#then they all get snowed in when they're finally at the lodge. so he can't leave even though he's fuming mad at being decieved

[galactaknightyaoi]

for anyone wondering, the context behind it is that dedede receives a letter from "meta knight" (actually, the letter is written by chilly pretending to be him) inviting him to his new snow lodge. dedede drools because the letter also promises lots of food.

bandee's expression is because he doubts it. many things in the letter make him question whether it's really meta knight or not, a snow lodge isn't his style, it's too relaxing. he wouldn't want to play and sit down to eat, he'd rather train. and my favorite bit, he says he's suspicious because meta knight would never address king dedede as "dear" like the letter does.

dedede dismisses all of this though, saying maybe meta knight finally became normal, realized how great he is and wants to be his friend now. so they go despite all the red flags.

a new kirby novel came out today and it has given us The funniest out of context illustration of all time

[adventuresindolls]

Daisies & Daffodolls Day 17: AG Series (Part 1 of 6)

I originally intended this prompt to just be an idea of 'if my doll had a book series...' only I got really excited about it and came up with summaries. And collections. For all 3 dolls. I might even write and illustrate them next month, but for now I'm sharing what I have with all of you.

Note: I have many more pictures for Lexie and Summer than I do for Olive. this is ONLY because Olive is new and doesn't have a lot of clothes yet.

About Lexie

Lexie Sarah Gilbert is an 11-year-old Jewish girl. She lives with her two dads and her 8-year-old sister, Sophie. Lexie is autistic and loves to write stories. She's also really interested in sea animals. She's bright and empathetic and friendly but very awkward.

Book Summaries and pictures below the cut.

Meet Lexie, an American Girl

Message: The power of friendship

Lexie's family moves to a new city right before she starts middle school. Change is really hard for her, so she struggles to adapt. To help with new school anxiety, her dads take the family to the county fair the week before school starts. Sophie wants to run all over and try everything practically at once, but Lexie just wants to ride the same swing ride over and over until the noise of the fair gets to be too much. She wanders off to a quiet corner and finds another girl sitting alone and reading a book. She introduces herself, and soon she and Summer are chatting like they've always been friends. They both go to the fair every day that week and meet up. They have a number of adventures, including one where they help someone keep his sheep. The book ends the day before school starts, with both of them feeling more confident now that they have each other.

Lexie Learns a Lesson: A School Story

Message: Stand up for and believe in yourself

Lexie and Summer start middle school together, and almost immediately Lexie is having a hard time. In her elementary school she got to stay in the same room all day, and was allowed to sit in the back corner if she was overwhelmed. But here she has to change classes in loud crowded hallways, take classes with different kids, and try to focus on studying while others are being distracting. On top of that, she struggles socially. Summer is still her friend and they hang together, but Summer misses school sometimes, and then Lexie is alone. Most of the kids are nice enough at first but start to avoid her for her weirdness. Some of them are outright mean. But she eventually learns to stand up for herself and appreciate her own strengths and abilities no matter what anyone might say.

Lexie's Surprise: A Halloween Story

Message: It's ok to be interested in whatever you like

Lexie loves the movie Frozen and can't wait to dress up as Elsa for Halloween, especially since she's helping her Papa (who stays home while her Daddy works) sew the costume. She initially feels very grown up because this year she'll be allowed to take Sophie trick-or-treating with no adults. But then all the kids at school start talking about a Halloween party that Lexie wasn't invited to. Even worse, Summer was. Summer offers to skip it, but she looks so disappointed that Lexie says it's ok. Halloween doesn't seem like it will be any fun now. It only gets worse after some of the meaner girls hear her and Summer discussing her costume and laugh about how they're too old to dress as princesses. But it turns out ok because on Halloween, Lexie's older cousin Naomi comes over and takes her to a haunted house while Sophie goes trick-or-treating with their Daddy. Naomi is dressed up as Snow White - and she didn't even know what Lexie's costume would be!

