#liked having them around because it made them look like ‘such great Christian’s’ being nice to the people

[roonotrue]

The 12 Days of Twisted Wonderland - Prologue

Twisted Wonderland Writings Masterpost

Prompt: While talking with your fellow freshies about their plans for winter break, you get a bit homesick and tell them about some of the Christmas traditions of your world. So, they decided to look for a way to make NRC feel a little more like home to you before they all leave for winter break!

Reader: GN reader - They/Them pronouns and reader is called 'MC/Prefect.' MC is also directly implied to NOT be religious but still celebrates Christmas because... Lots of people who aren't religious do (me). Christmas is just awesome guys. And if you are religious then just ignore that part.

Included Characters: The Freshmen (Ace, Deuce, Jack, Epel, Ortho, & Sebek), + Grim!

Warnings: Mild Swearing.

~~~

The chill in the air is nice. Not freezing cold just yet, the first snow of the season has yet to arrive, but with Halloween officially over, the rapidly growing chill in the air is a sign that winter is just around the corner.

Normally, there is a budding excitement inside your chest, almost instinctual, every time the weather starts to get colder. Looking forward to the holiday season. Friends, family, traditions, gift-giving, festive food, lights, colors...

Christmas.

In your world, it's a holiday based on a religion. A religion that doesn't exist in Twisted Wonderland (or at least not at NRC), hence, no one really knows any of the traditions surrounding it.

There is a ton of decorating for the winter season, though, that makes the whole place look like a Christmas Hallmark movie.

Maybe decorating things with lights, ornaments, colorful tassels and tinsel, pine branches, and holly is just a... Universal winter impulse- No matter what world you're in.

If you didn't know any better you'd think Christians just made up their religion to justify their decorating impulse every winter.

That said, growing up, you learned very early on, that just because the Christians made the holiday, didn't mean you had to be religious to celebrate it.

And you celebrated it every year back in your world.

But now... You'll be alone during winter break. Well, you'll have Grim to keep you company, and whatever chores Crowley forces your way to keep you occupied...

So instead of holiday spirit or Christmas gifts, you get seasonal depression this year... Great.

While everyone around you is buzzing happily, excited to get to go home soon. Gee, if only you could do that. (A dry sarcastic comment that you scoffed at Crowley yesterday and he simply coughed awkwardly and shuffled off to do absolutely nothing useful. Like usual.)

You try not to let it show on your face though, you don't want to be that guy dragging everyone's mood down after all.

Which works, for the most part. Until-

"Jeez, MC, what's up with ya today? You've been all sad-faced like a kicked pup' since we sat down." Epel is the first to notice.

You, and your freshmen friends (though Sebek might argue about the 'friends' part) all sat together to eat lunch outside, wearing a few extra layers to protect from the occasional cold breeze, but other than that it's quite nice out.

Clear sky, autumn leaves scattered on the ground, just chilly enough that if you breathe out real hard you can see your breath a bit.

Everything was just on the cusp of being a bit too cold, but not quite there yet.

Winter is right around the corner. Winter break is right around the corner.

"Oh, uh, just a little tired that's all." You quickly cover with a light laugh, looking at the others whose eyes are now on you and trying to remember what the conversation was.

"Huh? But you went to bed early last night!" Grim talks between bites of his sandwich, bread crumbs stuck in the fur on his chin that you grab a napkin from your bag and reach to wipe it off.

"Don't talk while you eat, you'll choke." You scold him, and he bats your hand away with a grumble of protest.

He hates it when you baby him like a parent with their toddler.

But if he hates it so much, maybe he should stop acting like a toddler so much, and you'd stop acting like his parent.

"Well, if it's not sleep, what is it MC? Is it winter break? Is Crowley gonna stick ya with chores like last time?" Epel cringes and Ace scoffs.

"What does that lousy headmage even do around here besides show up and push his work on everyone else?" Ace asks, leaning back resting his chin in his palm, elbow propped on the wooden picnic table.

"Well, he intrudes on our classes a lot." Jack's ears flick in irritation- one of the few students who doesn't appreciate Dire Crowley's interruptions that lead to him taking over the class to teach the easiest of nonsense that they all already know.

While there actual professors seeth in the corner. Professor Crewel actually saw him coming in once, and before the headmage could say a word, launched an empty glass beaker at him to keep him out.

You have never respected Crewel more.

Even if he made you clean up the mess.

"Say, you went to a school like NRC in your world, right, MC? What did you do on winter break back there?" Deuce asks, and that catches everyone's interest.

"Oh, right, with no magic your world is very different from ours, MC, what kind of classes do you even have in school there?" Ortho asks from next to you, and you smile.

"Well, more just general education, science, math, history, that kind of thing, and then in a college like this you take specialized classes for whatever career you planning on going into- and without magic, there are a lot more careers that humans have to do than here in the Twisted Wonderland." You explain.

"Hmph, your world sounds terribly inefficient if it has to rely on humans taking years to educate themselves to do jobs that would take magic and fae only moments." Sebek scoffs, arms crossed.

He's wearing his normal uniform, not a single extra layer, and when you offered him a spare scarf he yelled something about humans being so much 'weaker to temperature than fae', but even now, you can a slight shiver run through him every time a particularly cold wind blows through.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, well, we have a lot of nice things even without magic to help us get them. During winter break everyone got to go home to their families just like they do here, and a lot of them would celebrate the holidays..." You mumble solemnly.

"Holidays? What kind of holidays do ya have over there?" Epel asks, and something about the way he says that- 'over there' makes you snort a laugh.

Like you're just from a different country and not a whole different world.

"Lots. With so many countries, religions, and cultures- there are a lot of holidays year-round depending on who you are, your family, and where you live, yada yada... This time of year though, my family, and most of the world, starts getting ready to celebrate Christmas." You tell them, picking at your food that you haven't eaten much of yet.

"Christmas? What's that?" Ortho asks, and Deuce actually brightens.

"You told me about it! At Rook's birthday a few days ago! Something about exchanging gifts?" He asks to which Ace perks up.

"A holiday about giving gifts? Now that I can get behind!" Ace smiles, leaning forward expectantly.

"Well- yeah- you give gifts, but it's about more than that. It's about family, friends, and traditions... Every year, at the start of December, we'd go out and get a pine tree and we'd decorate it with colorful lights and ornaments, and the star on top! Never forget the star on top-" You start ranting about your Christmas traditions at home, a rush of familiar excitement bubbling up in your voice.

"And we'd spend all of the winter break having fun, ice skating, making snowmen & snow angels, sleigh rides, though nothing really beats decorating the house and tree, it's what sets the mood for the whole holiday, and the music! Oh, Cater, Lilia, and Kalim would loooove the Christmas music, it's so pop-y and cheesy, talking about the same stuff- a lot of romantic songs since Christmas is considered to be a really romantic season-" You list some things and they all look at you confused but you keep going.

"Wait, do you decorate the house or the tree?" Deuce asks.

"You cut down a living tree and bring it inside? That's incredibly unhealthy for the environment, not to mention unsanitary!" Sebek shouts, and you roll your eyes.

"In my world there a pine tree farms that grow small pine trees just for Christmas time- to keep anyone from cutting down wild ones. And there are tree skirts that catch the falling pine needles to keep things clean." You explain with a chuckle.

"Farms dedicated to pine trees? That sounds so strange. Sure, apples and other fruits, but just regular old pines?" Epel ponders, and Ace and Deuce nod along.

"What other traditions are there?" Grim ducks under your arm, settling down in your lap in a way that reminds you far too much of children sitting on Santa's lap asking for presents.

"Well, every Christmas, some people from my neighborhood would gather around and sing carols- which are Christmas songs sung by a group of people like a choir- in exchange for hot chocolate, I always loved having hot chocolate. Oh, and the ugly Christmas sweaters, I loved ranking them in my head on who had the worst, one year I saw a girl with a tacky bright blue one with hand-stitched reindeer and glitter glue- god it was awful but so funny." You pause, half tempted to grab some paper from your bag and draw it to show them.

"You know, we have hot chocolate here, right?" Jack raises a brown with a slightly amused smirk and you roll your eyes.

"And ugly sweaters, though not necessarily 'Christmas' themed." Ortho adds and that makes you laugh.

"Housewarden Vil would hate a tradition based around wearing something intentionally ugly. Can ya imagin' the look on his face?" Epel chuckles to himself, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Would you all stop interrupting! I wanna hear more, what about food? Is there any good food for Christmas?" Grim asks, looking up at you with sparkles in his eyes, that he only ever really gets when thinking about food.

"Ha! Leave it to you to be focused all on your stomach, Grim!" Ace teases, and you laugh, but continue anyway.

"Well, the baking was my favorite- at least to eat. Sugar cookies, peanut butter blossoms, thumbprint cookies, no-bakes, gingerbread, pudding pies. Traditionally, lots of people would make houses out of gingerbread cookies. And on Christmas day, the 25th of December, families would have a big feast, with ham, turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and candied yams. That was after you opened all the presents though-"

"Wait, so this is all leading up to a Christmas day? That's when you get the presents?" Ace asks, and you smile and nod.

"Yep, so when you're a little kid, there's this fun fairytale about a guy named 'Santa Claus' who every year, on Christmas Eve, rides out on his sleigh, pulled by reindeer, and delivers gifts underneath people's Christmas trees for well-behaved children. When you get older, and obviously find out he's not real, it's still tradition to put the gifts you get under the tree and wait to open them until Christmas day." You pause for a moment thinking before reiterating.

"Though that depends on some things. Friends for example like to be there when you open the gift they give so they can see if you like it, so sometimes they give you your gifts to open early, which is fine too! The point is, Christmas is the season of giving. Showing people how much you care for them by getting them thoughtful gifts and spending time with each other." You smile looking up at the sky.

It's getting a bit cloudy. As is your mood.

"It's also considered to be a really romantic holiday. Where couples would chose to propose to each other as a Christmas gift, or little lovebirds would confess their feelings. My friends liked the whole mistletoe tradition- getting caught under a sprig of mistletoe with someone and having to kiss whoever's under it with you- it could end up really cute, or funny, or even downright awkward." You chuckle.

The memory of two of your old friends getting caught under one, and while one made funny smoochy faces, the other was pushing them away making a barfing sound surfacing in your mind.

You wonder how they're doing...

"That sounds like a terrible tradition! Being forced to kiss someone just cuz you got stuck under a dumb plant?" Grim cringes and you snort.

"It's not manditory, nor does it have to be on the lips or anything. I got caught under it once with a friend and we re-enacted a scene from a book were the knight dropped to his knees and kissed the princess's hand." You sighed fondly at the memory.

"So it's just a cute, non-serious tradition? I bet it'd make an awesome prank for people who take it seriously though." Ace smirks, a look in his eye that means he's definitley gonna drag you into one of his backfired messes later.

"Whatever you're planning, you better leave me out of it, Ace. I don't need to get in trouble with Riddle cuz you went and used my worlds traditions to prank people." You give him a waring look and he just smiles, and gives a playful wink.

"Hey! I'm not planning anything!" He scoffs in mock offence, but you sharpen your glare.

"You better not be."

"Say, what kind of gifts do you give on Christmas? Do they gotta be Christmas-y themed like everything else?" Epel asks, and pivots the conversation back to the holiday.

You spend the rest of lunch describing more Christmas traditions to them, ones your own family had, ones others had, and even some ways other countries celebrated.

Stockings above the fireplace filled with chocolates and small toys and trinkets, Santa Claus and his elves in the north pole-

That lead to Ace making a short joke to Epel while they were walking back to class, which got his ankles swiped from under him, landing on his ass in the hallway you all burst into laughter- outside of Sebek who made a loud shout about 'making a scene in the middle of the hall being unbefitting.'

His shout drew the attention of a passing Lilia and Cater who joined you all on your walk and Ace and Grim started ranting to them about everything you'd just told them about Christmas.

You watch silently as the two upperclassmen listen, just as intrigued as your fellow freshmen had been...

Twisted Wonderland isn't the worst world to have gotten stuck in. The friends you've made here. They make the idea of going home a really hard one to think about.

But all this talk about the holidays, and the upcoming loneliness as eveyone gets ready to leave campus- leaving you all alone... It's bringing your gloomy mood back in full force.

"You really do miss it, don't ya?" Epel interupts your thoughts and you look to see him staring at you as you walk side by side.

"... I do. The holidays here in Twisted Wonderland, and how there celebrated at NRC have been some of the most fun I've ever had in my life... But Christmas was really special to me. And it was a time for family and friends, so spending it alone is... hard." You sigh, suddenly feeling very tired, despite going to bed early like Grim oh-so-helpfully pointed out earlier.

"You know, maybe you could come stay with one of us for winter break? My meemaw wouldn't mind having a guest." Epel offers, and you smile at the kindness.

"Nah, I don't wanna intrude, plus Crowley's chores aren't that bad- I get them done pretty quickly, and then I have plenty of free time to fix up Ramshackle more."

"You know, I'm pretty sure that should be Crowley's job- you already do plenty of his chores to make up for your food and living expenses. You shouldn't have to fix Ramshackle up to." Jack, who's walking on the other side of you, points out.

"Yeah, but argueing with him ain't exactly easy... I'm think of talking to Professor Crewel about some things though, since he seems more... Reasonable then Crowley does." Speaking of Professor Crewel, you reach his class room, and the upperclassmen split up, heading towards their own class.

Ace and Deuce head inside and you pause to look at Epel and Jack one last time.

"Thank you guys for the concern though, I appreciate it, really." And you turn away.

Missing the thoughtful glance your two friends share.

