#national visit your relatives day

[murderousink23]

05/18/2024 is International Day for Museums 🖼🌎, World Therapeutic Horticulture Day 🌱🌎, National Cheese Souffle Day 🇺🇸, National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day 🇺🇸, National No Dirty Dishes Day 🇺🇸, National Visit Your Relatives Day 🇺🇸, Colorado Public Lands Day 🇺🇸, National Armed Forces Day 🇺🇸, National Learn to Swim Day 🏊‍♀️🏊‍♂️🇺🇸, National Numeracy Day 🇬🇧, World Whisky Day 🥃🇬🇧

[lovesickhughes]

luscious locks | jack hughes

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

a/n: i, to this day, CANNOT get over this content we got of all three brothers, and the way jack looks, hello??? i would just like to preface that this has been in my drafts since AUGUST (I KNOW) and i finally was able to finish it! not my best, also only proof read once, so apologies for any mistakes, but i hope you enjoy!!! okay bye love you!

summary: jack's gorgeous hair matched with his charming personality and stunning face, leaves you drooling at his feet

warnings: makeout sesh! nothing else except for pure fluff!

word count: 2.2k

Summer seemed to be slipping away, right before the tips of your fingers. The Michigan nights were getting cooler, the sun was setting earlier, and your friends desperately attempted to fit in any last minute plans before everyone dispersed back into their routines come autumn.

That also meant for Jack and you, your time spent together that felt endless was coming to an end. The pre-season was just around the corner for the National Hockey League, which meant Jack's schedule would condense to a routine occurrence of working out with the team, morning skates and all the extra training and conditioning that went into the preparation for the upcoming season.

While the summer was able to be spent with family and friends; boating at the Hughes' lake house, trips to wineries and attending weddings of fellow teammates and pro athletes, Jack among the league's management and closest friends had to enjoy the summer fun while keeping one secret from the public.

When the Hughes brothers were offered the opportunity to be on the cover of the upcoming video game covers, the three boys were ecstatic to take upon the offer and fly to Los Angeles for media coverage. You had joined the brothers back in July for a weekend while they were taken behind the scenes and filmed content with the league's media team.

However, being restricted from sharing the exciting news for the upcoming release to the public, made your gatherings with friends a bit more difficult than anticipated. When amongst friends, and even family, the extra attention you paid to conversations and your own responses added another amount of energy that drained you. You wanted nothing more than to tell your closest people the exciting news, but with strict contracts the Hughes brothers had to sign, you knew it would all be worth the wait and biting your tongue a little harder when chiming into conversation.

Now, after the release being almost over a week ago, Jack and you had recently flown back to New Jersey in preparation of the new season. Jack was in meetings that occupied most of his days, while you were adjusting to your job, getting back into the rhythm as you did prior to the summer season.

Your friends and family had sent their congratulatory messages via text for you to pass along to Jack and his brothers for their accomplishments, and your timelines on all apps were flooded with the content you had watched be taken a few months prior.

Tonight though, Jack's and your schedule had perfectly aligned, where Jack had a few days off before the training picked up again, and your work had been all caught up for the upcoming days.

You had busied yourself in the morning, going to the farmer's market with a friend who was in town visiting, before getting coffee and reminiscing the last few summer months and what your family and you had done, and the time you spent with Jack's relatives.

While you caught up, Jack had gone to the gym, and tidied the shared apartment waiting for your arrival. When you entered through the door, the sight of your apartment scattered with candles lit, and the smell of pasta cooking coming from the kitchen, your eyebrows furrowed in worry, knowing there was a likely chance something could go wrong knowing who the chef behind the smell was.

You placed your findings from the farmer's market on the floor next to the collection of shoes that were neatly placed as you scurried towards the kitchen, turning the corner only to find Jack in nothing but a pair of grey sweatpants and nike socks that were pulled alarmingly high over the cuffs of his pants.

You took in the sight of the brunette from across from you, his soft, warm, tanned skin that had been kissed so delicately by the sun; his toned muscles, contorting as he moved in a fashion that left you mesmerized by the way his muscles in his biceps, shoulders and back all moved. And you noticed his hair, peeking out the bottom of his baseball cap that was turned backwards, a look you knew sent a wave of electricity through your body.

"Oh hey, babe," Jack said glancing up to your figure that scoped out the area, looking for any sign of something that could catch fire or cause chaos, "I'm just about done making dinner, I found this recipe online that had a video tutorial, so no; I haven't burnt anything down." Jack snickered, turning from the kitchen island to the counter behind that had a pot of pasta boiling on the stove.

You sigh, pulling your jacket off of your shoulder and hanging it on the back of the island stool. "I'm glad you haven't burnt anything, I guess now I'll just hope it's edible." You joked, earning a playful glare from the brunette in front of you.

All the while Jack was occupied watching the video from his phone, you leaned your body against the island counter, the cool marble touching the skin of your forearms as you rested your weight. You watched him intently, his tongue sticking out slightly in concentration while he transferred the pot of pasta into the strainer that was already placed in the sink. As he mixed the pasta noodles into the saucepan that contained a red sauce you could only assume was made from scratch, you watched his toned muscles shift with his movements, and his tanned skin from long days out on the boat at his lake house glimmering under the overhead lighting of the kitchen.

Your eyes trailed down his back to his waist and to his butt where your eyes lingered, mindlessly staring at your secret obsession Jack teases you about. Something about the way Jack looked and the way he was so concentrated in putting together a delicious, romantic meal for the first day in a few weeks that the two of you could spend together, you began to realize how long it had been since you felt the little adrenaline rush spike through your veins.

Of course you always actively had a crush on your own boyfriend, but every once in a while there would be moments where you're reminded of why he will always be your biggest crush of all time.

Since summer, Jack had been growing out his hair. You liked it no matter the length or style, but something about running your hands through his longer hair after a day in the lake and feeling the coarse texture from the water made your stomach do somersaults.

And tonight, it was clear Jack had gotten out of the shower prior to starting dinner, so his wet, brown hair laid messily under the cap, only destined to be doubled in volume from air-drying it and indenting the shape of the cap into his brown locks.

Jack plated the food, and you pushed yourself off of the counter to open the fridge and grab the bottle of wine you had saved from one of his teammate's weddings earlier in the summer. You poured two glasses, and followed Jack into your living room, placing the plates and wine glasses on the centre table that was decorated with candles and other items you had purchased when moving in.

Jack and you conversed about your days while the TV played in the background and you enjoyed your meal.

"I know we all joke that I should stick to being the one that cooks for us, but you impressed me tonight Hughes," you jested towards your boyfriend who sipped on his glass of wine.

He playfully rolled his eyes, "I didn't do nearly as bad as I thought I would, or as bad as you all make me out to be." He laughed. "Why don't you go and change into some comfy clothes while I clean up the dishes and then we can catch up on some TV or something for the rest of the night." Jack suggested as his hand reached to place a hand against your waist as you stood, sliding it towards the round of your butt and giving your skin a slight tap.

You squint your eyes, feeling skeptical of his suggestions, wondering if he was scheming.

"Is this your way of putting out for me? You make me a nice dinner and fill me with wine so we can end up fucking tonight?" You joked, half playfully. Jack stood to meet your eyes and his hand now reaching for your waist again to pull you into his body and placing a delicate kiss to your temple.

"Is it working?" He asked against your skin as he peppered kisses against your flushed and warm face. "I'm kidding, I just want us to have a good night since we've both been busy lately."

You hum at his response, "That's sweet of you, let me go change and I'll meet you back here."

While Jack collected the dirty plates and wine glasses, your feet carried you to your bedroom, quickly changing your outfit into one of Jack's basic t-shirts and a pair of pyjama shorts. Fixing the way that Jack's shirt fit on your frame, you admired your appearance in the wall-length mirror that leaned against the wall in your bedroom that complimented the other accents of the room.

Exiting your shared room, you walked down the hallway, the sound of your soft step echoing down the hardwood floor as the dimly lit living room shone down the walls. Jack was seated in the corner on the couch, his one arm resting on the back of the cushion while his legs stretched down to the end of the couch, with a soft white blanket drowning his figure.

A smile erupts on your face, seeing how romantic the aura of your boyfriend and this evening had been since you arrived home and you quickly shuffled over to meet Jack on the couch, plopping yourself next to him and immediately sinking into his side.

You rested your head on his shoulder as you snuck under the blanket to share, feeling the warmth of Jack's exposed skin radiate off of him.

"How are you already cozy?" You asked as if it was a life-changing question.

Jack chuckled, the vibrations of his laugh being sent through his body and ricocheting into yours, "You take forever to change." He slyly responded. You playfully shake your head in protest, but nonetheless snuggle in closer to your favourite brunette, his arm that was on the back of the couch finding its place around your shoulder, his fingers hanging down to just below your chest.

"What do you wanna watch?" Jack asked quietly, as he mumbled the question into the crown of your head, pressing a kiss to the crown of your head.

You hummed in contemplation, "Mmm, I'm not too picky- I'm probably just gonna end up falling asleep anyway." You giggled at your own confession.

It wasn't long before Jack and you had found a movie you both agreed on, and began to watch. The light from the TV screen emitting into the living room, lighting up the walls as Jack and you cozily held each other.

After the halfway point of the movie, Jack had to pause the film to run to the bathroom, and while doing so, on his way back grabbed you a glass of water, Jack settled back into his seat on the couch cushion.

As if on queue, when you looked over at Jack to see if he was ready to continue, he was already reaching for your waist and pulling you into his frame.

Your lips connected, and you inhaled sharply through your nose at the contact. Whether it was the two glasses of wine you had during dinner, or the smell of the food, or even the romantic environment of the living room with the lit candles disbursed among the room, the kiss felt electric, sending you to another level of bliss.

Jack's calloused hand instinctively raised to cradle your jaw, holding your face close to his as he continued to kiss you like it was the last time he'd be able to. And when you slightly pulled away to catch your breath from the heated kiss, Jack took that as his queue to slip his tongue into your mouth, exploring, as he deepened the kiss.

You let out a soft moan at the action, Jack's hand that was now on the side of your torso, squeezing your side delicately. Your own hands found themselves resting on each of Jack's shoulders, before your own one hand travelled up to the nape of his neck, immediately entangling it into his luscious, luscious locks you were so ever obsessed with.

The kiss continued, only until you both pulled away to catch your breath, foreheads resting against one another. You placed a quick peck on Jack's swollen, wet, and red lips. Smiling at him when his eyes met yours and you lowered yourself back into your cuddling spot beside him.

You looked up at the beloved boy who sat next to you, giving you more than you could have ever imagined in your life, and all that you felt was a sense of gratitude, and immense love; even emotional to think that you really did check all the boxes with this one. 

[lair-of-platonic-yanderes]

Platonic Yandere Neuvillette Alphabet

Happy Birthday, Hydro Dragon.

(with Child!/Teen! GN! Reader. Second Person P.O.V.)

It's my first attempt in making an alphabet (both writing and making one from the scratch)

______

A - Adopt (How long will it take for them to start planning "to adopt"?)

It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment. Neuvillette's affection resembles a river flow. It's starts, it flows and, eventually, it will reach the sea. There won't be a specific event, or day. He will meet you, he will know you better and, one day, will just spontaneously come to the conclusion that he wants to adopt you.

B - Baby (Is age of their "adoptee" important to them? Will they reconsider "adoption" because of the age?)

Not really. Neuvillette will be equally happy with Baby, Child and Teen. If needed, melusines will help him keep an eye on you. Besides, who would dare to say something to Iudex of Fontaine, who is having his adorable baby in a sling during trials?

C - Cage (How free their "adoptee" will be?)

Neuvillette will take you anywhere you want, as long as he is near you. You can go anywhere you want as long as you have at least three melusines following you. But, you can visit any room in his house, Neuvillette won't mind at all.

D - Domestic (Beside the room, what did they do in their in the house for their "adoptee"?)

Neuvillette made a pound for Leisurely Otters near his house, so you can have some company when he and melusines are busy.

