#it's not peppermint bark it's peppermint sidewalk

[inklingofadream]

tma relisten slowly progressing, i forgot that the SECOND basira realizes jon's out of the coffin she runs in sight unseen yelling "jon you stupid idiot"

[bookishcatcafe]

Goetian Skating (a Stolitz Winter One Shot)

“It’s so fucking cold out! Ffff fuck!” Blitz exclaimed as he shivered in the sidewalk. Stolas wore a blue beret, light lavender scarf, a deep purple overcoat, and tan leggings. He had short heels on, his makeup was subtle but fitting with his natural coat— deep purple eyeshadow, black mascara, and deep red lipstick on his black beak.

Blitz wore a black leather jacket, jeans, and a beanie which also covered his horns. Stolas put a hand over his shoulder, bringing him close, before putting his scarf off his neck and onto Blitz’s. “Does this help?” Stolas asked.

Blitz wiggles as he adjusted the scarf, walking with Stolas by his side, shrugging lightly before replying, “Kinda. Still cold as Lucifer’s balls.”

Stolas giggled and waved away at Blitz, a sign of enjoyment. “You’re so silly, dear.” He sniffed the air and looked toward the end of the street, on the corner was a small cart, with a sign that read ‘warm coffee, cocoa, and more. 3$.’

Stolas’s eyes widened and he hooted. “Oh! Blitzy!” He paused and fixed his slip-up. “Blitz! Let’s get something warm to drink.”

Blitz noticed his correction, rubbing Stolas’s shoulder with a gentle squeeze. It took him a while to get over him calling him Blitzy, having reminded him of the beginning of their relationship.

Despite the moments that struck him. The night at Ozzie’s. The full moon. Going back to the carnival. Ending up chasing Stolas to the train from Pride. That night had rained hard, and him calling for his Stolas, defying the odds not just of the other Goetians but also of being born an imp—their love shone past any darkened night.

He still remembered that kiss. It felt like a short while since that happened, as if he could still feel the rain drops on his horns. Blitz held his hand out to feel the rain, only to feel snow trickling down in slow waltzes. He blinked to see Stolas standing over him. They were feet away from the drink stand, his boyfriend was staring at his face, his eyes narrowed and mouth clenched: concerned.

“Blitz? Are you okay?” Stolas asked.

“I…yeah. I’m okay. I’m fuckin okay.” He smiled in reassurance, squeezing Stoles’s shoulder before giving him a peck on the lips. “Just was lost in thought.” Blitz pointed to the stand and smiles.

Stolas nods, slowly smiling back, shivering gently. “Let’s get something to drink. Then maybe we could go ice skating?” He asked as he pointed to the rink that was past the stand, its entrance on the right of the corner, an imp standing there by the ticket booth.

Blitz gulps and nods. “Sure thing. We can do that.”

The barista smiled and greeted the pair. “Happy Sinsmas! May I offer you a complimentary peppermint bark?” She points to a small metal tray which had a stack of thin squares of dark chocolate covered in shredded peppermint. Stolas hooted happily, clapping his hands together as he nods, grabbing two pieces: one for himself and one for Blitz.

Blitz sniffs it and eats it quickly, Stolas on the other hand ate it in two small bites. The mint was both soothing and a sharp, yet pleasant cleanliness to it.

‘Like chocolate toothpaste.’ Blitz noted mentally.

“Mmm. Delicious!” Stolas exclaimed. He eyed at the menu, his finger floating around at the options. Blitz found his little habits so cute, and awfully gay, but then again he’s gay too. Albeit, Stolas fit a lot of stereotypes, not that Blitz complained.

“I’ll have a peppermint mocha, with white chocolate though if you have it!” Stolas said excitedly.

Blitz eyed the menu. “Just a coffee.”

Stolas looked at him. “Comeon dear, don’t you wanna have a cocoa? I bet you’d like it.”

Blitz looked back, pausing, before sighing with a smirk. “Fine. I’ll get a cocoa.”

Stolas paid the barista, who smiled as she began working on their drinks. While she worked on the pair’s drinks, Stolas was rubbing Blitz’s back. He lowered his hand down to hold Blitz’s left hand, which after slight hesitation, the imp held back.

“Have a happy Sinsmas!” The barista interrupted as she held out two drinks. Blitz gave Stolas his and kept his own. With a free hand, they waved goodbye before walking toward the skate rink entrance.

Stolas sipped and let out a moan, which caused Blitz to smirk and take a sip of his own drink, groaning and moaning back, partly to mock him but also in genuine interest of the cocoa.

Stolas blushed hard as he covered his lips. “Stahpp. You’re embarrassing me.” He giggled and hooted before sipping again. With his magic he levitated a few dollars to the ticket booth man as they walked past the gate. He nodded back at them and smiled, thanking them.

Stolas sat down on the bench, taking off his heels, while with his levitation magic continued to sip on his mint mocha. Blitz followed and sat beside him on the other side of the bench, holding his drink with his tail. He began to take off his boots and put on his skates, pulling hard as he struggled a bit with the skate.

Stolas leaned down and helped push the first boot onto Blitz’s foot, tying his skate’s laces. Blitz felt into his sweater pocket, fingering at the small box at the bottom of the pocket. Meanwhile, Stolas switched to the other boot and finished tying it.

Stolas looked up at Blitz, tapping the top of his skate boot and giggling.

“Ready, hun?” He asked, standing tall over his boyfriend and offering a hand to Blitz to hold. Blitz nodded and held his hand, beginning to walk over to the beginning of the ice rink, every step unbalanced and wiggling. Stolas hooted and wiggled too as he walked, until the crack of the ice could be heard in every new step.

Soon they were in the middle of the rink, which was empty for the early morning. Stolas began to skate around Blitz, his line uneven and slow. Blitz caught Stolas as he had lined toward him, his arms aching with the sudden weight of his bigger partner.

“You ever ice skate before?” Blitz asked

“Not since I was a child. I’m not really good.” Stolas replied, his voice in his high cheery tone despite his face in a slight half-frown, his beak pointing down. Blitz held his cheek in his hand and rubbed his chin with a thumb.

“Hey. It’s okay. You’re doing good.” Blitz reassured him, before giving him a peck on the cheek.

Stolas began to smile before pecking back.

“How about you? Could…you skate for me? Please.” Stolas held his hands together, begging, as he rubbed a idle hand on his own chest.

Blitz huffed in the chilly air and smirked, skating away from Stolas before skating swiftly toward him. Stolas’s eyes suddenly flashed and he held a hand to his mouth, the imp skating past him and going into a twirl around Stolas, before suddenly grabbing his hand and skating with Stolas trailed behind him.

The owl gasped and hooted loudly in shock as he was following Blitz, who moved the owl’s hands to hold his hips as they skated around. He felt he could fall any moment, but even if his legs felt wobbly, he felt a sense of safety being in the surprise expertise of Blitz’s skating abilities.

The air felt light as they skated, snowflakes gently drifting around as they continued. Blitz felt like the king of the world, guiding Stolas like this, a small imp as himself just showing off while providing him with something exciting.

He felt a lump in his chest when he heard a thunk against the ice, his sweater feeling slightly lighter, the black box lay on the ice, gently stained white with snow. Blitz huffed as he stopped skating suddenly, Stolas eyeing at the box, seeing it fall out so quickly.

Blitz was huffing as he tried to find the words. Stolas quiet as he stopped behind him, slipping and falling to his knees on the ice, the momentum sending him down. Blitz turned back and held Stolas’s hand, while Stolas used his magic to bring the box toward them.

“Stolas—I.” Blitz began, his voice cracking as the lump in his throat fell past his Adam’s apple. He didn’t want this to happen this way. He had a plan. He PLANNED this.

Stolas rubbed Blitz’s fingers as he gave him the box. His face was flushed with blush, under his eyes tears formed and snowflakes subtly painted his feathers. Despite the cold making his eyes ache with every new tear formed, he looked beautiful. He was silent too, except for a little nod.

Blitz adjusted himself, feeling the cold stab his knee as he opened the box, revealing a shimmering silver ring, adorned on top with a diamond that glimmered with subtle hints of purples and reds.

“Stolas. We’ve gone through some fucking horrible times together—I mean. We’ve just gone through so much. Together. We grew despite them. What I’m trying to ask…Stolas…I don’t think I can imagine Hell without you. Will you be my prince?” He held out the open box, Stolas just was quiet and nodding.

Blitz put the ring onto Stolas’s finger, and felt a force push him into Stolas, kissing him deeply, a warmth growing from in his chest. In the kiss he felt like he could imagine the rest of his life, in that minute motionless moment, all starting over with their embrace, like it began before with their fingers, overlapped as water rolls over in the rippling waves.

[sweaterkittensahoy]

Hi friend!!! Can I request:

[ CARE ] sender nurses a sick / injured receiver

for Barisi please?

Thank youuuuu! 🫶🫶🫶

Here's the thing: Rafael knows he's an utterly shit patient. He hates being sick. He hates being injured. He hates any situation where he can't bark orders for what he wants when he wants them.

So, of course, two months into dating Sonny, he manages to catch viral laryngitis from an office outbreak and slip on the sidewalk while leaving Hogan Place, thus throwing his back out.

Sonny, of course, announces in that 'it's-not-an-option' tone he sometimes has that he'll be taking care of Rafael.

"Do you want this to be short relationship?" Rafael rasps as they wait for the Urgent Care nurse to come back with his exit paperwork.

"No," Sonny says as he pulls a thermos from his messenger bag and twists the top open. "Which means someone has to make sure you don't die of sheer fuckery in the next 72 hours."

Rafael opens his mouth to say something cutting, but before he can, Sonny hands him the thermos, and Rafael gets a whiff of honey and lemon and peppermint. "What--"

"Jesus, stop talking. It sounds like it hurts," Sonny says, fingertips soft on the side of Rafael's throat like he can actually feel it. "It's just some tea I was bringing to you. I made it this morning."

Rafael glances at the thermos, then back at Sonny. "You--" He rolls his eyes at Sonny's sharp look. He takes a very deliberate drink of the tea. It's just shy of hot, the perfect sort of temperature to wickedly raw throat. "Tea," he says after he swallows.

"Tea," Sonny agrees, and there's a flash of amusement across his face. "And you can use it to take your muscle relaxers, too. And I'll make a pot of soup at your place tonight that'll keep helping your throat and also be easy to enjoy even if you're out of your head on pain meds."

Rafael nods slowly and takes another long drink of the tea. "I get grumpy easy," he says, mostly into the thermos.

Sonny huffs a laugh and leans in, presses a kiss to Rafael's temple. "You don't say."

The last of Rafael's fear melts away. A fear he had been intentionally ignoring since Sonny picked him up off the pavement and told him they were going to Urgent Care. He knows what he's like when he's sick, and he's been a little scared--okay, a lot scared--that it would send Sonny running.

But Sonny is nuzzling his temple and asking if he'd prefer vegetable or chicken noodle, and Rafael knows without question that they are definitely not a short-term relationship.

[missrandomdreamer]

~Prickly Pear ~ Part 1

a Heisenberg and Hope snippet :3

"Hope do you have any pet-names for Karl? I hear him call you all sorts of flowery things. I'm surprised you dont call him anything."

Ashley and Hope sat on the bench outside the Caffeinated Calico, Hope a hot chai late in hand while Ashley a peppermint mocha. Hope looked up surprise at the sudden change of topic: they had just been talking about the cookies Hope would be making for Valentine's Day and now they were on pet names. Hope felt her face flush.

"Um well no, just Karl. I'm not the best at nicknames."

"Girl, nicknames are for friends, pet-names are for lovers. You guys are lovers aren't you?" Ashley turned to her now giving her the beady eyes. " You did tell him you liked him right?"

Hope nearly snorted out the chai, her throat burned, she had taken that sip to fast. " Ah no-no we're still just friends Ashley. I haven't said anything-

"Hope Joyce! I swear you have been eyeing him for months and he's been looking at you like he wants to eat you up like one of your cookies." Hope felt her face grow hotter.

"How can you tell that? He wears his glasses all the time! And I'm pretty sure he wants the cookies not me."

"Honey, I know when a man wants something and he wants you!" Ashley nudged Hope who nearly dropped her drink, Hope's hands were shaking. "You need to tell him you like him even if he is like super old but you like what you like I guess. " She shrugged, " And that's all that matters. " Ashley sipped her drink, but Hope remained quiet. "What would you call him have any petnames ideas?

"I have no idea like I said I'm not good at nicknames."

"Pet-Names! Not nicknames."

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

Hope couldn't get Ashley's words out of her head that afternoon. Her and dog walked around the apartments as they usually had done to get her pet exercise but unlike her usual attention to detail around her, Hope's mind was distracted.

"You did tell him you liked him right?"

"You need to tell him you like him even if he is like super old but you like what you like I guess. " She shrugged, " And that's all that matters.

Hope made an annoyed huff, shaking her head. She felt like a child. No she hadn't said anything, to Karl. She had never been brave enough to tell anyone she liked him (except when she was super young and ballsy which was like elementary school?) but since junior high to her twenty-eight years of age, Hope Joyce never told anyone she had feelings for which to be fair wasn't a lot of people.

She kicked a chunk of ice on the sidewalk, a sudden urge to to get out of Prescott hit her like a truck.

"Hey there Vi, General!"

Hope whipped her head up to see the Karl Heisenberg approaching her. Despite the snow on the ground, the man didn't wear much for heavy winter clothing. He of course was wearing his signature sunglasses and hat, but now a dark brown leather jacket, dark brown pants with khaki green long sleeved v-neck: a bit of his grey curly chest hair pushed its way past the v necked collar. Meanwhile Hope had pants, boots, a thick winter coat, a shirt and a shirt under that shirt and a beanie cap to protect her ears. This man literally could handle any weather and not be bothered. Then again she she had thin blood, and she was always cold. He waved a glove hand as he strolled up to Hope, The General, her pit-bull already pulling to the man wanting pets.

