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altissiavibritannia · 5 years ago

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Moolouch Xmas Special

This is a separate chapter from the official fanfic of my Moolouch fanfic. I decided to add some of my Moolouch fic on here, so here’s something that is Xmasy. I know Xmas was yesterday, but I was spending time with my mema at that time being. So here’s my late Xmas gift to y’all. Lelouch is a cowboy throughout Moolouch and Gaara is his old friend that he barely remembers. This is a Gaara x Suzaku x Lelouch moment.

“Morning Lelouch, want to help me make fresh eggnog?” he asked softly in his ear.

The black haired cowboy yawned and mooed in agreement. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he stretched. Fixing his hair and fur, before polishing his black horns. Suzaku smiled as he left to go wake up the person responsible for Lelouch’s transformation.

Long purple lush hair flowed down to the floor. He looked like a male version of Rupunzel. Suzaku walked up to his bedside to tap his shoulder.

“What do you want?” he grumbled, still asleep.

“Just wake up Gaara...it’s Xmas morning. Besides we’ll be packed with guests for the Xmas party.” Suzaku sighed.

He opened his ruby red eyes and just glared at him. The White Knight just glared right back. Sighing in defeat as he did know that it was his turn to host the party. He started living here with them for half a year now and barely did his part. He usually was too busy keeping Geass Farms up and running.

“Fine...as host of the Xmas Party, I’ll get outfits ready first...I’m almost done with them.” Gaara groaned.

“That’s the spirit. Me and Lelouch will be making the eggnog while we wait. Rolo has the cooking taken care of, he and Lelouch prepared it last night...well most of it.” Suzaku chirped with a blush on his cheeks.

“For his boyfriend and farmer, you tend to be even more lovey dovey than normal. Has my geass power gotten to you?” Gaara scuffedly asked.

“Well I guess all geass power isn’t that bad...still this is his punishment for all that he’s done after all~!” Suzaku singsonged.

“What about me?! Why am I a English Lop?! Who’s idea was this?!” Rolo complained, tripping over an ear.

Crashing sounds could be heard from the kitchen. Rolo was turned into a English Lop bunniboi half a month ago and he was still half asleep when Gaara used his geass on him. The mastermind behind that was Nunnally.

Pots and pans clanged against each other as they fell to the floor. Rolo was making such a big mess in the kitchen. Making Suzaku think. Was wasn’t he turned into a half animal like the rest? It didn’t make sense. Him, C.C., Gaara’s workers and Gaara himself wasn’t turned. Yet Geass wasn’t effective on C.C., but did some did?

C.C. did after all keeps her distance away from Gaara as possible. Yet somehow Lelouch was able to give Gaara and a few others geass without forming contracts or having Code in general. Unless his geass got that powerful enough to allow him to do it.

“Here Rolo, let me help.” Lelouch offered, his Xmas themed cowbell rang.

“Thanks Big Brother, but what about your pectorals? Aren’t you full?” he asked, picking up a dirty frying pan.

“Yeah, well I’ve been through much worse. I may be full of milk like how I am every morning and evening, but I can handle the pain for a bit longer. Right now Suzaku is waking up Gaara.” Lelouch chuckled.

Gaara got out of bed as Suzaku walked to the kitchen to help. He had a lot of brushing to do. His hair was getting longer as time flies by, he then saw the male student outfit in his basket. Furrowing a brow as he held up the shirt. Frowning as he dropped it back into the basket, he put on his usual outfit. Gaara’s fashion looked like he jumped out of a pop singer poster.

Well he is a pop singer, but he quit his boy band once they used him for his geass. He removed their half animal traits once he found out why they wanted him as their lead singer. They wanted to be popular on looks alone and not anything else. Gaara was a great singer, but got driven into madness once he lost his best friend Lelouch when he was sent here.

He’s been turning others into animals with his geass power ever since he’s received it when Lelouch used his on him to be a distraction to keep Suzaku at bay. That was how Haunted Badboyz transformed into Aniboyz. Aniboyz vanished once the band broke up. Now he’s in charge of Geass Farms. He turned the rest of Aniboyz into his livestock once they begged for him to come back.

Lelouch then found out after he and Suzaku ended up as new employees of Geass Farms. He then offered to become a pop singer for his new band if he was up to it. Lelouch has always wanted to be in one ever since childhood, before his mother’s death. Gaara liked this new Lelouch that he’s made, Lelouch loved his new self too. Helps him out on relaxing, even though he ends up horny at the same time.

“Ready Lulu? Or should I say Merrymoo?” Suzaku asked in a teasing manner.

Lelouch’s cheeks flushed and his black soft cow ears lowered. His black cow tail swayed in embarrassment. He was wearing his Santa cowboy costume that Gaara made for him last month. He got it for a birthday present. The red short turtle tank top outlined in white faux fur, to the red and white faux furred short shorts. It suited him, he was even wearing the matching gloves and thigh high socks.

His bell was festive as well. Gold and silver bells with mistletoe themed bell. He wore a Santa hat and boots to make it look like he was the Santa of bovine. His horns shone in the sunlight as the sun was still rising. They poked through the fabric of his hat, well there was holes cut into it to make room for them. Rolo blushed as he looked so cute as a cowboy, he was jealous that he’s one and not like him, a bunniboi.

Rolo grabbed a bucket from one of the cupboard near the fridge. This is the only thing he can’t drop without tripping over his knee-length rabbit ears. He then hands it to Suzaku, who places it before Lelouch on the counter. Sighing as he then grabbed a carton of eggs and heavy cream from the fridge. He then searched through the spices for the nutmeg and cinnamon and of course, sugar.

They looked at each other and then at Rolo. Lelouch looked down at the empty bucket and then his milk filled pecs. Suzaku noticed how down in the dumps Rolo was now. It’s always has been him who got to milk Lelouch and nobody else. Now he saw the problem, everyone that knows of their love life and new jobs at Geass Farms were interested in learning something new. Lelouch then knew what Suzaku was thinking just by looking back at him.

“Go ahead Lulu, he’s never tried it before. He deserves to learn how in case I’m too busy.” Suzaku whispered.

Lelouch’s eyes full of love and understanding as he nodded.

“No that’s brown sugar...where is it?” Rolo sighed as he fiddled around in the pantry, searching for sugar.

Lelouch bumped his hip lightly against Rolo’s hip. His bells ringing as he did so, this caught Rolo off guard. He yelped as he tripped over his ears again and then, boofpt! Flour flew everywhere, making it look like it snowed indoors. Suzaku was laughing at how cute this was to see them together. A whirring sound could be heard. It was Nunnally, she had finally woken up.

“What’s all of the racket about Suzaku?” she asked.

“Well good morning Nunna, your brothers are goofing off is all. Also Merry Xmas Nunnally, want to help me or Gaara out, while these two make the eggnog?” Suzaku smiled softly.

“Sure thing, I need something to do anyways. Oh is the eggnog made with my brother’s milk again?” she asked with a cute mew.

“Indeed it is, it’s nice to have fresh milk on hand without bothering to go grocery shopping.” The White Knight chuckled.

Lelouch’s cheeks flushed again as he heard their conversation. Rolo’s eyes widen as he spotted Lelouch’s stomach. It wasn’t flat and smooth like always anymore. It was a bit more lumpy than normal. Lelouch placed a finger over his lips and winked. Rolo started to tear up as he knew what was happening and why he hasn’t told anyone yet. He was four months pregnant.

Nodding as he understood now why his older adoptive brother has been acting the way he has, it was due to him being pregnant.It also explains the extra milk over the past three months. It’s an unexpected Xmas present for everyone, including Suzaku. But what would his reaction about this all might be?

Lelouch winced in pain as his pectorals filled up more with milk. His shirt was getting even more tighter by the nanosecond. Even though the fabric was meant to withstand it after his pectorals got full, it wasn’t meant for leakage or with extra filled pecs. Rolo dusts the flour off of himself and then took his hand.

Lelouch pulled him up and dusts the flour off of himself as well. Now would be a good time for some relief or else Gaara might get pissed if he ended up with Mastitis or see his seamstership ruined. It took Gaara a week to get the outfit done, he loves to sew by hand. Once they were both done dusting the flour off themselves, Lelouch leaned over the bucket.

Rolo seemed nervous, because this’ll be his first time milking his older brother. Lelouch then carefully took off his bells and top. His nipples leaked a tiny bit of breast milk from the softest touch. He’s used to this by now, he then gently grabbed his tiny hands. He placed them onto his pectorals, shivered a bit from how it felt good.

“It’ll be ok Rolo, I’m here to help through the process. J-Just be gentle...alright? Ready?” he asked.

“B-But I don’t know t-the r-” he was cutoff by Gaara taking a snapshot of them.

They both blushed as they spotted him. “G-Gaara!!” they stuttered in perfect unison.

“Sorry, but this is what Milly wants. She’s coming by for the party after all.” The Emo Vampire Of Pop shrugged, holding the camera.

“Really? Even after what happened...?” Lelouch asked his ears perked.

“Yeah, of course she forgave you, Your Majesty.” Gaara chuckled as he liked how cute the 99th Emperor of Britannia was.

Lelouch blushed again as he forgot that he’s still the Emperor of Britannia. His older brother Schneizel gave him the throne after finding out why he was Zero and why he has murdered their father and remurdered his mother. He hasn’t been arrested again or anything, but he wanted to see how well he would do as the new Emperor. He didn’t want to have the throne like the rest of his siblings, yet someone had to be Emperor or else everything would go into ruins or chaotic.

He forgot that he even invited his family over to the party. Sighing as he knew that Zero Requiem would be no more, now that he’s busy fixing Britannia and trying to gain other nations trust while help fix their cities and such that was destroyed. He wanted the Zero Requiem, but this is fine too. Also he doesn’t want his unborn children to end up going down a dark path like how he has.

Shaking his head to clear it as he then rubbed Rolo’s hands against his pectorals. Rolo caught on and started to message them. Moaning softly as he let him message his painfully full chest. Once he was done, he had to lean over the counter again. He taught his little brother how to milk him. Nodding again as he then grabbed his nipples to relieve him of his load.

“M-Mooooooooooooooo~!” Lelouch mooed in glee.

“W-Wow this is amazing! I’ve never knew how fun this could be!” Rolo laughed.

“Sounds like Rolo’s having a blast. I wonder if he wishes to change his animal or not. Yet I do love how cute and fluffy he can be the way he is.” Suzaku softly chuckled as he eavesdrops on them, speaking to himself.

Squishy, squish, thick, thack. Lelouch was swaying his tail in glee as Rolo got the hang of it within a matter of seconds. Milking him in a good rhythm and not rushing things. His milk sploshing into the bucket as he moaned in pleasure. Blushing per usual as he loved it. Mooing and moaning as this made Rolo blush. His moos were so cute that he wanted to hear them more often.

Once the bucket was full, Lelouch grabbed another one. They then looked back at the doorway to the kitchen as they heard a knock. It was Rivalz, he had a few tins of butter cookies with him. Seems like guests were arriving earlier than expecting. He then smiled with a blush on his cheeks as the scent of Lelouch’s milk drifted under his nostrils.

“Need help?” he asked, swaying his mouse tail.

“Yeah that’ll be great. Mind separating the yolks from the whites?” Lelouch pointed to the eggs.

“Sure thing Merrymoo. Oops...I mean Your Majesty.” Rivals apologized as he bowed.

“No worries, we’re friends after all. On top of that it’s Xmas, so no need to be sooooooooooooo formal!” Lelouch mooed.

Rolo shrugged with a sheepish smile. “S-Sorry...” he apologized.

“It’s fine. Just warn me when you’re going back to milking me. Scared the crap out of me.” he chuckled.

“You two are so adorable together, even though it’s milking time for Lelouch.” Rivalz complimented.

They both blush as Rolo’s hands continued in a steady pace. Rivalz chuckled as he then placed down the cookies to start cracking some eggs and placing the yolks into a glass bowl. Lelouch and Rolo sighed in unison as they then gone back about their business. They then filled the last bucket, so it can be used for the eggnog. Lelouch then sighed in relief as he had some left over in case he needed it for something else.

“Well I’ll be back...I need to take a shower now.” he said, putting back on his top, hat and bells.

“Yeah sure, thanks for the milk Big Brother!” Rolo chirped.

“You’re welcome, did you like the experience?” he asked, glowing.

“Yeah...it was fun. Let’s do that again someday.” Rolo smiled.

“Somebody’s jealous~!” Suzaku singsonged.

Rolo blushed as Lelouch furrowed a brow. “S-Shut up! So what if I want to swap traits with my Big Brother someday for a day or two experience!”

Lelouch’s eyes widened as he was shocked on how he felt all this time after being turned into an English Lop bunniboi. Blushing himself as he wondered what it’s like to swap animal traits for a bit for a break, for once. Gaara’s geass was capable of turn others into anything he’d like but objects and take it away at anytime he felt like it. Yet was he able to swap looks? This made everyone grin as the idea got the best of them.

Gaara was petting the Scottish Fold Nunnally. “Thank you for helping me out. The more help, the merrier.”

“No problem. Do you have a family Gaara??” she asked, purring.