~~~

"So! I think we all know why we're here today!" Epel smacks his hand on the desk in the empty classroom dramatically.

"Uh- not really, but go on." Ace raises a brow, feet proped on the desk he's sitting at, attempting to balance a pencil on his nose.

"We're here because of MC! Duh!" He shouts.

"Huh? What about 'em? They're fine." Ace shrugs, and Jack rolls his eyes from next to him, swiping the pencil away.

"They are far from 'fine' Ace! Didn't you see how homesick they got when talking about Christmas!? Or how sad they've look the last few days since!?" Epel crosses his arms, tapping his foot- before stopping quickly- the mannerism something far to similar to what Vil would do when scolding him.

"That's true! I've scanned them every time we meet up, and their vital always show lower than average levels of serotonin and dopamine! I've been meaning to ask them privately if they're okay, but I have yet to get the chance." Ortho informs, pulling up a screen from his arm to show the history of the last several times he's scanned the Prefect.

"Oh, well, they have been kinda down lately, haven't they?" Deuce brings a hand to his chin in thought, and Grim- who's standing on a desk in front of Deuce- scoffs.

"Down? They've been downright depressed is what they've been! So lost in thought and stuff, they burned dinner last night staring off into space all mopy and stuff!" The little dire beast pouts.

"They miss their home- or at least their friends and family. This is the time of year, that during Christmas, they would spend with them. And they can't do that now. They'll just be all alone on campus once we all leave. That's a pretty depressing thought." Jack rubs the back of his head, ears slightly drooping at the idea of not being able to see his own family during such a special holiday.

"Hey! They won't be alone! They'll have me!" Grim shouts indignatly.

"By the seven, that's even worse..." Ace shivers at the idea of being stuck alone with Grim for a whole two weeks.

"Hey! What the heck is that suppose to mean!?" Grim growls, and Ace rolls his eyes.

"That's enough! This ain't about you two! MC is our friend! They've done so much for us, and all of NRC! They don't deserve to feel so alone, stuck doing Crowley's dirty work when they should be enjoying time with their family! At there home!" Epel scolds, and Ace and Grim look away bashfully.

"Yeah, you're right, but... What are we supposed to do? It's not like we can send them home or anything. And there's not much good in trying to talk Crowley into being helpful- we already try that regularly." Ace runs a hand through his hair a troubled look on his face.

He's thought about this plenty of time. Talked about it with his dormmates too, and his fellow freshmen, but when it comes to helping the prefect, the don't really accept help easily, nor is there much they can do either.

Freshmen are kinda at the bottom of the food chain here at NRC, even the stronger ones like them, so there influence and ability to help is very limited.

"Obviously we can't, but me and Jack had an idea! So we called you all here- plus Sebek, but he's busy with Malleus stuff or whatever- so we'll fill him in later." Epel explains and meets Jack's eye- a determined nod from him and he announces the plan.

"We're gonna bring Christmas to NRC!"

...

"Huh!?"

The ripple of shock around the room is broken first by Ace.

"Whadda mean 'Bring Christmas to NRC!?' How the hell are we supposed to do that?" He shouts.

"Simple really! I made a checklist of all the things MC was talking about when describing Christmas, and we're gonna do them! Here, take a look!" He places the list in front of them.

1. Get a Christmas tree! (Pine prefered)

2. Decorate Tree & Ramshackle - Colorful lights, ornaments, and tinsil! (Reds, greens, whites, silver, gold, & blue colors! Reindeer, snowmen, snowflakes, mistletoe & holly and more are important designs!) DON'T FORGET THE STAR ON TOP THE TREE (Star - real? Maybe? Further information needed).

3. Bake them lots of cookies! (peanut butter blossoms, no-bakes, pudding pies, thumbprints, gingerbread, sugar cookies shaped like reindeer, candy canes, snowmen, etc.)

4. Throw a Christmas feast before leaving for winter break! (Ham, turkey, candied yams, mash potatoes and gravy, other sides)

5. Get them gifts! One from each of us! - REQUIRED!!

6. Wrap them in colorful wrapping paper!

7. Hide them until the 25th!

8. Sneak them under the tree before MC wakes up! (The Ramshackle Ghosts can help, and maybe Grim)

9. Happy MC when we all come back from break!!

10. Get the Housewardens in on it? - BIG MAYBE

11. DEAL WITH CROWLEY!!!

"Well, this is pretty thought out, I'll admit, but I'm not sure how... Acheivable it is." Ortho sighs.

"Especially the last goal." Ace adds.

"Oh, don't go giving up now! When MC's doing nice things for us, or getting us out of trouble- they never give up! I know that I'm going to do everything I can to cheer MC up and make sure they have a good Christmas, even if they can't have their family with them! Are you gonna help or not?" Epel nods resolute.

"Well, when you put it like that, there's no way I can bail out now, I'd be a total jerk to." Ace smirks, sitting back down.

"Agreed. MC always helps us out when we need it, and even when we don't they're always there for us. It's only fair that we return the favor for once!" Deuce smacks a fist into his palm, with a thoughtful look on his face that turns determined.

"The Prefect of Ramshackle has helped Nii-san a lot, and is always wonderful company! Seeing them so sad lately has been worrying. If this plan will make them feel better, then I will gladly help!" Ortho gets that look in his eyes like his just been issued a challenge in a game.

"Good. Now, this is all gonna be hard to accomplish, but it's gonna be even more difficult to do under there nose! So we need help. I'm thinking since the housewardens all owe MC a lot- they might help us do this for them." Epel mentions, picking up the list.

"Well, I know Trey can help us with baking, and Riddle might help find a way to deal with Crowley." Ace says, and Deuce nods in agreement.

"I can text them to meet us in the library later to talk about it." Deuce pulls out his phone.

"Hm, I don't thing Leona or Ruggie would be very interested in helping or going out of their way for anyone, even the Prefect, but I can mention it to them anyway." Jack hums

"I think if I yeild and promise to add a few more steps to my skincare routine, then Vil might help, Rook will help no problem... We might be able to ask Azul for help with food for the feast." Epel ponders.

"Azul? Hell, nah! And be in debt to him for the rest of our school lives for a measly ham and turkey? I'd rather try cooking it myself then that." Ace groans, and both Deuce and Grim shiver in terror.

The memory of the first time they were in Azul's debt still an open wound in their minds.

"Turn you and Grim loose in a kitchen? No offense, but I think I'll take my chance with the Leech twins." Jack huffs, shaking his head.

"I find Jade Leech and Floyd Leech of Octavinelle to be very fun and kind to me! I'm sure they will help the Prefect!" Ortho says optimistically, and everyone lets out an 'eeehhh'.

"What? You don't believe they would?" He looks around at them, and Ace snaps his fingers.

"I believe that you would be the best person to ask and find out! They're both pretty fond of you, so there's a higher chance they'll agree if you ask." He announces and Ortho nods.

"Alright! I will head to Mostro Lounge first thing after school tomorrow!"

"And we'll see about cookies and talking to Riddle." Deuce adds.

"I'll see about finding some decorations, Mr. S might have some stuff we can use. Maybe I can get Leona to help pay for some of it. He is kinda soft on MC, even if he won't admit it." Jack smiles.

"And I'll talk to Sebek, he'll be in charge of getting a good pine tree- and then me and Grim will talk to the ghosts in Ramshackle to make sure they'll help us hide our gifts for them and leave them under the tree on Christmas Eve!"

And like that, the plan is formed.

Now, it's time to put it into action.

Christmas at NRC!

[rainydaydream-gal18]

(BBC Sherlock) Sherlock x Reader: Holiday Cheer

Author's Note:  I struggle publishing Sherlock fics because as a Christian I personally disagree with his statements about God on the show and find it insulting actually. However, I otherwise enjoy the show and enjoy writing fics with his character. 

Just a little blurb about the holidays with the Baker Street boys! Enjoy!

Word Count: 954

You slowly lifted the mug of hot chocolate, pausing to inhale the rich, sweet scent of the beverage and feel the liquid’s warmth waft against your skin.  With a smile, your lips skated over the dollop of whipped cream as you tilted the mug to take a sip.

Mrs. Hudson was known for keeping the flow of cuppas constant at 221b Baker Street, but since the Christmas season had begun, she came walking up the steps with a tray of hot cocoa and an assortment of cookies instead.

The flat was all decorated for the holiday with strings of soft, glowing lights hanging on the wall and wrapped around garlands. Holiday knickknacks decorated the area.  A few Christmas cards had arrived as well, so you and John took turns arranging them nicely on the fireplace mantle as you received them in the mail.

At the moment, you were seated comfortably in one of the living room chairs, eyeing the decorations and occasionally gazing wistfully out the window at the heavy snowfall that covered London streets in a blanket of white.  A lovely Christmas tune on the violin drifted through the flat as Sherlock practiced.  Despite it being an afternoon in, he was fully dressed in a dark blue suit.  John was at the table, typing away on his laptop about a recent case.  It was evident that he was trying to record many details because the click-clack of the keys was rapid and constant.  

Occasionally, he paused to check the notes he had previously jotted down.

You turned your attention back to the fire crackling in the fireplace.

What a scene, you mused to yourself.

You took another sip of the hot chocolate and savored the rich flavor.