"Hey Karl." Hope croaked as she walked over to him. General barked happily, Karl chuckled giving the old dog a few quick scratches of the ear. Though the man's smile faded when he saw Hope's face.

"What's wrong?"

"What?"

"I know that look something's botherin ya." The older man looked her over, she couldn't see cause his glasses but she could tell. Ashley might have had a point, despite his glasses, she knew when he was looking her over. " Did someone say something to ya at work? "

Bingo. He always knew. Damn he could read her like a book sometimes.

"Uh no-no just doing a lot of thinking." The two started walking until Karl led her to a bench to sit.

---------

Every time Hope did a lot of thinking that meant she was worried about something. He didn't know what, because getting that out of her took a bit of prying but it was never good. And by never good, he hated to see her worrying. "Uh oh, don't be doing a lot of that." Hope didn't say anything and she was just starring at her hands, Karl saw her eyebrows twitching. "Hope-

She suddenly snapped her head at him, looking directly at his face, "Do you want to go to the valley with me tomorrow?" she blurted.

Heisenberg was taken back by her sudden raised voice. Karl hadn't been down to the main part of the valley in awhile. It was to busy and built up. He saw enough of it when he and Redfield arrived in Phoenix and had taken the long drive up north. Just that minimum time in the city overwhelmed him. However, it would be nice to get away from the snow for a day. A shiver ran through him, the flash of the village came to mind. Heisenberg restrained himself from letting out a growl, though he could feel the muscles in his neck twitch.

"Uh sure thing, Violet. What time?"

"Maybe 8? We can get breakfast along the way." Her voice now turning soft, looking at him, her eyes shone relief. The relief also caught him off guard but he smiled to her.

"All right we leave at 8 then. Meet at your jeep?"

Hope nodded and hugged herself, she shivered. "Sounds good." Karl looked over her once more before gently bumping her with his elbow. She looked up to him in surprise.

"Come on, let's get ya too your apartment. If you ain't moving ya gonna get to cold." Hope smiled and timidly nodded.

The two walked very close together, General walking along Hope's either side. Along the way he noticed Hope's face looked pinker than usual and she seemed to want to make herself small. "How-how's your work going?" Hope's voice breaking him out of his analyzing her. He shrugged,

"Same shit different day but it's all right. You?" Hope tensed up but she relaxed with a sigh.

"A little chaotic at the moment. It's getting busier cause of Valentine''s Day and it's Arizona's birthday coming up so pastry especially cookie orders have been insane. Then being Valentine's Day, customers have been extra ass-hole-y." Hope coughed, "Sorry, extra rude."

Karl snorted, " Violet, I told you before I don't care if you curse, shit." He cocked his head, " Do you want me to go rough up some ass holes for you?" Hope laughed, they wear getting close to the elevator to go to her floor now.

"No, I can handle 'em. It's just frustrating, I don't how people can be so damn rude- everyone has a stick up their ass." Karl snorted, nodding in approval at her language. "But once Valentine's Day is over, things should calm down again." Heisenberg nodded. He tried to make it seem he knew what Valentine's Day was. He knew by all the pink and heart shit all over the place it must be some lover's holiday. Karl realized he probably knew at one point what the holiday was but since he arrived at Village his memory of the past was nearly erased. He knew there was no such as thing as Valentine's Day at the Village.

"Well, if ya need me ya know where to find me." His cut lips turning up into a smile, which Hope shyly returned.

"Thanks Karl, you're very sweet." The duo and dog now took the elevator up, a soft ding was heard once they reached her floor and they stepped out. Heisenberg laughed at her statement.

"I've been called many things and I mean many things but sweet was never one of them."

"Well there is a first time for everything right?" She turned to look up at him with those dark green eyes, small smile and he nearly nearly fell back. Damn sometimes with that look it could nearly take him out. Heisenberg chuckled (albeit nervously) before ruffling her hair and moving his hand to push down her bangs in front of her eyes. He could hear her childish little huff.

"Am I still sweet?"

"Nope now your sour." Karl could see her lips turn into a little pout before breaking out into a smile. " "I think one of my bangs just stabbed me in the eye, " The lord laughed removing his hand so she could see again. She stuck her tongue out, blowing a raspberry at him before fixing her bangs. "You a menace to short women everywhere." Heisenberg heard her mutter, he could see a slight blush on her cheeks as they finally made it to her door.

"Hm only one short woman, one with particularly violet hair" He looked down at her grinning , making Hope's face blush spread across her face.

"Well this short woman will get her revenge one of these days." With that she attempted to swat his hat down over his eyes but was nearly out of reach so she ended up just lightly bapping him in the nose like his black cat would when she was hungry. He made a strangled noise, completely caught off guard, "See you tomorrow morning-Lem-Karl" Hope said awkwardly before hurring her and General into her apartment, slamming the door on his face.

Karl stood there a little confused at the name ''Lem-Karl' and also still recovering getting booped on his nose before the door opened again, revealing a worried little round face, "Your face is okay right? I didnt like hit your glasses into your eyeballs did I?"

Heisenberg adjusted his glasses on his face, a laugh on his voice. "No, my eyes are fine, that swat felt like a cat paw. However, what is a Lem-Karl?" Hope closed the door more at this, so now only one emerald eye was seen,

" Uh I was trying to come up with a clever nickname and it just sounded stupid mid sentence so your just Karl now, until I can come up with something creative."

"Where you gonna call me Lemon?"

"Lemon Man but it sounded stupid so yeah." Hope's voice gradually got softer and more nervous before there was an awkward pause. "Okay, Im gonna go now after embarrassing myself byyeeee." And with that she closed the door for good. "See you tomorrow Karl and sorry about your eyes." She said from behind the door. He thought she said something else but it was to quiet, he cocked his head. No maybe she was just talking to herself now.

Heisenberg just looked at the door at a loss of words but that bewildered smile was just forever on his lips. He turned and started to walk away, "Okay see in the morning, Little Violet."

~End of Part 1 ~

I was going to write more but felt it would be a bit to long so gonna do the second part on another post but yeee :3 hope you guys like it just a fun little drabble of sorts

[transmasc-wizard]

14, 20, 22 for the too cast!

An embarrassing secret about your OC?

Astrophel: he's shit at dying his hair by himself and always needs Elisa to help him

Elisa: she has actually walked into doorframes because she was distracted by pretty girls. multiple times

Hyacinthus: they once drank mayonnaise on accident

a nostalgic memory from your OC’s childhood?

Astrophel: He is seven. The leaves are red and orange and yellow across the sidewalk and the park grass. Somewhere, a dog is barking. He swings, higher and higher and higher, on the old blue swing with the shiny silver chains. It's new. He never wants to stop swinging. Maybe, if he gets high enough, he'll reach the sun.

Elisa: She is eight. It's snowing outside, enough that pressing her hands to the windows makes her fingers numb. The smell of hot chocolate and peppermint fills the air, and everything is perfect.

Hyacinthus: They are nine. It's spring, and the ground is muddy and wet. Their grandmother is visiting--their grandmother never visits. Words can't say how excited they are. They sit on the porch steps, their black puppy copying their pose beside them, and watch as an old-fashioned green car pulls into the driveway.

what is holding your OC back to achieve their goals?

Astrophel: the local laws against trespassing and murder and destruction of property <//3 BUT THAT WON'T STOP HIM LONG!!

Elisa: fear. what if she finds out something that should have stayed hidden? what if someone gets hurt because of her curiosity?

Hyacinthus: the idea of failure. He can't just go into that forest and come out again with no answers.

[acesymmetricfool]

12 Days of Ficmas Day 2: Peppermint

Ao3 link!

-----ooo---OOO---ooo-----

The smell of the Manson’s kitchen wafted through the open window despite the December chill. Though the location might change over the years, from her childhood home with her own grandmother, to her cozy first home with her late husband, to the lavish mansion she lived in with her family now, Ida Manson was always in the kitchen in December more often than not.

Hanukkah was at an end, but Amity Park celebrated Christmas and she could never resist baking things for her family and friends no matter what they practiced.

For the third time in two weeks, babka was baking in the oven. One was cinnamon, warm and spiced like her grandmother had taught her to make all those years ago. The second one was chocolate, rich and swirled for her granddaughter’s sweet tooth. Of course two babka could hardly curb that appetite.

Christmas marketing was mainstream and every time she went to the grocery store, it was impossible not to notice the displays covered in ingredients and blown up photos of their featured recipes. Even the kosher section had an end-cap featuring reindeer cookies.

Ida wasn’t immune to charm and she did love peppermint anyway...

As a result of the combined obligation to fill her granddaughter with sugar and the temptations filling the aisles, Ida was busy.

Donuts were rolled out and shaped all over one of the marble counters waiting to go in the oil currently heating on the stove in a good heavy pot instead of the new-fangled digital deep fryers they had two of for some reason. Once those were cooked and cooled they would get stuffed full of custard and rolled in chocolate curls or iced and dotted with crushed candy canes.

Ida had just pulled out the peppermint brownies that would be slathered in cream cheese frosting and more of those little white and red specks of holiday cheer.

Lastly, one of her favorite things, the mighty slabs of chocolate bark that took up the entire kitchen island were ready to break. Parchment paper lined almost the entire 80x40 inch marble surface and was generously coated in dark chocolate. She had planned ahead, then deviated from the plan, and the four quadrants of barely separated chocolate "rectangles" were studded with fixings. They were embedded with candied orange peel (homemade of course), finely chopped dried fruit, roasted nuts, pretzels, precarious drizzles of white chocolate, and of course, a generous section was covered in peppermint candy.

The smell of everything mingled in the air and poured onto the street all day. People slowed and hummed pleasantly as they walked down the sidewalk all bundled up now warmed from the inside. If the scent didn’t make them stop, this next part might.

With a heft and a mighty cry, Ida Manson lifted one of the large chocolate slabs and slammed it onto the counter where it shattered.

CRACK

The sound was deafening and sudden, but then it was over. She smiled at the varying sizes of chocolate bark then reached out to take another slab in her hands.

“Hello!? Is everything- oh.”

Ida looked up and there, sticking his head through the window of her massive kitchen, was the ghost boy of Amity Park. His name was Danny.

“Ah, you could smell it couldn’t ya?” she grinned at him waving the second slab in the air.

He floated in more and more until only his foot was sticking out into the December air and he didn’t even seem to notice.

“I actually-”

CRACK

Ida slammed the second piece of chocolate down and bits of decadence went flying.

“I was coming to investigate but now I know that noise wasn’t a noise , but a wonderful sound .” he blinked at her then put a gloved hand on the back of his neck nervously before starting to babble.

“What I meant to say was like… Ya know, a sound is good while a noise is bad or potentially dangerous and the connotations are different so like if the noise was someone getting hurt that was bad but you were just making chocolate and.. chocolate is… is good.” A little pink tinted his cheek as he started to float away.

He looked tired. His hair was a bit unruly, his shoulders were tense, this boy looked sad.

His butt was just about out the window when Ida brushed her hands on her stained apron.

“You’re right about that. Now why don’t you come down here and have some, deary?”

Green eyes blinked at her owlishly. Obviously he wasn’t used to being offered anything even though he was just a kid caught in the cold.

“I-I really can’t, I-”

“Pish posh. Now come choose a piece, I’ve got plenty.”

“I don’t eat. I’m a ghost.” she could have believed him if it weren’t for his voice or his face or the way his hands moved.

“You’ve got a mouth, don't ya?”

Danny seemed stunned for a second then came inside seemingly dragging some of the outside with him. It grew colder as he very slowly flew down to her level instead of flying above her. Perhaps it was a sign of respect, perhaps for just a moment he was forgetting he was supposed to have all these superpowers.

“Thank you.” he said politely and Ida beamed as she gestured at the broken pieces. Some of the shards were no bigger than a nickel while others mirrored her handbag. It was to be expected, but it was fun to look at all the different bits.

Danny reached forward and picked up the tiniest piece that had a tiny speck of peanut dust on it and she slapped it out of his hand.

He drew his hand to his chest in surprise, betrayal just barely starting to color his expression when she pointed again.

“You pick a proper piece. Do you know how hard it is to work hard when you’re my age? This is art! You wouldn’t do that to a poor old lady now would you? Take a lackluster piece as if I had microwaved a Hershey bar and spilled it.” she shook her head and started pawing through the pieces on her side of the table.

He blinked at her processing the words then nodded. Obediently, he reached out and carefully selected a piece with a healthy amount of peppermint. He looked to her for approval and when Ida took a bite out of her own piece, he took an experimental bite.

Green eyes widened.

“This is delicious.”

“I know. Have some more.”

There were no arguments or attempts at being polite as the kid snapped off piece after piece with his teeth and ate the entire thing. The whole time he stole glances as if she would slap it out of his hand again remembering he was supposed to be a ghost or something. She smiled and he twitched his gloved fingers like he would lick them if she wasn’t watching.

“Um… thank you. I’ll let you-”

“Did you like it? Best you ever had, eh?” she did lick her fingers for crumbs.

Danny’s mouth twitched like he would smile before the expression fell and he answered honestly.

“I never had it before. My folks aren’t good cooks. And they especially don’t cook Christmas stuff.”

Ida smiled at him.

“Tell ‘em it’s not too late. It may say Christmas on the tin but it’s good stuff year round. Especially when you get to share.”

He nodded but she could tell he would not be passing the message along.

“Thanks again for the chocolate.”

