#it's a detail about him I love so much it's so charming

[callmeagardengnome]

✗ mob mentality ✗ | ATEEZ (series masterlist)

pairings ✃ individual! mafia! ateez x fem! reader

genre ✃ mafia au, one-shots, angst here and there, romance, potential yandere behaviour, romance

details ✃ a collection of (unique…?) mafia one-shots WITH NO SMUTTTT created by yours truly.

۶ blood in the clouds ৎ

[mafia leader! hongjoong x flight attendant! fem! reader]

it’s finally your last day as a flight attendant. you wanted nothing more than to laze on your couch and watch netflix - just to find out that one of your passengers blew out the brains of your pilot with a gun.

in which hongjoong decides to hijack a plane that his rival’s daughter is on.

poll

۶ sugar and sin ৎ

[mafia! seonghwa x fem! reader]

seonghwa goes above and beyond to eliminate his targets: going undercover in places they go to most. when you happen to spend your time in a secluded bakery, seonghwa decides to bake your treats with doses of poison - yet somehow, you keep surviving.

in which you thought you made a new friend in your local bakery, when in reality - your ‘baker’ keeps mistaking laxatives for poison.

۶ marathon extravaganza ৎ

[mafia! yunho x rival! fem! reader]

yunho has been a professional shooter for all of his life. he’s killed lawyers, federal agents and even highly-protected politicians. so why does his shots keep missing you?

in which you and yunho become obsessed in a stalking game of cat and mouse, and it turns out that you have a lot more in common than you thought. 

۶ under the hood ৎ

[mafia! yeosang x car mechanic! fem! reader]

as a mechanic, you tend to see clients on the daily - some new, some old. but when one of your regulars leave a $100,000 bag of cash on your counter, it seems like you’ve turned from ordinary citizen to wanted criminal. 

in which yeosang accidentally gave you the bag of money he stole instead of a ten dollar tip. 

۶ fries in the bag ৎ

[mafia! san x fast food employee! fem! reader]

san’s most effective method of killing is by using his looks to lure his enemies - making many powerful women (and men) fall for him. but when a regular person seems to be unfazed by his charms, san decides to do anything to make you fall in love with him. 

in which you finally got through your 2am shift, only to find the severed head of your abusive manager at your doorstep. 

۶ voice of crime ৎ

[mafia! mingi x anime VA! fem! reader]

when you entered the voice acting industry, you knew that there would be people that either loved you or hated you. but what you didn’t expect was to get shot at an anime convention by a weeb in cosplay. 

in which mingi accidentally shoots his favourite voice actress instead of her boyfriend that was beside her.

۶ money makers ৎ

[mafia! wooyoung x fem! reader]

day and night, you work in a shitty multi-million dollar corporation that doesn’t care about you. and to make matters worse, you had to find out that the whole company is in debt to a mafia gang by getting kidnapped during office hours. 

in which wooyoung tries to torture information out of you, only to realise that he’s found his kryptonite: a suicidal intern. 

۶ siren’s call ৎ

[mafia! jongho x jazz singer! fem! reader]

as the newest addition to the mafia, jongho got assigned to the boring task of scoping out a random bar in town. annoyed, he decided to leave early. or so he tried. when the singer stepped on stage and sang into the mic, her voice pulled jongho further into the bar than out. 

in which you notice a regular in your gigs, though you begin to realise that your male audience seems to be disappearing one by one. 

hi yall! i initially only wanted to make one hongjoong oneshot until i realised how much i love mafia aus. there will be no smut in these stories and at most, there will be a detailed kissing scene. also do not expect regular updates!

if you want to be added to the taglist, feel free to ask!

series taglist [OPEN] - @hanoishere @scuzmunkie @sinfullygay @arusio @midnightrebel1028 @neemaxx @seungminsrighthand @arilevenatz

other fics

[see-arcane]

You know the one good thing about being a pessimist?

It feels great to be proven wrong.

Bravo, Bobby Egg.

I was so happily surprised by this. This film went through a fantastic puberty between the leaked script and the screen. The main points to note:

-No, Ellen is not hot for Count Orlok. She and Thomas are 110% in love. There are even certain Harker-flavored quotes thrown in to prove as much. (Details under the cut.)

-Count Orlok is a terrifying bastard and a half. Significantly more imposing than classic Orlok’s spindly rigor mortis-stiff figure and only wearing a sliver of Dracula’s performative charm. He is a Devil-Death archetype playing a monster who operates in deceit and contracts to wring out what he wants. That and a lot of corpses.

-This film is so beautiful. No gothic touch is skipped.

In sum, I more than like this film. I love it. It isn’t perfect, because no film can be, but damn. I am so proud of this nightmare you made, Bobby Egg.

SPOILERS FOR Nosferatu (2024) BELOW

-Getting some cons out of the way. There are points where a few of the actors lean maybe a bit too heavy on the ham-and-cheese in their deliveries (I’ll not blame the kids, they’re very young, but yeesh. That’s some cartoon acting.)

Yes, the g-slur is still used; though while I wish it hadn’t appeared in Eggers’ script at all, it does make sense within the context of the setting, i.e. Thomas and the Innkeeper probably only having the one word they know, same as in Dracula. And yes, naked teenage girl-on-a-horse does happen for the vampire hunt scene. Whee.

-Now, an early pro: Eggers nixed the ‘hot teen girl tries to pickpocket Thomas’ bit, and the ‘land of phantoms and thieves’ line never happens. All that happens after Thomas wakes in the inn—post witnessing the vampire slaying in the local graveyard, mud on his shoes to prove it was real—is he discovers himself utterly alone. No people, no horse. Cue the long walk.

-Ellen doing the ‘Come to me,’ bit early on is her in adolescence. It’s revealed that her Weird Girl elements have been turned up to 11, tragic lonely past included (replete with dad threatening to send her to a madhouse), and her prayer was just for company. The psychic ping was picked up by Orlok, who took advantage, turning an isolated and desperate barely-more-than-a-kid’s wish into a ‘covenant.’

-Thomas was met not long after this, cue them being genuinely in love <3

-Knock Does Not Jerk Off On Screen. If he does, his back is to us, and Little Knock is covered with some occult tablet or suchlike while he’s doing his ritual business. Also he kills a guy in his cell. Using his teeth.

