: …Sorry… I guess it really was awkward…

Izumi Iori: Stop bringing it up…

Nikaido Yamato: …Huh? Seriously? Was it that awkward?

Izumi Mitsuki: Eh, not that much? It’s all completely in the past for me though.

(Door opens)

Takanashi Tsumugi: Great work, everyone!

Nanase Riku: Manager!

Rokuya Nagi: Manager! Thank you for your hard work!

Oogami Banri: Thank you. We’re here to tell you all about a new job offer.

Izumi Mitsuki: A new job!

Yotsuba Tamaki: What is it? I’m excited!

Takanashi Tsumugi: It’s a sports variety show. Here are the details!

Nanase Riku: A sports variety show?

Takanashi Tsumugi: Yes! It’s a project sponsored by the sports brand Nana Sports.

Izumi Iori: Nana Sports…

Izumi Mitsuki: What a coincidence! We were just talking about their new sneakers that I just bought!

Takanashi Tsumugi: Is that so? That’s perfect! I’m aware you regularly use Nana Sports products, correct?

Rokuya Nagi: Yes ! The quality is amazing, and not just that, but the designs are cute and flashy too!

Yotsuba Tamaki: A lot of kids at school use their stuff too!

Osaka Sougo: Working on a project with a sponsor we actually love is exciting.

Nikaido Yamato: That’s right! So, what exactly will we be doing?

Takanashi Tsumugi: The event is called “9th Anniversary Nana Sports Presents ★ Idol Grand Sports Festival!!”

IDOLiSH7: Idol Grand Sports Festival!?

Oogami Banri: Yup. And in addition to IDOLiSH7, TRIGGER, Re:vale, and ŹOOḼ will all be participating in this event.

Rokuya Nagi: Wow! Exciting! We’re idols so we’re always physically active, but…

Izumi Mitsuki: I wonder which group will be the strongest when it comes to an event like this?

Nikaido Yamato: Re:vale has the very athletic Momo-san, but his partner? not so much.

Osaka Sougo: I think TRIGGER might be the best overall. They’re all pretty good at sports.

Nanase Riku: I get that! Tenn-nii is really athletic!

Yotsuba Tamaki: ŹOOḼ’s got some pretty athletic ones too, no?

Rokuya Nagi: Yes! Their performers especially have excellent body control.

Izumi Mitsuki: IDOLiSH7 will be fine too! Leave it to me!

Rokuya Nagi: Oh! Mitsuki, we’ll be counting on you!

Yotsuba Tamaki: Me too! I’m good at PE!

Osaka Sougo: Tamaki-kun is good at physical activities.

Nanase Riku: I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in action! I’m not super confident in my performance though…

Nikaido Yamato: Don’t sweat it. Mitsu and Tama will do their best to cover for you.

Izumi Mitsuki: You better do your best too. You’re not completely out of shape either, old man.

Izumi Iori: Nikaido-san doesn’t seem to get tired, even during the second half of our concerts.

Nikaido Yamato: That’s because I feel bad for myself, so I pace myself carefully. Just like you do. (1)

Izumi Iori: Excuse me?

Nikaido Yamato: I heard from Tama that you’re fast.

Yotsuba Tamaki: Yeah yeah! Iorin’s super fast!

Nanase Riku: That’s amazing, Iori!

Izumi Iori: Yotsuba-san is faster than me.

Izumi Mitsuki: There you go again…

Nanase Riku: So between Iori, Mitsuki, and Tamaki, who’s the fastest?

Yotsuba Tamaki: Me!

Izumi Iori: Probably Nii-san.

Izumi Mitsuki: It’s most likely Iori, right?

Nikaido Yamato: Well, I don’t care as long as one of you wins. Just team up and take down TRIGGER, Re:vale, and ŹOOḼ.

Oogami Banri: Actually, you’re not participating as your groups. The four groups will be split into two mixed teams, Red and White.

Nanase Riku: So, that means we’ll be competing as allies and foes?

Takanashi Tsumugi: Yes. We'll conduct a physical fitness test and divide the teams to ensure a balanced team distribution.

Osaka Sougo: A physical fitness test, huh. I feel like I’m back in school.

Yotsuba Tamaki: Sou-chan, were you good at sports?

Osaka Sougo: I wasn’t bad, but not as good as Tamaki-kun.

Yotsuba Tamaki: Sounds like we’re gonna be enemies then.

Osaka Sougo: That’s true, we're a duo after all… If I were producing the show I might want MEZZO" to be in separate teams.

Yotsuba Tamaki: Is that so?

Osaka Sougo: Yeah… I hope I’ll be able to read the room and get results that ensure we end up in different teams…

Yotsuba Tamaki: How about you read the room here and maybe say “I’ll feel lonely if we’re not on the same team” or something…

Osaka Sougo: W-well that goes without saying!

Nanase Riku: I’m gonna read the room and hope I end up on the same team as someone from TRIGGER!

Izumi Iori: Yeah yeah, how about praying you don’t come last in the physical test first?

Nanase Riku: I’ll be fine!

Izumi Iori: How come?

Nanase Riku: Because Yuki-san will be there.

Izumi Iori: You’re being incredibly rude to a senior who’s been taking care of us.

Rokuya Nagi: If they’re gonna divide us based on physical power, Mitsuki and Tamaki would end up in different teams.

Nikaido Yamato: They’re our top two athletes after all.

Izumi Mitsuki: Heh heh! I won’t lose!

Yotsuba Tamaki: Me neither!

Nanase Riku: Ahaha! You’re not even rivals yet.

Rokuya Nagi: I’m feeling quite listless. Would we even be able to team up with non-IDOLiSH7 members for a sports event no less?

Nikaido Yamato: Now that you mention it… Sports are extremely difficult team activities, aren’t they?

Takanashi Tsumugi: Don’t worry, that has also been taken into consideration!

Takanashi Tsumugi: After the physical fitness test and once the teams are divided, they have planned a *whisper* secret event to strengthen the teams’ bonds! (2)

Nikaido Yamato: Wow! That is SO reassuring!

Nikaido Yamato: …is what you wanted me to say? Well I actually feel the opposite right now. What is that *whisper* secret…

Takanashi Tsumugi: Sorry… It’s a *whisper* secret event to strengthen your bond…

Nanase Riku: I’ll do my best! I’ll keep your *whisper* secret. LOL!

Izumi Mitsuki: Don’t you think saying “LOL” out loud is a bit weird?

Rokuya Nagi: A bond-building event LMAO

Izumi Mitsuki: How about you don’t say “LMAO” out loud.

Rokuya Nagi: Do you believe my current speech would be more suitable for your expectations? (3)

Nikaido Yamato: This is a total mess.

Takanashi Tsumugi: Please do your best! I believe you’ll form wonderful teams!

Rokuya Nagi: Yes ! Let’s live up to Manager’s expectations. I’ll do my best in the fitness test!

Nanase Riku: Yeah! Let’s give it our all! I’ve got to work on my fitness too!

Izumi Iori: Don’t push yourself too hard, Nanase-san.

Nanase Riku: I’ll be fine if I’m careful.

Izumi Iori: Don’t overdo it. Your overprotective guardian from that other group will make a fuss.

Nanase Riku: …

Nanase Riku: A sports festival with Tenn-nii, huh…

Anesagi Kaoru: You guys, you got a job offer for a sports variety event hosted by Nana Sports!

Anesagi Kaoru: The project is called "9th Anniversary Nana Sports Presents ★ Idol Grand Sports Festival!!"

Yaotome Gaku: A sports variety event. This is gonna be fun.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: The usual four groups will be participating! I’m sure you’re gonna enjoy the activities!

Kujo Tenn: So we’ll be split into teams based on the physical fitness test results instead of competing as our groups?

Yaotome Gaku: Then we might end up being enemies. If that’s true then I won’t take it easy on you two.

Kujo Tenn: Of course. Get ready, both of you.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: I’ll give it my best shot. But I feel conflicted about competing against the two of you…

Yaotome Gaku: What are you talking about? Sports are your thing, Ryuu. You should be all fired up.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: That’s true, but…

Yaotome Gaku: I’m not gonna let you take me down easily, Ryuu. I’m going all-in to win. Though maybe…maybe… just a little…

Yaotome Gaku: Maybe I do wanna lose to you. Out of curiosity.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: What do you mean?

Kujo Tenn: I get it.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: You get it?

Kujo Tenn: I want you to beat me up.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: I’m not gonna beat you up!?