“Of course. I’m glad you got to try it. Busy night?” Ida leaned on the counter resting her body against the stone.

“Not really. Pretty slow this time of year with the Truce and all.”

Ah, that would explain a lot.

“Good.” she slapped the table and the poor boy jumped in his seat in the air.

“Here. Help a helpless old woman break up her bark?” she pouted at him with an exaggerated lip. After a long moment, that finally got a little smile out of the boy.

“Yes ma’am.”

“None of that nonsense, Danny, you call me Grandma Ida.”

His face blanked with shock and his eyes, so expressive, grew large.

“I’m Phantom .” he said with his lying voice, face, and hands.

She grinned but innocently lilted her voice.

“Danny Phantom. That’s what I said, wasn’t it?”

Danny relaxed a bit and she turned back to the island.

“Now come on, we don’t have all night to do this part. That oil is gonna start screaming soon and I’ll show you how to fry donuts.”

“Yes Grandma Ida.” The boy said picking up a large piece.

“And lemme tell you, if you ever wanna make this, it isn’t actually art. This stuff is stupid easy to make. I’ll walk you through everything then you can make it any time you want.”

Danny smiled back.

“It probably wouldn’t be as good.”

“Darn tootin’ it wouldn’t be as good! But it’ll tide you over until you get your scrawny behind back here for more!”

That smile he gave was bright and wonderful.

“Yes Grandma Ida.”

“Good boy. Now slam that down and we’ll get to work.”

CRACK

-----ooo---OOO---ooo-----

Do not expect this length for the rest this one just spoke to me. Thanks Grandma Ida!

[solarmorrigan]

Emphatically Do Not Leave Me Breathless - James Bond - pre-00Q

((Day 11! Bit late, sorry. Fills “Ice” on the Random Prompt Table and Anon Prompt 23 on the MI6 Cafe Prompt Exchange. No warnings))

-

It was his own fault, really.

Q hadn’t felt particularly well when he’d woken that morning—raspy and congested and sore in a way that suggested he’d been coughing in his sleep—but had soldiered on anyway. It was nothing new, after all; he’d had asthma since he was young, and the freezing wind in winter always brought out the worst in it. He’d just made himself a strong cup of peppermint tea and another of Earl grey, popped his inhaler in his bag and set off.

There were errands to be run, after all; he didn’t plan on wasting his day off lying about the flat because he might have an asthma attack.

Of course, for all his conscientious preparation, he hadn’t actually remembered to bring a muffler with him.

He tried to hunker down beneath the collar of his coat and block the worst of the wind, but it wasn’t doing him much good. He could feel the icy air building up in his chest, the freezing prickle of constricting airways and overworked muscle that always came with attacks.

Q spent two blocks intermittently trying to cough the air back out of his lungs, only to suck in more frigid wind, and finally admitted defeat. He needed to stop and use his inhaler – and he would have, if only the sidewalk wasn’t so bloody congested.

Every time Q tried to step out of one person’s way, he bumped right into another, and the jostling wasn’t doing his breathing any favors. Normally, Q could navigate London foot traffic with the best of them, but normally he wasn’t trying to stop in the middle of it.

Q was beginning to feel a bit lightheaded, jarred by all of the coughing, and his fingers and lips were going tingly; if he didn’t get to use his inhaler soon, he’d become less of an obstacle and more of a speedbump. Most people were just stepping around him, some giving him concerned backwards looks—distantly, Q supposed he didn’t blame them; they didn’t know he had asthma, after all, and what if he was actually contagious?—but if someone would just stop–

“Move.”

Q’s attention jerked in the direction of the voice that had just rang out from in front of him, and he attempted to move in near automatic response to the commanding tone, though he had nowhere to move to. He then realized that the man who had barked the order wasn’t even speaking to him; he’d slipped in front of Q without his notice—how, Q wasn’t sure, because the man wasn’t much taller than him but he was miles broader, Christ, he had shoulders—and was telling everyone else to move.

And they did.

Turning to Q, the man put one firm hand on his shoulder and in a much gentler tone of voice, instructed him, “Follow me.”

And Q did.

It did occur to Q as he followed the man who was muscling them a path through the crowd that this could very well have been an opportunistic abduction – it wasn’t like anyone else would notice. As he was still wheezing for air, however, Q decided he didn’t really care as long as the man let him use his inhaler before bundling him into an unmarked car or whatever it was kidnappers did.

Instead of abducting him, though, the man only led him a short way to a little coffee shop and ushered him in.

The warm air was a blessing, as was the empty table the man found them.

“Do you have medication?” the man asked.

Q, already scrabbling around in his bag for his inhaler, nodded shakily.

The first inhale was difficult to take and even more difficult to hold, but the exhale was pure relief.

Q coughed a few times, hand pressed to his ribs where the muscle was cramping up, then took a second pull from the inhaler.

As he let the second puff out with a long, shaking exhale, Q looked up to find the man watching him intently.

“Alright?” the man checked; his eyes were very blue and rather concerned, and if Q had had more energy, he might have actually blushed.

“I’m alright. Thank you,” Q rasped, wincing with an attempt to clear his throat; he was going to be feeling this attack for a couple of days, for sure.

“Let me get you something to drink,” the man offered. “For your throat.”

“I should be the one buying you a drink,” Q argued. “You helped me out quite a bit just now.”

The man eyed Q with a skeptical little smirk that at once made Q bristle and thrill at the implied challenge. “If you feel like you can actually make it to the counter, I’ll gladly accept your offer of a drink.”

Scowling in a way he hoped was defiant, Q took a few steadying breaths and levered himself up from the table. He was shaking all over the way he always did after using his inhaler, but he was steady enough as he made his way to the counter. “What will you have?” he asked the man when he got there, gratified to see the bemused look on his face.

“An Americano,” the man said, more to Q than the barista.

Q ordered a mocha for himself, something sweet and hot and caffeinated to help his throat and further ease his breathing, and paid for both drinks before returning to the table. He didn’t have quite so much pride that he would continue standing uncomfortably by the counter rather than allowing the man to bring their drinks when they were ready.

Q took a grateful sip from his cup when it came, despite the heat of it, then extended a hand to the man. “My apologies for being unable to introduce myself sooner. Please, call me Q.”

“Bond,” the man replied, taking Q’s hand in a firm grip. “James Bond.”

“I’m sure it would be a pleasure to meet you, were the circumstances different.” Q gave Bond a rueful smile.

“It could still be a pleasure,” Bond replied with a little grin. “We haven’t even finished our drinks yet.”

Q smirked around the lid of his cup, looking over at Bond. “I suppose you’re right.”

They chatted a bit as they sat, sipping their drinks slowly and giving Q time to recover a little from his attack; talk turned from the sudden cold snap to the coffee shop to work. “Cyber security” wasn’t quite the truth when Q told Bond what he did for a living (at least, it wasn’t the whole truth) but Bond’s returning answer of “international sales” didn’t seem quite truthful either, and Q found himself interested.

They moved from occupations to pastimes and were engaged in an interesting argument about scifi—Q tended towards dystopian novels where Bond preferred the classic adventures through time and space—by the time they finished their drinks, and Q glanced out the windows with a sigh. It didn’t appear to have gotten any warmer or any less windy.

“I suppose I should head home,” he said at a lull in the conversation.

“Will you make it?” Bond asked, his look only half teasing. “I can give you a ride, if you need.”

Q shot Bond a wry look. “You’ve done me a great favor, but I’m not getting into a perfect stranger’s car. Trust doesn’t go that far, Mr. Bond.”

“Wise,” Bond conceded. “But since you don’t seem to have any sort of muffler–”

“I forgot–”

“At least let me give you this.” Bond leaned across the table and in one quick move, transferred the dark blue scarf that had been draped over his shoulders to around Q’s neck.

Q’s hands came up automatically to grip the scarf; it was amazingly soft, but thick enough that it would adequately keep out the cold wind. “Oh, I couldn’t,” he said, aware that he was stroking the material even as he spoke. “How would I get it back to you?”

“You could give it back to me when I next see you,” Bond said reasonably.

“Oh?” Q bit down on the pleased grin that was threatening to form. “And when would that be?”

Bond shrugged. “When are you free?”

Brows raised, Q couldn’t help but at least smirk. “I’ll have to check my schedule,” he replied, to Bond’s apparent amusement. “Here, let me see your mobile a moment.”

When Bond handed the device over, Q used it to enter his number and then text himself, feeling his own mobile buzz in his pocket.

“There. Now you have my number and I have yours. We’ll figure out a way to get your scarf back to you,” Q said as he stood from the table, shouldering his bag.

“Well, hopefully a bit more than that,” Bond said, following Q to the door.

“We’ll see Mr. Bond.” Q gave Bond a sharp smile and took great care to wrap up with the scarf before stepping out into the cold.

[dukereviewsmovies]

Duke Reviews: Merry Madagascar And The Madagascar Penguins In A Christmas Caper

Hi, Everyone, I'm Andrew Leduc And Welcome To Duke Reviews Where We Continue Duke's Yultide Reviews...

And On Today's Show We're Looking At The Dreamworks Christmas Special, Merry Madagascar...

Taking Place After The First Film, This Special Sees Marty, Alex, Gloria, Melman And The Penguins Heading Off Of The Island Of Madagascar To Save Christmas When Santa Crashes Onto The Island With Amnesia After King Julian Accidentally Knocks His Sleigh Out Of The Sky, Will Our New York Animal Pals Save Christmas Or Is Christmas Ruined For Everyone?

Let's Find Out As We Watch Merry Madagascar...

The Special Starts On, Of Course, Madagascar As Marty, Alex, Gloria And Melman Prepare To Leave Madagascar In An Attempt To Make It Home To New York City By Christmas...

With Only Mort In Attendance, They Board Their Island Made Hot Air Balloon To Fly Back To New York, But While They Tell Each Other What They Want For Christmas, They Soon Find Themselves Under Attack...

Believing That They Were Shot Down By Cannibals, It Turns Out That It Was King Julian And The Other Lemurs Who Thought That They Were The Marauding Red Night Goblin...

What Is That? The Green Goblin And Hobgoblin's Cousin?...

Actually No, Turns Out That Every 24th Of Julianuray (Which Is A Month Named After Julian) A Red Glow With Horrible Laughter Pelts All Of Madagascar With Black Rocks...

Hearing Someone Say That The Red Night Goblin Is Coming, Julian Believes It To Be A Prank At First Only To Discover That It Is The Red Night Goblin As He Is Pelting Rocks Upon Them...

With Lemurs Being Hit On The Head Everywhere, Alex Launches One Of The Coconut Trees That Julian Pulled Down In Defense And Hits The Goblin Causing Him To Crash Land. But When The Madagascar 4 Discover That The Rocks Are Coal And That There Are Presents And Candy Canes Everywhere They Soon Discover That, They Shot Down Santa Claus...

Telling Julian To Get Away From Santa, Marty Asks If Santa's Okay Only To Discover That Santa Has A Big Bump On His Head That Has Caused Him To Get Amnesia. Blaming Himself For What He Did And Possibly Ruining Christmas For The World, Alex Comes Up With A Plan To Find The Sleigh And Help Santa Deliever The Toys And In Return He Might Get Them Off The Island And Back To New York...

With Everyone On Board, They Go To Find The Sleigh And The Reindeer Only When They Do, They Find The Penguins There Too Who Tell Them About Their Grudge With Santa Which Dates Back Centuries As Santa Was Supposed To Be At The South Pole....

But When Private Ends Up Falling In Love With Vixen (Who's Voiced By The Vampire Diaries Nina Dobrev) Alex Manages To Get The Reindeer's Attention To Ask For Their Help But Their Leader Donner Tells Them That They Only Take Orders From Santa....

Well, Thanks For Nothing, You Assholes! I Hope You All Get Coal In Your Stockings!

But Even Though The Stupid Reindeer Won't Help Them They Can Just The Penguins To Pull The Sleigh As The Reindeer Rely On Magical Dust To Fly The Sleigh...

However When Alex And The Others Go To Get Santa He's Having Too Much Of A Good Time At Julian's Julianuary Celebration That He Doesn't Want To Leave So, It Up To Alex, Marty, Melmann, Gloria And The Penguins To Save Christmas...

But As They Take Off, We Cut Back To Julian And Santa As He Shows Him The True Spirit Of Julianuary Which Is...(Sigh) Giving Presents To Him...

But When Santa Makes A Present Out Of Leaves And Bark, Everyone Wants One So Santa Decides To Make Everyone A Present Which Upsets Julian, Who Believes That Santa Is Ruining His Holiday And Declares That All Their Presents Are His...

Arriving In Canada...

They End Up Crash Landing With The Sleigh, Alex, Gloria, Marty And The Penguins On The Ground And Melmann On The Roof With The Present, However When Melmanm Goes Down The Chimney He Gets Stuck...

Breaking Into The House To Leave The Gift And Save Melmann, Alarms Start Going Off Which Forces Them To Leave The Present And To Grab Melmann As They're Flying Off...

Landing On Another Roof, They Realize That They Are Highly Unqualified For What They're Doing And Are About To Give Up, But When The Sleigh Crashes Into An Apartment They Meet A Little Girl (Voiced By Willow Smith) That Shows Them Why They Should Do This And From Then On They're Santa's Hairy Little Helpers....

We Get A Funny Montage Of Everyone Delivering Toys And Flying In The Air With Disastrous Results As Louis Armstrong Plays...

But They Soon Smile As They Reach New York...

Back On The Island, Santa Come In To Talk With Julian As While He Has All The Presents He Feels Empty Inside, And While Santa Doesn't Know Why Julian Feels This Way He Does Know That What Happened Back There With Everyone Was Really Good...

