#today we celebrate the hiatus's death

[xx-midnight-candy-goblin-xx]

Jackson's Diary things I've made today because Season 3 has been released

[sitp-recs]

🎶 HD Wireless 2023 - Sitp Recs

After a short hiatus I come bearing Wireless gifts! I was hoping to get started today but a power outage gave me some free hours (and a charged phone) on Thursday night so here we are. The fest has been posting for the past two weeks and these are my favorites so far. I was thinking I might just update this list as I go on through the second half (instead of creating a new one) so pls expect a few reblogs. The idea is to celebrate these amazing works and invite folks to check them out before reveals! Keep in mind that as usual, my picks are 100% personal and based on my own preferences. I strongly recommend checking the full collection. Enjoy!

Fic:

🚬 Don’t hate him when he gets up to leave by @deliciousblizzardshark (M, 2k)

The linens are white and empty, sunlight slanting through the window illuminating a bed that has been deserted. Draco knew Potter would leave; he’s always gone by morning. Draco doesn’t even remember what he looks like in daylight.

🦵Wrong in all the Right Ways by @phdmama (E, 4k)

Draco is pretty sure that Potter is trying to kill him. Not in, like a murdery sort of way. There’s been too much atonement and forgiveness and redemption for that. Too many difficult conversations that ended, more than once, with awkward hugs. Maybe even some tears. They’re not friends obviously, but at the very least, they’ve moved past the past. (Mostly.) So no, Potter’s definitely not trying to kill him in a permanent death sort of way, but more like… In a horny sort of way.

🌃 All I Think About by @skeptiquewrites (T, 4.4k)

Sometimes all it takes is one perfect late summer night in June.

📱 Mirrors inside me by @cavendishbutterfly (E, 6k)

Draco’s been in love with Potter forever. And just because they work together, and they fuck, and they text and break up and get back together regularly doesn’t mean Potter needs to know. In fact, it’s a pretty good reason why he shouldn’t.

🎹 About This Place by @academicdisasterfic (E, 10k)

Harry left everything, including Draco. Harry’s returned to everything, including Draco. Things are never quite so simple, though perhaps they could be. Based on ‘You and I’ by Lady Gaga for Wireless 2023.

🌈 I only want the ones I envy (I envy) by porcelainheart3 (E, 13k)

Despite this arrangement he has with Draco, conducted entirely in the privacy of a dusty stationery cabinet, Harry is definitely not gay. But to appease his friends, he agrees to go on one (1) date with a man. Just to be sure.

🥃 if i could never give you peace by poisonivy206 (E, 17k)

Eleven years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Aurors Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are forcibly brought together by a new case that's bound to reopen old wounds. Enter a Firewhisky problem, prejudices that never really go away, and an obsession as old as time.

🚙 Rich Friend by @sorrybutblog (E, 18k)

As far as Harry can tell, Draco Malfoy is still rich as hell. He’s just not a wizard anymore. Featuring: Draco Malfoy trying to make it as a Muggle pop star, Harry Potter as our confused and horny hero, bad driving, good music, and the mysterious magic of falling for someone.

🍫 Waking Up Slow by @sweet-s0rr0w, art by @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm (E, 22k)

'Twas the night before Christmas, although it’s July / Draco’s a shopkeeper, no-one knows why / There’s hiking and witch caves, freak snowfalls and more / Bad Christmas jumpers, nosy neighbours galore / Narcissa’s here too, but… something’s amiss / And what’s in those chocolates that’s making them kiss?

🪩 Take You Home by @lqtraintracks (E, 26k)

Everybody’s a little fucked up after the war, Draco especially. What starts as hate sex after a night out, eventually turns into something else, something more like comfort. And even though his friends all tell Harry he’s just being used, all Harry’s doing is making sure Draco gets home in one piece. He’s not falling helplessly in love.

🐍 Sun Thief by @floydig, art by BlackRose532 (E, 28k)

It’s 2005, and Draco Malfoy says, “Fuck the Ministry,” Harry works as a handyman in muggle London, and Draco should really stop pissing off the Squib gangs. Or: Harry beats up a pimp and isn’t sorry about it, Draco deals black market potions, and they’re shagging. Again.

🍊 Nothing But You On My Mind by @moonflower-rose (M, 29k)

Potter has been in Australia on an internship for almost a year, and Draco cannot wait for him to get back home. They'll finally have a chance to talk about their feelings for each other. What could possibly go wrong? Loads, as it turns out.

🌊 What We Left Behind by peachydreamxx (E, 33k)

Harry's recovering from an injury. Malfoy's recovering from heartbreak. Beaten down and bruised, Harry takes up Malfoy's offer to stay at his secluded seaside cottage in Dorset. It'll be good to get away from it all. It's only for a few days, and it's only so he can heal. Nothing else. Digging up past feelings will only make matters worse, and besides, Malfoy doesn't feel the same way. Does he?

🏝️ LA, Who Am I To Love You? by @epitomereally (E, 42k) ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Harry’s summer in LA is not going as expected. Pansy Parkinson keeps inviting him to parties in the Hollywood Hills and harassing him to finally go to the physical therapist, Blaise Zabini keeps slipping new strains of his company’s magical weed into Harry’s pockets in hopes of an endorsement, and Draco Malfoy keeps having sex with everyone but Harry.

🧩 The Waiting by @oknowkiss (E, 43.5k)

It’s been almost ten years since Draco Malfoy disappeared during a routine Curse Breaker training exercise. Harry, his partner in more ways than one, is determined to figure out why. As the past resurfaces and the present fades into confusion, Harry discovers the only thing more unreliable than memory is love.

🐶 Everybody Hates a Tourist by @wolfpants (E, 51k)

On a stag do in sunny Brighton with the Gryffindor lads, the last person Harry expects to run into is Draco Malfoy. After a glimpse of Malfoy’s Muggle life in Britain’s gay capital, Harry’s curiosity gets the better of him and he finds himself returning to the seaside again and again, drawn to the city, drawn to this new version of Malfoy that Harry barely recognises from school.

Art:

📸 Alive by @itsphantasmagoria (E)

Harry is lost after the final battle, but he finds comfort from an unexpected source.

🎙️ Why don't you like me? by @caroll-in (T)

Failing to ask Harry out, Draco deals with his feelings in a very dramatic fashion.

🥂 Shivers and Cold Champagne by @maesterchill (T)

Sometimes, you meet someone in the club, and you just know...they’re all in.

🕶️ keep driving by @babooshkart (M)

cocaine, side boob, choke her with a sea view

[llittletingoddess]

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐖 🥀

«When the night comes, the stars begin to shine and the greatest crimes begin to come into life»

part 1

part 2

part 3 of multiply

°•○ warnings: age gap, slow burn, original character, cursing, smoking, drinking, mentions of death, mentions of murder, mentions of abduction, manipulation, abuse, national hate, politics mention, discrimination, shooting mention, blood mention, injury mention

°•○ Note from Author: FINALLY! You can't believe how long I wanted to finally release this chapter, cause it's so important for the story, but, unfortunately, this chapter became a healing process for me personally. Through highs and lows, after losing all materials, inspiration and wish to write, after months of hiatus - here it is. And you know what's funny? As I finished this chapter I finally closed that part of my life and I am finally feel free. Lesson learned, and now, despite of having zero free time, I am the happiest, cause I know that I have a shoulder to cry on 🤍 Anyways! I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter!

To the person who deleted months of my work without saying sorry  - Karma will return you your receipt one day

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III. All Within My Hands

Los Angeles, California

“It’s gonna be one of our biggest meetings ever”, James’ assistant said with a confident tone, making James smirk proudly. After all those long years - here he is, on his peak as the owner of the biggest music company completing his monopoly game. The whole world was in his hands, and God, did it feel nice. James smirked, thinking about such a big success in such a short amount of time and nodded. “Are all of the possible integrations’ partners invited?”, he asked, excited. 

This meeting was supposed to be not only a way to show his success and increase his positions in the music industry’s monopoly, but to invite some world-known partners for a nice integration. That was the best strategy to gain more audience and make more promotion - wouldn’t it be nice to get money from the teenagers who will ask for a premium subscription just to listen to their favorite music non-stop, and later turn it into the biggest and the most expensive family subscription. “Denon didn’t make it but we still have Meta here, so our biggest integration is 90% done”, an assistant said, following James through the long corridors of the Blackened Corporation building. 

He felt inspired and joyful - his company finally got its recognition. Who wouldn’t be happy? After all these long years he was proud to say that he accomplished something he always wanted. James entered the conference room, greeting his colleagues with a smirk and received a round of applause. God, James felt so proud. His ego was treated so damn well, everyone was welcoming him, cheering him, recognizing his success and all the years of hard work he has done.

 “Good morning, colleagues”, James said with a fake smile, hiding his self-rating deep inside. He hated these people so much… narcissistic billionaires who didn’t know what hard work is. Little FBI’s bitches, doing everything to keep their platform growing. But they didn’t need to know how James felt about meeting all these rich faces from “Forbes” and “Time” magazine covers. He walked on the little pedestal that was built so well for him, recognising him, son of poor parents that never supported him and fixed his blazer with a quick touch of his fingers on the fabric. “I hope you are feeling as inspired and proud as I am today”, he said with a bossy tone, holding the sides of the stand with papers on it. 

“First of all, I thank you all for coming here today to celebrate the “Blackened Corporation” growing success. We are living in an incredibly interesting time, time of innovations. And as you all might already know, innovations in the 21st century are equal to capitalism. As I will present the results of Blackened Corporation’s work with audience during the last six months, I hope our success and absolute leadership in the industry will inspire you to provide our product on your platforms”, James said, coughing a little and stared on the big screen behind him, that showed a logo of his company. His assistant started a promotional video, showing what Blackened was all about. There were some new faces and this video was necessary for them to watch. 

“As some might not know, Blackened is all about providing the best music in all ways possible”, he started, staring at the video of people listening to music through his app. “Our engineers make everything possible to provide the best quality of the audio to our customers. We are working with Dolby Atmos technology to make the sound experience as good as possible, so you won’t even notice that you’re actually in your headphones. Blackened App provides the best number of settings and equalizer modes for every different music genre type and every specific task of our customers. Comfort, simplicity, creativity and the best sound experience are our main criteria for work and our credo in developing our application”, James said proudly, looking at the faces of possible investors. Were they curious? Were they interested in the collaboration with his company? He wanted to finish that Meta contract and get the biggest deal his company ever did, and for that he needed to prove to the “Ginger Zucky” that there were no others like James and his corporation.

“With this upcoming season end I am happy to announce that this is the most successful season in the history of Blackened Corporation”, he said, nodding to the applause of his colleagues and partners. James looked at them silently, adoring this glory he fought decades for, and looked at the screen with some diagrammas on it. “This past season, because of our new international contract with the European market our profit increased to 256%. With our new contract with Russian partners we’ve got ten million new subscribers. Our investment in promotion and advertising helped us to reach new highs and find some issues that we quickly fixed. “Blackened App” is an undisputed leader in the field of streaming platforms and I am happy to announce that next year we are going to set new standards in the world of streaming. Not only are we setting the goal to double this year’s profits, but we are looking for new agreements. Next year, “Blackened App” will…

Knock. Crunch. Whistle. Gasps. Panic. James didn’t have time to understand what just happened when a shooting pain crossed his shoulder. He looked at his left shoulder that stained his silver blazer with his own blood, still trying to realize what was going on. Only when he saw blood stains on the screen and his bodyguards covering him with their bodies James realized: he just survived an assault. But how did it happen? Conference room was so high in his skyscraper and his possible partners couldn’t bring any weapons here because he had a strong security system in his headquarters. He grabbed his shoulder and huffed, slightly groaning from pain. “Take care of them first, I’m fine. Cody, stay with me, Jay, Roman, lead them to the safe space. We’ll finish the conference next time”, James said with a pause and turned to look at the direction from where he was almost killed. The glass had a tiny hole that was evidence of the assault. Someone tried to kill him from the roof of the building beside the headquarters. James stared at it, wondering if the sniper was still there and he looked surprised when he saw a silhouette of a person. 