Yaotome Gaku: I want you to go at it without showing mercy and completely obliterate me.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: I’m not gonna obliterate you!! And I will show mercy… What’s going on with you two!?

Kujo Tenn: You know. Just a bit of curiosity.

Yaotome Gaku: You get it.

Kujo Tenn: Yeah.

Yaotome Gaku: Yeah.

Anesagi Kaoru: It’s rare for you two to be in sync. I mean I get it, but still.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: A-Anyways, I’ll do my best. I’m good at sports after all!

Yaotome Gaku: Yeah! We’re counting on you, Ryuu!

Kujo Tenn: Do your best and have fun.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Got it. I’m gonna go all out and make a huge impact in the sports festival!

Yaotome Gaku: Yeah! I can’t wait!

Kujo Tenn: I’m already getting excited.

Tsunashi Ryuunosuke: Whether we’re gonna be enemies or allies, we gotta go all out!

TRIGGER: Yeah!

To be continued...

Yamato here is implying that Iori ‘paces’ himself, AKA crafts his image carefully and knows how to manage it so as to not break that illusion of perfection.

I am actually not sure if they’re whispering here, the original text is in between brackets, and since this is an actual conversation and not a rabbitchat I chose to interpret this as a whisper, so there’s a possibility this gets changed once the story gets voiced.

This entire bit was complicated to translate in English, so here’s how it went in Japanese: Riku thinks Tsumugi’s just randomly throwing the word “secret” around so he says it himself out of context. And THEN adds (笑) (slang term for LOL) which makes the sentence even more confusing. Mitsuki points it out, and then Nagi joins in by adding (草) (another slang for LOL, so I went with LMAO to differentiate) to the end of his sentence. Mitsu gets annoyed and calls him out on it, so Nagi retaliates by abruptly switching to very formal japanese. Basically he went from saying LMAO out loud to. That. Again this story is currently not voiced but it’s also safe to assume he’s gonna drop his accent and talk in proper Japanese too (LOL)(save me)

[dedicatednotobsessed]

A Maiden’s Favor [Gwayne Hightower x Commoner!Reader]

Other HOTD stories || One shot masterlist

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Summary: Being a barmaid, you tend to help various customers at your father’s tavern, The Crystal Drop; from the riff raff variety to the rare Royal coming from different parts of the Seven Kingdoms. With a tourney approaching, you run into a tourney knight who happens to have a close connection with the Queen…

Warnings in this one shot: None

A/N: This was going to be a full one shot but with time getting away from me, I wasn’t able to finish the second half so this one shot is split into two parts. I will publish the second half some time after I get back from my vacation. Enjoy! 💚

{Dedicated to my Gwayne loving bestie @mrsdaemontargaryen 💚}

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

Part I of II

Your eyes roamed the crowded tavern, a soft sigh passing your lips at the lively chatter and booming laughter. The King and his second Queen were preparing festivities for their fifth anniversary, which meant more business for The Crystal Drop. Your father did not want you to go into the industry, although since his run-in with a couple of thugs from three years ago, leaving him crippled, you tried to pick up the work.

“Y/N!” You turned at the call and sighed, seeing the annoyed expression on your father’s features. “It appears that they’re going to need a refill.” Your gaze followed his waved hand over to a large square table; most of the noise came from them…and it appears the spills on the floor as well.

“Fucking tourney knights,” He grumbled under his breath when you grabbed the pitcher of ale off the counter, his glare directed at the table.

You clicked your tongue, smiling at your father. “They are the ones who pay good gold.”

He only grunted in response while you turned and made your way over to the table. From a glance, it was clear the men were tourney knights from their nice clothes alone. The closest man to you relaxed in his seat, his eyes observing your hands while you poured the ale.

You took a peek at him, offering him a small smile when you met his blue eyes. He seemed younger than the others, with a few loose strands of red hair sweeping over his eyes. His smile widened as you stepped back, tilting his head slightly, but his eyes stayed on yours.

“Look at our lil Gwayney ‘ere!” The man beside him laughed as he clapped him on the back, causing the young redhead to jolt. “Don’t worry, boy. When you win, you will have plenty of women begging for your cock.”

You felt your cheeks flush at the vulgar comment, beginning to move around the table to give the other men a refill. “Are you competing in the tourney?”

The gruff man beside him answered, “He is to be one of the Queen’s champions!”

Gwayne shrugged his hand off. “The perks of being the Queen’s brother, I suppose.”

You blinked a few times, looking at the redhead. The Queen’s brother? You hardly had royalty coming through unless it was Ser Harwin Strong who would kick out a drunkard.

“The Queen’s brother?” You repeated.

The shock on your face must have been evident as he chuckled, a charming smile filling his features. “Gwayne of House Hightower,” He formally introduced himself.

Before you could stop him, he took your hand lightly, kissing the back of it. His hands were rough and calloused, but his touch felt soft. “Will you make it to the tourney on the morrow?”

You stumbled upon your words, jumping when you heard your father’s booming voice. “Y/N!” From where you stood, you could see your father’s beet-red face, his glare seeming permanent.

You blew out a breath, your attention going down to your hand still in the Hightower’s, feeling him giving yours a soft squeeze. Your eyes went up to meet his. There was a warm, calming light behind his blue eyes.

“Come to the tourney,” He urged in a hushed tone, releasing your hand. “I’ll be searching for you.”

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

When the sun rose the following day, you sprung out of bed, careful not to wake your father, who slept in the main area of your tiny home. Your mind kept wandering to the night before. Come to the tourney. I’ll be searching for you.

Your hands moved faster than your mind, digging through the trunk at the end of your bed, trying to find one of the few nicer dresses you owned. If Ser Gwayne of House Hightower wanted to look for you, you’d be sure to stand out.

[nevros-fr]

Nevros is back again with FR Archive crawling, this time Festivals!

The current dom scene looks like this:

Raffle that accepts dragons for tickets and reduced treasure/gem payout compared to exalting.

Public buy that accepts dragons only for payout and usually more than what you would get when exalting.

Badges given out for participation/sending dragons.

Exchange fodder for art

Lots of booth games and activities to participate in.

I had a few big questions that I wanted to answer about when did each of these events get established. When did each of these events start to show up? The disclaimer is that I only looked at festival push weeks to preserve my sanity. Massive shout out to Daenaryen for maintaining the festival thread masterlist!

If you have specific non festival weeks that had those events that predated the dates I found, feel free to share it!

Well it was pretty early into FR. The first festival was informal, there was a celebratory thread but no formal booths and events. July 2013 rolled around very quickly and kickstarted the festival week tradition we have had for the past twelve years. You would not believe it but randomized gacha critters were a thing from the very first event 2013. I really thought it was a later addition but maybe it’s just a return to our roots. 

The next month, we had our first raffle, banners, and plot line going with Fire in 2013. Festivals at this time were mainly participation based. If you play games at the booths, you get tickets for the main raffle. No dragon donations at all!

Shadow changed the trend in February 2014 where it accepted dragons for tickets and payouts. This was also the dark ages where you kept track of every single dragon ID.

Next in March 2015, we have the first public buy from Wind!

Light’s festival in June 2016 had the first fodder for art thread. They also offered daily participation badges for sending dragons to the raffle. Previous art threads were free, “your character here style” commissions, and not more than 2 users running the booth.

Finally, I have a feeling that this kicked off the Light/Plague rivalry but I don’t have proof but Plague rocked up to festival pushes with a whopping 22 events when previous years had a range of 3-6 events. Mad lads plague!

That is my brief look! I may or may not be working on going through each of the festival weeks to look at what events each one has. Do we have more or less booth variety? In any case, stay tuned :0c

[mothyandthesquid]

Euphorbia pulcherrim is known as poinsettia to those of European origin but cuētlaxōchitl in the Americas. This older name has roots in the Aztec language Nahuatl, meaning "flower that withers, mortal flower". Originally a sacred plant used in ceremonies to celebrate the birth of Huitzilopochtli during the winter solstice, they were also used for medicinal and healing purposes, and dyeing fabrics.

It is an iconic symbol of the holiday season native to Mexico, where it is called "Flores de Noche Buena". According to legend, a young girl named Pepita was too poor to offer a gift for Christmas Eve at her church. In the spirit of giving, she gathered weeds and placed them at the altar. Miraculously, they transformed into beautiful plants, symbolising her purity and the thoughtfulness of the humblest gifts.

The plant's most distinctive feature is its colourful bracts, often mistaken for petals. These modified leaves surround small, inconspicuous flowers. Although traditionally red, more recently white and pink varieties have gained popularity. They have become a symbol of joy and festivity worldwide and contribute importantly to the horticulture industry as a best-selling potted plant.