Happy Birthday, Lexie: A Winter Story

Message: Don't give up trying when you want to do something

tLexie's birthday is the week before winter break, so she and Sophie get to leave school a few days early so their family can go on a ski trip! Just before they leave, Lexie is excitedly telling the school librarian a story she made up and he suggests she write it down. They stay in a mountain lodge and drink hot cocoa and go skiing and have a real fireplace in their room and it's amazing. Lexie makes sure to get a postcard for Summer. She also starts writing down story ideas in a notebook. One day in town, they find an old and relatively compact typewriter in an antique shop, and she longs for it. After seeing how much she's writing, her dads get it for her birthday. In the process of all this, she manages to convince her Papa to take back up the art he gave up and misses. When they return, she proudly announces to the librarian that she wants to be an author.

Lexie Saves the Day: A Passover Story

Message: the importance of mutual aid

Lexie and Summer volunteer regularly at the soup kitchen with their scout troop, and their leader makes sure to discuss the problems of poverty and homelessness with them. At the same time, they're preparing for Passover, the Seder for which will be held at Summer's house. Two days before the Seder, Summer's mom's Seder Plate falls and shatters. Everyone is feeling really depressed about it, but Lexie starts asking people after synagogue if they can borrow one. One older man (named Eli because I have to have my inside jokes) donates his heirloom plate in exchange for a place at the table, saying he hasn't held one in years. Lexie also suggests they make too much food on purpose and donate the rest the next day. Once Summer remembers that food donations are a bandaid fix, like their leader said, they decide to do that and also write a letter to the mayor with suggestions of how to use the many old and unused houses in town.

Changes for Lexie: A Springtime Story

Message: there's more than one way to find success

The school year is almost over, and Lexie will have all C's. Again. And she's having a meeting with the school counselor. AGAIN. She does very well on homework but poorly on tests and class participation. Lexie wants to wear her noise cancelling headphones in class, but they won't let her. She is allowed extra time for her finals, which helps because she takes the test almost alone in a quiet room. But she's still coming home crying most days just from everything being So Much, and her teachers are frustrated that she doesn't seem to try. Eventually it's decided that they will try homeschooling next year, with her Papa teaching her. Even better, Summer will join her since she almost failed just from missing so much school.

[kayrockerqog]

KINGS AND QUEENS AU: FINALE PT 1

((Synopsis: Scarlett is leading a new battalion against Jo's kingdom, and is reviewing the plans for the rising armageddon.))

The red-haired Lord cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the other Lords in her presence. Lightning had woken up that morning and insisted he got back to work immediately. Scarlett was in the middle of planning their next move, the other lords refused to pay proper attention, and it was getting on her nerves. 

"Excuse me!" she tried again, still nothing, the chatter kept going. Her right eye twitched heavier, and she slammed her fists on the table, "QUIET!" The Lords faced her again, and one of them scoffed. "Geez, angry much?" she whispered to her husband beside her, earning a glare from the Eastern Queen. "Lady Heather, can you focus?!" King Shawn shrieked, jumping from his chair offensively, his wife grabbing his shoulders and shoving him back into his chair. 

"Do you have a death wish?" Heather growled, clenching her fists tightly as she tried to stand from her seat to retaliate, only for Lord Alejandro to sit her back down. "Sha-seriously, we got to figure something out!" Lightning stated, his eyes scanning the room. Lord Shawn and Lady Jasmine of the South East, Scarlett of the South West, and, shockingly, King Alejandro and Queen Heather of the East. Confused for a second, he glanced at Scarlett, "Where's your boy at?"

Scarlett eyed him inquisitively, "What do you mean? He's been here the whole . . ." the realization hit her hard and she coughed, "Excuse me." She sprinted out the conference room door and headed directly to the underground dungeon. Instead of the raging flurry of insults and threats she expected, once she reached the cell, she was met with silence. The prisoners were gone.

Trying to keep her composure, she searched the room for clues. No broken windows, the bars were intact, no debris or evidence of holes in the ground. Nothing. Her temper was boiling up to the surface faster and faster every second she was unsuccessful, her fist colliding with the wall in anger. The cracks slowly grew longer and more spread out, small amounts of pebbles and dust falling to the ground below it. 

Her breathing got much heavier, and her eyes narrowed to the point of closing, the neverending analysis growing more and more empty, that is, until her eyes met a suspicious stray hair on the ground. Practically pouncing on it, her knees scratched in the dirt, and her fingers grazed the hair as she twiddled it in her fingers. Yep, a stray purple hair.