-Castle time! Thomas is greeted by a driverless carriage at a crossroads and seems to be hypnotized into stepping in. A lot of things Thomas does once in Orlok’s territory seem to very clearly have psychic puppet strings attached. That and some increasing terror on Thomas’ part. There is no warm Dracula-style welcome from Orlok when he arrives, but a terse and strange leading to the dinner table where paperwork is demanded.

- We get a glimpse of this version of the Count’s ego. Thomas calls him sir. Orlok demands Thomas address him as my lord. And then we get the bread cutting scene. Thomas’ thumb bleeds. Orlok get far too interested. His voice, a very guttural and rasping bass, turns into something closer to an animal trilling and growling. Thomas is paralyzed beside the fire; cut away as Orlok closes in.

-Ellen and Anna Harding have a bit of a Mina and Lucy deal going on at the beach. It’s sweet <3 (Prepare for pain </3)

 - Orlok starts getting tricky. He 1) borrows (steals) Ellen’s locket from Thomas and 2) Tricks Thomas into signing a contract to ‘sell’ Ellen/break their marriage via a strange contract in a language Thomas can’t read, with Orlok using the prop of some gold to imply that this is merely a document in ~his native language~ to complete the property sale. Thomas signs, less for the gold than to be gone from the castle and back to Ellen…only for Orlok to insist Thomas is not well. He must stay the night.

- No mind games here. Just Thomas pleading to leave and Orlok’s parting word being that he will stay, and that he will obey his orders.

-Orlok has already chomped Thomas on the tiddy as of last night. Next night, after Thomas almost lands a blow on him in the coffin—Orlok sleeps with his Orcock out in the box, by the way, alongside several rats—Orlok wills Thomas to unlock the door he shut between them. Cue Thomas being tranced onto the bed, pounced on, and basically dry-humped by Orlok as he drinks Thomas all but dry. Thomas is left that way, only to be woken by Orlok’s wolves—he has those too!—and go clambering out the window, dropping to the river below.

-Orlok makes Ellen’s life hell. Holy fuck. The 1838 quality ‘medicine’ definitely doesn’t help—corsets for correcting posture, draining blood because there’s too much in there, binding to the bedposts to stop sleepwalking, general drugging etc etc—but FUCK. Lily-Rose Depp did a great and terrible job of reproducing shaking fits and some of the faces and sounds she made had me thinking I might choke on my own tongue. And for all the sexually provocative poses/noises that happen, every time she comes out of it it’s clear that she hates this. It’s on par with psychic rape.

-The only times we see Ellen respond positively~ to Orlok’s dream-advances is when she’s telling Thomas about the ‘marrying Death’ dream where everyone died and she was deliriously happy and then the infamous trailer line about Thomas not being able to satisfy her as Orlok can~~~

Well guess what.

Guess fucking what.

That was Orlok leaning on her brain. The same way he did to Thomas when, eventually, after the nuns rescue him and pray the plague/vampirism out and he makes it home while half-dead, he lays in bed with Ellen and gets a panic attack combined with Orlok’s image being grafted over Ellen’s face…

…a reverse of the illusion Orlok gave him in the castle, with Thomas imagining it was Ellen on top of him instead. The effect terrifies Thomas all over again and he unwittingly tosses Ellen away, I can't breathe, get off of me, get off!

-Orlok does his murder snacking. Knock, who escaped, offers to find and kill Thomas to please the Count, literally on his hands and knees. Orlok calls him a dog and backhands him, insisting Ellen must be given, not stolen.

-Orlok has already visited Ellen by this time. He presses her to keep her deal with him. She tells him, flat out, I abhor you. In response, Orlok grabs her and chucks her like a ragdoll in a rage. He fumes, telling her he will give her three nights to pledge herself to him, and in the meantime he will start killing. (RIP to Anna and her little girls, the latter of whom ORLOK KILLS IN FRONT OF HER, EATING THEIR THROATS OUT AS SHE ENTERS THEIR ROOM.)

-Before all that, he spins bullshit about Thomas ~selling her to him for mere gold~. A technical truth that Ellen, mid-Orlok spell, spits back at Thomas amid a rage, along with details that are likewise based in only a granule of reality; but which Orlok did not mention in their scene together. Things like Thomas being weak and childish, that he ‘fell into Orlok’s arms like a fainting woman.’ Interesting choice of spin there, Orlok. But whatever.

This all culminates in what is either reality or a dream or a blend of both as Thomas makes sudden desperate love to her, Ellen weirdly heady about it, telling him yes yes yes they will show Orlok their love. Cue her snapping back to full cognizance (awake? dreaming?) as her eyes and mouth spurt blood in a vision. She collapses in fear and tears as Thomas holds her. AND THEN:

-Ellen. Drops. The I am unclean line. She wants Thomas away from her, she is not worthy, she puts him in danger.

-Thomas goes full Jonathan and clings to her. Nonsense. I love you. I love you. I love you.

-V i n d i c a t i o n

-Anyway.

-Dafoe-Von Franz-Van Helsing is a kooky science occultist. Finds a book that Knock had which fills the role of highlighting Orlok as Solomonari (hey, Scholomance shout out!) and Knock as a would-be beneficiary. Also includes the ‘maiden offers her body and blood to the monster to kill it via sunrise’ bit.

-While he reads this, he does NOT actually spell any of these details out to Ellen when they have their secret mini talk about tricking Thomas into hunting for the coffin with him and Sievers. He gives her a big ~you're the only one who can save us magic maiden martyr~ pep talk, but that's it. Meanwhile, Ellen was already preparing to offer herself to save Thomas and whoever’s left in Wisborg. Not the same kind of agency as the original, but still better than I was expecting.

-Harding, Thomas’ rich friend whose wife and children got drinked to death, dies of plague in the family tomb. They burn the bodies.

-In the ruin Orlok bought, cue the iron stake slamming down as they open the coffin..! But whoops. Knock’s in the box, not Orlok. Von Franz says Ellen offering herself is the only way~ Thomas doesn’t waste time throttling him, just makes a run for their home.