MothyandtheSquid.com

[thatanimewriter]

𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐘 - 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴.

← previous chapter           next chapter coming soon →

❝ 𝐢 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞. ❞ ── 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘹 𝘨𝘯. 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

you used to be a bodyguard for sunday and robin, but after a certain accident involving robin, you've been stripped of your job to work for siobhan. you've never seen sunday or robin since until this year's charmony festival.

── 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧, 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴

𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 + 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

silk bedsheets suffocated sunday's brain as he willed himself to sleep that night. his pyjamas stuck to his supple skin and his limbs tingled in a way that was unfamiliar. he inhaled deeply as he continued to try to relax his body, but his lips pursed and his brows furrowed as images from your death flashed in his mind.

a finger twitched and he sat up, running a hand through his sweaty hair. his jaw clenched and he glanced at the clock beside his bed with exhaustion.

2:19 am.

sunday flopped onto his side and sighed, shutting his eyelids and hoping sleep would possess his form soon. it'd been hours since he last saw you, and yet the texture of your scarred back embedded itself into his fingertips.

he threw the covers off and padded down the dark hallway when his attempts failed miserably. the tile beneath his feet was sure to keep him awake longer, but he wasn't opposed to pulling an all nighter at this stage.

the thin blanket draped over his shoulders that he secured with a loose fist offered little relief from the cold manor. his wings curled inwards to shield the lower half of his face, but sunday had a hunch that his lips had an odd undertone of blue. he descended the stairs and traced his gaze along the outlines of the miniature replica of the dreamscape.

the golden lights danced in his irises, and perhaps the illusion of hope might have fooled someone until he turned away from the diorama. he grunted as he knelt in front of the painting he had only been made aware of recently. he lazily tugged the sheet from the frame and let it pool atop his thighs. sunday chewed his lips as he fought to see you as you were depicted, but the graphic photos of your mutilated body seemingly ruined any prior impression of you.

he shifted to sit beside the portrait and he pulled the blanket closer, leaning his head against the canvas. he nuzzled into the material gently, and his eyelids shut.

soft music drifted through people's eardrums and sunk into their brain for safe keeping at 3 am. the dark carpet muffled the footsteps that trod along the floor and the clinking of glasses harmonised sporadically.

siobhan smiled softly at the animated gossip of the guests at the bar, and her hands crafted more varieties of liquid courage at their beck and call. her eyes caught a halovian lingering in the doorway, and she nodded in acknowledgement.

sunday hesitated, but stepped through the entrance to house himself on a suspiciously comfy bar stool. his golden gaze observed the glasses and liqueurs behind the bar, and his wings deflated slightly. his chin rested on his hand as he waited for a shift in the atmosphere, though it never came.

"looking for someone?" siobhan prompted as she polished silverware.

"ah... no, i don't believe so," he responded, offering a half-assed smile. "just looking for a drink."

"i got you covered," the woman said, concocting a pale blue beverage before his eyes, decorating the glass with a robin card. "wake and slumber for a mr. sunday."

"thank you."

his chapped lips touched the rim of the glass and the cold liquid trickled down his throat, soothing the tension in his jaw and mind.

"what happened? you look like you got hit by a train," siobhan asked, leaning against the counter lazily.

"just having trouble sleeping, nothing of major concern," sunday answered, staring into the reflection on the surface of the drink.

"[name] made that drink to help with night terrors. probably not the same thing as insomnia stuff, but maybe you'll find it helps," the bartender commented.

"perhaps. i shall see tonight." he took another sip of the drink, and despite the cold temperature, he noticed a newfound warmth that spread through his muscles.

"they aren't working today, they're spending time with the trailblazer." siobhan suppressed a grin when sunday's hand twitched at the mention of you in new company.

"i see."

"i had them train the trailblazer for a little bit and they seem to be quite friendly now. it's good, really. little [name] doesn't have many friends," she added, purposefully avoiding eye contact.

"no?"

the other halovian shook her head. "nah," she said casually, "they have their close friends and that's satisfying enough, i suppose."

sunday wet his lips in thought and he nodded silently, tracing the rim of the glass with his finger.

the textured glass windows of what you thought were ridiculously overpriced shops served as a nice background for your day trip with the trailblazer. both of your pockets were heavier than a couple hours prior, and a chilled bottle of soulglad occupied a hand as you walked through golden hour.

"you've certainly had an eventful few days," you said, sipping from the straw of your drink.

"yeah, ideally i wouldn't watch a new friend die in front of my eyes and dumpster diving won't get my ass beat," the trailblazer sighed.

"did you freak out when the billboards started following you?"

"i actually got them run over a couple times..." they rubbed the back of their head sheepishly, and you stifled your laughter at the situation.

"i've lived here all my life and never done that, maybe i should try it?"

"please don't," a smooth voice called from behind you. your head spun around and you blinked in surprise at sunday's sudden appearance.

"aw, it seems entertaining, though. not even just once?" you teased, swirling your drink in the bottle.

"it is funny to see," the trailblazer confirmed.

sunday offered a polite smile. "you probably shouldn't have told me that, but since you helped look for robin, i'm going to let it slide."

"how merciful," you muttered under your breath. "that aside, what's up with you? you look like shit."

"thanks for that riveting compliment," sunday said dryly. "siobhan effectively said the same."

"you been looking for me?" you arched an eyebrow and obnoxiously sipped your drink as you averted your gaze. "i don't live at the bar, y'know?"

"i have since been enlightened," he grumbled. "have you seen robin?"

you shook your head and turned to the trailblazer, who shrugged their shoulders at your silent question. "nope."

the blue-haired man stared at you expectantly, to which you returned the look. he waited a moment longer before frowning slightly. "is that all?"

"yep."

"is this a game about semantics again?"

"uh-huh."

he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "do you know where she might be later on?"

you grinned at his inquiry. "with me."

"what time?"

"in 10 minutes." you threw an arm around the trailblazer's shoulders and ruffled their hair playfully. "we were just finishing up."

"may i tag along?" sunday proposed, rubbing his nose bridge of fatigue.

you pretended to think for a moment, tapping your finger against your chin and squinting your eyes. "yeah, fine. i can't gatekeep your sister."

"thanks?"

you turned back to your new friend and released them from your hold. "alright, i'll see you around. nice catching up outside of work," you said, giving them a fist bump as they walked away.

"apologies if i cut your visit short," sunday mumbled as you led him away from the bustling crowds.

"i already said we were finishing up," you argued. he hummed at your statement and trailed behind you silently. the chatter slowly dissipated as you stopped at a secluded alleyway that was void of life aside from yourselves.

"you're not going to kill me, are you?" he joked, adjusting his gloves absentmindedly.

"no, but this will hurt," you said, looking around to ensure no one was watching.

"what-"

his eyes widened as a large purple monster loomed over your figure and stabbed a limb through your chest. a strangled grunt erupted from his throat as you disappeared into blue bubbles and leaving remnants of a slimy goo on the concrete. his heartrate quickened in his chest as the creature turned to him, and a fiery pain flowered from his lungs.

sunday's knees gave way and he clutched at his torso when he met the ground. his heaving halted as he saw your familiar shoes in front of him. he scrambled to stand and yanked you into his form when he spotted the monster again.

"get away from that thing," he hissed.

you scoffed and pushed away from him. "it's just sleepie, i'm fine," you protested. a gentle smile decorated your face and you reached to stroke what looked like a wing. "thanks for returning me home, you did very well," you cooed. 'sleepie' made a noise akin to a purr, nuzzling it's strangely shaped head into your chest.

"that thing has a name?" sunday grimaced at how close it was with you, but let you have your odd pet time.

"he's just confused right now, normally he doesn't go for people who don't live here. that's what happened with robin," you explained. when you released sleepie from your hold, he disappeared into a cloud of purple smoke, which then dissipated into thin air. "let's go, robin's waiting for me."

sunday's wings bristled as he watched you walk away, and he looked down at his chest, a shaky hand coming to rest over his heart in a failed attempt to calm himself. the pain continued to ebb in his ribs, but he followed your lead.

"is that how you get home every time?" he wondered.

"well, i'm sure there's another way, but it's just faster and more convenient," you said. "you doing ok? you're not used to that, so you probably hurt, huh?"

"i don't know how you're doing fine, to be frank," sunday admitted.

you shrugged as you broke into the clearing of rooftops and glanced around for the pop singer. "on the bright side, it made my death less painful than it would've been."