E - Enthusiasm (How enthusiastic they are about the whole "adoption" ordeal?)

Very. The moment he decides to adopt you, Neuvillette wants to do it as soon as possible. He will immediately start decorating a room for you, buy toys and clothes.

F - Family (Will they insist on being called father/mother/brother/sister etc.?)

Neuvillette wants to be called father. He won't outright make you calk him 'father', but he will constantly call himself your father every time he talks to anyone. He is waiting, when one day you will give up and call him 'dad'.

G - Guilty (Do they feel guilty for taking their "adoptee" from their previous life?)

No. Not really. Neuvillette firmly believes, that what he did was right, even if your biological family were good people.

H - How (How exactly the "adoption process" will go?)

Neuvillette will try to find your biological relatives, with help from melusines, plant the evidence and then anonymously tip the nation law enforcement. All of it to make sure, that he is the only one, who can adopt you.

I - Ill (What will they do, if their "adoptee" became sick, and they can't treat them on their own?)

Neuvillette is prepared for that. He has Sigewinne who will help with taking care of you.

But, if there is something serious, so serious, that you need to spend some days in the infirmary of Fortress of Meropide, and, if your relatives are here, Neuvillette will consider forcing Wriothesley into keeping them in Production Zone 24/7. Neuvillette will ask melusines to get your relatives in trouble, forcing Wriothesley into locking them as a punishment.

J - Joke (What kind of parent they are? Serious or Fun?)

Serious, but not against the idea of playing games with you.

K - Kill (Will they kill for their "adoptee"?) + Bonus Round [Kind] (Are they kind towards their "adoptee"? Kind in a universal way, not be n their own eyes?)

Not for "adoption". Neuvillette doesn't want to traumatize you. He wants you to be happy and see him as a kind father. He is kind towards you, and, if people knew about his interactions with you (exept the reasons for jailed relatives), they will also call him a good father, if only slightly controlling.

But, if someone dare to hurt you after you were "adopted"... Let's just say, Neuvillette is a dragon, and dragons aren't to be messed up with.

L - Liquid (Do they have any special drink they make for their "adoptee"?)

Water with sweet syrups.

M - Meal (And what about meals?)

Neuvillette will try to make your favorite food. Even if you prefer deep-fried food.

N - No (What they will never do to their "adoptee"?)

Neuvillette will never ever hurt you or make you cry. He is extremely patient, and won't raise his voice while speaking with you.

O - Obvious (Is it possible to catch on their intention to "adopt"?)

It's almost impossible. For that one need to observe Neuvillette, melusines and even vishaps.

P - Place (Favorite place to took their "adoptee")

Merusea Village. Neuvillette will be happy, if he sees you making friends with melusines.

Erinnyes Forest. Neuvillette also likes to take you here to play with vishaps. You can do whatever you want with vishaps. One glare from Neuvillette will cut all growls short.

Q - Quit (Is there anything, that will make them reconsider to "adopt"?)

There is a slim chance. If you have a perfect relationship with your relatives, he will consider to give up. However, the moment he sees even the smallest frown on your face, the "adoption" will start again.

R - [Character Specific Letter] Rain (Will Neuvillette took their "adoptee" for a walk during rains?)

It's one of the things, that Neuvillette will insist on doing with you. Of course, he won't go out with you during storms or very cold rain, but he wants to soak up with you under the rain as often as he can.

S - Sharing (Do they "adopt" because they wanted to give love to someone, or they want someone to give love to them?)

To give. His reason for "adoption" were for protecting you and giving you parental love you deserve.

T - Thing (What is the first thing they get for their "adoptee"?)

Before "adoption" was concluded - warm blanket for your new room.

As an "adoption" present - any toy of your liking.

U - Unite (Will they welcome someone into the "family"?)

Melusines, of course. And, if you have younger siblings, they are also welcomed into the family.

Neuvillette isn't sure about Wriothesley, Clorinde and Furina, so he keeps them away.

V - Vacation (Will they take their "adoptee" on vacation?)

Depends. If you are from Fontaine, he will easily take you on vacation to other nations.

But, if you aren't from Fontaine, Neuvillette will never visit your home nation with you. And, if he has to take a business trip there, you will stay in Merusea Village until he returns.

W - Wish (How much they will do for their "adoptee"?)

Neuvillette won't spoil you too much, but he will be happy to provide you with anything you might want. As long as your requests are reasonable.

X - [Wildcard. Anything you want to share about them?]

Neuvillette will proudly display all drawings you made for him, even the childish ones, on his desk in Palais Mermonia.

After Neuvillette gained his authority, he got an ability to turn into dragon during rain. He likes to curl around you during his transformation.

Y - You (What make them want to choose their"adoptee" specifically?)

Because you are you. And because Neuvillette view your situation as an unfair towards you.

Z - Zero [Back to the beginning. Can you tell, during their first meeting with an "adoptee", that they will choose them?]

No, if you can't read minds. Neuvillette won't immediately focus on you, but he must find something interesting in you. Something, that will make him wants to know you better.

[wordbunch]

dad Boromir headcanons

a/n: more specifically this is girl dad boromir!! purely self indulgent and based on my personal fantasies. oops. still hope u think it's cute and leave it a nice comment/reblog/sth... 🥰💌

for a few days after she is born, Boromir just walks around on the verge of happy tears

needless to say he is wrapped around her pinky finger from the very first second of knowing her

nobody except you, him, Faramir and your fellowship friends are allowed to hold her (maybe don't let Merry and Pippin babysit immediately)

his protectiveness grows tenfold, both of you and your daughter

"now i have two queens of my heart"

my headcanon is that Gondor hasn't had any princesses born in a loooong time so historically it would also be a very exciting occasion!

Boromir is 101% hands-on and very quickly catches onto many tips and tricks for caring for an infant, all courtly protocols be damned! that is his babygirl and his wife and just you try keeping him away!

no matter his obligations and plans, if she falls asleep on him, or clutching a strand of his hair, his finger, ear, clothes, anything, you can bet he isn't moving anywhere

he covers her tiny ears if he hears anyone nearby uttering what he deems inappropriate words (his standards for inappropriate words also changed significantly)

comes up with the best stories and changes his voice to fit different characters

if your daughter's first word is anything close to 'dad', he will all but proclaim a national holiday complete with a feast istg

aunties Éowyn and Arwen love love having their little girl time with her and will teach her different, but amazing things respectfully

Boromir does his very best to openly express love and affection towards your babygirl - lord knows how he grew up

you know sometimes he isn't sure what to do or how to say something, but your heart swells while watching him give his best

your love for each other deepened as you watched each other grow into the new phase of life

for real, he was nothing but loving towards you before, but now...

he becomes so attuned to your needs it blows your mind

little appreciation gifts are a very common occurence

while you try to keep the bath time relatively tidy and not cause a flood every time, Boromir makes it his mission to make it as fun and chaotic as possible

the little princess of Gondor has the cutest clothes and toys imaginable

especially when she starts to express her wishes, Boromir will do anything to make them come true

"my love, don't you think she is a little too young for a pony?"

"but she said she wanted one!"

"...she was talking in her sleep, Boromir"

"see, it is her dream to have a pony!"

luckily you win and she doesn't get a pony at the ripe old age of barely 2, but you partially cave in and say she can feed and pet ponies when you visit your friends in the Shire

those family outings are always so much fun and some of your favorite memories

everytime your girl is being very stubborn, and your husband is exasperated, you like to remind him she's his daughter through and through

when she grows up she will take no shit but will be so kind and warm and interested in so many things

truly the best of combinations, Boromir and you almost congratulate each other on doing a splendid job

tagging some friends just because

@lady-of-imladris

@sotwk

@starladyy

@queenmeriadoc

@fenharel-enaste

@entishramblings

@coraleethroughthelookingglass

@shirefantasies

@asianbutnotjapanese

@ironmandeficiency

@glorf1ndel

@aidansloth

[magics-neptunes-things]

Collide (1)

Hello everyone!

Here we are finally in the series I talk about a few days ago. After the votes you chose Leah, but I might have kept some ideas for Alessia afterwards.

I have the beginning of the story and the end, but I have not yet decided exactly what would happen in the middle, so I am unable to tell you how many chapters there will be in this story.

I hope you will like it and as usual, I gladly take your comments, requests and suggestions :) Don’t hesitate to write to me.

Happy reading!

World count : 4.8k

TW : Mention of breaking up and angst. I think nothing else but if you notice something please let me know!

PART 2 I PART 3 I PART 4 I PART 5 I PART 6 | PART 7

The news of your transfer to Arsenal was like a little bomb in the football world. You were on the verge of another contract extension with Manchester City when the London club contacted your agent, offering you a contract that you couldn’t refuse. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, you thought about it long before accepting. You asked for the advice of your parents and friends footballers perhaps a little more experienced than you. Including Ingrid Engen, one of your best friends since you started playing on the Norwegian national team.

After weighing the pros and cons, you decided to accept and say goodbye to Manchester City. Some things will obviously miss you. Starting with some of your teammates that you consider your friends and who seemed really saddened by your departure.

You quickly got along with Laia Aleixandri and Leila Ouahabi, the spanish womens taking you under their wing just arrived in Manchester. They made your life easier and helped you include yourself in the club much more easily than you could have hoped. Leaving your home country at almost 18 wasn’t easy, but if you wanted to continue to follow your dreams, you really had no choice. Norwegian football being less in the spotlight, when you had the first proposal from an English club, you didn’t hesitate a single second. Your parents and relatives encouraged you to accept this offer as well.

Your life in Manchester has been pleasant and you can’t help but be a little nervous about moving to a new city. With other people, other places… In short, to start almost from the beggining. The only thing that has changed between your settlement between Manchester and London is that you have undoubtedly developed your athletic abilities and skills in all areas necessary to be able to play football properly.

Your contract was signed just after the end of the World Cup, so you were the last to announced at Arsenal. This didn’t allow you to find an apartment in time and that is why you find yourself in a hotel room for your first nights in London. It’s a little strange, but you’d rather that than take an apartment that wouldn’t suit you. It’s important for you to really feel at home when you cross the threshold of your door and you haven’t found the one who gave you this impression in those you have visited for the moment.

You only have a few things with you at the moment, all your furniture is stored in Laia’s garage in Manchester, ready to be sent as soon as you find what suits you. Very soon, let’s hope.

********

It’s a little nervous that you leave the Uber that accompanies you to the Arsenal training center for your first day under the colors of the club. You have already made the promotional photos, so you have already met several people belonging to the staff. You’ve already had a meeting with Jonas, but you haven’t met a lot of people officially when it comes to the players.

Last night, Alessia Russo contacted you via Instagram (you didn’t even realize she was following you on social media) and offered to wait for you at the entrance to make your way together. You quickly accepted, even if you also quickly understood that it was for you more than for her. Alessia knows a lot of people on the team, unlike you. But the gesture made you happy. Alessia having played at Manchester United while you were playing at Manchester City, you might have had a bad connection with her, being clubs enemy, but that’s not the case. Leila and Laia always took you with them when they were going out with Ona and her friends and that’s how you met Alessia. From saying you’re friends with her there’s a world, but you appreciate the blonde’s personality.

Alessia is already waiting for you when you arrive and you smile at her when you reach her height.

"Hi" you say with a slight smile, responding willingly to her embrace.

"Nervous?" asks the blonde, glancing at you.

You answer with a simple grunt that makes her laugh, before you go to the conference room where you meet the rest of the team. She asks you about your Summer and you ask questions back, learning that she went in her family in Italy.

Several of your teammates are already present when you enter the room, including Jonas who greets you both with a big smile. You find yourself following Alessia around like a lost puppy in the room, but she doesn’t seem to mind. On the contrary, she introduces you to people she already knows.

You’ve come across some of them on football fields in previous games, but aside from a few words exchanged with them, there’s never been anything more. You talk to Laia Codina, whom Laia and Leila described as an adorable girl, when a new trio arrives in the room. Lia, Leah and Katie.

