#merry x estella

[boromirswife]

I have been working on a mini add on mod for the Lord of the Rings: Realms in Exile mod for Crusader Kings 3 for ages. It mainly started as a way for me to develop my Boromir x OC story, but it’s turned into a really big mod with all kinds of additions.

I figured out how to add pet names for characters to use for their lovers/spouses/soulmates, and I added “little dove” specifically for Boromir to refer to Aeroniel. It makes moments like this even sadder 😭😭😭

[wintfleur]

just a little stella and rutgar fluff please i miss them ☹️

ꔫ sugar cookies and peppermint chapstick

°. — pairings ( Estella Hughes oc! X Rutger McGroarty )

°. — details ( g; so much fluff! w; kissing, I think that’s all. wc; 1.9k )

˖ ་ 💭 roro’s notes (MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY! 🎄Thank you so much for requesting this! I genuinely had so much fun writing this, definitely one of my favorite things I’ve ever written! There just so cute! I hope you enjoy it! Please don’t be a silent reader!! )

°. — I KNOW RUT IS IN SWEDEN BUT FOR THE SAKE OF THE FIC JUST PRETENDED HES NOT 🫶🏻

°. — ( feel free to send any requests of things you would like to see in this series, or if you just want to share some thoughts! I would absolutely love that! Please comment if you would like to be added to the tag list! )

au masterlist — you can find asks under #💌stellahughes!

°. — asks about stella and rut are under #⋆ ˚｡⋆୨🩷୧˚ stella & rut!

“How are you so good at that?” Rutger asked his girlfriend as he took a break from stirring the ingredients for some more sugar cookies, letting go of the plastic spatula to stretch his sore fingers from mixing. His eyes were trained on Stella who stood at the island, leaning forward as she carefully piped icing onto the batch of sugar cookies the couple had made earlier. 

The couple were alone at her brother's lake house, her brothers, their friends and her parents all out doing last minute Christmas shopping. The house was filled with the wonderful aroma of some Christmas candles Ellen had bought and the smell of the many batches of cookies they had made. If you looked outside the windows, you would see everything was covered with snow. And the faint sound of Christmas music playing from the radio on the counter made the home feel even more lovely. 

Stella stood straight and rolled her shoulders to ease them from being hunched over for so long, setting down the white icing bag on the counter and tilting her head to smile at him “Many years of practice, me and Luke were the only ones my mom would trust with helping her” stella scooped up the small drop of icing almost dropping out of the piping bag with her finger, bringing it up to her mouth to suck it off, smiling cheekily at rutger “Quinn and jack always ate all the ingredients. 

“You mean they were the ones that would get caught” Rutger laughed as he went back to mixing the dry ingredients, after they added the wet ingredients, he would soon have to use his hands. Stella laughed and moved away from the island, her slippers shuffling against the floorboards of the kitchen as she moved to stand next to him at the counter next to the oven. She leaned against his left side, resting her chin on his shoulder after she placed a soft kiss on his gray short sleeve clad shoulder. Her eyes glanced down at his flexing forearm from mixing before looking up at him with her brown doe eyes “Exactly.”

Rutger looks away from the Christmas themed mixing bowl and to his girlfriend, he gets lost in her enchanting eyes for a few moments before he gives her a small smirk “My sneaky girl” Stella feels her cheeks instantly warm up at the way he uttered his words. He felt his smirk turn to a grin when he noticed the way her cheeks flushed, Stella bumped her hip into his before stepping back from him. She refuses to walk into his trap and decides to go back to working on the cookies, not before landing a nice slap on his ass. Giggling quietly to herself at the sound of surprise leaving his lips. 

Rutger turns his head to look back at her, ready to complain how it's not fair that she can slap his ass, but he can't slap hers, she had made it clear before they got to the lake house that they can't be as touchy at the house. Stella already had her back faced to him as she looked down at the island, picking up a tree cookie cutter and a stocking one. “Christmas trees or stockings next?” 

“Christmas trees” Rutger picked between the two, knowing that she wants to do Christmas trees next by the way she said it. Stella smiles widely at his choice and sets the tree cookie cutter to the side while she puts the stocking one back in the bag with all the other cookie cutters the family had collected over the years. She cheerfully replies “Great choice” Rutger laughs and starts adding the wet ingredients, making sure to check the laminated piece of paper that had the family sugar cookie recipe. Stella took baking very seriously. 

The couple spent the next ten minutes or so singing along to the Christmas music playing, Stella finishing decorating the cookies and Rutger finishing up mixing the last batch of cookies. While rutger washed his hands from the access cookie dough from his hands, Stella started to roll the dough flat on the marble island, struggling to roll out the dough thoroughly. Rutger dry's his hands off with a towel, it of course being Christmas themed. He moves from the sink and stops to stand behind Stella, his chest pressing against her back as he moves his arms around her to take the dowel style rolling pin from her tired hands. 

Stella smiles and leans back against her boyfriend, his body heat comforting her, feeling the vibration of him humming along to the song on her back. Stella grinned when she noticed that she didn't have to remind Rutger how thin the dough should be rolled out, he had remembered. She tilts her head to look at his side profile, his eyes focused down as his arms flexed and rolled out the dough. She placed a kiss under his jaw, the action immediately making his cheeks flush. 

“What was that for?” Rutger mumbled shyly. 

“What do I need a reason to kiss my boyfriend now?” Stella sassily answered him with a question, raising her eyebrow to emphasize her words. Rutger laughs at her sassiness and places a soft kiss on her temple “Never.” 

“Oh, I love this song!” Stella excitedly exclaimed, startling her boyfriend for a moment from the loud reaction. Rutger doesn't even have to be asked, he moves one of his arms to let her move out from between him and the island, already knowing what she wants. Stella basically skips over to the radio and turns the volume knob to the right, the song getting louder. The very familiar song “Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber fills up the kitchen.  

Rutger tore his eyes from the dough and stopped his hands, a grin on his lips as he watched Stella sway her hips and sing along to the song. She looked so pretty she was wearing green plaid pajama pants that matched with his red ones, she was wearing one of his umich sweaters that looked so big on her, and her hair was in a braid, messy from sleeping in it last night. Her face was bare, and she of course had her grinch slippers on her green sock covered feet. God he was so in love with her. 

“I love you” Rutger voiced loudly over the music, Stella stopped her swaying and turned to face a dimpled smile on her face. Stella stepped closer to him, rutger not flinching when her cold hands cupped his face, he was already used to her cold touch. They both closed their eyes when Stella leaned her face closer to his, rutger leaning down a little to capture her soft lips in a kiss. He’s welcomed by the taste of her peppermint ChapStick, and he eagerly continues the kiss, wanting to taste more. Before he could let go of the rolling pan and move his hands to hold her hips, she pulled her lips away. Rutger fluttered his eyes open, his eyes staring into hers as she whispered, her tone filled of love “I love you more.” 

“We're just missing the mistletoe” he whispered back, his tone playful as he glanced up at the ceiling above them before back down at her. His heart was racing from the kiss, he would never get used to the feeling he felt from kissing stella. Her eyes sparked and she giggled, her tone playful but serious at the same time “Don't worry, I made Quinn buy some. Trust me we will be utilizing it a lot.” 

He kept up his playful tone as he laughed out a response “Oh tons.” 

“So, what Christmas movie should we watch this time?” Stella asked as she plopped down on the living room couch, in her hand was the remote as she turned the tv on. Rutger followed her into the living room, being careful not to trip over her slippers by the couch and set the two steaming mugs of hot chocolate that they had just gotten finished making, on the snow globe coasters that were on the coffee table. He plopped down on the couch next her, lifting her legs for them to rest over his lap. His warm hands already absentmindedly tracing shapes on her covered legs. 