When Scarlett returned to the meeting room, she was fuming. Her face was flushed red in utter fury, and she slammed the door behind her. "Look, this is going to end right here and now. We shall have a battalion ready for the new dawn tomorrow, rain, snow, shine, whatever. Those traitors to the Order are going DOWN!" Her fists banged on the table, splitting it in half straight down the middle.

Jasmine raised her hand nervously, and because she was being polite, Scarlett allowed her to speak, "What is it?" "Well, if Heather and Alejandro have that alliance with the enemy, wouldn't we have an inside edge?" The Southwestern Queen's eyes lit up, the wheels in her head acknowledging the information gratefully. "Yes, we would indeed . . . Here's the plan."

"Lord Brick, Lord Brick! I have bad news!" Max was slamming his hand against the birchwood door, knocking hard and repeatedly until one of the guards inside open the door for him. Brick is sat on the edge of a bed, holding Jo's hand as she slept restlessly, bracing herself for the hangover she'll have to deal with when she woke up. 

Brick looked up from his gaze at his wife, making eye contact with the lavender-haired Lord. "What is it, Lord Max?" he inquired of the other Lord, a worried expression rising to his face. "My fellow Lord, I managed to find some plans that my lady Scarlett and I were working on. I can only assume she will be acting on this sometime soon." "May I see?" Max handed the crumpled paper to the Western Lord, and he flattened it back out.

"A battalion of 20k soldiers, organized, two double agents . . . Double agents?" Brick read, his lips curving into a frown. His eyes narrowed as he glared at Max, who immediately shook his hands defensively, "Not me! I swear, I'm not two-faced! We were planning on using Lord Alejandro and Lady Heather as double agents, and I believe Scarlett spoke to them a week and a half ago!"

"You were gone then . . ." a weak, hoarse voice mentioned, and the two men looked down at Lady Jo. "Morning ma'am," Brick greeted her, planting a light kiss on her forehead. "Not a good one it seems, I hate having to wake up to this crap . . ." she grumbled, posturing herself up against the headboard of the bed. She glared at Max, still tired and slightly dazed, "So your woman is trying to fight us?"

Lord Max nodded, and Jo sighed. She put a hand to her temple, her head was pounding, "Last night was a bad idea . . . and now we have this shit to deal with . . ." She was livid, but weakly so. Brick rubbed her back while informing Max, "I left the kingdom on the twelfth, and arrived at the Eastern Kingdom on the fourteenth. When did Scarlett speak to them?" "The thirteenth," he answered bluntly, and the Lord sighed, "So they were really against us . . . we have to summon the others."

A few hours later, the allied Lords against Lightning have gathered at the Western meeting hall. Queen Jo was still dazed, but she gave it to the others straight, "Okay, listen up. Grapehead here said that Orange Crush was planning an attack against us since two weeks ago and that Lightning provoking the rest of your kingdoms was meant to be a diversion for the real attack she's been organizing for overmorrow."

Zoey held Mike's hand underneath the table, and she spoke quietly, "Do you have a plan already?" Jo tried to answer, but her head started pulsing something awful. Brick had her sit down, and took over control of the conversation, "Not exactly, but we have a few propositions. For one, we have to be assured that everyone here is loyal to the cause of taking out Lightning once and for all. All in favor, raise your hand."

Mike and Zoey both raised their hands no problem. Dawn raised hers as well, one for herself and the other for Scott, whose arms were still weak from his injuries. Courtney and Duncan were reluctant, only because they were still wasted, and raised their hands. Finally, Max held his up, a confident expression on his face, and Dawn smiled at the bold orange of his aura. 

Brick grinned, clearly satisfied with the unanimous agreement and loyalty of the room, and he moved on to the next point. "Good. Now, for the next part, we have to consider the following. I regret to inform you all that the Eastern Lords are true to their nature, and had taken the opposing side before I could speak to them."

Scott grew irritated, "Are you kidding? So one of the most powerful monarchs are really against us?" His yelling made him cringe in pain, his body stinging from the surge of suppressed rage. Jo shook her head disapprovingly, "Those demons are going to regret that . . ." her voice was low and stern, and it scared Max. She noticed, and to the others' surprise, she apologized, "Not you, man. Sorry about that." Max shook it off, still shaking a bit, "Not a problem, Miss Jo, ma'am."