"Katie terrifies me" Alessia jokes in your ear before Leah spots her and leads the other two in your direction.

"Do you know Y/N?" Alessia tells Leah after they greet each other with an embrace.

"Not really" Leah replies with a smile. "Welcome to Arsenal!"

"Thank you very much"

When your eyes meet, you feel a wave of shivers running through your entire body. Nothing to do with the terror that Katie can inspire in Alessia, but what it can mean does intrigue you no less. But you quickly recover, greeting all three. You realize too that Leah’s embrace lasts a few seconds longer than the others, her hand dragging in the hollow of your back when she laughs at a joke Katie made.

Shortly after, Jonas and his assistants arrive in the room and ask you all to sit down. You find yourself next to Alessia and Manuela Zinsberger and listens wisely to what he tells you. This mainly consists of a warm welcome from the new players, a reminder of the goals set for the team this year and the introduction of new staff members. After that, everyone is invited to a brunch and you find yourself around a big round table, once again with Manuela but also with Frida Maanum, who seems delighted to have a compatriot with her on the team.

"We’ll be able to show Stina and Amanda who the real Vikings are" she told you, amusing the people around you.

The least we can say is that you quickly feel comfortable.

Finally you were wrong to fear the introduction into your new team. You haven’t trained together yet, but you feel it won’t be a problem for you to fit in here. Despite you, your eyes are a little too turned towards Leah Williamson, who has lunch at an another table. You didn’t expect the injuries one to be here today, which was stupid of you. They’re just as much part of the team as you are.

In the middle of the afternoon, after visiting the different rooms and the training ground, you are free to leave. You stay a little longer than the first ones who do though, having fun making passes with Alessia and Manuela, while Leah, Lia, Beth and Viv stay a few meters from you to discuss. When you finally decide to leave the field to go home and you don’t follow them to the parking lot greeting them nevertheless, you see Leah arching an eyebrow.

"Where are you going?"

"Taking the subway? I don’t have a car yet" you answer smiling, shrugging your shoulders.

"Bullshit. Someone can bring you back" Leah says, turning to your teammates.

"I’m not going to force someone to make a detour for me, Leah, but that’s very kind, thank you very much."

Something in the blonde’s gaze makes you think that if she had been fit to drive, she herself would have made the detour, but being driven by Lia she doesn’t have the opportunity to do so.

"I can" says Alessia nicely. "Where do you live?"

A new wave of surprise attacks your teammates when you give them the name of your hotel.

"You live in a hotel?" Lia wonders with her kind voice this time.

"I didn’t find an apartment for now" you shrug your shoulders."It all happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to anticipate things properly."

Well, you must also say that you wanted enjoy your holiday without bother yourself with it.

"We have a guest room if you want to come and live there for a few days, the time to find something" proposes Manuela.

But before you have time to answer, Alessia suddenly resumes speaking, slapping her forhead, as if she had just remembered something.

"They’re looking to rent the apartment in front of mine, on the same floor. If it’s like mine, it’s really nice!"

********

It turned out that the apartment in front of Alessia is indeed very nice. A bright living room (Very rare for London said Katie when she was sent by Leah to come make the counter-visit with you to scare the seller in case of scam attempts), a bedroom, another room that you used as a guest room, a third to make you an office and a living room with open kitchen. You even have a small balcony overlooking the inner courtyard, separated from Alessia’s by a transparent wall. "We’ll have to do a housewarming party" several of your teammates got excited. And that’s how you end up with most of the players on the team crammed into your living room, laughing while watching a reality show chosen by Jen. You ordered pizza and a supply of beer and other drinks has been flooding your balcony since last night. But you feel good and that’s all that matters. At the end of the show, you don’t know who offers a drinking game, consisting of taking a shot of alcohol if we did more than the person says. For example, you find yourself having to drink when Lotte says "I took more than three yellow cards last season." "Katie should drink like five shots" jokes Viv towards. Katie glare at her as laughter rises around you, but the game continues. Finally, when one of them says "I slept with more than two people" you are surprised to see that finally not many of you drink. You do. "Y/N?" Manuela turns to you with a disbelieving smile. "We never said we had to justify ourselves" you answer pulling your tongue at her. A new round is quickly thrown after that, but you cross Leah’s eyes a few seconds later. She also drank, which is probably not surprising given the small reputation that precedes her.

After clearing your throat, you look away with a slight blush on your cheeks.

You regularly saw Leah, between the parties organized by the different team members and during training. If the blond doesn’t follow those in the field, she has her appointments with her physiotherapist at the same time as you play. And she now participates in strength training and physical maintenance.

You talk to her regularly, but you have a hard time staying away like you promised yourself to. Leah seems like a very passionate and kind person, but some of your former teammates in Manchester City have made you aware of her flirtatious nature. And a one- or two-night thing, are really not what you’re looking for right now.

A little later in the evening, when at least half of the squad has returned home, you find yourself tidying up a little in the kitchen accompanied by Lia, Leah, Alessia, Manuela and Frida.

"So you have more than two conquests?" teases Manuela, leaning on the central island of your kitchen.

You have the impression that Leah’s eyes will pierce your head when she hears Manu’s question.

"I’ve got like three" you says, rolling your eyes. "It’s not the end of the world"

"It’s not" Lia laughs.

Hoping to divert the conversation, you offer once again to drink to your teammates slash friends. But that was without counting on Manu’s spontaneity.

"Oh but it wasn’t you who dated Alina Meier who play in Aston Villa? Lia’s swiss teammate?" (n/a I don’t want any problem with anyone, this girl is all invented)

You feel your stomach contracting a little bit to her name. Manuela isn’t mistaken, but you usually avoid talking about your ex. Any of your interlocutors could feel the tension emanating from you, but Lia is the fastest.

"Can I have another beer please?" she cuts the conversation with a big smile.

You willingly accept and pivot towards the fridge to dive in. Alessia takes charge of changing the topic of conversation and you sigh of relief when your hear that it works. You spend two seconds more than necessary to take out the beer, taking a large breath before leaving the fridge. Alessia puts a comforting hand behind your back and you find yourself once again stuck in Leah’s eyes when your eyes cross.

An hour later, it’s just Alessia, Leah, Victoria and you. Manuela fell asleep on the couch and you will probably find her in the same place tomorrow morning. Vic and Lessi are in the middle of a conversation about a band when you find yourself on your balcony, enjoying some fresh air.

"Mind if I join you?"

Leah. You obviously invite her to join you, despite yourself very intrigued by the young woman. You’re not stupid, or at least not stupid enough not to realize that she seems intrigued by you too. She speaks at you more often than Manu for example and behaves differently with you than with Lia or Alessia. You can imagine how much she looks about you and to be honest you’re interested about her too. But on your side it’s not only physical interest, which changes everything.

"Are you okay?" asks Leah with sincere concern. "You seem a little down since Manu mentioned Alina."

You look at her thoughtfully for a split second before shrugging your shoulders.

"She doesn’t bring back pleasant memories. But it’s ok" you finally confess, looking at the sky.

It’s difficult in London to observe the stars, between pollution and public lights lit everywhere. You miss it a little.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Well… Everybody in the football world knows, no?"

Another disadvantage of dating a well-known player, in the end. It’s impossible to keep your privacy private.

"I don’t think so?" said Leah, frowning. "I don’t, anyway." You look at her again for a few seconds and it doesn’t take you any longer to understand that she’s telling the truth. "We dated for almost a year, until I found out she had been cheating on me with someone in the man team from her club for almost four months." "Oh... I’m so sorry" A new glance in her direction allows you to understand that she really is. Frowning, she seems upset by this story. Like all the people to whom you tell the truth of your break up with Alina. You assumed that everyone knew why, but it would seem that they didn’t. It kind of cheers you up to be honored. "Jordan’s playing with her now" you say thoughtfully. Leah grunt at the mention of her ex and you take advantage of the fact that she looks in front of her to observe her. Leah is a very beautiful woman, it’s not surprising that people like her so much. You see regularly video on her in your "For you" on Tiktok. "You’re not the only one having a bad relationship with your ex" ended up sighing Leah. "Do you want to talk about it?" you ask, repeating her words from before. "There’s not much to say. She’s just, you know... gone." Maybe you shouldn’t get close to her to put your hand on her shoulder, her proximity triggering strange sensations throughout your body. You realize that the joints of Leah’s hands that are attached to the fence are white, and your hand quickly leaves her shoulder to be laid on one of Leah’s, stroking it. When Leah turns her head in your direction, you realize how close your faces are. Your breath is cut off and the infinity of the blue of her eyes makes you lose yourself. When Leah puts her hand around your waist to take you against her, you feel like your heart rate has never been so fast.

But it’s nothing compared to how you feel when her lips land on yours. One hand is automatically behind her neck and the other on her cheek. Your lips begin a passionate and sensual dance and that’s exactly how you imagined things when you thought about how Leah kiss.

The blonde takes advantage of a wimper from you to deepend the kiss and request access to your mouth with her tongue. You leave it to her, carried away by these waves of emotions and sensations that make you turn your head. You find yourself quickly having legs in jelly and you can’t tell how long this moment happened.

You need all your concentration and willpower to break that kiss, snatching yourself from Leah’s arms.

"I’m sorry" you mumble out of breath, facing Leah’s surprised face. "I shouldn’t have… I’m sorry"

With one last mumble, you hurry back inside. If the remaining guests suspect something, they don’t show it. You take the excuse to clean up a little more to mask your trembling hands and let your heart rate returning to normal. Five minutes later, Leah came back inside, excusing herself and leaving your apartment, calling it a night. She didn't even look at you and well, that's hurt. But it shouldn't, aren't you the one who pushed her away?

After kissing your cheek and saying goodbye, Alessia left you too. You throw a blanket on Manu’s sleeping body, you go to your room. It’s late, but you know that Ingrid sometimes stays up a little later than other people.

From You Are you asleep?

From Ingrid 🩵 No. are you okay?

From You Can we call each other?

You don’t get messages back, but Ingrid tries to call you while you’re brushing your teeth. You pick up, mouth full of toothpaste and greet your friend with a hand sign when her face appears on the screen.

"What are you still up at this hour?" smiled Ingrid

"I could ask you the same question" you point out to her after rinsing your mouth.

Ingrid just turns your phone screen and you realize that she shows you her living room, in which she seems to be installed with Mapi and Baghera watching TV.

"Hola Mapi!" you smile to the tattooed when she greets you with a wave of hand.

"What about you?"

"I invited the girls to my apartment to celebrate my move in" you explain before leaving the bathroom and going to lie on your bed.

"Was it nice?"

You hum for any answer, the memory of the kiss you just exchanged with Leah coming back full force. After spending years paying attention at you, Ingrid knows you very well and she realizes in the second that the reason you called her is related to this evening.

"What’s going on, Søtnos?"

Mapi being next to Ingrid, you are relieved that you started this conversation in Norwegian. Since Leah’s name is rather all-purpose, you hope that when you mention her, Maria will not realise. You never understood why there is such tension between the Spanish women and the English women, at least for some of them. But Mapi will probably never be friends with Leah.

Ingrid is a person you could easily confide in, even if there are parts of your life that you have never talked to her about. But you trust her with your life and you know that she will always be able to see things in a neutral and mature way. Which is not always your case.

You explain the situation to her, trying not to take too much time while giving her all the necessary information to have a clear vision of things.

"For summary" resumes Ingrid after your monologue "You like her, she seems to like you too. She kissed you, you pushed her away and she left without looking at you?"

"Uh… yeah"

"And you’re surprised?" laughs softly the brunette shaking her head.

"No, on the contrary. I should never have accepted that kiss in the first place, it was a serious mistake on my part."

"Why?"

"Because she doesn’t see things the way I do, I guess. Leila told me to beware of her and she didn’t want anything serious for a long time" you sigh as you roll to the side.

"Did you talk to her about it?"