The couple had just put the last batch of cookies in the oven, well Rutger did since stella’s fear of the oven was still very much real! 

“We never did finish the polar express last night” Rutger reminded her, resting his head back against the couch. The couple had started the movie, but they were quick to fall asleep cuddled up in Stella's bed, tired from the long day where they played in the snow with her brothers and their friends. Stella hums in response and goes to her profile on max to resume the movie. 

Stella pressed resume on the movie and adjusted her position to move closer to her boyfriend, her legs still draped over his lap, now her head resting on his shoulder and holding onto his arm. Stella’s eyes were trained on the tv as he watched the movie, but Rutger couldn't find himself focusing on the movie, instead his eyes were trained down at her face. Stella was so into the movie that she didn't feel his stare. 

Rutgers' heart soured with love as he looked down at his girlfriend, thinking of how wonderful it has been being here with her. It was awkward at first, because of the situation with Luke and Jack but they apologized, and Stella made it all worth it. It felt so domestic to be at her home and baking with her, doing family things, he loved it so much. Seeing her so happy with her family and the Christmas spirit she had. He just found himself falling even more in love with her as the trip goes on. 

Rut moved his left hand from her calf and moved to cup her cold cheek, gently tilting her head to look up at him. As soon as they made eye contact, Rutger leaned down to lock her lips in an eager kiss, both of their eyes closing as their lips touched. Their lips moved perfectly against each other as if they had been kissing for years, the taste of her peppermint ChapStick flowing through his senses in the best way. Stella was a little surprised by the sudden kiss, but she was quick to tilt her body more to face him better, letting him lead the kiss. 

They didn't know how long they had been kissing for, both of them pulling away a few times from the passionate kiss to catch their breath before quickly jumping back into the kiss. Rutgers hands rubbed her sides while Stella's hands rested on his chest and shoulder as their tongues moved against each other, taking advantage of the empty house to make out on the couch without the fear of getting caught. Just as he moved one of his hands under her sweater, she abruptly pulled away from the kiss at the sound of the alarm going off. 

“The cookies are ready!” Stella exclaims, quickly moving her legs from his lap and sliding her feet into her slippers before rushing into the kitchen. Rutger groaned at the interruption, throwing his head back against the couch as he caught his breath from the kiss, his mind exploring the thought of them letting the cookies burn and continue. He heard Stella call his name from the kitchen, knowing that she would need him to get the cookies out. He licks his lips tasting her peppermint ChapStick on his lips before getting up from the couch and making his way to the kitchen. 

“Coming pretty girl.” 

˖ ་ 💭 roro’s notes ( I literally wrote this in like a hour at 3 am listing to Christmas music in my bed, actually shocked! I loved this so much!! WHY ARE THEY SO PERFECT??? Again!! Please don’t be a silent reader, I love to hear your guys thoughts, reblogs are appreciated! )

°. — taglist ( @privatemythss @bradenschneider @cixrosie @toasttt11 )

[preciouslandmermaid]

of songbirds, swords, and spice (6)

pairing: Opla!Zoro x Opla!Sanji x Fem! Reader (no use of Y/N or L/N)

tw/cw: violence/blood/mentions of slavery/threats of violence against children/mentions/implications of past abuse note: haven't written them in forever so it all feels ooc but i literally wrote this nonstop for 2 hours so...im sorry if its delirious xoxo

🏴‍☠️ read on AO3 🏴‍☠️

(masterpost)

<- (previous chapter)

Your heart swelled as Nightingale port came into view and your grip tightened around the warm, wooden railing. Nothing tasted sweeter than the fresh, briny air of home. Home, you smiled to yourself, I never thought I’d have one of those after being on the run for nine years. Your settlement in Nightingale was almost at its fifth anniversary, and with Estella’s treasure in your hands, you allowed yourself the tentative hope you’d reach the tenth anniversary someday.

Luffy fell into place beside you and said, “I can’t wait to see what Sanji cooks to celebrate.”

Your lips twitched upward and the memory of the night before lingered like warm rice wine in your veins. Sanji, asking for your favorite dish, promising to find a way to make it, and asking if you’d ever dream of staying aboard the Going Merry. Could you? More importantly, did you want to? Nami’s thoughtful, empathetic expression in the pale moonlight, her hair pastel, her eyes glimmering. Zoro smirking and calling you out for your selfless actions within the cavern. Luffy’s bright and magnetic presence. Usopp, laughing and playing with the children.

Wait. What were you thinking? You couldn’t leave Estella. You promised yourself that you’d remain by her side. She needed you. You forced your cramping fingers to relax on the railing.

“Luffy?” You swallowed.

Luffy stood with his hands interlaced behind his neck. “Uh, yeah?”

“What if you don’t become King of the Pirates? What will you do?”

You glanced at him. His dark brows furrowed as sunlight dappled through the straw hat’s weave, creating a myriad of light-born freckles on his forehead.

“Keep trying,” he finally answered with a loose shrug.

The pragmatic in you couldn’t help it – you said, “What if you die?”

Would he seriously spend his entire life trying to become King of the Pirates? Would he die for his dream? His expression softened.

“That’s kind of a morbid thought, don’t you think? He smiled. “Anyway.” He gestured to the island. “We have a delivery to make!”

“I’m home!” You called, gently dropping Mimi onto the shiny floors, and watching her prance away toward one of the side rooms. At the continued silence, you glanced back at the Straw Hats in the entryway and yelled louder, “Grandma! We’re back!”

“Uh—” Usopp peered his head around the doorframe. “Maybe she stepped out?”

“Something’s off,” you said, a trickle of sweat slid down your spine. You heard the telltale creak of Zoro gripping the handle of his blade and Sanji fell into step behind you. The harsh, white daylight poured into the main foyer in a stark rectangle silhouetted by your shadows.

BAM! The front door slammed shut. Usopp released a quick, startled scream.

Estella’s wheelchair emerged from around the corner. Your eyes jerked from her tear-stained face to the man pushing her and your lungs threatened to capsize.

“No,” you said thickly.

A tall, late middle-aged man wore a thin, drooping mustache, and his narrow lips twisted into a smarmy, self-absorbed smirk. A golden wasp brooch was pinned to the lapel of his shiny, velvety plum suit. Your mouth thickened with saliva. No, no, no. Not you.

“Nine years,” he drawled. He narrowed an eye at you, as his other eye was covered by an eye patch.

The nearby shadows moved and his men, his enforcers – his goons – slowly encircled your group, glaring, their clubs and swords brandished. Your fingers twitched. Could you use your kusarigama in time? Could you reach Estella? You needed to save her.

Clover’s distraught voice came from the top of the stairs, “Big sister!” The unknown man who held Clover in his arms pressed a knife too close to her small throat.

A flare of protectiveness ignited in your heart. “Don’t you dare touch her,” you snarled. You knew this cretin – this piece of shit, scum at the bottom of the ocean – because he was the source of your torment as a child. He was your jailer and your cage. And you knew that he wasn’t above hurting children. Clover, little Aiden, Utakuro, Ann, and Badger were all in danger.

He was Victor Wasp – an entrepreneur of great renown in specific, vile circles.

Luffy raised his fists. “Let them go!”

“Picking on elderly women and children,” Sanji said and ‘tsked’ under his breath.

Zoro chimed in, “Pathetic.”

“Nine years,” Victor continued as if none of the Straw Hats had spoken. “I’ve spent searching for you. It’s time to come home, sweet plum.” His smile was cruel.

Fuck. What were you doing?! You weren’t powerless. You weren’t a scared little kid anymore. Your skull filled with Clover’s hiccuped cries from the staircase landing. You opened your mouth. You would scream. You would sing. You would do whatever was necessary to save them.

The barrel of a gun pressed into Estella’s temple.

“Mouth shut!” Victor snapped and your teeth clicked together.