-Too late, of course. Orlok is there (with a very cool homage to the original stalking shadow silhouette routine) and Ellen welcomes him. While they are both naked in bed and it’s implied that they are/or intend to have sex, the bulk of the scene centers on Orlok taking Ellen’s blood from her breast. No clear shot of the Orcock on screen for that bit—Bobby Egg saved that pleasure for the Count flashing Thomas at the castle.

-Orlok’s death throes. Are so. Fucking. Cool. Definitely up there with one of the best vampiric demises I’ve ever seen on film. No spoilers there. You’ve got to see it.

-Heartbreak o’ Clock as Thomas bursts in just as Orlok has died and as Ellen is dying under him. There’s time for them to hold hands. And then she’s gone.

-We close on Von Franz popping up with some poetic soliloquy shit and a bunch of lilacs. The final beat is an overhead shot of Ellen, the Maiden, laying under the now-skeletal Orlok, as Death. Looks almost like a painting. Unlike the implication in the leaked script, she does not look happy/at peace. Simply asleep. The End.

-Other important notes:

1) Orlok has a little combover’s worth of hair on top and mighty and powerful ‘stache. Not Dracula-white, but it is there. Finally.

 2) The guy who plays Dr. Sievers has Alan Rickman’s voice. If he isn’t in opera, he should be.

3) I was too late to get a popcorn coffin box. I shall be in mourning until the New Year.

4) Bobby Egg if you can give me one more gift, let it be a deleted scene of Thomas beating Von Franz over the head with the iron stake, please and thank you <3

[quinnverse]

"Really? Could've fooled me." She retorted with a breathy laugh. "You seemed hellbent on marrying me from the start." Biting at the inside of her cheek, Emma smirked. "I don't remember challenging you beyond the mundane and predictable. I do remember kissing you, though." Her cheeks flared red as Emma tried not to imagine that night in too much detail. Failing at her attempt, she let out a soft shudder. "And tasting you. Touching you. And wanting you to touch me."

You're not mine to love. At his words, her brows furrowed and Emma tried to make sense of his expression.

"I'm not asking you to love me. Not yet, anyway." Gently, she reached out and rested her hand on his cheek. The feeling of his hand on her hip made her heart flutter and she was afraid what sort of sappy, feminine nonsense might spill from her lips if she allowed herself to relish in the emotions.

She wasn't immune to the girlish fantasies of falling in love and being whisked away by a charming gentleman, but she also wasn't foolish enough to think such things came without a price. She wasn't asking him to love her, but that didn't mean she didn't hope he would. Emma wasn't sure that what she felt towards him was purely love, but she knew it was no longer hatred and that had to account for something.

"But," She cut herself off with a nervous smile. "We don't have to talking about any of that tonight. We don't have to talk about anything tonight." With a coy smile, she allowed her gaze to fall to his lips. "I'm perfectly content just... enjoying the view. And maybe some more kissing."

Without realizing what she was doing, Emma fumbled with her hand to find the hem of his shirt, tugging upwards just slightly so that her fingers could graze his skin. She needed to touch him, to feel him, closer before she exploded. Her movements were careful, her palm resting against the warmth of his side. She nearly shuddered at the feeling, like a fiend getting a taste of the thing craved most.

"What do you mean, though... by I'm not yours to love?" The softness in her tone lessened as she stared at him, expectantly. If this was his way of trying to protect her, Emma wasn't going to tolerate it. She had already bared enough of her soul to him, and she wouldn't allow him to insult her intelligence by using some half-assed excuse. She wasn't quixotic in her desires, she knew that asking a man to love could be an impossible task, but she hadn't taken him for a fool--at least, not in this sense. "And don't you dare utter some chivalric bollocks like you're not good enough or that I deserve better, or any of those other asinine excuses men use. Because if you do, I might have to slap you again."

Virile pig farmer?

Benjamin laughed at that, though the sound came out as a low, raspy chuckle, a touch wobbly with nerves. "I don't know," he admitted. "Which version would earn more of your favor?"

Emma's hand splayed over his shirt, and on impulse, he anchored her there against his heart, gently squeezing. This should not feel natural -- this should not be his very first instinct, and yet with her hand on his chest, and her breath sweetly warming his mouth, it was the most natural feeling in all the world.

“I’ve thought of nothing else but you," Emma whispered. The confession struck across Benjamin's heart like a clap of lightning. "And it’s been maddening.”

Mouth dry, Benjamin peered back at her from across their shared pillow, his pulse tattooing frantically in his throat as he swallowed. This was wrong. He hadn't expected her to reciprocate -- Emma Dunster, the woman who could scarcely be ruffled in any given situation, had finally presented to him the chink in her armor, and it was unsettling. As much as he resented her at times, he'd also grown to respect her; and above all, he did not wish to break her heart.

"Emma..." His voice came out as a pleading rasp. "Emma, don't do this."

Her mouth found his through the dark, soft, and lacking the savage passion, the ardent bite of all their past entanglements. Fumblingly, his fingers curled through her hair and he partook of her lips, his selfish need searing in a guilty throb as the kiss deepened. But then she was pulling away from him again, collapsing down against her pillow and squeezing her eyes shut.

“I don’t know what I want anymore. Nothing makes sense when you’re around.”

Benjamin's laughter turned taut and uneasy. "You can't actually expect me to not feel the same way, can you? I haven't known what I want since the moment you walked away that first night...when you challenged me beyond the mundane and predictable."

Hesitant, he curled his hand over top of her hip and splayed his fingers along her side, far too afraid to reach up and touch, rather than hold. "I want you, Emma, but you're not mine to love," he whispered.

A Tory and a patriot could never, ever find common footing, and least especially in the name of espionage. Benjamin knew all too well that she would deem him a blackguard, a coward, and that any affection she felt at present would promptly turn to ash.

[ash5monster01]

Christmas Tree Farm

Pairing: Charlie Dalton x FemReader

Warnings: fluff, mentions of distant parents, meet cute, friends to lovers, language, heavy flirting, sickeningly sweet and full of Christmas magic.

Summary: To avoid spending Christmas at home Charlie chooses to work at a Christmas Tree Farm. What he doesn't expect is finding the girl of his dreams. 