"Regardless, Heather and Alejandro are a major threat! We have to be on our guard for them. I can assume that they're going to use them for infiltrating our base. Cameron, go inform the guards that any member of the Eastern Kingdom is not to be trusted, and to be brought into custody immediately." The young advisor and his mistress nodded and left the room in search of the corps.

The other spoke for a good few hours longer, and when it was settled, they were all brought to separate lodgings. Brick and Jo returned to their room, left in solitude as ordered to the guards by Lord Brick himself. They stood at the window, overseeing the courtyard and the duties of the guards. Reinforcements being added to the walls and gates, new swords being forged, trebuchets being installed, all was going well.

Jo sighed, leaning her head against Brick's shoulder. "Everything alright, dear?" he asked her, and a small groan escaped her throat. "I'm worried, Brick." The Lord seemed unphased, normally others would be concerned at her admitting his kind of thing, but not him. "I know. But we'll pull through, I promise." "You shouldn't be making promises you can't keep," she replied, and her husband clicked his tongue at her, "Trust me, Jo, I will not fail you, not now, not ever." The Queen chuckled in response, "I know, you dork. That doesn't stop me from worrying though . . ."

"Well, what's on your mind?" he asked her, taking a seat on their bed and gesturing for her to join him. The bedsprings jolted as she sat by his side, and she told him without hesitation, "I want to fight tomorrow." He tensed up at her words, gripping her shoulders tight in his hands, "You're sure?" She smirked, nodding, and Brick nodded back, "Alright, I won't stop you this time." Jo was surprised, expecting more of a fight from him, and sat there confused at his submission, "How come?"

"I'm not as black and white as the others. I know how big of a menace Lightning is to you. I know your history with him and how you want it completely eradicated from your life. If joining the battle and finishing him off once and for all will satisfy you, I will be at your side as you give the final blow." Jo laughed quietly, attempting to keep her tears in her eyes, "This is why I love you, Brickhouse." He brought his wife into a loving embrace, blowing out the candles and cuddling her close to him as they lulled each other to sleep.

"This is outrageous!" Scott grunted angrily as he paced back and forth across the guestroom Jo had set up for him and his partner. Dawn sat on he bed with her legs crossed, meditating and keeping her cool as he traced angrily. "We can't help it, Scott. I was honestly kind of expecting it, especially when Brick told us they had actually signed." "So was I! But I didn't think they would have the guts to actually go through with the treason!" he growled, tripping over his own feet and falling onto the bedsheets.

Dawn stroked his hair with her thin fingers, "Your aura is in an uncomfortable state, I understand your pain, but we need to keep our heads straight if we're going to fight tomorrow!" Scott lifted his head up from the quilts, "We? You're fighting tomorrow?" Dawn pouted, "I sense you doubt my skills, Scott." "Look, I get that you're good with magic, but I'm not sure if you should be on the front lines covered in armor like the others." Scott took her hand from his head and held it in his, "Listen, if you want to fight tomorrow, I'm not stopping you. You just got to stay away from the main battle and act as an archer or something." Dawn let him hold her hand, gingerly leaning over to kiss his cheek, "That goes for you too, Redneck."

"So Zoey, are you going to be fighting tomorrow?" Mike asked, rubbing the back of his neck as he stared out the window. "Yes, I will. Why do you ask?" "Well, Cam told me about everything, and I just wanted to make sure you were still up for it. Mentally, I mean." Zoey wrapped her arms around him, kissing him quickly on the lips, "Don't worry about it, Mike. Everything that was going on, only happened because you were gone. I'm ready to fight, and fight I will."

A soldier approached the door to her room, knife marks and stray switchblades were sticking out of the wood, and he knocked anxiously. "Um . . . Lady Scarlett? The battalion's ready now." The man listened for a response, but heard no words. Shuffling and clanging came from inside the room, and he could hear weighted footsteps marching towards the door. He backed up, and the door swung open, revealing the evil Queen herself, clad in dark paladin's armor complete with an iron-cased helmet. Sheathing her sword behind her back, she and the guard proceeded towards the Southern Castle gates.

Once there, she climbed onto a podium to speak to the army. A sea of soldiers fully clad in armor raised their swords in the air honorably, and Scarlett began, "Brave soldiers of the Lightning Crusade, I implore you on this fine evening. The day after tomorrow, once we arrive at the Western kingdom as the sun greets our side of the Earth, we will strike. Leave no man alive, save for the Lords and Ladies of the court, for we have special plans for them."