Suggesting That Julian Give A Present To The Skeleton Of Amelia Earhardt (Which He Has For Some Reason) He Does And Believes That She Likes It As It Appears That She's Smiling (Even Though She's Dead) Realizing That Making People Feel Good Makes Him Feel Good, Julian Races Off As He Decides To Tell Everyone Of What He's Learned...

Meanwhile In Greenland, Marty Melmann, Gloria, Alex And The Penguins Are Wrapping Up Delivering Gifts But When They Discover Another Bag, They Open It To Discover That It's For Them...

As Marty Gets His Candied Yams From Sylvia's, Gloria Gets A Blow Up Hippo Pool With Chlorine, Melmann Gets Dr. Manesh's Neck Massager And Alex Gets A Snowglobe Of New York So He Can See Snow Fall On New York, They Realize That They Can't Leave Santa Back There And End Up Facing A Choice As There's Enough Sparkly Dust To Go To Either New York Or Back To Madagascar To Save Santa...

So, After A Tough Decision They Decide To Go Back To Madagascar But Unfortunately The Sparkly Dust Starts To Give Out Before They Arrive Which Causes Them To Fall...

With One Penguin Pulling The Sleigh, They End Up Crashing Into Santa Which Restores His Memory...

Donner Lies To Santa Saying That The Penguins Took The Sleigh For A Joyride, Ruining Christmas But Vixen Tells Santa The Truth That They Actually Saved Christmas And Donner To Stick It As She Loves Private And Wants To Be Bi-Polar With Him...

However, It Turns Out That While They Delivered All The Presents They Missed One Bag For Lichtenstein And Those Kids Will Be Up Any Minute...

Using A Reserve Tank Of Sparkly Stuff, Santa Takes Off Along With Cupid As Private Does A Casablanca Reference...

And So With Julian Off The Naughty List And Santa Gone, Everyone Celebrates Christmas, Madagascar Style...

And That's Merry Madagascar And Before I Give My Review Of It How About I Sneak In Another Christmas Review (As I Don't Know When I'm Going To Review Madagascar Again) So, Let's Talk About The Madagascar Penguins In A Christmas Caper...

This Short Starts In The New York Zoo As Private Watches (Through The Penguins Telescope) Everyone Celebrating Christmas Only To See That The Polar Bear Ted (Voiced By Bill Fakebakke) Is Feeling Sad And Alone This Holiday Season And Private Has A Talk With Skipper About Getting Ted A Present For Christmas...

But Skipper Tells Private That It's Not Possible As There Are 4 Presents And There Are 4 Of Them Despite Private Saying That He Could Go Get Ted Something But Skipper Forbids It, So, While The Other Penguins Are Chugging Egg Nog Private Goes Out To Get To Get Ted A Gift....

Eventually Figuring Out That Private Is Gone, The Other Penguins Decide To Follow Him...

Coming Across A Cart In The Sidewalk, Private Wants To Get Ted A Christmas Tree But Instead He Ends Up Being Taken By The Little Old Lady Who Kicks Alex In The Balls In Madagascar As Present For Her Nightmare Of A Dog, Mr. Chew...

But Luckily The Other Penguins See Private Being Taken By The Old Lady And Follow Her To Her Apartment Building...

Ok, How That Bellhop Isn't Like "What The Hell" Is Beyond Me...

Managing To Get Inside The Penguins Miss The Elevator But Using A Vacuum They Take The Mail Lift To The Top Floor....

However, Locked Out Of The Old Woman's Apartment They Decide To Find Another Way As Private Is Wrapped And Placed In Mr. Chew's Stocking For Tomorrow...

AAH! Demon Dog! Keep It Away!

But Luckily The Penguins Come In To Save Private From The Demonic Mr. Chew By Having Rico Eat Peppermints And Fire Them Out Of His Mouth Like A Machine Gun...

Out Of Ammo, They Climb The Tree And Toss Ornaments At Mr. Chew Only For Private To Be Thrown Into The Kitchen Only For Him To End Up Like Joey On Friends....

You Said It Skipper, Not Me!

Chew Chases Private As Kowalski Comes Up With A Plan Called Operation Stocking Stuffer Which Places The Evil Dog Into The Stocking Private Was In...

Blowing The Door, The Penguins Leave And Head Back To The Zoo Where Skipper Decides To Follow The Penguin Credo (Never Swim Alone) And Not Let Ted The Polar Bear Be Alone For Christmas However, When He Comes Over, He Invites Everyone In The Zoo Over To Sing Christmas Carols...

And That's The Madagascar Penguins In A Christmas Caper And It's Cute...

It Isn't As Memorable As Frozen Fever But If The Madagascar Penguins Are Your Favorite Characters You'll Love This Fun, Cute, And Entertaining Short And I Say See It....

But What About Merry Madagascar...

It's Funny In All The Right Places And Has The Right Amount Of Christmas Spirit And I Say See It...

Till Next Time, This Is Duke, Signing Off...

[carmenlire]

Oh jesus, I sure would cry if SOMEONE, like my FAVOURITE author *cough* you *cough*, would write a christmas prompt for my birthday that's coincidentally on DECEMBER 12TH, 12 days before CHRISTMAS, I'm just thinking out loud here

It is midnight in Germany so Happy 18th Birthday Julia!!! You are so amazing and I am so glad that we are friends and I just want you to know that you’re super lovely and I am so happy to have you in my life

read on ao3

“And what are we supposed to be doing here?”

Sighing exasperatedly, Magnus wraps his scarf around his neck. It’s a little hideous– a mishmash of patterns and swirling colors courtesy of Madzie– but it was a gift and Magnus makes it work, wearing an austere black coat to really let the riot of colors pop.

He meets Alec’s eyes in the mirror. “We’re going to the Christmas Fair downtown. We’re supposed to be having fun. Nothing serious, no business or worry of demonic sightings.”

Turning around, he takes the few steps over to Alec, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s shoulders. “We’ll browse around the shopping booths and eat something sweet and freeze our asses off.”

Alec smiles and leans in to kiss him only to pull back abruptly. “You have different chap stick on,” he says accusingly.

“Peppermint,” Magnus confirms, placing a smacking kiss on Alec’s cheek and trying not to coo and the vaguely disgusted look Alec throws him. “I thought it only appropriate. Tis the season, after all.”

Alec shakes his head but he’s hiding a smile. Magnus will take it as a win.

The two of them leave the loft and Magnus doesn’t try to hide his smile when Alec immediately reaches over and grabs his hand, thumb sweeping over his palm. They take the subway– yes, Alexander, I was taking the subway before your grandfather was even born– and get off at the stop that leads to Midtown Manhattan, close to Rockefeller Center. It’s two weeks before Christmas and the sidewalks are jam-packed with tourists and stressed shoppers.

Magnus doesn’t mind, though. There’s something about the very air in December that’s achingly sentimental. While he’s never been one to practice Christianity, Christmas is something that he’s celebrated for the past couple centuries, ever since he first landed in Europe.

Still, New York City at Christmastime is another beast altogether. They pass a dozen vendors selling Christmas trees and Magnus is paying far more attention to Alec than he is to his surroundings.

Doing his best to keep his fondness under wraps, Magnus internally rolls his eyes at Alec’s expression. He’s trying to look unaffected at the crowd of people and the miles of lights and garland and decorations. They’re rounding the corner when Alec stops in his tracks and Magnus grins as Alec’s eyes light up.

“Still aren’t sure what you’re supposed to do,” Magnus teases.

Alec doesn’t even spare him a glance as he takes in the crowds of people milling about in barely organized chaos. This Christmas Fair has been going on in the city every December 12th for over a hundred years and it’s gained quite a following.

Families are milling about, kids racing by with cookies and toys. Magnus looks around and breathes in the scent of balsam and toasted marshmallow and feels something settle into place.

For the millionth time, he wonders at how Christmas could be so much more than a simple day.

He startles, though, as Alec pulls him toward the closest booth.

“Are you looking for anything in particular,” Alec absently asks, paying close attention to the boxes of artisan chocolates on display.

Humming, Magnus thinks for a minute before shaking his head. “Not really, I’m afraid. I usually end up buying whatever catches my eye. What about you?”

He eyes a box of peppermint bark, debating, while he waits for Alec’s answer.

No,” Alec finally says. “You know that we don’t really celebrate Christmas. While I know more than other shadowhunters, I can still be pretty clueless. Izzy, Jace, and I usually exchanged gifts and snuck out of the Institute to eat dinner but that’s about it.”

“I still don’t know how even shadowhunters keep their heads in the sand about Christmas, especially in New York. Signs of it are literally everywhere, darling.”

Alec shrugs. “You’re forgetting that we spend most of December at the Academy until we graduate. Idris has their own holidays. Though none that mean unlimited gingerbread,” Alec ends distractedly.

Magnus looks up from the chocolate and sees that Alec’s moved on to the next booth– homemade gingerbread cookies.

“I didn’t know you liked gingerbread,” he says, amused.

“It’s never come up.”

Alec looks over at him, considering, and Magnus grins as he moves on without buying the peppermint bark. Laying an arm around Alec’s back, Magnus looks between Alec and the gingerbread, bemused.

“Alexander, you’re about to start drooling.”

Glaring, Alec just asks, “Do you want one?”

Magnus makes a show of thinking before finally suggesting, tongue in cheek, “We could share one?”

He bites back his laughter at the incredulous look Alec shoots him. “I don’t share my gingerbread,” Alec says firmly.

Magnus sighs dejectedly, gently bumping his hip against his boyfriend’s. “Very well,” he says sadly. “I thought it would be romantic to share but I forgot my boyfriend is possessive over his sweets.”

“Frosting or no frosting?” Alec doesn’t even deign to acknowledge Magnus and Magnus tucks a hand into Alec’s back pocket as he murmurs, “Surprise me, darling.”

Alec pays for the cookies and immediately bites the head off his frosted gingerbread Santa, meeting Magnus’s scandalized eyes without expression. “It’s the best part,” is all he offers and Magnus laughs as he shakes his head, nudging them to keep going.

The two of them make their way through dozens of booths. There are wood cutouts and photography booths and they pass enough food vendors that Magnus starts to wonder if Alec’s stomach isn’t both bottomless and made of cast iron.

He’s long known that his boyfriend has a sweet tooth to rival the Cookie Monster’s but it’s something else entirely to see Alec in his element.

There are quite a few toy booths, and Magnus finds himself in quite a few heated debates with Alec over the best present for kids. Magnus discovers– much to his surprise– that Alec’s a fan of classic toys. Magnus himself very much prefers toys that light up and make obnoxious noises and all around look fun.

Alec, by contrast, likes toy soldiers and spinning tops and toys that look more suited to what a character in a Dickens novel would have salivated over.

As he watches Alec absolutely lose his shit at a rather terrifying Jack in the Box, Magnus wonders who their kids will take back after. He doesn’t voice the sudden direction of his thinking and he’s quietly surprised to realize that the thought doesn’t make his heart squeeze in his chest painfully. No instead, it settles something in him.

Magnus can’t help but look over at Alec– his boyfriend, perhaps even his husband one day– and see the decades unfold. He can’t think of anything more adorable than a son with Alec’s stoic mannerisms or a daughter that loves potions and cooking as much as he does.

He blames Christmas for the sudden yearning that overtakes him and clears his throat when Alec looks back up at him. “I wish I’d had something like this when I was a kid,” he says and Magnus looks at the jack-in-the-box with suspicion.

“Out of all the toys you could pick, you want something that’s meant to scare people?”

“It’s colorful and a surprise and plays music. Really, hits all the requirements for a successful children’s toy.”

Magnus just eyes the toy warily and gently but inexorably guides Alec away from the toy booth. Alec lets him with a small smile and Magnus hides his grin in Alec’s shirt when he throws an arm over his shoulder, pulling him close.

They run into a row of ornament vendors and spend quite a while looking through ornaments of all shapes and sizes and materials.

“I had fun decorating the loft with you last week.”

Magnus looks up from where he’d been mulling over a stethoscope ornament for Catarina to see Alec gently lift a glass-blown orb from its hook. Taking the stethoscope with him, Magnus wanders over to Alec, replying, “I’m glad to hear that. It was fun trimming the tree with you, darling. I usually enjoy decorating by myself with one of my jazz records and a glass of wine but maybe I just needed to find the right helper,” he teases with a grin.

Alec laughs but most of his attention is still on the ornament. Coming to stand next to Alec, Magnus takes in the script on the front and his smile widens.

“Today only, we’re offering free engraving on all ornaments,” comes a voice behind them and Magnus turns around to see one of the employees approaching them. They’re dressed in holiday cheer with red bow earrings and an elf’s hat.

“Free engraving,” Alec repeats.

Taking the ornament gently from Alec’s hands, the staff member nods. “It’s usually a dollar a word but since it’s the first day of the fair, it’s our promotion.” She takes a second to read the ornament before looking back up at them with a smile. “Are you interesting in personalizing it?”

To his surprise, Alec speaks first. “Yeah, let’s add our names to it,” he says and looks to Magnus for confirmation.

Magnus looks over at Alec and sees that Alec’s already watching him with that damned look in his eye– like all he sees is Magnus.

“I think it only right that we have a memento of our first Christmas together, don’t you,” he asks softly.

He watches Alec’s eyes light up before he’s following the vendor to the engraving station to fill out an order form.

Magnus checks out with another employee in the meantime and meets Alec at the front of the shop just a few minutes later.

“Julia said that it’ll take about an hour to finish ours and we should come back later to pick it up.”

“Julia,” Magnus asks with a raised brow. “Don’t tell me you made a friend, Alexander.”

“Shut up” Alec mutters. “She was nice and mentioned that she had bought the same ornament for her girlfriend last week.”