"oh..."

you looked over your shoulder with a microscopic smile. "don't be so down about that, it's been ages and you weren't even there for it."

"i should've been," sunday mumbled, averting his gaze to the ground.

"what's done is done, you can't change that." your focus returned to the rooftop and you reached behind you to tug at his sleeve. "found robin, you better cheer up before she interrogates you," you teased.

nostalgia had never felt so uncomfortable before. sunday felt stiff, even as he sunk into the plush couch in your living room that was filled with animated chatter between you and robin. he observed the bowl of food in his hands and though he felt compelled to eat what you had cooked, he couldn't help but take in your living space for a couple more minutes.

sunday doesn't often entertain feelings of guilt or jealousy, but as he ate in your company he failed to ignore the searing regret that burned in his stomach. simply being in your personal space told him more about you than he could ever ask, and he wished he could kick himself in the shins for missing out on important life events.

siobhan was right based on the lack of photo frames you had in your small apartment; you didn't have many friends. you barely had any sitting areas aside from the living room — you didn't even own a dining table — and simple group activities like board games were absent from your home.

you looked at the kitchen thoughtfully. "i'm not used to having to cook the day after already doing so," you noted, stabbing a carrot with your fork.

"what do you do usually?" robin asked, shooting sunday a mildly concerned glance.

"i only really cook for me, so i eat the same thing for a few days straight. leftovers go a long way."

"we'll drop by more often to keep you company," she suggested cheerily, and her angelic features lit up when you gave her an ok symbol.

as you finished your dinners, idle chatter filled the living room that would otherwise be silent. sunday's wings fluttered slightly at the sound of combined laughter, and occasionally his own would join the chorus. eventually, you rose from your spot on the floor that you insisted you sat and took the empty dishes to your sink.

"let me help you." sunday didn't realise it was he who spoke for a fleeting moment, but he took his place by your side and pulled his pristine gloves from his slender fingers.

"i'm surprised you know how to do chores," you spoke as you held your hand under the water waiting for the temperature to rise.

"i'm not that hopeless..." he defended, though the heat that usually accompanied his tone had now flickered away. "besides, it's the least i can do for what i did."

you hummed with dissatisfaction. "you need to let it go," you advised. "i'm not mad anymore, gopher manipulated the story."

"i still feel as if i have a lot of apologising to do," sunday replied, though his mind seemed elsewhere in that moment. you analysed him from the corner of your eyes, but decided not to press.

"just don't do something stupid like that again."

from behind you, robin watched fondly at the lack of bickering. she found herself content with fading into the background just this once, and maybe for a moment, she would pretend like nothing had changed.

TAGLIST: (if your name is in bold, i couldn't tag you in the post-)

@galagarts @junyueyin @no-hearts-included @caeruslumiere @abyssmal-skies @jellofishuu @axerrri @the-cottage-dragon @qwnelisa @velovicy @sweetistic @zuoran03 @jar-03 @ukiyo-ikigai @merviolet-asks @tamikahoshiko @b1loop @queenothegeeks @shadowypeachsweets @name-less-666 @bubblegupyy @evan-trand @nellqzz

[ultimac]

CLİPART - DRAGON+ (4)

Back to School Clipart is a popular category on Clipart.tips, offering a wide range of digital drawings and illustrations for educational purposes. One example of such clipart is the back to school clipart, which includes various fun and vibrant images related to school activities. These clipart images can be used for creating educational materials, presentations, posters, and more. Additionally, there are extensive collections of back-to-school clipart available, featuring stationery, school-related items, awards, and more. Users can browse through thousands of back-to-school clipart stock illustrations and vector graphics to find the perfect images for their projects.

For those looking for bakery clipart, Clipart.tips offers a plethora of options to choose from. With over 21,967 baking clipart stock photos, vectors, and illustrations available royalty-free for download, users can find a diverse range of images related to cooking, confectionery, baking, and pastry. The platform provides high-quality bakery clipart images, including vectors, stock photos, and PSD files, allowing for commercial use and customization. Whether you need images of baked goods, kitchen utensils, or pastry chefs, the bakery clipart collection on Clipart.tips has something for every project.

Balloon clipart is another popular category on Clipart.tips, offering a variety of colorful and whimsical images of party balloons. These clipart sets feature illustrations of balloons in rainbow colors, adding a festive touch to any design project. Users can find vibrant and creative balloon clipart collections with both colored and black and white versions, providing flexibility for different visual styles. Additionally, Clipart.tips offers a wide selection of royalty-free balloon clipart images that are perfect for social media posts, presentations, and other digital creations. With thousands of balloon clipart stock images available in HD quality, designers and content creators have a wealth of options to enhance their visuals.

[amaregames]

Amare Genre Tag Faqs

While Amare games share a distinct "vibe," they place no restrictions on the gender of the Main Character or Love Interests, embracing diverse romantic narratives. This includes requiring a gender variable MC. This is not a requirement for Amare and Amare games may have gender-locked MCs.

What makes an Amare game?

What Amare games tend to have in common is that they focus on relationships and romance, with an emphasis on diversity and authentic storytelling.

Key characteristics include:

Varied Gaze - Games that use this tag are often told with a feminine or neutral gaze, but that isn't a requirement. No specific "gaze" is given pre-eminence over others across the tag but individual games may lean in a single direction.

Flexible Roles - There are no restrictions on the gender and sexuality of the MC or the love interests. Games display a wide range of relationships from from BL, Otome, WLW, and a blend of these genres. Some games may be limited to one experience (such as being purely BL) while others may explore a range of experiences.

Expansive Relationships - Relationships in Amare games range from romantic, sweet, spicy to purely platonic.

Diversity in Cast and Creators - Amare games often feature a diverse array of characters and creators, promoting representation across different experiences and identities.

Who is the target audience for Amare games?

Amare games are targeted to a wide demographic comprised of adults and young adults who want to read narrative stories exploring relationships and romance as told from a wide range of cultures, conventions and experiences.

What makes Amare different from other relationship genres?

The Amare tag was created to supplement existing tags like BL, Otome, and WLW, that sometimes have stricter labelling requirements. It hopes to expand beyond the conventional boundaries that define games purely based on the gender and sexuality of the MC or a narrow target audience. Amare is meant to help bridge gaps left by other genre definitions, as well as create a home for games whose creators don't want to categorise them purely in that way, offering one more avenue for labelling and advertising games.

What is the "vibe" Amare games have?

The vibe of Amare games is heartfelt and immersive, focusing on deep emotional connections and character-driven narratives. They often blend romance, personal growth, and engaging storylines, allowing players to explore meaningful relationships in a variety of settings. Amare games cultivate a vibe of genuine and inclusive stories that celebrate love in its many forms, emphasizing choice and individuality, and celebrating variety in all its forms, making each experience unique.

How do I know if my game is Amare?

Does it have a focus on romance or exploration of relationships? Do you feel comfortable in this space and want to label your game as Amare? People use the Amare tag for a lot of different reasons - because they feel slightly out of sync with other genres that have narrower definitions, or emphasis on specific art styles or story conventions, because they don't want to be limited to a more narrow target audience, because they don't feel they quite fit another genre, because their game spans multiple genres or for a host of other reasons. This genre is focused on offering space to people who feel they fit here.

Links

Amare Genre Tag on Itch.io Over 470+ Games and counting AmareGames.com Amare Games Bulletin Amare Games Festival 2025

[pedrospatch]

a safe haven | two

Jackson! Joel Miller x Female Reader

series masterlist

summary: While helping set up the barn for the summer party, a friend tells you that Tommy wants to set her up with Joel and feelings of jealousy come into play; you ask your niece Dina for a huge favor; you share a memorable moment with Joel and Ellie on the dance floor.

warnings/tags: 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI. commune throws party, Esther makes an appearance, reader gets jealous, mentions of reader’s husband, husband name reveal, hints at their strained marriage, Dina and Ellie interaction, Joel dances, cute moments between Ellie, Joel, and reader. mention of food, consumption of alcohol.

word count: 6.6k

You glance around the barn, both hands planted firmly on your hips.

It’s late in the afternoon, around three or four if you had to guess since you’d accidentally left your watch in your satchel bag back at the stables.