“Used to, I’m the last one of the Ootori family. They either died from illness or died during the Black Rebellion...even my baby sister Maggie died before she could ever enter kindergarten...” Gaara sniffled.

“I’m sorry...I didn’t know...is this another reason why you turned me the way you did...?” Lelouch asked, his tail wrapped around his legs and ears drooped.

He was out of his shower and was now wearing his cowboy version of his royal outfit. His royal rope draped from his shoulders like a cape or blanket. He had a cowbell made to match his outfit. He was used to his new look. He then sat down next to him, to help out on sewing the outfits. Gaara looked away as he stopped sewing.

“No...it’s not your fault Your Moojesty...terrorists that wasn’t part of the Black Knights took the advantage of the Black Rebellion...naming themselves as Black Knights, but their attire was different and didn’t match the real ones...they murdered everyone, but me. I pretended to be dead as they were killing everyone in sight at the family reunion...”

“Oh...I’m very sorry that happened to you. Were they part of your family or people who had a grudge against your family?”

“No to them both...they were stealing jewelry and expensive items that they could get their claws on...they attacked any rich family that they came in contact with...my family just happened to be on their list...”

“I see...are they still out there? I kind of forgot that the Ootori’s were a family of knights that served our family for generations...being sent during that year that day had made me forget...”

“It’s fine...I got my revenge sooner than I thought...Someone recognized me and then found out that I survived. One day I was surrounded by them and well...that’s when you came in that Sutherland...I ducked for cover when you fired...it’s more of a I hate you, forgive you, and thank you really.”

Ruby red to violet orbs. Lelouch didn’t know that he had saved him from death while shooting random people and such while running away from Suzaku again during a mission. Before his own Knightmare Frame was shipped along side the Guren. All he remembered was that he was trying escape and tear things up again like how they first met during the beginning of the Black Rebellion. Now that it’s over and that he’s Emperor, he has nothing else to do but to fix everything that he’s done.

Tears formed in Gaara’s ruby eyes and he then tackled the Emperor and started to sob. His purple and red coyote ears flopped over and tail tucked. Lelouch smiled warmly as he hugged him and starts to pet him, comforting him. As he cried, he felt his small baby bump and furrowed a brow. Yet he didn’t care at the moment, he felt lonesome for being the last member of his family.

“Merry Furmas Everybody~!” a cheerful voice announced.

Everyone turned their attention to the voice and knew right away that it was Milly. Rivalz ran out of the kitchen with waterfalls for tears as he tried to glomp her. She sidestepped as he missed and landed right onto the Spruce tree. Some of the decor on it was messed up from him landing into it. He groaned in pain as the needled leaves of it poked him. They laughed as they knew how silly these two were together. It was Two Out Of Three Stooges. All they needed was a third to make the collection complete.Yet either Suzaku or the Emperor himself could be the third one if they felt like it.

Rolo came walking in and dragged Rivalz back into the kitchen to help him finish making the eggnog. Rivalz just let him, tears still falling as he was being dragged by the tail. Milly then wagged her husky tail when they left for the kitchen. She then bowed before Lelouch, before holding out a present that she dug out of one of the many bags that were filled with them. She was the git go girl, she wore a pink Mrs. Clause outfit with four Santa bags full of presents. She loved to shower others with affection even if it was gifts.

He waved a hand at her as he then had her place the presents under the tree for now. Gaara then stood back up when he was done crying for his loss for his dear family. He was the second tallest out of them all. Yet Gino and Jeremiah had him beat by 4 inches in height. Yet he was still tall for his age.

“Anyone else coming Milly?” he asked.

“No, Your Majesty. Just us old student council and new, aside from the old and the new Knights of the Round.” she answered.

“Milly it’s Xmas, so no need for formalities. It’s annoying half the time...” Lelouch groaned, scrunching up his nose.

“Sorry, force of habit. Yet it’s quite catchy~!” she chirped.

“Sorry if I’m late Yo-”

“Shut up! He wants a break from hearing it!” they shouted in unison.

The teal haired general held out a finger with his mouth agape, but then nodded and closed it. Sighs as he then walked over to him. He then saw the champagne in his hands wrapped with a big golden bow. He directed him to the kitchen so it can be saved for later. The two chatted about making a treaty with Area 5, since they’re on the list to give back the name and rights list. It was simply the roll of the dice to figure out which countries or Areas that are capable to have everything returned to them without having a constant war with them.

Soon enough Kallen showed up wearing her old Black Knights uniform and was followed in by Kaname Ohgi and his wife Villetta. Villetta was about 6 months pregnant when they arrived. Lelouch invited them as well. Only a few former Black Knights were invited, so only them came. He also wanted to congratulate them for their family that they were starting. Villetta saw his baby bump and smiled. She didn’t say a word.

She knew that he wanted to tell everyone himself once the party started. Ohgi helped her into a seat before walking into the kitchen to help. Villetta gasped as she felt the baby kick again. Chuckling as she let Nunnally feel for herself. The two chatted about how things in life were going and whatnot. Nothing but girl talk. Kallen sighed as she felt left out, yet was guilty of kissing the Emperor. They didn’t know that he was gay until he kissed Suzaku on national television once crowned Emperor.

Everyone was shocked at first and was disgusted, but as life and time went on, they got used to it. Soon there were transgender, lesbians, gays, genderfluid, and every other sexuality. His love for Suzaku has changed the way the world worked. He even made laws for everybody to feel equal in both Japan (after giving their name and right back) and Britannia. Soon everybody was happy, there was no more name calling on the Japanese and no more war between the two countries.

Lelouch has changed Britannia for the better. He even fixed the laws of Britannia by removing the ones that existed generations ago. Yet not everyone wanted to change after losing power and being claimed as an Area. Some of them were very excited about the new Emperor of Britannia. They praised his name and is now on a waiting list for negotiations for a war truce and to have everything returned to them. They accept this new world that he’s offering. They even allowed Gaara to use his geass on whomever wanted to be turned into something in his image.

They wanted to have a balance of everything now that the Black Rebellion has died down and the Black Knights are nevermore. Unless if he wanted the Black Knights to be still in his services to help out. Yet Suzaku had told him to make new Knights for the greater good instead of having his Zero Requiem pull through. Since they’re lovers it was the only reasonable thing to do after all. If the Zero Requiem ever did come into effect, it’ll break Suzaku’s heart to murder yet another person that he has feelings for and not in a friendship matter.

Lelouch is the only lover he’s ever had his first kiss with and everything. Since he killed Euphemia out of pure jealousy aside from moving his plan forward for Nunnally’s sake. Then there’s Gaara, a loyal knight without anyone to love him. Yet they don’t know that he’s been crushing on His Majesty after finding out who he was throughout the whole thing. Suzaku may be an airhead as the Knight of Zero, but he knew something was up for three whole months. Yet still doesn’t even know what his reasons are for missing a bunch of meetings with Area 5.

They waited a bit longer for the rest of what’s left of the old student council to Ashford Academy and the new. Same thing with what’s left of the old Knights of the Round with a few new members. It took Gino and Anya to get used to Emperor Lelouch. Even though he did end up murdering his family’s parents after all. But the past is the past and yet they’re shocked on how much better of an Emperor he could really be. Gaara was a new member to bother the student council and the Knights of the Round.

Lelouch dubbed him as the Knight of Eight a few days ago. He was also the new president of the student council, since Rivalz was taking his position for granted. Nunnally was now in high school and was announced as the vice president of the student council. Rivalz was graduating a few months from now and wasn’t going to finish off the year. He’s following Milly’s footsteps, but instead as a baker. He gotten into baking after learning from Rolo and Lelouch (before he became the 99th Emperor of Britannia).

“ Luv are you coming out or not? For my baby sister and the new 10th seat of the Round, you’re such a scaredy cat.” Gino called at the doorway.

“Ngh...” was the answer from the doorway.

“Wait, Gino you never told us that you have a baby sister. How is she the new seat of 10?” Suzaku asked.

“I’m the one who put her in the spot. After Luciano died during the Black Rebellion, her power as a soldier has brought her as far as to that of a Knight. She’s Nunnally’s Knight, though she’s very timid.” Lelouch chuckled.

“Luv is just a nickname that I’ve given here over the years. She’s at least 3 years younger than me. Her real name is Lovisia Weinberg.” Gino explained.

“He told me everything there is to know about her. She’s been hiding in the air force of the Britannian Forces, but moved her out once the Black Rebellion started. Since then she’s been training by herself in the Homeland. She surpassed everyone in her troop. So I had Nunna pick out her Knight. Lovisia came and yet she asked me to make her into a Knight of the Round. So I did, she chose to replace Luciano’s spot. So I approved it.” Lelouch shrugged.

“Lovisia it’s ok, no need to hide now. Nobody’s going to hurt you. Isn’t it your job to protect Her Highness?” Gino asked.

Light blond hair and icy blue eyes looked through the doorway. She was an exact image of her older brother, but with lighter and thinner traits. Yet there was a Kanji on the right side of her forehead that read ‘Hate’ in pink. Suzaku furrowed a brow on why that’s there. Gino held up his hand as he knew what he was thinking. He then walked over to her and pushed her out into view. Lovisia was growling as he did so, then it all became clear. Hate as in Demon that hates everyone. She didn’t have pupils of any kind. Her eyes were outlined with thick red mascara and eye shadow.

She looked like a pissed off Tanuki. Yet Tanuki’s masks are black, not red. Something up was going on with her appearance alone. Then again Red Panda’s had a redish brown mask, but not a scarlet red. Gino sighed as he then looked at Lelouch. Lelouch knew what he wanted, her bottle. Nodding as he pointed at the painting of Nunnally and him during the time when they were kids. He walked over to the painting and moved it out of the way. There was a safe behind it, he dialed the password. A small click and the a creaking sound came from the safe. There inside was items so valuable that they were put in it, aside from cold hard cash.

There on top of the cash was a blue glass bottle. Looked like a liquor bottle. Suzaku was baffled by the safe behind the painting and the bottle itself. But on the big glass bottle was Aztec markings in gold. He couldn’t believe his eyes as Anya closed the safe and put the painting back in place, as Gino walked over with the bottle. He the popped the cork, allowing his baby sister to use her mystical powers. To his shock and the rest of the guests there saw the liquid rise out of the bottle without anything attached.

The liquid turned out to be blood. Everyone, but the ones who know of her powers covered their noses. It smelt rotten as if it sat in there for years without being thrown out in the trash. Lovisia had this power to control blood ever since birth. She had murdered their parents after being born, leaving them as orphans. Her eyes then stared at Suzaku intensely, forcing fear into his heart. The blood then slashed at his Knight of Zero uniform. Suzaku yelped as it cut through his skin a bit. Hot blood trinkled down, but didn’t hit the floor. But floated in the air, he then screamed in pain as he felt his own body float in the air.

Lelouch looked worried, but couldn’t move. The blood whip had gotten him to, but barely.She was a Deadman, a rare being who can control their blood and someone else’s as long as their blood is mixed in. This was her Branch of Sin. The Dragon was now awoken. She was known as the Dragon Reaper. Many other nicknames could define her without her real name. Emperor Lelouch calls her Death’s Pet Dragon. Gino then quickly closed the bottle once she drained Suzaku of a bit of blood to keep the blood in her bottle fresh.

Suzaku dropped at once and was panting. “Are you out of your mind for choosing her?! I could’ve died!”

“B-But...” “Enough Suzaku, you weren’t man enough to protect my baby sister. So Lovisia is the best we’ve got!”

“....Fine...but don’t let that monster get near me...”

“That’s my sister buster, sure she’s a Deadman, but don’t blame her for the beast that lives in her very body! She’s got more blood than the average human being! It’s due to the Blood Beast, A Dragon that sleeps inside of her!”

Gino grabbed the bleeding Suzaku up off the ground, teeth bared. Lelouch groaned in pain and tears dropped to the floor. They stopped and looked at him. Suzaku brushed Gino off of him as he hurried over, despite the pain coming from his side. He then looked down where Lelouch’s hands were guarding. He was breathing heavily as he looked up at him. Villetta gasped as she was worried too. Gaara stopped her and shook his head. Rolo heard the commotion, he too had tears in his eyes. They fear for the worst for the pregnant Emperor.

“What’s going on?! Somebody say something! What’s wrong with my boy-” Suzaku was cutoff by Lelouch placing a hand onto his cheek.

“I was about to announce this to everyone, when they were here...and now that they’re all gathered...I-I’m pregnant...with your twin boys...” he smiled sadly.

“Step aside Sir Kururugi...if I don’t fix my mistake, I can’t forgive myself...” Lovisia spoke sternly.

“No! Not what you just did to us! Get out!” he hissed.

“Let her, His Majesty might end up dying and miscarry or die with them! She doesn’t just kill with her Branch of Sin, but revive or heal!” Gino corrected him.

“I’ll be alright Suza...” Lelouch coughed as his body started to feel cold.