Smiling, Magnus doesn’t say anything and the two of them wander around the market, though Magnus’s gaze zeroes in on a booth further up the thoroughfare. He comes to a stop in line and Alec shoots him a curious smile.

“Hot chocolate?”

Magnus hums, reading over the menu. “I only drink hot chocolate in December and this particular booth has the best cup I’ve ever had– and their marshmallows are in the shape of reindeer. Do you want some?”

“No, I think I’m going to head over to the mulled wine booth across from here.”

Magnus looks up as Alec steps away from him. “You’re choosing wine over hot cocoa? Over marshmallows and enough sugar to fell an elephant? You don’t even like alcohol,” Magnus says accusingly.

Laughing, Alec takes another step back. “The only alcohol I’ve ever enjoyed is mulled red wine. With the cinnamon stick? It’s like juice that makes me want to take a nap,” he says sheepishly.

“Very well, then. Leave and go get your nap juice. I’ll just be waiting for my dessert in a mug.”

Magnus sees Alec grin before he’s turning away to get his own drink. The line for the hot chocolate is long, though, and Alec sidles up to him just as he’s placed his order.

“Back so soon,” Magnus sniffs. “Maybe that’s a sign that hot chocolate is definitely the most popular Christmas drink.”

Alec just takes a sip of his wine, humming in satisfaction.

The sun has officially set by the time they make it back to the ornament stand and pick up their purchase. Magnus shivers a little in his coat, burying his nose in his scarf a little deeper.

Alec looks adorable with a red nose and ruddy cheeks and Magnus pauses at the edges of the fair to throw away his empty cup.

Before they can continue, though, he steps up to Alec and unwinds part of his scarf around Alec’s neck. For his part, Alec stands unmoving with a faint grin.

“You know we can’t walk like this,” he says dryly.

Magnus arches a brow. “I’m getting tired of you ruining all of my romantic gestures.”

Alec huffs out a laugh as he shakes his head. “I love your romantic gestures, just not when they get in the way of my food or when they become a tripping hazard.”

“And the say romance is dead,” Magnus mutters. Before he can say anything else, Alec is kissing him. It’s lingering and soft and when it ends Magnus doesn’t want to open his eyes.

“I have to keep you on your toes somehow, babe.”

Opening his eyes, Magnus grins at Alec before unwinding the rest of his scarf and looping it around Alec’s neck, hushing his protests.

“You look like an icicle, Alexander. I won’t have you catching a cold and ruining my plans in a few days.”

“Oh? And what are these plans you have that are more important that a potentially sick boyfriend?”

Narrowing his eyes, Magnus takes his hand and they start the walk back to the subway station. “I’ll have you know that I need to wrap your presents and I can’t do that if you’re in the apartment with me, now can I?”

“I guess,” Alec sighs dramatically though his lips are twitching at the corners.

The commute back to the loft is pleasant as it can be, considering they’ve taken the subway. Magnus immediately leaves his bags by the foyer and makes his way to their bedroom, Alec right behind him.

Changing into comfortable pajamas, they return to the living room, though Magnus grows confused when Alec goes to their bags.

“Leave that, darling. We can go through everything in the morning.”

Alec doesn’t listen and after a few minutes of rummaging, he pulls out the box, going right to the tree and turning it on before placing the ornament right in the middle.

Magnus walks over to him and studies the tree. While most assumed that Magnus would have an elegant Christmas tree with a classic theme, the truth was that he loved the chaotic potential of such a statement piece. He had ornaments from friends stretching back decades and there was popcorn string and multicolored lights and tinsel. Each and every thing on the tree was a memory for Magnus and his heart clutches a little at Alec’s new addition.

“Perfect,” he says, kissing Alec with the heat of the fire at his back.

“It’s our first Christmas living together,” Alec says as he looks over the tree, the colorful lights playing over his face.

“The first of many.”

Turning to the living room proper, Magnus stops Alec when he goes to sit on the couch.

With a wave of his hand, a dozen pillows and a mountain of blankets fall to the ground in front of the couch. Alec smiles but doesn’t protest and they settle onto the floor with the fireplace below the television providing them with a little extra warmth.

“What do you want to do for the rest of the evening, babe?”

Shifting closer to Alec, Magnus lays his head on his chest. “We could watch a movie if you–”

“Rudolph?”

Magnus tilts his head up to see Alec looking at him. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear there was a pleading note in his voice.

“You want to watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer? The children’s movie? With that horrendous claymation?”

Alec scoffs. “Claymation is a gift that just just keeps on giving and it’s my favorite Christmas movie,” he admits.

“I had no idea you knew any Christmas movies, let alone animated ones.”

Magnus climbs to his feet and the dvd appears in his hand. He makes his way to the tv and places the disc in the player before returning to Alec who’s delightfully warm.

“It was on the television at the restaurant we went to that first Christmas, when we snuck out.” Alec shrugs and Magnus trails a hand over his chest as he continues, “It looked fun. It was silly and that dentist elf– Hermey– was weird but endearing?”

“Well, then, let’s watch it.”

Magnus settles over Alec again, relaxing into his boyfriend as Alec’s arm wraps around him, sweeping over his back.

The watch a cheesy movie and order in takeout and share a bottle of wine.

The perfect day, Magnus thinks with a drowsy smile.

The Christmas Fair was a staple for Magnus– he’d been going since the very first one all those years ago. As he lets himself fall asleep to the sound of Alec’s breathing, Magnus knows that he’s found that missing piece that makes this time of year all the more special.

Love. Alexander.

Magnus and AlexanderOur First Christmas2018

[plumandfinch]

Just Enough the Same

Wishing a Very Merry Steggy-mas to my Steggy Secret Santa, @evilythedwarf - hope the holiday season is treating you well! 

In an instant, the room falls silent.

“Margaret, I will tell you for the last time, girls may not play the Wise Men. You and Helen will go and collect your -” this was punctuated with a disdainful snort, “- angel wings from Mrs. Taylor or you may go home and not return.”

Terrible Marjorie Johnson, cast inexplicably as the Head Angel, titters into her sleeve as Peggy’s hands clench and the heat rises into her cheeks.

“But Mrs. Davies, we’ve already found Helen a robe that fits her and I brought my own crown-”

And that was how Peggy found herself standing slightly sorrowfully between her mother and father, catching every so often Helen’s quiet sniffles from several pews away. She didn’t mind it, if she was being honest with herself. It was much better to be sneaked peppermints by Dad then to spend the night being bossed about by Marjorie Johnson. And out here, when everyone’s hymnals creaked open, she was surrounded by sound. Mum’s light but passable soprano, Dad’s plodding baritone, Mr. Pargetter in the row right behind them gallantly and enthusiastically barking out the bass line.

During the pageant itself Michael winks boldly at her from his place among the other shepherds (“Even I didn’t get to be a Wise Man, Peg.” he says later to further mollify her) and Marjorie trips over her own robe, blushing furiously. Peggy’s sure it isn’t Christian to sigh so loudly and happily but she wonders if perhaps the Good Lord wouldn’t mind so much if He remembered what Marjorie Johnson was really and truly like.

They get passed the small, white candles for the final hymn and the church goes dark but for the flickering points of flame. This is usually her favorite part of standing in the front as part of the angels, looking out into all that light. But hearing the voices around her is comforting in a way she cannot yet name. As the congregation wends its way through the verses, they get quieter and some voices drop away. She’s surprised to see a tear rolling down Dad’s face and to feel Mr Pargetter shaking the back of their pew. She had overheard Mum and Dad whisper once about Mr. Pargetter’s time during the War. “Ypres”, Dad had said, “he was there for the Christmas truce,” and she had dragged the almanac from the bookshelf to find out where that was. She hadn’t asked any questions after that.

--

“Are you sure, Ma? It’s really cold tonight and your cough…”

It’s something that they do not discuss. And it turns out tonight is no exception. Ma raises her eyebrow and winds her biggest scarf around her neck.

“Well, if it’s so cold then we best bundle up. And let’s get a move on. Father O’Leary won’t appreciate if we’re late. It’s Christmas Eve, young man, and on Christmas Eve, we go to church.”

The street is awash with lights, sounds, and running children even though the hour is late. The Schneiders in the next building are lighting five candles in their window as the Rogerses walk by. When they reach the church it is warm and full and they slide into seats in the pew with the Barnes clan.

“It’s James’ first Christmas Eve Mass as an acolyte,” Winifred whispers to Ma as they get settled.

“I’ll say some extra prayers.”

Bucky nudges him as he processes by, accompanied by a bawdy wink, which makes the candle in his processional candle holder wobble. Winifred hisses and he can feel Ma’s shoulder’s shake. She leans down to whisper in his ear. “You could be an acolyte next year.”

“Nah, I like being out here with you.”

There is a beat as the congregation swings into the first verse of the processional. Steve sings along quietly. Ma doesn’t sing anymore but she wraps her arm around his shoulders and taps the beat lightly against his sweater.

There is a gasp from further down the pew and he looks up just in time to watch Father Doyle, the more spry of their two priests, extinguish a small fire near the high altar and very near a bashful looking Bucky. He can really feel Ma laugh now and he laughs too. Even Mrs. Barnes starts to laugh, once the air of urgency has died down and that’s all it takes for the whole pew to giggle silently almost the entire service.

It’s after midnight when Bucky gets cuffed on the back of the head by his father as they scramble into coats, scarves, and hats and and after a flurry of hugs and handshakes, step out into the night.   

--

She thinks it is the most brusque tone she has ever heard Dugan use.

“I said shut it off.”

A private rushes to switch off the small transistor radio that had been quietly playing in the corner of the command tent.

Peggy catches his eye and raises a well-manicured eyebrow.

“Everything alright, Dugan?”

“Just fine, Carter, I’m fine. We’re out here in this freezing muck and the damn Germans keep shootin’ at us. And I sure as hell don’t need to be hearing that crooner, Crosby, while we’re out here in this wasteland. Also, it’s too damn loud, Private,” he all but growls.

“Yes, sir.”  

“Well, as long as everything’s fine.”

Dugan runs his hands over his face, wearily. “I didn’t sign up for this to have a good time. It’s just been a long war, Peg.”

“Why don’t you go grab a cup of coffee and we’ll continue this later.”

The tent now silent, Peggy rubs her numb hands together. It is indeed freezing and damp and Dugan is not the only one who is miserable. Their mission was supposed to be a quick one, before they were back to London to begin work on the next big offensive. She sighs, quite loudly in the quiet, and closes her eyes for a moment. Phillips had trusted her with this mission but absolutely not one piece of it was going to plan. They would be lucky if they got back to England by the spring thaw.

And it was almost Christmas, she admits very quietly to herself, as the distant rumble of mortar fire starts up again, and Steve was back in London. That may have been the worst bit of all.

Hearing Dugan’s voice along with Monty and Bucky’s coming nearer the tent, she squares her shoulders and reaches into her knapsack for her field notebook. As she pulls it out a piece of paper flutters out onto the tabletop. She’s still staring at the finely detailed drawing of the team sitting around a campfire, her own face the centerpoint of the picture, each of them seeming to glow in the light, when the boys tromp back into the tent. Bucky catches her eye with a lopsided smile as he nods knowingly toward the paper in her hands and she feels her cheeks color.

She looks back at the drawing before tucking it away and feels a little warmer then, smiling at the memory of hiding a small surprise for Steve in his compass before they left for France.

--

In the end, they choose the Presbyterians. The huge wreaths on the stately red front doors and the Sunday School kids who made Peggy laugh long and loudly when they went to choose the scraggly Christmas tree from the fundraising sale that now stands, tottering, in their living room seals the deal.

It’s cold and it snowed a week ago. The ancient radiators in their apartment knock and hiss and Peggy grumbles that she has dried out. Steve makes a note to add hand cream to her stocking.

On the night they have to call four diners before they find one that’s still open and have breakfast and strong coffee before they climb back into the car and drive to the church with red doors, cheery wreaths, and kind young people.

They had agreed one night laying on the couch wrapped around each other that this, this second chance, was more than they could have ever asked for but that there were moments when it was too much, too overwhelming. It would happen suddenly, to one or the other, and at the end of November, Steve had found Peggy standing in the Christmas section, nothing in her basket but with a wide-eyed, blank stare that he recognized. He steered her back home and made tea and it was then they agreed they would keep it simple, their first Christmas together again.

So they go to the Presbyterians and it is just enough the same and just enough different to match this new future that they are in together. The candles get passed around for the last hymn that gets quieter as each verse goes by and when Peggy stops singing, he loops his arm around her and they let the music be around them.

It is snowing again when the congregation spills out onto the sidewalk and they walk back to the car in silence, hand-in-hand, listening to the calls of “Merry Christmas” ringing through the night.

[wild3flow3r]

Her Royal Majesty

A story about Princesses, Bodyguards, and ‘fun’ nights out.

The music pulses through Sophia’s veins. Or maybe it’s the large amount of alcohol she’s consumed over the last hour. She isn’t sure. She isn’t sure of anything anymore, that is except for two things. One of them being that Derrick (or David? Maybe it was Dwayne?) has his hands dangerously low near the end of her dress that with one quick movement they could easily be under her dress. The other being the intense gaze Sophia felt upon herself. She knew it was Harry. It was always Harry.

She gave herself thirty more seconds before that damned man would stomp over here and break her and her conquest apart. She thought she should make the rest of her time worthwhile.

Sophia pulls Daniel’s hair down so that she can successfully press her lips against his. It’s sloppy and he tastes of the free nuts they serve at the bar. If she were sober she definitely would have puked on his shoes by now. She can tell that his fingers are just about to take the plunge beneath her dress, but she’s ripped away from him cruelly.

“What the hell, mate?” Drake barks, his eyes lit with a sparking fire.