"And, as a special reward, any soldier who brings Lord Max directly to me shall be rewarded beyond their wildest imaginations! So, my loyal men and women for the cause, strike fear into them, slaughter them! Doomsday and Armageddon had a baby, and it is ugly. We are that child, so we have to act as our parents would expect us to. Wreck havoc, cause pandemonium, for the South!" "FOR THE SOUTH!" The soldiers chanted, clanging their swords and axes together in celebration. Scarlett mounted her black stallion, and rode up to the other lords at the gate. As the metal bars of the wall rose from the ground, they had Alejandro and Heather take the lead, and they pressed on towards the West.

The battle has begun.

◇TO BE CONCLUDED◇

**Words: 2363**

[thefactsofthematter]

sprace + 7? ✨

#7: Your OTP gets caught underneath the mistletoe.

aaaa thank you for requesting this was so fun to write!! ((sorry for the wait it’s finals season yikes))

sprace; canon era; 1.5k; no warnings just lovely cute fluff feat. baby newsies and the brooklyn girlsies!!

-

December 24th, 1899

It's fucking freezing outside.

Racetrack Higgins is shivering and bouncing on his toes as he tries his best to get rid of his last few papes so he can go warm up.

He doesn't have a jacket, you see, because one of the younger Manhattan kids didn't have one and Race's own was too small anyways, so he'd given it away. It really hadn't been this cold when he'd started selling this morning, but the sky has since clouded over and snow has begun to fall, so Race is now chilled to the bone.

Sheepshead is rather deserted today, save for a few devoted racing fans, so it's been a struggle to get anything sold. Not many folks are out to the races on Christmas Eve. It's getting late, so anyone who'd wanted the news has gotten it already and Race is ready to just take the loss and call it a day.

Just as he's about to pack up and head home, he's caught incredibly off-guard by pair of mittened hands landing on his shoulders.

"Where's your coat, idiot? You're gonna freeze!"

Race turns around to see a tiny little meatball of a fella grinning up at him, in all his freckled and gap-toothed glory.

"Heya Spot," says Race, suddenly feeling much less frozen because being around Spot makes him feel all warm and fuzzy. "Well, y'see, it don't fit anymore. I think I grew this year. I'm gonna have to get me a new one"

Considering that this time last year, Race didn't tower over Spot the way he does now, it's definitely true. They're only fourteen, so growth spurts hit randomly and often. It's like they're in a competition of who can shoot up faster, but Race has had the lead for a while.

"Come back to the lodge with me and warm up," says Spot, though his voice tilts towards the end like it's a question. They've only been boyfriends for a few weeks, so everything they do is very tentative and hesitant. Spot is new to the whole 'being nice' thing, and he gets nervous whenever he tries. "You's chilled to the bone, Racer. The church brought us a load of apple cider, and we been warming it around the stove if you want some."

Race can feel his own face light up at the idea of some hot cider and a nice cuddle with Spot. He'd been dreading the trek through the snow back to Manhattan, so his mood has now improved significantly.

"That sounds swell," he says, picking his bag of papes back up. There's five or so in the bag, and they'll make decent kindling for a fire, since he can't seem to get them sold. He'd normally be a lot more stressed about it, but Spot doesn't let him pay rent for nights spent in Brooklyn. Privileges of dating the king, maybe. "I ain't had apple cider in years. Say, if you come over to 'Hattan tomorrow, I think the nuns are bringing by gingerbread cookies like they always do. It's my favourite part of the holiday."

Spot smiles wide and ever-so subtly takes Race's hand in his own as they walk. Most folks are at home with their families by now, so they can risk being slightly closer than they normally would. If worse comes to worse, they can always say Spot is just trying to keep Race warm, seeing how the tips of his fingers have gone red with frostnip.

"There's no paper tomorrow," notes Spot. There is technically a paper, but there's no real news in it and only a handful of devoted newsies with nothing better to do actually try and sell it. There's never anyone out anyways, so it's usually just a waste of time. "We can do whatever we want, I guess. I could give Hotshot a Christmas present by letting him be in charge for the day— he'd love that— and we could go over to Manhattan together. I want you to stay here tonight since I gotcha a present, but I wanna give it in the morning when it's actually Christmas."