John glanced up from his laptop at you.  “That looks good.”

“It is.  Mrs. Hudson really knows what she’s doing.”  You proceeded to pour him a cup, dropping a dollop of whipped cream in with a spoon.  John set his laptop aside and rubbed his hands together in anticipation before you handed the mug over to him.

“Mm.”  He took a sip and nodded in approval.

Sherlock had paused his playing, setting the instrument down to instead gaze out the window in silent observation.  You wondered what was going through that mind of his.  It wasn’t always a mystery.  Sometimes he uttered his musings aloud for anyone nearby to hear his train of thought.  Other times, when he was in the deepest of thoughts, he fell silent.

You always wondered what thoughts could prompt that.  The great Sherlock Holmes loved to hear himself talk.  It gave him some sort of satisfaction to sprinkle in his genius observations into everyday conversation.  More than that, he enjoyed a long spiel to summarize his logic and make a final statement about his conclusion of the solving of a mystery just to observe the shocked and impressed faces of those around him.  You and John both discovered that after working cases with him for as long as you had.

“I was thinking,” John spoke up, setting his mug down on the tray.

Sherlock’s voice sounded as a deep rumble from across the room.  “That’s dangerous.”

John, now used to his roommate’s antics, continued on, ignoring him.  “I was thinking about taking a stroll tonight to see the Christmas lights.  Would you like to come?”

Excitement welled up inside you at the prospect.  London famously had spectacular lights around the holidays.  Whole streets were lit for passers by to see, and they made for lovely walks.

“That sounds like fun,” you replied enthusiastically.  John smiled, and both of you turned to the consulting detective.  “What do you think, Sherlock?  Want to come?”

“I have other matters to attend to,” he said over his shoulder.

“Oh, well, okay then.”  You shrugged, hoping to disguise your disappointment.  “John and I will go.”

“I said I have other matters to attend to.  I did not say I wasn’t going.”

John’s brows furrowed in a look of confusion.  “Okay…?”

Sherlock proceeded to take up his violin again and play another holiday tune.  You stifled a chuckle in frustrated amusement of your friend.  John exchanged glances with you and shrugged.

. . . . . . . . . . . . 

“Oh, how beautiful!” You exclaimed in awe.

The street was very festively lit with strands of lights hung overhead.  You and John were enchanted by the sights while Sherlock walked beside you with his hands stuffed in his coat pockets.  His expression was guarded, though you caught him glancing around.  The great Sherlock Holmes was not impervious to holiday cheer, even if he tried to act like it.

John stopped to look at one fixture in particular, and you turned to Sherlock, who was already inches away.

“What do you think?” you asked, trying to look unphased by the close proximity.  It was difficult enough with any other person, but especially with the detective.  You were very aware of how he could pick up on the smallest details.  He probably already saw your pupils dilate, or noticed some other telling sign of your affection for him.

He tilted his head so that he was face-to-face with you, eyes flickering down to meet your gaze.  His eyes were like ice, but with the twinkling lights shining in them, they didn’t look quite so cold as they regarded you.  “It’s not so bad,” his voice rumbled lowly.

You were frozen in place, lips parted to speak, but with no words coming out.  Neither of you moved for what felt like ages until John spoke up somewhere ahead.  Sherlock took a step back to create a little distance, though he paused so that you could walk beside him before the two of you continued your stroll down the lane.

[myfvcklove]

𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 || 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫.

!! This is all my headcanon, not necessarily true. !!

«———»

«* You and Daniel accidentally met each other in French class when the two of you were arranged to pair up together in a lesson at that time. At first he seemed quite reserved and needed you to speak first for the first time you two talked to each other. His first impression of you is that you're so damn energetic, I'm not kidding, you have a lot of topics to talk about, when it comes to it, he can't help but pay attention. Later during the conversation, Daniel realized that you were also quite comfortable and more attractive when talking with you for a while. He remained silent as he listened to the way you pronounced French sentences. Your tone of voice made it difficult for him to look away as each word you said was like honey pouring into Daniel's ears, which made him unconsciously stare at you every time you were happily chatting with him.

«* After all, you were the one who asked Daniel to be friends after French class. At first he had no intention of getting closer to you, but hey, Daniel was a 15 year old sophomore, and he certainly couldn't escape the feeling of being attracted to someone who brought him great curiosity, so the two of them became fast friends.

«* Daniel is quite shy in the next conversation between you and him, so each time you will be the one to open up to him, creating a comfortable conversation between you and Daniel, and he is also partly grateful when you do not force him to open up, but just let him relax and will be more willing to open up for future conversations between the two of you.

«* What surprised him was that you also watched the movie The X-Files like him, at that time you accidentally implied to reveal a bit of the movie's content, and he predicted it was that movie, which made him both excited, and also a bit scared. You understand, a shy and reserved person like him will usually think a lot, but for his own sake and those around him, including you, don't be surprised.

«* Whenever have free time at noon, both you and Daniel go to the library to read books, and in general, you go there with him to chat, and he listens to the stories you tell, the stories from heaven and earth that you have experienced, making him quite surprised about your simple and somewhat 'difficult' life, because he doesn't usually pay attention to other people's private things because he feels that if he knew about those things, he would feel awkward. But it seemed like you didn't pay that much attention, and you told him about all kinds of things you encountered during your few days at CHS.

«* For more than two weeks, you and Daniel have become close as friends (but this is what you think). Daniel believes that meeting you is a fate arranged by heaven, although he is not a Christian (or is, idk) but he believes that meeting you at this time could be a deliberate arrangement for something. I don't know, but if he had met you at that time he would have believed that it was so.

«* And later, after interacting with you for a long time, I realized the change in my actions. Daniel really opened up to you more, as well as proactively came to you every time lunch time came. “Nice afternoon, _____, how is your day today?” That's the first sentence that always appears when Daniel meets you every afternoon at the end of class.

«* If you are bad at Math or Science, Daniel will be willing to tutor you. His time is quite free, so tutoring you in one or more subjects you are not good at is quite normal, because you are his friend (but his heart is screaming that it is thinking differently.) so he will always help you in your studies.

«* Of course, a new feeling has sprouted inside Daniel after many times he met and talked with you, and if, as teenage boys say, it's school love, then yeah, it's happening to Daniel. And he's quite good at hiding it from you, and he also doesn't want to let that feeling affect him every time he sees you, but it fails when his heart actually beats faster when sitting next to you, watching you talk about life and studying that the two of you are experiencing while he is absent-mindedly thinking about other things but still paying attention to your actions.

«* Daniel also invited you to his house to play games and watch movies together, and of course you agreed when both of you had packed your things to prepare for the visit at Daniel's house. His father - Tom is an extremely welcoming and friendly person with you because you are Daniel's friend. At first, Daniel was quite shy about letting you come over to his house because he rarely invites anyone over to his house, especially someone he has feelings for like you, so his shy expression did not go unnoticed by Tom, and his father was quite observant in realizing what Daniel was up to, but he wouldn't say it and waited until it was ripe for him to escalate it himself.

«* The more you continue to interact with you, the more everyone will notice the difference in Daniel, especially his family. Christine, Daniel's younger sister, realized that he really secretly liked you, but it was clear that her brother did not acknowledge his presence, so she often created small private sessions for the two of you so that you and Daniel could be alone. And Daniel also knew that what his sister was doing was pushing him closer to his true feelings for you, and he couldn't help but deny it any longer.

«* Before Christmas in December 1998, you had the opportunity to go to his house again when this time his parents left you and Daniel in a more private space (the living room), when you sat next to him as usual, with two glasses of hot cocoa that Linda made for you and him. Daniel made up his mind this time, deciding to face his true feelings as he just let a gentle night happen when you and he watched your favorite movie together. At the end, when the movie reached its climax, he reached out and gently touched your hand, as if telling you to pay attention to him. “_____, I have something to say...” Daniel said slowly, as his long fingers touched the back of your hand. “I think this seems pretty early, but I need to face it, right now... *Sighs.* _____, what will you see me as while we're getting to know each other?”

«* No need to argue, Daniel already asked. He's sending you a signal, sweetheart, but if you still haven't noticed the signal he's sending you, he'll take the next step. Express Daniel's feelings for you. “_____, I've liked you since we've known each other not long, it's...hard to say, but I really like you, not in a friend way.” Daniel expressed all the feelings he had hidden when he knew he secretly loved you. And of course, depending on your situation, I won't say anything. But here, you have accepted Daniel's confession, congratulations <3

«* The beginning of a new lover in this relationship will often be awkward and embarrassing. It was also difficult for Daniel to avoid being shy and not knowing how to express it, but it soon disappeared when he learned how to handle situations where he needed to. At school, the two of you still behaved as usual, because this love relationship was something only you and Daniel knew about, and he wasn't ready to make it public yet, so you respected that, waiting for him to do it when he was ready.

«* Go for a walk together, stay overnight at Daniel's house (his parents and Christine already know that you two have become a loving couple) when he is always the one who creates happy, warm moments with you, will always hold you in his arms every time you two watch movies and play games together in the living room, creating a lovely and affectionate atmosphere between both of you.

«* Daniel has another trait that is that he will often be able to tell your emotions through your expressions at that time. If you are unstable and seem to be having some bad luck before meeting him, he will just act simply but also to bring quiet comfort. “Alright, don't worry about it, babe? Anyway, it's over and now let's worry about our immediate situation, okay?” Daniel can give you the cakes his mother made for him and you to silently comfort you. And it certainly always works.

«* Because they are sophomores, the two of them have to do a lot of homework for many subjects, so the two of them always make appointments to go to the library to solve the pile of homework that is pouring in on them. While Daniel was solving his homework, you teased him by lightly kicking his leg under the table, making him pay attention to you but you pretended not to know anything. Daniel then knew your teasing so he just laughed a little, and also responded by gently kicking your leg back with his foot and leaning closer to you. His shoulders touched your as you looked at each other for a moment, before both you and Daniel were giggling between the two of you teasing each other.

«* Although Daniel is a rather closed person, he is very affectionate, yeah, he will hold your hand when you two walk on the street, he will also give you a gentle, affectionate kiss on your cheek, showing how much he really loves you. Just like this relationship will be sustainable for a long time when you and Daniel both get to know each other on a love-filled date for both of you.

«* Uhm... As for Daniel's family, they have always welcomed you since they all knew you were dating Daniel even though he never revealed it. Tom and Christine always tease Daniel whenever and wherever they talk about you, making him extremely embarrassed and embarrassed, as well as wanting them to stop. But nah nah, they won't stop teasing. At the same time, during your dating period, Tom will also use cameras and camcorders to capture lovely moments between the two of you to make memories for both Daniel and his family.

«* If you think he's jealous or not, haha, the answer is no. Even though Daniel looks like a teenager and like a child, hey, he's already a guy, he knows how to behave and will be ready like a gallant and sweet guy, not some guy who's jealous for no reason. So I'm not going to let this punch Daniel's character, no way. And if you do, I'll kick your ass. *Slap slap*

«* At the end of the semester exam in 1998, you will often be quite unstable, and Daniel will not hesitate to encourage you as he will be the one to guide and tutor you so that you can get a good score in that semester's exam. (And I bet you'll get good grades at that point because Daniel always gets straight A's.)