After spending the morning making your usual rounds and tending to all of the horses that needed some attention, you’d offered to pitch in and help prepare for the night’s upcoming festivities. In one corner of the barn, Seth’s setting up the small bar where he and his sons would be bartending and serving up beverages. Over in another corner, Tommy Miller is helping set up the large, flat top grill and his wife, Maria, stands right beside him, keeping everything organized as she directs several members of the commune and assigns them with a number of tasks that still need to be taken care of before the social event could begin. The food had also started to arrive—quite a few people had kindly volunteered to bring in their homemade dishes to share, all sorts of delicious little pickings from a variety of savory sides to go with the bison steaks that Tommy would be grilling later on in the evening, to an array of sweet, baked desserts meant to be enjoyed afterwards. Maria graciously thanks everyone for their contributions, then points them over towards the long, rectangular shaped table that would serve as something of a buffet.

“Do you think we brought out enough chairs for tonight?” you ask, curiously cocking your head to the side slightly as you silently start to do another count of the mismatched chairs around all of the tables that surrounded the perimeter of the makeshift dance floor. The barn itself was incredibly spacious, and the group who’d been assigned the task of cleaning it up earlier that morning had completely cleared the inside, leaving more than plenty of room. Still, you try to be mindful about making sure the improvised venue isn’t too crowded with tables and chairs. “Or do you think we should bring out a few more?”

Esther scoffs in response. She had been sitting at one of the tables, digging through a woven basket filled to the brim with freshly picked wildflowers for the center pieces she had promised Maria that she’d make. She improvised with a different variety of glasses, plastic cups, and even old, empty food cans, using them as vases for her arrangements. In a tiny effort to spruce them up, Esther had tied a long string of twine into a bow around each one. “Listen, nobody is going to be sitting on their ass tonight, at least not for very long,” she remarks, brushing her long, golden blonde bangs out of her eyes with the back of her hand. She then gestures towards the stage where a couple of guys are bringing out instruments and setting them up. She shimmies her shoulders playfully. “Everyone is going to be way too busy dancing and shaking their tail feathers. Now quit worrying about chairs and help me with these damn things, will you?”

You giggle at her antics and lightly shake your head as you sit down in the wooden chair directly across from her plastic one. You grab an old, empty Campbell’s chicken noodle soup can and peel off the label, carefully checking the inside to make sure it’d been washed out thoroughly before grabbing a handful of flowers from the basket. Esther made a good point. The much anticipated and long awaited first day of summer had officially arrived in Jackson, and the entire town was buzzing with pure excitement over the gathering—an incredibly rare time to unwind and let loose, you knew everybody was more than ready to put on their best and dance the night away.

Sure, throwing a party while living in a world like this one seemed like nothing but a complete waste of time—not to mention, a complete waste of valuable and precious resources. But the good people of Jackson worked themselves down to the bone in efforts to keep the community going, to keep it growing and flourishing now that it was well over forty families strong. Taking just one night out of the year to have some carefree fun did a lot more good than it did harm. It provided a much needed sense of normalcy for everyone, but most importantly, for the children and members of the younger crowd who had been born after the outbreak. It was a small taste of what life used to be like before every single day became nothing but a fight for survival, before the worries of infection, clickers, and murderous raiders became god awful nightmares that had come to life. While Jackson was certainly a safe haven, it wasn’t completely immune to those very real threats, and that scared people. Seeing the way the summer party lifted spirits and boosted morale, Maria had made it an official annual tradition, something to look forward to when the tough got going. Anyone who thought it was a stupid idea was more than welcome to spend the entire night on wall duty instead.

“I wonder if he’s coming tonight.” Esther’s voice breaks into your train of thought after a minute or two.

You glance up at her, confused. “Who are you talking about?”

“Tommy’s older brother,” she replies, placing some daisies into a tall, slightly chipped glass. She bites her lip and says his name shyly. “Joel.”

Without thinking anything much of it, you nod and find yourself assuring her, “He said he would come.”

Esther’s hands fumble, clumsily knocking the glass over in surprise, her flowers spilling out. She manages to catch it just before it falls off the side of the table and grips it in her hand. “Wait a minute, you’ve met Joel?” She gasps lightly, her eyes going wide with curiosity. “You mean, you’ve actually talked to him? Are you fucking serious? When did that happen?” She sputters out each question, one after the other.

You bite back a grin as you recall your encounter with Joel Miller. Even now, a full day later, the feeling of his hand holding yours still lingers. His skin had been rough and calloused against your own, but you’d enjoyed the way it had felt. You shouldn’t have. But there’s no denying how much you had liked it, how much you wished for another chance to hold his hand in yours again.

Still waiting for answers, Esther nudges your leg with her foot under the table. “Well?”

You shrug your shoulders in the most calm, nonchalant manner that you can muster, as if the mere thought of the man isn’t making your insides flutter wildly. “Well, I actually just met him for the first time yesterday afternoon.” Seeing the genuinely stunned expression on Esther’s face, you begin to elaborate a little further as you start arranging a bouquet of flowers into the empty soup can in front of you. “Ellie, the girl he’s here with, well she spends a lot of time with me at the stables. Joel came looking for her after lunch hour and we got to talking for a bit. Before he left, I ended up inviting him and Ellie to come to the party.”

“Wait, what? Ellie spends a lot of time with you? Really?” Esther lets out a scoff of pure and utter disbelief. “I can hardly even believe it! That girl avoids everyone around here like we’re the damn infected. It’s really rude, don’t you think so?” She doesn’t even give you the chance to respond before adding, “She’s got quite the mouth on her from what I’ve heard, too. Cusses up a storm left and right, and she lacks the most basic manners. Poor Joel, I wonder how he ended up getting stuck with someone like her. Whoever her parents were, they clearly failed in disciplining her.”

Frowning, you glare at her across the table, not too fond over the remarks she’d just made about Ellie. “She’s actually a really good kid, Esther,” you all but snap at her, a seething edge to your tone. “You know something, I really wish people wouldn’t be so damn quick to judge before getting to know someone, especially when they have no idea about what they’ve been through. Maria has taught all of us better than that over the last few years.”

Your friend holds up her hands in defense. “Well in all fairness, it’s kind of hard to try and get to know someone who purposely chooses to keep to themselves all the time, you know. She isn’t even giving anyone the chance to get to know her. Except for you now, apparently.” She pauses for a moment, realizing she had just landed herself in a bit of hot water with you. She tries to deviate the conversation slightly into a less sensitive territory and asks, “Are they both coming tonight?”

“Joel said he’d be by with Ellie,” you confirm, still feeling a bit irate. You know Esther doesn’t really mean any harm, but her comments, and the way she’d said them, had definitely struck a nerve. “He might have his work cut out for him trying to talk her into coming with him, but I’m sure that he’ll manage to convince her somehow.”

“Well, at the very least, I sure hope that Joel sticks true to his word and comes out to join us,” she smirks, propping her elbows up on the table as she leans towards you and makes a confession that you’d really wished she hadn’t. “He’s certainly someone that I would like to get to know.”

You manage to keep a straight face, uttering a small, “Oh really?”

“Of course! He’s so damn handsome,” Esther gushes with a twinkle in her sky blue eyes. “Joel is exactly my type of man, you know. Tall. Rugged. Big, strong hands that I bet would feel incredible all over me,” she swoons back into her chair in a dramatic fashion at the thought of it. “And he has this mysteriousness about him that I really like too.” She stops, looking around to make sure nobody was within earshot before leaning over towards you once more. She lowers her voice just in case anyone happens to pass by the table. “Tommy stopped by my place after dinnertime yesterday. He told me he was thinking of setting Joel up with somebody and he asked me if I would be interested.”

Your heart sinks. “He did?”

It’s difficult to ignore the feeling of envy that’s prickling at your nerve endings. It’s incredibly stupid to feel this way, to feel disappointed, especially knowing that you didn’t have the slightest chance in hell with Joel Miller.

Esther’s a single woman up for grabs—and you’re not. 

You’re married.

Still, the thought of Joel with Esther, it bothers you.

After talking to him in the horse stables the day before, you’d found yourself thinking about him a lot more than a married woman should probably be thinking about another man who wasn’t her husband. It was wrong, it was dangerous, and it wasn’t like you at all. But there was just something about him that had caught your attention, long before he’d even spoken a single word to you.

Now that you’d become acquainted with him, you were screwed.

So frustratingly and devastatingly screwed.

“You know what, I’m going to try and talk to him tonight,” Esther concludes, nodding her head as if she’d just convinced herself into doing it. “I might need a strong drink or two in me to give me a little bit of liquid courage, but I think I can do it. After all, Tommy thinks that Joel would really like me. He told me so last night.”

You lightly clear your throat and somehow manage to give her your best, encouraging smile. “I’m sure you’ll make a great first impression on him, Esther.”

“I think so too,” she agrees, giving the flower in her hand a gentle sniff. “By the way, I forgot to ask you—is Luke coming by tonight?”