“Cody, there! There’s someone on that fucking roof!”. He shouted, pointing at the building and his bodyguard didn’t need a command to understand what to do. Whoever was that sniper - he lost the shot. James kept staring at the person and.. the person was staring at him? Though it was at least 100 meters from the building, he could tell that the sniper was staring at him fearlessly. “You’re dead, little loser”, he murmured to himself, staring at his killer and smirked when the person escaped the roof, followed by the police sirens. Whoever that was, his days of freedom were over. 

20 minutes later, James received medical help, while Blackened Corporation headquarters were filled with the police officers that already worked on protocol of the assault. Paparazzi and news correspondents were there as well, trying to be the first to get the hot headline for their source. Thankfully, Ryan, his manager, took them on himself. “Mr. Hetfield is receiving medical help and is feeling okay. The upcoming updates will be provided in our social media, so I ask you to leave the building and give Mr. Hetfield some privacy to recover”, the well-looking man said to the journalists, leaving them with a lack of information. 

Meanwhile at the extra exit James was put into an emergency carriage. Medics said that he needed surgery to take off the bullet, and James didn’t have any other choice - just like his killer. When Cody came inside of the carriage, James thought that his killer was caught. Bodyguard panted, holding something in his hand and gave it to his boss to see. “Mr. Hetfield, this was all we found on the roof”, he said, expecting anger from his boss. “How in the hell did you let that asshole escape?” James spat with annoyance and opened the cloth, wondering what was inside, and the thing he saw wasn’t what he expected. A red rose. He stared at the flower in confusion and noticed a piece of paper beside it. He unfolded it and immediately squeezed it after reading a short note from his killer, throwing it into Cody. 

“I need all the information about The Wild Rose”.

***

Los Angeles, California

Leah was going to the city center, staring silently onto posters with announcements of different concerts and events in the city. Carriage had the smell of a middle class people - heavy hot air mixed with the smell of sweat, cheap perfume and cigarettes. That was what she disliked the most in the metropolitan - though she was far away from Moscow, the only difference metropolitan in Los Angeles had were more modern carriages. She held close the guitar case that was on her lap, protecting deep secrets that were hidden into it. 

For the public she was just a young pretty girl-musician that hurried up to her guitar classes. 

For the new world order of this planet - she was The Wild Rose.

Leah left the carriage, fixing her guitar case on her shoulder, fixed her deep black hoodie and put on her favorite playlist with post-punk songs that reminded her about Russia. Its grey, dark, unfriendly streets that were covered in thick smoke, old Soviet apartment buildings and void in grumpy people’s eyes… “Жить тяжело и неуютно, зато уютно умирать”, she quietly hummed to the song’s lyrics, walking out of metropolitan. “To live is hard and uncomfortable, but so comfortable to die” - isn’t it the credo of every person that ever thought about suicide? So comfortable to die.. Leah smirked on the words, getting the quick step to get to her starting point quicker to finish her task by the end of the hour. 

Center of Los Angeles was such a noisy place… after seven years of living in Moscow she was used to the big crowds of people, but LA felt like three Moscows at the same time in the same place! Leah huffed, putting on a hood on her head, trying to be as invisible for people as possible and sneaked into tiny streets with big skyscrapers. She checked the address of Blackened Corporation headquarters in her map and hummed, following the little blue dot on the map. Stupid Los Angeles with tons of houses.. But she couldn’t get a taxi - it was the easiest way to give cops a witness and leave a ton of evidence. She should be careful, and “Careful” was her second name - she’s got her reputation as one of the best international elite killers, she was a joker of the Russian mafia and their secret “emergency button” they pressed in case of someone being way too brave. Like her newest victim, James Alan Hetfield.

Leah knew his name before because she was a customer of his music app, and she was pretty curious to meet him today. What does he look like? Is it a young, tough man full of ambitions with a sporty body? Or was it an older man in a business suit with grey hair? In any case, if he wouldn’t be her victim today she would love to find a way to ride him in his little office. She smirked at her thought and bit her lip, walking to her location. Having quickies with rich men was pretty fun for her. No one knew who she was, and she could’ve made her little fantasies come true: from being a mistress in the house of a big scary KGB boss to being an innocent tourist from Russia who ended up meeting a member of The Royal Family in Buckingham palace. It was her hobby and her lifestyle - after all, she was a free woman and she can do whatever she wants while her personality is being anonymous!

She looked up at the haunted building full of graffiti and broken glass at some places and hummed, walking in. On the opposite side of the building, about a few hundred meters away there was a fancy building of the Blackened Corporation. Leah climbed the stairs in a relaxed mood, chewing her gum and still in her headphones, having a quick look inside of the building. Looked like a place of living for homeless people, and smelled exactly the same. Whatever, she thought, but it better be empty for the next 30 minutes. She didn’t want extra blood today - she won’t get any money for a dead homeless guy.

Once on the roof Leah paused music on her phone and turned the headphones off, letting them hang on her neck. She looked at her location, enjoying how fresh breeze played with her skin and hummed, slowly walking to the edge. She put her hood more on her head to make her face hidden in the shadows and opened the guitar case, revealing her sniper gun. She took a moment to adore it with a smile, pulling gloves that were in the case on her hands to not leave any fingerprints and moved her hand on the cold metal, enjoying the feeling. “Time to get shit done, Becky”, Leah said with a smile and began to install the stander for her gun, doing everything quick and smooth. It wasn’t the first time she used her “Becky”, in fact it was her favorite gun after “Roger” - her little pocket gun with a red rose on it. 

She placed Becky on her stander and turned it into shooting mode, laying on the ground to set it perfectly onto the window of the conference room of the Blackened Corporation. She noticed that there were a lot of people and hummed - too many witnesses, what if someone will notice her? Leah frowned, squirming a little to hide behind the gun and looked at the clock on her phone. It was almost 10AM, so the conference was about to start and she will kill James Hetfield, whoever he was, with only one bullet, like she always did. 

Leah checked her gun one more time in case it wasn’t ready and stared into the conference room through the spy glass of Becky. A door was opened and he saw two men walking in. By the attitude of people, seeing how everyone got up when they entered the room Leah understood who it was. Here he was, James Alan Hetfield in his pride. She watched him, how proudly he walked on the stand that was obviously built for him and smirked, holding Becky tighter. She couldn’t hear what he was talking about and just watched him through her eye-spy glass. 

Her first impression about him was similar to other people’s who met James for the first time - selfish, narcissistic guy with a big ego he loved to treat. Spoiled, he obviously loved the way people looked at him. Leah watched his grin, the way he looked at his potential partners like a wolf at its prey and hummed, understanding why Russians were chasing his head. But the way this man fooled them made her feel respect for him. He wasn’t afraid to take a risk and for some reason it was.. seductive.

Leah watched James, holding her finger on the trigger and tried to stay focused, while her eyes explored him. The way he looked, the way he talked, the way he stood in that room, everything screamed about the power that was inside of this man. Was he one of those men with a golden spoon in his mouth? He went on a big scene right about the time when she went with Konstantine to Moscow. She didn’t know much about him, neither did Russians, how it turned out. James Hetfield was one of the most unknown people that became Leah’s victims and it was such a big contrast with every normal billionaire she chased.. To be known worldwide but unknown to anyone - just like she was. 

Could he feel lonely in this big world like she did? Could he hide his vulnerability deep inside, deep in his stone cold heart like she did? Could he hide all his insecurities and fears under the mask of a powerful businessman? For some reason Leah felt empathy for him, but she shouldn't! He was a victim and she was a killer! She will live with these questions until her own death, never finding out answers to them. She clenched her teeth and pulled the trigger, focusing on her goal and looked in the conference room. 

Did she kill him? 

But what she saw next wasn’t something Leah expected. 

She looked in the spyglass and saw bleeding James still standing on his feet and three bodyguards around him. “Shit!”, she hissed, quickly placing Becky into her bag. She hid behind the edge of the roof and quickly took a piece of paper and paper from the guitar case, writing a little note to him, placing a red rose beside it. Red rose was the sign of her work, so now James will know that it wasn’t over yet. Leah got up, looking on the toned broken glass and had a feeling that someone watched her. She sighed, realising that she left too much evidence and bit her lip, thinking that it was for the better. Now she had the opportunity to find answers to her questions.. But not now. She grabbed her case and rushed away from the roof, jumping through the stairs to have time to escape, and she did it just in time. 

Leah hid in the bushes when men that looked like bodyguards entered the building, searching for her. She slowly moved away from the building, looking for a safer spot where police wouldn't notice her and quickly took off her black clothes, staying in jeans and white t-shirt. She fixed her hair, turning into a guitar student she was supposed to be and carefully sneaked between buildings, putting sunglasses on her eyes. Leah escaped again, but she didn’t kill James like she was supposed to. His image stuck into her mind and she didn’t understand why. But now she needed to disappear from this world in her hideout, expecting Konstantine’s screams and feeling a need for self-reflection. Did she miss her shot on purpose?

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Christmas Reruns 2024–Day 7: Home for Christmas

Merry Christmas if you celebrate it and happy holidays if you don’t!  One of the things I love about Christmas is watching reruns of all the old classic Christmas movies–Christmas is a big time for nostalgia.  A few years ago, I decided to incorporate that tradition into my fandom life and post my CS holiday reruns.  So here you go!  Enough holiday (mostly) fluff to get you to New Year’s Day. (With a new story posting on Christmas Day.)

Word Count: 2642

Other chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

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Notes: Today’s story was written during the hiatus between 5a and 5b, so obviously a number of the Underworld events referred to in the story did not come to pass. We’ll just call this a canon divergence. Newly back from the underworld, Emma finds a way to give Killian the best Christmas present he could ever hope to get.

Genre: CS 5b canon divergence

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Emma woke, as she woke every morning any more—with a smile on her lips and a song in her heart.  The sun shone brightly into her bedroom window, letting her know it would be time to get up soon, but her bed was warm and cozy and she had no intention of leaving it until she had to.  She stretched and turned over, hoping to spend a few more minutes snuggling with her husband before it was time to start the day.

Only her hand landed on empty sheets rather than a furry pirate chest.  Emma sat up abruptly, her heart stilling before beginning to race, the panic hitting with no warning.

It had been three months since she, Killian and the rest of her family had returned from the Underworld, and though time had eased the pain of their two-month-long ordeal with the darkness and Killian’s subsequent death, it was still difficult for Emma to let her true love out of her sight; it was still difficult to keep the fear at bay whenever they were apart.

Emma tossed the covers aside, stepped into her furry slippers, and wrapped herself in her warm bathrobe.  She tossed open the bedroom door, and hurried into the hall.  No sooner had she stepped out of her room then the smell of frying bacon teased her nose, and the sound of her boys talking and laughing met her ears.

She let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.  They were fine.  They were both fine; safe, happy, and here with her.

“Come on, Killian!” Henry cajoled.  “It’s Christmas morning!  Can’t we just wake her up?  She’ll sleep all day if we let her, and I can’t wait for you guys to open my present!”

Emma grinned as she stepped into the kitchen and leaned against the doorframe waiting for her two true loves to notice her.

“You know as well as I that’s a dangerous prospect lad,” Killian said, turning toward the stove and flipping the pancakes with the handy spatula attachment he’d replaced his hook with for the task at hand.  “You know full well that waking your mother is akin to bearding the lion in its den.” 

Emma cleared her throat, masking her amusement with a fierce scowl.  “Excuse me?”

Two pairs of startled eyes met hers, and then Killian reached up to scratch at that much abused spot behind his ear.  “Merry Christmas, love!  I just…I wanted to let you sleep.  I didn’t mean…you see, we understand.  But when you don’t get your sleep you are sometimes…not that you aren’t bloody brilliant at all times, but…” 

Emma chuckled, sauntered up to him, and placed a quick kiss against his lips.  “Merry Christmas, Killian, and I think you’d better stop while you’re ahead.” 

She noticed the tips of his ears reddening as she pulled back.  “Aye, love.  Perhaps you’re right.”

Henry launched himself at her, wrapping her in an exuberant hug.  “Merry Christmas, mom!”

“You too, kid.  From what I heard, it sounds like someone’s excited to open presents.”

He grinned.  “Yeah, maybe a little.  But Killian convinced me it would be better to have breakfast first.”