«* In March 1999, Daniel had to travel to France at that time to learn and study, and at that time you would go with him because Daniel wanted to. Of course, the trip to France was extremely smooth and happy, when Daniel and his friends were enjoying the beauty of Paris and learning new knowledge. There, you took Daniel to a small bakery to buy cakes there. You and Daniel both chose croissants to enjoy as you both walked to the nearby bridge to enjoy the croissants and your feelings for each other. And there, Daniel decided to give you his first kiss for the first time when he showed how much he really loved you, just imagine looking at Daniel's blushing face, how adorable.

«* You two have planned for the future, yeah, where will you two go after exams and what will you do together in the summer, Daniel will hug you while you are making plans for the two of you. “In the future we will travel, go to the places you want when I will see the sweet smile on your face.” “It's almost there, you can make a long plan, I'll wait until you're done, babe.” Daniel also gave you a small kiss as you kissed him back. When the two of you are together at that moment, that is the last time you will feel Daniel's warmth and hug that day.

«———»

<33 This is the victim I was drawn to during the massacre, and I hope you will enjoy reading it as well.

!! This is all my headcanon, not necessarily true. !!

[grimescum]

it's been great seeing your walter posts in the hellsing tag 🫡 do you have any head-canons to share?

GEHEUEHEHUEEHHEE THANK YOU KIND ANON!!!!! hum... i think i already made a post about this on my older blog? but i dont really wanna find it + its probably really old so... here :o3 some new and some old just for u

- i Do Not like the depictions of walter where he's, like, a genuinely sick in the head and fucked up individual. it just seems grossly extreme to me. different strokes for different folks though

that being said, i do agree he's definitely not well. i think he has bpd,, mostly out of me projecting and what not but also because i think it just makes sense. growing up distanced from the people around you and not receiving proper emotional support does that to a mf

he's got a facade up damn near all the time. inoffensive, orderly, agreeable, prim and proper. not to manipulate the people around him for his own gain, but because he knows thats what other people want. anything less and he'd be a bad butler, and therefore, effectively useless

- not really a hc since this is just kind of a fact? but ill say it here because its what draws me to him the most: he's afraid of being rendered useless.

- he's not an emotional guy. i dont think he feels much most days. all his smiles are about as fake as the teeth he would've needed if he went on for much longer. i think he's been somewhat resigned to his fate for a while now, but that doesn't stop him from thinking what if every now and again

- he certainly is a jealous little bitch but he keeps that inside. if he ever got therapy he'd need like explosives and shit to properly get all of that pent up emotion out

- ^^ i think thats why he gets a bit sadistic when fighting others. its just a way to vent all that frustration

- i dont think he had many plans, if any at all, to turn on hellsing. he definitely had thoughts, but i think it all caught up to him one night and he just decided it was too much, and that he had nothing to lose that he wouldn't lose later on. either he lives an unremarkable existence in the shadow of alucard or tries to surpass that (he didnt) (he failed) (lol). ties into my bpd headcanon with impulsivity being a symptom

- he would've loved to have been a father at some point but has since abandoned it for many reasons. seras is about the closest he has to a daughter and the most he's opened up to someone emotionally, but he still keeps himself at an arms length.

- i like to think he grew out his hair at some point during the 80s for a mullet but liked having it long

- i also think he'd be big on rock when he was younger!! he tried it at first just because it was popular, but he found that it really spoke to him. i don't think he's much of a music guy outside of that though. maybe some jazz

- he is an incredibly lonely individual, as is expected of a butler. he can handle flirting somewhat but the idea of someone being genuinely attracted to him for who he is turns him into a sappy old-fashioned loverboy

- former christian. he still thinks there is a god (evidenced by vampires obviously) but that god has not been very kind to him to lead him down this path so why gaf

- very meticulous about keeping up his appearance. not a serious headcanon but its funny to imagine him up all night plucking each and every grey hair out of his head. if not just to look as presentable as possible, then it also helps his confidence. its nice to know that his apprarance is one of the few things he has control over

- speaking of which ??? i think hes confident.. but only in the persona he's made for himself yk. not in the real him who's body could fail him anytime. not the human part of him.

- not good at taking compliments but loves them. praise him too much and too often and you'd finally see him emotional i think. really, letting this man know that his worth is not defined by how useful he is to others would fix him

- i think his monocle is both for appearances and because he's got a bum eye, trying to hide it in a way that fits

- poor guy doesn't sleep well most nights. his morning tea, if he's able to have any, is highly caffeinated (i dont think he'd be that much of a coffee guy- not to mention the whole tea drinking thing is befitting of a british butler, so he'd roll with it)

- i'm on my period... so.... like.... i'm going to get a little freaky on main rn (feel free to skip over this, its nothing explicit) but i get So Sick of people seeing him as the daddy dom archetype. like yea older man ouuuu i have daddy issues oauauuu choke me whatever but i'm more inclined to think that he'd actually too insecure about his ability to please his partner to be that way. atleast, not without some sort of affirmation.

again, different strokes for different folks, but like. he is bordering 70. he grew up in the 1930s. i cannot be the only one who thinks this. or maybe i'm just a huge pervert idk (yes ❤️)

- in a similar vein, i'm glad that i havent seen any fanart of him muscular because i would be so mad but in the most respectful way possible – this man is, like, rail thin. i do think he does a decent amount of exercise when he can so its not like he's not a pile of bones. i'll admit that i've maybe drawn him a bit too skinny in the past though

ok my pain meds r kicking in and making me sleepy... if some things r kinda incoherent thats why. THANK U AGAIN ANON!!!

[f0point5]

You know, I love Seb (he’s the person who got me into F1) and I respect Lewis and his accomplishments but one thing I’ll never forgive them (and a lot of the older drivers, most already retired now) for is how they treated Max when he came into F1.

Yes, he might have been their rival but he was also a teenager, a literal child and gosh… I know Max probably doesn’t really care anymore but I still hurt for him sometimes.

Especially when you consider that he was the one paving the way for his generation. When Charles and Lando and George and everyone else came up a few years later they were welcomed as the youth, the future of the sport. Older drivers talking about their talent and how great it is to see them come up.

Max didn’t get that. He got shouts of “too young”, “too reckless”, “too… too much”.

So no, to me the only real grid dad (or maybe grid uncle is more fitting, idk) will be Fernando Alonso who said that some people are simply ready earlier than others and that Max should be judged on his performance in the races, not his age (paraphrased).

Fernando who has been an idol a lot of the younger generation growing up but also exchanged helmets with Oscar and Zhou, joked with Lando on instagram, talks Le Mans with Max and probably many more moments I’m forgetting about rn.

THIS.

Honestly, I don’t really get the Seb hype. He just has never given me good vibes. I didn’t watch during the RB days so maybe if I’d seen his golden era I’d have gotten attached but he has just always seemed…not likeable. Clearly a very driven, straightforward, intelligent guy, but something about him doesn’t sit well with me. Anyway rant over.

I’m not even going to talk about LH because…par for the course.

Yes, they were all mean to him. As grown men, too, how are you not absolutely embarrassed?! I get that he’s a kid and maybe you don’t want to hang out with him or confront the fact that you’re not the hotshots anymore but omg it’s a CHILD. (And Seb who made a bit of a meal out of being a bullying victim as a kid…I see you.)

No one else of Max’s generation would have survived the way they treated him, I stand by that. They all needed the support they got, and Max had none of it from his peers. I can’t see Max being the type who cared per se, because he was probably already used to being…not ostracised, but like…observed? And also because of how he grew up I don’t think anyone’s words could rattle him. But even if he didn’t care the grown men should have known better.

If I were Max I’d still be laughing about how bitter I made men in their 30s. Like “I couldn’t grow facial hair and y’all were running scared”. But I still think it must have been a pretty lonely few years until others his age started catching up.

I think Max was really lucky to have such a tight team (Christian, Helmut, Jos, Ray, GP) around him to insulate him a bit and stop him getting pushed around but the way these men tried it. (Toto I’m looking at your for the Jos phonecall.)

Yeah Fernando is the only one who I think was ready to embrace the new frontier as it were. But he is just kind of like that. I feel like he doesn’t feel his age is the disadvantage that most do, and that’s why he’s not so afraid of younger drivers. Like, his relationship with Max, Carlos, lando, George (nye buddies lol) and Zhou (literally just today saw a quote of him talking about how nice Alonso was to him, even Lance, he treats them as much as peers as he does his own generation, it’s cute.

Also, this is kinda random but I swear Nico and Max were kind of friendly in the early years? Max has known Nico a long time, despite the age difference (he said he remembered glasses Nico used to wear at like 7, and Nico once went out with his mum?), Nico was on the jet with Max on his birthday in…2017? And I think there’s a picture of Max having flown with some guys (including both Nicos in 2016) and for some reason I’ve always had the idea that Hulkenberg was his link to that whole crew? (Idk if this whole friendship is a headcanon but for some reason I feel like these two are/were kinda connected)

But yeah, agree. Grown men acting like little bitches. That generation I think was the last generation with real bitterness between the drivers, though. Idk you wouldn’t catch me being a jerk to a kid but I’ve never been terrified of a kid before so 🤷‍♀️

[myrtles-and-blood]

𖤓 Lucifer, the Light Bringer, Prince of Hell 𖤓

This is pretty long and corny, it's mostly for Lucifer and that's it. In case someone relates.

The freedom from your arms, bloody wings. A leap without faith, unbearable agony.

But the floor does not keep me for long. There is no bone that does not heal, there is no body that does not fight to live.

Without you I am everything I have never been, I finally cry with joy.

Quick poem without any pattern for Lucifer, but I would spend all my time writing for him. There's no special occasion for this offering.

I wanted to make this as a way of describing how I see him. He's very tall and lean, usually with a black suit and depends if he has his jacket on or not. Long black straight hair, and his eyes appear for me in many colors (red, blue, gold, black, and sometimes he mimics my eye color, so a blue/green weird color). He's very pale and has sharp features, and as we know he is very handsome, too.

I think I talked about this before but this is my blog and I do what I want:

I met Lucifer when I was really stressed because I couldn't write something for an assignment. I thought about writing about christian mythology because I started having a really hard interest in it.

I was having yet another faith crisis, but I did feel a heavy, tall presence on the right side of my bed. I was writing about Lucifer here, so I kind of thought it was him. I was extremely nervous, shaking and I just couldn't look at him (where I thought he was).

So I asked him (trying to appear normal about the situation) to help me write this, put some creativity in my head, I don't know, something.

I'm not gonna post it here, but I am really, really proud of it, and I got the highest score and a really good note from my teacher. I thanked him, of course, but that was it.

He appeared one or two more times randomly. However, he was living rent free in my head all the time, every day. There was not a day I didn't think about him. I started reading info about him, started to look into books about him, fiction about him that wasn't shit, but I didn't have time for anything.

One day I got tired. I couldn't think without thinking of him, and I was going nuts. So I told him (reinterpretation of the situation, he is very different now and there's a context behind his words)

"Hello, you have been in my head for a long time, and I want you to help me with —— because I think we have a pretty good connection and, to be honest, I just can't stop thinking about you"

He told me "Good, good. I'm fine with it. I'm not going to do anything, though. Do whatever you feel like you want to do, and we'll see how that turns out. I don't think you're gonna last a week, you're weak about all of this"

"That is... rude. I don't know, I don't trust myself much on this but I want to try"

"If you don't trust yourself, why would I trust you? Again, do whatever you want and call me if you need me, but I don't want you to waste my time like you've done before with others. I have better things to do than being around someone as irresponsible as you with your own time" and he was gone.