Word count: 3.1k

Masterlist

Being home for Christmas was Charlie���s worst nightmare. Not only was he subjected to spending time with his folks but being back in Vermont during the winters only reminded him of one thing. He could only take so much of the snide comments his father made about sleeping in and his mother with her overbearing questions. At least when he was at Welton winter break was at most two weeks. When it came to college it became a month of this madness. So he needed to find an excuse to get out of the house and fast. 

That’s why on a particularly cold afternoon, having sulked behind his mother in the supermarket, his eyes caught the bulletin board. Buried in a mountain of announcements, rooms for rent, numbers for tutors, was a particularly bright red sign. Help Wanted - Christmas Tree Farm. So when his mother gets distracted by the bag boy for putting dish soap in with the vegetables, he rips one of the numbers from the bottom of the sign. The first one taken and he knew better than to wait. 

So come Monday his father has nothing to say when Charlie’s pouring a cup of coffee before he’s even come downstairs. Giving only the brief details of a short time job and how he wanted the extra cash for when he went back to school. All he got in return was a huff and the snap of the newspaper opening in his father’s hands. He knew best to bundle up and finish his cup of coffee, leaving the house quickly before his mother could question him. 

When he pulls onto the long drive he discovers the Winter Wonderland presented before him. Darlene Love’s voice barely plays over the rumble of his engine as he passes the gorgeous trees that lined the drive, all wrapped in the most sparkly Christmas lights he had ever seen. He can’t help the soft smile that covers his face because Neil would have loved this and for the first time in a long time, it finally felt like Christmas. Not the time of year to feel sad. 

“Hey! You the new guy?” he doesn’t expect the soft voice that calls out to him when his car door shuts. Turning he’s quick to find you, eyes as sparkly as the Christmas lights he just passed. It’s like the breath gets knocked out of him, and suddenly this might’ve been a bad idea. 

“Yeah, Charlie” he wipes nervous palms across the front of his jeans before approaching you. A nervous smile on his face as he offers up his hand. When your gloved one closes against his he realizes he had left his pair at home. “Shit”

“That’s not normally the greeting I’m used to” you mutter and Charlie lets go, a nervous hand flying to the back of his neck. Of course he was already making a fool of himself in front of the pretty girl. 

“Sorry I just realized I left my gloves at home. Already screwing up my first day” he confesses and you giggle at the nervous boy in front of you. It makes you wonder if he’s ever had a real job before. 

“It’s okay, I have an extra pair. You’ll especially need them for today” and before he can ask what that means you’re walking off to the barn beside you. He follows anxiously as you slip through the doors and return almost seconds later in front of him. Nearly running you over he spots the black gloves that look warm and inviting just like you. 

“Thank you” he says without backing away and you grin. He was charming and different, much different than the farm boys who rotated around here every Christmas season. 

“Leroy is out warming up the truck, you should probably go meet him” you’re quick to tell him and he nods, as if suddenly realizing he was actually here to do a job. 

“Yeah, um. Sounds good” and the call of your name interrupts you both. Both your heads turn to the small white farmhouse, gutters lined with rainbow Christmas lights, and light up reindeer in the yard. On the front porch stands a plump woman wrapped in a pink apron and flour in her box dyed hair. 

“Coming!” you call and Charlie realizes the name belongs to you. You offer him one last smile, pointing towards the field where an older gentleman waved from the truck. He nodded to confirm he knew his direction and as soon as you entered his life you were gone. Running through the fluffy white snow and towards the house that looked warmer than his ever did. Against his better judgement he starts in the direction of Leroy who had a much less pretty smile than you. Trying out the sound of your name on his tongue. 

That’s how it starts. Spending the days leading up to Christmas, sharing shy smiles and awestruck looks. Always warm and kind until he’s pulled to haul trees and strain his body until all he can think about is you. It’s the most manual labor he had ever endured and he can only thank rowing for the strength he had been given, or else he wouldn’t be able to keep up. Especially with Leroy who even in his old age somehow hauled twice the amount he did. It was a lot but had become the best distraction from the storm cloud that always loomed over his home. 

“It’s a warm one” your sweet voice surprises him, freezing in place where he stands on the flatbed trailer. It was only 35F degrees but the heavy lifting had warmed Charlie’s blood, having shed his coat as he unloaded each tree off the trailer. 

“Yeah, hopefully we don’t lose all our snow” he answers after a moment too long. You grin at him, admiring the tight white T-shirt clung to his filled out form. How the red scarf swayed from his neck with each movement he made. You’d be a fool not to admit how handsome he was, especially here in the beautiful snow, pine needles stuck to his clothes. 

“We won’t, not here at least. That’s the Christmas Tree Farm magic” you tell him, having lived here your entire life. No matter the season, the purpose of this place was to provide Christmas miracles. Winter was of course your favorite, but with Charlie here, it made it even better. 

“Yeah? Does that magic work on anything else?” Charlie asks, a sly grin covering his lips and you decide to flash that same smile right back. Happy to flirt with one of the most interesting boys you have ever met. 

“Miracles usually” and you walk off, a fluffy hat like a halo on your head and boots crunching in the wet snow beneath you. Charlie swears you’re a Christmas miracle itself. At least his own. 

For the days to come more and more trees disappear from the lot, families stopping by each day to bring home a little Holiday joy. Charlie watches you with your clipboard and bright smile, happily chatting with customers and playing with little kids. The whole place is a Winter Dreamland and it’s no doubt partly because of you. Years of learning how to contribute the magic within the place. Until now he’s quite certain he never knew what Christmas felt like, at least not until he met you. 

He doesn’t get alone time with you again until a particularly late night. All the lights went out on one of the fences and not wanting to go to his empty home, he offered to stay late and redo it. It’s colder at night here, but prettier, especially as the snow falls to the ground. His fingers are practically numb but he supposes he’s more comfortable here than in his room at home. So he continues on, not knowing you’re approaching with two steaming cups of hot chocolate. 

“Need a break?” He turns to find you’re in some of the cutest printed pajamas he’s ever seen, little Santa hats adorning your clothes as you crouch down beside him. Just the sight of the warm mug has him reaching out with cold fingers. 