Emma’s stomach growled.  “Smart man.  So what can I help you guys with?”

Killian stepped to her side, kissed her cheek and handed her a mug of hot cocoa, topped, of course with whipped cream and cinnamon. “Not a thing at all, my love.  You do so much for us, for all of the townsfolk.  It’s time you allow your men to spoil you.”

“Yeah, mom!” Henry said, turning her toward the living room.  “Why don’t you go relax; maybe turn on some Christmas music.” 

Her smile widened.  “How could I say no to that?”

After turning on the stereo, Emma settled into their plush, comfortable couch, looking up at their magnificent Christmas tree as she sipped at her cocoa. 

This was Killian’s first Christmas in the land without magic, and Emma and Henry had been determined to make this a holiday to remember.  Her inquisitive husband had jumped into the holiday traditions with both feet, spending long hours searching out books and movies about the season, peppering everyone with questions, setting out to fulfill each and every time-honored ritual.

He and Henry had taken an axe and trekked into the woods on the morning after Thanksgiving, and they’d subsequently returned with the biggest, most magnificent Christmas tree Emma had ever seen.  The three of them had spent hours stringing it with lights, hanging ornaments, positioning it just so, ensuring it was an outward expression of their inner joy.

Killian had gone on to hang three stockings on the mantle–meticulously neat and tidy, of course—and sprigs of mistletoe everywhere he could think of.  Emma had to admit, she was rather glad she’d told Killian about that particular tradition. 

(Henry, not so much.  The way he complained about the two of them making out all the time you’d think the kid was traumatized for life.  Henry couldn’t fool her, though.  She saw the pleased grins he tried to hide behind his eye rolls and groans of adolescent angst.  Truth was, all of them were utterly, stupidly happy just to be together and alive and in the land of the living.  Not much would really annoy any of them for some time to come.)

The result was that their home looked like something out of one of those cheesy Christmas movies, and Emma couldn’t be happier. 

Other than the year with Henry in New York, Emma had never been much for Christmas.  Watching all those happy families smiling and laughing, enjoying each other’s company, the love and joy clearly showing on each of their faces—well, it was nothing short of agonizing for a lonely, lost girl. 

But she wasn’t a lonely lost girl anymore.  She was part of a family—a family she deeply loved, and one that she knew loved her just as much.

She couldn’t ask for anything more perfect or more magical.  Christmas was a time for love, a time for family.  Emma smiled to herself as she thought about the plans she and her parents had made for today.  She had one last plan for making this a Christmas her husband would never forget, one last surprise for the man who’d proven there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her; the man who had given her her happy ending.  When her parents had come to her with the idea, she’d cried, overwhelmed at the beauty of the plan, at the joy it would bring Killian.

Yes, Christmas was a time for family, and she was bound and determined to show her pirate that he never needed to spend a lonely holiday—or any other day—again.

~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~

Emma laughed at something Henry said, and Killian smiled to himself, picking up her hand and lacing their fingers as they walked.  It was a bitterly cold afternoon, but yesterday’s snowstorm had given way to a brilliantly sunny Christmas day, and he and Emma and the lad had decided to walk the few blocks to her parents’ abode for Christmas dinner.

It did his heart good to see his wife so happy.  The darkness and its consequences had weighed heavily on both of them, and for weeks after their return, Emma had woken nearly every night with the nightmares.  The haunted look had finally begun to leave her face; the fear to leave her eyes.  Killian knew her excitement over this Christmas holiday was a large factor, and for that alone, he would adore this holiday to the end of his days.

Killian sighed softly to himself, careful not to let his small family hear the wistful sound.  He was happy; truly he was.  Having Emma as his wife, Henry as his son…it was more than he could have ever dreamed.  Not for anything in all the realms would he give up this life he was privileged to lead.

This holiday, this Christmas, it put such emphasis on love, on family joining together.  He loved Emma and Henry with all his heart; he was profoundly humbled and grateful for the way Emma’s parents had welcomed him with open arms into their family.  (Even now, some three months later, his eyes still welled remembering the moment he realized not only Emma and her lad, but her parents, Regina and Locksley had all travelled to the Underworld for him, because they cared about him, because they couldn’t stand the thought of him being gone from their lives.)

Even so, there was a bit of bitterness mixed in with the sweet.  The truth was, Killian missed his family—his beloved brother and the father he’d been privileged to reconcile with in the Underworld.  It had been a beautiful time among the horror and ashes, and Killian would never be able to fully express his gratitude to Emma for agreeing to wed him there, in the underworld with Liam as officiant and his papa as witness.

But all things must come to an end.  When he and Emma succeeded in breaking Hades’ stranglehold over the Underworld, his father and brother had finally been ushered to their eternal reward in the land of paradise.  Killian had willingly returned to the land of the living with his new wife at his side, secure in the knowledge that the two men he loved more than anyone in any realm (save for the woman beside him) were finally happy and at peace.

Henry ran ahead up the steps and knocked on the Charmings’ door, his gift for Grandma and Gramps held proudly in his free hand.  A moment later, the lady Snow opened the door and soon enveloped each of them, in turn, in a warm, motherly hug.

“So glad you guys got here!” she said, ushering them inside.  “Dinner’s almost ready.”

Killian looked around at the assembled group, the Charmings, the young prince Neal, Regina and Robin with their children–all smiled happily, talking and laughing, welcoming him with joy.  It was enough.  It was far more than enough; far more than he’d ever thought to have.  Far more than enough to push the tiny ache of loss to the far corner of his mind. 

“Smells good in here!” Henry said, peering into the oven.  “Did you make your famous lasagna, mom?”

Regina ruffled Henry’s hair.  “That I did.  And my apple turnovers—and don’t worry, Miss Swan…er…Mrs. Jones, this batch is completely free of sleeping curse—for dessert.”

“Awesome!” Henry said.  “Can we eat?”

“In just a minute kid,” Emma said.  “We just have to wait until a couple more people get here.”

Killian looked around in surprise.  It appeared the family was all assembled.  “Who else are we missing, love?”

Emma shared a look with her parents, and Killian noticed the tears in her eyes, the secret smile on her face.

Charming stepped forward, holding out a small, non-descript canteen, which Killian automatically took.  “Hook…Killian,” he began, “before Merida took the portal back to her land, she gave us a gift as a token of her appreciation.  That canteen you’re holding.” 

“That was…thoughtful,” Killian said, staring in bemusement at the object in question.

“Yes, it was.  It really was,” Snow said, stepping forward in her turn, “but it’s not the canteen, but the ale that’s in it that’s the real gift.”

“Killian,” Emma said, smiling up at him.  “It’s not just any ale.  It’s a special ale Merida got from a witch in her land.  The person who pours it on the ground can bring back loved ones who have passed on—temporarily at least.”

Killian’s eyes widened, and he shot startled looks at all of them.  “You mean…you mean, I could bring…?”

“Yeah,” Charming said.  “We discussed it, and we all agreed.  That last cup of ale should go to you.  Emma wanted to make your first Christmas special; she thought you might like to invite your own family to our feast.”

Killian’s vision blurred as he looked down at his wife.  “You’d do this for me, love?”

She reached up and cupped his face, bringing him down for a quick kiss.  “I’d do anything for you, Killian.  I thought you’d know that by now.  I know how much you miss them, and, well, I just wanted to make you happy.”

Killian smiled shakily, returning her kiss, brushing away a tear from her cheek.  “You do make me happy, love.  Every day you make me happy.  I wouldn’t trade our life together for anything.” 

“I know,” she said with a smile, “but it doesn’t mean you don’t miss those you’ve lost.  I get that.  I really do.  So, when I found out there was a way to bring them back for the afternoon, I hopped right on that.  Besides, I think it would be amazing to have the whole family together for Christmas. 

“I love you,” he said, swooping in for another kiss.

“And I love you.”

“All of this love is great,” Regina drawled, “but you think we could get on with it?  My lasagna just came out of the oven, and if it gets cold because of your yearning looks and doe eyes, I might start throwing fireballs.”

Killian grinned.  “I wouldn’t dare risk such a thing, your majesty.”

Taking a deep breath, he pulled the stopper from the canteen and poured its contents on the floor of the Charming’s loft.  Before it hit the ground, it transformed into a fine, golden mist, and when it cleared Liam and Brennan Jones stood before him, brilliant grins draping their handsome faces.

“It looks like you’ve done quite well for yourself, little brother,” Liam said, stepping forward.

“I think you mean ‘younger’ brother,” Killian said, voice suspiciously gravelly, before launching himself into his brother’s arms.

~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~

Several hours later, Emma lay in bed with her head cushioned on her true love’s chest.  She reached up and absently fiddled with the charms on his necklace as she listened to the winter wind howl outside. 

Killian leaned down and captured her lips in a tender kiss that went on and on.  When it finally came to an end, she rested her forehead against his.

“Not that I’m complaining, but what was that about?” She asked, smiling at him.

“I love you so bloody much, Emma, sometimes I cannot contain myself.”

She chuckled, settling back in against his chest and planting a quick kiss against the space above his heart.  “I love you too.  So how was your first Christmas?  Did it live up to all the hype?”

Killian was silent for a moment, absently running his fingers through her hair.  “It was everything I could have imagined and far more, love.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  You will never know what those two hours with my brother and my father meant to me.”

“I think I can guess,” she said.  “We’re kindred spirits, remember?  The lost boy and the lost girl who finally found each other.”

“Not lost anymore, love,” he said, and she felt the deep rumble of his voice as much as she heard it.  “Though we each possess but half a heart now, mine has never felt so whole or complete.  Liam may have spoken of all the wonders he’s found in paradise, but I’d wager no wonder could compare to having you here in my arms on this Christmas night.

NEXT CHAPTER->

[nightrestrp]

With that, we conclude season 2! We’re currently working on season 3 and we understand that the recent (multiple hehe) self-paras, plot drops and the big reveal can be a lot to deal with so we encourage everyone to take all the time they need. Your mental and emotional health is important to us so if you’re in need of a hiatus, we completely understand! Just please let us know.

I can honestly say this has been our best season so far and I want to take this moment to applaud my fellow admin, Jasmine, for all the hard work she did with her character, and not only for sticking to the storyline, but also for moving it along. This season wouldn't have been as great a success without her dedication and talent. Additionally, I'd like to thank Jasmine and Idalis for all the help with the main this season. Thank you both for your continued dedication to this group and I appreciate you both so much ❤️

Fair warning, this post will be a little long because all updates to end this season will be stated here!

Moving forward, we understand that it can be a big change for a lot of characters so if anyone would like to drop characters or switch one for another or edit anything about your current ones, you’re more than welcome to do so! Just shoot the main a message since we’ll be updating the pages today and tomorrow, and will be going back to our regular schedule of acceptances (Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays). As of right now, you may apply for up to TWO ADDITIONAL MUSES, but this will be on a case by case basis, depending on your activity. The only thing we’re asking is for you to only take on the number of characters you’re sure you can handle. You're more than welcome to send in the apps now!

Like at the start of Season 2, we’ll be having a FACE CLAIM RESET, which means that all face claims of all characters who have died prior to the season finale will be reopened. This means that all the face claims of all characters who died during the Season 1 finale will also be reopened. You may check our TAKEN PAGE to see the updated list of everyone currently taken!

We've added a couple of rules to our RULES PAGE so please go over them!

We’re also asking everyone to UNFOLLOW ALL ACCOUNTS AND ONLY REFOLLOW THE ONES THE MAIN CONTINUES TO FOLLOW, because the main will no longer follow dead/retired/killer characters’ blogs moving forward, though all self-paras will still be linked in the timeline page!

Also, this is over a week late but HAPPY SIX MONTHS of Nightrest being open! I can't believe we've been open for over half a year, and this is another cause for celebration. I'm genuinely so, so, so grateful for everyone here, for the dedication to this group and the plot and all your characters and I can't wait to see what the next season will bring!

When it comes to IN CHARACTER INFORMATION, here a few things to take note of:

We are now in real time. The engagement party happened on July 22nd, and it’s been a week since then. You're free to write threads that happened any time between the end of the event until now, or continue your event threads, or start new for the new season. It's all up to you!

People still don’t know who owns the nightrestanonymous Instagram account that tagged Azra and it hasn’t been active since.