The mere mention of your husband’s name makes you feel nauseous.

Averting your gaze, you shake your head. “No, he isn’t. He’s been so tired from work lately and he’s really not in the mood for it.” You hope she can’t detect the hint of relief in your voice as you explain that your husband wouldn’t be joining in on the night’s festivities. “He’s going to stay home and catch up on some rest.”

“What a shame,” Esther tsks with a frown. “That man works way too damn hard, you know. He needs a break. You should really try and get him to come to the party. He could use a night out.”

“I’ll try and talk him into it,” you lie straight through your teeth knowing damn well that you would do no such thing. The truth of the matter was, the less you were around Luke, the better. Him being at the party with you would only make it unenjoyable for you—if he came, you wouldn’t be able to be yourself, not unless you wanted to end the night with another explosive argument because you’d been too this or too that. Too chatty, too annoying, too embarrassing, too much.

Knowing Luke, he would expect you to be glued to his side all night long and play the role of his quiet, obedient little wife, and when that didn’t happen, it would cause all hell to break loose once you two were back in the privacy of your home. It was the one place where the image of the perfect, loving marriage that you and Luke had created over the last few years came crumbling down into pieces.

From your periphery, you catch a young girl with long, raven black hair walking by with a burlap sack of green apples in her arms. “Excuse me for a minute.” You stand up from the table and catch up to the teenager, calling out her name. “Dina!”

She stops in her tracks and turns around. As soon as she sees that it was you who’d called her name, she smiles warmly. “Hi there, auntie.”

You wrap an arm around her in a hug. “Are you ready for tonight?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Dina shrugs, setting down the heavy sack at her feet as she smiles at you once again. Since you’d met her, she had always been a quiet kid, friendly but very shy. As she transitioned from childhood into adolescence, she had slowly but surely started coming out of her shell. “I’m excited for all the good food, that’s for sure. What about you?”

“I’m really looking forward to the live music,” you reply, nodding towards the stage where a young man is tuning up his bass guitar. You peer curiously at her for a moment, hesitating slightly before finally saying, “Listen, I’m glad that I caught you. I was wondering if you could do me a really big favor tonight?”

Eagerly, she nods. “Of course! Anything for you, auntie. What do you need?”

“You know that new girl, right? Ellie?”

Dina’s face falls instantly. “You mean the one who doesn’t talk to anybody?”

“Yeah. Her. I was thinking that maybe we should do something to change that,” you suggest to her. “I’d really appreciate it if you would try and talk to her tonight during the party. Maybe try and get to know her a bit.” You immediately notice the look of disdain that crosses her features. “I honestly think that you two would get along great. She reminds me a lot of you, you know. Minus all the cursing, of course,” you quickly add as an afterthought.

“You’ve talked to her?”

“She’s actually been hanging out with me these last couple of weeks.” You almost laugh at the shocked look on Dina’s face. “I wouldn’t ask you to befriend someone who I know you wouldn’t like. But I mean it, Dina. I really think you’d like Ellie. Something tells me that you two could wind up being good friends.”

“But she yelled at me on her first day here,” Dina recalls, anxiously biting her bottom lip as she shuffles from foot to foot.

“Okay, so maybe you two might have gotten off on the wrong foot,” you state, remembering that winter afternoon a few months ago when Dina had told you about how Ellie had barked at her for staring at her in the mess hall. “But that doesn’t mean that you two can’t start over, you know. Clean slate?” You grin and tuck a lock of her long hair behind her ear, grazing her cheek softly as you did so. “It would really mean a lot to me if you at least tried to talk to her. Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?”

Dina thinks it over for a minute, then sighs in defeat. “Fine. I suppose I can give it a shot.”

You take her face in the palm of your hand, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “That’s my girl.”

Dina quickly pulls away from you and wrinkles her nose. “Auntie?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re going home to shower before the party tonight, right?”

“Yeah, of course I am.” You furrow an eyebrow at her. “Why do you ask?”

“Because.” She wrinkles her nose in disgust. “You smell like a dirty horse.”

You chuckle, giving her another squeeze. 

Oh, Ellie and Dina were going to get along just fine.

Joel stands in front of the bathroom mirror and frowns at his own reflection as he runs his thick fingers through his graying, dark brown curls for what had to be the thousandth time. Whether it was with his hands or with a comb, he couldn’t tame his locks to save his fucking life. He breathes out a long, irritated sigh and decides to give up on his hair altogether before walking back out into his bedroom in nothing but the dark blue bath towel wrapped around his waist. He pads over towards the foot of his bed where he’d set out his pile of clothes.

He quickly tugs on a pair of boxer briefs and his clean, dark wash blue jeans before reaching for one of the shirts Tommy had dropped off for him earlier that afternoon. His brother had given him a number of options to choose from and Joel had chosen the one he’d felt was the nicest—black with a gray paisley print and long sleeves. He shrugs into the shirt and buttons it up, rolling the sleeves up to the middle of his forearms. He glances over at his pistol on the black oak nightstand beside his bed. Though he’s fairly positive he wouldn’t be needing it, he picks it up and tucks it into the waistband of his jeans, purely out of habit.

After slipping on his cleanest pair of black leather boots, he leaves his bedroom and makes his way down the long hallway towards Ellie’s door. He gives it a light knock and calls, “Ellie, s’time. You all ready to go?”

It takes her a minute, but Ellie finally opens the door.

“Y’didn’t wanna dress up for tonight?” Joel questions, observing how she’s chosen to wear her usual long sleeved shirt, faded blue jeans, and tattered red low top sneakers.

She narrows her eyes at him and huffs, “Fucking really, Joel?”

He holds up his hands, shaking his head. “Right. That was a stupid question,” he realizes out loud. “Alright. C’mon, kiddo. Let’s get goin’ before it gets late.”

“Do we really have to go to this stupid thing?” Ellie whines with a small groan as she follows him down the stairs and out the front door. “It’s the end of the fucking world, man. Who in their right mind throws a fucking party? I mean, what are we even celebrating, anyway? The fact that we’re all fucked for the rest of our lives?”

“Y’know, a little change in attitude would be kinda nice,” Joel remarks as the two of them make their way across the commune, following another group of people who also appear to be heading towards the barn. “This could be real good for you, Ellie. Hell, it could be good for me too. It could end up bein’ a real good time for the both of us.” He doesn’t quite fully believe that, and the truth is, Joel really doesn’t want to go as much as Ellie doesn’t want to go. Still, he hopes that by exposing Ellie to people at the social event, she’ll have an easier time adjusting, and perhaps she could even finally find her niche. Or at least make a friend. Seeing you also happens to be a perk of going. “This could be fun.”

“Since when are you into parties, Joel?”

Joel shrugs his shoulders. “I ain’t into parties.”

“Oh, wait a minute. The only reason that you even want to go to this fucking thing in the first place is because you know who is going to be there. Isn’t that right, Romeo?” Ellie smirks and wiggles her eyebrows at him in a suggestive manner. Noticing the perplexed expression on his face, she scoffs, “Don’t look at me like you don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about. I heard the way you were chatting her up at the stables yesterday.”

“First of all, she was the one who was chattin’ me up, thank you very much,” Joel mutters to her gruffly. “And second, what the hell were you doin’ hangin’ around and listenin’ to us? I thought I’d told you to go get lunch, not stick around and eavesdrop.”

“I didn’t wanna miss anything good,” Ellie replies, peering up at him. “You know that she’s married, don’t you?”

“Ellie,” he says her name warningly and looks around, hoping no one had been overhearing their conversation.

“Just making sure you knew that, Joel.”

“Yeah, I know she’s married,” he says, hoping that the teenager couldn’t pick up on the sour edge to his tone. He glances at Ellie, and wonders what all exactly she knew about you. Though he knows better than to ask her, he stupidly does so anyway. “You meet the guy yet?”

Ellie bites back another wide smirk, taking note of the way Joel had so easily let his curiosity get the better of him. “Nope. I’ve noticed that she doesn’t really talk about him much, either.” She shrugs, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “And from what I know, they don’t have any kids together.”

Joel raises an eyebrow at her. “Didn’t ask you if they had kids.”

“No, but I know you were wondering if they did,” Ellie states in a matter of fact tone. “Whether or not she’s happily married, I can find that out for you too, if you want me to. Just call me Sherlock fucking Holmes and I’ll crack the case.”

His mouth falls open slightly at what she’d been implying.

 As if he would actually go after a married woman. 

Joel finally speaks, his voice rigid. “Ellie, that ain’t funny.”