“You’re a lifesaver” he grins, immediately lifting the cup up to his lips. You go to protest but he’s too late, the searing liquid hitting his tongue. His face twists quickly and you wear a sympathetic look. “Shit!”

“Does that happen to be your favorite word?” but he won’t take the teasing, his tongue poking out from behind his lips and a soft pout covering his face. 

“It’s okay, I happen to jump the gun a lot” he says, fingers closing around his burnt tongue. It no longer hurts but he knows he won’t be able to taste the hot chocolate now, his taste buds in hiding. What a loss. 

“Here, let me help” and what he doesn’t expect is your lips forming in an O shape and blowing softly on his tongue. He gapes like a fish, knowing you’re both aware of how it won’t help him at all. Yet it’s the best excuse to be this close together. As badly as he wants to kiss you he knows he won’t be able to taste it. That would be worse than heartbreak. 

“Done this before?” Charlie asks when you’re done and you shrug, sipping from your own cup that was now at a much safer temperature. 

“Hot cocoa is my speciality, then again all things Christmas is” you grin, eyeing the lights Charlie had so perfectly wound around the fence. It had been a long time since someone had come around here and cared so much. 

“Have you lived here your whole life?” Charlie asks, lifting to his knees again and continuing to wrap lights. If he stopped now he would be here all night, at least he now felt warmer with you by his side. 

“Born and raised, my parents inherited it from my Grandparents. They must’ve finally gotten tired of Christmas because they retired to Florida a few years ago” Charlie laughs at this response, brown eyes catching yours in the glow of the Christmas lights. 

“You think you’ll ever get sick of it. Christmas twenty four seven, three hundred and sixty five days a year?” Charlie asks and you instantly shake your head, as if you’ve known the answer to this your whole life.

“Never, this place will always be home. Even if I’m trimming trees in August and getting stuck under mistletoe with creepy customers. Christmas wouldn’t be what it is without the people who believe all year long” you say, looking at nobody in particular as you give an honest answer. Charlie’s heart warms over at the sentiment you provide, falling for you more than he ever should’ve in the first place. 

“Mistletoe?” is the only thing he responds with and the instant roll of your eyes only makes him grin wider. You’re not surprised at all that this is what he takes away from your words. 

“My Mom hangs it everywhere and moves it so it’s never entirely unavoidable. It’s only cheek kisses but I swear it’s always the guys missing half their teeth beside me” you say and Charlie burns with jealousy at the idea of all the men who think they have a shot with you. Yet he supposes he’s one of those guys too. 

“Well maybe one day you’ll find yourself under the mistletoe with somebody not that unbearable” Charlie offers nonchalantly, suddenly more focused on the lights than before.  You wear a grin that seemed brighter than any Christmas light on the entire farm. 

“Yeah, maybe” you agree, sipping from the hot cocoa before lifting back up to your feet. Nights were always so peaceful here, more magical. A part of you wished Charlie could stay here forever. 

You stay with him for a little longer before retreating into the house. Repeatedly checking out the windows to make sure he doesn’t freeze to death. Wondering who he really was and all the things about him. Why he wasn’t like any of the half brain guys who worked here before. He was quick witted, smart, kind, and confident. A mix of traits you never knew could be possible together before. You fall asleep with a blanket wrapped around your shoulders and cheek pressed to the windowsill, the last thing you saw was Charlie before entering your dreams. 

It’s not long until Christmas Eve arrives, the last of the families coming to pick trees out to decorate before tomorrow. You used to hate people who waited so long to get one but when you got older you recognized how they waited for family members to arrive in town, how it was their own special tradition, and now they were your favorite customers. You hoped one day someone would love you enough to wait until the last minute like they did. Yet like every Holiday season the day passes in a blur, leaving you standing beside the campfire with your parents, Charlie, and all the other farm hands. 

“It was a good season guys” Leroy holds up his beer and you smile, stepping closer to the fire for extra warmth. “Thank you”

“We made double what we did last year too. Christmas magic is stronger than ever” you point out, having read the books an hour ago. Another good season meant another year of keeping the farm. 

“I think that has more to do with you than the trees” Charlie mutters and everyone grunts and agrees with his words. Knowing it was you who ran the show, you who was kind to the customers and made Christmas feel real for the kids. You took care of everyone here and without you this place wouldn’t feel like Christmas, not at least not in the way it should. 

“Damn looks like we’re out of beer” and of course it’s you who’s instantly ready to volunteer, starting for the barn lit by only a single light above the front doors.

“I’ll help” Charlie scurries after you, almost tripping in the snow, and you smile back at him before both slipping into the warm barn. He finds you pulling a case from under the tool bench and he’s quick to swoop in and grab it from you. 

“Didn’t know you were so enthusiastic about beer” you tease, eyebrows raising as he stands in front of you. He’s nervous but he needed to be alone with you before one of those guys out there noticed the way he looked at you. 

“Not so much beer but you, yeah” he admits and a soft blush covers your cheeks. The sentiment surprises you but with the snowflakes dusting his hair and the scarf wound tightly around his neck, he looks just like the Christmas prince you always imagined for yourself. 

“You think you’ll come back around next year?” you ask, needing to know this wasn’t some college boy looking to lead you on and leave with your heart a week later. 

“If you’ll have me, hell I’ll even come in the summer too” and the genuine way he says it makes your heart soar in your chest. Slowly you grab the beer from his hands and set it on the ground. He gives you a confused look, not understanding what your goal is. When you spot his confused look you only offer a sly grin before pointing up. 

As if spotting a shooting star in the sky, right on the beam above you both hangs green mistletoe, pulling you together like a magnet. “At least you have all your teeth”

“I’m not sure I find that as big of a compliment as I should” and you giggle before grabbing the sides of his coat and drawing him near. 

“Well you should considering I plan on kissing your lips and not your cheek” Charlie’s heart stutters in his chest, unsure where to put his hands and unable to look away from your dazzling eyes. He’s not even sure this is real. 

“This might be my favorite Christmas yet” he finally utters and you grin before lifting on your toes. Charlie steps closer, hands falling to your waist to steady you, the smell of your shampoo invading his senses. Everything about this moment couldn’t be more perfect and he hated that tomorrow he couldn’t come back here and spend his Christmas with you. 