He caught me with a really good humor, because I took that as a base to get started. I finally made his altar (it's very small and cramped but he thinks it's nice), and talked to him a lot. I insisted I wanted some signs because I thought I was going crazy, and since then I've been seeing white and grey feathers everywhere I go to cheer me up.

He listens to me, he likes to listen to my opinion and likes when I want to hear his advice. He cares when I tell him something when I'm stressed and gives me great advice. He likes roses and I like drying them so he can always have some in his altar. I never liked the sun much but since I met him, the light feels different. I have a place to cry, and stars to look at, because they look back at me. I have someone that smiles when they look at me, and I have the best source of inspiration in the world.

I still think I sound extremely crazy, I hate being corny, but he's just really nice to be around. He's dad 🫶🏼

I hope that anyone that wishes to work with him has the best experience, because he is the best.

Ave Lucifer 🌌

[strawberryblondebutch]

I’m catholic but I’ve never really believed in the concept of a pope - like an old man telling me what to do? No thanks. But I will say Francis was the closest thing we had to a true catholic in a while (maybe ever idk I don’t know all the popes’ histories). Everyone calling him a socialist like that isn’t what a true catholic should be. I am actually concerned on who they pick like what if they go to back to the extreme conservative side? He really did make some crazy waves during his run (divorcees and gays being allowed in the church, actually acknowledging the sexual abuse in the church, the “true catholic” stance on migration, etc). It really is kind of a big loss

I think non-Catholics tend to put more weight on the position of Pope (especially the modern Pope) than those who practice. Not everything the Pope says off the cuff is infallible. The ideal Pope is a great spiritual leader, who models what the Church is supposed to be to its followers, and that was where Francis excelled. He never got away from his central belief: that people have inherent dignity. For some reason, this made a portion of the Catholic populace very angry, because it did not gel with their evangelical-touched carceral politics.

Obviously, I knew that this was coming. The man was 88 years old, was missing a large portion of his lung, and had been battling pneumonia. But considering how much hate seems to rule Western politics, it's an immense loss that we no longer have such a major figure who wanted us to be fucking nice to each other.

I think it is unlikely (I will not say impossible, but unlikely) that the next Pope is an archconservative. Francis's long tenure meant that he got to set up the College of Cardinals in his image. The strongest traditionalist voices are already abrasive and disliked on a personal level for the cults of personality they have amassed (again, see Burke - for all he commands the American attention, he was stripped of nearly all his Vatican influence because he's just such a miserable person to be around). But, if we see a swing back, it will likely be another European moderate who keeps his head down, which would be a loss in its own right.

At the end of the day, I'll say what I've always said. The right wing of the Church wants nothing more for people like me to leave. They want to force out all the queer Catholics, the progressives, the Christian anarchists. The bravest thing you can do is stand your ground, look them in the eye, and say, "You leave first."

[notsoattractivearenti]

Family Day Out (Christian Pulisic x Fem!Reader)

WC: 1.1K

Warnings: none

A/N: wrote one to feed dad!puli nation 🤭 didn’t proofread this and since i wrote it pretty quickly it may not be that good, so apologies in advance 🙂 hope you guys enjoy and i’d love to hear your thoughts thru ask/reply/reblog 🫶🏻 apologies for any grammatical errors! feedbacks are highly appreciated 🤍

—

On a Saturday afternoon, Christian brought your little family to the Pulisic Stomping Grounds. Your children, 6 year-old Luca and 1 year-old Lucia, were wearing their USMNT home kit with ‘Daddy’ and number 10 on their jerseys – Christian customized those jerseys and chose Daddy instead of Pulisic because he thought it would be cuter, and he was right.

Luca and Christian – and sometimes you – play all the time at home. Your house has a small football pitch in the backyard – sometimes Luca would bring his friends to play there. Luca already said he wanted to follow his dad’s footstep to be a professional football player, and both you and Christian are very supportive of his dream – especially Christian, he cried out of happiness the day Luca told him.

Luca is taking every advantage he has of having a professional football player as a father. He loves to watch every game Christian has played in and practices his techniques whenever he can. Christian is very proud of his son and tries his best to help him reach his full potential – no matter how tired he may be, if his son asks him to train him, he will do it in a heartbeat.

When he built the Pulisic Stomping Grounds, not only did he want people – especially kids who love football – to put the stomping ground to good use, he also envisioned him bringing his kids there and happily playing football together. Now the day he has been waiting for has come, and he couldn’t be more excited.

—

Luca was so excited to finally play football with his dad at the stomping grounds. Because your family doesn’t live in Miami, you didn’t get to visit it so often. Luca was the one who decided to wear the kit because he wanted to make it feel like actual training – he even begged his parents to wear the jerseys too, so you and Christian did.

“Come on, Daddy! What is taking so long???” Impatient Luca shouted from the front door.

“Okay, okay,” Christian grabbed the car keys and calmly walked towards the door, “let’s go, buddy.”

—

Finally arriving at the stomping ground, Luca immediately got out of the car and ran into the field. He had been holding his favorite ball all the way to the stomping ground, and once he got on the field, he started running and kicking the ball around.

“Mommy, Daddy, Lulu, let’s go!”

“Hey, don’t start without me!” Christian ran towards Luca and started playing with him.

Lucia saw her dad and brother and immediately went to join them. You were behind her and were ready to catch her – she just started walking so you were being cautious. Christian saw little Lucia was coming and as she reached his legs, he picked her up.

“Lulu, do you want to kick the ball?” Christian asked her, and she said “ball” in response.

He then held her close to the ground and walked her near the ball.

“Look, it’s the ball… Kick it around sweety!”

He then swung her little by little, made her feet touch the ball and was able to move it.

“Oh good girl! That’a a great kick!” He sounded proud.

You filmed it on your phone, and Luca was cheering at the back.

“Great job, Lulu!” Luca clapped his hands.

—

“Mommy… While Daddy’s with Lulu, do you want to play with me?” Luca asked you.

“I would love to! Come on!” You accepted his offer.

You love to play football – not professionally like your husband does, but you can definitely play – and you did some touch and passing exercise with your son.

Christian couldn’t help but pay good attention to what you were doing. He would throw some compliments and advice once in a while.

“Whoo, Mommy, nice touch honey!” – when the kids are around, he calls you “Mommy”.

“Look at that pass! That’s my son!”

“Try practicing more on your left foot!”

—

“Daddy!” Luca called his dad.

“What’s up, buddy?”

“I want to play with you now!”

Christian looked at you before agreeing – he wanted to play with Luca but only if you were okay with taking over Lucia during.

You nodded, letting him know it was good.

He grinned. “Of course! Let’s go, pal!”

He then handed Lucia to you, ran towards Luca and started playing right away. You and your little girl were watching the boys playing from the side, cheering them on.

—

That afternoon was a lot of fun. No one was around but four of you – your little family spent a really nice time there.

Luca and Christian were screaming and laughing a lot during, and they played for quite a while – they seemed to truly enjoy the game. Luca got to nutmeg his dad a few times and Christian would act like he was annoyed by it.

“Bud, stop doing that to me!” He jokingly protested.

Luca giggled – he was very proud of himself.

Not only that, Luca would tackle Christian and Christian would playfully fall to the ground.

“Ouch!” Christian groaned as he fell.

“Daddy!” Luca laughed. “Get up!”

When Luca finally scored a goal against Christian, he was beyond happy. Christian pretended to be disappointed at the goal, then praised him for it.

“Mommy, look, I made a goal!” Luca shouted at you to proudly tell you about the goal.

“What a shot! Good job, baby!” You cheered him on.

Christian came over to him to give a high five, but Luca ran into a corner flag and kicked it just like his dad did when he scored a goal against Mexico in Nations League semifinals. You and Christian were surprised then laughed it out.

“Hey, that’s my move! I taught you that!”

—

After spending some time there, it was finally time to go home. Your kids were exhausted but they had a great time.

On the way home, the kids fell asleep. Christian looked at the rearview mirror and smiled, admiring his babies.

“You had a lot of fun today, yeah?” You said.

“I mean, I got to spend time with my family at my stomping ground. Of course I had fun!” He excitedly agreed.

“So, what do you think of Luca?” You asked him.

“He is about to be a great player, even better than me.” He answered.

“That kid has a huge potential, honey. I’m very proud of him.”

“Right? Well he learned from the best.” You winked at him.

He chuckled. He then grabbed your hand and kissed it.

“I love you. And I love our family. Thank you for our wonderful and perfect kids, Y/N. They are amazing because of you.”

—

taglist: @pulisicsgirl @neverinadream @masonspulisic @swimmingismywholelife @chelseagirl98 @bracedes @lovelynikol16 @thoseboysinblue @lizzypotter14 @mortirolo @masonsrem

[prolifeproliberty]

As we enter Lent and many Christians are setting aside additional time for prayer and devotions, it’s a great time for Christian women to talk about head covering in the context of 1 Corinthians 11.

”Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.“

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

If we read this carefully, we do not see any evidence that this passage was only meant for the church at Corinth. Paul specifically says “every woman” and “every man.”

The argument that head covering was the norm in Corinth also doesn’t make sense, as Paul refers to traditions being delivered to the church at Corinth by him. Why would he be delivering a local Corinthian pagan custom as a tradition? We also don’t actually have historical or archeological evidence that head covering was the norm for Corinth.

It’s also not specifically a modesty issue, as the instruction for women to cover is connected to the doctrines of headship and order of creation. If it were a modesty issue, instructing men to uncover wouldn’t make sense.

In addition, when we look at church history surrounding this topic, we can see that head covering was the normative practice for nearly every Christian church from the 1st century to the 1960s, when feminist groups like NOW pressured churches to end the practice and staged protests during church services, like one where women went to Communion, removed their hats, and left them on the communion rail.

So for about 1900 years, Christian women around the world covered their heads at least during church services and prayer, if not all the time. Then in the 1960s feminists decided we shouldn’t do that anymore.

I began covering my head during prayer a little over a year ago now. At first, I wore coverings during church and Bible study, and would also put them on for private prayer and devotion time. Now I cover almost full time, mostly because it’s easier and it encourages me to pray more throughout the day, rather than just at designated times.

If you are interested in exploring head covering, The Head Covering Movement has a lot of great additional reading and resources, and their Instagram is full of beautiful examples of what head covering can look like.

For getting started, I recommend wide headbands or nice bandanas/square scarves that are simple and don’t necessarily call attention to the fact that you are covering. Mantilla veils can be a beautiful option for church services and home devotions. I personally like bandanas and larger scarves like the ones from The Scarf Bar. But you can find what you like and what works for you!

I’m not here to guilt or pressure anyone into covering, but I feel the need to share what I have learned about it and invite the Christian women who follow my blog to read 1 Corinthians 11 carefully and listen to what Scripture says about it. Study it, study the church history, and pray about it.

And of course, please feel free to ask questions!

[symboslug]

(Part 2 out of 4 probably)

If you haven't read the first part, you should probably read part 1 beforehand. The first part also talks a bit about Cadoc's orientation and whereabouts.

4. Mojmír, Moravian vampire that used to be a woodcarver (mid-late Great Moravian empire so like mid/late 9th century)

Mojmír belongs to @havrani-otec by the way!!