Hot tears spilled from his eyes as he kissed his hand, before letting Lovisia do her job. Lovisia walked over and cut her hands with the pocket knife on her thigh. She then apologize to her Emperor before slicing him in the stomach. Blood poured everywhere, but floated in the air. Lelouch’s now lifeless body floated into the air. Gino reopened the bottle for the blood in it to join. He and Anya cut themselves to help out. Suzaku sighed as he shoved his fingers into his fresh wound, screaming. Tears still dropping from his cheeks from the pain in his heart. He didn’t want to lose another love of his life, not ever again.

Trusting a total stranger with a Branch of Sin that is rarely born into the world.Yet if she could save him and the future heirs to the Britannian Throne, then he had no choice, but to trust Gino’s words. Gaara smiled as he joined in on the action. Once there was enough blood in the air, Lovisia’s eyes glowed. Soon her body ripped into ribbons, allowing the dragon inside to escape her body. The dragon was scarlet red like the makeup around Lovisia’s eyes, but had blue and golden patterns of Aztec markings along her body.

The dragon’s icy blue eyes looked at Lelouch’s freshly dead body along with the twins inside of him still. A mighty roar of sorrow and anger as she started to tear up herself. She was sorry for hurting a friend of her host. Soon the blood in the air formed the shape of a Peony flower. Suzaku was amazed on what this dragon can do, soon the flower glowed and then got shoved into Lelouch’s body at once! The blood from the people willing to help heal and revive the Emperor of Britannia alongside his unborn twins, has been cleansed and made to his blood type.

Once the glowing stopped, the dragon was gone. Lovisia was now lying in Gino’s arms. The bottle of blood was empty and laid on it’s side on the floor. Suzaku rushed over, his wound healed. He caught Lelouch’s unconscious body. He winced from being a bit weak. To everyone’s shock who didn’t part take in the blood to blood ritual with Lovisia, they saw a miracle happen. Lelouch’s stomach was now a lot bigger than what it was supposed to be. The dragon’s magic had made him close to labor than restoring him back to normal.

Suzaku blinked as he then yelped as he fell towards the ground. Rolo gasped as he then activated his geass, saving the both of them. Once five minutes was up, Lelouch was standing up and awake. Blinking as he felt the sudden weight in his stomach. Blushing on how fast the twins had grown in so little time, as if he was carrying unborn vampires. He then gave Lovisia a look as he then figured out what the cause behind it was from. He then grunts in pain again, Lovisia smiled in her sleep. She didn’t only speed up the development, but the deadline for the twins.

“Welp, His Majesty is in labor...” Jeremiah chuckled nervously.

“What did she do to me?! They weren’t due until somewhere in June!Argh!!!” Lelouch screamed in pain.

His water has broke, now that Lovisia has done her magic with her Branch of Sin. Suzaku laughed as he was starting to like Lovisia. Her and Lelouch planned this ahead of time, for their Xmas present to him. Sure he had planned the Zero Requiem with him, but changed once he got pregnant by him. So all in all that plan got out the window. It was now time for this new plan to take action. Zero’s Heirs is now the name of the plan. He carried his now Emperor in labor to his slumber chambers. Everyone went back to the party. Nunnally smiled as they didn’t need the Zero Requiem to begin with. Spilling a shit load of blood once again wouldn’t change the world, but make it worse.

Gaara then started to carve the ham and turkey in Suzaku’s place once the time for dinner rolled by. They enjoyed the feast as Suzaku and Sayako were helping Lelouch bring two new lives into the world. Rolo was happy to have two nephews into his life. He even got used to being Nunnally’s newest older brother when they met during the Black Rebellion. Everyone stopped partying once they saw Sayako walk in with a big smile on her face. The birth of two new princes was a success. Everyone was allowed to visit the new parents.

“So...what do you think of my Xmas present to you dear?” he asked.

“It’s wonder, I love them!” The White Knight sniffled as tears dripped down once more, this time with joy.

“So what are you going to new the new princes?” Gaara asked.

Lelouch smiled and looked down at his two breastfeeding children and then back at them and the father. Suzaku then changed his expression on the spot. Since nobody, but a few knew about his secret pregnancy, he had no idea. Yet he ended up crying like a baffling idiot like always. He shrugged as he then looked back at Lelouch. Maybe he had an idea what to name their two newborn sons. They did both had a bit of brown in their luscious black locks. The one with more black in his hair was the oldest out of the two. Suzaku’s rabbit tail wagged, yet his antlers kind of shed off when he was being “attacked” by Lovisia.

Even though that was the distracting of their plan to shock Suzaku. Gaara was a part of it too. He then winked at them as he then popped the cork to the champagne bottle. The cork landed perfectly into a bowl in the kitchen. He then started pouring glasses for everyone who wanted to try it. Sure some of them were still minors, but he gave them juice or pop instead. Suzaku thanked them all and for Lelouch’s best Xmas gift ever.

“Since daddy doesn’t have names for them, I guess we’ll name the oldest; Maleficent. And the youngest either Lelouch Jr., Suzaku the Second, or possibly Shiba. What do you think?” Lelouch asked.

“Maleficent and Shiba sounds wonderful. We can name the next batch after us if you don’t mind.” Suzaku chuckled.

“To the birth of our newly born Prince Maleficent and Prince Shiba!” Jeremiah cheered.

“To the new royals of the New Britannia!” they all cheered.

“Well we need birth certificates for them though.” Suzaku whispered.

“I already got you covered. Maleficent Nyx Kururugi Britannia and Shiba Love Kururugi Britannia.” Sayako chuckled as she held out the certificates.

Suzaku blinked as he then saw the handwriting and then smiled. Seems like his Emperor had them covered all this time. He then felt Lelouch gently tap him on the shoulder. He asked Sayako to hand him his son Shiba. He looked down at Shiba with a smile, he looked into his purple and green orbs.

“Welcome to the world my wittle baby Shiba. Daddy loves you very much~!” he whispered before kissing his messy brown and black locks.

Shiba sneezed and then cooed.

“Awwwwwwwwwwwwwe~!” everyone said in unison.

“Let’s open up some presents! Plus...maybe have an unexpected baby shower for me, even though I’m not pregnant anymore!” Lelouch ordered with a giggle as he burps Maleficent.

“Does this still count?” he asked in secret to Villetta.

She nods as she congratulates him again. They then brought the party near their bedroom. Once they ate until stuffed, presents opened. Lelouch yawned. He was exhausted from this fast forwarded pregnancy and from very early child birth. Suzaku chuckled and smiled. He then kissed Gaara straight on the lips, catching him off guard. Gaara blushed as he then kissed him back and then they both kissed Lelouch on the forehead. Gaara took Maleficent from Lelouch, so he can rest. Everyone then went to their guestrooms in the palace. Nobody was driving home tonight from partying too hard. Suzaku followed Gaara and Sayako to the baby room that they’ve made ahead of time.

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” Shiba fussed.

“Shhhhhh! Daddy’s here, so is Papa Gaara!” Suzaku cried out, rocking Shiba gently.

Maleficent was fussing too, but Gaara held a mirror to use his geass on himself again to swap his animal traits.

“I got them Suzaku. Just rest with Lulu. Also thanks for accepting me in this family.” Gaara smiled as he was now a cowboy like Lelouch and breastfed Maleficent again.

“You’re welcome, but how can you do it?” he asked.

The Animal Spirit Geass user looked at him with his left eye now engraved by his geass. His geass was now as powerful as Lelouch’s. His sky blue eyes with the upside-down geass marked eyes was filled with happiness. He then put back on his ruby eye contacts. He then burped Maleficent and changed his diaper. He then cleaned his hands before changing back into his usual coyote look. Holding Suzaku’s son again as he rocked him gently.

“Well you see...I’ve maxed out my geass while living here with you. I can swap traits with myself and others if I desire to, but every time I use my geass, I end up with a small headache. Plus Shiba needs his first diaper change.” he explained.

“Dang...” Suzaku sighed as he sniffed Shiba’s butt and then coughs.

“Dang boy, already?!” he exclaimed as he changed his poopy diaper.

“Suffer, Suffer, Scream in pain, Blood is spilling from your brain, Zombies gnaw you like a plumb, Piercing Cries and you will succumb, Suffer, Suffer, Scream in pain, You will never breathe again.” Gaara sang to Maleficent.

Maleficent giggled and sucked on his big toe.

“Why are you singing songs about death to him for?! What if it gets to his head once he grows up?! We don’t need another Zero!” Suzaku protested as he tries his best to avoid Shiba’s whiz.

“Don’t worry he won’t end up like his mother. Besides his name just screams vampire to me. Suffer, Suffer, Scream in Pain, Shove your enemies guts down the drain, Werewolves howl like a bunch of cawing ravens, Ghouls gather around you like a sick haven, Suffer, Suffer, Scream in pain, You will never see the light of day again.”

“Wow...gee hopefully it doesn’t give them nightmares.”

“They won’t, this is a lullaby that my mother used to sing to me.”

“Really? Please sing, they seem to like it.” he picked up the now clean Shiba off of the changing table, throwing the dirty diapers into the coffin shaped trashcan.

“Every well...Suffer, Suffer, Scream in pain, Witches will have your body burned by flame, Mummies beetles swarm and squirm, Imps will have you squashed by the feet of a pachyderm, Suffer, Suffer, Scream in pain, You will never move again.”

“Wait...why is this nothing but a song about death? Is it them that’s dying or other people or is it both?”

“Suffer, Suffer, Scream in pain, Your heart can’t take the strain, Lamias will constrict you into dust, Sirens caw until their lungs bust, Suffer, Suffer, Scream in pain, You will never hear again.”

“Hello?! Answer me! Why is this song about nothing but...death...?” Suzaku yawned himself, putting Shiba into the crib.

“Suffer, Suffer, Scream in pain, You won’t remember your name, Tombstones of grey, Yet here you lay, Suffer, Suffer, Scream in pain, You can never go insane.” Gaara finished as he puts Maleficent next to Shiba.

He then smiles as he lifts the sleeping Suzaku off of the floor and carries him to their room. Hopping in bed next to him as he then kisses him and Lelouch on the forehead. ‘Goodnight my dears.’ he thought, before falling asleep himself.

A/N: I don’t own Hotel Transylvanian or the song Suffer, Suffer, Scream in Pain for the movie. But I do own this version of the song, since I figured it needed more added to it, so I did it for them. I also don’t own Deadman Wonderland, I just decided to add some reference from the anime/manga to make Lovisia Weinberg my oc little sister for Gino. I hope you like my two day late Snoggletog gift to y’all. Merry Two Day Late Snoggletog! Yes I’m a HTTYD fan, so what?! But anyways I hope you liked it as much as I have writing it! I might write more in the future for Code Geass! I’ll also be working on these ocs and the au for this fandom! So Maleficent and Shiba designs and such will be uploaded later on in the near future!

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featherypromises · 5 years ago

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Guilty Plea

(@snifflyjoonie it's finished! Enjoy!)

"Our Taehyungie is always so hard to shop for during Xmas…" said Namjoon aloud to no one in particular. He was currently coming out of the fifth store he had tried; he was having no luck finding the right gift for the younger man.He sighed and looked anxiously at the different store windows as he passed.

'If only one present was needed', he mused, 'This would be a lot easier…'. But two presents had to be purchased, brought home, secreted away upstairs, and wrapped before midnight tonight. Taehyung was the only one he had this particular problem with, as the young vocalist's birthday fell on 12/30. That was just annoyingly close to the December holidays.

The silver lining was that the leader had successfully purchased one of the two gifts that he needed. Tae's birthday present had been decided earlier in the day at the electronics store. He had found a camera, that looked like it belonged in the 1960s, but functioned like a modern camera. It was quirky and unique, making it the perfect birthday gift for Tae.

Namjoon had made this sort of gift giving a 5 year tradition since the group had debuted. He always got each member a fun gift for their birthday and a practical or useful one for Xmas each year. Fun gifts for Taehyung were easy. The vocalist has many interests and had a singularly happy nature. The trouble was that practicality and Taehyung were not always compatible.

Shopping on Xmas Eve was not fun either. Namjoon hadn't meant to put it off for so long, but they had been busy and present buying had been pushed to the back burner. The stores in the mall were crammed with other procrastinators who were also hunting down their gifts.

Namjoon had tons of options, that was part of the problem. He was typically very decisive and clever with real-time problems, like tactful answers to interview questions or negotiating time off with the managers. But last minute gift-getting was not his forte.

Finally, Namjoon saw a familiar brand logo. He clapped his hand to his head in amazement. OF COURSE! GUCCI!!! Taehyung was obsessed with Gucci! He owned everything from shirts to pants, to jewelry and accessories. He saw a large advertisement for a new Gucci fragrance for men in the window. He stared. Now there was an idea! Taehyung loved colognes and scented lotions. Relieved by the fresh idea flow, he made a beeline for the storefront.

He looked at the ad, reading and looking at the photography. He glanced up and saw an associate looking at him. The man saw Namjoon through the window and quickly hid a smile behind a hand.

Startled that he might have been recognized, Namjoon took a step back. That was when he caught sight of himself in the window. He almost laughed out loud, he looked like an older man in his 60's. He had liked the gray-green slacks and sweater vest this morning but with the bulky winter coat, bucket hat, glasses, and face mask, he realized he looked like his grandfather.