He doesn’t close his eyes right away, preferring to watch as your lips fumble against his only slightly. Not yet locking with his own but sharing the same breath. When he’s sure he can’t take it anymore he presses his hand to the back of your head and seals you against him. Eyes shutting because he finally got to taste you. Nothing about this could be anymore perfect. You couldn’t be anymore perfect. Everything about this is right, Charlie’s firm muscles against your own, soft lips slowly tasting you, warm tongue dipping against your own. You’d stand here and kiss him forever but the distant holler for the beer stops you both. 

“Better supply the masses” you mutter, a little love drunk from his kiss, hand patting his broad chest. Charlie grins, brushing some of the hair away from your face. 

“God but I really want to keep kissing you” he says, already dipping in and stealing another kiss. He smells like the pine trees and tastes like peppermint, he’s Christmas wrapped up in a perfect package, and right now you wish you could keep him forever. He reminds you of home, even when you're here. 

“Me too but I’d prefer not to have an audience” you say before sadly stepping away from him and grabbing the beer case from the ground. 

“Then later? My car once everyone leaves?” and the words make you feel like a giddy teenager. You bite your swollen lip before studying his face and nodding. 

“I’ll be there” you agree and he grins, stealing the beer case from your hand and stealing another mind numbing kiss. 

Smiling you follow him out of the barn, unable to keep the smile off of your face as you walk towards all the people you love the most in life. Here where every wish comes true. Your little Christmas tree farm and the boy who loves you. 

[eatmycodbetty]

Lockwood Iron Trio Holidays Headcanons...

I know nobody asked for this. And I KNOW I should be working on the third chapter of "You Again"...but the holidays have been busy and you all deserve something for the wait.

Take this hc list for the iron trio during christmas times. All just sfw fluffy goodness to appease the soul :p (plus some x reader for shits n gigs xx)

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Anthony Lockwood:

He isn't too used to being warm with others, but over the years he has gotten quite festive

The holidays tend to remind him the most that he does have a family, so it's a treasured time for him.

He has this one Christmas sweater that he wears the moment December rolls around that George gifted him one year.

Over the years Lucy and George have gifted him more sweaters so he doesn't wear that single one out, but he still tends to wear that one the most. He won't wear it for jobs, but at the house and off the record it's all he CAN wear it seems.

He will help to purchase decorations, but Lucy and George are really the ones to choose what is bought. He quietly enjoys this, they get really excited about which colors and motifs they should use for the year.

He'll help get out the tree and decorate the outside of the house, but the other two fuss too much about the details for him to worry about anything else.

He likes seeing their decorations, it makes him remember that there's other people in this house. He enjoys the comfort in knowing he's not alone and surrounded by people he truly cares about.

He will keep pretending to hate decorating just to see reminders of them dotted around the place.

Loves reindeer. Can't explain why, but he tends to have reindeer on any festive stuff he uses. That sweater he loves so much? You better believe it has a reindeer pattern on it. Bedsheets, mugs, slippers, anything- reindeer.

Favorite Christmas story? Rudolph. It's one of those pieces of nostalgia that doesn't make him sad, so he revels in the comfort of the oddly heartwarming story.

Even when he's wearing his suit out, he has Christmas socks on underneath TRUST

x gn!reader: He would stop at nothing to keep you warm. Even when you're just fine. Getting you a blanket, a jacket, HIS jacket, any warm drink your heart desires. He does it subconsciously but also he doesn't ever want you to be uncomfortable.

"No, no. I couldn't bear it if you caught a cold. I will be fine, I promise...just please put on the jacket, it is absolutely frigid."

Lucy Carlyle:

Loves to decorate with George (and annoy him because he can be a bit of a stickler when it comes down to it)

She likes to make little arts and crafts for the house and associates.

Little cards and the like are given throughout December whenever she feels like it. Kind of scrapbook-like and decorated well.

She goes to charity shops for SURE.

Little trinkets or dumb things will make their way onto George or Lockwood's desk with a little tinseled bow and notecard at random.

She is the least festive of the three, but at some point in their relationship she got comfortable with showing them that she does care during the holidays, because she tends to forget to say it most of the other time.

Her favorite holiday motif is a snowflake. Not because it is sensitive, but each one is so unique and pretty.

It's a nice reminder that there are natural and pretty things outside of the Problem.

She has a snowflake necklace that she rubs when nervous around the holidays.

Norrie gave it to her, and she stubbornly refuses to wear any other piece of jewelry during the colder months.

It's a simple silver charm, kind of like a comforting safety ward.

x gn!reader: She loves to go out and watch the lights that people put up. Something about the community aspect of everyone decorating their yards is admirable, and so she likes to be reminded of the lighter aspects of humanity. Long walks around London to see the lights whilst huddled together riddle your December.

"I wonder if they know that a few of their bulbs are out...OI! Where did your hand go??? It's too cold for you to escape me, come here!"

George Karim:

Will be way too serious about the Christmas dinner.

Like he HAS to make a great feast and it WILL taste amazing.

He would love if everyone helped out, but to be very honest anyone else in the kitchen tends to stress him out, so he's fine being the food-making freak each December.

Helps Lucy decorate, as he has done it for years before she came along and knows where to put things that go well with the house.

He likes the differences in their decorations, she makes it more fun rather than bare minimum decorating like he does.

He has kind of been forced to have Christmas spirit being the only one living with Lockwood for so many years, as having something lighter to think about during the winter is essential for working well

He has a family recipe for hot cocoa that he prides himself in, it's one of his secrets that he brings out every year.

There's a list of books that he saves throughout the year to read during the holidays.

Usually folklore and fantasy books that stay in the spirit of things, he tries not to mix work research with personal time if he can.

UNLESS it is about history that is also fun and spirited- he's still a bit of a (loveable) nerd.

x gn!reader: Reading on the sofa over ANYTHING. He loves to get a nice blanket to share and read for hours in each others warmth. His hot cocoa a staple for your reading sessions. Usually you end up with your legs entwined, talking about what you learned from your separate readings, updating each other as you keep going late into the night.

"You know...I really never asked you to hang out with me when I read. However, I really enjoy your company. And your warmth...more than you know. Thank you, y/n.."