Estella cried your name. “Run,” she pleaded, “go, please!”

“I’m not leaving you.” Your throat prickled.

“Let’s not make this so dramatic,” said Victor, “it’s time for you to come home. Come home and come quietly and I’ll let everyone in the town live.”

The floor swayed beneath your feet. The town? You had to have misheard him. You opened your mouth to ask, but Zoro beat you to it.

“What the hell are you yammering about?” he asked, his tone contemptuous.

“What?” Victor laughed. “Did you think I wasn’t planning this for weeks in advance?” He clicked his tongue twice and one of his enforcers, wearing an all-black suit like the rest, wiggled a stick of dynamite in his hand. You should’ve expected that Victor Wasp would have multiple backup plans. He’d watch the whole town burn before losing his merchandise. But he had lost you, you reminded yourself, nine years you’ve been free of him. You exhaled shakily through your nostrils. That freedom had been an illusion, though. Those moments of joy, of friendship and…You thought of Sanji helping you cook, his lithe body moving through the fragrant haze of steam,...and connection, they had all been temporary. A balm to delay the inevitable.

You swallowed with difficulty. He found me. He’ll take me back.

“She’s not coming with you,” Luffy shouted, “and we’re not going to let you blow the town up!”

The Straw Hats tensed around you – preparing themselves for an all-out battle. No. No. You weren’t going to let them get hurt or killed on account of your past mistakes. Nothing else mattered but the seven-year-old girl upstairs crying for her ‘big sister’ to save her.

You placed your hand on Luffy’s wrist. “Luffy, it’s my choice, right?”

“Huh?”

“If you make me stay,” you said, “if you make me fight alongside you, then you’re taking away my choice, and you’re no better than him.”

His dark brown eyes squinted in confusion, then were cleared by a sudden understanding. Your breath caught. His capability for quick empathy was honestly disconcerting.

“You sure? We could take him on just like we took out that spider-lady,” he said with an encouraging grin.

“What are you doing?” hissed Nami.

Usopp whispered, “She’s taking the diplomatic route!”

You nodded. “If it’s my life over theirs, then I’m choosing them. There’s no question.”

Luffy lowered his fists and the rest of his crew followed his lead, but they didn’t look happy. Except for Usopp, he looked relieved.

“Make it a clean break,” said Victor, “you know how I hate a mess and my boys can handle it.”

Between the lines, you understood what Victor was asking. He wanted you to use your devil fruit power to knock everyone out so that he, his team, and you could leave without any risk of interference. A foggy cloud of suspicion and confusion fell over the Straw Hats and they looked to you for guidance. You blinked back your tears. After this, whatever budding trust existed between you would be reduced to ash.

“Don’t fight him, Luffy,” you reminded him.

“How about me?” Zoro asked, one hand on the hilt of his sword, “Can I fight him?”

“No!” You removed Pandora's box from your bag. “I’m not letting anyone die for me.” You passed the box to Luffy, who still looked incredibly confused and concerned. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, for Estella, for Nightingale.”

Your melodic voice spilled from your lungs. An old song. It was a lullaby you used to sing during thunderstorms to help little Aiden fall asleep. Zoro clamped his hands over his ears, glaring at you, as the rest of the Straw Hats – except for Luffy being immune – collapsed to the floorboards like a sack of turnips. As you expected, Victor’s bodyguards remained standing, and you guessed they were prepared with earplugs like the staff at the ‘golden cupid’.

Zoro held your gaze. He didn’t know fuck-all about what was happening, but he knew trouble when he saw it, and that prick in the purple suit? That asshole was trouble. And worse of all, you were choosing to go with him. Didn’t you trust them? Didn’t you trust Luffy? What about him? He saved your life, didn’t he? Zoro’s jaw ached from clenching his teeth. Your song ended once you stood beside Estella, your eyes shone bright with unshed tears. Dammit!

“Make sure they stay put,” the asshole said with a lackadaisical wave of his hand.

Someone grabbed Zoro’s arms and tried to pin them to his sides. He shouted his indignation and bodily shouldered the assailant away.

He shouted your name, running forward, because like hell he was going to let you just run off like that. He remembered what happened when Nami ‘ran off’. He wasn’t going to let it happen again. You might not be part of the crew, but you didn’t let go of Luffy’s hand, and that counted for something. He didn’t know what it counted for, he just knew it counted, and dammit—where the hell was he!? He spun in a half-circle. He thought he was following you.

“Zoro,” Luffy called to his back and Zoro skidded to a stop. His heart drummed inside his chest and pounded through his fingertips.

“Let her go,” he said.

“Are you serious?”

He nodded. “We can’t risk the whole town. She wouldn’t want that.” He gestured behind him to where Estella was asleep in her chair. “Estella wouldn’t want that.”

“An asshole like him was probably lying,” Zoro bit out.

He patted Zoro’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ll track him down and bring her back.”

Zoro grumbled.

Sanji awoke with his face pressed into the carpet. He mumbled incoherently and dragged a hand through his hair. It was a restful, but confusing little nap. Hadn’t they all been moments away from a fight? The world blinked into focus as soft, whimpering cries surrounded him.

Crying for me? He wondered before lucidity grasped him and the memories rapidly filtered through. No, they’re crying for their songbird.

Estella wept, clutching the Pandora's box in her wrinkly, weathered hands. “I’ve gained one treasure and lost another,” she said.

Sanji slowly rose to his knees. Clover sat on the floor by Estella’s chair in Nami’s lap, with her long ebony hair neatly braided, though her face was red and sticky with snot and tears. Zoro leaned against the wall, arms crossed, scowling straight ahead. He recalled his haze at the golden cupid after the beautiful voice swept all his worries away and carried him off into a sweet, honey-dipped melody. There was something different about you. Something strange. You sang and...everyone disappeared? Everyone, except for Zoro and Luffy, looked dazed and bleary-eyed.

“Madam Estella,” Sanji's voice was hoarse, “what happened?”

“Her voice is her greatest weapon,” she said, then looked at Luffy. “It doesn’t work on other devil fruit eaters.”

“She puts people to sleep with her voice,” Zoro guessed.

“Among other things,” Estella said, her voice high and wobbly with grief.

Nami asked, “Who was that guy with the wasp brooch?”

Unfortunately, Sanji could guess – perhaps not the man’s name, but his occupation. He spoke to you like you were his property and Sanji hated him instantly. A low-life scum who threatened women and children? Sanji wished he could’ve had the chance to kick his teeth in.

The older woman shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “He was our employer,” her tone was stiff, “never got paid for a single honest day’s work.”

“You were slaves.”

“Quick girl, aren’t you?” Estella glanced meaningfully at Nami’s tattoo. She sighed, smoothing her knobby fingers over the ivory box, and said, “We were slaves until she ate the fruit and we escaped together. I should have known Victor wouldn’t give up. This is my fault. I shouldn’t have let us settle here…”

Luffy said, “It’s not your fault.”

“I will tell you our tale and you can be the judge of that, young pirate,” replied Estella.

“Victor was a man with a mean tongue and a meaner hand. He often complained of headaches, so all of his staff was commanded to be as silent as possible. You either memorized creaky floorboards or you were locked out of the house and kept in the doghouse for three nights.”

You stared up at the flags of Victor’s ship. It was a tacky design, of course, with his big hornet motif. One of his goons shoved you in the middle of your shoulder blades. You tossed a glare over your shoulder and bit into the damp gag in your mouth.

“I caught her in the study. Her face was covered in juice, and I knew at once what she had done.”

The floorboards creaked as you mounted the plank and you flinched with every groan of the great ship pulling against the ropes. The day started with hope and it would end in terror.

“She buried the box in the yard but came back to check to see if she missed anything. I yelled at her to get cleaned up before Mr. Wasp came home.”