"Oh, well…"

He walked into the store, and was immersed in clothes sporting Gucci's signature colors of red and green. The handbags and clothing reflected the logo of intersecting "GG" at him from every conceivable direction.

He was quickly lost, the lightning and unique store layout baffling him. He asked one of the staff politely where he could find their fragrances. They looked at him strangely, but led him to a small separate room off to one side. The room was quiet, with only 1 or 2 other shoppers. This room was beautifully decorated with deep mahogany wall shelves with ebony and gold accents. In the center of the room were tall frosted crystalline tables that seemed to float on their thin spindly legs. They displayed several small bottles in black, a silver shade and green. The advertisement showed the English word, "Guilty" as well as French, "Eau de toilette, cologne, and eau de parfum".

Namjoon eyed the gunmetal colored bottle, intrigued. He removed the lid from the tester bottle and tried to discern the scent without spraying the cologne onto a tester strip. He couldn't smell anything… he moved his face mask from his nose and tried again. Still nothing, he pushed gently on the dispenser, but his finger slipped.

The bottle sprayed the air in front of him with a large misty cloud of scent. 'Crap! That's strong!' He thought as his nose was assaulted. He was so shocked he dropped the bottle. The bottle hit the floor, but didn't break, fortunately. That, however is where Namjoon's piddling daily allotment of good luck ended.

He backed away from the table he was at, to escape the perfumed cloud and backed straight into another glass table. It wobbled and bottles shook precariously before gravity took over, bringing the elegant bottles to earth with a cacophony of shattering glass.

A powerful assortment of smells attacked him: pines, musk, cedar, florals, and a spicy smell that reminded him of earl grey tea. He registered this random bit of trivia before his nose decided enough was enough. He coughed, his breath catching, and began to sneeze violently,

"HAK'TSHU! HAHSHOO! RASSHUU! HEK'TSH-ISSH! HETSCH! ISSH! HEKTSSCH! HESSH!"

His eyes were streaming, and he stumbled almost blinded towards the light of the antechamber. People had come to stare at the mess and the person who had made it. Namjoon couldn't even catch his breath.

"HEKTSH! HEHHISSH! HETSCHH! ISH-RESSH!HATSH! HEHGHSSH!"

Within moments, a staff member was assisting him to their back office. They got him water. Hardly able to take a breath, Namjoon kept trying to apologize for the upset and damage. If only he could stop sneezing for just a… a minute…

"HEK'TSHAH! ISSHUH! HATSH! HEH-HEHTCHOO!"

Namjoon snapped forward bending practically double with each sneeze. He tried to prevent him from sneezing and to hold back the itchy waves with no luck,

“HEH-ISSH! I-I’mb… s-so… HAHTSCH!ESSSH! ISSHAH! HAK’TSUU!”

He was finally given tissues by someone. He couldn’t see, his eyes were red and swollen, but he nodded his thanks and collapsed in the tissues sneezing and exhausted,

HEHDDSHHU! RESSSHHUU! HHGHSSHUU! ACKTSSU! ISSHOO!”

He sucked in a quick breath and blew his nose in desperation, he had never felt so humiliated in his entire life. The blowing seemed to help, his inflamed nasal passages finally ridding themselves of the perfume.

He gasped, oh, oxygen… oxygen was wonderful. He sneezed again, but it was slowing down considerably,

“HAH-ISSHOO! HEKT-SSHOO! (sniffle) HEH-GHHESSHU!”

He tried to speak to the concerned staff members, who were watching him warily.

“I-I’m… so...Sorry!” He tried to bow, but sneezed into cupped hands,

“HEHSSHOO! ASSSHOOO!”

He sneezed and fished in his pocket for his wallet, he was more than willing to compensate for the damages and the trouble he had caused. He suddenly remembered the first bottle. Undoubtedly, if his finger hadn’t slipped, he would more than likely chosen that bottle for Taehyung’s gift. When he thought about it, that perfume by itself hadn’t caused the trouble. He paused to sneeze again.

“HAH-ATSSHUU! I’ll p-pay for… for… Hehssh! I’ll pay for everythig,... I-I’mb s-so… ATTSSHU! So sorry about this!”

The staff seemed embarrassed for him, but the person who seemed to be in charge accepted the card and nodded their approval. Namjoon held up one finger, a silent request that they wait a moment and sneezed again,

“ISSSHhooo! Assshooo! Could you...GESSSHUU! Could you also charge for a… a… AAKKTSUU! anodther bottle to be gift wrapped?...” He sniffled pathethically.

“You...st-still want to purchase a fragrance?” the lead staff member stammered, before recovering their customer service face. Money was money.

“Which fragrance, sir?”

“The silver bottle,... the Eau du toilette, the larger bottle... ISSHhhhooo! Please!"

The staff scuttled to fill the order and Namjoon sighed. Next time, he would just order on the web and hope for the best.

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erasethedarkness · 6 years ago

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Day 8 | Decorating the Tree / “DO YOU WANNA BUILD A SNOWMAAAN!~”

Summary: You invited Eri and Aizawa over one evening to help you decorate your Christmas tree. This was Eri’s first year being around kindness and love for Christmas, and you wanted her to be able to take part in traditions that always made you happy as a child. When you finished with the tree, you surprised them with stockings, and before they left, gave them the big reveal of turning on the Christmas tree for the first time.

Note: GET READY FOR SOME ADORABLE FLUFF. This was soooo much fun to write. It got a little long, but I swear it’s worth it if you like Dadzawa, romance, and wholesomeness.

Reminder: I will be writing the prompts to occur chronologically! They are all going to be Aizawa x the same f!Reader established in Day 1’s prompt.

@mha-xmas-challenge

It was just days before Christmas, and that meant crime was on a steady rise. It wasn’t anything big like trying to bring down a whole organization or community, but it was still criminal activity nonetheless. While the holidays often spread cheer and joy, gift giving sometimes became a daunting task, and some people were more likely to act out of desperation over rationality. This led to you being busier than you expected, so your fake Christmas tree was still in its box in the living room with two full bins of ornaments next to it and one box of personal and special ones. So what if you were in Japan? You still wanted to enjoy Christmas, even if it was celebrated differently here. That didn’t mean you had to celebrate it differently.

Another day off finally rolled around and you asked Aizawa if he and Eri could come over after dinner for the evening. You were planning to put up the Christmas tree and have sweets and hot cocoa together, thinking this would be a nice opportunity for Eri to enjoy some Christmas traditions. You weren’t gonna do Santa by any means, but you could still spoil her and make her feel special and happy, couldn’t you? It stuck with you when he had mentioned that the young girl had an exceptionally difficult and traumatic past. You respected that and didn’t press him on the topic, but you definitely took it upon yourself to help in any way you could.

When they arrived, you were fluffing the spines and branches of the false evergreen, trying to make the tree look more convincing since this was its first Christmas too. You remotely opened the gates for them, and Aizawa let them in without knocking. They came in to the sight of you standing on a chair as you finished sprucing up the tree, wearing a holiday sweater dress that was made in the “ugly sweater style” but was actually kind of cute (especially since it was cat themed), leggings that tucked into fuzzy Christmas socks with cats in Santa hats patterned on it, and a traditional Santa hat with the ball of fluff off to the side. You heard the door and looked up from the tree, smiling to them and waving, delighted that they were able to come. Eri looked absolutely precious, sporting a beret that had cat ears on it, a cute red dress over a white long sleeved shirt, and two braids that came together in the back which pulled her hair out of her face. Did Aizawa do that? You wouldn’t be surprised. Seeing him, you subtly smiled even more. He was wearing that black and gray cat print sweater he lent you earlier in the month as you were catching a cold.

With an excited hop, you bounced off the chair and went over to them, bubbling with joy. “Thank you so much for coming over!” You pecked Aizawa’s cheek and then bent down, picking Eri up and twirling as you gave her a hug. Even though you were steadily becoming more of a part in their lives, the affection you didn’t hesitate to show was still new to them. They didn’t dislike it, but it was going to take them a little while to get used to it.

“Eri, have you ever decorated a Christmas tree before?” you asked in a joyful and excited tone. You knew the answer, but there was sweetness in indulging the caricature of a fun-loving, oblivious adult. After all, you were already half of that. The little girl shook her head no and you gasped in shock. Your animated and innocent acting actually made Aizawa grin as he watched you two interact.

“What, never?!”

She shook her head again, beginning to hide behind her guardian’s leg. You smiled, giggling a little at how adorable she was.

“Well, as luck would have it, I have a perfectly un-decorated tree right here and need your help!” You gestured to the tree behind you. “What do you think? Do you wanna help me make it pretty?”

Eri looked at you and then at the tree, the open boxes and bins of ornaments you had begun to take out, and then up to Aizawa. He met her eyes and gave her a small, encouraging nod. She looked back to you and nodded, shy but very much interested. A bright smile drew across your lips and you offered her your hand, leaning over with the other hand on your knee so you were at her eye level.

“Come on, I’ll show you how to start.”

She took your hand and you both walked over to the boxes scattered around the tree, Aizawa following just behind. Your tree already had small plastic lights built into it, so it was on to the tinsel. Yards of silver and gold were pulled out of one bin and you held up the two garlands.

“Okay, so we start by wrapping these around the tree. Which one do you want to do? Shouta, wouldja come help her?~” You smiled at him while Eri made her decision.

“The silver! It reminds me of Aizawa-san’s scarf!” You giggled at her reasoning and nodded, handing over the line of silver to her.

“It does, doesn’t it? I bet it would look cute on him,” you teased, making the hero give you a glare that elicited a giggle from you. Before Eri could even think about asking him to wear it, he took one end of the glorified streamer and tucked it high up in the tree near the top.

“There you go, Eri.” Once the tail end was secure, he guided her to start wrapping the tinsel around the tree. The little girl walked around the base of the tree while he helped her set the tinsel in place, and you started to do the same with the gold, walking in the opposite direction as them. You wore a bright smile, happiness radiating from you and beginning to infect the other two.

You stepped back from the tree, placing your hands on your hips and looking at it with a pleased smile. “It looks so lovely! You guys did amazing!” Your praise and affirmation was more for Eri than Aizawa, using the voice and tone you’d use to encourage and dote on children. “Next is the really fun part. Are you ready?”

“Uh-huh!” Eri nodded and you could tell that you were roping her into the holiday spirit, which was equally drawing in her aloof father figure. You ushered her towards the boxes with ornaments in them, and pulled more out of the bins until you had way too many boxes of ornaments displayed on your floor. Would they all fit on your tree? Absolutely. Should they? Definitely not.

“I think this is the most fun and important part of decorating a tree,” you said, kneeling behind Eri as she faced all the ornaments and hugging her from behind, “because this part makes our tree different from all the other trees in the whole world. And this year, it’ll be even more special because you and Aizawa-san are going to help me put the ornaments on. So go ahead and pick your favorite boxes of ornaments and we’ll open them and put them up together. Sound good?”

Eri nodded, looking over all of ornaments she had to choose from. You had colorful ones, patterned ones, novelty ones, and all in different shapes and sizes. She stepped towards the boxes and out of your arms, taking her time in picking out the ones she liked. It was clear that she had a type of ornament that she liked most, starting with the round ones that probably reminded her of apples, and then ones with different shapes like stars and bells. While she was sorting through boxes and putting the ones she liked in a neat pile, you stood next to Aizawa with one arm slung across his lower back, hand on his hip just above his pocket, and held him against you . His arm and hand mirrored yours, but he actually placed his hand on the curve of your figure, pulling you into him and holding you close.

“It’s nice to see her so happy.” He spoke softly to you, looking from Eri to your face and gently kissing your forehead as you looked up at him. “When she’s like this, you would never guess what she’s been through.”

Aizawa’s words brought a softer smile to your face- one that wasn’t from the holiday stupor. You were absolutely smitten with him, especially when he was vulnerable like this. The way his face was composed of sharp edges that carried a hidden softness to them when he was relaxed made you swoon. His black eyes that flashed and glowed red when he used his quirk always drew you in. Where others saw coldness, you saw comfort. And despite how much you adored his messy hair, you loved it more when he tied it back, stray strands framing his temple and cheeks in ways that made you want to kiss them. To be fair, you always wanted to kiss him- his lips, his nose, his scar. Keeping your lips off of him was a constant act of discipline.

In your distracted, swooning state, you didn’t notice Eri pick out the oldest box from the collection of ornaments. When she came over with it, you pulled away from each other and he crouched down, his hand coming to the box.

“What’s this?” Aizawa asked her with a soft and sweet voice. He didn’t even use that voice with you. It was reserved for Eri and only Eri, and you knew it was because he felt the need to take care of her like a father would. “It doesn’t look like the other boxes of ornaments.”

“It has different ones in it! Look!” She set the box down and opened it, revealing a hodgepodge of ornaments. Inside was your entire collection of very personal and dear ornaments- ones with pictures of your family and friends, others that were made as a gift, or that you made with someone in the past. Some were dated from when you were a child, and others from just last year. “Can we start with these ones?” she asked, looking up at you with hopeful eyes that melted you.