It’s now common and accepted knowledge that Adee was the killer and holds responsibility for all deaths and injuries since Enzo was locked up and Kennedy & Peter were killed. You may have your characters wonder if Jake's involvement was greater than just Adee's death, but there will be no proof of that. You may also have your characters wonder if there were more people secretly involved (there weren’t, but you know, curious minds).

Jacob is currently locked up, but won’t be facing that long a sentence. You may check the SEASON 2 TIMELINE page to see which killer was responsible for which death/injury!

I truly hope everybody’s having a great day/night and I’ll be around for the rest of the day if anyone has any questions!

[doomedandstoned]

Venezuelan Gothic Doomers STRATUZ Share New Music Video, “Left”

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

STRATUZ may be a new name to these pages, but the the doom-death quartet from Venezuela has been around since 1984, with their debut album In Nomine… arriving in the mid-'90s, placing them as one of the pioneering acts in extreme metal.

After numerous celebrated and controversial live performances and three studio full-lengths, the band decided to hang it up in 2006. But it's hard to keep a good band down, and in 2019 they came back together for a new album, 'Osculum Pacis' (2022), which translates "A kiss of peace."

Lyrically, it speaks of the abuses of the church and its deafening silence in the face of so many denunciations of abuse. It speaks of the manipulation of the masses, and injustice, but at the same time, it also speaks of the awakening of consciousness, of death as a process of transformation, and the need to change ourselves in order to rise up and banish our own miseries. It speaks of rising up aware of who we are.

Indeed, Stratuz was the first Venezuelan band to write songs against the Catholic Church, before widespread scandals rocked The Holy See throughout the 2000s. Keep in mind that it was illegal to do so in their country back in the '80s, so this caused quite a stir. For example, one major Argentine newspaper published a column to discredit Stratuz with the headline, Stratuz: Worshippers of Satan. The effect was the opposite and the band became more popular.

The single before us, "Left," according to the band, addresses "that emptiness that many people feel internally, that feeling of abandonment, of loneliness, of neglect, that lack of sense for being on this plane, taking refuge in their own sorrow.

The track begins with grim, quiet strumming and then is ignited with a glowing melody pronounced by the electric piano. Gothic vocals follow, tortured with the thought, "We are alone!" As the song develops, it asks of us, "Is today one day more or one day less in your dreams?"

Osculum Pacis is a mighty struggle between light and darkness, that fans of Paradise Lost and Type O Negative should take a fond liking to. Now streaming on Spotify and available for purchase on Bandcamp and other platforms.

Give ear...

SOME BUZZ

Venezuelan atmospheric death/doom Stratuz unleashed their latest album “Osculum Pacis” in April 2022, which marked their return since going on hiatus in 2006 and reforming in 2019. The album is an immersion into the band's own universe of sound, which will lead you to listen to each of the themes repeatedly and thus discover each sound layer and the sensations to awaken you

"So many years away from the scene led us to experiment with other musical currents and the studio, which allowed us to nourish ourselves and thus reach the level we are at now. This record we hope will awaken your senses with its eleven tracks that ebb and flow through dreary gutturals, majestic choruses, and heart-pumping riffs." says the band.

Lyrically, “Osculum Pacis” speaks of the abuses of the church and its deafening silence in the face of so many denunciations of abuse. It speaks of the manipulation of the masses, and injustice, but at the same time, it also speaks of the awakening of consciousness, of death as a process of transformation, and the need to change ourselves in order to rise up and banish our own miseries. It speaks of rising up aware of who we are.

Osculum Pacis by Stratuz

Today, Stratuz shares their latest lyric video for the track "Left", a song that reflects the emptiness that many people feel internally. "This is one for those who know that feeling of abandonment, loneliness, neglect, and that lack of sense for being on this plane, taking refuge in their own sorrow." adds the band.

The band is currently preparing to continue promoting their latest album “Osculum Pacis” in Venezuela and other countries along with working on new material to follow in the near future.

"For those of you who have already heard our current work Osculum Pacis, you will have high expectations with the new stuff we will produce, however, we are convinced that we will surprise many again and it will be very well received."

Stratuz live transmits a much more powerful energy than on recordings, and there are always comments that the band sounds much better in concert than on recordings, and this is because of the particular energy that can be appreciated in the shows. They are recommended for fans of Paradise Lost, Tiamat, and Moonspell. The album “Osculum Pacis” was released on April 26, 2022, and is available on CD/digital on Bandcamp and Spotify.

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

[bayernteen]

Hi guys... 🥺

I haven’t had a chance to really think about my thoughts on the death of Liam Payne up until now. And the fact that social media has definitely failed him prior to his death, and especially now has really angered me, so this I really need to mention. 

First of all, I would like to send my sincere condolences to Karen, Geoff, Nicola, Ruth, Cheryl and Bear, and especially to the people around him who knew very well. I cannot bear to experience the amount the pain that they are going through right now. Having come from a family of whom I have lost my grandfather seven years ago, this pain will definitely sit with them for a long time, and my heart definitely goes out to them. But it is not just the close family and friends that are experiencing this huge loss, it is my teenage childhood that is mourning as well. I have been in love with One Direction since 2015, which may be odd because we all remembered that Zayn Malik left the band, and it may be also odd that we remembered that the band would take a hiatus a year later. But never would there be a time where we have to prepare for such a tragic event in our lives, than what happened over a week ago. 

I am not going to be explaining the realities of what life will be without Liam, nor explaining on if he was a bad person based on the things he did in the past, as many fans are pointing that out on social media, but what I will say is this: Liam was not just a band member, or a singer, or a celebrity, he was a humble person. He was a father, a son, a brother, and a true friend. He has been an amazing father to his son Bear, and now he will have to face the reality of seeing his father at his funeral, which is something that us humans wouldn’t wish to deal with at a young age. What really matters to us, is that Liam is a human being like all of us, and I feel that there were regrets already made about how we react to other people’s mental health, especially on social media. After seeing tons of negative posts prior to his death, this goes on to show that there is a lack of protection for his family members when they really wanted to grieve someone in private, and I’m afraid that if a celebrity passes away and bad things about someone’s life is revealed to the public, this will have a negative effect on their lives in the future. 

Therefore, I cannot stress this enough as I did many times in Formula 1 (and unfortunately there are some F1 fans who want to spread negativity towards others to this day). If we are going to be spreading a lot of negativity and conspiracies towards Liam’s family and friends, the One Direction band, or cause any harm towards the celebrities who honour him, then you’re in the wrong place for that. Now is not the time to abuse celebrities on social media because of their mental health, or their past mistakes, or their addiction to drugs. And unfortunately today, there are people today in the previous generation who are very unaware of the privacy that plays a role in our daily lives, compared to today’s generation. In the end, the negative thoughts that I have been seeing in the past week about his death is truly unacceptable, and in the end, not only the media needs to do better, but we need to do better. Yes, we do have our messy eras of life, and it may not be the way we wanted it to be, but right now we have to be there for his family, friends and fans, rather than cause harm towards each other. Let his family mourn in peace, not just during this phase and the funeral, but in the aftermath as well. We have seen that prior to Liam’s death, the negative comments has affected his life and his state of mind. Everybody may have an opinion to this, but one thing is for sure. It is always best to be kind. 

With that being said, my heart goes out not only to his family, but every single fan who is mourning for a true band member who knows what it means to devote his life to music. It is a shame that today’s fame has failed us at a crucial time in this era. Liam’s death has served us a reminder that life is too short, and that we need to enjoy today with our loved ones, because who knows what tomorrow will bring. I am proud of anybody who chose to respect his legacy, because in the end that is all he ever wanted. I wish that there was more time for him to show our support. I really wish there was. 

But for now, that is all I will say on my thoughts to honour his memory. Hopefully by the time I post this, life will be a lot better than what social media predicts, and that I should return back to my default factory settings where everything was positive and everyone was supporting one another. 

May your soul rest in peace, Liam. Fly with the angels! 🕊️🥺😢😭🌹❤️🖤

Take care! 👋🏽

[crawledoutofmordor]

Happy Friday, friend! Let's take today to celebrate things you've accomplished. For one, you made it another week, a huge thing! Life is tough and you should be proud of how you've been handling everything so far. All the silent battles you fight on your own, times you wipe your own tears, and motivate yourself- None of that is easy! It shows your strength. The strongest people aren't always the people who show it off in front of the world, but those who fight and win battles others don't know anything about. Give yourself some of the credit you deserve! As always, make some time for self care (Whatever that may be for you!) You are cherished and adored in many ways you may not realise! I know I cherish and adore you! - ♡♡ Victoria

"It is really wonderful how much resilience there is in human nature. Let any obstructing cause, no matter what, be removed in any way, even by death, and we fly back to first principles of hope and enjoyment." – Bram Stoker, Dracula

// Sorry it took me almost a week to get to this, I went on an unintentional semi-hiatus but thank you <3

[tonystarchive]

Missing Tony Stark Hour

Maybe I'm just hyperactive but the Irondad content on my feed has been really hitting me hard today and I want to talk about how Marvel's decision to kill off Tony Stark is more than just a character death to me.

RDJ as Ironman has been my ultimate comfort character since the day I saw the original Iron Man in theaters as a child. He's the reason I fell in love with Marvel, and the news of his death in the MCU was the reason I took what I thought would be an indefinite hiatus from the films.

Fortunately, my best friend is a huge Marvel fan and Spider-Man: No Way Home convinced me to start over from the beginning and watch every film. I didn't watch Avengers Endgame until this year. Though, my decision to hold off on watching it did not make Iron Man's death any easier. In fact, I don't think I'll ever be able to accept it.

I explain it to people like this:

Think of Santa Claus. We all know he's not real. He's a fictional character, a symbol of the Christmas season and of our childhoods and the joy and love we experience in the holiday season. Santa reminds us of a time when the only thing keeping us up at night was the pure excitement of what might be under our Christmas trees in the morning. Santa is immortal. He's universal. The idea of a plump bearded man with rosy cheeks and a red sack filled with toys will never cease to bring us comfort and a feeling of warmth and nostalgia.

Now imagine if Santa died.

Of course, not literally died because he was never alive to begin with, but imagine if one year everyone on Earth agreed that Santa was no longer a "living" person.

Christmas as we know it would forever be changed. No more hanging stockings. No more presents under the tree. No more leaving cookies and milk before bed. We just all decided that the celebration of Christmas would no longer include tales of the beloved character.

The MCU without Iron Man is like Christmas without Santa Claus.

It will never be the same for me.

[bookish-whore]

✨Day Seven ✨

Hello Friends!

So we have come to the end of my 1k Celebration and I wanted to have a fic ready for you today but the time got away from me (my bad) So I thought I would give you guys some updates and would do a Q& A type thing.

Firstly thank you everyone for all the love this week I hope you enjoyed what I put out (even though it was literally just angst 😂) I had a lot of fun and it really challenged me to post so much new content! I love you all and cannot wait for what's coming next for this blog

The Announcements:

I am bringing Falling back from hiatus! I initially planned to post the chapter today but it is still in the draft phase and I didn't want to rush the process BUT I am working on it and will be updating soon ❤️

'Til Death will also be a series (probably 5-10 parts)

Exile will also be a series (I wouldn't leave you all hanging like that)

The Q & A:

I will be active on here all day replying and interacting with you guys so feel free to drop a comment with any questions or an ask if you want to remain anonymous

Love you all and thank you for 1k ❤️

[gratine-diamaki]

Dear Mafumafu and Mafumafu fans,

I have always thought that the utaite community was a safe fandom: a place where everyone could freely express themselves with no judgement, a place where people shared kind words to each other, a place where people could be themselves without fear. We unite listening to Mafumafu’s lyrics which talks of suffering and loneliness and death, but also of hope and love and life. I thought that as we read these lyrics and felt emotions through the beautiful melodies and harmonies that he constructed, we were a powerful collection of stories and minds who embraced each other with our differences and were not scared of the world’s cruel judgement.