Cadoc going by Oleg traveled with Varyags to Moravia (nowadays southeast of Czech Republic). It was supposed to be just one of the stops on their trade route but Cadoc decided that his group should stay there for longer. His reason was a small village where he wanted to stir some conflicts and also a creature he found in the local woods at night. The creature was Mojmír, who used to be human just like the other villagers.

Cadoc's and Mojmír's relationship was full of intense hate-love. They were mostly arguing because of their different worldviews and even their differences as species- Mojmír being once human brought back to life, Cadoc not being human to begin with. Sometimes it seemed like they could sustain something like a relationship but then they'd go back to hating eachother to the bone (but still sleeping in the same bed y'know).

As the Magyars came, Cadoc left Mojmír and they've never seen eachother again.

(Since this part of lore is made through a dialogue, I don't really have much info to tell…yet)

5. Magyar raider István (early 10th century)

Magyars came and Oleg/Cadoc was threatened by the Magyars. As raiders they wanted him dead. Cadoc told them he's not a local (at least he tried to say that) and that he can fight. His ability to fight Cadoc showed almost immediately when he started attacking the villagers that used to be his neighbors. The raiders accepted him as their own and István became his guide. Cadoc manipulated the raiders to be even more violent that before they met him, the only raider that wasn't affected by Cadoc's ideas was István.

István was really nice to him, he tried to teach Cadoc (that used to be called Oleg and was called Oguz by István) some Hungarian phrases. Cadoc found him annoying, he was killing villagers just if he was ordered by the other raiders to do so and not because he indulged in it. You could even call István a peaceful individual that rather wants to take care of horses and he didn't see Cadoc as a raider but only as a foreign visitor. Even though Cadoc didn't like him that much, he still did some acts of service for him and István interpreted that as acts of affection.

One day István started to protest to his fellow raiders that he doesn't want to kill anyone ever again. The wrath-blinded raiders decided to murder him for his disobedience. The night afterwards Cadoc decided to bury István's mutilated body and leave the Magyar raiders for good.

6. Romanian/Bijelo Brdo culture vampire Alin (mid 10th century)

As Cadoc left the Magyars, he travelled alone down south until he reached the south Carpathians. There, in the mountains, in an isolated cottage he found Alin. Cadoc just wanted to find some people but it didn't take long for him to realize that Alin was a vampire. Cadoc introduced himself as Oguz and told Alin that he can help them with tasks around their cottage. Alin knew from their first meeting that Cadoc/ Oguz is not a human.

When Cadoc realized that Alin is a vampire, he thought they'd be just like Mojmír and that he could feel that pure wrath and hatred once again, so he decided to attack Alin at night to test his theory. Unexpectedly for Cadoc, Alin didn't even try to fight back and just told him: “Do what you need to do, I don't deserve to live in the Lord's world anyways”. Alin used to be pagan before turning into a vampire and after the change converted to Christianity. They thought that the Lord gave them the vampiric second life as a second chance to undo their sins and believed that Cadoc had that chance too. Cadoc felt bad for Alin but also felt very “hungry” while looking at them, that actually was just a crush on them. He wanted to taste their blood but then felt bad because of thinking about hurting them because Cadoc saw them as weak. He stuck around Alins's cottage for almost a year, helping them with chores that required Alin being in direct sunlight. Cadoc even told Alin the truth about his name and the fact that he's not Magyar at the slightest.

One evening Cadoc proposed an idea to Alin of him staying there for good to protect them. Alin replied with: “I fear we shouldn't be together, Cadoc. We should rather contemplate our sins of the past separately. Then we can go to the kingdom of God together,” and told Cadoc to leave their home the next day.

[atheistcartoons]

Islam for Beginners I: "Now Do Muslims!"

Because I often criticise Christianity, some Christian friends have suggested, "Now do Muslims!" They join a chorus of similar anonymous grumbles. I criticise Islam (and Hinduism and Judaism and others) regularly but they only notice when their religion is put under the spotlight.

The right-wing Christian obsession with trashing Muslims is also a recurring problem among stand-up comedians. Both popular light entertainer Dara O’Briain and tortured sarcastic intellectual Stewart Lee were forced to address it in their sets.

As someone who writes satirical articles about the Catholic Church, I also write satire about Islam but not in a way that Christian critics would like. I get the recurring impression that well-researched, well-written Islamic-themed comedy is not what they’re looking for at all.

O’Briain and Lee and myself wrangle with Christianity because we come from Christian traditions. We know exactly which parts of the religion are ridiculous and which parts we can discuss with confidence. Sometimes I feel like nothing will satisfy the "Now do Muslims" crowd except hateful invective.

Muslims

Segal's Law states that a man with a watch knows what time it is but a man with two watches is never sure. Talk to one Muslim and you think you’ll have a handle on Islam. Talk to two and you will never be sure.

There are wildly divergent interpretations about even the most generic aspects of Islam. Whenever you read “Muslims think X...” or hear “Muslims believe Y...” there is a great chance that whatever follows will be wrong. An example is when the leadership of Al-Qaida thought the problem with Iran is they’re too pro-American. There is no way to shove this into any standard Western narratives of “what Muslims think”.

A recent survey of Indian Muslims revealed that 6% of them don’t believe in a god. This was around twice the percentage of Hindus and Christians who gave the same answer. Indian Muslims don’t have to worry about atheism, however. The same survey revealed that (nearly 20%) more of them think avoiding pork is more important to Islam than believing in a god.

In the West, we have been trained to see “Muslims” as a monolithic block of opinion. Whenever we see them on the news, it’s usually because some of them have been out murdering again. These people are often referred to as “hardcore Muslims” or “Muslim fundamentalists”. We are being nudged towards the conclusion that the more violent Muslims are, the closer they are to the “real” Islam. There is not much evidence to support that conclusion.

In 2015, Muslims in India (which has the third-largest population of Muslims in the world) demonstrated in support of France during the Islamist attacks in Paris. Muslims in the Maghreb will be less tolerant of France’s shenanigans. It’s not coherent, therefore, to say that “Muslims” either support France or don’t support France. Some do and some don’t and these positions will be driven by politics more than religion.

"Now Do Muslims!"

I will! This is the first article in a series I will post throughout Ramadan called "Islam for Beginners" (some of which will be based on articles I wrote for OnlySky Media). They will deal with the most sensitive and salient issues I see among Western commentators. I have done lots of research (including reading the entire Koran) and read lots of commentaries and spoken to lots of Muslims and boiled it all down into nice Tumblr-post-sized chunks.

Disclaimer 1: If you expect to read a defence of Islam as if it were based on some universal or demonstrable truth, you will be disappointed. I reject any and all supernatural claims made by everyone and everything in Islam. Disclaimer 2: If you expect to read excoriating diatribes trashing Muslims, or glib mockery, you will also be disappointed. I’m not interested in enabling racists or xenophobes.

Western media has at best neglected Islam and Muslims and at worst intentionally misrepresented them. We may not be there yet, but I’d like to nudge the public discourse towards a place where Islam can be robustly criticised without accusations of bigotry and the human rights of Muslims can be robustly defended without accusations of Islamist apologism. At the very least, I'm hoping to start some interesting conversations.

[burnt-scone]

Oh no, seeing the traumatized and injured people of Gaza makes you uncomfy?

We can't have almost 60, if not more, family trees being wiped from existence, making you uncomfortable. No, we can't have that. Those bloodlines, generations burned off the face of the planet, how rude of of people lifting their voices, because you feel bad.

Here, let me fluff your pillows in your nice, warm, and safe bed. Do you need a snack, a glass of clean water. Poor you. You must be so uncomfortable hearing about all those people who are now the last person in their family, the last person who lived on their block. The children, all alone, hurt and scared. They understand horrors you couldn't even handle the sight of through a screen. Must be so upsetting to look that 6 year old in the eye as all he wants is his mommy and daddy back.

Poor fucking you. I hope you're uncomfortable. That's a good thing. That's that crumb of empathy deep down in your empty soul. It hurts for the people in Gaza even though you don't want to because you ride the dicks of propaganda. You fear picking up a fucking history book.

And no, it's not antisemitic to be against a corrupt government funded by other historically corrupt governments. It's not antisemitic to be against Genocides. Stop trying to weaponize morality.

"Oh, (Palestinians) are everything anti-(Jews/Israel), we should get rid of them. They're not even human. In the name of G/d, we should eradicate them. They brought it on themselves."

Now, isn't that argument familiar? Replace "Palestinians" with "Jew" and "Jews/Israel" with Germany or literally Europe. That was the argument Hitler made. He convinced Germany and the church to start the Holocaust. He claimed Jewish people were corrupting Germany and the Christian way of life. They were causing the stock market to crash, and they caused the Great Depression.

Obviously, that was wrong. It was obviously excuses to commit ethnic cleansing and Genocide. And that's what's happening now in Palestine.

Hamas is not in the West Bank, which is fact, but that isn't stopping Israel from murdering thousands. Every heinous air strike on a school or hospital that try and say "Oh their were like 5 members of Hamas on the roof."

Bullshit. You don't need an airstrike on a few guys on the roof of a hospital. Especially if you aimed for the lower levels of the building.

I am Jewish, and I am not antisemitic. I do not see this as a Judaism vs. Islam situation. This is a corrupt power-hungry colonies government vs. innocent people.

We were not supposed to even be settled there yet. No messiah = no return to Jerusalem. This is just a fight over power and land, and I'm tired of the excuses being "Jews," "Judaism," "Jerusalem," "Judea," "Antisemitic," etc... because that's a stupid and horrible excuse.

How often throughout history has religion and culture been the excuse to try and kill us, to keep us in ghettos, to make us carry identification to show we are Jewish. Do you not realize Israel turned around and did the same thing to Palestinians? Before and after WW1, Jewish people lived peacefully in Palestine alongside Islamic peoples and Christian peoples. During WW2, Palestine protected Jewish people. But then, after everything England and the Israeli Colony pushed 20,000 Palestinian peoples into a tiny space (basically a fucking Ghetto) and to enter Israel they have to carry papers and Identification to show they are Palestinians.

I don't understand how people don't see the sad irony in all of this. It's heartbreaking. And I'm so tired of excuses.

Those children didn't provoke anything, it is Palestinian's home, it was colonization, and it's not religious or civilians' fault. It is those in power, it's those with too much power, too many funds, and too many weapons.

Free Palestine, free the children before there are none.

[erisxdrifter]

Ok, so things pointing to Drifter being Christian… used to there was a gun you could get from Gambit, called Servant Leader, which I searched the meaning of. It means encouraging diversity of thought, creating a culture of trust, having an unselfish mindset, fostering leadership in others, and this is something I got in a search result,

What does servant leader mean Bible?

Servant-leadership serves others by investing in their development and well being for the benefit of the common good. Thus a good Christian servant-leader serves God through investing in others so that together they may accomplish a task for Gods glory.

Drifter has done things to help others without seeking a reward, like in season of plunder, he helped and told the Guardian not to give him any of the gold. And btw I believe Drifter is poor. There have been multiple times he’s said that he’s hungry, and he also doesn’t really have his own place to live. He pays rent to the Vanguard so he can live in the Tower, and he eats random gross stuff or has to steal food. He helped when the Pyramids first arrived, he helped deal with Eramis, and he also was trying to help Eido when she was upset at her dad for not telling her about his past, Drifter was trying to help her without bossing her around. He also once said to Spider, “I ain't the man to tell anyone what to do.”, showing that he does not believe he is higher or better than others, even though he is very powerful.