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Thank you all for reading!! Let me know if you agree or have anything you can think of to add- I love hearing other people's headcanons for our favorite trio!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Happy Kwanzaa!!

I will be updating with the third chapter as of next week! I have to survive the weekend and I'll be back to writing again. Have a great rest of December!! - ives :p

[buubonita]

budbonita. fellow horrortale connoisseur. opinions on the horrortale game that came out this jolly holly eve,,,,,,, me personally i am very calm and relaxed (eye twitch) 🙂

Hello, Tryglybud! Its good to see you again in my ask box :3c okay lets het to the point shall we?

THERE IS SPOILERS ON THIS, so have that on mind before READING!!!

WARNING FOR child death mention, decapitation mention.

That said (rubs my little fly hands)

If there's one thing I really liked about Horrortale is that SAS takes elements from the original game and re-routes them to fit the story. The charm of Horrortale is that it's precisely an alternate timeline that you can believe will happen without problems. A neutral route that turns into the living hell of monsters.

Anyway, now to point out the little things I liked.

The dark twist of Sans' Iceezs puzzle! In the original the joke is that you can't find any of the words that are written (the fucking puzzle is not doing the puzzle if you want to pass it. It's literally doing nothing lol) but here you literally HAVE to find the words to advance. I found it funny because if you've played UT your first instinctive action is to do nothing! It's like that Papyrus puzzle and the colored tiles that you don't expect to be relevant and then it turns out that it was! Just cute, thanks SAS.

The music! the overall atmosphere is super eerie and ominous, the opening song for waterfall is simple and sounds like still water. It gives you the feeling that you're in dead ground. Like the genocidal route in waterfall and its theme, but again, SAS USES the game's foundations and directs them into their own story YYYYYY OUAGHAHA I LOVE IT! Do you think Aliza inhales the dust in the air while walking?

Goner Kid!'s dialogue is literally a reversal of what one of Gaster's followers says about living in a world where everything is exactly the same but you don't exist in it. In this case, SAS AGAIN redirects and gives new meaning to phrases and details from the game for Horrortale.

The underground would probably have been saved if Sans didn't exist, that is, if Sans had decided to die for all of them! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH I'M REALLY SMILING LIKE A LUNATIC. I love, LOVE the importance SAS gives to the source material considering Horrortale is a timeline and not an AU! It adds another layer of depth and reinforces the plot a lot; you who played the game and knew the story and grew fond of these characters are now witnessing the suffering that YOU as a player caused in one of your games!

Onion san submerged in that pit of black water was scary, I really expected him to come out of there to kill me when I first saw him (and I wanted that to happen, for him to jump out and kill us why not? >:3). His exchange with Aliza is sweet and adorable considering how scary he managed to look at the beginning haha. Horrortale is still a sad story even though it has scary elements.

The painting on the wall of waterfall reminded me of that thing Alphys created to rip out Horror's magic eye, although the description says it seems to be from a creature. It's probably ambiguous on purpose.

Aliza's deaths are brutal. I died with River Person for the first time and I felt bad for Aliza, poor thing was stripped down to the bone! A gruesome death. The rabid Temmies! I loved that they were included, their dialogue is simple but works well and feels in character. She was decapitated, MY POOR GIRL! Devored, impaled, drowned, this girl wont stop going through the most horrorific DEATHS!

And that's another thing with Horrortale, they all feel in character just like their original versions! Sans is still a joker, only his psychosis has made him more violent, more sadistic and prone to darker humor (I'd eat Horrortale's little black humor animated shorts with fries). He also keeps the tendency to beat up children, his character is consistent and that's why he's my favorite.

There's such a thick and obvious parallel with Aliza and Horror when he says "how much do you think your life is worth?" I mean, if he's on her case maybe it's because he wasn't in her shoes for long (although Aliza doesn't wear shoes!)

And I'm not saying Killer or Dust aren't, they're also wonderful in their own way but they're maybe very different approaches, but they work (and I love them too, believe me).

My only complaint with this little game is that it's very short once you figure out all the puzzles! But I can't complain when we get more of the comic in JANUARY (my birthday month!!). I look forward to more story and seeing more characters soon. This was a little treat i will treasure with all my heart.

[artxeevee]

@deafeninggardenerpanda

OH MY GOODNESS, OH MY GOODNESS. OUT OF ALL OF THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE OF THIS SECRET SANTA EVENT — YOU, ONE OF THE MODS AND THE ONE HOSTING THE EVENT, HAVE BEEN MY SANTA TO BAMBOOZLED ME THIS ENTIRE TIME??? Like, this is such an honor (to me anyways that I really was not expecting this)??? HELLO?!?! This is seriously an amazing surprise and warm welcome by this being my first time. ;0; Usually I would have crying cat meme reactions at the ready, but I ended up up making a quick yet lil doodle of Moxie fawning in her own way; at this gift art. BUT, I do yap below to gush about this too, because I know the 30 tags limit will just cut me off on sight. XD

WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN?! THE HAPPY FAMILY IN THE NIGHT SKIES BY THE SEA, THEY'RE HOLDING HANDS AND KIRBY IS HAVING A GREAT TIME IN THE AIR WITH THEM. I can even see the faint blush from Meta Knight just like Moxie is, which warms my heart so much. ;-; But also, you're completely good! It's 110% fine that you didn’t spoil any surprises about Moxie! Despite that they aren't explicitly on my wishlist, it still counts because I did also have him and Kirby on there for favorite characters after all, so you killed about three birds with one stone, haha!

You even added in her emblem into her pauldrons, which is such a lovely touch and it looks so good on her and I love how you also added in small details around her mask (which I am a sucker for little details)! You even went far to have her claws through her gloves, her wings being translucence based on my ref sheets of her and it's also pretty as heck. Plus, my heart melts even more on her holding onto Meta Knight's cape and it fits well to her personality on being caring. (Btw, thank you for reading her background! I'm so glad that it's not overwhelming, because I have apologize in advance to anyone reading text walls about her XD)

Your attention to details on the shadings and highlights in armor for both of the orbs is so good (the lights in their eyes reflecting the shines on their respective mask is even good too), especially the atmosphere feels calm and the clouds really did part for them in flight by the tilted perspective of the background. Meta Knight looks good overall from the wings, the armor and how he's holding Kirby to make sure he doesn't fall while he's holding her hand. That speaks volume on him being a dad.