Recently, Mafumafu was involved in a “scandal” with a Vtuber (we’ll call her Person A for her decency). As a recap, while Person A was streaming, a discord message popped up on her screen from a person who was allegedly Mafumafu. The message said something along the lines of “My stream has ended, I will be heading home now.” As soon as this happened, Mafumafu’s Twitter blew up with aggressive and angry “fans” demanding answers, accusing him of lying, upset that he “betrayed their trust”. A couple of hours later, Mafumafu posted an explanation on his Twitter, apologising for his “careless actions”, for “making many people uncomfortable”, and that he did not actually live together with Person A. The next day, he stated that he would be taking a hiatus on his activities as atonement for his actions.

I have never written something like this before, but after the events of today (where Mafumafu conducted an apology stream on his Twitcasting account), I have decided that I cannot sit on the sidelines any longer.

The comments beneath his apology post were disgusting. Under the excuse of being his “fan”, people were writing that they “didn’t know whether they could keep supporting him anymore”, or that “he had lied to everyone”, or that “they were relieved that Mafumafu and Person A were not living together”. Are these the words of fans at all?

Previous to this occurrence, I had imagined how the fandom would react if Mafumafu got a girlfriend. It was so obvious to me that we would be happy for him; there may be a little fan jealousy, but it would fade away as quickly as it came. Throughout his career, Mafumafu has spoken about his struggles in getting into a relationship. He shared his frustration of not being able to love, not even knowing what love is meant to feel like, not understanding what attraction is. He told us that he wants so badly to be in a relationship, he told us of his dream to get married and live in a different country, he told us of how he would even raise his children. We heard time and time again of how he wants to be happy with his “soulmate” (quoted) and I thought that it was obvious that, as his fans, we would support him with all our hearts if he was able to finally be in a romantic relationship.

I understand ‘fan jealousy’. I understand that people can get a bit jealous that their favourite celebrity may be in a relationship. I get that. But there is a clear line between choosing to be supportive like an actual fan, and being delusional that your celebrity “cheated on you” and choosing to harass them. At the end of the day, wouldn’t you want your celebrity to be happy, to live their lives how they want to? Especially with Mafumafu. The vast majority, if not all, of his fandom are very aware of his dark and violent past; how he was bullied, how he was stalked, how he was almost always alone throughout his childhood. We know how his traumatic past still haunts him, because we hear it in his music and read it through his lyrics. He sings “how many times have I killed my heart” and “I don’t want to wake up”, and we know this. His most famous cover is literally called “Hated by Life Itself”. And I know that his “fans” are aware of this, because these are the same people that comment on his daily tweets and say things like “good job for making it through another day!” or “you’re amazing for being alive”.

To treat a simple comment like “I’m going home now,” as an immediate indication that two are dating, largely out of the fact they are of two opposite biological sexes is heteronormative and sexist. The very notion that one does not usually hang out with women “except for me” is inherently misogynist. Just because you’re a “fan” doesn’t mean that you are their significant other at all. You’re describing someone who doesn’t see interacting women in a relationship where they’re not allowed to sleep with them - glorified objectification. If we are to accept that there are a variety of relationship statuses for those between the same gender (friends, acquaintances, close friends, etc.), there is no reason to not do the same for opposite genders unless you are failing to see the opposite gender as human; in some way, grotesquely different from you that makes them only available as a dating machine. You’re wrong. Men and women can be just friends. Men and women can be affectionate and just friends. Men and women can even be best friends and yet still, not romantically involved.

Even if Mafumafu and Person A were in a romantic relationship, that is none of our business. Why does it matter? He is not your boyfriend, he is not “cheating” on you, he is simply living his life with the same freedom that we live ours. Shouldn’t we be supportive as his fans, as people who have heard his pain time and time again, as people who want more than anyone for him to be happy?

Just a few hours ago, I listened to Mafumafu’s apology Twitcasting stream where he continuously apologised for saying how he doesn’t have any interactions with females when he actually interacts with females and plays video games, etc. He showed his private Twitter DM conversations with Person A as evidence to support his claims that their matching cutlery was nothing but a coincidence. He apologised for not being able to show his Discord DMs with Person A as they were too confidential. He concluded the stream by saying “I am sorry for causing so much trouble this time.”

Once again, the comments on the Twitcast were appalling; I placed my phone face-down on the table and buried my face in my hands at how ridiculous people were. There were people saying that he was “disgusting”, puking emojis, that “he betrayed them”, and that “he should apologise more”. I don’t even need to explain why this is so appalling.

Mafumafu did not have to apologise, he did not have to show his private messages, he did not have to take a hiatus on his activities, he did not have to justify a friendship just because they were female, he did not have to try and satisfy these toxic and delusional “fans” who thought that they were in some romantic online relationship with him. Just because Mafumafu communicates with his fans very frequently online doesn’t mean that he has told us everything about himself or that he has to tell us everything. Just like any other human being, there are things that he would like to keep private, and he has every right to do so.

This “scandal” said a lot more about the fandom than Mafumafu himself. As a first, a lot of people discovered that “Oh wow! Mafumafu actually has a private life separate from his public activities!” (please note the sarcasm). The level of disrespect, accusations, and the ingrained sexism in the comments of his apology Twitter post was so shocking that it was absurd. Ironically, after the Twitcast ended, the comments on his Twitter page were those of “support”. People were “glad that they can continue supporting Mafumafu” and “sorry for doubting him”. In response to these comments: Firstly, why should Mafumafu ‘repent’ and apologise because he has a female friend, to gain your support? Secondly, what exactly are you doubting him for; he’s not your boyfriend, he is not “cheating” on you?

We have definitely lost a significant amount of his trust and faith towards his fans. Instead of the support he deserved, he received angry lashes of immaturity, arrogance, and selfishness; people saying whatever they wanted to say, feeling entitled because of course, they can’t let Mafumafu get stolen away by another girl. These people did not think about the consequences of their words, how they built his walls back up again, that he tried so hard to tear down, with their own hands. They essentially took him, his selflessness, his passiveness in the face of his fans for granted. No, in fact, they did not consider his position at all.

As his fan, I am ashamed and embarrassed that this has happened.

As a fandom, we cannot apologise enough for the damage that has been stupidly inflicted.

I sincerely hope this does not repeat with other utaites and celebrities. Please protect them and stay kind. They are people too.

Thank you for reading.

[voltron-headcanons]

Sibling Bond Au

- Pidge isn’t the type of person to go be all emotional and affectionate with people but when they want to they always go for the hypothetical

- One day they’re telling Lance that hypothetically he’s like the brother they never knew they wanted but can’t live without and asked Lance how he hypothetically felt about that

- Lance started crying

- Through the tears, he apologizes but he just can’t help it because that hypothetical would be wonderful

- As a result, Pidge blushes and admits it’s the truth 

- To which Lance responded by saying “I can die happily” and resumed crying, afterward they asked Pidge if he could hug them (P.S. they said yes)

- Things such as “Hey remember to eat,” “Keep hydrated,” “When’s the last time you slept?,” “Do you want company?” “Want to talk?,” and “Is it okay if we cuddle?” became an everyday occurrence

-  At times it has been known to be the reason Pidge doesn’t give up hope and means so much to them but they never really say anything to Lance about it

- Suddenly on a mission, while saving slaves off a Galra ship, Lance finds Matt and he can’t help but feel incredibly happy and excited for Pidge

-He can’t wait for them to reunite 

-Pidge cries once they see Matt and after hugging Matt for a long time they then hug Lance and whispers what feels like a hundred “thank you”s

- Lance then attempts to go back to the usual but suddenly Lance is already drinking water before he even asks

- Suddenly it turns to “Lance can’t you see I’m eating omg”

- Lance not being able to find Pidge because they’re sleeping

- “Don’t worry Lance, I know you get bored when I talk technology, so Matt’s going to help me with it, but thanks”

- “Nah I’m good, can’t anyways, Matt’s been telling me about Galra tech”

- “Honestly Lance, can’t you cuddle with Hunk?”

- And Lance is so happy that Pidge has their big brother back, but he can’t help but feel like he lost another sibling

- But it’s okay, he understands so he stays quiet and accepts he was just a place holder for Matt all along, really how stupid could he have been to think he held the position he thought he did

- All he is now is just that guy that found Matt, and that’s okay

- Then Matt starts going on missions and he’s great at statistics, which is fine

- Then Shiro starts trusting Matt’s opinions and plans, even listening to him when he warns that Keith may be a hothead WHich is FIne

- Then Hunk starts asking Matt what he thinks about the food he’s experimenting and asking Lance less and less WHICh is FINe

- And then suddenly Keith starts laughing and bickering with Matt, forming a friendship, something Lance has been trying to do for a year now WHICH is FINE

- But then both Allura and Coran start spending more time with Matt and just having a good time, to the point that Coran no longer has time or stories to tell Lance because “Well Lance I already told some stories today, maybe next time?” WHICH IS FINE

- One day while fighting the Galra, Lance is more to himself and doing his best

- Suddenly he sees a shot going for Pidge and just as he goes to protect Pidge Matt intervenes, injuring himself in the process and suddenly it’s NOT FINE

- Once Matt gets out of the healing pod and spends time with Pidge, Lance asks him to talk

- He then tells Matt “ I know Pidge is your younger sibling and you love them to pieces. I get it. But you can’t go on putting your life in danger, if you die I don’t know what Pidge and the other will do. They can’t live without you. If anything happens again you let me take the shot or find a way to push Pidge out of the way”

- To which Matt responds with “ But you’re also important?????”

- Lance then tells him “ Not as important as you, if it ever comes down to you and me, you need to run and make it back. Leave me behind or let me get shot but you need to live”

- Matt is shook but agrees thinking that Lance is being extreme but hey, he���s the one paladin Matt has yet to really get to know

- Fast forward and Pidge is wondering where Lance has been lately and asks the others only to learn that they can’t remember the last time they saw the blue paladin for more than five minutes outside of saving the universe business

- Pidge is determined to confront Lance because they miss him and his wonderful overbearing sibling like tendencies

- But then there’s an attack and well, Pidge is going to get shot

- They didn’t get shot

- They don’t know if Lance will make it to the healing pod

-Pidge is in shock

-They can’t lose Lance, they just got one sibling back, they can’t lose the other

-  They don’t make it to the pod in time

[yoificfinder]

Hi! I was wondering if you would be able to find some time travel/time loop AUs where Victor and Yuuri (and other members of the YoI cast) are thrown around in time please? Thank you so much!

Hi! These are some time travel fics (mix of both canonverse and AUs) I read and enjoyed:

Previous rec of time travel fics where they meet their other self in the other timeline

a great desire to love by lily_winterwood / @omgkatsudonplease [T, 22K]

For some strange, inexplicable, fantastic reason, Yuuri Katsuki and Viktor Nikiforov are trading places. Kimi no Na wa AU.

All Our Yesterdays by @kitsunebi-uk [E, 102K]

York, England, 2120: Yuuri Katsuki is a dime-a-dozen techie, spending his days doing routine repairs at the university. He hangs out with his friend Phichit, goes for a drink, watches holograms. It’s an existence – but is it a life?

Crowood Castle, Yorkshire, 1392: As the son of a baron, Sir Victor Nikiforov makes judgements where lives hang in the balance. As a knight, he must sometimes end them. It’s what he was born to do – but what of the heavy burden on his soul? Death is all too commonplace, while life and love remain elusive.

When a brilliant scientist goes rogue, journeying to the Middle Ages with the world’s first time machine, Yuuri is stunned to be called on as the last hope of preventing her from changing history. After an abrupt departure, he lands at Crowood Castle disguised as an enemy of the Nikiforovs, Sir Justin le Savage – and will need to act the part if he is to survive. It’s a tall order for someone who can barely tell the back end of a horse from the front. But if Ailis, in her own disguise, discovers who he is, his mission will end in a blaze of laser-gun fire. He must not give his real identity away, even to the beguiling knight he’s falling in love with…

Elevators Out of Order by mtothedestiel [E, 31K] *WIP

A Kate and Leopold AU. In 1876, Victor Nikiforov is a handsome duke with an inventive imagination and a dwindling fortune. The search for a wealthy bride brings him to America, and the capital of progress, New York City. Can an encounter with a mysterious stranger offer Victor a future he never dreamed of?

Meanwhile in 2017, physicist turned paper-pusher Yuuri Katsuki is just trying to get through the day, which is tough enough without surprise phone calls from his roommate announcing he has a 19th-century aristocrat out cold on their sofa.