“I wasn’t trying to be funny, believe it or not.” She notices the way his jaw clenches and shrugs her shoulders once again. “What?” she bats her eyes innocently, as if she had seen nothing wrong with the statement she had just made. “Oh come on, Joel. You can’t tell me you’re not the slightest bit curious about her marriage.”

“I ain’t,” he lies straight through his teeth. “It ain’t none of my business, and it sure as hell ain’t none of yours either, so don’t you go pokin’ your nose where it doesn’t belong, you understand me? Don’t need you goin’ around and causin’ trouble.”

“Alright, alright. Sheesh. Don’t get so worked up, man. Can’t be good for your blood pressure.”

“Little shit,” he mutters.

Joel and Ellie make it to their destination just after sunset and by that time, the party had started and was already in full swing. The commune’s barn had been completely transformed, cleaned up and cleared out—a dozen tables or so surrounded a decent sized dance floor and bright lights had been strung from the rafters as well as all along the outside of the structure, bringing the place to life. There’s a live band playing music on a small, makeshift stage and the scent of delicious barbecue wafts through the air, causing Ellie’s stomach to grumble.

Joel glances around, hoping it isn’t obvious to the kid as to who he’s looking for, but she’s far too busy processing everything to even notice.

“Whoa. This is so weird,” Ellie mumbles under her breath as she takes in her surroundings. Though she had seemed to be thoroughly confused by it all, he detects the glimmer of curious fascination in her wide brown eyes.

“Joel! Ellie!”

Grinning, you wave your hand as you weave your way through the crowd towards them.

Joel’s throat bobs and goes sandpaper dry at the sight of you. It feels like someone had just driven their fist into his gut and knocked all the wind out of his lungs.

The pale yellow frock you’re donning is strapless with a subtle sweetheart neckline, short with a flowing skirt that falls to the middle of your thighs. You’ve dressed it down, pairing it with tan brown cowboy boots that look like they’ve seen better days, and a cropped denim vest. Your hair is loose around your shoulders and there’s a delicate white daisy tucked behind your ear. Simple, but it’s enough to take his breath away. “Hey!” you greet them, excitedly. “You guys made it!”

“Whoa, nice dress, princess,” Ellie nudges you, offering a playful grin in return. She’d been so used to seeing you in your flannel and jeans at the stables—though she’s teasing, there’s a twinkle of admiration in her eyes as she looks at you. It’s a world of a difference to see you when you’re not dirty, sweaty, and wearing boots covered in horse shit.

You nudge her right back and then turn to Joel. “You look very nice,” you compliment, subtly admiring the way that his shirt fits the broad planes of his chest and his shoulders.

“He showered for once. Doesn’t he look pretty?” Ellie jeers, causing him to roughly smack her shoulder. She rubs the spot where he’d hit her, making a face at him. “Relax man, it was a fucking joke. Jesus.”

Ignoring her, Joel shifts his attention back to you. “You look real nice too.”

“Thank you, Joel.” There’s a hint of shyness in your smile.

He couldn’t be too sure if it was his mind playing tricks on him, but he could have sworn he’d just seen you give his form another once over.

“I’m really glad you two decided to join us.” Gesturing around with your hands, you ask, “What do you guys think?”

“It’s some shindig, that’s for sure,” Joel remarks, taking another glimpse around. He aches to take another look at you, let his eyes glaze over every last inch of you, but he knows better, especially with his loud mouth kid standing right there in the middle.

“It’s like I told you yesterday, Joel. People still know how to get down and party,” you wink at him and his heart skips a nervous beat. “Come with me, I’ll get you guys a couple of drinks.”

“Drinks?” Ellie’s face is hopeful. “What kind of drinks?”

“Nonalcoholic for you, missy.” You flick her shoulder, causing Joel to chuckle. “The drinking age in Jackson is eighteen, although some kids can have a drink or two at sixteen on special occasions as long as their parents are around to supervise them.”

“Well, I’m fifteen. That’s close enough to sixteen. And I’ve got my supervisor right here.” She jabs her thumb over her shoulder at Joel. “I can have a real drink tonight, right Joel?”

He snorted. “Not a fuckin’ chance in hell, kiddo.”

She scowls. “Fucking party pooper.”

You lead them over to one of several coolers that are strategically placed around the barn and pull out a bottle of fresh squeezed lemonade for Ellie and a bottle of beer for Joel. Twisting off the cap, he takes his first sip of the homemade brew and makes a face, coughing and sputtering at the taste. “Jesus Christ, that’s fuckin’ awful.”

“Sorry, I should have warned you that Seth is still trying to perfect his beer recipe,” you giggle into the palm of your hand. “His whiskey is a whole lot better, but it’s really strong. I wanted to start you off light.”

In the distance, you see Esther watching Joel with hungry eyes from across the barn. She’s turning heads in the skintight, cherry red dress she’s wearing underneath her denim jacket—the material hugs every single curve tightly, accentuating her perfect figure. She’s nursing a glass of something or other, probably still working up the courage to introduce herself to Joel. You’d hoped that by the time she was finally ready to make her move, you’d find it in yourself to accept it with grace.

Or be somewhat drunk enough not to care.

The band on stage finishes up their rendition of Life is a Highway and everyone in the barn breaks into whistling cheers and thunderous applause.

Impressed with their talent, even Ellie finds herself clapping her free hand against her thigh with genuine enthusiasm.

The band moves onto their next song and the familiar tune of one of your favorite songs, Dancing in The Moonlight, instantly takes your mind off of Esther and lifts your spirits.

“Oh, I love this song!” you exclaim. “Ellie, dance with me!”

“Wait, what in the fuck—” Ellie gasps as you grab her hand and started tugging her along behind you. She immediately glances at Joel for help. He simply chuckles as he plucks her lemonade from her hand and lets you drag her a few feet away to a spot on the dance floor.

Smiling, you spin her around a couple of times and then take both her hands in yours as you start leading her in the dance. It takes Ellie a minute or two, but she eventually stops resisting and gives in, moving along with you.

“Yeah, there you go!” you beam, encouraging her. “That’s it!”

“Oh, I’m so gonna fucking kill you for this!” Ellie threatens, however, her eyes are sparkling and she’s laughing. Her fingers squeeze yours. “Hey, this song’s pretty fucking cool! I like it!”

Taking a swig of his beer, Joel watches as you and Ellie dance together.

He feels a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth as his eyes drink in the sight of his girl smiling brightly—she looks happy, so ridiculously happy, and he wishes there was a way for him to bottle up this memory just like a scent, one that never faded or grew stale. He would give just about anything to have it stashed away, available for him to open up whenever he wanted so he could relive the moment all over again, for as many times as he needed.

“Everybody here is out of sight, they don’t bark and they don’t bite,” you sing the lyrics to her as you twirl her around once more. “They keep things loose, they keep ‘em tight, everybody was dancing in the moonlight—”

“This is so fucking weird,” Ellie laughs again, mustering the courage to finally take a turn and spin you around. She grasps your hand tightly in hers and her opposite hand flies to your waist. She eventually finds the constant beat to the song and connects rhythmically with you, her moves falling in sync with yours, though she would still take a clumsy step here and there.

As the band moves into the next verse of the song, your gaze meets Joel’s from the dance floor and you lean forward, whispering something to Ellie.

She eagerly nods her head, shouting, “Fuck yeah! Do it!”

Ellie drops her hands away from you and you leave her alone on the dance floor for a moment. Rushing up to Joel, you take his bottle of beer and set it down on the table beside him before reaching for his hand.

The contented smile on his face vanishes. “Darlin’ what are you—?”

“Come on! Come and dance with us!” you chirp, dragging him over towards where Ellie’s waiting, an amused smirk plastered onto her face as soon as she sees the flabbergasted look on his.

“I—I don’t dance.” Joel quickly tries to tell you. He makes an attempt to stop you from pulling him any further, but you’re a lot fucking stronger than you look and he doesn’t stand a chance. “I can’t dance!”

“Don’t be silly!” You dismiss him over your shoulder, shaking your head. “Everybody can dance!”

“Come on, Joel!” Ellie shouts, taking his other hand in hers. “Let’s see you shake what you got!”

In his peripheral vision, Joel notices a few people gawking, watching in bewilderment as the two standoffish newcomers dance with you, the town’s resident sweetheart.

“Joel, relax,” you call out over the music, shaking his hand. “Don’t be so uptight! Loosen up a little!”

He tries his hardest to do just that. Though he’s too embarrassed to fully comply with your request, at some point, he does find himself moving a little less like the tinman. 