"No, we didn’t have time between the kiss and the moment she left my apartment slamming the door" you laugh.

"Be careful with your bad attitude" warns Ingrid pointing at you.

But you smile at her in return. You know she doesn’t scold you for real.

"Anyway, I doubt that she will want to speak to me again after that" you sigh again.

This information shouldn’t depress you as much as that, but still. And this doesn’t escape the keen eye of your compatriot once again. She smiles softly at you.

"I like Leila and I don’t doubt that she means what she says, but trust me, you’re never better served than by yourself."

Her look from the side and you know she’s looking at her own girlfriend. You remember perfectly well that Ingrid was also told to beware of Mapi. But when you see where they are today, you tell yourself that she did well to trust her own idea.

"You have a better conscience than me to judge people" you remind her.

Ingrid answers you with a grunt and you know that she thinks about what happened previously in your love life. You make a grimace and decide to change the subject, questioning her rather on Mapi, her trainings and what she has to tell you again in her life.

Your call lasts another ten minutes before you decide to stop, promising to call you back quickly. What you usually do once a week at least, determined to keep in touch despite the fact that you are not in the same country.

It’ll be a long time before you can fall asleep that night, Leah deep in your mind. Part of you is bitterly sorry you pushed her away, but on the other hand, no one can blame you for wanting to protect you, right? No one knows your past and what you went through before you came here. But you can’t help but feel guilty, despite the little time you spent with Leah, she confided in you about her relationship with her ex and even if it was just a few words, you feel like she wouldn’t do it to just anyone. Your last wish is to hurt her, she asked nothing for it.

You will have to wait until the sky clears, heralding a new day for you to finally find sleep, long hours later. Little did you know that Leah experienced the same thing in her own bed.

********

As you have imagined, Leah was particularly cold the next time you saw her. She greeted you, but only from a distance. Her affectionate smile and the little touches if attention she offered you on a daily basis now seem to need to be evoked in the past. And it bothers you too much for your taste.

This obviously caught the attention of the girls you were closest to in Arsenal, starting with Alessia.

"Is everything okay with Leah?" she asked you one day when you ended up in her apartment after a game.

"Yeah, why?"

Thank God you were on your phone and you were able to use this pretext to pretend to be absorbed by what was on it. Otherwise Alessia would have seen the slight panic take hold of your gaze.

"I don’t know, I think she changed her behavior with you… It’s not so much in her habits"

Alessia is far too observant, but given her character and personality, it doesn’t surprise you. It's also probably thanks to this that she saw your hesitation and she got closer to you before starting to speak again.

"Leah is my friend but you are too, so if you need to confide in someone, you can do it with me ok? I know how to keep secrets"

"Even for Tooney?" you asked while arching an amused eyebrow.

You met the energetic Englishman recently, when she came to London for an interview and took the opportunity to attend a match of Alessia.

"Even for Tooney" laughed Alessia gently shoving you with a shoulder.

You laughed too and you both went back to your respective phones, but in truth Alessia’s remark began to spin in your brain.

"Thanks"

Is all you added before you letting your head on her shoulder. Alessia responded by tapping you on the top of it, without taking her phone out of her eyes. And that was enough.

********

"Your tattoo is amazing!"

Katie’s exclamation makes you turn in her direction and you smile timidly when you see her watching your back carefully.

"Thank you?" you whisper in response.

Even if you prefer showering at home, this is not the first time you change in front of your teammates. So you don't know it Katie have never dared to ask you about it or if they have never really make attention the tattoo you have on your back. Yet it’s hard to miss. Drawn on all your right shoulder blade, it goes down to the hollow of your hips and shows up to your right shoulder.

"Wow, invite the girl on a date before" jokes Manuela when Katie advances towards you, without detaching her eyes from your back, her head slightly tilting on the side to have a better view.

"Sorry, I already put an option on it!" Caitlin exclaims at the back of the locker room, causing a general laugh.

Katie rolls her eyes, but you realize that she has been joined by Lia and Leah, all three of them carefully observing your tattoo. Your gaze lingers on Leah, who seems to resist as much as possible her desire to come and look closer. She stands behind Lia and when your eyes cross she silently observes you for long seconds before shifting her attention to your back.

"Sorry about the invasion" Lia smiles gently.

"It makes me think of a painting" Leah thoughtfully made next to her.

"By Van Gogh yes. The Starry Night. It was my grandfather’s favorite painting. Well, it’s a modified version obviously, but the inspiration is there"

The surprised look of Leah doesn't escape you. Lia is watching you silently and next to you Katie and Manuela have started a conversation about tattoos. As for Alessia, she finally emerges from the shower after her eternal routine of care.

"Do you like painting?" Leah asks carefully, looking at you with the same apprehension as if your gaze could ignite her alive.

"My grandfather was a painter, not very well known but he introduced me to this world" you answer by shrugging your shoulders.

"What she paints is incredible. She has a room dedicated to this at home, behind her bedroom" Alessia intervenes.

You turn in her direction, frowning. It's a part of you that you don't really want to share with everyone, fearing their jugement. You don't think you're a great painter, but you like painting. It's sort your mind. Your glance is quickly captured by your friend.

"What? It’s true" she mumbles, shrugging.

You roll your eyes and turn around to finish dressing, putting on a t-shirt and a sweatshirt to accompany your ripped jeans. The little troop that surrounded you has dissipated, but Leah’s gaze remains thoughtfully on you. You cross it when you glance in her direction and you blush slightly.

The effect that woman has on you… It might be a good idea to talk to someone about it again instead of thinking desperately about her every night before you fall asleep.

[seat-safety-switch]

Basically, every single childhood fable could be renamed to "Shut The Fuck Up" without losing too much in the translation.

Three Little Pigs? Shut the fuck up about knocking houses down and just do it.

Princess and the Pea? Shut the fuck up about your accommodations.

Boy Who Cried Wolf? Shut the fuck up.

Little Red Riding Hood? Well, you got me there.

For the most part, though, basically every classic story we tell kids has a lot to do with not making so much noise all the time. And there's a reason for that. Back in the 8th century, pseudo-nomadic Bavarian settlers began to suspect that their little part of Europe was not as unoccupied as they first thought. Something was there with them, and what's worse, it seemed to prey on the loudest members of their community.

Politicians, obviously, were the first to go, ripped apart and devoured in the middle of the night. Loudmouths of all stripes would eventually be consumed, they realized. Suddenly, a lot of street-corner hawking of goods and foods became extremely quiet. This period of relative calm caused a bunch of writers to have one fewer reason for procrastination, and many of them ended up "getting over their writers' block" for fear that their editor would yell at them and get the both of them masticated by an unknown, hostile force in the night.

Many children's stories were written, so many that the market became flooded from these productions. Customers would go to the bookstore, see a sea of Bavarian books, and become overwhelmed. Some would stick around, looking for a different region, but would leave empty-handed.

They had to do something, and that "something" was to invent the small mountain nation of Switzerland, which didn't actually exist back then, but has since developed a plausible backstory for its existence by a concerted government project to edit Wikipedia. Now, with the illusion of choice, customers could pick either a Bavarian or Swiss book. This problem was eventually solved on its own, once the authors became rich enough to move away from a country where they routinely ran the risk of being eaten by loudmouth-seeking monsters.

As a result, this tradition has carried on to the present day, often without childrens' fiction writers realizing that they were propagating this particular trauma for all eternity by imitating the works of their literati heroes.

Now you know the reason why children's books are all about being quiet. Or it could be that kids make a lot of noise. Both of these sound plausible, but just to be on the safe side, I would try not to shout while visiting any part of Bavaria.

[doberbutts]

I’m kinda new to tumblr so idk if this is like, improper, but that recent shit about your folks sucking was rough. just like, to read. I can’t even imagine how hard it sucks to be there right now. but idk I wanted to shoot an anonymous ask and just be like “hey you’re gonna make it” which I know you already know but figured it would be nice to hear from someone else too, so. hang in there fellow trans person and fuck your family’s behavior

Oh I never did really fully explain what was happening did I?

My great aunt died on December 1 and it wasn't particularly unexpected (she was very old, and her husband died a few years ago on Dec 3) but it was quite sudden and without much warning. I drove to my parents' house to mourn and help with funeral arrangements and it was my first time visiting since right before covid and also since starting medical transition. I figured I'd be enduring a lot of misgendering and the like but wanted to be there for my aunt because I had a lot of wonderful memories of celebrating Christmas at her house with her and my uncle.

An assortment of little comments added up over the next 24 hours until my mother effectively called me stupid unprompted to my face as I drove her from my sister's house back to her own, because I'd said that my niece and nephew were quite smart and that wasn't an abnormality within our family. This is referring to my graduating at 16 and testing well into genius for my IQ, my sister winning several national awards for her poetry and essays, my adult nephew graduating at 17 and only because of an August birthday, both of my parents having masters degrees they earned on scholarships they were given due to their own strong writing, etc and now my niece is skipping a grade and my nephew is averaging well above his grade level and likely will skip a grade too. So I said something about being a family of smart kids and my mom more or less went "well one of my kids isn't very bright" and then looked hard at me.

I'm the only college drop out of my siblings, and with a worse gpa. It's also not the first time she's called me stupid but normally not in so many words or out of left field like that so it cut pretty deep especially considering all the other bs I'd been putting up with since arriving.

I voiced discomfort with what I had (correctly) assumed she meant as a joke, which turned into an argument, which made me have the realization that this is not my home and has not been my home in some time and in fact the reason my mental health improved rapidly when I left is because I got away from her and all of her nasty little comments she doesn't think are a big deal and now I'm having a panic attack and oh- this is a trauma response. I am back in the same house, the same bedroom, the same situation, and I am being triggered, and I am having a trauma freak out, and it has been a very long time since this place and these people have been anything but detrimental to me.

TO HER CREDIT she did come into my bedroom late that night and stated that she couldn't sleep because she felt awful because clearly she seriously misstepped and did not actually mean to hurt me this badly but at that point the damage was done. We talked it out and then we both cried ourselves to sleep in our respective bedrooms and then I woke up with covid the next day and drove the 5 hours back home so I could access healthcare in my state with my state insurance.

And I don't think I will ever go back there willingly, at least not to stay overnight. I'll come up with a reason that I have to stay at a hotel or something.

So anyway long story short the issue was relatively shortlived and I am now back to normal but WOW that was a BAD night. I have not had a night like that in a very long time.

[breelandwalker]

Harvest Moon - September 17 2024

Grab your canning supplies and your favorite cider mug - it’s time for the Harvest Moon!

Harvest Moon

The Harvest Moon is the name given to the full moon which occurs closest to the autumnal equinox. It does not matter whether the moon occurs before or after the equinox or in which month it falls. In some years, this means the Harvest Moon may occur in October, in which cause the September moon might go by the name of Corn Moon or Rice Moon, depending on where you are.

In 2024, the Harvest Moon falls once more in the month of September and this year, it's also a supermoon! However, in 2025, the September moon will come early in the month, making it a Corn Moon. The Harvest Moon that year will be in early October.

The September moon is particularly beloved by farmers in the Northern Hemisphere, as it rises earlier and shines brighter than other full moons due to the relative angle of the Earth in relation to the moon during the equinox, which is helpful for lighting up the tail end of those long work days. In addition, the Harvest Moon may also appear full for multiple nights, providing additional illumination for labor or evening strolls. As such, while the peak of the Harvest Moon will occur at 10:34pm EST on September 17th, it may also appear to be full the night before and after.

Other North American Indigenous names for the September moon include a number of variations of the aforementioned Corn Moon (used by numerous nations), such as Corn Maker Moon (Abenaki), Corn Harvest Moon (Dakota), and Corn Is Harvested Moon (Zuni). Other names refer to seasonal changes or animal behavior, such as Autumn Moon (Cree), Falling Leaves Moon (Ojibwe), Leaves Turning Moon (Anishinaabe), and Rutting Moon (Cree). Some European and modern pagan names for the September moon include Barley Moon (Old English), Singing Moon (Celtic), and Fruit Moon (general).