You smiled and nodded, touched by the sentiment whether or not the little girl knew the importance of picking this box. “Of course.”

The three of you began picking ornaments at random out of the box, hanging them all over and decorating the tree. Eri asked you about each one that she picked out, wanting to know who was in the pictures or who made it, and most of all, why it was important to you. At one point, she tugged on Aizawa’s pant leg and asked him to put an ornament up high for her. Instead, he picked her up and placed her on his shoulders, letting her put the ornaments up herself. You picked up the box and held it up for Eri to pick out out of while she was already up on his shoulders, the three of you working your way around the Christmas tree and through the decorations.

Finally reaching the end of the box, Eri pulled out the last one- a round plastic ornament that had a cotton snowman glued inside of it, and small foam pellets that imitated snow. “Do you want to build a snowman?” she read, following the silver lettering that wrapped around the ornament. And then, “Do you wanna build a snowmaaaan,” singing the catchy line under her breath. She’d seen that movie a couple of times this month, and the tune stuck.

“Hm?” You looked to her as you were putting the box off to the side so it was out of your way. “Oh! That one!” When you returned to their side, you looked up at Eri, watching her delicately shake the homemade snowglobe. Her joy in watching the white pellets bounce around and collect at the base of the snowman brought a smile to your lips as well as Aizawa’s.

“That one was from the first friend I made when I was little. We were neighbors and played together a lot. One of our favorite things to do was to make snowmen in the winter.” The way you spoke was gentle, as if your words were cradling the memory and you didn’t want to risk disturbing it. You smiled sweetly, but he noticed the subtle but far off way you looked at the ornament. Of course he did. He noticed everything.

“You know what? I think you should keep that one,” you said, snapping out of that brief reverie with a smile. Aizawa looked to you, a hint of concern in his eyes. He could tell that this one in particular was important to you. You smiled at him reassuringly and then looked up to Eri. “It can remind you of how we built a snowman together, even though I accidentally killed your first one,” you giggled. “I think that’s a nice and happy memory to put with it. Don’t you?”

She stopped shaking the ornament, looking at you with her bright red eyes, smile still on her lips. The way she held it had the plastic ball resting on Aizawa’s head, and he didn’t mind at all. “Are you sure that’s okay? Like, really really okay?”

The fact that you were able to inspire Eri’s childishness was something that moved Aizawa. She was a brilliant young girl who had to grow up much too fast, so it was rare to see her with a carefree smile or to hear her say something that just sounded so cute and placed her at the right age. Hearing her ask you if you were “really really okay” with it just made him smile in a way that only a child could move a parent to. And you got to see it. How did you get so lucky?

“Really, really,” you affirmed with a nod. “Here, I’ll put it with your bag.” Eri handed the ornament to you and you placed it inside her messenger bag.

“While you’re up there, do you want to put the topper on the tree? It’s like a crown for it,” you giggled. “Normally it goes on last, but since you’re on Aizawa-san’s shoulders… Now seems like a good time to put it on.”

You retrieved the topper for your tree and handed it up to Eri, who put it on with a big smile. Aizawa helped plug it into the hidden outlet in the tree so that it would turn on for the big reveal you were going to do before they left. The three of you finished putting the ornaments on the tree, decorating it with laughter and joy, not a single ornament broken or out of place by the end of it. They helped you put away the unused ones, and then you all sat at the irori for hot cocoa and cookies. There, you gave them both their stockings- introducing them to another new Christmas tradition. For Eri, you filled it with sweets and cute cat things like an adorable pair of cat hair pins, fuzzy cat socks, and a couple of Neko Atsume blind bags. Aizawa received similar treatment, except he got food pouches to accompany the cat stationary you got him, including a set of simple black pens with caps that had cat ears and a face drawn on them. You also threw in a cat tie clip and cuff links because it absolutely slayed you when he wore a suit and tie.

As the night grew later and wound down, you lured the two back to the living room. All the lights were turned off, and you stood by the switch. Eri and Aizawa counted down from 3 together, and then you flipped it, lighting up the room with the tree’s dreamy luminescence.

You could hear the awe from Eri. She gasped, taking in a breath that lifted her body as much as her spirit. She had never seen something like this before, much less been a part of putting it together. Beaming from seeing her reaction, your eyes lifted from the little girl to the man whose hand she held. He stared at the tree with that expression that was almost impossible to read. You’d stared at his face long enough to catch the way his lips just barely pulled back at the edges in a covert smile, and spied one on his lips just now. Eri let go of his hands and came to your legs, hugging them and thanking you. With a soft chuckle, you kneeled down and hugged her to you before giving her a kiss on the top of her head against her white hair.

Aizawa walked over to you and offered his hand to help you up from your knees. You took it and gasped as he pulled you into a close hug, lifting you up as he leaned back and kissed you. It was driven with passion, but restrained since now wasn’t the time. He placed you back down, Eri taking his hand again.

“Thank you, (Y/N).” His voice was almost painfully gentle. He had never spoken to you with this tone before, and it wasn’t like the ones he used for Eri, either. You smiled brightly and happily, giving a small nod.

“Thank you both, Eri, Shouta. You made tonight magical.”

He took your hand, rubbing over your knuckles with his thumb. It wasn’t like the pro hero to stall like this, but you didn’t mind. Bringing your hand up to his lips, he gently kissed the ridge of your fingers, making you blush. “That was a first for me, too,” he added with a soft voice that threatened to bring tears to your eyes. How was he so sweet, when he always projected such a cold and detached demeanor around others? He made your heart weak, and you didn’t know what to say. So you kept smiling, your eyes and face expressing what you couldn’t find the words to.

With a last smile, Aizawa let go of your hand and turned with Eri, leaving with their stockings in a gift bag. You watched them disappear down the bend of the walkway, heart beating hard and fast while you took slow, shallow breaths.

You were falling in love.

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kivaember · 6 years ago

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Obligatory Starlight Celebration Fic

Or rather, Aza learns what Starlight actually is, since I doubt it’s celebrated in the Steppes or in Othard in general, since it culminated from an Ishgardian tradition. So.

Miiiight do a part two! Maybe. We’ll see (if I do it’ll probably be shameless xmas smut ngl)

The Jewelled Crozier had transformed overnight.

The normally understated, grey and snowy street was bright with colour and out of place cheer, piles of papered and ribboned boxes littering the space between shop stalls, snowmen rolled neatly into place with top hats and thick, healthy carrots for noses, and gold and silver tape strewn everywhere above their heads. There was even a tinny, upbeat song on the edge of his hearing, though he couldn’t see a band or orchestrion in sight.

“What… is this…?” he muttered under his breath, trying not to look utterly bewildered as he took the last few steps onto the Jewelled Crozier proper. It was still early morning, just after dawn, where normally the only signs of life were shops opening up for the day and the odd, unfortunate Temple Knight dragging themselves through the last leg of night patrols. Today, however…

It was busy. Busy with a certain hustle and bustle that Aza was slowly beginning to recognise as festive. Ah. This must be another weird Eorzean holiday. Odd. Normally one of the Scions or Aymeric would warn him off, but then again, they had been busy lately with the mess in Doma and Ala Mhigo, so it wouldn’t surprise him if it slipped their mind.

Aza idly scratched under his jaw as he skirted the edges of the early morning crowd, making his way to his usual haunt: Denise’s Stall.

She was an old Temple Knight turned chef once the Dragonsong War had ended – the final battle on the Steps of Faith had resulted in the loss of a leg, ending her career as a knight – and Aza had discovered her by complete chance when roaming Ishgard before dawn was even touching the horizon. Knowing how hard and demoralising the night patrol can be, Denise was the only food stall he knew that worked through the night and up until after noon, serving simple yet hardy foods, caffeinated drinks and tasty treats at prices aimed mostly towards hungry, grumpy knights – and Aza, apparently.

Even her stall had transformed – she had a tiny snowman sitting on the corner of it with her donations pot sitting next to it, and it was bedecked in more ribbon than that noblewoman’s monstrosity of a dress from that Saint’s Wake party a few months back. The clash of gold, neon green, red and blue almost hurt his eyes.

Behind the eyesore of a store was Denise. She was stocky for an Elezen, with a darker complexion than most Ishgardians and biceps that would make Bluebird drool. Her face was also made for broad grins, laughlines already setting into the corners of her eyes. It suited her. It was nice to see someone so openly happy in a place as reserved and cool as Ishgard.

“Well, well, if it ain’t my favourite customer!” Denise greeted, leaning forwards on her gloves hands, her bright grin bearing pearly white teeth, “Come to admire the decorations?”

“Not really. I came to get breakfast,” Aza said, coming to a comfortable halt before the tall. Without thinking, he dropped his usual pouch of gil into the donations pot, “I’ve heard around the barracks that you’ve started making something called ‘pineapple fritters’?”

“Oh, yeah, courtesy of our new friends in the Ruby Sea,” Denise said, immediately turning to her stove to fulfil the order. Unlike most stores along the Jewelled Crozier, her stall was entirely outside, protected by a thick tarp that Aza was beginning to suspect to be as indestructible as pieces of Dalamud with how much it has weathered. Denise never had trouble with people trying to steal things from her, though. From what he heard she had a lot of good mates in the Brume, as well as the Temple Knights.

“So…” Aza began when the noise, and smell, of cooking filled the sharply cold air, “These decorations… I’m guessing another holiday is up?”

Denise paused for a fraction of a second, before she resumed her cooking with a small shake of her head, “I keep forgetting… yeah, it’s Starlight Celebration. It’s meant to celebrate selflessness and generosity and all that shite. Encourage people to be charitable. That sort of thing.”

“Instead of being charitable all year long?” Aza asked dryly.

Denise just shrugged, “You know some folk.”

Aza turned his attention back to his surroundings with fresh understanding, though he wasn’t sure what all the tape and snowmen and the weird, red costumes some of the crowd were wearing had to do with generosity and charity. The boxes… he supposed they were gifts? Meant to represent gifts, in any case…

“Do you have to do special stuff for it?” he asked.

“Well…” Denise’s tone lilted teasingly, “It’s tradition to give out presents.”

“Uh?”

“Normally there’s an event where the Smilebringers will dole out presents to the children,” Denise continued, “Maybe have some singing – the Ishgardian Choir does some amazing songs in the Saint Reymamaud’s Cathedral, if you’re interested in that. Then people go buy some foods, get drunk, be merry, then go home and give presents to some loved ones.”

Aza blinked slowly as he processed that, “Presents to… loved ones?”

“Aye,” Denise turned around, closing the lid on the box of pineapple fritters she just finished cooking up, “I suppose that’d be the Lord Commander for you, mm?”

“And that’s… the norm?”

“Yup,” Denise popped the ‘p’, holding out the box, “That’s 25g.”

Aza, who still couldn’t tell a 25g coin from a 100g coin, just handed her a fistful of silver coins from his pocket, “Is it a thematic present?”

“It can be whatever you want it to be, I guess,” Denise said distractedly, counting out the coins and heaving a sigh, “You’ve given me way too much.”

“Keep the change,” Aza said, “It’s fine. Think of it as me, uh, getting into the spirit of Stars Celebration or whatever.”

“Starlight,” Denise huffed, her mouth twisting a little, “Do you even know how much you’ve given me?”

“Enough to show my appreciation for your good work,” Aza said with mock-cheer, holding up his lovely smelling box of pineapple fritters and turning away, “I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah, yeah. Have fun shopping for the Lord Commander’s present!”

Aza waved distractedly over his shoulder, then teased the box lid open, breathing in the sweet smell of sugared batter. His stomach gurgled, and he gingerly picked up one piping hot fritter between his gloved fingers, ambling his lazy way out of the Jewelled Crozier and up the steps towards the Congregation of the Knights Most Heavenly.

Presents… if this was a normal celebration that came annually, then no doubt Aymeric would’ve gotten him something. Did ‘loved ones’ extend to family too? Friends? Or was it strictly a romantic partner thing, like Valentione’s Day? Damn, he should’ve quizzed Denise some more but… well, never mind.

Odd, that Aymeric never mentioned this upcoming holiday, though. Then again, he’d been awfully busy, so much so that he didn’t even come home last night! No doubt Aza would find him asleep at his desk again. He was lucky Aza was thoughtful enough to bring breakfast to him – probably grab some water too, to flush out all the caffeine he’d no doubt replaced all his blood with.

Aza took a bite out of his fritter, wincing when it was a bit too hot, and distracted himself from the slight burn on his tongue counting out how many fritters to set aside for his partner. As usual Denise kindly did a double order of eight fritters – and she tried to charge him for four! Honestly…

Smiling, Aza closed the lid to keep the warmth in, gingerly picking his way through the fritter already in hand, and began to plan.