Another one of Victor’s goons approached you, carrying a wooden pail, and you braced as the cold, sharp saltwater was dumped over your head. You blinked your eyes and glared at Victor through the blur of salty, barbed tears.

“And came home he did. The staff was questioned. He was meticulous about his things, you see. He kept a catalog of every pen, every bullet casing, and every spare berry. There was no escaping his scrutiny. He lined us all up.”

Your breath shuddered unevenly. Another bucket of water sluiced down your face and saturated your clothes. It was overkill, but it proved how nervous Victor was, and how he both despised and desired the power of your voice in equal measure.

“I lied for her. I said Victor’s son, Teddy, stole things from the study all the time to pay off his gambling debts. But, Victor didn’t believe me. He began to...to beat me in front of everyone. And my baby songbird, she opened her mouth, and screamed, and everything – everything shattered.”

Your legs kicked uselessly as they lifted you from beneath your armpits and carried you into the brig. You whipped your head back, intent on keeping Victor in your sights, and shouted muffled curses and profanities against the gag.

“Glass everywhere. Everyone screaming and clutching their ears. I couldn’t hear the words he said to her, but I saw the fear on her face, and I saw the hunger in his eyes and I knew – I knew that if I did nothing – I knew that – that – that he’d hurt her.”

BAM! Your shoulder and forehead sang with pain as they connected sharply with the wood. A flurry of stars danced in front of your vision. Your wet cheek pressed into the floor as you turned your head and peered through the iron bars at Victor’s feet. He crouched to meet your eyes.

“He is missing an eye because I took the nearest piece of glass – or pottery – or something else, I don’t know – and I struck him with it.”

Victor wordlessly lifted his eye patch to show you the scattered, mosaic scars that sealed his eyelid closed. A swell of bile surged in your throat at the memory of Estella’s bloody, slick fingers clinging to yours. He lowered the patch and stood upright, smiling.

Estella dabbed her eyes. “I took her hand and we’ve spent five years on the run, looking over our shoulders, until we found Nightingale. It was stupid for us to stay. I see that now. And now she’ll be punished for my folly.”

Sanji said quickly, “We have to save her.” He could read between the lines of Estella’s story. Victor wanted a return on his investment and wanted revenge for your actions nine years ago. There was no telling what he might do.

Zoro glared at him. “Calm down, cook. She’s not some damsel in distress waiting for a knight in shining armor.”

He glared back. “You’re not the knight in this scenario. Obviously.”

“We are going to save her,” Luffy said, stopping their argument before it began earnestly. “Tell us where they’re going and we’ll catch up to them.”

“Why?” Estella blinked.

“Because we’re pirates,” he replied simply. Her wrinkled face crumpled, deepening the lines around her mouth and eyes, before a fresh onslaught of sobs racked her frame. Sanji grabbed her soft, weathered hand.

He said, “Madam Estella, tell us everything you remember about Victor.” He gave her palm a gentle squeeze. “It’ll hopefully give us an advantage in the fight ahead.”

“We don’t need any advantages,” Zoro said, “if I stab him, he’ll bleed.”

“We haven’t seen him bleed yet,” said Usopp quietly.

[autistook]

DAISIES - pt 9

Merry Brandybuck x fem!hobbit!reader / soft oc

Words: 5.2k

Summary: It's June, and you decide to get drunk with your best friends. You start to wonder if there is something between you and Merry. Your brother sells Bag End.

Possible TW's: alcohol, very drunk reader and other characters as well

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

------

The reflection did not feel flattering. Your hair was messy from tossing and turning all night, and the bags under your eyes made you look like you had not slept at all; and it might as well have been that way. You kept waking up throughout the night, and the dreams you had were so lively, it felt like you were awake.

You left your room to wash your face, when Frodo bumped into you in the hallway.

"Good morning," he said, to which you responded by grunting as a greeting. "Have you slept at all?"

"No, not really," you answered honestly, rubbing your eyes in the hopes that the exhaustion would fade away somehow.

"Is there something on your mind?" he asked, eyes full of brotherly affection.

Of course there was something on your mind. You were soon to move out of Bag End, and despite that huge change in your life, you could not for some reason get your best friend out of your head.

"I guess I'm just nervous about moving," you said, partly lying, which Frodo did not seem to have noticed. You didn't want him to ask more, so you kept talking. “I know you want to move closer to where you grew up, and that you need me out of here, and I know you will go after Uncle Bilbo, but I am still…”

Frodo smiled faintly.

"Everything will be alright, I promise."

You had pale-yellow and lavender ribbons in your hair as you made your way to the Green Dragon. The lights of the familiar building were already in your sight, when Pippin tapped on your shoulder.

"Hullo!" he said with glee, hugging you tightly.

"Why, hello there Pip!" you greeted him. "I was wondering if anyone was going to be here tonight."

"Merry and I agreed to come here tonight," he said, his focus momentarily moving to the birds flying over your heads. Quickly he returned his focus back to you. "We thought about it and took a wild guess that you might also appear here tonight."

"You both know me so well," you chuckled, as you both entered the pub through its wooden door.

The air smelled stuffy, and there was loud chatter everywhere. The way the lights warmed up the room reminded you of home, but the absence of smells like Frodo's herbal tea and fresh cooking reminded you that the Green Dragon was just another place to keep you away from Bag End. You felt a longing for the only home you had ever known, even though it was not gone yet; but you knew that once the Sackville-Bagginses would get their dirty fingers on it, you would not be allowed to step in that place so dear ever again.

You walked to the counter, behind which a familiar face was working. Rosie Cotton was as cheerful as usual, wiping some pints clean, and handling the chatty and drunk Hobbits with grace. She gave you and Pippin a friendly smile when you ordered your ales, and the two of you made your way to a round table, close to the back wall of the room. 

"Have you seen Merry?" Pippin asked you, as he was looking around the full room, observing small details and all the people around him.

"No, not yet," you said, smirking at Pippin's over-energetic presence. He sometimes seemed to find it hard to keep focus, and his mind seemed to hop from place to place, intrigued by everything around him.

"Oh, there he is!" Pippin said, nodding towards a darker corner across the room. 

Merry was sitting there with Estella Bolger, his face serious. You observed the two talking, trying to analyze their body language to figure out what they might be discussing.

"What do you think is going on there?" you asked Pippin, your eyes still locked on Merry and Estella.

"Maybe he is apologizing to her?" Pippin suggested. "I know she is no longer mad at him, but he did mention wanting to make it up for her; breaking her heart, I mean."

You mumbled something incoherent as an answer, and kept your eyes on them. Pippin sipped his drink, and from your focused state, you did not notice him smirking behind his glass. 

Soon Merry and Estella got up from the table, and started walking away from the corner. They made their way to the front door, Estella in front of Merry. Your gaze followed their every move, and curiously you observed them from afar. As they reached the front door, Estella wrapped her arms around Merry, and buried her face into his neck. You felt a wave of warmth hit your face, and there was suddenly a tiny amount of pressure in your chest. Merry hugged her back tightly, and as they stopped embracing each other, Estella pressed her lips gently on his skin, giving Merry an affectionate kiss on his cheek. Your face felt warmer. They exchanged a few more words before she left. After she had walked out, Merry turned back away from the door. He observed the room, and soon he noticed you and Pippin. He smiled at you and Pippin warmly, and that's when you finally noticed that your breathing had become significantly heavier. You took a deep breath, and waved at Merry, happily. He made his way to your table, and swiftly sat down on the chair next to you.

"What was that about?" you asked him, taking a sip of your drink.

"What?" Merry responded, seemingly confused by the instant interrogation.

"Estella?" you specified, and Merry's lips curled up into a relieved smile.