Race swings their hands happily as they walk.

"My present for you is under the tree in the Manhattan lodge— did I tell ya we got a tree this year? It's real fancy and I even wrapped the present to go under it. I'll give it to ya when we get there tomorrow."

Race really wants to lean down and kiss Spot on the cheek, but that'll have to wait until they have some privacy.

It’s a bit of a walk back to the lodging house where Spot lives, but the rush of warmth as they stumble inside makes it entirely worth it. There’s a fire in the fireplace and a ton of kids hanging around, all bundled up in blankets and sipping on cider. It’s an unconventional little picture of family, but Race absolutely adores it.

“Hi Spot! Hey Racer!” calls Rafaela, sparking a chorus of cheerful greetings from around the room. Her and Joey have got a gaggle of little newsies surrounding them and what looks like a pile of storybooks stacked up next to them. The two of them like to pretend to be all tough, but they’re softies deep down and it shows in moments like this.

Race is a little too preoccupied with rubbing his frozen hands together as he approaches the fire to actually answer anyone, but Spot waves at them all before finally wrapping his arms around Race’s waist.

They have no shame about being close to each other when they’re here, since no one seems to judge— and even if they do, they’re too scared of Spot to say anything about it.

“Do ya wanna read stories with us?” calls a little kid, whose nickname might be Twig if Race remembers correctly. He’s no older than five or six years old and looks strikingly similar to a younger version of Spot, with the freckles that dot his face. “Joey’s gonna read us a Christmas one! It’s even got pictures!”

Watching Spot be gentle with the little ones is always able to warm Race’s heart. Spot smiles at Twig but shakes his head.

“Not right this second, buddy,” he says, sticking his tongue out at the way the kids pout. “Me an’ Race are gonna go upstairs and find us some blankets first. He’s frozen from being out sellin’ without a coat.”

Raf’s eyes go wide at that.

“Racetrack,” she scolds. She’s three years older than Race or Spot and has a tendency to mother them a bit. “No coat? And not even mitts? We’ve got a pile of extras hangin’ around, I can help you find something what fits later.”

Race cringes sheepishly, somewhat embarrassed at being called out.

“Thanks Raf,” he says, feeling very special and welcomed into the Brooklyn family by the offer. “Jack was gonna help me find one, though. Our friend Medda has a ton lyin’ around that she’d be happy to lend. I just ain’t had time for it this morning ‘cause I ain’t thought it’d be so cold.”

A tug on his waist from Spot cuts the conversation short.

“C’mon, Racer. We gotta get you warm.” As Spot pulls Race closer, his voice drops to a whisper. “And I wanna get you alone. I’ve missed you. Let’s go.”

Race isn’t sure if his cheeks are red from blushing or frostbite, but he gladly lets Spot guide him up the stairs to the attic bedroom that Spot gets to himself— almost like the Brooklyn version of Jack’s penthouse.

Spot stops short in the doorway, quickly pressing Race up against the frame.

“Would’ya look at that,” he says, pointing above them. Race looks up to see a tiny sprig of mistletoe nailed to the top of the doorframe. He nearly snorts at the cheesiness of it. “Ain’t that convenient?”

Race rolls his eyes.

“Sure is,” he replies, before leaning down to connect their mouths. Everyone else is downstairs, so they don’t have to worry about prying eyes. Spot is so warm and soft and gentle that Race never wants to leave this moment. He pulls back momentarily. “You really went out and bought a chunk of mistletoe to get me to kiss ya? I don’t need a stupid plant to wanna love your dumb ass.”

Spot giggles— which is a rare and fucking beautiful occurrence.

“Don’t worry, asshole,” he says, pecking Race’s lips softly. “I stole it.”

“Jesus,” groans Race, not doing a very good job of sounding annoyed. “Of course you did.”

He presses their lips together yet again and smiles into it. As stupid and rude as they are, and despite the fact that they haven’t grabbed any blankets and Race is still freezing, there’s somehow nowhere he’d rather be.

-

Tag list:

@landlessbud @i-hate-theheadline @eponinemylove @i-got-personality @alovelymoonbeam @penzyroamin @graceful-popcorn @bencookisagod @auspicioustarantula