#ffxiv #fanfic #warrior of light #original characters #pineapple fritters are amazing fyi

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joomma · 2 years ago

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Dachshund Through Snow Christmas Cute Gift Ugly Christmas Sweater

One of the books of the bible tells the story of the Dachshund Through Snow Christmas Cute Gift Ugly Christmas Sweater .. And how they began. The missing book is the book of Enoch. And it tells the story of how magic started. Basically there were angels who looked down on man and wanted to be with the females and they left heaven to come down, and they mated with the women and started families but they also taught man the sacred magics, the magic of metals, making iron, brass, copper and gold and silver. They taught them the medicine magics and how to heal themselves with herbs and even how to abort a baby. They taught them the mystical secrets.. Of heaven presumably. Of numbers and letters. This tribe of people was called the magi. Because they were like magicians to the other peoples. And possessed knowledges unknown to them. God became so outraged when he found them out , that he is said to have killed all the off spring of the angels who were a giant people. And produced giant children much larger than the other people – and he punished the Angels.

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pyro-brainiac · 6 years ago

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HORROR AESTHETICS

you know how it goes! repost, don’t reblog / bold whatever applies / tag however many people you want / feel free to add stuff in any category, too!

tagged by: serial meme theft: xmas edition

tagging: @discguise @pinkjacketredtie

gothic horror. gaslights. corsets. ballrooms. candlelight. mist. starless nights. full moons. cobbled streets. horse-drawn carriages. mysterious strangers. bogs. moors. forests. mountains. castles. velvet. silver. brass. gold. jewels. domino masks. the opera. dangerous romances. tragic romances. violins. roses. lilies. empty graves. crosses. cemeteries. snow. ice. the gallows. crows. milk-white skin. ambiguous illness. fangs. pointed nails. something howling in the night. capes. gloves. top hats. straight razors. lightning. pipe organs. underground caverns. bats. mice. rats. ravens. cats. pearls. attics. talismans. axes. wood. isolation in a room full of people. vampires. werewolves. ghosts. coffins.western europe. eastern europe. bones. churches. catacombs. mausoleums. books.

classic horror. black and white. powder puffs. red lipstick. winged eyeliner. white kitten heels. black lace lingerie. icy blue eyes. rain. abandoned cars. skeletons. acid. poison. voyeurism. switchblades. strangling. overcoats. looking over your shoulder. trans-atlantic accents. private detectives. dinner parties. haunted mansions. alcohol in glass decanters. cobwebs. perfect blonde curls. kitchen knives. shock. cellars. dust. dark alleys. empty streets. driving at night. horn-rimmed glasses. radiation. zombies. serial murder. suspicion. paranoia. the city. witches. the devil. cannibalism. conspiracies. amulets. abject terror. the american south. the american northeast. england. analog cameras.

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paranormal horror. malevolent spirits. seances. spells. missing bodies. hidden graves. white noise. static. flickering lights. rings of salt. demons. poltergeists. dark histories. old buildings. cold air. mausoleums. wells. urban exploration. a dog barking at something you can’t see. black ooze. old photographs. faces you can swear you’ve seen before but can’t for the life of you figure out where. dark bodies of water. crucifixes. priests. possession.exorcisms. dolls.

cryptid & urban legend horror. aliens. blinding light. dark woods. claw-marks. bite-marks. men in black. memory loss. dismembered bodies. sewers. flashlights. cell phones. video cameras. cars with tinted windows. unlabeled cassette tapes. bugs. big cities. urban crimes. clowns. something rustling outside your window. glowing light.unsolved mysteries. suburbia. mirrors. the american pacific northwest. the american midwest. hiking / backpacking.

thrillers. daylight. fluorescent lighting. morgues. asylums. unwavering eye contact. tension. lit rooms with no one inside them. a dog digging in the newly-planted flower bed. steely gazes. paperwork. anagrams. codes. convicted killers. missing persons. law enforcement. federal agents. small towns. subdued terror. dimly-lit parking lots.

#no christmas only pooky #boop

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barinacraft · 1 year ago

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NFL Football Team Cocktails - Drinks For Every Roster

Game Day Drinks And Cocktails For All 32 NFL Football Teams

Football season means great tailgate parties away at the stadium for home games and at your in home bar for away games when your team is on road. These NFL football team inspired cocktails* will give you lots of game day party ideas for themed drinks for all 32 NFL teams out on the gridiron.

The cocktails were chosen based on a number of factors including team names, colors, mascots, player and squad nicknames as well as city, regional and state monikers, landmarks, festivals and more. A few were created as signature drinks for specific football teams, but most were added to the roster because they were a good fit for that club.

Whether its pre-season scrimmages, regular season games or the playoffs; Wild Card, Divisional, Conference and the Superbowl, there's a drink listed here that's perfect for your pigskin party. Some of the squads have several symbolic sips which lets you substitute your drink line-up based on the schedule.

So, with one hand waving your favorite team's foam finger shouting you're #1 and the other hand free for a refreshment, the only question is:

Are You Ready For Some NFL Football Team Cocktails?

American Football Conference Team Themed Drinks

AFC East

Buffalo Bills:

Buffalo Bill - equal parts apple cider or juice and bourbon or rye whiskey.

Niagara Falls - a fancy drink named after the natural attraction nearby the city along the Canadian border.

Miami Dolphins:

Mojito - the national drink of Cuba is a favorite in Little Havana as well as one of the most popular cocktails in Florida and throughout the rest of the states.

New England Patriots:

New England Highball - when it comes to cocktails, what's better than a highball while watching football?

Red, White and Blue - a pousse-cafe drink layered in patriotic colors.

New York Jets:

Manhattan - along with Brooklyn has the highest concentration of fans according to a 2013 Facebook study.

Bronx - followed by Queens borough, the former home of Shea stadium, also love the J-E-T-S. This drink is basically an Income Tax cocktail minus the bitters.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens:

Purple Hooter - black raspberry liqueur colors these tailgate party potations plum perfect.

Cincinnati Bengals:

Bengal Tiger - the namesake is a tawny, red brandy drink while an original recipe adds black licorice stripes to an orange vodka cocktail that could be a spooky sip on Halloween too.

Cincinnati Cocktail - fill your favorite beer glass half full with a bold brew and top off with soda water.

Cleveland Browns:

Brown Cocktail - equal parts gin, light or dark rum and dry vermouth.

Brown Derby Drink - legendary football coach Paul Brown who the NFL team is named after was known for wearing his iconic hat on the gridiron sidelines. It was a fedora, but the (brown) derby is de rigueur.

Brown University Cocktail - their namesake college football team drink would love to be drafted by pros for game day. The “Brunonian” is equal parts bourbon and dry vermouth with a couple dashes of orange bitters.

Pittsburgh Steelers:

Black & Gold - refining iron ore put this steel town on the grid. Their NFL football team inspired gridiron drink adds a precious metal to the mix. Combine black vodka with gold flaked cinnamon schnapps two to one.

Monongahela Cobbler - named for one of the waterways which flows past Heinz Field (formerly Three Rivers Stadium) that's known for its rye whiskey.

AFC South

Houston Texans:

Black Gold - a nod to the city's former franchise, the Houston Oilers.

Longhorn - another college sports team themed cocktail that would like to be drafted by the NFL, especially from the same great state and mascot. The burnt orange color of the University of Texas at Austin inspired this recipe with lemon rum, orange rum, vodka, orange vodka, orange soda, ice and oranges.

Indianapolis Colts:

Horse's Neck - this drink is named after its garnish.

Jacksonville Jaguars:

Jaguar - a Barina Craft original drink recipe that is spotted with southern sipping favorites.

Tennessee Titans:

Lynchburg Lemonade - Tennessee whiskey, sweet & sour mix, orange liqueur and lemon-lime soda makes a southern sip worth suing the distillery over.

Tennessee Tea - same as above, just substitute cola for lemon-lime soda.

AFC West

Denver Broncos:

Orange Crush - this NFL football team inspired drink celebrates the nickname given to Denver's opponent crushing 3-4 defense and the Broncos bright colored home uniform jerseys in the 1970s.

Kansas City Chiefs:

Arrowhead Cocktails - the Chiefs' logo is carved in stone and one of these drinks is cherry.

Kansas City Ice Water - flows thru the fountains at Arrowhead stadium and in the veins of the players and fans who as of this writing boast the loudest sports crowd roar.

Las Vegas Raiders:

Casino Cocktails - now that the team is located in the Entertainment Capital of the World, famous for gambling and other activities throughout all the city's mega casino-hotels, these drinks are a sure bet for Raiders fans.

Oakland Raider Cocktail - a black rum and cola mixed with a shot of silver tequila over ice. This silver and black drink symbolizes Raider Nation whether they're playing in Oakland, Los Angeles or Las Vegas.

Los Angeles Chargers:

Charger Cocktail - toast the team's moniker to 'charge' when the bugle call sounds with this cherry brandy and rum sour.

San Diego Seabreeze - this legacy drink preserves team history. 1 oz vodka, ½ oz each blackberry brandy and blueberry & raspberry schnapps, plus 2 oz each orange and pineapple juice in a tall collins glass over ice.

National Football Conference Team Themed Drinks

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys:

Cowboy Cocktail - throw the cream away and drink the shot of whiskey straight up.

Fedora Cocktail - in honor of their legendary head coach Tom Landry who wore his heralded headgear on the sidelines for 29 seasons.

Thanksgiving Cocktails - dubbed America's team, they always play football on this holiday.

New York Giants:

The New York Cocktail - the entire state loves the NY Football Giants, except for parts of the city per Facebook 2013. This is an interesting whiskey sour style drink with rye, lime juice, grenadine and an old fashioned sugar cube.

Philadelphia Eagles:

Eagle Cocktail - Philly is the perfect roosting place for this classic drink.

Eagle's Dream - sugar and egg whites substitute for maraschino liqueur in this variation of the Aviation drink recipe.

Washington Commanders:

Cherry Blossom - this national flowering festival held locally is closely associated with the area as is a rumored story of a namesake founding father chopping down a certain tree.

Gin Rickey - “air conditioning in a glass” is the unofficial official drink of D.C.

Political Cocktails - any number of these drinks could be served at a game day party in this city if you want to mix politics with religion, er, football that is.

NFC North (Black and Blue Division)

Chicago Bears:

The Chicago Cocktail - pretty fancy for football but it is the city's namesake drink.

Detroit Lions:

Lion's Tail - Detroit is one of two NFL teams along with Dallas to always play a game on Thanksgiving to start the Xmas holidays so the use of an allspice liqueur, dubbed “Christmas in a glass” by Murray Stenson, in combination with the drink's name make this cocktail a perfect match. 2 oz bourbon, ½ oz each pimento dram and lime juice, ½ tsp simple syrup and 1 dash aromatic bitters.

Green Bay Packers:

Blood and Sand - Johnny ‘Blood’ McNally, who took his nickname from the movie and loved to sing Galway Bay while standing up on bar table tops, was a star player for four championship Packer teams in Green Bay and one of the original members inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.

Brandy Old Fashioned - to wet your whistle in Wisconsin, just replace the bourbon or rye you normally use in the recipe.

Minnesota Vikings:

Purple People Eater Elixir - raise your Viking drinking horn and toast possibly the best defensive line of any football team in NFL history.

Scandinavian Glogg - this Nordic mulled wine really packs a punch.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons:

Georgia Peach Cocktails - did you know some suggested the Falcons be christened after the official state fruit?

Scarlett O'Hara & Rhett Butler - these two drinks are both named after characters in Gone With The Wind which was set in and around Atlanta.

Carolina Panthers:

Carolina Iced Tea - spiced rum, vodka and both peach liqueur & schnapps along with some southern style sweet tea in a tall glass or mason jar.

New Orleans Saints:

Sazerac - the official drink of New Orleans often referred to as America's oldest cocktail.

Vieux Carré - the signature drink of the French Quarter named after the “old square” at the center of the Crescent City.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Bumbo - a pirate's poison.

Filibuster - although its more closely associated with politics these days, the word originally derives from the Dutch term vrijbuiter for pirate, which means "to plunder," where vrij means "free" and buiter means "booty."

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals:

Cardinal Cocktail - a Kir drink variation also known as Communard which substitutes red wine for white.

Los Angeles Rams:

Greatest Show On Turf - a nickname for the team's record breaking offense during the 1999 through 2001 National Football League seasons when they were the Saint Louis Rams.

Ram Cocktail - seems appropriate that the helmet battering Rams namesake drink is a variation of a Harvey Wallbanger.

San Francisco 49ers:

Barbary Coast Cocktails - a pair of pigskin party picks named after the city's seedy, crime ridden, red-light district during the California gold rush and beyond. One drink has equal parts gin, scotch whisky, white chocolate creme de cacao and light cream or half and half. The other is mixed with dry gin, cherry brandy, lemon juice and grenadine.

Frisco Sour - the tasteless moniker given to this gold drink garnished with a red cherry which matches the football team colors.

Seattle Seahawks:

Emerald City - a signature drink for this city with the blue green nickname whose major league football, baseball and soccer teams all sport these colors.

Share & Compare This List Of NFL Team Drinks For More Ideas

This list of libations is a work in progress. Be sure to check back for updated ideas, more NFL football team inspired cocktails and links to additional information.

Have a suggestion for a game day drink recipe for your favorite NFL team? Contact us or post on our Facebook wall.

Want a generic gridiron geared gulp instead? Check out these pigskin potations penned for plays, points and positions like the Block & Fall, Quarterback and Touchdown.