To top things off, it would seem every elevator in Manhattan is suddenly out of order. What a coincidence.

Here Once and Back Again by Cbear2470 [E, 77K] *WIP *Major Character Death

“What?” was all Yuuri could say as a numbness froze over his body.

Something—something wasn’t right. It was then he realized he couldn’t remember getting to the rink. He couldn’t remember even stepping on the ice to start his program.

He couldn’t remember.

He tried to remember.

*

As Yuuri is skating his free skate, he knows something is off. But, he brushes it aside, too focused on executing the program flawlessly.

It isn't until after it's all over that Yuuri comes to discover that he just skated his gold-medal winning, record-breaking program at the 2014-15 Grand Prix Final in Sochi. The very same final Yuuri had once upon a time placed last in over two years ago.

here's to the glory still to be by @foxfireflamequeen [Not Rated, 12K]

“Hi,” says Viktor, smile bright and camera-ready. His hand, when he extends it, is small and delicate. “I think you know who I am, but we haven’t met.”

His accent is very thick, very Russian in a way Yuri has never heard before. He looks from the offered hand to Viktor’s face, barely an inch higher, and tracks his hair, long and pale and spilling over his shoulders. He can’t be older than, well, Yuri.

“No,” says Yuri. “We haven’t.”

in another dimension series by @alykapediaaa [T, 8K]

Summary of first fic in the series

Entertainment >> Celebrity News

Viktor Nikiforov: Finally Found!

SOMERSET – Russian model Viktor Nikiforov, 27, who has been declared missing last May of this year was finally found earlier today. Nikiforov, known as the face of luxury brand Stammi Vicino, was vacationing at Bath, Somerset after a successful season when he suddenly disappeared, leaving all of his belongings, as well as his poodle, behind. Yakov Feltsman, Nikiforov’s manager, has yet to release a statement. Read More.

Life Unwoven by ayn2390 [M, 23K] *Indefinite Hiatus

Five-Time Consecutive Grand Prix Final Winner Katsuki Yuuri meets Five-Time Consecutive Grand Prix Final Winner Victor Nikiforov.

or,

In which things are tangled, and untangled, and tangled again. And Victor will always be there to save Yuuri.

Maelstrom by @feels-like-fire [E, 44K]

Victor Nikiforov is poised to win gold in his fifth consecutive Grand Prix Final. He has the world at his feet, is unparalleled in the sport--right up until a snowstorm blows into Sochi, and he finds himself repeating the same day over and over and over. He stumbles over Yuuri Katsuki, and everything changes.

(Or, the time loop au. Loosely based on Groundhog Day.)

On My Love by RikoJasmine [T, 73K] *WIP

For the second time, the Sochi Grand Prix Finals arrive, and with it a reborn Yuuri Katsuki. “Viktor,” Yuuri thinks over the pounding of his heart, the crowd going silent as the music begins. “I’ll show the world what you meant to me.”

Yuuri often thinks of his life as Before and After Viktor Nikiforov, the marking point being the day Viktor swept into his life and turned his world upside-down. After many years together, an accident leads to Yuuri suddenly waking up in the Before—back in Detroit, before the GPF, before he ever knew Viktor as anything other than his childhood idol.

As if it had all been just a dream.

paso doble by @cafecliche [G, 4K]

"Long before skating, or even ballet, Yuuri would hear about it at festivals, in the boiling humidity of Hasetsu summers dancing the Bon Odori in the streets. He remembered years where Mari would take him home alone, while their parents comforted lingering, distraught dancers. Sometimes, Mari had explained, they were crying because they’d seen lost loved ones. Some cried because they didn’t see who they’d hoped, but a stranger. And some cried because they hadn’t seen anyone at all.

Because it’s not just the steps. The dancers need, even for a second, to feel the exact same thing."

(Or: days before Hot Springs on Ice, Yuuri receives a visitor from another time.)

The League of the Green Carnation by @abarero [M, 62K]

There was one golden rule to being a Time Scientist: do not bring home anything that was a fixed point in history. This meant most artifacts, extinct animals and the like were permissible. Historical figures? Not so much.

But what about an author? Namely, Yuuri’s favorite author, who was murdered in 1887. Could he be saved?

Well. Yuuri was sure as hell about to find out.

Turn Back the Clock by IronScript [T, 59K] *WIP

When Yuuri and Viktor wake up over thirty years in the past, they don't know what to do. Does the other remember?

Luckily that particular question is quickly answered and they can relax slightly, but what about afterwards? Viktor was brought back to right before his first Olympics, and Yuuri isn’t even old enough to compete in Seniors’!

Then there's the fact that they're still very much in love, but a physical relationship would be illegal (and would gross them both out considering Yuuri's age), and they can't count on anyone to just trust them not to do anything age inappropriate. So maybe being long-distance (with as many in-person meetings as possible) would be better until Yuuri becomes a legal adult physically, never mind his actual age.

But it's hard to behave and act naturally when you're forced to be apart from your husband of twenty years, especially during one of the most stressful parts of anyone's life, so Yuuri and Viktor have to distract themselves somehow, right?

Right.

And if everyone around them ends up completely confused and blindsided at their sudden changes (though admittedly they seem to have changed for the better), then so be it!

[bewitching-elizabeth-olsen]

Press: Elizabeth Olsen’s 20/21 Vision

The Marvel star takes us inside her transformation to a new kind of hero

GALLERY LINKS

Studio Photoshoots > 2021 > Session 002

Magazine Scans > 2021 > Grazia

  GRAZIA: Elizabeth Olsen is a trooper. We are in a field in Surrey on the outskirts of the Marvel studios; it’s a biting minus one and she is standing in a Chanel broderie anglaise sundress and increasingly soggy UGG boots. Her feline cheekbones face skywards, but Olsen is slowly sinking into the mud, trilling out high notes to keep herself warm (possibly distracted) and of course with spirits high. “It was the wind I think, that was worse than the sideways rain,” she jokes as we trundle back to the soundstage hangar that we are using as a studio. It’s the kind of moment that could go viral on Instagram, that is, if Olsen were on social media. Yet one of the biggest stars of our current cultural moment is completely offline – and that surprising fact might just be the least interesting thing about her. If anything, it is a sign of how Olsen has come into her own as a confident, decisive star with the power to create her own universe.

On the cusp of her 32nd birthday, Olsen is fastidious and professional, yes, but also bright, engaging, creative, and collaborative. Born and raised in the California sunshine, she is surprisingly at ease in the blustery conditions that deluge the English countryside in late January – or, it’s that she’s very good at acting. “It was one of the ugliest days of this winter – just hilarious – but I knew we wanted the shot,” the 31-year-old actress says.

Since October, Olsen’s been living in the leafy British countryside with her “man-guy-partner,” musician Robbie Arnett, just a short drive to the Surrey compound where Doctor Strange is being filmed. It’s a closed set, masked in secrecy as much as the socially distanced masked crew dotted all over the 200-acre studio. “It feels right being in a small city right now,” she says.

Indeed, Olsen is a modern-day Renaissance woman. Learned and dedicated to her craft, she studied at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, with a semester at the Moscow Art Theatre School studying Stanislavski. (Surely, no matter how much of a genius the Russian theatre master was, he never could have conceived of the Marvel universe.)

Approached with the concept of WandaVision, “I thought it was perfect for television, and a very original idea that made me excited,” Olsen says. Also, she was happy she would get to work with Bettany again: “He’s very precise, like me.”

In many ways, WandaVision is a love letter to the first American television heyday. Olsen, who stayed up late watching Nick at Nite reruns as a child, says it’s a bit of a homecoming in that way. “I was a very hammy, performative child,” she explains. “So, I do think I got to live out some sort of childhood dream doing the show.”

“The highlight was really getting to tell a story about these superhero individuals told in different decades of American sitcoms, trying to match the tone of those sitcoms in order to help orate the story,” she says. “But keep it playful and fun.” Little did she know just how much we’d need that.

Half-filmed pre-pandemic in Atlanta and half post-pandemic in LA – with a six-month hiatus in-between “until all the unions figured out to work safely” – WandaVision was released almost a year into the pandemic. In many ways, it is an artifact of its time: centered upon a yearning for the simplicity of earlier days, yet shot through with the creeping realization that such days may never return, and perhaps never existed to begin with.

Indeed, the weekly story of suburban superheroes Wanda and Vision has played out like a parable of our times: Wanda living in her chosen bubble, her trauma resonating in the world we find ourselves in today. Olsen appreciates a good metaphor, but feels people may be projecting a bit much. “I see Wanda as a victim of extreme trauma, who does not understand how to process it,” she explains. “She has been a human experiment.” (Not to belabor the point, but haven’t we all?)

Being summoned by Marvel is like being called to a parallel universe for an actor: thrilling, yes, but not without a tinge of terror and a dash of the unknown. Six years in, though, it’s become like family in some ways. As a member of two dynasties – Olsen and Marvel – family is key to Olsen. She checks in on her mom (who still lives in California) and, like many American daughters, is researching which vaccine mom should get.

The performative gene runs strong through her family, of course – and no, we don’t mean her sisters. Olsen’s mom was a ballerina. Still, when she first started auditioning, Olsen took special care to carve her own path – one far from Full House. “Nepotism is a thing and I’m very aware of it,” she says. “And of course, I’ve always wanted to do it alone.” She did just that, her acting credentials consistently rising as her sister’s cemented their fashion kudos. Olsen bears a noticeable resemblance to her fashion-designer older sisters and her sartorial DNA is similarly low-key. She loves The Row (of course) and NYC label Khaite’s denim and cashmere.

For Olsen, her day job is like playing dress-up. This time around, she walked away from WandaVision with the girdle worn underneath her 50s wedding dress, laughing, “I mean, to have a custom undergarment like that, I felt like it was necessary!” Her WandaVision co-star, Kathryn Hahn, also became her shopping cohort when filming.

“She’s dangerous!” Olsen says. “She has the most exquisite, minimal but expensive taste.” It was Hahn who led Olsen to the independent boutique where she found the belted Julia Jentzsch trench that she wore to our shoot.

At the rail of samples compiled by the stylist, Olsen gravitates towards a spacious linen boilersuit and longline cashmere cardigan. Has she always been a tomboy, I ask? “I think I felt uncomfortable being a child being told they were pretty,” she says of her early auditions at age 10, adding that her love of ballet and musical theater could leave her “feeling exposed” at a young age.

Speaking of over-exposure, Olsen is distinctly offline in a time when so many are defined by their social media presence. Among celebrities and regular digital citizens, the perfect balance of online and off is up for debate, but Olsen is clear: social media saturation is a choice for all of us, and everyone needs to draw their own boundaries.

“It has to be a personal decision, right?” she begins. “So, my opinion has nothing to do with what anyone else does or doesn’t do with it.” Her own journey began when she momentarily dabbled with Instagram (since deleted), while filming Ingrid Goes West, director Matt Spicer’s frightening and funny debut feature about a social stalker, co-starring Aubrey Plaza.

Up until that time, she says, “I had never touched it before. I thought, ‘This is an interesting social experiment for myself, to see if it is a good source to talk about charities or a good source to talk about small projects, or to share something goofier about myself.’ But I think at the end of the day, what I discovered was one, I’m really bad at creating a perceived identity!”

“I didn’t find it very organic to who I am as a person,” she continues. “I found some joy in putting up silly videos, but I think the main reason I stopped – not I think, I know the main reason why I stopped – was because of the organization in my brain.”

“Lots of horrible things happen all the time. Or, lots of great things happen all the time. Whether it’s something terrifying, like a natural disaster or a school shooting or a death, there are so many things that happen, and I love processing information. I love reading articles. I love listening to podcasts. I love communicating about things that are happening in the world to people around me. And what I don’t love is that my brain organization was saying, ‘Should I post about this?’ That seemed very unhealthy ….”

“And to then contribute to these platitudes that I don’t really love, you have to subscribe to two different ways of thinking,” she says. “So, I didn’t like that, and there was a lot of it that was just bothering me for my own sake of what value systems I have.”