What Does It Mean For Witches?

As autumn begins, we continue to reap what we’ve sown over the course of the year. It’s a time to pause and reflect on what we’ve accomplished, let go of any unnecessary burdens we’re still carrying, and focus on taking care of hearth and home for the cold months ahead. Now is a good time to do one last clutter purge or finish those repairs you’ve been putting off all summer!

Change is in the air as well, and transformations begun earlier in the year will burst into vibrant life. Just as the flowers bloom in spring, the leaves turn in the fall, and those of us who come alive in the autumn will start to fell that zing coming back.

Community also comes back into focus during harvest time, both because of the sharing of resources and the accompanying start of the school year. Take a moment to reinforce positive and supportive connections with friends and neighbors, or reach out to your local or online circle to strengthen existing bonds.

This a time of great abundance, especially with the supermoon full in the sky, so if you’ve been meaning to draw any kind of increase into your life, take steps to do so now. Harness that Harvest Moon energy to help carry you through the lean times in comfort and plenty.

What Witchy Things Can We Do?

This is the time for feasting, bonfires, and outdoor gatherings. September and October will give us a few more warm weeks before the weather turns cold and rainy, so make the most of it! Have a potluck supper with a menu made of everyone’s favorite seasonal recipes. Visit a local farmer’s market and bring home that fresh seasonal produce. Thank the earth for the bounty it provides and renew your promise to be a good steward of the land where you live.

Technically, this is the second “harvest” moon of the year, since the harvest of most seasonal crops began back in August with wheat and corn and late summer fruits. The harvest of corn and grain continues into September and is joined by additional late-season fruits and vegetables, the most iconic of which is the annual apple crop.

Apple-picking is easily my favorite autumn activity and it’s fantastic way to get outdoors, get some fresh air, and come home with tasty produce for uses both mundane and magical. From cider to applesauce to pies, apples are delightfully versatile. They also feature in a number of folk traditions and party games which double as divination rituals.

Continue your preparations for winter by canning or preserving fresh foods, hanging harvested herbs and flowers to dry, or refreshing your stocks of moon water and magical oils. Make your own magical brews using a stock pot as a cauldron and soups, stews, punch, cider, and mulled wine as your potions. Kitchen witches, your time is NOW!

Wear the colors of the season boldly and revel in all the gifts you’ve received and joys you’ve experienced so far this year. If you’ve been particularly blessed, pay it forward to share the bounty with others. Reflect on everything you’ve accomplished, celebrate your progress, and maybe set one or two small goals for the end of the year.

And since the decorations are already appearing in stores, start stocking up for Halloween!

Happy Harvest Moon, witches! 😊🍎

Further Reading:

Additional Lunar Calendar posts

Secular Celebrations - Autumn Equinox

Harvest Moon, The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

What Is The Harvest Moon?, The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

September 2024 Harvest Full Moon: Secrets to Seize Its Magic, The Peculiar Brunette.

Full Moon 2025 Calendar, Full Moonology.

Everyday Moon Magic: Spells & Rituals for Abundant Living, Dorothy Morrison, Llewellyn Publications, 2004.

(If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊)

Image Credit - Plantura, Red Moon Apple.

[callixpene]

L&DS Future Lifetime Series - PART 2: THIRD CONVERGENCE

Note: Starting from Part 2, some or all of the Love Interest's perspectives will be meshed together.

MASTERLIST for Part 1 is here(In case you haven't read it): ALL LIs - PART 1: WE MEET AGAIN

The previous part to this fic is here: RAFAYEL, ZAYNE & CALEB POV - PART 2: SECOND CONVERGENCE

The next part of this fic is here: RAFAYEL, ZAYNE & CALEB POV: FOURTH CONVERGENCE

XAVIER & SYLUS POV - PART 2 : THIRD CONVERGENCE

Xavier X OC. Sylus X OC.

Set in Future Timeline. All Love Interests have no memories of their past lives. All of the MCs(5 Sisters) all have memories of their past lives. Very persistent LIs. Avoidant MCs. Love at first sight. Soulmates.

Genre: Fluff, Some Angst

The interior of Steven Kingsley's office was sleek and modern.

Xavier and the other man, the smug bastard who the secretary called 'Sylus', were sat on a settee in front Mr. Kingsley's desk, whose whole demeanor was as calm as ever.

Xavier glared at Sylus. The bastard only smirked back to taunt him.

He was about to get up to give the crimson-eyed jerk a piece of his mind, but then suddenly, Mr. Kingsley cleared his throat.

"Prince Xavier. That's enough." He started. "I assume that you are here for urgent business, which is why you called for a meet-up out of the blue." Mr. Kingsley glanced at Sylus. "And I assume that is also the reason why you paid me a visit all of a sudden, Mr. Sylus".

He laced his fingers together atop his desk. "I'll start with you, Your Highness, since you were here first. What was so urgent that you needed to see me, today?"

"I had one of my assistants send a file here earlier." The secretary made his way in with the file and promptly handed it to Mr. Kingsley. "I know you're a busy man, so I'll make this quick. Please read it." Xavier replied.

Mr. Kingsley put on his reading glasses, then skimmed the document.

"A marriage proposal," Kingsley said. "For one of my daughters."

Sylus, who looked particularly uninterested during their exchange so far, suddenly got up from his seat.

"What?". He grit his teeth. "Which daughter?"

"Celeste." Mr. Kingsley replied in a calm manner. "My second daughter."

Sylus' stance almost immediately relaxed. He murmured "Good" - more to himself than to Mr. Kingsley.

Then, he simply sat back on the sette looking relatively uninterested once again as if nothing had just happened.

Xavier's irritation shifted to confusion. "What-"

"Prince Xavier." Kingsley started again, and Xavier abruptly faced him. "Why the proposal, all of a sudden?"

Xavier cleared his throat.

"To my knowledge, Nexus Innovations had been eyeing Philos' Protocores for years now." He started.

"As Wanderers no longer exist, Protocores have been extremely difficult to come by these days. Although you Mr. Kingsley, have developed the technology to mass produce Protocores by replicating the composition of existing ones, these artificially-made cores aren't as potent as genuine ones. As you know, Philos has the most reserves of genuine Protocores in the world, and for years, you have proposed a partnership to us: Nexus shall have free rein and access to our Protocores, and in return, Philos will have free rein and access to Nexus' latest technologies developed from the Protocores acquired from us."

Mr. Kingsley nodded. His expression was blank. He neither seemed interested nor impassive.

Xavier continued. "For years, my father consistently rejected this proposal whenever it was brought up. Our Protocore reserves are paramount. Everything in Philos is powered by Protocores. Therefore, we cannot permit a private organization from outside our nation to indulge in our reserves. A simple business partnership, however fair the terms may seem, would not be sufficient enough to allow that."

Mr. Kingsley sat up straight and seemed to understand what Xavier was implying. "But I suppose a marriage alliance would be sufficient enough to permit that?"

Xavier crossed his arms and smiled slightly.

Good.

He's up to speed.

"When I marry Celeste, she will officially be my royal consort." Xavier's heart fluttered at the thought. "As my consort, I will allow her to have free rein and access to Philos' Protocore reserves. She will be free to ship out Protocores from Philos, to Nexus."

Mr. Kingsley's eyes widened a bit. "You would allow that?"

Xavier's expression was resolute. "If that is what she wants. I will make it happen."

Then, all of a sudden, Sylus started chuckling.

Xavier and Kingsley both turned to face him.

"Well.....it seems His Highness here has quite the backbone. I applaud you. I seem to have greatly underestimated you." Sylus started. "It is so very evident that you care more about this girl than your nation and people."

Xavier just scowled at him in response. "This has nothing to do with you. Mind your own business."

Sylus crossed his legs and faced Kingsley. "Coincidentally, Mr. Kingsley, I have a similar offer."

Now, Kingsley's attention was on him. Good.

"Mephisto." Sylus called out.

Then, a mechanical crow flew in through the window. The way it swiftly flew in scared Mr. Kingsley's secretary so much he left the room. It dropped another file atop Mr. Kingsley's desk, who did not look perturbed at all.

The mechanical crow perched on Sylus' shoulder.

"Your eldest daughter, Nyx. She's mine." Sylus said with finality.

Mr. Kingsley sighed. "Yet another proposal, for my eldest this time."

Xavier scoffed. Copycat, he thought.

Sylus smirked in response. "I've got to hand it to you, Prince. That was a well thought-out plan. Nexus definitely can't refuse that." Then his gaze shifted towards Mr. Kingsley. "When Nyx becomes my wife, it'll guarantee that Onychinus will continue being your partner, for life. You won't have to constantly worry about losing our favor anymore." He continued, arrogantly.

Mr. Kingsley was silent for a while, as if he were pondering.

"Oh, and just in case His Highness over here can't provide you with real, quality Protocores, Onychinus has more of global reach. I can definitely provide you with rarer and better ones." Sylus added.

Xavier rapidly stood in a rage.

A sword emitting substantial light manifested from what looked like small flickers in his hand, and he pointed its sharp tip at Sylus' throat.

"I've had enough of this audacious bastard!" Xavier sneered. "One more sarcastic retort from you and I'll cut your tongue off."

Suddenly, red and black vines of pure energy materialized from out of nowhere, and they wrapped themselves all over Xavier's outstretched arm holding the glistening sword.

"I'd like to see you try, Prince." Sylus taunted.

But the Prince was a lot tougher than Sylus thought. He was trying to pull the sword out of Xavier's grasp with these strands of pure energy, then shove him a couple meters back. But Xavier was standing his ground, not even moving an inch.

Impressive, Sylus thought.

Several minutes passed and neither of them were willing to relent.

"If the both of you don't stop this immature behavior right this instant, I am going to actively reject both of these proposals."

Both the sword and the energy vines disappeared at once. However, Xavier and Sylus were still exchanging rageful, dirty looks at one another.

"Finally." Mr. Kingsley replied, then stood up to approach them. "Now, both of you listen. These offers are undeniably remarkable. Any businessman would accept them without a second thought." He paused abruptly, then his gaze shifted to the wall - there was a portrait of him, surrounded by all five of his daughters. His gaze softened.

"I am going to challenge you both." His calm voice changed to a more serious tone. "One month. I will give each of you one month maximum to convince Celeste" He glaced at Xavier. "And Nyx." He shifted his gaze to Sylus. "To marry you. Our marker to determine if you have succeeded will be a ring. If she is wearing your ring within thirty days, then we will proceed with your proposed partnerships." Mr. Kingsley paused, and this time, his expression had gone even more stern. "If she has no ring on after the days run out, then you will never be allowed to see her again."

Xavier's and Sylus' eyes widened. Before they could say anything in response, Mr. Kingsley continued:

"These are my terms. I am not open to any sort of negotiation." He spoke as he strode forward - towards the same portrait he was staring at earlier.

"My girls have been through so much. I don't wish for them to go through more pain. I know you both came here to gain my favor, and the sheer value of your offers have shown me how much you treasure my daughters. But it is them who must decide if they wish to be with you, I will not decide for them."

"The purpose of my offer was not to purchase Nyx as if she were a thing that could be bought." Sylus interjected. "My purpose was to give you, her father, incentive. To make sure I put the best foot forward, to prove that I have exceedingly more to offer than most men out there." He declared. "Nyx has a mind of her own. It was my intention from the very beginning to let her choose me, freely. And I have no doubt in my mind that she will." He continued, confidently.

Xavier stood there, astonished. Seems he's a little less of a bastard than he originally thought. "It is the same for me as well Mr. Kingsley. I wish for Celeste to choose me, freely, as well."

"Then, do you accept my challenge?" Mr. Kingsley asked.

"Yes."

"Yes Sir."

They replied in unison.

"Very good." Mr. Kingsley replied. "Now that that's done, both of you, get out of my office."

Before either of them could budge, the secretary barged into the room and accidentally slammed the door to the wall in one swift motion.