"We just talked everything through," he responded. "Honestly, I just wanted to get all of it off my chest. There was nothing more to it, and as we said goodbye,  she wished me all the best - and I to her.

"I told you," Pippin said with pride; and finally, you could breathe easier. "He is now a guilt-free Hobbit!"

"Did you talk about anything else?" you asked curiously. 

"No," Merry responded, in a laid-back tone. You could have sworn you saw his eye twitch slightly.

"Are you sure that's all you talked about?" Pippin said with a grin. A sharp pain hit you, as Merry kicked your shin. You let out a cry of pain and looked at Merry, full of confusion. Merry's eyes widened with guilt.

"I'm so sorry!" Merry apologized, immediately reaching his hand to hold your hand.

"What was that for?" you said, rubbing your leg to relieve the pain.

"I didn't mean to kick you! It was meant for Pippin!"

"Hey!" Pippin cried, almost offended. A moment of silence followed, before you finally opened your mouth again.

"What plans do you two have tonight?" you asked, bringing your glass to your lips, and taking a sizable sip of your ale. The cold beverage calmed your anxiety severely; you had always found that anything close near your chest or throat slowed down your heart rate.

"Drinking," said Merry and Pippin in unison.

"Well, alright then," you responded, and with one lengthful chug, you finished your drink. You slammed the glass loudly on the table, the loud noise and your reckless nature made your best friends laugh, and so they joined you; they finished their drinks in seconds. 

The last drink you had that night made you feel quite intoxicated. Pippin had drunk a significantly bigger amount of alcohol, and so had Merry. The three of you kept talking, joking and bantering for hours before you hit that final drink, and the whole room was filled with the drunken laughter of you and your best friends. It was already night-time, and most of the customers had already made their way home. You took note of Rosie starting to close up the Inn, so you gestured Merry and Pippin to get up as well. As you stood up, you noticed it was hard to keep your balance. Pippin got up with such unsteady movements that the chair he had just stood up from, fell down on the floor with a loud bang. You snickered, and as Merry laughed, he took a step back, trying to hold his balance as well.

Outside the Inn, everything was quiet. Only crickets, owls and the wind could be heard, and every now and then a frog croaked quietly. The sky was dark, and there were dark-grey rain clouds slowly covering the stars underneath them, and hiding the moonlight.

"I really need to get home," Pippin said, stumbling on his feet. He started walking towards a wooden bench to his left, reaching for it with both of his arms held forward. "Can I sleep on this bench instead?"

You giggled, and with unsteady steps you made your way to your friend. You nudged him up before he could fully lay down on the bench, and put your arm around him.

"Pippin, can you get home?" you asked him, to which he responded by laughing so hard he let out a pig-like snort.

"Can I? Try and stop me!" Pippin slurred, but did not move an inch. You kept waiting for him to make a movement towards the direction of Tookland, but he just kept swaying, his eyes barely open. You looked to your right, where Merry was fumbling with the pipe in his pocket, struggling to find the right end of it to start smoking. You smirked, and turned your attention back to Pippin.

"Pip?" you said, shaking him softly. Pippin opened his eyes and smacked his lips, as if he was just woken up from a good-night's sleep.

"Yes?" he answered, smiling at you widely, trying to find proper balance on his feet. You gave him a pat on his back. 

"I think you need to sleep somewhere else," you said to him. Pippin was amused by your suggestion, and he blew a raspberry.

"No I don't!" he scoffed, with a quiet burp. You started laughing louder, your own legs almost giving out. Pippin started laughing with you cluelessly. After a moment of laughing and drunken arguing, Pippin finally gave in, and decided to come sleep at your house. You turned to look at Merry to give him the update on the situation, but he was still fumbling with his pipe. You sat Pippin down on the bench, told him to not fall asleep, and with shaky steps you made your way to Merry. As you reached him, he finally realized how the pipe works and placed it on his lips; and started smoking it without lighting up the pipe. 

"Come on," you laughed and took his pipe away, to which Merry responded by smiling at you unbothered, eyes half-open. With some effort, you eventually got Pippin back up as well.

The three of you made your way to Bag End, and got inside before the rain started. The rain was so gentle, you could not hear it inside, as it was watering the green grass of Hobbiton. Pippin flailed his arm at Frodo, who had woken up to the sounds of the coat rack falling down, and to Merry's failed attempt to muffle his laughter. Pippin stumbled his way to the kitchen, and he laid down on the wide kitchen bench, curling up into a fetal position. It took less than ten seconds from when his head hit the bench, that you started hearing snoring. Frodo had gone to bed when he saw the three of you in your intoxicated states, as he was already very familiar with the reckless behavior you brought out in each other. This left you in charge of everything.

You covered Pippin with a felt-blanket, and despite being completely out of it, he pulled it over his head and curled up into a ball. Your heart felt full, knowing your friend was safe and comfortable, so you made your way back to Merry.

"I don't understand how this works anymore," Merry said, once again holding his pipe in his mouth, trying to smoke it. As you sat down next to him on the couch, you took the pipe out of his mouth and poked him on the nose clumsily.

"You're supposed to light it you idiot," you said, which made Merry howl with laughter. Merry was very intrigued by pipe-weed, and had been for a long time. As he was a regular smoker, forgetting such a simple thing made his drunken state finally obvious to his fuzzy-feeling brain. You laughed with him for a long while, before you finally asked him a more serious question. 

"Merry, was that really all it was with Estella?" you asked, playing with the soft ends of your curls.

"In all honesty? No, it was not," he responded. You stopped twirling the hair around your fingers, and stared at the orange flames, burning in the fireplace in front of you. "We actually talked about you."

You turned your gaze up to look at him, and he looked down at you.

"What?" you asked, puzzled. "What did you talk about?"

"It was nothing," Merry said after a long pause, as he was playing with your hair. You wanted to push this conversation forward, but somehow you got nervous, and decided to change the subject. Normally you would have pushed Merry for the truth, but this time you were anxious of what he might have said - or what she might have said. As you still had your eyes locked on Merry's, you realized you had been laying in his arms for probably at least ten minutes. Yet, his fingers playing with your curls and his hand brushing through your hair felt too comfortable; so you decided not to move.

"I lost to Pippin," you said, pressing your cheek against his chest, the softness of his shirt caressing your skin. 

"What?" Merry chuckled, two of his fingers twirling your hair around.

"At an eating contest," you slurred, finding it hard to keep your eyes open. "I need to step up my game. I keep losing."

"Pip and I are gluttons, you know that!" Merry snickered, his fingertips tenderly caressing your hair and scalp. The way he touched you made you feel warm inside, and your heart felt like it was beating faster than it usually did when the two of you were close to each other - but maybe it was the alcohol?

You explained to Merry in detail; and in a way that made no sense whatsoever, how you losing eating contests was bad for your reputation. Merry in his turn answered to you in detail how you had no reputation as an eating contestant or anything of the sort, but the alcohol-driven conversation led nowhere. Before you even noticed, you couldn't keep your eyes open anymore.

There was a loud knock on the door that startled you. Your eyes flashed open, and your heart skipped a beat from being woken up so suddenly. You could hear the quiet footsteps of your brother as he made his way to the front door. It was drizzling outside, and the fire had gone out at some point during the night, leaving only grey ashes in the fireplace. 

Your head was throbbing a little, and as you lifted your hand to massage your forehead, Merry let out a grunt in his sleep. You paused, and realized you had fallen asleep in his arms. Merry was resting his head against his fist, as he had propped himself on his elbow. He was in a sitting position, and your side was on his lap. His other arm was lightly wrapped around you, and you had rested your head against him all night. Merry looked peaceful, but with every slow movement you made, his brows furrowed and you feared you might wake him up.