Please, always drink responsibly.

* - DISCLAIMER: NFL related images, logos, etc. are shown only as a point of reference / commentary for names, mascots, colors and so on as potential drink inspirations and do not represent an affiliation, sponsorship or endorsement by the league, any individual team or associated person or group.

#Cocktails #Drinks #Football #Sports #Party #Themes #Tailgating

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hermesbag · 4 years ago

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amdoca-blog · 6 years ago

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diane arbus: in the beginning

I don’t know why the gallery has used lower case lettering in its promotional material.

Hayward Gallery, 13 February to 6 May 2019

Organised by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Curated by Jeff L Rosenheim, Curator in Charge of the Department of Photographs: with Karen Rinaldo, Collections Specialist, Photographs; Martha Deese, Senior Administrator for Exhibitions; and Emily Foss Registrar.

Supported by Cockayne – Grants for the Arts and The London Community Foundation and Alexander Graham, with additional support from Michael G and C Jane Wilson. (Hayward Gallery, 2019).

This exhibition primarily features photographs made with 35mm cameras in and around New York City between 1956 to 1962. Most of the exhibition photographs are gelatin silver prints made by Arbus. Most are held in private collections, and in the Diane Arbus Archive at Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

There is also one room displaying A Box of Ten Photographs, a project she worked on between 1969 and 1971. These photographs, on loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum, were printed posthumously by her assistant and student Neil Selkirk (Guggenheim, 2019).

I wondered why nine of these later works are being displayed in a separate room at an exhibition subtitled ‘in the beginning’. Xmas Tree in a living room in Levittown, L.I. 1962 is in the previous room. There is no explanation why. Were they included to show how her work changed over time? They are already kept in London.

There are two rooms of photographs arranged on grids of white columns, “…visitors are free to follow any path they choose as there are only beginnings – no middle and probably no end…” (Hayward Gallery, 2019). I found myself first walking to the back of the room, up and down ‘aisles’ in the opposite direction to other exhibition-goers, to avoid crowding around the prints and to get a better view. Also, what does this statement mean; that her work endures? After visiting the exhibition, I did some reading. I found this quote from a letter she sent to friends in 1957,

“… I am full of a sense of promise, like I often have, the feeling of always being at the beginning…” (Arbus et al, 2012: 141).

I do not know if the organisers of the exhibition are alluding to this remark. I learned that Arbus committed suicide a year after A Box of Ten, a limited portfolio of special prints, with inscribed vellums, was published (Smithsonian, s.d)

Only four sets are known to have been bought in her lifetime, “...by an elite group..” . (Hayward Gallery notice). The notice tells us Marvin Israel designed the packaging, but does not explain who he was. During my reading after the event I learned he was her partner; an artist and, from 1961, art director of Harper’s Bazaar which published her work during the period the Hayward exhibition mainly focusses on.

Between 1956 and 1962 Arbus stopped using a medium format Rolleiflex in favour of a 35mm Nikon (Arbus et al, 2012: 139). Unlike bulky 2 ¼ cameras which “…require the subject’s cooperation and participation…” (Arbus et al, 2012: 59), 35 mm SLRs allow photographers to capture moments and quickly disconnect from the subject.

Images such as:

Old Woman in hospital bed, NYC 1958

Lady in the shower, Coney Island, N.Y. 1959

Man in hat, trunks, sock and shoes, Coney Island 1960

Two girls by a brick wall, NYC 1961

raise the question in my mind about whether these people gave their consent to be photographed, or if some were staged.

In a letter to Marvin Israel she confessed that when visiting the shrine of a disinterred saint , she,

“…got a terrible impulse to photograph her and I tremulously did which wasn’t legal so I pretended to be praying and pregnant…” (Arbus et al, 2012: 146)

In a postcard she sent to Marvin Israel in 1960 she wrote,

“…This photographing is really the business of stealing… I feel indebted to everything for having taken it or being about to…” (Arbus et al, 2012: 147)

I took some notes during my tour of the exhibition of images I found noteworthy. This image Mother Cabrini, a disinterred saint in her glass and gold casket, N.Y.C. 1960 was not among them. I found the story behind the image more interesting. Knowing the photograph is a furtive snap changes its meaning; the exhibition does not explain much. I don’t remember if there was an audio guide. How many people were there like me wa/ondering around the grid?

I did not buy the catalogue, priced at £35, but noted that Revelations was priced at £75. I thought the price was quite high. However, I thought the reproductions were of a better quality and saw that one of the editors was her daughter. I assumed Doon Arbus would be able to share more information about her mother than any other writer. I bought a cheaper copy online.

On reading Revelations I found out that, up until 1958, Arbus experimented with cropping. Photographers and art editors at the time used this technique retrospectively to reveal an image within an image. It could,

“…impose a sense of immediacy, or of a privileged, almost private view after the fact…” (Arbus et al, 2012:52)

Boy above a crowd NYC 1957 illustrates this idea but I do not know whether Arbus cropped it, not having seen the contact sheets. The title does not indicate to the audience what the audience depicted are looking at. They are looking to the left, the boy Arbus wants us to focus on is looking directly at us.

In 1956 Arbus ended her photographic partnership with her husband. She felt her role in their commercial business was as “a glorified stylist” (Arbus et al, 2012: 139). She joined two photography courses taught by Lisette Model (1956 and 57). In the 1940s, Model photographed ordinary people in the streets of New York City.

In 1971 Arbus told students in a master class,

“…In the beginning… I used to make very grainy things. I’d be fascinated by what the grain did because it would make a tapestry of all these little dots…Skin would be the same as water would be the same as sky and you would be dealing mostly in dark and light not so much in flesh and blood… It was my teacher…who finally made it clear to me that the more specific you are, the more general it’ll be…”

(Arbus et al, 2012: 141)

I do not remember seeing Coney Island 1960 (Windy Group) in the exhibition. It is in Revelations, but I am unable to locate the image online. It shows a group of people on a windy beach; a woman is bending over away from the camera and her stripy dress is blowing in the wind. It is extremely grainy; did Arbus intend the grain to suggest a sand storm?

Towards the end of her life Arbus told her students,

“…I remember a long time ago when I first began to photograph I thought, There are an awful lot of people in the world and it’s going to be terribly hard to photograph all of them, so if I photograph some kind of generalized human being, everybody will recognize it…And there are certain evasions, certain nicenesses that I think you have to get out of..” (Arbus et al, 1992:10)

At the Hayward exhibition, I noticed that,

Kid in black face NYC, 1957 is exhibited near, Lady on a bus NYC, 1957.

Was the year-long (1955-6) Montgomery Bus Boycott in Arbus’s mind? Around this time Arbus was trying to find photographic editorial work and took some photographs of litter for a magazine, for which she was unpaid.

“…I followed flying newspapers…running like mad to keep up with dick tracy…” (Arbus et al, 2012: 142)

Windblown headline on a dark pavement, NYC 1956. Most of the photographs in this exhibition are of people. I did not understand the appeal of some of the photographs lacking them, such as those of “…psuedo places…” (Arbus et al, 2012: 163) for example, A castle in Disneyland, cal., 1962, or Rocks on heels, Disneyland, Cal., 1963, but I thought this particular print was inspiring.

I noted a number of photographs taken inside and outside cinemas. Several are of the screen, taken at some distance from it, from the audience’s viewpoint;

A Dominant Picture 1958

Man on screen being choked 1958

had a personal resonance. There is also a close up, probably taken in a cinema, of a scene from the controversial film Baby Doll, 1956.

In Movie theater usher standing by the box office NYC, 1956 an usher stands by the box office in an oversized uniform. It occurred to me, after seeing an online reproduction of this photograph away from the exhibition, that it is reminiscent of a Soviet style uniform. Was Arbus intending to remind us of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising?

In 42nd Street Movie Theater Audience NYC 1958 Arbus’s camera is placed some distance away from the scene. A projector beam cuts through the fug of cigarette smoke. It is not easy to tell what people are doing; there is some blurring, perhaps there are people asleep and a couple kissing. A print made by Neil Selkirk, her student and assistant, is valued at between $20,000 - 30,000. I quite liked the photograph at the exhibition, but I do not think it is that extraordinary.

It seemed to me that Arbus’s intention was to make the ordinary extraordinary and the extraordinary ordinary. In The Backwards Man in his hotel room, 1961 a man is standing in a standard hotel room. His head is directed to the left of the frame, his feet to the right. He is wearing a full length clear plastic mac indoors. Is this to draw attention to his body? After the exhibition I learned he was a contortionist from Hubert’s Dime Museum and Flea Circus in Times Square called Joe Allen;

“… Joe Allen is a metaphor for human destiny – walking blind into the future with an eye on the past…” note in her appointment book (Arbus, 2012:154)

Sontag offered a suggestion as to why Arbus chose her subjects.

“…At the beginning of the sixties, the thriving Freak Show at Coney Island was outlawed; the pressure is on to raze the Times Square turf of drag queens and hustlers and cover it with skyscrapers. And the inhabitants of deviant underworlds are evicted from their restricted territories – banned as unseemly, a public nuisance, obscene, of just unprofitable…”

(Sontag, 1973. 43-44)

There are many photographs of female drag artists in the show. Two different interpretations of ‘woman’ can be seen in the fleshy beauty of Girl in her circus costume backstage, Palisades Park, N.J. 1960, and the haughty and fabulous Blonde female impersonator standing by a dressing table, Hempstead L.I 1959, a coded appropriation of ‘womanliness’.

In October 1959 Arbus started work on a project about aspects of New York life for Esquire magazine, photographing “…the posh to the sordid…” (typewritten letter to Robert Benton, art director of Esquire (Revelations, 2012: 333)

I made a note of the title, Woman in white fur with cigarette, Mulberry Street NYC 1958, at the time of visiting the exhibition, but did not really reflect on the photograph. I felt pressurised by the crowd to move on. The unnamed woman’s stance could be interpreted as expressing her annoyance at being photographed, self-confidence, or self-entitlement. Is she scowling? She fills the frame, and appears quite large. The lights in the background, possibly Xmas street lights, appear to surround her head. Are we meant to see a Valkyrie? The location is Mulberry Street, NYC; the street name made me think of expensive handbags. Is the woman in the background, who I have only just noticed, smiling obsequiously or simply smiling?

For me, Arbus’s titles often suggest a deadpan or sardonic humour, which I enjoy. This title, Miss Maria Seymour dancing with Baron Theo Von Roth at the Grand Opera Ball, NYC 1959, is similar to captions of photographs in society magazines. I don’t know now why I thought this was funny; I did not make adequate notes at the exhibition because I thought I would be able to access the image online at home afterwards.

For some of this work she obtained a Police pass (Revelations, 2012:144); Corpse with receding hairline and a toe tag, N.Y.C. 1959

Looking at photographs of Israel after the exhibition, (Revelations, 2012:145), could this photograph be an inside joke? A notice on the wall at entrance of the Hayward states,

“…This exhibition contains images that some visitors may find upsetting and some that contain nudity. If you require further information, please speak to an exhibition host…”

In postcards sent to Marvin Israel in January 1960 she wrote about a disturbing scene she had photographed,

“… I am not ghoulish am I? I absolutely hate to have a bad conscience, I think it is lewd…Is everyone ghoulish? It wouldn’t anyway have been better to turn away, would it…?” (Revelations, 2012: 145-6).

All layers of society are portrayed in the exhibition. Among the photographs of society people are photographs of performers at the Hubert’s Dime Museum and Flea Circus in Times Square, such as Hezekiah Trambles, ‘The Jungle Creep’. The close up of ‘The Jungle Creep’ is a powerful image. He played a ‘Wild Man of Borneo’ racist stereotype for a living. Tramble’s face fills the frame; the photograph is blurred and grainy. A light source catches highlights in his eyes, perhaps a button over his Adams apple, and a tooth. How many teeth does he have? Are their tears in his upwardly directed eyes? His eyes appear unfocussed. He is photographed from below; he looks monumental.

Arbus photographed various people who she described as ‘freaks’, ‘The Sensitives’ and ‘singular people’. In 1971 she told her students,

“…Freaks was a thing I photographed a lot… There’s a quality of legend about freaks…Most people go through life dreading they’ll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They’ve already passed their test in life. They’re aristocrats…” (Arbus et al, 1992:3).

By making us look up at Trambles’ face, did Arbus intend us to see someone deranged? Or a Man with human dignity?

In a notebook she wrote,

“..If we are all freaks the task is to become as much as possible the freak we are...” (Revelations, 2012: 54) and in a postcard to Marvin Israel in 1960 she wrote,

“..Freaks are a fairy tale for grownups. A metaphor which bleeds…” (Revelations, 2012: 54)

In 1961 Arbus completed a story, “The Full Circle” which included portraits of six people including Stormé de Larverie from the Jewel Box Revue’s touring drag artist show, ‘Twenty-Five Men and a Girl’, Miss Stormé de Larverie, the Lady who appears to be a Gentleman NYC 1961.