I SEE THAT WE DO HAVE GSA GIRLIES, SO 🤝 TO YOU TOO THAT WE HAVE THIS IN COMMON. I have seen Lady Alexandria around on tumblr sometimes, so I'm very intrigued of her backstory to want to learn more about this charming gal, before I can make at proper "thank you" art some point. :>

But still, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS, PANDA! <3 Your artstyle is pretty and detailed, and I still adore on the small details you make. This brightened my day/night more and I'm saving this in my gift arts' folder, so I can look back on. Happy holidays to you too!

From: @deafeninggardenerpanda

To: @artxeevee

Message from Santa: "'And the Clouds Part for Us!'

ROOK! WHAT A PLEASURE TO DRAW FOR YOU! The second I saw Moxie I knew I HAD to draw her, what a gorgeous design!! And a GSA girlie no less 🤝 :'D!!! While her and Meta Knight wasn't explicitly on your wishlist, I read her background (really cool btw!) and didn't want to potentially ruin any surprise by asking if this was okay 💦 so I hope it is! Them together inspired me to do a sky and sea setting and I'm really happy with how it turned out. Happy holidays! 💝"

[numbuh424]

@nearsbday : DAY 5 - "BULLSEYE / VICTORY"

Target practice 🎯

[imerian]

My (very old) loscar brooch (?) that i just now made doodles for

More pictures under cut

[electric-plants]

alhaitham: it’s five in the morning what do you want from me

cyno: your signature on this paper

cyno: also a date but i don’t think that’s relevant right now

alhaitham: cyno please it is FIVE in the MORNING

[sskk-manifesto]

Ep 4 :)

[akai-anna]

me, at hattori heiji, with endless amount of affection: i love you

[skrunksthatwunk]

BREAKING NEWS i said yeah on the phone and rascal meowed back at me from across the room hehe

[smile-files]

the murder mystery i'm reading has a character whom i can instantly clock as autistic. yay! i have no reason to think he'll be the murderer but i'll be very angry if he is

[suffarustuffaru]

✨

Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

AA this is the last fic writer ask question fr :o again it took me a while to get to all of them pfft but i appreciate them a lot!! this question especially is really sweet wkdndn but yes!! and hope anyone reading my answers to these questions found it interesting at least pfft

hmm…. compliment….. im a MAJOR stickler for detail :O i literally cant turn my brain off i have to get EVERY detail i can right whenever possible wjdnd. not that im always right bc im very much not but i try very hard to be!! and i absolutely adore trying to put a lot of detail and nuance into things in my work esp since i focus on characters mental thought process so much hah. i try very hard to do a lot (or at least i consider it a lot widjdj) of research :o for example i wanted to write astrea fic so i devoured every heinkel and reinhard related side story possible and now they give me intense brainrot. cries. since i write a lot of character study i HAVE to look at everything possible before i finish a fic or ill cry inside if i miss one (1) detail i couldve taken into account hah. so i do think im a hard working writer :o !! analyzing things for fun especially when i admire a work of fiction runs in my blood wjdnd it just Happens. i try my best!!

as for um. that one crack treated seriously gluttony if fic i did once (selfcest…). is it accurate to who gluttonybaru is as a character? no in the sense that hes written purposefully in that fic to be like. pushed to his Most Extreme. but also i did try to at least be kind of accurate bc. i combed through SO MUCH of arc 6 and the gluttony if to write him fr 😭😭 there was TOO MUCH analysis in that fic thats why its got a novel length wordcount HAH. hes always had a hate love relationship with “natsuki subaru”….

uhhh uhhh oh yeah something else vaguely related to this that just came to mind—for example my multichap pride otto fic has me like really wracking my brain bc pride otto has screentime for exactly 0.2 seconds (im totally good at math) so its like. i wanted to like analyze how he most likely thinks and what sort of behaviors he has and how hed even react in All the new shenanigans im putting him in. but im also working off of 0.2 seconds of screentime so i had to also go and look at how main otto thinks and try to make Many Educated Guesses on how otto goes from point a (main otto pre-meeting subaru) to point b (the otto we see in pride if). which is something i do every time i focus on an if character in general anyway HAH bc i think it gets easier to understand if versions of characters, no matter how different they seem from their main route selves, once you examine who their base character is and THEN you look at the if events and how its warped them away from their base character. if that makes sense. i think its really fun hah.

i also recognize though that it wouldve been maybe Easier to make pride otto in my fic a little more. dead inside. empty. bc i know that ive been writing a lot of his anger and irritation hah. and it wouldve made sense for him to be a little more tired kind of dead inside in his internal dialogue!!! but i figured that i might as well go a little differently with it to yes maybe subvert expectations a little bit (and bc. ok after arc 8 Confirming Many Things About Otto, no way pride otto wasnt angry at some point. fr.) but also bc. you know when a person whos been in a traumatic situation they couldnt escape for so long is forced to change themselves to survive? if that person manages to finally escape its like. now they gotta try and unlearn any trauma related lessons theyve learned now that the danger is over bc what helped them survive is now maladaptive bc the danger is Over. thats kind of how i approached the fic fr T^T but also i try so hard to write pride otto as the jaded ass he definitely is. theres so much jades in him for sure. (this sentence totally makes sense.)

oh!!! uh uh one small detail with pride otto—when characters have titles, he will almost Always call them by their title in both internal and external dialogue. reinhard is sword saint and julius is the greatest/finest knight and felix is blue, etc etc. otto is well. 1. emotionally constipated 2. distant from others 3. Going Out of His Way to distance himself from others 4. hes very fixated on power and hierarchy and 5. he is Very aware of the role hes played in crushing each knight in the knight trio. main otto Absolutely feels guilt even as hes being ruthless. i figured pride otto likely at least Used to feel guilty. if hes not still guilty deep down.

[mariocki]

Alexandra Bastedo guest stars as "actress" Lola Wells in The Adventurer: Action! (1.13, ITC, 1972); actually she's a member of a sinister, uh.. anti-violence group, who will stop at nothing (not even.. violence..) to get their way