Frodo walked back inside with some mail, as someone had decided to provide him with a letter personally. As he walked past the couch, you two locked eyes and he gave you a questionable look. He flailed the letter in his hand, and with a smirk he gestured to you to come to the kitchen. You nodded, and slowly made your way out of Merry's arms. Merry groaned softly in his sleep, smacking his lips as you got up. 

"Do you want tea?" Frodo asked, handing over the letter to you. You shook your head, pressing your forehead with the palm of your hand. You looked at the letter, and it was assigned to both you and Frodo. It was from Merry's parents.

"I'm guessing this is about me moving to Brandy Hall," you mumbled, taking a seat, accidentally sitting on Pippin's feet. You had not noticed he was still sleeping there, and he grunted loudly at you. He curled up into a smaller ball under his blanket, dozing off again. Amused by Pippin, you momentarily forgot about opening the letter.

"Are you going to read it?" Frodo asked. You snapped back to reality, and opened the letter.

Dear Bagginses,

It is sad to hear about your decision to sell your beloved home. Bag End is truly a wonderful place, and I am sure you are proud to have had it to call your home.

Frodo, you told us about your sister being a suitable candidate for the job opening we have, and more than that, you have told us she is the most magnicifent Hobbit to live with, and that she would be a good person to add to our home.

As Merry probably has already told you, we have already made the room ready for her, and are more than happy to have her move in here when the time comes. 

Miss Baggins, you are more than welcome into our home, and we are very excited to see a friend of our son's here, hopefully also keeping him out of trouble for some time (unlike a Took might)!

We hope you make your way here soon, as we have many projects we would love your help with.

Please, let us know as soon as possible. You may use our son as the messenger.

Sincerely,

Esmeralda and Saradoc Brandybuck

Ps. Is there any chance you could bring your art supplies with you? We would love to have some of your charcoal work in the library. Merry has talked to us about your talent plenty.

You sighed as you finished reading the letter, and handed it over to your brother. He read it with a satisfied smile, and drank his tea in silence.

"I suppose I really am moving to Brandy Hall," you said, resting your head on the table, hoping to relieve the ache. Your throat felt dry, and you were desperate for water; yet too tired to drink any. "I knew I was going to move and I knew this was already settled, but having this official letter about it..."

"I know," Frodo said compassionately. You did not see his face, but you could feel him smirking. "But look at the bright side: you get to cuddle up with Merry like that so much more often."

"We're just friends," you grunted. You did not look up, but you could sense the smug smile on your brother's face. 

All of Hobbiton was talking about Frodo's decision to sell Bag End. Many Hobbits had a theory that Frodo had run out of money, since he was selling your home at a low price; and to the Sackville-Bagginses. Others thought it was a plot put together by Gandalf, who had suddenly left the Shire, after staying in Bag End for two months. Only if they had known just how right they were.

You were sitting among some of your stuff in the carriage. You were reading Merry's first draft of the first pages of his book about pipe-weed, leaning uncomfortably against some of the furniture you had decided to take with you to your new residence. Merry had brought one of his ponies, and was helping you with your move. Frodo's move was still a couple of months away, but you had agreed to start working for Merry's parents. The move had come rather quickly, even though Frodo had warned you about it a couple of times already. You didn't know if you'd see him again for many years, though you hoped you'd get to have tea with him when he arrived in Buckland as well.

"Are you alright back there?" Merry asked, glancing at you over his shoulder. You nodded, and kept reading his observations and knowledge on Old Toby.

You placed the jewellry box on your desk, and fidgeted with the hem of your dress. Everything was now set in your new room; in your new home. The room was quite small and cozy, one of the walls painted light-yellow (because Merry had told his parents it was one of your favorite colors) and everything else was new, but your desk, chair, bed and the other belongings you brought, such as your art supplies, jewellry, clothing and a few mugs and teacups.

"So, how do you like it?" asked Esmeralda. You turned around to look her in the eye, and gave her a faint, slightly upset smile.

"I like it," you responded, truthfully, but you already missed Bag End and your brother.

"Make yourself at home," said Merry's mother, and placed a small box on your new dresser. It was wrapped in light blue paper, and a small bow was decorating the top of it. "Here's a welcoming gift. I will get back to work now. And don't you worry about working yet, dear. We won't have you start until next week."

"Thank you, Mrs. Brandybuck."

"You can call me Esmeralda," she smiled, and closed the door behind her as she excited your room. You took a deep breath, and hopped on your bed, onto the new cotton covers they had bought for you. It was comfortable, and a piece of home. You closed your eyes, and imagined being back in Bag End, laying in your old room, waiting for Uncle Bilbo to come and sit by your bed to tell you about his adventures. It was the end of June, and the room was warm and filled with sunlight. You forgot about the present Esmeralda had just given you. In a few short minutes, there was a knock on your door.

"May I come in?" said Merry, his voice muffled by the round door. 

"Yeah," you responded in a sigh.

Merry entered the room, the door creaking. You still had your eyes closed, and Merry looked at you with concern, yet with a big smile on his face. He walked around your room, observing all the little trinkets you had put out. A small frog shaped pot for plants you had created as a wee Hobbit, the daisy brooch he and his mother had gotten you for your thirty-third birthday, a small wooden statue of a bunny, and a small bell your Uncle Bilbo had left you as a present when he disappeared on his 111th birthday. Merry noticed the charcoal drawing you had made of him months ago, and he smiled fondly as he stared at it.

"How do you feel?" he asked, sitting by your side. You were still laying on your back, eyes shut. You shrug your shoulders, and exhaled loudly. Merry smiled compassionately, and poked your shoulder. You looked at him with sad eyes, showing the longing you had for your room in Bag End. Merry stood up. "Get up."

"Do I have to?" you asked, already sitting up. Merry offered you his hand, and he pulled you out of the comfort of your own bed. "What do you have in mind?"

"I will show you around some of my favorite spots outside. I'll show you the places where you can read peacefully, and where you can do your art without anyone bothering you. My mother can be a little bit intrusive sometimes, so she might be knocking on your door often enough. It's good to have a place for yourself. I know it's important to you."

His hand lingered on yours for a little while longer, before he let go and guided your way outside. The halls of your new home were long, and there were several rooms on every side, and many new hallways around what felt like after every corner.

There were once again rain clouds in sight, but they were gladly still far off. Merry showed you a few quiet corners near the house, a spot by the Brandywine river, and a large tree to which he climbed up to smoke a pipe if he wanted a moment of peace. The two of you climbed the tree. Its trunk was massive and strong, the branches spread wide and grew close to each other, making it a perfect place to sit down and relax. The higher you climbed, the closer the branches were to each other. You sat comfortably on a branch so thick it was larger than your bottom. You could see quite far from between the leaves and branches, and Merry pointed to different directions, explaining the surroundings and the history of Buckland to you. With eagerness you listened, and for a moment you forgot how much you missed Hobbiton.

"Towards that direction is the village of Bree, but it's quite far away. I have been there a few times, and the folk there are friendly, but some are quite odd," explained Merry, pointing to the distance. You listened to his enthusiastic explanations of the adventures he had had with Pippin around Buckland, and described to you in detail about growing up in Brandy Hall. As his face was turned away, you couldn't help but stare at his button nose. His blue eyes were sparkling as he told you about his fondest childhood memories, and you could see his cheeks and ears get slightly pink when you locked eyes with him for a moment longer.

"I really liked what you wrote," you said, when the conversation had turned into Merry's interests. "I find your interest in pipe-weed fascinating and quite endearing."

"You do?" he responded, the color of red on his cheeks deepening.

"Yes. I think it has potential. Overall, I think you're a talented writer. I hope you decide to finish the book someday."

Merry smiled, his blushing intensifying. You felt the tips of your ears heat up as you kept staring at each other, and you turned your face away as you couldn't take it anymore. The tips of your pinkies were softly touching as you sat on the large branch together, and you felt your heart rate jump up.