The three of you sway to the upbeat music together in your own little corner of the dance floor.

Holding your hand in one of his and Ellie’s in the other, Joel finally decides to let go and allows himself to enjoy the moment, regardless of how terrible of a dancer he is. He moves with the two of you along to the music, a deep belly laugh escaping him as Ellie tries to spin him around—their significant height difference makes it impossible, and all she does is mess up his hair as her arm brushes right over his head.

You try spinning him too, but you’re not all that much taller than Ellie. Joel bends his knees slightly and ignores their protest long enough for you to give him a twirl.

When the song ends, the three of you move off of the dance floor and back over towards the table where their drinks are waiting for them.

“Gotta give you credit. You’ve got some moves, old man,” Ellie states, taking a sip of her lemonade. Beads of sweat drip down the side of her face and she wipes them away with the sleeve of her shirt. “Little on the stiff side, but not bad for being fifty six with creaking knees.”

You muffle your snort of laughter with your hand.

Joel glowers, but truth be told, he can’t even be mad at her for the jab. He’d finally caught a glimpse of Ellie being truly, genuinely happy, the way she deserves to be—and it was all thanks to you. 

“Hello!”

Glancing over your shoulder, you smile as Dina comes up to the three of you. She seems nervous—you can tell by the way that she’s already pulling at her sunflower printed dress.

“Hey, sweetheart.” You kiss her cheek and then introduce her. “Joel, Ellie, this is my niece, Dina. Dina, this is Joel and Ellie.”

Ellie flushes a deep shade of red as she recognizes her from her first day in Jackson. 

“What about her manners?” She remembered snapping when she’d noticed the dark haired girl hiding behind a wooden pillar in the mess hall, staring at Ellie as if she were some kind of freakshow.

“Ellie,” Joel mutters her name, jabbing his elbow into her shoulder. “Say hello.”

“Oh—um, hey,” she greets her awkwardly with a wave of her hand.

“Would you like to go grab something to eat with me?” Dina offers shyly as she gestures over towards the grill.

Ellie nervously glances up at Joel, as if she were silently asking him for guidance on what to do.

“Go on,” he encourages her. “Just stay out of trouble, alright?”

She hesitates, but then turns back to Dina and nods her head. “Okay.”

Reluctantly, she follows Dina over to the other side of the barn. The girls each grab a plate, get in line, and make their way up to Tommy, who not only seems pleasantly surprised to see Ellie, but to see her with someone other than his brother.

“Niece, huh?” Joel questions, taking another sip of his beer. 

You’re not surprised.

Dina doesn’t look all that much like you, he’s probably thinking.

“Technically, she is. My husband is her uncle,” you explain, briefly. “After her parents passed away, he and his other niece, her older sister, Talia, they both raised Dina together. We were all living together under one roof until Maria decided Talia was old enough to be assigned a place of her own a couple of years ago.”

“Speakin’ of your husband.” Joel anxiously shoves his free hand into his pocket. He wasn’t sure how he’s only just now noticing the thin, gold wedding band around your ring finger. Seeing it causes an odd feeling to begin boiling in the pits of his stomach—the ring only confirms what he wished wasn’t true. “I haven’t had the chance to meet him yet. He, uh—he around here somewhere?”

“No, he isn’t. He decided to stay home tonight. Luke isn’t a big fan of these kind of things—besides, he’s always tired from working.”

Joel observes the way you uncomfortably shuffle from foot to foot and he wonders if maybe it’s because you’re missing him. The thought only makes the foreign feeling in his stomach intensify. “He’s the doctor around here, ain’t he?”

You nod. “He is.”

Before you have the chance to change the subject, you catch a glimpse of Esther making her way over towards you and Joel.

Your heart sinks deeply in your chest, similarly to the way it had earlier when she’d told you about Tommy wanting to set them up together. Again, you’re forced to remind yourself that you don’t have any right to feel this way.

She slinks up to the both of you—it’s clear she’s already tossed a number of drinks back and had quite the buzz going on. “Hi there,” she practically purrs at Joel. She glances at you, as if she’s waiting for you to introduce them to one another. Of course she would assume that you’d be her wingwoman. Hell, what reason would she have not to think that you would be willing to lend a hand and help set her up with him?

She’s not the one with a husband waiting at home. 

“Joel, this is my friend, Esther,” you finally speak, hoping your voice doesn’t sound as shaky to either of them as it does to you. “Esther, this is Joel Miller. He’s Tommy’s older brother.”

“Nice to meet you.” Joel takes her hand, giving it a brief shake before quickly dropping it.

“Now, I know you didn’t give him Seth’s shitty ass beer to drink. We all know his whiskey is way, way better,” Esther comments, shaking her head as she offers him her best, flirty smile. “Come with me, cowboy. Let’s go and get you a real drink over at the bar.”

“Oh no, that’s alright. M’perfectly fine—” Before Joel can finish protesting, Esther takes his bottle, hands it over to you, and then grabs his hand, dragging him off towards the bar.

Frowning, he looks over his shoulder at you and you have no choice but to make an encouraging gesture with your hand as if to tell him to go and have a good time.

Once Joel and Esther are out of your sight, you lift the bottle to your lips, draining every last drop of his beer in one swallow. You pivot on the heel of your boot and start towards a group of friendly, familiar faces in hopes that some mindless chatter would be enough to get your mind off of things and tame the jealousy that’s clawing furiously at your insides.

[morsking]

i don't know if i like "merry christmas to all" or "merry christmas, everyone" over the other because either one can say something different about an older kirei that's pretty funny. they're essentially the same phrase but the wording gives me a different impression. "merry christmas to all" is blunt, formal, the minimum you'd expect from a priest who makes people stiff in a variety of ways. but there's still that acknowledgement of the holidays. he usually spends all his time in the church. you don't remember if you've ever seen him outside of it, but he will partake this time, surely. he will wear a silly hat perhaps and have a sip of eggnog. his tall, imposing frame, deep voice, and distinct facial features make for quite the sight in the middle of the present-opening, the christmas carols, the luminous and colorful decorations. it's almost uncomfortable, you do not think a man like him would be so playful when he's usually so stern. you can't help but wonder if he's really at the age where he should be doing this kind of thing. but you remember the holidays are for everyone, so it is not his age that is inappropriate for this setting. no, there is something different out of place here. he has finished his round of karaoke. he is turning around. he is looking at you. "christ is born. look forward to the new year," he'd say with a smile curled in his mouth but absent in his eyes. he retreats within the church doors, closing them behind him. you wonder if you truly feel safe with him inside.

"merry christmas, everyone" however is jovial, so jovial and sincere it's quite out of character for a man who is otherwise bored or smug. he is being your funny uncle kirei and you want him to cut it out. and he knows this. which is why he will keep being your funny uncle kirei for the rest of the holidays. your parents have invited him over for dinner, they did not tell you this until a few minutes ago. he arrives, after some small talk dinner is served. you and him are the last people to leave the living room and head to the dining room. he puts his hand on your shoulder paternally "the salad is poison and no one will believe you," he says as you see your family sit down to eat. you don't know whether to pretend you misheard him or pass it off as a joke. his gaze, his smile, and his hand mercilessly deny you such a retreat. you sit down awkwardly. he sits down across from you. you stare at the salad nervously, its vibrant colors looking less like a meal and remind you more of a colorful frog that kills its predator when eaten. you decline an offer for it to be served on your plate. the salad is indeed poison, because once your parents have a taste one of them exclaims, "kotomine-san, this is so delicious i might die from 100 helpings!" and he'd respond with delight that his cooking is to their liking. your parents want more of his cooking. you fathom the salad might not be a literal poison, but your parents' reaction makes you think of an alternative equally unsettling: it is a mental poison, a tantalizing concoction that dulls the senses and enervates rationality. indeed, it is an accompaniment reflecting the indulgent mental state induced by the holidays. reckless, thoughtless consumption guided by the controlled pursuit of the delicious and the material. your parents, enthralled, will crave food made by kotomine kirei from now on. the salad was not poisoned, but this fact invites not relief. who can say he won't make something poisoned later? who will he serve that to, and when? the shared enthusiasm between your parents and the priest is the telltale sign of your defeat in a game you did not know you were playing, but that had started long before he rang on your doorbell. "the next festivities are not far off," he'd remind you. "do look forward to them anxiously." his steps as he walks away from your house are quiet, yet they echo cacophonously in your ears. "look forward to the next. and the next. and the next." he parts with a chuckle and a beaming smile. your parents are endeared. you, however, hope to move out by easter.