The Drifter has been fostering leadership in the Guardian, encouraging them to make the decisions, Drifter has been creating a culture of trust with Eris, he normally does not trust others or opens up to them, but lately he's been opening up and trusting Eris, which she really appreciated, and that means a lot because normally Eris is kinda sad and depressed about everything. Drifter has been kind and comforted Misraaks when he was upset because of how he’d done bad things in the past, and Drifter told him that what you do now matters more than what you did in the past. And another time Saint-14 said the same type of thing to Misraaks, and Drifter responded saying, “Amen, brother.”, and I don’t think that’s a normal thing for people to say in video games, but Drifter said it.

Drifter has also related to Misraaks, saying how everyone has something that keeps them up at night and has done something they are not proud of, and there have been times in the past Drifter did something that wasn’t great, but he obviously regrets it. And once Drifter lived in a village of people who didn’t have the light. He helped them to find food, but they didn’t know it was him helping, and he never told them. He helped them without seeking praise or glory, and instead another person in the village got the praise.

And used to, Drifter hated his Ghost, because it brought him back and Drifter was miserable and always starving to death and being brought back just so he can starve again or die some other way again. But then in a piece of lore, the description for it was, “Had a face like the end-times and eyes like manna in the desert. One look at him and I knew I wasn’t gonna be saved.”, which had nothing to do with the lore the description was on, but on that lore Drifter actually was being nice to his Ghost. So he made a drastic change from hating his Ghost, to calling it his friend. And he made a Biblical reference with manna in the desert, and who else would he be talking about besides God? Because who else is saving people? And I think that after that piece of lore Drifter became a much kinder person, to his Ghost and to others. Here’s part of the lore where he’s being nice to his Ghost,

Above him, the derelict descended. His Ghost flinched slightly as the ship’s engines kicked up a whirlwind of dust. Drifter cooed softly to his friend. “I love this job.”

And another part,

Drifter’s Ghost expanded and it’s eye went wide. It did this instead of laughing. It couldn’t laugh. “shut up. Shut up, you idiot.” Drifter waved his friend away.

And another thing. Drifter has had many different names, one was Eli, which is a Biblical name. And there’s a gun that seems like it was Drifters, and on the side of the gun is a picture of a crane. And I searched the meaning of the crane, and it represents balance, harmony, respect, immortality, grace, devotion, and the crane has been featured in Christian art for centuries (plus, cranes eat a lotta stuff in the wild, same with how Drifter eats all sorts of stuff, pointing to the crane representing Drifter).

So there is a lotta random stuff that points towards Drifter being a Christian. Anywho, if you read all this, thanks a ton and I hoped you enjoyed it :) Feel free to leave a comment on your thoughts, but I will just go ahead and say, I am not trying to get into a big argument. If you wanna have a discussion that's cool though 👍

[imapuppy5000]

Story about Vlk’s Backround and some of her time in hell. It’s a bit messy and jumps around a bit but it’s all I could manage.

Vlk

Vickey snarled in rage as the cop drew his gun. Mary had been shot already and had fallen back, leaving Vickey alone with the two officers. She held ‘her’ captive tightly by her wrist before making an inarticulate noise of fury and throwing the girl at the officers.

“There. F—kin give me my kid back!” She spat. “Both of em.”

The first officer pulled the teen behind her and directed her outside of the house while the other kept Vickey at gunpoint.

“You aren’t getting them back.” He growled darkly, eyes narrowed and body tense.

That wouldn’t do. “I am.” She sneered. In a moment her dagger was free from her boot and she was charging the officers. Two shots rang out, she dropped.

Her breathing was ragged for a few moments before it stilled and she went limp.

The new officer carefully crept forward and poked her with a foot while his partner kept her at gunpoint. She didn’t move. Their guards dropped slowly and the man lowered his gun. Vickey’s eyes flicked up. She grabbed his ankle and yanked him to the ground, slashing his throat with her knife. There was a boom and she blinked.

The world around her was a hazy red, a pentagram above. Around her were screams and gunshots and honking. It was all too much. Carefully she examined her surroundings and came to the grim understanding of where she was. Hell.

Hell was a lot like the world of the living: taxes, rent, overpriced apartments, jobs, the whole shebang. Sure it was a little more violent than earth was but she didn’t mind too terribly. She was a sinner, she knew it. With all the lives she had taken, things she had stolen, and people she had hurt, she knew her good acts couldn’t make up for it. But that was okay.

She fit in decent enough and had recently secured a job in a club, making a pretty penny dancing. She knew how to woo men and women alike, she knew how to manipulate people to get the most from them and these being degenerates only made it easier. After all, it was easier to convince a sex addict to blow some money on a lap dance than it was a good Christian.

Of course she looked different but the tail was nice to have (good for balance on the poles) and the fur hid a majority of her scars from life. The self inflicted ones did hurt now though, which sucked. Mostly because she could never feel pain so having it now was odd and uncomfortable. Luckily, new wounds or blows still didn’t hurt. The one scar that wasn’t hidden was on her back, it was new. She guessed it to be the exit wound of the bullet that killed her. She had another on her hip that was barely visible where one of the bullets had entered and (presumably) shattered her hip. The one lodged in her collarbone was hidden by fur: as were the ones Mary and victims had inflicted on her.

Along with her differing appearance she sported a new name, Vlk. She wanted to leave her old life behind her. She wanted to forget it ever existed. Mary, her partner and the love of her life, was immortal so despite their sins they wouldn’t be joining her down here. And Lilith, her adopted daughter and everything, was far too sweet to be sent down here. She’d be in heaven where she belonged. Layla would probably join her eventually but the two never got along and would probably stay their separate ways. That being said, she had no ties to the living and wanted it to be striped from her completely. New look, new name, new job… new life.

Speaking of her job she had recently caught the eye of a moth demon. He spoke in an accent that annoyed her and the way he talked to her was the way she talked to others she was trying to manipulate into bed. Even still she went along with it, played his game, and took the money he offered. The propositions to join him at his studio didn’t take all that long to start. He said she’d make a great actor. And she would. She acted with Mary all the time when the god wanted her. Her lack of being able to feel pain and affinity to blood was also a great thing to have with some of the kinks these demons had. He offered her a nice paycheck and, to sweeten the deal, a paid apartment. She happily took him up on the deal even if the apartment was sub par.

The movies were rough and she was bored of this but it wasn’t like she wasn’t used to it. Mary played these games too. She could suck it up. She made Valentino plenty of money, even not being the most popular she was the most versatile and could be used in pretty much anything he needed. The variety was nice, though not nice enough to keep her entertained for long. Sex was never something she liked all that often, even if she was good at it. And she was. She knew exactly what to do and how to cater to individuals, how to read signs and adjust based on them. She could easily figure out if someone was dominant or submissive with a simple conversation and, much like her partner in life, often used that to her advantage.

What she couldn’t figure out is why Valentino was so interested in one of the other actors, a demon named Angel Dust. He was probably the most popular by far. Vlk could understand the attraction but why did Valentino care for him so deeply? Why was he the favorite toy? For a few months Vlk had assumed the feelings were of jealousy, that she wanted to be the favorite like she was with Mary. But after a while she had come to learn that she didn’t care if she was the favorite. She’d really rather not be. What she was feeling was… concern? Concern for a grown man, a sinner, a willing pornstar. That had never happened before and it caught her off guard. Maybe it was because he so clearly didn’t want to do some of, if not all, the things he was made to. Maybe it was because he was trying to get better, something all the demons at the studio knew of and mocked him for. Maybe he reminded her of herself when she was helpless and scared. Whatever the reason she was concerned about him. Everytime he had to cover marks in makeup or the limp he so desperately tried to hide after a long night.. it all worried her. It made her angry? At her boss.

But dwelling on it brought up confusing feelings and she was never one to try and deal with those. She’d rather pop some painkillers or sleeping meds and just check out. Not that she had any sort of drug to ignore the happenings about her— they were too expensive and she was trying to avoid overdosing… again. So she didn’t get any. She just learned that if she went into work and worked full force she’d eventually forget her feelings. And when she was under a certain rough moth she tended to blank on those feelings too. She was quick to become a stand in for Angel. When the spider was at the hotel she was the one called on. She made a point of putting on a show, slowly drawing Valentino’s attention away from Angel Dust. When she saw the overlord was getting antsy and clearly yearning to sink his grimy little claws in Angel, Vlk would approach the moth seductively, keep his focus on her, and (unfortunately) eventually bed him.

Angel seemed relieved that he wasn’t used as often and his thankful face the first time he realized what Vlk was doing did make her feel a bit better about doing it. He had smiled. The first time she had seen him do so without his fake and gaudy persona. It was beautiful. She shot him a sympathetic smile back before the door closed and she was left alone with the stupid moth again.

Let it be clear: despite her not hating him, she did not like Valentino. He was everything she hated in a person but she couldn’t bring herself to feel that strong of an emotion towards him. She was indifferent to his existence. She’d rather he didn’t exist, sure, but everyone would rather that. Except maybe Vox and Velveete. She wasn’t special in that regard. Unfortunately, when the wall blew down and raiders rushed the studio Vlk was put in an interesting position that made it seem she had a lot more loyalty to her boss then she truly did.

Val had been with a young teen. A hellborne. Vlk didn’t like that one bit but she had been restrained before she could bite off her boss’s head. When the attack happened it was clear who the gangsters were going after and Vlk panicked. The teen, Harley, had been immediately thrust in front of Valentino as a human shield. She was vulnerable and terrified and that look… it was just a quick moment as they made eye contact and Harley seemed to beg for help. Vlk couldn’t say no to such desperation. She had leapt forward, form shifting in and out of focus as she dashed between the attackers and dispatched them one by one in a matter of seconds. Limbs were torn off, heads were the wrong way, and several fallen bodies had chunks torn out of them or bite marks littering their skin. When the noise settled and Vlk had calmed enough to return to her neutral form she had immediately rushed towards Harley and blurted, “Are you okay?!”

“Thanks to you I am.” Valentino had cooed, tossing Harley aside and grabbing Vlk’s face roughly. “You’re the only one that stayed to protect me. How sweet.”

Vlk struggled in his gasp but couldn’t pull away. Her eyes darted to Harley and she relaxed as she saw the teen slipping into a robe and mostly uninjured. Their eyes caught again. She was okay, if not a little terrified. She flashed Vlk a shaky, thankful, wave and skittered off, leaving the fox demon alone with Val.

A new proposal. Better pay. Less sex. She would spend most of her day acting as Val’s personal body guard and, on occasion she’d have to do a few movies. She accepted almost immediately. A body guard was a pretty nice job, if she had to say so. And getting to let off steam like that was an exciting prospect. The agreement was made but no deals were formed. Vickey had made a deal with a demon once. She knew better than to do it now that she was working with real and powerful demons. As a bodyguard she was working alongside a few hell hounds. But she didn’t mind that. They seemed alright. Another bonus was that Val had made Vlk to escort Angel to and from the hotel. She was pretty sure it was to make sure the demon kept coming back to work but Val insisted it was to ‘protect him’ and ‘keep other whores off of him.’

The reason this was a bonus? It helped Vlk get to know more about Angel and the hotel. She liked its premise. She liked that he fought so hard for betterment. She would ask his progress on their walks and encourage him when he seemed down. A few times she had carried him back to the hotel after particularly rough nights. He had complained at first but eventually just accepted it so long as no one from work or the hotel saw. The poor guy had fallen asleep in her arms once, grimacing in pain every time she jostled him.