“Yeah, come on, Harry. We were just having some fun,” Sophia purrs, trying to push past the wall that was standing between her and the disgusting tasting man.

“I think it’s about time we get you home now,” Harry growls, tilting his head to the side so that he could stare into Sophia’s eyes.

“I don’t want to go home yet,” she sighs with a slump of her shoulders. “I came out tonight to have fun.”

“Yeah, man. She just wants to have some fun. You should leave,” Damien chimes in.

“What’s your name?” Harry asks instead of leaving.

“Kyle.”

“Kyle? Are you sure? I was sure it started with a ‘D’,” Sophia hums in thought.

“And do you have any idea who she is, Kyle?” Harry asks, a condescending tone taking over his voice.

Kyle rolls his eyes. “Should I?”

“This is Her Royal Majesty Princess Sophia, second in line to the throne of England.”

“Oh shit, really? Wow I’ve never fucked a princess before.”

“Well, I definitely live up to the rumors,” Sophia adds.

“And you are never going to,” Harry says, completely ignoring Sophia behind him.

“And why not?”

“Because if you did then I would have to kill you.”

“Come on, man,” Kyle places a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “You’re overreacting.”

Harry glances down at the hand on his shoulder and then back up to Kyle. Even if Sophia had been sober, Harry’s movements still would have been too fast for her to comprehend. All she knows is that in one second Kyle’s hand is on Harry, and then in the next he’s clutching it to his stomach with a few of its bones probably broken.

“What the fuck!” Kyle screams in pain. “Who the fuck are you? Her boyfriend or something?”

Sophia scoffs. “He wishes.”

Harry glares back at Sophia momentarily before sending Kyle one last deathly look. “I’m her bodyguard. And if you know what’s good for you then you’ll stay away from the princess and never mention this night to anyone. Because if you do then I will know, and I will kill you.”

With that last word, Harry grips onto Sophia’s forearm before dragging her out of the club behind him.

“Let go of me,” Sophia demands while trying to push against his grip. “Did you hear me? I said let go. NOW!”

The cold air hits Sophia like a ton of bricks. The only thing keeping her warm is Harry’s grip, but even that can’t stop the feeling of the wind on her exposed skin.

“Bring the car around. Now.” Harry barks into his ear piece. Nobody else on the sidewalk will come within five feet of the pair.

“I want to go back inside,” Sophia states.

Harry ignores her.

“Did you hear me? I want to go back inside,” she repeats.

She’s still only met with silence.

“I am freezing, Harry. It feels like it’s bloody negative eleven degrees out here. I want to go back inside.”

Harry finally spares her a glance. It’s the first time he properly takes in her disheveled appearance. Her hair is slightly amuck and her makeup smudged, and the bottom of her dress had ridden up just enough to show much more skin than a princess should. Her mother, The Queen, probably would have had a heart attack if she could see her daughter right now. Harry wanted to ignore her again, but he couldn’t ignore the way her body trembled from the cool air. He could even feel the goosebumps begin to develop on her skin underneath his hand. He had to admit that she was right about tonight being an exceptionally cold night.

“Here,” Harry mutters before letting her go and shrugging his jacket off of his shoulders. He carefully places the material over her own shoulders.

Sophia sneers at him, but takes the jacket nonetheless. She wraps it around her tighter, the smell of peppermint overtaking her scent. She hates to admit it, but she loves the smell.

“You’re an arsehole, did you know that?” Sophia spits at him rhetorically.

“Oh yeah? How?” Harry rolls his eyes.

“I was having a perfectly good time before you came to ruin it.”

Harry raised an eyebrow. “By the end of the night you would have been left completely unsatisfied.”

“That is not true. In fact, I bet that Darwin would have been the best fuck I’ve ever had in my entire life. But now I’ll never know.”

Harry pinned the princess against a wall. Both of his hands held her wrists and held them high above her head. One of his knees set itself between her legs to keep them slightly spread apart. She couldn’t take her green eyes off of his.

“You’re a liar,” Harry whispers underneath his breath. “I could make you scream louder any night than any man ever could.”

“Then prove it,” Sophia growls while pushing her hips further against his. She smirks when she feels him poking against his jeans and one of her thighs. She would be lying if she said her panties weren’t soaked at this exact moment.

Their car pulls up before Harry can do anything else. The driver honks the horn to announce his arrival, but Harry doesn’t move immediately.

“You shouldn’t tease me. It won’t end well for you,” he snarls before letting her go. He walks towards the car and holds the door open for her.

“Don’t leave me hanging or it won’t end well for you,” Sophia pushes against him before stepping into the backseat of the car. The door closes immediately behind her and Harry walks around the car to enter the other side of the backseat.

“I’m not joking with you-”

“Neither am I,” she cuts him off before he can get another word in. “You're not my boyfriend, Harry. You’re my bodyguard. You should be lucky that I even consider letting you fuck me every once in awhile.”

“Don’t you mean let me fuck you every single night?”

“Po-tay-to, po-tah-to. Either way, you should consider yourself lucky.”

“If that’s how you feel then I won’t sneak into your bed tonight.”

This was not the first time Harry threatened to not pay her a visit throughout the night. Actually, it was an everyday thing. It was a game they played- to see who caved first. Harry usually won.

“Fine then,” Sophia snaps, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back into her seat with a loud thump.

“Don’t act like a child, Sophia.”

“I’m not acting like anything.”

“You’re such a spoiled brat, you know that?”

“Well I am the bloody Princess of England, Harry! It comes with the job description.”

“Well aren’t princesses supposed to be all prim and proper? You looked like such a twat grinding against that man.”

“You are the help, Harry! You aren’t allowed to have an opinion on my life! Or at the very least tell me about your opinion!”

“Well, I thought you should know.”

“Well, I don’t care! God, I wish my mother never hired you.”

Both of them go silent after that. Harry glaring harshly out the window and Sophia staring at her nails with disinterest. This wasn’t the first night Sophia’s driver had to suffer through one of their infamous arguments. It was either that or them basically fucking in the backseat.

Sophia jumps out of the car as soon as it comes to a stop in front of the palace. Usually it was protocol for her to wait for someone to open the door for her, but she couldn’t stand to stay in the car for another second with Harry.

Some staff greet her as she enters the castle, mostly the night guards since everyone else was asleep for the night, but she ignores them without a second thought. She’s about to stomp her way up the two flights of stairs to her room, but a voice calls out for her. Of course it’s the one person she wants to see less than Harry right now.

“You’re the number one trending topic on Twitter at the moment,” Sophia’s mother, The Queen, calls out from her spot on the throne.

Sophia spins around to face her mother, trying to keep the fire in her eyes at bay. “And?”

“Apparently you gave some boy more than a princess should be offering. He’s been tweeting about the entire experience for the last half hour.”

“Harry told him-”

“We’ve already taken the initial tweets down so it doesn’t matter, but it’s out there and there’s no getting it back. Apparently that boy is a reporter from some online magazine and he knew who you were the entire time you were dancing with him.”

“How was I supposed to know that he was a reporter?”

“That’s not the point! You shouldn’t have danced with him in the first place! You shouldn’t have even looked at him!”

“I don’t see why it matters! I’m not the one that is set up to take the throne next!”

“What you do reflects on all of us. If you act out and make stupid decisions then why wouldn’t your older brother as well?”

“They know Eric is going to be an amazing ruler. They know that he and I are two completely different people.”

“Do they, though? They see how close the two of you are. Maybe he’s just better at hiding the terrible things he gets up to.”

“You’re overreacting, mother.”

“I don’t feel like I’m reacting enough!” The Queen explodes, finally standing up from her chair with her voice echoing all throughout the room. “When are you going to realize that the world doesn’t revolve around you? When are you going to grow up?”

“Maybe when my mother starts worrying about my actual wellbeing rather than my public image,” Sophia snarls, her eyes beginning to become blurry but she refuses to shed one tear in front of this woman. She flips on her heel to continue her way up to her room.

“You’re being selfish, Sophia. If you know what’s good for you then you’ll start thinking about your family rather than yourself all the time.”

Sophia continues up the stairs without saying another word. She knows her voice would crack if she were to say something else, and that would just give The Queen another thing to pick on her for.

“That’s right, Sophia. Run away just like you always do!”

Sophia sprints up the rest of the stairs and down the hallway to her bedroom. She slams the door behind her, making sure that even her mother can hear it two floors below her. She jumps on her bed, not bothering to change or rid herself of her makeup. She only gives herself enough time to pull a blanket over her head before she lets the sobs rack through her body.

Her body hurts. Everything hurts. Tears fall freely down her cheeks and onto her pillows. Her chest aches, desperately trying to fill a void that her mother always seems to open whenever she’s with her.

She almost didn’t hear the soft click of her door closing over her sobs. Even if she hadn’t, she surely would have heard the soft thuds of his feet hitting her hardwood floor. She knows it’s him, but she doesn’t want to see him right now. He has never seen her like this. She doesn’t want him to ever see her like this.

“Sophia-”

“What do you want?” she growls underneath the sanctuary of her blankets. Growling was the only way she could speak without sounding so weak.

“I heard what just happened between you and your mother-”

“Then you can probably figure that I’d like to be alone, Harry.”

He stays silent, but she can feel his eyes watching over her crumpled figure beneath the blankets.

“She’s wrong, you know. I’ve never seen you run away. You’re way too stubborn to do that. If I know you like I think I do then I know you’ll go back to her tomorrow and hurt her twice as hard as she hurt you. She may be The Queen, but you’re the Princess. And being the bloody best at everything is in your job description.”

With that he stalks out of the room without another word. Only the door closing behind him signals to Sophia that he had left. His words resonated within her, slowly filling that void inside of her. He was right. She would win this war.

[cinful-stories]

Gingerbread Man: Leo x MC (Naughty List)

Snowflakes dot the Princess’s face as she trudges through the white fluff. Her ankles are dipped in blue, and veins protrude from the pale flesh. Her cheeks burn hot against the frosted air, and her eyelashes bat away the brittle, crisp winds that nip at her skin. Gloved hands wrench her coat closed like drapes, desperately attempting to conserve warmth. 

The young woman approaches the door of a mansion shrouded in snow. Kerosene lamps flank the porch, serving as beacons for frigid guests. A wreath of holly twists into a ring on the door, and two miniature pine trees squat like brooding hunting hounds. Her fists clacks against the wood three times, signaling her arrival. It opens.

“Good evening, Your Highness.”

“Hello, Leo,” she replies, curtsying politely before him. Her knees quiver as she does so, betraying her vulnerability to the cold.

The history tutor steps out into the light of the street lamps, which bathe him in an ethereal golden glow. A red tailcoat hangs from his shoulders, and a black dress shirt peeks out from underneath. A matching scarlet tie dangles fro his collarbone.

“You know, the snowfall was getting so heavy that I assumed you weren’t coming. I suppose this s just another thing you’ve proved me wrong about,” he smirks, satisfaction dripping from his mouth like sap from a tree.

He looms before her at an intimidating height. His scarlet eyes bore into hers with a fierce intensity unrivaled by any other; they sit in a lake of milk like ripe apples plucked from an orchard. The bureaucrat’s silver locks sway in the howling wind, and the Princess silently fawns over how they match the snow clinging to their clothes.

“I wouldn’t dream of being tardy to your lessons, Mr. Crawford,” she muses, locking eyes on the subtle movements of his crimson lips.

“I would hope not,” he says, gesturing for her to step inside. “although, I think you should know that I did not invite you to our family’s mansion for a normal session. This is special.”

As the Princess crosses the threshold of the man’s abode, the powerful aroma of cinnamon and apples forces its way up her nostrils. The house’s heat envelopes her in a tight embrace. Ornate, antique pieces of furniture are scattered in each room, and oil paintings commissioned by Robert are placed upon easels for display. Gold and brass accents, such as vases and statues, peek out from corners and tables. It is evident that the Crawford family has exquisite taste.

She follows Leo through a labyrinth of hallways until they enter a dining room. The striking smell is intoxicating and pungent, indicating that this is the source. Spread across the mahogany table are sleeves of graham crackers, vanilla frosting, gumdrops, peppermints, and other sugary items.  

“You see, Princess,” he grins, moving a chair out from under the table for her to sit upon, “in order to run a nation, you must first understand how to build the infrastructure of said nation. Everything great starts from the ground and builds up.”

“Leo, what on earth is all of this?” she inquires, thumbing a green gumdrop between her fingers.

“I’m about to teach you the most valuable lesson you’ll learn during the entirety of your reign.”

“And what is that exactly?”

The young man grins, planting a kiss upon her cheek. His rubies narrow into slits at the sight of her immediate flush.

“The art of gingerbread.”

Hours tick by as the pair slaves over their respective creations. Mints and other candies are intricately placed upon layers of goopy, thick icing. Pathways and sidewalks are crafted from peppermint bark, and candy canes serve as streetlamps and mailboxes. Gingerbread men are dressed in vibrant icing, properly clothed in purple vests and green slacks.

Upon completion, the Princess sighs and slumps in her seat. The sleeves of her gala gown had been pushed up her arms, and the skirts of her dress were gathered around her knees. Crumbs wedge their way beneath fingernails, and icing coats strands of the Princess’s hair. Unbeknownst to her, a glop of vanilla hangs from the corner of her mouth. Leo takes note.

“Look at me,” he instructs, reaching across the banquet table and taking her chin in his delicate fingers.    

Her eyes bulge as he yanks her face toward his. A tongue emerges from between his lips, parting his mouth like the opening of a cave; his biological chasm is an oyster and his tongue is the warm, wet pearl. It touches her flesh, intimately closing the gap between them, and scoops the sugary substance from her lips. He pulls away after swiping a thumb across the remnants.