"Mr Kingsley! There are three men causing a commotion downstairs. Two of them look like they're about to brawl at the lobby. The other one's demanding to the receptionist that he needs to see your daughter, Nerissa, this instant. I would've called for security instead, but one of them is a world famous painter, the other's a world-renowned surgeon, and the last one's the new pilot you just hired."

Mr. Kingsley just sighed heavily in response as he still stood there facing the portrait.

Perfect.....

Hope you guys liked Part 2: Third Convergence💜❤️

This part was supposed to be written in all of the LIs perspectives, but Xavier's, Sylus' and Kingsleys exchanges took too long🥹

So, the part with Rafayel, Zayne and Caleb will be on Part 2: Fourth Convergence😁

Please stay tuned!!!

Tell your thoughts in the comments, what do you think of this series so far?

It will be much appreciated💜🩵🩷❤️🧡

[codenamesazanka]

Geten fic idea! I guess this would be Geten: Origin.

＊

They put makeup on him, as if he was a girl. Geten could feel every layer and bit of that gunk on his face, covering up the bruises that were still hot and throbbing. He wanted to throw himself at the walls or onto the ground and drag his face along the surfaces and scrub the makeup off. Bleed out what he can to wash it all away. Unfortunately, chained and collared as he was, he couldn’t move at all. 

“Stupid fucking kid,” the boss of the traffickers had tutted, after he used his quirk on Geten to make him hallucinate. When Geten wouldn’t stop resisting, the man finally had him beaten. Geten had bitten one of the underlings on the arm so hard he had a chunk of skin in his mouth. He threw up after that, the skin and the meager meals he had that day, but for a second, the metallic taste of blood had been so sweet.

“Made us ruin your pretty face. We’re trying to help you, y'know? Find you a nice big house to live in. Good food to eat, warm bed to sleep in…"

Geten's 12, 13-years-old, locked in a cage, victim of a relative who sold him off to human traffickers.

Geten's dad was from a branch family; his mom married into it. But his mom got fed up and left ages ago, so it was only Geten and his dad, and the small obligatory support from the rest of the clan if they ever needed it. When the Himura broke up, his dad was on his own. Debt piled up, so much that dad just disappeared one day.

Geten was given to relatives - distant relatives but closest geographically. Practically strangers, who didn't want the responsibility of raising him at all. So they got rid of him—by taking a page from the main family: literally selling him off too.

Geten's young and healthy; he's pretty, with his delicate looks; his blood is 'pure' (rumored to be descended from some pre-Advent nobility even); his quirk can be useful - there'll be demand for him, the head of the trafficking group is very sure.

But Geten is a rebellious boy - he tries not eating, tries biting the fingers off his handlers, scraping his face against concrete to damage his looks - but none of it is working. He even tries to use his quirk - it's winter, there's snow and ice outside, if he can just control it...! He's willing to completely disregard the trafficker's threat that if he and the other trafficked victims ever use their quirk, even for self-defense or escape, the police will treat them as Villains - but unfortunately, Geten never trained his quirk much. The Himura clan wasn't too fond of quirks in general; his dad was branch family, unambitious and beholden to the main family and tradition, and discouraged Geten from trying out his quirk even at home.

All the trafficking victims are locked in a warehouse who-knows-where. (A good bunch of them are heteromorphs - trafficked from overseas at that, because it's impossible to figure out their nationality just from looks). They're all in restraints, kept in check with tasers, and locked in shipping-containers-turned-rooms, unless a sale is going on. When there's a sale, they're shoved into cages, partly for visibility and partly as a sick joke. It's usually a dark web internet auction, but sometimes VIP clients get to visit the site and shop around in person.

Today's client is one of those on-site shoppers. Geten's been drugged earlier in the day so he would be docile on display, but by the time the client made it over to him, Geten's sobering up. He's kept deep inside the warehouse, as one of the few special merchandise: children.

From overheard conversations, the VIP client is some kind of company executive, here mostly for some heteromorphs as 'experimental subjects'. But of course, the traffickers got greedy, needing to get as much out of this rich man as possible, and was now showing the VIP the special merchandise too.

Geten looks up and sees the VIP in front of his cage. A man with red hair and a big nose, dressed in an expensive green suit; who's politely cold and distant about being in this back room, the expression on his face turning into visible displeasure when the traffickers give a suggestive line about Geten. Besides disgust, in the man's gaze is also a weird combination of things: anger, resoluteness, calculatedness, anticipation. Strange for someone who would buy human beings, but at least Geten won't be getting sold tonight.

Geten's the end of the tour, so the traffickers ask the VIP if he's ready to check out, who says yes, he's made his choice.

He wants everyone in the warehouse.

And suddenly, pandemonium. Windows shatters and walls are blown open as people rush into the warehouse. Quirk attacks clash and erupt here and there. The traffickers are tackled down. The VIP client personally rips away the door to Geten's cage, before using it to bash away the handler watching over Geten, to deflect bullets and slam the gunmen against the wall.

Heroes have come to save them. Who else can these people be? They're freeing everyone, prying open cage doors and cutting restraints. They're bundling the freezing victims up in blankets and checking for injuries. They've gathered all the traffickers at the center of the warehouse, beaten up and incapacitated.

The traffickers, though, don't think the rescuers are Heroes, because they don't recognize a single one of them. The VIP client, the man who freed Geten, confirms this - no, they're not Heroes, because Heroes don't do what they're about to do.

The VIP introduces himself as ReDestro, the Supreme Leader of the Meta Liberation Army, who fights for freedom, for all who wants the ability to decide their own fates. No one should ever feel weak when they all have power within them. And so, he's offering all the trafficked victims the chance to realize that - to use their meta-abilities to take revenge. They can be liberation warriors too.

Geten watches and listens in awe.

At first, none of the victims come forward. But then one does, screaming as she attacks. Then someone else too, and another, and then it's a bloodied frenzy, as anger and fear mobs over everyone.

The kids, though, do not get to participate. ReDestro orders a few of his soldiers to take all the children and get them to safety. Geten is gently led away; asked about his name, about his family, about his quirk. But Geten is too overwhelmed to answer, taking in the violence and bloodbath, watching everyone use their quirks so freely, in grim determination and satisfaction. And he keeps looking back at Redestro, who presides over all of this, calmly and in control.

As Geten is being led outside into the icy cold night, he looks back again. He sees ReDestro approaching the trafficker boss - now made small and broken and crawling on the ground - in the middle of the warehouse. Words are exchanged between them, way too far away for Geten to hear, but it's obvious what will be happening - ReDestro will be killing the criminal himself. He has to, Geten instinctively knows, as leader, as the general of an army facing the head of the enemy, demonstrating his status, power, his greatness.

Geten rips away from his escorts and runs back towards the warehouse. It takes all he has to create a small icicle from the snow around him, and even then it's already melting in his hand, but he does not hesitate.

Geten runs straight at where ReDestro is; the Meta Liberation soldiers shout, protectively stepping in front of ReDestro to shield him, making to grab at Geten. ReDestro, though, gestures for everyone to back off—because as he deduced (because he's leader so he's smart, of course he would understand, he's the one who saved Geten), Geten's not targeting him, but the criminal boss.

With all his built up rage - at his dad, his family; at these scum that mocked him and caged him; at himself for being so pitiful when strength was available to him all long, if he had just been free to find it - Geten stabs the icicle right through the trafficker's neck.

The icicle melts immediately in the warm blood. But there is blood. Spattered on his hands and face, on his knees as he stays kneeling on the dying body. Geten's in a daze, but when ReDestro couches down and offers him a hand, Geten takes it. As the man helps him up, Geten says he wants to be a Liberation Warrior.

ReDestro says of course, they're happy to gain such a promising future warrior. When MLA soldiers approach again to led Geten away, Geten resists. He doesn't want to go, he wants to stay, so he also says that he wants ReDestro himself to train Geten into his best warrior.

The MLA laughs at the request; scolds Geten for being so familiar with their Supreme Leader; dismiss him as still just a child, his first kill already getting to his head. They more forcefully try to pull him away this time, but Geten dig his heels into the ground and won't break his gaze away from ReDestro's.

ReDestro doesn't either. He stops everyone again. Considers. And says yes.

[murderousink23]

05/18/2023 is Vyshyvanka Day 🌏, Father's Day (in Germany) 🇩🇪, International Day for Museums 🏛🌏, Ascension ✝️🌏, National Cheese Souffle Day 🇺🇲, National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day 💉🇺🇲, National No Dirty Dishes Day 🇺🇲, National Visit Your Relatives Day 🇺🇲

[sleepynoons]

kaeya x gn!reader, sfw

cw: n/a

notes: cross-posted from my ao3 (with some minor fixes). i don't usually write in past tense, so don't get used to it lol. the day genshin returns to mondstadt is the day i return to the game LMAO

KAEYA ALWAYS ran cold. it was natural, being a cryo swordsman and all. but his “cold-bloodedness” – as you like to call it – proves to be a problem in the height of monstadt’s winter.

mondstadt is a small nation. everyone knows each other, and secrets and rumors spread like wildfire. the whole population is like a large family, with the shopkeepers as nosy aunts and the older hunters the boisterous uncles. while this proved to be quite problematic at times (the only reason you and kaeya got together was because your mother’s friend’s daughter had revealed your crush to the blue-haired knight, but that’s a story for later), it did help you save kaeya.

kaeya is a renowned cavalry captain under the knights of favonius. though he has a flirtatious attitude and is quick to delegate all of his responsibilities away, when he is sent on a mission, he is determined and sets his life on the line for his comrades.

right before the beginning of mondstadt’s annual winter festivities, kaeya and a few select knights were sent to handle some fatui agents on the southern shore of dragonspine. the trip would take a week in total, and you spent your days cleaning, helping out at your mother’s bakery, and picking out presents for close friends and relatives.

this year, you decided to gift kaeya a cream muffler and a set of glass earrings made from frostshield potion. kaeya required extra layers during the cold, and as much as you admired the fur and leather he routinely donned, it was not enough to keep him warm. the earrings would be the first pieces of jewelry from you to him, so what better reason to get them?

it wasn’t until two nights before kaeya’s designated return did you rush out of your house to visit dragonspine.

as you were wrapping kaeya’s presents late at night, there were a series of knocks at your window pane. turning around, you realized those knocks were actually pecks. a messenger hawk was perched outside, gripping a small, crumpled note in its beak. the crimson ribbon tied around the note indicated not only the sender but also the urgency of the message.

after sending the hawk away with a small snack, you unfurled the paper and skimmed it.

how you made it through dragonspine was no surprise. as a teenager, you were an up and coming knight, and you trained in the same cohort as jean. recognized for your speed and agility, you were supposed to become a leader for younger outriders, such as amber. but after a gliding accident that hospitalized you for several months, it was impossible to regain your former strength and become a full-fledged knight. regardless, you knew what you were doing.

given kaeya’s descriptions in prior conversations and the details listed in the letter, you navigated across the snowy plain and steeled past hillichurl camps. along the way, you noticed remnants of kaeya and his team’s trek across dragonspine, such as the occasional tent branded with the knights' crest and unlit campfires. as long as you followed these traces, your path was bound to intersect with theirs.

you reached the camp a little past sunrise. a large campfire was set up in front of a damp tent, and the knight on watch was sifting through a notebook. you approached the knight, and after explaining the situation, he led you into the tent.

on the ground, sleeping, was kaeya. you sighed as you knelt down and opened up your backpack.

as you brought out some medicine and additional blankets, you ordered the knight on watch to hurry back to the city to fetch a few horses.

“i told you to wear more.”

kaeya’s eye fluttered open. “ah, but darling, you know i can’t sacrifice style.”

“you need to rest. you have a fever.” placing a warm towel over his forehead, you brushed his bangs behind his ear and tucked him in. you whispered, “just a few more hours, and we’ll be right back at home.”

you slipped your hand under the covers, gripping his palm when you found it. kaeya let out a breathy chuckle and said, “we could've gotten home faster if you brought some horses with you.”

you smiled in response. “i was too worried about you to think things through.”