That’s not to say that there’s any inherent value system – pro or con – in using Instagram. Olsen is clear that like any other method of expression, it’s up to the individual to use it as they see fit. “I do see a use of it and how you can use it well for work,” she says. “But I don’t think that I would like to use that tool to promote myself.”

She’s private for a millennial yes, but not prim. On the photoshoot, lockdown experiences were shared, and Olsen recounted her (hilarious) first at-home bikini wax: banishing her husband upstairs “for an extended chat with his therapist,” her trusted waxer on speed dial, and microwave set to ping! (Yes, Olsen is a trooper, as I mentioned.)

We catch up over Zoom a week later, her hair once again pulled up in a casual topknot, her cashmere turtleneck simmering in a dark claret, and her entire being suffused with covetable understatement. She chats buoyantly against an unexpected backdrop of pirate ship wallpaper in the playroom of a house she shares with Arnett, who proposed with an emerald and diamond ring in 2019.

“We first started to try to make it the gym, but it was so cramped,” she says of the jolly space. The home gym was instead awarded a larger room, where Olsen loves to maintain a varied fitness regime – running, yoga, dancing, more – though after all the intense Marvel filming, she jokes, “maybe it’s time to give up on my body?!” Being comic book fit does sound grueling or “time-consuming fun” as she anoints the “strenuous physical demands.”

Like most of us, she is longing for the spring, but she still takes a regular constitutional walk in a nearby Richmond park, whatever the weather. “The deer are incredible; every time I see them I feel alive,” she says. “We have been lucky to have nature around us in lockdown.” It’s a marked difference from her paparazzi-populated home in the Hills. “They know our walks, where we get coffee, work-out…,” she trails off.

Her haven in Los Angeles is her backyard, complete with a mid-century swimming pool and an edible garden. “It’s crazy the blackberries grow like weeds! I love watching a kid’s first reaction to an edible garden,” she gushes That has been the part of the pandemic travel restrictions she’s found hardest: missing her friend’s children growing up, and others who have been born this past year that she’s yet to meet. They will no doubt all be treated to her homemade blackberry sorbet on her return stateside.

Yet, her time on British soil will likely be prolonged, with a prospective indie commencing filming here when Doctor Strange wraps. Prompted for more detail, her firm charm kicks in. “I can’t jinx it!” she insists. Still, she will share that she’s heavily involved in the creative, and that funding smaller productions in the current climate has been a challenge.

Through it all, Olsen has remained determined and calm. “I feel patience is my superpower. But my weakness also,” she says. “I feel like it gets tested more than others who don’t have a lot of patience. If someone learns you’re easygoing or that you’re relaxed, sometimes it gets taken advantage of.” While she waits for the green light on that film, she is busy producing a new children’s cartoon with Arnett, “about loving and caring for our world,” and has also written a children’s book about to be published by Random House, all while the demands of Marvel life continue to surround her.

Indeed, Olsen is a superhero for the modern age: Multi-hyphenate, but fiercely devoted to the craft that she loves; instantly recognizable, yet thoughtfully protective of her private life; a woman with style, substance, success, and deep rewarding relationships with those around her; focused on a vision of a better world for us all.

Press: Elizabeth Olsen’s 20/21 Vision was originally published on Elizabeth Olsen Source • Your source for everything Elizabeth Olsen

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Christmas Reruns 2023 Day 11: Home for Christmas

Merry Christmas if you celebrate it and happy holidays if you don’t!  One of the things I love about Christmas is watching reruns of all the old classic Christmas movies–Christmas is a big time for nostalgia.  A few years ago, I decided to incorporate that tradition into my fandom life and post my CS holiday reruns.  So here you go!  Enough holiday (mostly) fluff to get you to New Year’s Day. (With a new story posting on Christmas Day.)

Rating: G

Word Count: 2642

Other chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

Notes: Today’s story was written during the hiatus between 5a and 5b, so obviously a number of the Underworld events referred to in the story did not come to pass. We’ll just call this a canon divergence. Newly back from the underworld, Emma finds a way to give Killian the best Christmas present he could ever hope to get.

Genre: CS 5b canon divergence

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Emma woke, as she woke every morning any more—with a smile on her lips and a song in her heart.  The sun shone brightly into her bedroom window, letting her know it would be time to get up soon, but her bed was warm and cozy and she had no intention of leaving it until she had to.  She stretched and turned over, hoping to spend a few more minutes snuggling with her husband before it was time to start the day.

Only her hand landed on empty sheets rather than a furry pirate chest.  Emma sat up abruptly, her heart stilling before beginning to race, the panic hitting with no warning.

It had been three months since she, Killian and the rest of her family had returned from the Underworld, and though time had eased the pain of their two-month-long ordeal with the darkness and Killian’s subsequent death, it was still difficult for Emma to let her true love out of her sight; it was still difficult to keep the fear at bay whenever they were apart.

Emma tossed the covers aside, stepped into her furry slippers, and wrapped herself in her warm bathrobe.  She tossed open the bedroom door, and hurried into the hall.  No sooner had she stepped out of her room then the smell of frying bacon teased her nose, and the sound of her boys talking and laughing met her ears.

She let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.  They were fine.  They were both fine; safe, happy, and here with her.

“Come on, Killian!” Henry cajoled.  “It’s Christmas morning!  Can’t we just wake her up?  She’ll sleep all day if we let her, and I can’t wait for you guys to open my present!”

Emma grinned as she stepped into the kitchen and leaned against the doorframe waiting for her two true loves to notice her.

“You know as well as I that’s a dangerous prospect lad,” Killian said, turning toward the stove and flipping the pancakes with the handy spatula attachment he’d replaced his hook with for the task at hand.  “You know full well that waking your mother is akin to bearding the lion in its den.” 

Emma cleared her throat, masking her amusement with a fierce scowl.  “Excuse me?”

Two pairs of startled eyes met hers, and then Killian reached up to scratch at that much abused spot behind his ear.  “Merry Christmas, love!  I just…I wanted to let you sleep.  I didn’t mean…you see, we understand.  But when you don’t get your sleep you are sometimes…not that you aren’t bloody brilliant at all times, but…” 

Emma chuckled, sauntered up to him, and placed a quick kiss against his lips.  “Merry Christmas, Killian, and I think you’d better stop while you’re ahead.” 

She noticed the tips of his ears reddening as she pulled back.  “Aye, love.  Perhaps you’re right.”

Henry launched himself at her, wrapping her in an exuberant hug.  “Merry Christmas, mom!”

“You too, kid.  From what I heard, it sounds like someone’s excited to open presents.”

He grinned.  “Yeah, maybe a little.  But Killian convinced me it would be better to have breakfast first.”

Emma’s stomach growled.  “Smart man.  So what can I help you guys with?”

Killian stepped to her side, kissed her cheek and handed her a mug of hot cocoa, topped, of course with whipped cream and cinnamon. “Not a thing at all, my love.  You do so much for us, for all of the townsfolk.  It’s time you allow your men to spoil you.”

“Yeah, mom!” Henry said, turning her toward the living room.  “Why don’t you go relax; maybe turn on some Christmas music.” 

Her smile widened.  “How could I say no to that?”

After turning on the stereo, Emma settled into their plush, comfortable couch, looking up at their magnificent Christmas tree as she sipped at her cocoa. 

This was Killian’s first Christmas in the land without magic, and Emma and Henry had been determined to make this a holiday to remember.  Her inquisitive husband had jumped into the holiday traditions with both feet, spending long hours searching out books and movies about the season, peppering everyone with questions, setting out to fulfill each and every time-honored ritual.

He and Henry had taken an axe and trekked into the woods on the morning after Thanksgiving, and they’d subsequently returned with the biggest, most magnificent Christmas tree Emma had ever seen.  The three of them had spent hours stringing it with lights, hanging ornaments, positioning it just so, ensuring it was an outward expression of their inner joy.

Killian had gone on to hang three stockings on the mantle–meticulously neat and tidy, of course—and sprigs of mistletoe everywhere he could think of.  Emma had to admit, she was rather glad she’d told Killian about that particular tradition. 

(Henry, not so much.  The way he complained about the two of them making out all the time you’d think the kid was traumatized for life.  Henry couldn’t fool her, though.  She saw the pleased grins he tried to hide behind his eye rolls and groans of adolescent angst.  Truth was, all of them were utterly, stupidly happy just to be together and alive and in the land of the living.  Not much would really annoy any of them for some time to come.)

The result was that their home looked like something out of one of those cheesy Christmas movies, and Emma couldn’t be happier. 

Other than the year with Henry in New York, Emma had never been much for Christmas.  Watching all those happy families smiling and laughing, enjoying each other’s company, the love and joy clearly showing on each of their faces—well, it was nothing short of agonizing for a lonely, lost girl. 

But she wasn’t a lonely lost girl anymore.  She was part of a family—a family she deeply loved, and one that she knew loved her just as much.

She couldn’t ask for anything more perfect or more magical.  Christmas was a time for love, a time for family.  Emma smiled to herself as she thought about the plans she and her parents had made for today.  She had one last plan for making this a Christmas her husband would never forget, one last surprise for the man who’d proven there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her; the man who had given her her happy ending.  When her parents had come to her with the idea, she’d cried, overwhelmed at the beauty of the plan, at the joy it would bring Killian.

Yes, Christmas was a time for family, and she was bound and determined to show her pirate that he never needed to spend a lonely holiday—or any other day—again.

~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~

Emma laughed at something Henry said, and Killian smiled to himself, picking up her hand and lacing their fingers as they walked.  It was a bitterly cold afternoon, but yesterday’s snowstorm had given way to a brilliantly sunny Christmas day, and he and Emma and the lad had decided to walk the few blocks to her parents’ abode for Christmas dinner.

It did his heart good to see his wife so happy.  The darkness and its consequences had weighed heavily on both of them, and for weeks after their return, Emma had woken nearly every night with the nightmares.  The haunted look had finally begun to leave her face; the fear to leave her eyes.  Killian knew her excitement over this Christmas holiday was a large factor, and for that alone, he would adore this holiday to the end of his days.

Killian sighed softly to himself, careful not to let his small family hear the wistful sound.  He was happy; truly he was.  Having Emma as his wife, Henry as his son…it was more than he could have ever dreamed.  Not for anything in all the realms would he give up this life he was privileged to lead.

This holiday, this Christmas, it put such emphasis on love, on family joining together.  He loved Emma and Henry with all his heart; he was profoundly humbled and grateful for the way Emma’s parents had welcomed him with open arms into their family.  (Even now, some three months later, his eyes still welled remembering the moment he realized not only Emma and her lad, but her parents, Regina and Locksley had all travelled to the Underworld for him, because they cared about him, because they couldn’t stand the thought of him being gone from their lives.)

Even so, there was a bit of bitterness mixed in with the sweet.  The truth was, Killian missed his family—his beloved brother and the father he’d been privileged to reconcile with in the Underworld.  It had been a beautiful time among the horror and ashes, and Killian would never be able to fully express his gratitude to Emma for agreeing to wed him there, in the underworld with Liam as officiant and his papa as witness.

But all things must come to an end.  When he and Emma succeeded in breaking Hades’ stranglehold over the Underworld, his father and brother had finally been ushered to their eternal reward in the land of paradise.  Killian had willingly returned to the land of the living with his new wife at his side, secure in the knowledge that the two men he loved more than anyone in any realm (save for the woman beside him) were finally happy and at peace.

Henry ran ahead up the steps and knocked on the Charmings’ door, his gift for Grandma and Gramps held proudly in his free hand.  A moment later, the lady Snow opened the door and soon enveloped each of them, in turn, in a warm, motherly hug.

“So glad you guys got here!” she said, ushering them inside.  “Dinner’s almost ready.”

Killian looked around at the assembled group, the Charmings, the young prince Neal, Regina and Robin with their children–all smiled happily, talking and laughing, welcoming him with joy.  It was enough.  It was far more than enough; far more than he’d ever thought to have.  Far more than enough to push the tiny ache of loss to the far corner of his mind. 

“Smells good in here!” Henry said, peering into the oven.  “Did you make your famous lasagna, mom?”

Regina ruffled Henry’s hair.  “That I did.  And my apple turnovers—and don’t worry, Miss Swan…er…Mrs. Jones, this batch is completely free of sleeping curse—for dessert.”