“You taste sweeter than I thought you would,” he snorts, suckling on his thumb.

His torso looms over her, and his hands are positioned on the arms of her chair. The Princess shrinks beneath him, but her countenance is that of a prowling tiger, zoning in on her kill. Her brow is low, seated directly above her lust-filled, dilated eyes. Her breath quickens, and her pulse becomes rapid like a rabbit’s stride.

“And you’re far more bold than I expected,” she says tantalizingly, grabbing hold of the ruby red tie dangling from around his neck.  

The bureaucrat is taken aback, but he grapples to regain his composure.

“Likewise.”

[pocket-anon]

Operation: First Noel (3/7)

Whoo-hoo! I made it! Chapter 3 delivered on time, as promised. Your week of holiday domestic Captain Swan continues! @xhookswenchx, you mentioned wanting to see our babies arguing over stuff. You got it. ;) I hope you enjoy. Thanks to everyone for reading. I look forward to your comments as always.

Find it on AO3.  Missed a chapter?  Get caught up here.

Summary:  When the residents of Storybrooke enjoy a rare period of peace over the holiday season, Henry asks his family for something he’s never had - a real Christmas. A series of holiday vignettes. (Captain Swan/Captain Cobra/Captain Charming.  Canon Divergent.  Domestic Fluff, Humor, & Smut.   Rated E purely for Chapter 4.)

Requested tags: @optomisticgirl, @deathbycaptainswan.  Want to be tagged on updates?  Let me know!

Chapter 3: The Total Agony of Being in Love

Emma stands on the sidewalk, the air biting at her skin and wearing at her patience while she listens to her husband and her son coming up with a game plan to hang the dozens of feet of icicle lights they’ve purchased to adorn their house.  She’s been here almost ten minutes, having initially ventured outside to bring them a thermos of hot chocolate, but delaying her return to the house after realizing that they intend to dress, not only on the roof overlying the porch, but every section of roof up to the third floor turret.  It’s a far more ambitious undertaking, and it strikes her as requiring the aid of a cherry picker.  Or a friendly fairy.  And judging by their talk, they plan on employing neither.

She hovers behind them as they confer and gesture and nod enthusiastically about the best places on the roof to stand and whether it’s better to climb up with a ladder or duck out through some of the upper windows.  Emma folds her arms across her chest, as much out of skepticism as a desire to stay warm, and narrows her eyes when Henry starts suggesting they build a rig with a two-by-four and a coat hanger to be able to reach the second floor eaves that wrap around the east side of the house. “Okay.  No,” she finally interjects.  “No.”

Both men crane their heads around to look at her, expressions not unlike the ones they wore that time she caught them eating the pie she was planning to bring to Sunday family dinner.

“What?”  Henry asks cautiously.

“No, you are not going to try to climb on top of the roof like that, much less with some MacGuyvered contraption,” she says, waving one mittened hand abstractly.

“I don’t know what that last bit means, Swan, but you needn’t worry.  The lad’s not going up on the roof,” Killian replies in a perfectly sensible tone.  “I am.”

Emma blinks owlishly at him. “Because that’s a much better idea?” she challenges with an incredulous little laugh.

He gives a minute shake of his head and waves off her concerns.  “I’ll be fine, love.”

“Yes, you will, because you’re not doing it.”

He arcs an eyebrow at her, annoyance finally starting to appear in his blue eyes.  “I’m no stranger to climbing, you know,” he points out.

“Rigging, yes.  Beanstalks, yes.  Steep, Victorian-style rooflines, no,” she retorts, her lips pressed into a line.

He throws another glance up at the dark gray asphalt shingles and shrugs.  “It won’t be that bad.”

She snorts.  “Famous last words,” she says flatly.  “You know, just because Zeus resurrected you once doesn’t mean he’ll do it again.”

“It’s not that steep,” he argues.

“It’s a 45-degree incline!”

He smirks, his stupidly handsome face now a means to irritate her. “You’ll catch me if I fall.”

“Or I could just magic the lights up there in five seconds and save you the embarrassment,” she answers, her voice on the edge of a snap.

Killian grumbles.  “I’m not going to embarrass myself.”

“You’re going to end up on the front page of the Mirror. ‘Legendary 300 Year-Old Pirate Breaks Back Hanging Christmas Lights.’  Regina would never let you hear the end of it.”

Henry snickers.

Killian shoots his co-conspirator an indignant look at his betrayal.

Emma huffs.  “This is ridiculous.  It’s freezing out here.”  She spins on her heel and heads inside, waving her hand without a look back. The lights vanish from the boxes sitting at Henry’s feet and appear along the roofline, neatly hanging from the eaves on all three floors and swaying gently in the wind.

 *                             *                             *

 Killian hangs his head as Emma marches across the porch and goes into the house, shutting the front door a little louder than necessary behind her.

“So much for that,” Henry says resignedly.  He pulls out his phone and sends a quick text before bending down to gather the empty light boxes.

“Your mother is a bloody stubborn woman,” Killian grouses, reaching down to help load the rest of the boxes into Henry’s arms and then snagging the handle of the thermos with his hook.

The boy laughs.  “And that’s news?”

A wry smile curls at the corner of Killian’s mouth.  “Hardly.” He sighs.  “This is what happens when you marry a bloody force of nature.”

“You get pretty Christmas lights?” Henry asks, grinning.  He straightens and admires Emma’s work.  “They do look really good.”

“Aye.”

They head around the side of the house in order to stow the boxes in the garage.  

“She might have been right, you know,” Henry hazards, setting the stack on the workbench.

Killian gives him a rueful side-eye, waiting for him to come back outside before swinging the doors shut. “I know.”

Henry’s phone chimes as they climb the steps to the side entrance, and he checks it, tapping a return message. “Well, since we’re done early, I’m gonna go hang with Violet.”  He pauses, tucking the phone back into his coat pocket.  “Um, wait here a minute.”  Killian regards him curiously as he hustles inside and reappears with his backpack a minute later.  He tugs the zipper open and retrieves the mistletoe, pulling one of the stems free and handing it over.  “You might need this.”

Killian chuckles and pockets the tiny sprig.  “You’re a good man, Henry.”

“Yeah, yeah.”  Henry raises his eyebrows in earnest.  “Don’t abuse it,” he says gruffly.

Killian nods with a grin.

He finds Emma splayed out across the sofa watching a movie he doesn’t recognize.  He hangs his coat up and approaches cautiously, scratching behind his ear.  As he draws close, he notes a generous plateful of peppermint bark balanced on her baby bump and a half-eaten piece between her fingers, some of it wedged adorably in her cheek.  

They’ve had a number of rows since he moved in over a year ago – arguments over which way to hang the toilet paper on the roll, how long to let dirty dishes sit in the sink, what Henry’s curfew should be and whether he should be allowed to have Violet up to his room – but Killian is grateful that their dust-ups are never very big.  To be fair, after fighting about her extreme secrecy while a Dark One and her decision to turn him into a Dark One to save his life and whether he should return from the Underworld, everything else rather pales in comparison.  In a strange way, they’re fortunate in that respect – they have the advantage of perspective, the memories of having lost and found one another again, of having faced and suffered death, of having to forgive and be forgiven for much more serious hurts, and after all their adventures, the ability to just live day-to-day with one another is something they both cherish too much to let little annoyances drive a rift between them.

Killian catches her eye and gives her a soft expression.  “May I?”

Emma’s face remains neutral, but she accepts his outstretched hand and allows him to pull her upright enough that he can wedge himself between her and the arm of the sofa, her weight falling softly and comfortingly against his side as he drapes his elbow over the seatback.

He studies the scene on the television, watching a little boy describe being in love to his father as “total agony.”  Killian’s mouth forms a little smile at the sentiment.  “What are we watching?”

“Love Actually,” Emma replies, biting off another small piece of bark.  “It’s a Christmas movie.”

“A movie about Christmas?”

She hums.  “It’s more about love,” she says, “and how sometimes it’s complicated,” she sighs, “and sometimes it isn’t.”

He chuckles.  “Indeed.”  He reaches up and tentatively combs his fingertips through her hair, relaxing when some of the tension disappears from her shoulders.  

They watch as a charming brown-haired man and woman engage in a sweet but flirtatious conversation.  The woman exits, and the man’s face falls, conflicted and despondent over how much he fancies her.  

Killian leans his head nearer to Emma’s.  “The lights look very nice,” he murmurs.

She glances at him out of the corner of her eye before her gaze returns to the television.  She licks her lips.  “Thank you.”

“You did it much better than I could have.”

She chuffs.  “You could have fallen.”

He makes a show of nodding his head, his face sincere.  “Aye.” Emma looks at him, and he smiles apologetically.  “Sometimes I still love a challenge.”

Her eyes pinch minutely, warming with fondness and understanding as she remembers the first time he said such a thing to her.

He drapes his arm over her shoulders and pulls her close, inhaling the scent of her shampoo and dropping a kiss on her crown.  “I also enjoy spending time with Henry.”

Emma tenses for a moment. “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to take that away from you.”

He chuckles.  “It’s alright, Swan.  I’m sure we’ll come up with some other ill-conceived caper soon enough.”  He smiles, aware, even without looking, that she’s rolling her eyes.

“You’re impossible,” she mutters, snuggling closer.

His chest vibrates with a low, happy sound.  “And you love me for it.”

She nods against him.

“Speaking of which.”  

Emma raises her head to watch as Killian pulls his arm away and reaches into the chest pocket of his waistcoat to pull out the little bit of mistletoe.  He grins and holds it above their heads, giving it a little shake and enjoying the way her eyes widen and a rosy flush blossoms on her cheeks.

She sets her plate aside, and Killian’s smile widens slowly and his eyes falls closed when she scoots up a little to press her mouth sweetly to his.  

Her dimples are on full display as she pulls back a fraction.  “Where did you find mistletoe?” she asks, amused.

“In the woods,” he answers, bumping her nose with his, “That extra stop we made on our way back with the trees.  Quite the fascinating Christmas tradition.”  

He leans forward and kisses her again, and she giggles, acquiescing to part her lips and let him sweep her mouth with his tongue.  Her fingers wind into the short tendrils at the back of his neck as the sound of their increasingly labored breathing obscures whatever is happening on the television.  She gives a needy whine, and he growls, pulling her over so she lies half in his lap, pressed to his chest with her back to the movie.

Emma breaks away suddenly, panting.  “Where’s Henry?”

“He went to see Violet.” Killian lowers his head to chase her mouth, but she withdraws a little further.

“Wait.  Does he have mistletoe, too?”  Her brow wrinkles with panic.

Killian flops his head back onto the cushion.  “It’s not as though he’s never kissed the girl, Swan.”

“But…”

He lifts an eyebrow and looks down at her archly.  “Does mistletoe dictate more than kissing?  Because if it does, I have been sorely misinformed.”

“No!”  She chortles in spite of herself.  “No.”

“Then he’ll behave. Or Sir Morgan will run him through with his sword.”  Killian grins at the laughter in his wife’s eyes and shifts his arms to pull her closer. “Now, since we’re alone, is there a chance that I could see more than kissing?”

“Hmph.”  Emma teases her lips against his.  “Maybe.”

Thanks for reading!  Ready for more?  Click here for the next chapter!

[almostasenior]

Kilwins Ice Cream and Chocolates-Hilton Head Island South Carolina

Hello friends, thanks for taking time out of your busy Holiday schedule and dropping by. It is such a fun time to get out and look at all the colorful lights and decorations.  One of the shops that got me in their door today went beyond the sparkle of  a string of lights and won me over with the use of scent marketing.

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Chocolate Santa’s

Kilwins chocolate and Ice cream store

Pumping the sweet aroma of delicious chocolate out of the building to the sidewalk area made this ice cream store irresistible.  The chalk board advertising hot chocolate on a cool day sealed the deal.

Hot chocolate at Kilwins

Kilwins has been in business since 1947 with the first store being in Michigan. You can watch  fudge being handmade right there near the counters.

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Candy, popcorn and ice cream displays

Christmas decorations

For more holiday sparkle drop by and visit: ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com

        Sweet In Every Sense Kilwins Ice Cream and Chocolates-Hilton Head Island South Carolina Hello friends, thanks for taking time out of your busy Holiday schedule and dropping by.

[peacekaleandyoga1]

It can be difficult sometimes to know what the best way to do so is. There is a lot of information about getting into shape that is becomes complicated to figure out there. The tips laid out here will show you how to be in great shape.

If a person does walking on the treadmill, they can take a jog around their block instead. Running up a hilly sidewalk will create different muscles being used and challenged.

It is necessary to walk the proper way so that you can avoid hurting yourself. Walk with your back straight and keep your shoulders down. Let your elbows hold a 90-degree angle. Your arms should be opposite each other.

TIP! Decide on a fitness plan that matches your needs plus your interests. Choose something that you’ll have fun with so that you won’t dread your workouts.

Exercise during your television so you always have weight loss momentum going all the time. You can walk around your living room during a commercial breaks as opportunities to workout. You can even do some small weight training as you sit on the sofa. There is no shortage of ways to incorporate exercise into tiny gaps in your day.

Maintain a record of the exercise you do each day. You should even find including the weather was like. This will help you reflect on anything that affected your day. If you were unable to exercise for a day or two, you will know what happened.

Wall sits are great for building up your quad muscles and easy way to build leg strength. Start by finding an area of empty wall with enough space that will accommodate your body to fit against it. Stand approximately a foot and a half away from the wall facing away.Remain in place for as long as you to.

TIP! Well-developed thigh muscles are the best protection for your knees. Torn ligaments behind the kneecaps are common sport injuries.

Take on the exercises that you don’t like head on. People typically skip those exercises that they feel they are good at performing. Add this exercise to your regular routine and overcome it.