The familiar circumstances were not lost on her but she had also promised to forget Mary and thus pushed those thoughts and feelings aside. She was just helping a friend. At least.. she hoped they were friends. She hadn’t really made any in a long time. Harley and her were getting there but the younger seemed a bit scared of her. Fair enough.

[i-didnt-do-1t]

For the writing prompts can I get uhhh

One lot of Elmer and JoJo being best friends please

I am fine with anything abt those two but if you need smth more specific I love the dynamic of Elmer being atheist and JoJo being Christian but they're still best friends

One lot of Elmer and JoJo being best friends and causing problems on purpose! Thank you for the prompt! I hope this is okay :D

“I have an idea.” Elmer said, and that sentence alone was enough to drag a groan out of JoJo.

It would be unfair to say that all the trouble they got into landed squarely on Elmer’s shoulders alone, but he could unload about a solid eighty percent of it to him. JoJo just wasn’t a fan of causing problems, primarily because he knew he’d get a lecture from the nuns when they inevitably got wind of it, which he could account to Jack apparently, based of the raised eyebrow and knowing smirk he gave him last time when JoJo met his eyes over the Sister McGonagle’s shoulder as he’d finished his morning coffee.

That was embarrassing, and he wasn’t due a repeat for at least another week or two but tryna keep Elmer in line that long was more difficult than the other boys gave him credit for. Davey had once called him an enabler but JoJo wasn’t sure what that meant so he didn’t think it was true.

Elmer was real persuasive when he wanted to be, and Jojo was easily persuaded. It was just a bad combination but one that was impossible to tear apart.

“What?”

“Well, y’know how Davey has a ma an’ pa n’ all.”

This was going somewhere it probably shouldn’t.

“Yeah. What about it?”

“I says we get ourselves invited over for dinner huh? I bet his ma’s a real good cook.”

Jojo frowned. “Ain’t you got a mother?”

“Well, yeah, but I also got a million brothers, ain’t like there’s alotta food left for me by the time they all gets to it.”

“That’s fair.” He had to concede.

JoJo weighed up the consequences, cuz it weren’t like they’d be doing anything wrong persay, maybe pestering Dave a little but that wasn’t anything the other boys didn’t do on a daily basis, nothing that either of them could get in trouble over.

“So what’s the plan?” He asked and Elmer grinned.

“We just gotta be real nice to him all day, maybe throw in a line or two about how we ain’t been to a friends house in ages.”

JoJo was unimpressed.

“You think that’s gonna work?”

“Definitely.”

JoJo stared at him for a moment, assessing, wondering why the couldn’t just ask him if they could come over (Dave was a real decent guy) but Elmer just smiled at him again before he spat in his hand and held it out.

“It’ll go great. An’ I heard his big sister makes dessert sometimes.”

And Elmer shoulda led with that part, cause really that was all JoJo needed to hear.

They shook on it.

xxx

JoJo knew that Elmer wasn’t the most subtle person he ever met but this morning he was laying it on thick, Davey had barely got his papers when Elmer, from across the distribution centre, decided to start enacting his plan. Loudly.

“Hey Davey, yous real smart y’know that?”

David looked up from where he was counting his pile of papers, and he wasn’t the only one either, Jack at his side instantly narrowed his eyes, and Racetrack took one of those long drags of his cigar, mouth curling up to a smile around it as he glanced between Elmer and Dave.

“Alright.” Jack said and moved toward them, dragging David behind him by the upper arm despite his protests characterised by an eyeroll and then acceptance of his fate. “I’ll bite. What have you done to Dave?”

Elmer put that look on his face, the one that was pretending to be offended, so obviously fake because they all knew what his real offended expression looked like when they made fun of his selling.

“What? I can’t compliment Dave without an uh-“ he paused. Jojo just stared at him.

This was a sinking ship.

“Without a- what do you call those things? The motivater or somethin’”

David raised an eyebrow. “An ulterior motive?”

“Right yeah that. I can’t compliment you without one of those?”

“Not in that tone a’ voice you can’t.” Jack interjected.

“What tone a’ voice?”

Ah this was Jojo’s turn to interject before he dug himself a bigger hole he wouldn’t be able to climb out of so easy. He winced a little and shrugged apologetically. “You do have a voice.”

The betrayal in Elmer’s eyes was almost enough to make Jojo retract the statement.

“I thought we was in this together.”

“Okay, in what together?” Jack said. “What are you doing?”

“Actually nothing.” Jojo said. “An’ I know you ain’t gonna believe me but it’s Gods honest truth Jack and I wouldn’t ever lie bout that.”

What could he say it was his duty to protect his friends from their own dumb ideas.

Jack frowned. “You wouldn’t.”

“Me neither.”

“We all know you don’t believe in God Elmer.”

“Yeah. Well. You gonna hold that against a guy?”

“Okay, whatever it is I want it done now alright.” He clapped a hand on David’s shoulder in a way that made him lurch forward a little and then accept it as Jack swayed him back n forth, it reminded Jojo vaguely of the cat that Elmer had found a couple weeks back and kinda just held, hands under his two little front arms as the rest of him hung, swinging gently. “Dave’s got exams comin’ up, he don’t need to be dealin’ with your pranks as well.”

“We would never.” Elmer said, indignant, and Jojo found himself nodding sombrely in a agreement, even if their last prank on David had gone off without a hitch and had left him covered in flour.

“Yeah.” Jack said, in a voice that meant he definitely didn’t believe them. “I believe you.” He swayed David once again who just sighed and let it happen. “I’d watch your back Davey, y’know what they’re like.” He concluded and slapped him once, with enough friendly force to jolt him forward again and then turned away, wondering back to Race.

David stayed stood in front of them, an expectant look on his face.

It was JoJo that broke the silence eventually.

“You’re like a cat.” He said.

He always liked saying what was on his mind, apparently Elmer wasn’t fussed on his honesty.

Elmer elbowed him, voice low and hurried, “Jo that ain’t a compliment.”

“Only if you don’t like cats.”

David just looked confused.

Elmer for some reason, kept talking, apparently trying to pull this back. JoJo had already given up the act of trying not to seem suspicious.

“You like cats Dave?” Elmer asked.

“I like cats.”

“Then take that as a compliment.”

“You sure you have no ulterior motive?”

“None.” Jojo said before Elmer had the chance, and grabbed his arm, because at this point it was best to quit while they were ahead and he knew it was ironic that arguably the least harmful plan Elmer had come up with in a while was the one that got them caught before they even got to actually enact any of it. “Anyway if that’s all Davey we real best be headin’ on, the nuns said they was expectin’ us cause I forget somethin’ in church n’ told em’ I’d finally drag Elmer with me and you really shouldn’t leave a nun waitin’ it ain’t proper.”

And then he was pulling Elmer away before David even got the chance to respond because this plan was a bust, and if he was gonna be petty about it, he never thought it was a good plan to begin with.

“You’re dumb.” JoJo said, as they shuffled their way out of the distribution gate

“You’re dumb.”

“You’re dumber.”

“I got a new plan though.”

For the second time that day Jojo groaned, he already knew what his answer was gonna be.

[gins-potter]

Are you all caught up on the OC finales? What did you think?

I caught up today! I thought they were fine to really good!!

Med was really solid. Surprising no one I'm absolutely heartbroken that Will is leaving but I'm glad he went out in typical Will fashion, had a really nice scene with Sharon at the end, and we got Manstead endgame. Liliana and Dr Charles are back together! They're so flipping cute, I love that for them. Dasher are doing Dasher things, I had to LOL when Hannah was like HARD NO about dating Archer and he was so offended. I think Med's gonna return to somewhat normal next season, probs the first half will be dealing with whoever buys the hospital and convincing them to turn it not-for-profit again. The only question marks for me are whether Maggie and Dr Song stay. I think if they continue to do O.R 2.0 things, Dr Song will, and I think they've left it a bit open for Maggie depending on Marlynne's health and what she decides. I was a little surprised they didn't address it more in the finale about the possibility of her leaving since the episode before made it feel like much more of a sure thing. A solid episode!

Fire was... kinda meh if I'm being honest. Like it's not unusual for me to multi-task while I'm watching tv, but I still pay attention to what's happening with the plot, but I was dicking around on my phone while watching Fire and kept realising that I was fully not paying attention to what was going on and kept having to go back and rewatch. Like, it just felt like lots of talking ha ha. I think where we go from here is super dependent on whether Taylor comes back next season or not. Feels like they're setting up Carver and Violet, which I'm not against, but haven't fully let go of Carver in his feels over Stella either, so if T.K doesn't come back and Stellaride break up (BIG IF NO ONE THROW TOMATOES) they might continue to pursue that as well. I'm more and more on the Stella/Carver train (NO ONE HATE ME) so I'm super fine with those angsty looks he's sending her lmao. Super here for the little friendship between Kylie and Ritter and very keen for Kylie to become the new candidate (that has to be where this is going). Sylvie's adopting the baby, yay for her I guess, I mean, like I said in another ask, I'm pretty sure I know this is heading for a Kara exit, which I'm not opposed to, so I'm just very.... okay? about this storyline. It feels rushed, but it's fine, and I get a Brettsey endgame (probably) so fine. And Mouch... maybe I'm stupidly optimistic but I don't think he's dying. I think Christian is leaving the show, but I don't think Mouch is dying. Idek why tbh. It's a bit anticlimatic if he does die tbh. Like he didn't even get shot, it was a random piece of shrapnel. Idk, I think he'll probs survive and then retire. Maybe I don't think they'll kill him because it would mean that PD also has to change Trudy's characterisation over on that show. Like imagine her husband dies and they never even mention it on PD 💀💀💀

PD was the best episode imo. The pacing and writing was great, even though I'd seen bits and pieces of it already online I still felt drawn in by it and I really felt the tension. I felt like Adam, Kim, and Kevin all got to shine. Hailey and Voight not so much, sad for Hailey, get fucked Voight. Absolute snaps for Kevin getting to shoot that racist mother fucker, and I know he's just a kid but lmao fuck Callum. Fuck his mum too and I hope she goes down for some of this shit. One of my only question marks is why Torres wasn't in the ep? I can't tell if it's a weird writing choice to keep leaving him out of episodes or if the actor has some sort of other commitment keeping him from being in every episode, but I feel like they either need to commit to his character being part of the team, or drop him and bring someone who will be around all the time. Burzek slayed as always, inject that moment of Kim on the phone and absolutely sprinting to get to Adam into his veins. Kim in the ambulance, and at the hospital, "Are you his partner", "You're with Adam" "I'm with Adam" yeah girl you tell that bitch. You ARE with Adam. I mean, as with every other Burzek shipper I'm annoyed that they clearly filmed a Burzek scene at the hospital and then cut it. I hope they release it as a deleted scene at some point bc I need it. I've seen the theory that they cut it because it shows Adam's alright and Paddy might leave the show.... I mean.... maybe? I doubt it. It's more likely they cut it bc the show has a hard on for Hank Voight and wanted to end on him. I think it would have been a better ending to end with Burzek because it would have been a really full circle, cyclical ending from where they started the season, and the episode, but, what can you do? I'm sure someone will write the fic. Still, despite all that, a really great episode and end to this arc.

Sorry, this got long but yeah, those are my thoughts. Med 6/10, Fire 4/10, PD 8/10.