“Awesome!” Henry said.  “Can we eat?”

“In just a minute kid,” Emma said.  “We just have to wait until a couple more people get here.”

Killian looked around in surprise.  It appeared the family was all assembled.  “Who else are we missing, love?”

Emma shared a look with her parents, and Killian noticed the tears in her eyes, the secret smile on her face.

Charming stepped forward, holding out a small, non-descript canteen, which Killian automatically took.  “Hook…Killian,” he began, “before Merida took the portal back to her land, she gave us a gift as a token of her appreciation.  That canteen you’re holding.” 

“That was…thoughtful,” Killian said, staring in bemusement at the object in question.

“Yes, it was.  It really was,” Snow said, stepping forward in her turn, “but it’s not the canteen, but the ale that’s in it that’s the real gift.”

“Killian,” Emma said, smiling up at him.  “It’s not just any ale.  It’s a special ale Merida got from a witch in her land.  The person who pours it on the ground can bring back loved ones who have passed on—temporarily at least.”

Killian’s eyes widened, and he shot startled looks at all of them.  “You mean…you mean, I could bring…?”

“Yeah,” Charming said.  “We discussed it, and we all agreed.  That last cup of ale should go to you.  Emma wanted to make your first Christmas special; she thought you might like to invite your own family to our feast.”

Killian’s vision blurred as he looked down at his wife.  “You’d do this for me, love?”

She reached up and cupped his face, bringing him down for a quick kiss.  “I’d do anything for you, Killian.  I thought you’d know that by now.  I know how much you miss them, and, well, I just wanted to make you happy.”

Killian smiled shakily, returning her kiss, brushing away a tear from her cheek.  “You do make me happy, love.  Every day you make me happy.  I wouldn’t trade our life together for anything.” 

“I know,” she said with a smile, “but it doesn’t mean you don’t miss those you’ve lost.  I get that.  I really do.  So, when I found out there was a way to bring them back for the afternoon, I hopped right on that.  Besides, I think it would be amazing to have the whole family together for Christmas. 

“I love you,” he said, swooping in for another kiss.

“And I love you.”

“All of this love is great,” Regina drawled, “but you think we could get on with it?  My lasagna just came out of the oven, and if it gets cold because of your yearning looks and doe eyes, I might start throwing fireballs.”

Killian grinned.  “I wouldn’t dare risk such a thing, your majesty.”

Taking a deep breath, he pulled the stopper from the canteen and poured its contents on the floor of the Charming’s loft.  Before it hit the ground, it transformed into a fine, golden mist, and when it cleared Liam and Brennan Jones stood before him, brilliant grins draping their handsome faces.

“It looks like you’ve done quite well for yourself, little brother,” Liam said, stepping forward.

“I think you mean ‘younger’ brother,” Killian said, voice suspiciously gravelly, before launching himself into his brother’s arms.

~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~

Several hours later, Emma lay in bed with her head cushioned on her true love’s chest.  She reached up and absently fiddled with the charms on his necklace as she listened to the winter wind howl outside. 

Killian leaned down and captured her lips in a tender kiss that went on and on.  When it finally came to an end, she rested her forehead against his.

“Not that I’m complaining, but what was that about?” She asked, smiling at him.

“I love you so bloody much, Emma, sometimes I cannot contain myself.”

She chuckled, settling back in against his chest and planting a quick kiss against the space above his heart.  “I love you too.  So how was your first Christmas?  Did it live up to all the hype?”

Killian was silent for a moment, absently running his fingers through her hair.  “It was everything I could have imagined and far more, love.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  You will never know what those two hours with my brother and my father meant to me.”

“I think I can guess,” she said.  “We’re kindred spirits, remember?  The lost boy and the lost girl who finally found each other.”

“Not lost anymore, love,” he said, and she felt the deep rumble of his voice as much as she heard it.  “Though we each possess but half a heart now, mine has never felt so whole or complete.  Liam may have spoken of all the wonders he’s found in paradise, but I’d wager no wonder could compare to having you here in my arms on this Christmas night.

NEXT CHAPTER->

[deans-baby-momma]

Mommy’s (Not So) Good Girl-20

A/N: Only 5 more chapters after this one and GREAT NEWS!!!Only 5 more day of September so I will be posting a chapter a day until Sept. 30th. Then I am going on a small hiatus (again) to try and cope with this new “illness” and all it’s lovely side effects. 

I look at Dean wide-eyed as my mom’s voice sounds through the door. He jumps off the bed and I quickly crawl back under my comforter, pulling it up to my chest. 

“Yea Mom,” Abby says, her voice shaking. “Come on in.”

Mom opens the door and I can tell when she realizes that Dean is in my room. She looks at him shocked and stops halfway in.

“What are you doing in here?” she asks him.

“I wanted to make sure she was okay. I saw a dispute between her and that Coleman boy. I wanted to find out what that was about,” Dean explains and it looks as though my Mom buys it because she smiles sweetly at him and then continues on into my room.

“That’s sweet of him, isn’t it Abs?”

“Ye-yea,” I stutter out. “He’s a good stepdad.”

“Can I have a few minutes with her?” My mom asks as she looks at Dean. He nods and heads out the door, looking back over his shoulder at me once he is behind her. 

“What’s up Mom?” I ask as soon as he is out of sight.

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry that your friend couldn’t make it tonight.”

“Huh?” I ask, confused.

“Your friend who you call ‘Daddy’.” she says, with a wiggle of her eyebrows. “You did invite him, didn’t you?” 

“Oh. Yea, I called him but he had to work,” I lie through my teeth. “It’s okay. It’s no big deal.”

“It was nice of Dean to give you a kiss at midnight though, wasn’t it?” she asks as she sits in the very same spot he had taken just ten minutes ago. “He really watches out for you and Ben. I think he’d make an excellent stepdad.” She pauses and then adds, “and a wonderful dad.”

I feel sick to my stomach! Is she insinuating what I think she is?!

“Mom, are you pregnant?”

“What?” she laughs as she answers. “No. I’m not pregnant. But the thought has crossed my mind. Dean lost so much when his brother died. He is the last living member of his immediate family. I just think it’d be nice to give him someone to carry on the Winchester name.”

‘Oh my god!’ I think to myself. ‘Mom is actually considering carrying Dean’s child! No, no no!’

“Yea, that would be nice. But-” I pause to be able to word my inquiry correctly. “Does Dean want kids? I mean sure he is awesome with me and with Ben but does he want his own?”

“I don’t know,” Mom says. “But if it were to happen, he’d have to be happy about it, right?”

“Mom, you cannot get pregnant without talking about it with him first.”

Mom sighs and then her shoulders slump. “Yea, you’re right. What was I thinking?!”

I breathe in relief that it seems that she has decided to forgo her plan of “accidentally” getting pregnant. 

I couldn't go to sleep after Mom dropped that bombshell. 

What was she thinking?! Did she actually believe Dean would be happy if she were to get pregnant? Would he? I know for a fact that they use protection, so he is trying not to knock her up right?

During Thanksgiving I had found an empty condom wrapper in her trashcan as I was gathering up the garbage in the house so I knew Dean, at least, had been thorough and had wrapped up.

I lay in bed,  staring up at the ceiling,  trying my best not to think of Dean impregnating my mother. That would just be so wrong!

Hopefully I talked some sense into her and she won't proceed with her nefarious and outrageous plan. I can only hope that if she were to get pregnant that it is after some honest discussion with the man and that he was on board with the idea as well.

Although, I don't think Dean is actually ready to settle down and have his own family.

Yes, he a excellent role model for Ben and the whole neighborhood thinks he and Mom are perfect for each other, they don't know he's also fucking me. Not so ideal now, is he?

VALENTINE'S DAY

Once again the campus is inundated with decorations. Big, red floating hearts seem to be posted everywhere, along with cutouts of that stupid baby with the bow and arrow and balloons seemingly come out of nowhere, getting right in the way.

Why college students insist on celebrating this holiday is beyond me. It's just another excuse to get drunk and try to bang someone. So many of my classmates throughout the last couple of years have had to pull back on their studies or completely drop out because a good Valentine romp ended up with a nice little surprise come Thanksgiving; a surprise in the form of a cute little baby.

I refuse to be one of those girls who get so blindly drunk she succumbs to the lame attempts by fellow college guys and 9 months later, alone and with a child to care for.

I swat away at the millionth red bag of air as my phone pings in my hand.  I look at the screen and smile when I see 'Daddy' has sent me a message.

>Happy Valentine's Day sweetheart 

>>Happy Valentine's Day Daddy. I miss you.

>God, I miss you too. My party was boring without you here.

Mom had thrown Dean a surprise birthday party at the end of January but I'd had a big exam to prep for so I couldn't make it home to attend.

>>I'm sorry. I had to study. I'll make it up to you, I promise. 

>How about today? Right now?

>>Now?

>Look up.

My head jerks up and there he is! I look around and my eyes fall on that black muscle car I remember from my childhood. The one that's been parked in the garage at home for months; Dean's excuse to spend time with Ben fixing it up and keeping it running.

Leaning against the top of the shiny ebony vehicle is the man who plagues my dreams, at night and during the day.  The way the sun shines creates a flawless glow around his head, almost like a halo. I smile as I cross the street toward him.

"What are you doing here?" I can’t help but to ask, but secretly giddy that he is here.

"Couldn't let today pass by without seeing you Abby. Thought you might allow me to take you to lunch, show me around your 'home away from home'," he says as I step toward him and he opens his arms. I gladly walk right into his embrace,  moving my books to one arm. 

I want to tiptoe and kiss him but I don't want anyone seeing anything that would raise questions, inquiries I didn't want to answer. Right now,  a hug looks innocent. Just a guy hugging a girl in greeting.

“Sure,” I say as I smile up at him. “I was just gonna drop my books off in my room and then go to the food cart down the way. C’mon.”

As we walk toward my dorm, I can’t help but feel special, feel important. Dean took the day to come an hour away to see me, on the day of love no less. Wait, does that mean what I think it means? Is there a more significant reason he is here? Is he here to declare feelings for me? 

I shake those thoughts from my head, determined not to question his visit but just enjoy it. So what if he drove almost 70 miles? He does it because he cares. Nothing more than that. I’m not going to scrutinize it; no, I’m going to enjoy the few hours I get to spend with the man. What’s that old saying, ‘don't look a gift horse in the mouth’? Yea I’m not going to do that.

When we get my dorm room, I unlock the door and walk in, holding it open so he can follow. Thank goodness Sheila isn’t here because I really don’t want to share any time I get to spend with Dean with anyone else. For a few hours today, he is mine.

Placing my books on my desk, I turn to see Dean looking around the room with his head nodding slightly. 

“So, you want to go with me to the food cart or-” I say nervously. Wait, why the hell am I nervous? Oh yea, that’s right; there is a bed not even 5 feet away and the man I have dreamed of being in that bed right there. My dream could actually come through. Getting back on track, I clear my throat. “-we could go to the cafe across campus. It’s a bit of a walk but it’s decent outside today. You know, for the middle of February in the north.”

“Yea we can do that baby,” he says with a smirk. “As soon as you tell me what’s wrong. You’re acting all shifty. Should I have called first? Do you have a date for Valentine’s Day?” He quirks and eyebrow at me.

I giggle and respond. “Uh, no.  No date. Just you’re in my room. And my bed is-” I explain as I point toward the furniture. “-is right here. I’ve dreamed of you and me in that bed, ya know.”

Dean steps closer and I can see the humor of the situation on his face. “And? What are we doing in the bed?”

I feel a flush come up my neck. Why am I embarrassed now? It’s not like we haven’t done it. “Fucking,” I answer honestly, which earns me a wide smile from the man in front of me.

“Well, how long will your roommate be gone?”

“Couple hours, I think.”

“Okay, so what do you say we go grab a bite to eat and then come back and make those dreams come true?”

Finally feeling bold again, I rip my sweater over my head and say, “Why wait?”

Dean hurriedly jerks his shirt off and I watch in awe. He unbuttons his jeans and pulls them down his legs before standing up again. This man is going to be the death of me.

“I need you Abby,” is all he says before I rush him, tackling him to the mattress.

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