When weight-lifting, it is best do many reps of lighter weight as opposed to packing on as much weight as possible and doing fewer reps. Muscle mass is not built solely by lifting large amounts of weight; endurance is also key. The top lifters often do multiple repetitions of training.

Some dieters overdo their exercise as inefficient and do extreme workout routines to try and burn extra calories.

TIP! If you want to build muscle, you need lift heavy for fewer repetitions. Start by choosing a particular focus, like the chest area.

This makes it more likely that you will actually show up for your workouts. The reason for this is that you have already turned over your money. You are going to want to make the most of your investment so you paid for.

Lifting can help you run. Many runners don’t think about weight lifting, but it is wise to reconsider this notion. Research shows that runners who regularly strength-train run faster and farther than those who do not.

Before lifting weights for your arms, define the goals that you wish to achieve. If adding bulk and building muscle are you goals, concentrate on heavy weights and intense workouts. If your goal is sculpting, do fewer repetitions with lighter weights.

TIP! Exercises you dislike, are probably the ones you need to do the most. Many people avoid the exercises that are hardest for them.

When you set a goal to increase your fitness level, see a doctor before getting into a large amount of vigorous exercise. Even if you seem to be physically fit, your doctor can still provide expert guidance in the area of being fit.

Make sure to drink water often. Your body often dehydrates because of muscle fibers causing heat and rubbing quickly against each other producing heat.

Bend the wrists when you are exercising your biceps. Extend your wrists backwards and do your normal bicep exercises holding this position. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but it won’t be long until your used to it.

TIP! Always dress comfortably when you are working out. You may feel pressured to wear a fashionable fitness outfit, especially when working out in public.

You should schedule at least a small portion of time each day to exercise. You are doing yourself a disservice when none of your free time is spent on something fitness if you let an entire day fill up with sedentary activities. There are many opportunities during the day that could be used to perform quick and beneficial exercises.

Consult a dietitian for tips on improving your diet. You can easily get rid of unhealthy food, but are you aware of how exercising factors into what you eat.

Flexibility is an important if you wish to have a high level of overall fitness. You want to do a good amount of stretching before and after your fitness routine in order to keep from tearing your muscles.

TIP! When selecting a workout bench, push down on the padding with your fingers to check the thickness. You should pick a different machine if you can feel wood right underneath the padding.

One great strategy for bench pressing is to inwardly squeeze the bar as you workout. This helps the chest to get a greater degree. Squeezing the bar outwards is preferred if you are focusing on building your triceps.

Leg Raises

A great workout tip for increasing your fitness is to stay active even when resting. You could do leg raises when you are sitting at a desk, or do leg raises while at your desk.

TIP! m You don’t have to be a morning person to find the energy to get active in the a.m.

You should do cardiovascular exercises about 30 or so minutes every day.Remember, however, the longer you will need rest to recuperate.

Are you interested in learning how to play something better? If you workout your body and have it in shape, they can be better adapted to playing the game. Try to focus on something from far away, and then something very close to you.

With fitness, as with anything, the more you know, the better you will do. By educating yourself about proper fitness techniques, you’ll be able to get the most out of your workouts, whether you are a casual walker or a hardcore athlete. Use these tips and any other information you can gather to help benefit your goal and reach those milestones, one step at a time.

TIP! Fitness is more than physical. If you start working out you will also be happier.

If you enjoyed this post, you should read this: NadaMoo! Is My Favorite Dairy-Free Ice Cream Brand, and Now It Has Peppermint Bark!

from https://ift.tt/2VBScqy

[jerrytackettca]

Eucalyptus: A Favorite of the Koala It May Become Your Favorite Herb Too

Table of Contents

Rainbow Eucalyptus: A Unique Tree That Will Surely Grab Your Attention

4 Health Benefits of Eucalyptus

Various Uses of Eucalyptus

Growing Eucalyptus in Your Home

Eucalyptus Recipe: How to Make Eucalyptus Tea

Eucalyptus Essential Oil Allows You to Enjoy the Benefits Conveniently

Making Infused Eucalyptus Oil

3 Benefits of Eucalyptus Oil

Side Effects of Eucalyptus Oil

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sp.) is an Australian tree species belonging to the Myrtaceae family. The species is wide-ranging, containing over 900 different variants, ranging from short, bushy plants to giant trees. Despite their differences, they are easily identified by their pungent aroma and exfoliating bark.1

Botanist David Nelson discovered the plant in 1777. He took a sample and brought it back to London, where it was given the name Eucalyptus obliqua by Charles-Louis L'Héritier, a French botanist, in reference to the plant's flower bud and the shape of the leaf, respectively. "Eu" means "well," while "calyptos" means "covered." "Obliqua," on the other hand, comes from "obliquus," which means oblique in Latin.2

In the following years, many other species of eucalyptus were discovered as more settlers and explorers began to explore the Australian landscape. James Edward Smith, another English botanist, discovered more species of eucalyptus between 1790 and 1802.3

You might be interested to know that the koala, an herbivore mammal native to Australia, is the only mammal that can survive on a diet consisting of eucalyptus alone. In fact, this plant species is their favorite food. Other animals can't digest or metabolize eucalyptus leaves, and it can even be poisonous to them.

The koala has the advantage of having a specialized caecum, which is a section in the digestive tract containing millions of beneficial bacteria that can break down the eucalyptus leaves safely.4

Rainbow Eucalyptus: A Unique Tree That Will Surely Grab Your Attention

The rainbow eucalyptus tree (Eucalyptus deglupta) is a standout in the eucalyptus family. It can grow up to 250 feet tall, and as the name implies, has a rainbow-colored bark. This occurs when the tree sheds its bark during the summer, creating pale green, red, orange, gray and purple-brown bark streaks.5

Rainbow eucalyptus is mainly used for decorative and shade purposes, but it has various practical uses as well. It is prized for its wood and bark, which is used to make paper.6 If you're wondering if it's possible to grow rainbow eucalyptus in your yard, you can — as long as you live in a frost-free area with an area that has access to full sun and plenty of moisture.

However, you may want to think twice about planting a eucalyptus tree, as a mature rainbow tree can grow to be very tall and can quickly become a problem in your garden and your neighborhood, disrupting the soil and breaking up sidewalks. This tree is better suited to parks and fields that can be enjoyed by the public.7

4 Health Benefits of Eucalyptus

The Australian aboriginal populations were the first to discover the health benefits of eucalyptus. Since then, more ways to use it medicinally have been discovered. Well-known benefits include helping:

• Eliminate bacteria — Eucalyptus was discovered to have antibacterial properties from early on. Toward the end of the 19th century, it was used in to disinfect urinary catheters, and recent research can support this claim.8

In a study published in the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine (APJTB), researchers discovered that essential oil extracted from Eucalyptus globulus leaves is particularly effective against common strains of bacteria, such as E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus.9

• Promote oral care — The compounds found in eucalyptus may help promote oral health. In one study, participants who regularly chewed on gum containing eucalyptus extract had lowered levels of plaque accumulation, and had healthier gums overall.10

• Provide respiratory relief — Eucalyptus may help provide relief from runny noses, coughs and colds to help you breathe easier, as well as loosening phlegm,11 which is why you'll find it as an ingredient in many products, such as cough syrups, rubs and vapor baths.12

• Relieve pain — In one study, researchers applied eucalyptus ointment on participants and discovered that it was able to help provide temporary pain relief, making it useful for athletes after a game. Furthermore, findings suggest that it can be used as a passive form of warmup due to its ability to raise muscle temperature.13

Various Uses of Eucalyptus

Aside from using eucalyptus for its healing benefits, the Australian indigenous populations found other practical uses for it. According to Woodland Trust, the wood was used to make tools, weapons, canoes and musical instruments to fit their needs. Today, eucalyptus is mainly used to manufacture paper and furniture. Its leaves are also used to create essential oils for aromatherapy.14

When planted in your garden, eucalyptus offers several advantages. The strong aroma of its oils can help act as a natural insect repellant, while the wood can serve as mulch to help improve soil conditions in place of other popular potting mixes, such as pine bark.15 To make the mulch, simply distribute chopped eucalyptus wood or bark on the soil. The oils in the mulch can help repel plant-eating pests as well.16

Growing Eucalyptus in Your Home

Growing eucalyptus requires careful consideration. As mentioned, you need to ask yourself: Do you have a backyard that can accommodate a eucalyptus tree once it has fully grown? If not, you may want to choose a species that can fit into containers, so that it can be grown on your patio or another location in your garden. The guide below focuses on how to cultivate smaller types of eucalyptus.

• Preparing to Plant Eucalyptus — Most species of eucalyptus require full sun to reach their maximum capacity, but certain species can tolerate partial shade, such as E. neglecta and E. crenulata. According to Gardening Know How, another advantage of eucalyptus is that it can adapt to a wide range of soils, as long as the area has good drainage.17

Purchase seeds of your preferred eucalyptus species, sow them in a shady area in your soil during spring and then cover them in plastic. Once the seeds grow, transplant each seedling into small pots. You may sow seeds directly into containers as well.18

• Maintaining Eucalyptus — Once the seeds start to grow, little maintenance is needed. Watering should be done in moderation, and only done when the soil becomes dry. If your area is currently experiencing drought, you will have to increase the amount to compensate for the high temperatures. Fertilizers are not recommended when growing eucalyptus, as they can destroy the quality of the plants due to their phosphorus content.19

Pruning is important when maintaining your trees. You must control the top growth or else the plants will become too heavy and will become unstable. You will also need to clean the area around the trees for safety reasons, because the bark is considered flammable.20

• Harvesting and Storing Eucalyptus — You may cut the branches and leaves as the plant grows.21 Gathered leaves can be grouped into a bunch and air-dried upside down or wrapped in a paper towel. Once they're dry, store them in an airtight glass jar.22

Eucalyptus Recipe: How to Make Eucalyptus Tea

One of the most common foods you can create from eucalyptus is tea. It allows you to enjoy all the nutrients in an efficient manner and is very easy to make. Just follow the steps below:23

Ingredients

1 dried eucalyptus leaf (or 1 teaspoon), crushed

6 ounces filtered water

Raw honey (optional)

Procedure

Place the crushed eucalyptus leaf in an 8-ounce teacup.

Bring water to a boil. Turn off heat and let it set for a minute to reduce the temperature slightly.

Pour the water on the teacup and steep for 10 minutes.

Strain the tea into a new teacup before drinking.

Add a dash of raw honey if desired.

Note: Only drink eucalyptus in minute amounts. Drinking too much can lead to eucalyptus poisoning, which is marked by stomach pains, dizziness and muscle weakness.24 Do not drink eucalyptus if you have experienced an allergy reaction to the leaves or oils.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil Allows You to Enjoy the Benefits Conveniently

Eucalyptus essential oil is well-loved in the field of aromatherapy. There are around 500 different species of eucalyptus essential oil produced around the world, but "The Healing Art of Essential Oils" says these four are some of the most commonly used:25

Eucalyptus globulus — This species is the top choice for creating eucalyptus essential oil, and is the ingredient used for various eucalyptus products as well.

Eucalyptus polybractea — Also known as "blue mallee," it is high in cineole, which is a colorless liquid terpene with an odor similar to camphor.

Eucalyptus radiata — Also known as "narrow-leaved peppermint," it is known for its refreshing aroma.

Eucalyptus citriodora — Nicknamed the "lemon-scented gum," it is primarily used in perfume and industrial purposes.

Making Infused Eucalyptus Oil

The great thing about eucalyptus oil is that you can make it in your own home, especially if you have leftovers from making tea. Below are a few things you need to make infused eucalyptus oil:26

Materials

Kitchen weighing scale

2 ounces eucalyptus leaves

Olive oil or a different carrier oil

Crock pot

Small-gauge mesh strainer

Airtight jar made of dark glass

Procedure

Gently crush the eucalyptus leaves with your fist to release the oil. You may use more or less depending on the size of your crock pot.

Place the eucalyptus leaves in the crock pot.

Add 1 cup of olive oil for every one-fourth ounce of leaves in the crock pot.

Place the lid on the crock pot and turn it on at low heat. Let the mixture steep for six hours.

Strain the eucalyptus oil through the mesh strainer and into the jar.

Seal the jar and date it.

Store the eucalyptus oil in a cool, dry spot, where it will remain viable for six months. If needed longer, store the oil in the vegetable crisper drawer in your refrigerator, where it will last for about a year.

3 Benefits of Eucalyptus Oil

Eucalyptus oil has diverse benefits when used in different ways. However, make sure you dilute this essential oil in a safe carrier oil before using. Areas it can benefit include:

Skin care — Applying eucalyptus oil on your skin may help fight bacteria that can cause infection, including antibiotic-resistant strains.27

Lice removal — Eucalyptus contains compounds that may help eliminate head lice.28

Pain relief — Inhaling eucalyptus oil has been found to be helpful in managing pain and lowering blood pressure.29

Side Effects of Eucalyptus Oil

Before using eucalyptus oil (or any essential oil), it's important to be aware of the side effects. Eucalyptus oil has been known to cause:30

Burning sensation in the mouth and throat

Abdominal pain

Vomiting

Disorientation

Giddiness

Seizures

Convulsions

Always make sure that your doses are controlled. Aside suffering from the above symptoms, some victims of eucalyptus oil poisoning have fallen into a coma, while others have unfortunately died.31 Always check with your physician before using or consuming eucalyptus or any essential oil.

from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/03/28/xdjm18-herbs-spices-18mcsa-eucalyptus.aspx

source http://niapurenaturecom.weebly.com/blog/eucalyptus-a-favorite-of-the-koala-it-may-become-your-favorite-herb-too