Neither Esquire nor Harper’s Bazaar published the story with de Larverie. Esquire wanted to leave out Stormé “…due to lack of space. Infinity, the publication of the American Society of Magazine Photographers published the story in 1962 which included de Larverie. Was the de Larverie photograph initially excluded because it depicted a lesbian, or because editors regarded the print as being unremarkable? The Hayward gallery offers no information about de Larverie’s historical importance.

I wasn’t sure if the exhibition was presenting Arbus as a feminist;

Barbershop interior through a glass door, NYC 1957

Blurry woman gazing up smiling, NYC 1957-8

Mood meter machine, NYC 1957

In the barbershop interior we can see men looking at a woman taking photographs in the street at night. Their various expressions include puzzlement, amusement and incredulity. The presence of the woman photographer is only suggested by her reflection in the glass. I am that woman now looking from the outside in. Am I obliged to become involved with what I photograph?

Of the Box of Ten photographs, one of my favourites is,

Retired man and his wife at home in a nudist camp one morning NJ 1963

I see this as a cosy and affectionate. Soft sunlight filters through the net curtains; it is a domestic scene with a twist.

Arbus described her experience of taking photographs in nudist camps in 1971, where she was required to take photographs naked,

“…You may think you’re not (a nudist) but you are…” (Arbus et al, 1992: 4-5)

As a suburban, semi-educated, left-leaning liberal standing in a contemporary Western art gallery, the wall notice warning about nudity surprised me a bit; I wasn’t concerned by the nudity displayed within this context.

Neil Selkirk, who printed the Box of Ten, believed Arbus’s prints look different from other photographers’. She did no dodging or burning,

“…If she ever had the urge or the knowledge to make the print beautiful in a conventional sense, she resisted it. The unique quality of Diane’s prints seems a direct response to what is required if one is extremely curious and utterly dispassionate...” (Revelations, 2012: 275)

He thought she had intended to make the final image look like snapshots or newspaper photographs. To me, the 35 mm photographs in the exhibition generally look like snapshots; the Box of Ten artworks look like beautiful parodies of photographs specific to glossy magazine features. Arbus’ photographs could be seen as diverting, rather like a day out at an art gallery

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Arbus, D (edited by Arbus, Doon, Israel, M) (1992) Diane Arbus, London, Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd.

Arbus, Diane, Arbus Doon, Phillips; S, Sussmann E, Selkirk N, J L Rosenheim (2012) Revelations: Diane Arbus, Munich, Schirmer/Mosel

Guggenheim, K (2019) Diane Arbus: An interview with Jeff L. Rosenheim and Karan Rinaldo. At: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/blog/diane-arbus-interview-jeff-rosenheim-karan-rinaldo-hayward-gallery (Accessed on 24 March 2019)

Hayward Gallery (2019) Hayward Gallery Exhibition Guide, London, Hayward Gallery

Metropolitan Museum of Art (2019) diane arbus in the beginning [online] At https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2016/diane-arbus (Accessed on 30 March 2019)

Smithsonian American Art Museum (s.d) A box of ten photographs [online press release] At: https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.saam.media/files/documents/2018-04/wall%20text.pdf (Accessed on 30 March 2019).

Sontag S (1973) ‘America seen through photographs, darkly’ in On Photography (1979) London, Penguin Books Ltd

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mulliganisms · 5 years ago

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Himself Alone 1970

In the thin air of the Azteca Stadium in the 1970 World Cup Final Pele hovers majestically over his Italian prey - Himself is similarly airborne as his ten year old derriere has been launched towards a Western Irish sky by a bolting horse.

In the next few moments gravity will work on both and Himself will attempt to match the cacophony of 107,412 and will come pretty close. Life is flashing before him, At ten his life is as watchable as a reality TV spin off on a cable channel - thin content which Himself tries to stretch out by endless previously ons recaps and in next week’s show...He had recently sat through Love Story - will he die before his own has ever tasted love? Never to skate in Central Park? Never having to say sorry - and not even the drawn out death where Ali Mcgraw looks more glamorous as the end nears but an instant hit of body on Connemara marble. At least he would die with as clean a conscience as Bobby Moore post diamond necklace scandal.

The nag that had inched forward like a non league crowd following a triumphant cup tie vs higher placed opposition who wanted to savour the relative luxury of the away ground now moves with energy and purpose as speedily and unexpectedly as the appearance of the roundel insignia on Japanese fighter planes over the Pearl Harbour skies. Not like in the Michael Bay travesty but as in the epic war fillum he's just seen at the ABC Essex Rd: Tora Tora Tora - surprise surprise surprise - like all 70s boys he was multilingual - provided there was a war on. feuer achtung Banzai hande hoch. And this is war: man vs horse - all about personal survival.

Fortunately Himself had bronze, silver and gold badges acquired thro many hours of perspiration starting with Mum’s dexterous use of a safety pin when she somehow retrieved the elastic swimming trunk cord - as much a wonder to Himself as the third of the working class consistently voting against their own interests or the touting of £100k Peter Marinello as the next George Best. The swimming lessons in the Tibberton Rd Public baths - always busy as very few folk had bathrooms at home relying on the Saturday night tin bath. That would be followed by climbing into the blue and white cotton pyjamas warmed in front of the coal fire in readiness for the Andy Williams Xmas snowbound belatedly screened in April.

Finally the inflating and tying off of said blue and white cotton sleepwear and the desperate drying of them with dressing room hairdryer which had been recently installed owing to demand from men growing their hair longer. This had resulted in the wolf whistling of certain players at football grounds- obviously only visiting or especially former heroes especially Jimmy Robertson at the Lanewhen he scored for Arsenal. The skills these medals acknowledged were of no use on land. If only his bolting mount had been a giant sea horse...

Himself has never ridden before but he has seen the Grand National on the telly so The pose is pure Pat Taafe - Mum’s fave Irish jockey who won the grand national that year resulting in her annual bet paying off with jubblies all round.The horse is no Arkle the champion horse much less Champion the Wonder Horse star of Saturday Morning Pictures - a communal cinema going experience where the largely junior crowd heckled the Government Information films watched rapt at key moments in Z for Zorro and cheered at Flash Gordon - all behaviours far more endurable than the Vue/Cineworld going adult munching supersize tacos swimming in collagenous red , loudly predicting plot outcomes and turning their phone screens up just in case they miss an update from their co-worshippers of WKD, Lynx and cuffed sweatpants who style themselves as the whatsapp group lethal banter squad

The horse is one of a team too - some of his mates bearing Aulfella and da brudders others pulling a trap navigated by Mam with dasisters. They have names tho none as resonant as

Tostao, Gerson, Jairzinho - Brazil 1970 the greatest team ever - and the highlight of their play wasn’t even a goal but an outrageous dummy and miss vs Uruguay by the totemic Pele. Pele’s opening goal and Carlos Alberto’s clinching fourth meant Brazil won Jules Rimet three times and got to keep the trophy. Perhaps that’s what drives Mark Francois and Rees Mogg towards urging constant war on Germany - a hat trick of victories would give them world domination in perpetuity - the natural order of things.

The rarity of sightings of these yellow and green shirts enhanced their allure. They were only glimpsed every four years and the white clad Germans and Orange dutch every two. Contrast that with the attention mega trawler supernet net of todays’ neverending news - transfer deadline day is more exciting than most games. No such problem in 1970 midweek - we got Sportsnight with Coleman - which did feature football but only after you had sat through all sorts of things boxing, figure skating but the one most pertinent to the crisis - showjumping

Following exposure on the telly kids would head to the park to attempt to copy their newfound Gods - the Willie Carr flick, the Best robbing of Banks at wembley - scandalously ruled out for ungentlemanly conduct, The Denis Law sleeve grab (does anyone still make long sleeve shirts?).

Rosemary Gardens cinder pitch was their Highbury, their Lords (with matting rolled out and stumps on springs) even their Wimbledon when anyone cared to play (two weeks in June) but it was never our Hickstead- our Wembley stadium never the Empire Pool Wembley

The only pools that mattered were the centrepiece of early Saturday night ritual. The football results delivered to kitchens steaming with anticipation of life changing news and perfectly cooked potato flesh - invariably just like the clocks that year of nothing in our lives and others changed. However, one of Aulfella’s friends, Old Docherty, actually won the pools and grew beardier, scroogier and unhappier with each occasional visit -never once bringing anything with him. For Irish kids the visitors from Home - and most of them were in the same boat as us, ie a barely afloat dinghy - were always good for a few bob. It was considered good luck to give the kid some silver. Yet this man whom fortune had shone on never once shelled out to us. In fact he spent one whole day complaining that the imminent decimalisation of the currency meant penny for the guy was now prone to hyper inflation and nothing but a profiteering shameful scam perpetrated on the unknowing and donors should be handing over 0.471new pence. God knows what he did during bob a job week. Bob a job week was where uniformed kids washed cars, cleaned windows, ran errands - known collectively as odd jobs. They ain’t odd tho are they? Night time Czar is an odd job as is innovation sherpa at Microsoft and eBay curator - here is a Crying Boy print in cracked frame contrasted with a chipped babycham glass tight against the cracked soda stream bottle - and they all earn more than a few bob.

Being Catholics Himself and crowd were always a bit self conscious during bonfire night possibly cos of the burning of effigies. Anyway he had All Souls day - Halloween - then to Church all souls - Old Docherty cme one year and the highlight was his reaction to the collection plate: a dummy worthy of Pele followed by a Barry John pass or if the row was very empty - he demonstrated real potential in the new sport of Frisby.

Always happier as player than spectator, Himself enjoyed the privilege of altar serving which often yielded significant coinage. The tariff was clearly signposted - weddings, baptisms - then the biggest payers: mourners. We used to pray for for a big funeral not the old miser Docherty of course - even tho he had promised Aulfella he’d get his newish telly in the will

Telly was the talk of the summer for the cinder pitch in the park was also the scene of filming the TV show Budgie. This starred Adam Faith who was an actor/ pop star and managed his own career as well as other artists. It’s not easy doing that - only Louis CK really handles himself and look where that’s got him. When the show was aired one local geezer was rechristened as Budgie because of his feathered cut - the Rachel of its time. Until the 90s such references were pretty universal but the market led fragmentation of broadcasting reflected the times of greater social inequality especially in broadcasting. Food banks remain a shock to us children of the 1970s - then we had Adam Faith, Bob Hope but no Charity - too much Charley Pride. Thanks to the proliferation of channels TV has lost its role as cultural glue. Back then Cultural glue was, well, glue - sniffed from a crisp packet. Now football is the cultural glue though it seems far more one way than in the past

Old stadiums are demolished to be replaced by what look like PFI prisons - do you think real supporters care about their new stadia? If they did you’d hear new songs - we have a craft beer concession in our stand/ we followed carbon neutral building practices/ four figure sums our tickets cost four figure sums.

He pines for the old Highbury, the Lane , the Den. There used to be alphabetically ordered boards on the side of the pitch with a key to the code supplied in the programme intended for half time scores - Himself’s crowd always bet upon the initial of which of the neighbours teen sons would be turfed out. In their flared wrangler belt loop they wore their red and white wool scarf knitted by loving aunties (no doubt she’d be sued for copyright by the club now). The offender would be escorted out by a hopefully helmet free copper- if there’d been a pitch invasion - their perp walk taking them past a raucously cheering Northbank to a warholian fifteen minutes - of fame not that is not the wait for VAR.

As football grew into the monolith it is today other sports were forced into the shadows - after all you can recreate the epic Celtic vs Leeds European Cup Semi -Final the two legged Battle of Britain - see it wasn’t just kids who were obsessed by war tho even the ten year olds knew the actual Battle did not feature Scottish pilots in Mescherschmidts. You could even recreate speedway in the bombed out church with some soil at the corner and the bike - the Ivan Mauger skiddy turn at corner. But showjumping ?

Its rural and/ or upper class credentials meant it never really caught on in London as a participation sport - how could it? The horses in the area were totter or rag and bone man and the coal carthorse. Undeterred Himself devised a game where he would jump over paving stones which hosted street furniture - lamp posts, beacons - obviously any failure to clear the slab would deduct faults. In truth this was the steeplechase a la Alf Tupper in the Victor whose every win would see his thought bubble read “I’ve run him” sparking huge moral panics about comics ruining kids English -

So as his mount charges towards a Dry stone wall Himself searches for showjumping knowledge that might help - Princess Anne who went on to winning medal in 1976 - only athlete not required to undergo a sex test - typical class privilege; David Broome; Lucinda Prior Palmer - just one person - the only double barrelled name Himself knew was Ian Storey Moore- who kept winning at Badminton -now he’s really getting lost...Himself suddenly knew he could be saved and weirdly his Gordon Banks turned out to be Hughie Greene.

In those days beer was delivered by horse - called dray carts On Opportunity Knocks that year the Dray King for Thwaites Star brewery had been declared Britain's champion beer drinker. Using the technique he’d seen Tonto use Himself directs the horse towards the stream. It stops to drink and he dismounts and does the full Harvey Smith - futile but made me feel better - gesture politics they call that now. Himself recreates the Central Park scene from Love Story there is no snow but sweet connemara rain turning the earth into mud…(falling up/ snow angels / eating snow build snowman)

No horses were harmed in the making of this story...

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