–

by the time you and kaeya arrived home, his fever had worsened. you stuck close to his side, despite the possibility of falling ill yourself, and focused solely on him. after all, kaeya was often away, and it wasn’t common to see him with his guard down.

“please, continue to admire me. i know my face is enchanting,” he remarked through a fit of coughs.

“with your inflating ego, i’m sure your cold will be gone soon.” you checked his temperature only to see it had risen. “i’ll go make some more soup.” but before you could stand up, kaeya wrapped an arm tightly around your torso, dragging you back to your seat. even though kaeya’s eye was closed, the slight tremble in his body gave way to his embarrassment.

“just ask next time,” and you removed his arm before repositioning your body to face him.

you don't know when kaeya fell asleep. nothing, from his facial expressions to his posture, changed. even though the two of you have been together for years, many aspects of him are still a mystery to you. but you’ve never gotten annoyed or frustrated. rather, you appreciate the gradual build-up and find it fun to learn more about your partner every day.

so the next morning, before you entered kaeya’s bedroom with breakfast, you witnessed for the first time a child-like glee on his face as he examined the muffler and earrings you put on him in his sleep.

[kaeyas-beloved]

Character: Childe

— he’s hopelessly in love with you <333

CWs: spoilers for Childe’s real name, gn!reader (no pronouns mentioned), not proofread!

a/n: snatching this format that I’ve seen around Tumblr because I like it and it fits here. Will I use it again? Not a clue!

hopelessly in love ajax who introduces you to his family relatively quickly and with little to no hesitation. childe feels with his whole being, love is no exception. so, when he can see a future with you, no matter what form that future may take, you meeting his family is the first step forward.

hopelessly in love ajax who’s all talk unless you make the first move. he can kiss you over and over and over again, teasing you along the way, but the moment you pull him forward and plant your lips on his face before he can is the same moment it’s all over for him.

hopelessly in love ajax who buys you gifts often but they all have sentimental value to them. he’ll but you flowers, handing them to you with the confession that he bought them because his love for you was too much to keep in his heart and no amount of words would describe what he was feeling. childe would also purchase your preferred jewelry - watch, ring, necklace, earrings, a bracelet, whatever you liked, as long as you promised to wear it whenever you went out. “so you’ll always have me with you!”

hopelessly in love ajax who refuses to let go of you once he has you in his arms. he acts like he might perish if he loses the warmth and love you radiate in your embrace! it’s not that he hasn’t received a hug in years, he gets plenty when he visits home, but there’s just something different in your hugs and cuddles that regular holds don’t have. a certain feeling they lack.

hopelessly in love ajax who grabs your wrist if you’re ever helping him take off his scarf or fatui mask, allowing his cheek to rest in your palm. you’ll find he nuzzles into it much like a cat would, but unlike a cat looking for warmth or to scratch an itch, ajax does it because your touch is one of the few things that soothes him after a long day, his mind instantly at ease.

hopelessly in love ajax who tries to impress you in any way he can. it starts simple enough, trying to flash his strength on the battle field and such, but the more he falls for you the more creative he gets. balancing a spoon on his nose, his (slowly improving) chopstick skills, leaping over decent sized creeks, anything to rouse some kind of pleasant response from you.

hopelessly in love ajax who flips between drowning you in whatever fancy dates his money can buy and the more simple, quieter date ideas. it’s never bad to change things up, he reasons, childe’s favourite being to take you out on walks through the nation’s scenery. whether it’s the snow dipped forests in snezhnaya, the golden mountains of liyue or even the green fields of mondstadt, as long as ajax is around, he’ll make sure you enjoy your time with him. (he certainly will be, because when dates like this happen is when he truly gets to connect with you!)

hopelessly in love ajax who’ll sometimes just stare at you. could be while you’re cuddling or sat at the table for a meal, his pretty blue eyes are on you, taking in all that you are. he’ll think how gorgeous you look, how luck he is someone like you loves someone like him, the darker sides of him and all. he thinks about how it’s now his mission to spoil and love you for the rest of his life, because anything less is a crime punishable by life behind bars.

Tag list: @spoopy-fish-writes // @that-enby-alien // @xenuuu // @mariposa666haruka // @quackquackmfs // @saishin-michiyoshi // @ajaxstar // @genshin-impact-writings // @ventisweetheart // @lordbugs // @lemontum // @akiria12167 // @ari-the-wr1ter // @dontmindmebeing // @xiaos-wife // @irethepotato // @milkwithspiceyicecubes // @stygianoir // @stage-lucida

. . .

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[koenigami]

Knight!Kunigami x Queen!reader vol.1 synopsis : beautiful, stubborn, and powerful. she didn't need him, yet her heart craved him so desperately. strong, protective, and brave. he has never known fear, except when it came to her well-being. tags : royal au, fem!reader, fluff, slight angst, mentions of death, misogyny (not from kunigami) wc : 1.9k a/n : probably going to turn this into a series but updates will be very slow .. જ⁀➴ masterlist

“Sir Kunigami, as the captain of the knights, your duties are limited, as your title already implies, to the supervision of the knights. And those unmistakably have nothing to do with my own duties.”  

You could very well be talking to the cold, unmoving walls since this kind of conversation with your recently recruited captain of the royal knights was nothing new. Whether it concerned the safety precautions of the castle or of the entire kingdom, or the tactical decisions regarding your troops. When you said left, he said right. And under other circumstances, you would never allow someone to contradict you, especially not in the way that he did it.

The way that everyone else did. As if doubting your authority as the lone ruling head of this kingdom, and that solely because you did not have a king by your side. Ever since your husband’s demise after a short, gruesome illness, you were constantly faced with disapproval and criticism, most of it stamming from your own family. Distant relatives who claimed that the passing of your husband had an impact on the legitimacy of your title, who reminded you countless times to look for a suitable partner.

Your sole comfort and strongest pillar was your advisor, Noa. At a young age, he had already been assigned to the role of the captain of the knights, had served your father and the kingdom with nothing but utter devotion until a grave injury had left him no choice but to retire from his position. He was as well the reason why you tolerated Kunigami’s importunate behaviour since he had been the very first person who had come to Noa’s mind to replace him and step into his shoes. Now, there was no denying that Kunigami Rensuke fulfilled the tasks of his newly assigned role formidably. A strong man, a patriotic citizen, a skilled warrior, a trustworthy leader, and a loyal subject of the queen. So loyal that he could not seem to stop interfering in your affairs. 

During the visit of your uncle, the duke, earlier that day, a small disagreement between you two had swiftly escalated, leading to Kunigami drawing his sword and pointing it, yes, at the duke.

Your uncle had come with a, in his eyes, formidable message from a neighbouring kingdom whose king had apparently declared himself ready for possible negotiations about an arranged marriage from which supposedly your own nation would benefit a lot. Nonetheless, you had not let your uncle explain any further and interrupted his detailed explanations and excited rambling with a simple No.

“In a world ruled by men, I will gladly be the exception and demonstrate that my gender does not determine my competences. My father-” “Your father was a fool just like you, child!” your uncle had called out, the anger and frustration evident on his reddened face. He had always been of short temper, however something about your refusal today had unleashed a kind of anger inside him that you rarely got to see. So when he had taken a step towards your throne, the discussion had immediately been interrupted by the sound of a sword being unsheathed. 

“I want everyone to leave.” you had ordered as soon as the duke had left, gaze not drifting away from Kunigami for even an instant. He had clearly understood that your command was not addressed to him, and cautiously approached your throne. Once he had deemed himself close enough, he lowered his head and dropped on one knee, staring at the carpet beneath him. It was rich in ornament. Golden floral patterns adorned the red velvety carpeting, an incredible piece shipped in from a continent afar. Just like the dress of yours.

Though in your case, it was not the gilded designs and motifs that made the gown look so magnificent. Layers upon layers of skirts, of course only the finest materials, and long elegant sleeves that accentuated your arms in the most flattering way, bodice clinging to your skin and hugging your waist perfectly; Kunigami swore he had never been so envious of a piece of fabric. 

“Threatening my uncle-” you shook your head in disbelief, not daring to imagine how the situation would have ended if it weren’t for you. “Under different circumstances, he would have ordered decapitation upon you. This shall be your last warning. If you won’t cease to meddle and intervene in my affairs, despite there not being any necessity for it, you will be stripped of your title as the captain.” 

“Your highness, may I have a word, please?” 

“You may.” a defeated sigh left your painted lips, while you were ready to be wrapped around his finger as per usual when it came to Kunigami Rensuke. Yes, you tolerated his missteps for Noa’s sake, yet there was no use in denying that you were doing it for the underlying sympathy that you held for the knight in front of you.

“I understand your discontent, and I truly apologise if my manners were out of place.” he lifted his right clenched fist to his chest right over his heart. “But you must understand that I’m merely trying to fulfil my duties by looking out for you. It’s my responsibility to ensure your safety, as well as the peace inside of our homeland-” 

“By disregarding my commands and decisions?” Despite the irritation seething inside you, you spoke calmly, leisurely standing up, leaving the throne behind you as you walked step by step towards Kunigami, your long gown sliding along the carpet. “By threatening a family member of mine even though I had everything under control?” 

During your discussion with your uncle, Kunigami had been scrutinising the duke and assessed his every move as if even a single eye twitch of his could cause you harm. Once he had witnessed his outburst, he had not hesitated to draw his sword as a silent warning. And he would do it again if necessary.

“I see, you’ve trained your guard dogs well. Though, mark my words. They will not always be able to protect you.” your uncle’s words still lingered in your mind, like the plague infesting and not leaving anytime soon.

“Do you also believe that I need a male companion by my side? Is that why you keep meddling in my business? Because you don’t deem myself capable enough to rule our homeland by myself?” He would neither be the first nor the last one to doubt you. “Because I’m not strong enough to-”

“Because you’re a woman!” 

Ever since joining the knights as a youngster, Kunigami had witnessed you overcoming all possible miseries that could fall upon someone. From a marriage of convenience with barely any love, to the loss of your parents, and lastly even your husband’s demise. The strength and confidence that you carried within you were remarkable, yet not enough to come up against the kinds of people that you had to face in your world. It was not common for a woman to rule without a king. Women like you served merely as an asset, as another trophy for greedy and conceited men to show off their properties. So when Noa had informed Kunigami about his promotion, he had seen it as his obligation to shield you from any further hardships.

His impulsive words bounced off the high walls, echoing through the hall while his eyes finally met yours. Regret. That is what you could immediately discern in them as soon as he looked up at you, silence filling the room and engulfing the both of you in a veil of suffocating tension. 

“You’re implying that my femininity is a weakness, Sir Kunigami?” He swallowed at the sound of your sweet, calm voice, like a siren luring him into the deathly depths of the sea. “Your Highness, that’s not what I-”

“That me being a woman would put me at a disadvantage while facing a man- No, pardon. A male?” He had failed to realise that you were approaching him with each tentatively uttered word, as the space between you progressively got smaller, the intoxicating smell of your perfume wafting through his nose. “Now pray tell me, Sir Kunigami. If you would not take my status into consideration, would my womanhood make you superior to me?”

“O-Of course not, Your Highness. I was merely trying to say that men can be unpredictable beasts. Amidst their violent immorality and unscrupulousness, my priority is to protect you.” His steadfastness was one of the many things that you admired about him. Even while being at your mercy, he never hesitated to state his honest and principled opinion, whether you liked it or not. It was his compassion and sense for righteousness that made him stand out from other knights. From other men. 

“Is that so? Then what about you?” 

“I beg your pardon?” He swallowed, nervosity slowly setting in. 

“If men are, like you worded it … beasts. Who’s protecting me from you, Sir Kunigami?” 

“I would rather die than allow myself to be any form of danger to you, Your Highness.” The heaviness of his phrase settled on your chest, making your breath stagger as you looked into his face. Not an ounce of doubt was visible on it, the fist on his heart clenched tighter as if he were about to rip it out of his chest just to show you the place from which his words stemmed from. 