"Caketeas," Merry said suddenly, and your gaze shifted back to him.

"What?" you chuckled, and Merry opened and closed his mouth rapidly.

"I- pancakes," Merry said, tripping over his words. "Pancakes and tea! We have pancakes and tea somewhere in the smaller kitchen near your room."

You smiled, as Melly shook his head in embarrassment. His crush on you started to be more obvious to you day by day, and it seemed that Merry had decided to embrace his feelings, at least for the moment.

"That sounds delicious," you responded, your pinkie twitching on his. A wave of courage suddenly took over you, and you wrapped your pinkie around his finger. Merry turned face away from you nervously. "Should we go?"

"I- yes. I think that's a good idea,” he stuttered.

You let go of him, and made your way down the branches, climbing down at a fast and steady pace. Merry was not far behind you, and there was a loud thump as he hopped down from the tree. You two walked extremely close to each other, your arms brushing against each other on almost every step. You felt nervous, and the tension in the air felt like it was suffocating you. It was new to you, and you started to wonder to yourself; maybe Pippin was right? Maybe there really was something going on with you and Merry; something more than a friendship. Maybe it was not one-sided after all?

You felt a drop of water on your chest, and as you looked up, you realized the rainclouds had finally reached Buckland. Another drop fell on your face - and another. The rain started pouring down, and you squealed as you realized you were out in the open, Brandy Hall barely in sight. Merry let out a startled cry, and took your hand. 

"Let's go!" he shouted over the rain, and the two of you started running towards a small shed, maybe 600 feet away. The grass was already soaking wet, and mud was splashing around your legs loudly, Merry's laughter echoing in the air. You giggled as you ran as fast as you could, your hand squeezing Merry's. You were significantly shorter than him, so you were slightly behind him when you reached shelter. You bumped into Merry, and he caught you in his arms so you would not fall down, laughing whole-heartedly when you crashed against him. The rain hit the roof of the shed loudly, partly covering the sounds of your laughter under it.

Merry's arms were softly wrapped around you as the laughter started slowing down. You cleared your throat. Your chest was pressed against his body, and you looked up at him, locking eyes. You felt your face heat up, and the tips of your ears were burning as his gaze pierced you. His eyes shifted from looking into yours in turns, and you could've sworn his gaze traveled to your lips for a split second. Your heart jumped to your throat. He grinned, and let out a small chuckle.

"What?" you asked, smiling back at him, confused.

"Nothing," Merry responded, chuckling more, and his gaze shifted all across the features of your face.

"Just tell me!" you cried, finally getting out of his arms, giving him a friendly and playful push.

"Nothing bad, I swear!" he laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. "It's just your tell."

You narrowed your gaze. You knew he had taken note of your tells, and that he knew what you felt like most of the time. At this moment you weren't sure what you were feeling either, so it seemed ridiculous that he would know. 

"Merry!"

Merry laughed, the sound warming up your heart.

"Alright, alright!" he chuckled. He took a deep breath and stepped closer to you. He reached his left hand to the right side of your face, gently caressing your ear, making you blush more. He grinned. "It's just that when you feel joy, your e-"

"Merry!" shouted a female voice from afar, clearly looking for him. Merry still had his hand gently covering your ear, when his mother called for him again. He turned his head to the direction of the voice swiftly.

"It's like I'm a child again," he laughed, moving his hand away and against his side. "She is very caring, you know. Despite being an adult myself, she wants to make sure I get fed properly. Let's go."

Merry started sprinting through the rain, and out of shelter, leaving you clueless of your tells once again.

"Oh come on now!" you shouted as you ran after him. Your face was still burning up. "You can't leave me hanging like this!"

-------

@chatteringfox @shiinata-library @ahobbitsjourney23 @mayo-advance @datglutengoblin @mournthewicked

[frodo-with-glasses]

Discord Highlights: Theodoc "Trotter" Brandybuck

From a discussion on 4/28/23

Windmill to the Stars:

I've heard vague references to a letter Tolkien wrote to a fan (not included in the volume of the Letters) in which he told her that Merry named at least one son "Periadoc." I kind of like it, especially if the "Per" part is related to "Peregrin" or "Periannath"! What do y'all think? Does this go with the other headcanons we came up with about Merry's kids?

InvisibleWashboard:

I can see it! May steal it and replace one of the other son’s names I have in my one-shot about all his babies!

Me:

Merry and Perry 👀

InvisibleWashboard:

It’s maybe a little too cutesy with the rhyming but I kind of like it, not gonna lie.

Windmill to the Stars:

And Pippin's son Ferry

Me:

THE TRIFECTA IS COMPLETE

meg is me:

It's all -erry

Me:

Always has been

meg is me:

You know what must be done now

Me:

It is done

Windmill to the Stars:

Suddenly imagining the next generation in the Shire with Perry and Ferry and the Master of Buckland and the Thain (and idk if Frodo Gardner follows his dad in becoming the mayor of Hobbiton.)

Me:

Okay wait: Is Periadoc Merry’s first son, or is Theodoc?? This is very important to me

Kasey Gondor:

twins

InvisibleWashboard:

Theodoc is for sure the oldest, at least in my head.

Writing Valkyrie:

Theodoc born first by several minutes

Me:

I LOVE THIS TWINS HECK YEAH Poor Estella, her first pregnancy and it's twins LOL 🤣

Windmill to the Stars:

Technically she could have older daughters but yeah I think we said before his sons were first

InvisibleWashboard:

I've always imagined he had a set of twins, but it was the last two kids he had. Estella was like, "We've had a bunch of boys, let me try and give you your Eowyn. One more!" Then it ends up being twins, but they don't know. A boy is born first, and they're like, "Yay, another kid, but this is kind of a bummer because we REALLY wanted a girl." And then, BOOM. Surprise daughter! And Merry is just over the moon

Me:

ACK THAT'S SO CUTE

Windmill to the Stars:

How many sons total does Merry have now??

Me:

Yes X-D

Windmill to the Stars:

I mean he's not gonna beat Sam probably but still

Me:

He has yes amount of sons

Writing Valkyrie:

All of his sons are his.

Me:

This is true! Accurate statement!

InvisibleWashboard:

I have 6 sons, one daughter in my one-shot that I've written. A boatload of kids, but not a cruise ship like the Gamgee's.

Me:

cruise ship 🤣🤣

Writing Valkyrie:

He needs it. They'd sink a boat.

meg is me:

Which of Pippin or Merry's kids (her honorary cousins) do you headcanon Elanor is closest to?

[There was much discussion in response to this question, but I'm cutting most of it for the sake of time lol]

Windmill to the Stars:

Depending on how old Periadoc and Theodoc are they could be closer to Elanor

Theodoc seems like he should be a bit adventurous And Elanor as well, so maybe they bond over that

Elanor moving into the Tower Hills with her husband but they always welcome her favorite cousin Theodoc who brings them gifts from his adventures

Theodoc is borderline a Knight Errant

Theodoc rides horses and boats with equal ease, he has his own nickname in Bree

meg is me:

What is it

Windmill to the Stars:

. . . Good question

meg is me:

and can he ride barrels

InvisibleWashboard:

Yes, this is the important question.

Windmill to the Stars:

Of course he can!

meg is me:

Yisss

Writing Valkyrie:

He teaches little Bilbo how

Me:

Bilbo Jr. WOULD take up boating just to give his poor mother a heart attack

Windmill to the Stars:

Amendment: he has like 5 nicknames in Bree Theodoc becomes actual Trotter

Me:

Minus the wooden feet, I hope??

Windmill to the Stars:

Oooh yes, definitely! 😬

Me:

I mean…it wouldn’t be so bad if Theodoc was born disabled and still had an adventurous spirit. Kinda rad, actually.