Another moment of silence passed with neither of you saying anything. As if waiting for the others next move, as if hoping for a sign, as if praying that this internal burning was mutual. You were not sure when it was that Kunigami had gotten up because you only realised it once you felt the warmth of his hand brush along your cheek like a warm ray of sunshine, and tuck a loose strand of your perfect hair behind your ear. 

The large double doors creaked, and before anyone entered, Kunigami had already taken a few steps back and put some respectful distance between the both of you as if burned by the sole touch of your skin. A broad figure appeared, marching towards you and carrying himself with a confidence and gracefulness that you would usually only see from blue-blooded individuals. Kunigami felt his former superior’s icy gaze scrutinise him from head to toe before Noa lowered his head, greeting you politely. 

“Your Highness, I just saw the duke off. I believe-” Again Noa’s eyes travelled from you back to Kunigami before continuing. “We might need to discuss some matters. In private.” 

The gentle nod of yours was Kunigami’s cue to leave, though as he excused himself, you called out to him one last time, your demand stated with firmness. “I expect your presence at my chamber after dinner time.” 

“Yes, Your Highness.” Without wondering or questioning, Kunigami withdrew with a final bow, leaving you alone with Noa. Despite his calm and composed exterior, you could tell that your advisor was keen on hearing about your argument with your uncle, as well as your discussion with Kunigami. Nonetheless, Noa had to admit that your last request had particularly caught his curiosity, wondering what the reason behind it may be. 

Though as you watched the back of the current captain of the knights become smaller with each step that he took before disappearing behind closed doors, you desperately hoped that the reasons behind your palpitating heart weren’t what you thought they were. 

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Nuanced Foil Lena AU Pt 3

After Lena's mic drop outside L-Corp, CatCo is aflurry by the time Kara arrives. During the morning's pitch meeting, James wants an official interview as soon as possible. Half the room turns to Kara, but she remains quiet, saved only by Nia volunteering herself as tribute.

"I'll reach out to her team," she offers. "Any particular angle you're looking for?"

James shakes his head. "We'll let her guide us on that-- make that clear to her people and it might get us in the door faster."

"On it."

---

To Kara's surprise, Lena accepts the interview offer with Nia almost immediately, and more than that, agrees to a fully televised interview at CatCo HQ. On the day of, Kara doesn't need to be there-- in fact, she's sure Lena would prefer if she wasn't. But she lurks in a corner of the studio with a handful of other reporters, watching as the finishing make up touches are made and the mic packs are given their final adjustments.

Her heart beats loudly in her chest as the room quiets, and the countdown starts.

"Thank you for being with us tonight, Miss Luthor." Nia's tone is rich and professional, betraying nothing of the relatively friendly conversation they'd shared before the cameras started rolling. "As I'm sure you can imagine, a lot of people have been asking questions following your comments earlier this week."

Lena smiles self-deprecatingly. "Of course-- Has another Luthor lost their mind? More at eleven."

She chuckles at herself, but where others might have seemed disingenuous in doing so, it only serves to make Lena more approachable. Nia's responding grin is a testament to that, with some of her first-big-interview jitters easing off, allowing her to relax just a little.

"But can you blame them? A Luthor speaking out against a Super certainly carries some heavy baggage."

Lena nods. "It does, unfortunately."

"So let's get the big question out of the way, shall we? Are you, Lena Luthor, denouncing Supergirl?"

"No, not at all," Lena delivers, her smile still in place. Historically, Lena's smiles in public interviews are a little too perfect to be real, but tonight the one she wears is warm, gentle, and humanizing.

"Yet you claimed Supergirl was a burden," Nia digs a little.

"I did. I do. Since her first appearance three years ago, National City's infrastructure has been overbudget to the tune of 1.6 billion dollars overall. That's a lot of money that the city simply doesn't have. It's money that its *citizens* don't have."

Nia nods thoughtfully. "But as a scientist, wouldn't you agree that corellation doesn't always equal causation?"

"Sometimes that's the case, and it can absolutely be said that equal or greater damage wouldn't have occurred without Supergirl in the mix. I'm certain studies are currently taking place to determine the true relationship, but really, the whole thing simply sheds light on the greater issue at hand."

"Which is?"

"Tell me, Miss Nal-- if you step out into the street and get hit by a car, what happens?"

Nia's eyes widen slightly. "Go to the hospital, hopefully!"

There's a laugh in her voice, and Lena joins in, waving her off. "Yes, of course! You're fine, maybe a few broken bones. But it's still an ER visit, maybe even an ambulance ride to get there. So who pays for all that?"

"My insurance, I would think. Or theirs."

"Bingo." Lena leans in, suddenly more intense. "Now let's say it wasn't a car that hit you. A hero pulls you out of the way, breaking your wrist in the process. They don't mean to, of course, but accidents happen. It may not even be a result of their speed or strength, just the wrong amount of pressure applied the wrong direction. What happens then?"

Nia blinks. She doesn't respond right away, which gives Lena the opportunity to continue.

"Do heroes have insurance that would cover medical bills? Could you take a hero to court and sue for damages?"

Kara's stomach clenches, and she has to fight every urge she has to not to interrupt, to rescue her protegee from the offensive Lena is suddenly on.

"What if Supergirl is investigating a crime, and believes there is relevant evidence inside your home. Do heroes have the burden of obtaining a warrant before entering your residence? If she gets the house number wrong, and enters an entirely different home by accident, what recourse do those homeowners have to get repaid for property and emotional damages?"

The studio is so quiet, one could hear a pin drop. But where everyone else seems stunned, Nia looks thoughtful.

"Are you saying that heroes shouldn't do what they do to help protect the public?"

Lena eases back in her chair a little bit, shaking her head. "I think it's clear by now that without heroes, National City wouldn't be here. It certainly wouldn't be the same city it is today, at the very least."

"So what are you suggesting?"

"Oversight. Legislation. Regulation." Lena shrugs. "Think about it-- every other position within our judicial system, as flawed as it is, requires demonstrable qualifications. Lawyers have the bar, police officers undergo months of training... to what standards do we hold a hero?"

"It's sounding a little like you're calling for registration," Nia hedges.

Lena lifts her hands. "I understand that's a slippery slope when it comes heroes, or really anyone with special abilities. I won't speak to that. And honestly, I'm not claiming to have all the answers. I'm just asking the questions."

Shifting in her seat, Nia glances at her notepad. "And what would you say to those concerned that you're following in your brother's footsteps? As you say, it can be a slippery slope."

Taking a deep breath, Kara watches Lena consider her answer. For a moment, Lena's gaze unfocuses as she thinks, looking inward, before sharpening with resolve.

"I would say... you're right to be concerned. I certainly was, making the decision to say anything on the matter. In a lot of ways, I don't feel like I have the right to ask these questions. But if not me, then who? Who has the platform or the privilege to ask and actually be heard?"

"So you have responsibility."

Lena smiles again, close-lipped and sweet.

"I'd say we all do, don't you think?"

[breelandwalker]

Harvest Moon - September 28, 2023

The summer heat might be hanging on, but it's time to get excited for autumn shenanigans all the same. Grab your canning supplies and your favorite cider mug - it's time for the Harvest Moon!

Harvest Moon

The Harvest Moon is the name given to the full moon which occurs closest to the autumnal equinox. It does not matter whether the moon occurs before or after the equinox or in which month it falls. In some years, this means the Harvest Moon may occur in October, in which cause the September moon might go by the name of Corn Moon or Rice Moon, depending on where you are.

In 2023, the Harvest Moon falls once more in the month of September. The same will happen in 2024, when the Harvest Moon will also be a supermoon! However, in 2025, the September moon will come early in the month, making it a Corn Moon. The Harvest Moon that year will be in early October.

The September moon is particularly beloved by farmers in the Northern Hemisphere, as it rises earlier and shines brighter than other full moons due to the relative angle of the Earth in relation to the moon during the equinox, which is helpful for lighting up the tail end of those long work days. In addition, the Harvest Moon may also appear full for multiple nights, providing additional illumination for labor or evening strolls. As such, while the peak of the Harvest Moon will occur in the wee hours of September 29th, it will appear to be full on both the 28th and 29th.

Other North American Indigenous names for the September moon include a number of variations of the aforementioned Corn Moon (used by numerous nations), such as Corn Maker Moon (Abenaki), Corn Harvest Moon (Dakota), and Corn Is Harvested Moon (Zuni). Other names refer to seasonal changes or animal behavior, such as Autumn Moon (Cree), Falling Leaves Moon (Ojibwe), Leaves Turning Moon (Anishinaabe), and Rutting Moon (Cree). Some European and modern pagan names for the September moon include Barley Moon (Old English), Singing Moon (Celtic), and Fruit Moon (general).

It's also worth noting that our Jewish friends and neighbors will be celebrating Rosh Hashanah this month, so remember to share your apples and honey and wish them Shanah Tovah (Happy New Year)!

What Does It Mean For Witches?

As autumn begins, we continue to reap what we've sown over the course of the year. It's a time to pause and reflect on what we've accomplished, let go of any unnecessary burdens we're still carrying, and focus on taking care of hearth and home for the cold months ahead. Now is a good time to do one last clutter purge or finish those repairs you've been putting off all summer!

Change is in the air as well, and transformations begun earlier in the year will burst into vibrant life. Just as the flowers bloom in spring, the leaves turn in the fall, and those of us who come alive in the autumn will start to fell that zing coming back.

Community also comes back into focus during harvest time, both because of the sharing of resources and the accompanying start of the school year. Take a moment to reinforce positive and supportive connections with friends and neighbors, or reach out to your local or online circle to strengthen existing bonds.

This a time of great abundance, so if you've been meaning to draw any kind of increase into your life, take steps to do so now. Harness that Harvest Moon energy to help carry you through the lean times in comfort and plenty.

What Witchy Things Can We Do?

This is the time for feasting, bonfires, and outdoor gatherings. September and October will give us a few more warm weeks before the weather turns cold and rainy, so make the most of it! Have a potluck supper with a menu made of everyone's favorite seasonal recipes. Visit a local farmer's market and bring home that fresh seasonal produce. Thank the earth for the bounty it provides and renew your promise to be a good steward of the land where you live.

Technically, this is the second "harvest" moon of the year, since the harvest of most seasonal crops began back in August with wheat and corn and late summer fruits. The harvest of corn and grain continues into September and is joined by additional late-season fruits and vegetables, the most iconic of which is the annual apple crop.

Apple-picking is easily my favorite autumn activity and it's fantastic way to get outdoors, get some fresh air, and come home with tasty produce for uses both mundane and magical. From cider to applesauce to pies, apples are delightfully versatile. They also feature in a number of folk traditions and party games which double as divination rituals.

Continue your preparations for winter by canning or preserving fresh foods, hanging harvested herbs and flowers to dry, or refreshing your stocks of moon water and magical oils. Make your own magical brews using a stock pot as a cauldron and soups, stews, punch, cider, and mulled wine as your potions. Kitchen witches, your time is NOW!

Wear the colors of the season boldly and revel in all the gifts you've received and joys you've experienced so far this year. If you've been particularly blessed, pay it forward to share the bounty with others. Reflect on everything you've accomplished, celebrate your progress, and maybe set one or two small goals for the end of the year.

And since the decorations are already appearing in stores, start stocking up for Halloween!

Happy Harvest Moon, witches! 😊🍎

Further Reading:

Additional Lunar Calendar posts

Secular Celebrations - Autumn Equinox

Harvest Moon, The Old Farmer's Almanac.

What Is The Harvest Moon?, The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Harvest Moon 2023: The Spiritual Meaning of September's Full Moon, The Peculiar Brunette.

Full Moon 2025 Calendar, Full Moonology.

Rosh Hashanah, Wikipedia.

Everyday Moon Magic: Spells & Rituals for Abundant Living, Dorothy Morrison, Llewellyn Publications, 2004.

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