Windmill to the Stars:

Ahhh that's true! New hc

[Bonus]

Windmill to the Stars:

I'm getting way carried away with this, Theodoc wasn't my idea

Me:

Theodoc is OUR idea Communism

Kasey Gondor:

Windmill to the Stars is @windmilltothestars, InvisibleWashboard is @invisiblewashboard, Writing Valkyrie is @writingvalkyrie, Kasey Gondor is @captaingondor, and meg is me does not have tumblr :-3

[theselfshippingwitch]

Ray x Violet - A Christmas Romance - Saturday, December 23rd

Ray reads the kids a bedtime story.

-

Ray had lit the fire in the fireplace and was sitting in the big comfy chair right across from it. The Christmas tree was all lit up and had all the handmade decorations the kids had made over the years. Calvin, now 5 years old, was sitting cross-legged in front of him, his red hair peaking out from under his Santa hat. George, who was three and almost four, was sitting on one of Ray's legs, the lights from the tree lighting up his cherubic cheeks and the highlights of his dark hair. And Sofia, who was only two years old, their first little girl, was sat on his other leg, her big brown eyes that reminded him so much of Violet's staring up at him from under soft brown ringlets.

Ray was wearing the Christmas sweater Violet loved seeing him in, the knitted red pattern stretched over his round tummy in a way she thought was oh-so-cute and cozy. She was carrying in her black cat, Estella, and her other black cat, Ligea, followed her. She put Estella down and she and Ligea snuggled up to the two dogs, Krypto and Rusty, who were sleeping by the fireplace. Violet sat down on the arm of the chair and wrapped her arm around the back of it. Ray began reading the book in his hands. "T'was the night before Christmas..."

The kids were soon fast asleep, and Ray and Violet tucked them into bed. Now, when Ray sat back down in his chair, it was Violet who sat in his lap. She kissed his cheek, and then his nose, and then his lips. She nestled into him.

"Merry Christmas, Ray."

"Merry Christmas, Violet."

[essenceofarda]

She swatted at him playfully with her fan, her lips twitching into a smile. “There better be a proposal attached to those words, Took,” she answered. 

Pippin grinned. “How ‘bout it then, Di? Shall we marry this June?”

She raised an eyebrow, resisting a smirk. “Who said I’d say yes?”

(Spoiler! she does say yes -- Gotta tie down that future Thain ;) Pippin and Diamond! Cause I’ve been thinking about the hobbits lately 😚)

[valiant-hobbit]

Okay, I'm going deep down the Merry x Estella rabbit hole that I originally created many many years ago bc something about a single mention of a person/relationship in the appendices got me by the throat then and now again and won't let go. So the other night I laid out a timeline of Merry and Estella related headcanons that I'm going to write someday - dammit!

Little Merry and Estella meeting as children in Buckland for the first time.

Estella jumping into the Brandywine on a dare and Merry rescuing her.

Nineteen year old Merry working up the courage to ask Estella to dance at Bilbo's 111th birthday.

Esmeralda criticizing their relationship, telling Merry he shouldn't be so infatuated with such a wild girl who is beneath him. Merry rejecting it but Estella overhearing.

Estella holding down the fort at Crickhollow with Fredegar while the four Hobbits slip away into the Old Forest. Her and Merry parting ways with much left unspoken.

Merry thinking about Estella throughout the journey and the war, wondering if he will see her again, get a chance to tell her how he really feels. Galadriel puts visions of her and of home in his mind. Boromir and Treebeard inspire him to fight for what he's left behind. As he falls under shadow on the Pelennor, and is left behind in the Houses of Healing, he regrets never telling her how he felt, knowing that the end of the world is near.

Estella is stricken as the Shire falls under Lotho's, and eventually Sharkey's, control. After so many months with the four hobbits gone, and under the impression that Frodo was bringing Bilbo's ring to the elves in Rivendell, she is convinced that the horrible Black Riders they experienced that night at Crickhollow must have killed her friends. She falls into despair when Fredegar gets himself thrown into the Lockholes, and she is alone, regretting everything she never said.

Estella, out of breath and hoping against hope, coming up the road after hearing rumors of Frodo's and the others return to the Shire. Merry taking her into his arms as she runs to him, almost unbelieving that they're really home. Spunky, strong-willed Estella helping to rally the Hobbits to rid the Shire of the ruffians, and Merry helping her rescue Fredegar from the Lockholes after the Battle of Bywater.

Merry becoming an overnight celebrity in the Shire and Buckland, and Estella wondering if she even has a place in his life after months of them being home again.

Merry finally admitting to Estella that he loves her, eventually asking her to marry him, something that all their friends and family have been expecting so long that when they hear news of their engagement, all they can say is "it's about time!"

A sweet summer wedding by the Brandywine. Aragorn and Èomer/Èowyn send wedding gifts to Merry.

Eventually, Merry becomes the 8th Master of Buckland. He and Estella have three children, the oldest is named Thèoden.

I just have a lot of EMOTIONS about these two and I need a whole novel's worth of words to explore it

[valiant-hobbit]

Thanks for the tag!!

Three Ships: Merry and Estella (LotR), Cardan and Jude (Folk of the Air), Will Turner and Elisabeth Swan (PotC) Just the first ones that came to mind

First Ever Ship: The first thing I can remember really shipping hardcore is Merry x Estella. But there were likely others that I didn't actually register in my conscious mind before that 😅

Last Song: The Book of You & I by Alec Benjamin

Last Movie: She's All That

Currently Reading: Something Wicked This Wy Comes by Ray Bradbury, When the Body Says No by Gabor Matè, These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Currently Watching: The Punisher and the LotR trilogy

Currently Eating: last thing was cinnamon heart candies

Currently Craving: Honestly craving Tolkien so much these days, it's like being my 13 yr old self again lol

Tagging: @newt-a5-theglue @dylanadreams @imagining-dragons @hope-deferred-inc @wellmanneredthief

Tag Game

Rules: Tag 9 people you want to know better.

Thanks for tagging me in this post @tori-artemis !😊❤️

Three Ships: Frostiron(Loki/Tony Stark), I love their dynamic both in a platonic or romantic way - Deckerstar(Lucifer Morningstar/Chloe Decker) From Lucifer tv series - Ineffable husbands(Crowley/Aziraphale), I ship them in a qpr way.

First Ever Ship: Rhett/Scarlett from Gone with the Wind.

Last Song: Breath by Breaking Benjamin.

Last Movie: I watched Hotel Transylvania 4 which was bad. It was even worse than the third movie which is saying sth. Because while the third one was bad, it still had some good moments like the DJ battle at the end was really funny *takes a deep breath* don't start a rant on Hotel Transylvania out of everything *visibly restraint myself* Anyway, since I was disappointed I went and watched the other Hotel Transylvania movies again :D Because I really love Dracula! He always makes me laugh :)) and I needed sth light and fun to balance the heavy subjects I'd read.

Currently Reading: Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris(It's a sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwits) - The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - The Rooting of the Ancient Tree by Bahram Beyzai(It's a research about the Indo-Iranian roots of One Thousand and One Nights and the similarities between its main story and the story of Zahhak)- I'm also beta reading the Loki Rewrite project.

Currently Watching: I'm not in the mood to start watching a new tv show. For now I'm just waiting for the next episode of Legacies(no it's not good :P :D ).

Currently Consuming: Pomegranate.

Currently Craving: Pomegranate sauce which I'm eating with my Pomegranate :D

Tagging: @marril96 @crzyprsn42 @illwynd @iamnmbr3 @rosalysaoirse @latent-thoughts @stellophia @therese-lokidottir @bookworm-addict and anyone who wants to play!

[dmitri-smerdyakov]

LOTR Aesthetic - Merry/Estella