#twas only just now that i got around to editing them however

[nabaath-areng]

“... Were it to be discovered that I am sheltering a wanted fugitive under my clans banner, the sole heir of the infamous enemy clan no less…” the lord says as he swirls the sake in the cup, “I should not need to explain the risks that come with being implicated as a participant in the tragic downfall of the Yokoyama clan.”

“Indeed, I know full well how much is at stake with you supporting me," Miyabi says, "and once again I know not how I could ever repay you for your boundless generosity." A shaky breath— "However…”

“If it is coin you seek, I am afraid I must disappoint,” Miyabi says, suddenly wondering if he’s actually bitten off more than he can chew after all. The mission to retrieve the sword he could do and did… But money? Surely the lord must know that any potential wealth to speak of burned down along with his past on that gruesome night. The lord, to Miyabi's surprise, only barks out a laugh.

“You are wise beyond your years, enough so that I forget how young a man you actually are at times,” the lord says, and the grin his lips curve into is downright searing, “I understand however that there are things that your current circumstances have prevented you from learning.” Indeed, simply being an heir does not lend you the skill, nor the knowledge that is required to prevail in the noble world. Particularly not when everything that was promised, title included, all get razed to the ground before you could inherit any of it. He knew all this, and yet Miyabi sought this man out. His father is in all likelihood cursing his name right now, down in whatever hell Miyabi sent him to... but until his own time is up and he joins both him and mother down there, he can only do whatever it takes to survive... Including seeking shelter under his late fathers' nemesis in life, and spending the quiet eve inside his private quarters to share more than just drinks.

"I apologize for my ignorance," Miyabi says, "...as well as for my disrespect, for I would ask for your guidance and wisdom." Once more, the lord laughs. It's a more than pleasant sound, and Miyabi distantly recalls hearing rumours about his lordship never wanting for company throughout his younger years, all thanks to the man's effortless charm as well as quick wit and intellect. Like every other whisper shared between the adults back then, it was never something Miyabi was meant to hear, this he knows. But it's certainly not hard to believe it, now that the man in question is right there before him, in the very flesh. Kami knows Miyabi would never dare to presume this to mean they are equals... his is an existence that is most inauspicious, as it turns out. However, there is no denying the fluttering in his chest when the lord moves to slowly leans forward, inching closer as if he is nothing more than prey being backed into a corner.

“My dearest Miyabi…" the lord says, "As the head of my clan for just about 20 years, believe me when I tell you that far from all business agreements are settled with simple things such as goods, or even currency. Indeed, most people can be persuaded to do whatever should you wish them to, so long as you offer them that one thing they couldn’t possibly refuse in that particular moment.” His voice has lowered, not quite a whisper, but enough to make Miyabi feel as if he is being imparted something truly profound and special. As if he is special, and that he is being trusted over anyone else there is to trust. He, the murderous son. He, the only one aware of the truth, and the sole being left to remember there was ever a world with Ako in it. And yet this man looks directly at him, with not a single trace of neither disgust nor fear. He has leaned even closer in fact, radiating warmth from both body and soul, and however could one possibly hope to repay such kindness? Eyes meet once more, Miyabi can't recall having averted his in the first place, and suddenly it's as if he's struggling to breathe.

“Think, Miyabi… I know that you’re much smarter than your late father ever were. Surely you can come up with something else with which to repay my generosity?” It is now the lord’s eyes that drift off, away from Miyabi’s face and down lower to his body. His robes have begun to open by the collar after their long night of drinks and conversation, in a futile attempt to stave off the heat which stubbornly clings to him. The display is undoubtedly too inappropriate for any decent company—

Ah. Never let it be said that Miyabi is anything but adaptable to any and all circumstances. “… Perhaps I do,” he says, tugging lightly at the robe to reveal hints of his own chest. A small test of sorts, to gauge the reception of his audience, and he decides to try and top the show off with a coy tilt of the head, along a cautious gaze through downcast lashes.

The wolfish grin he receives in response confirms that Miyabi picked the right choice. He’s not entirely inexperienced, not by any means... but it has been a while, and he's under no illusion that he will be able to compare to his lordship's previous conquests. But those eyes... Miyabi can feel them as they trace languid paths all over where skin is exposed. The rustling fabric from the robe he now lets slide down his shoulders feel louder in his ears than even his own heartbeat, He cannot hold back the gasp that leaves his lips when his waist gets grabbed by two big, strong hands. Never before have Miyabi felt as small as he does right now in this moment, nor has he ever been this maddened by want and desire as strong as this. When was the last time anyone touched him? Though what does it matter what once was, now that he's seated so comfortably in his lordship's lap? He preens, for the proof of his lordship's approval presses firmly against his rear through multiple layers of fabric Miyabi cannot wait to be rid of. It's easy to fall into the performance when you have an audience following your every move with so blatant a hunger. Any and all worry that was still lingering in Miyabi's mind all but completely evaporate, like mist that rise from the surface of a calm mountain lake during early summer morning. Surely he’ll figure out how to best perform as he go, he decides. Cautiously his hands meet both skin and scale, and while his fingers trace over those strong shoulders and the scales there, so does he simultaneously relieve the lord of his robe too, shuddering from the anticipation of what's soon to come.

Miyabi leans in as if for a kiss... but stops just shy of their lips meeting, and he never knew such a small act could boost one's confidence so. “Allow me to express my utmost gratitude," he whispers, and now there is truly no turning back. The lord laughs darkly. "Clever little thing, aren't you? Show me, then. Show this lord how grateful you are." Time speeds up after that. The only thing Miyabi hears before his face is grabbed for rough, deep kisses that steal his breath away is his lord muttering under his heaving breath.

"A damned minx is what you are, boy." Miyabi prays that this night will leave them no time for actual sleep.

[suchalonelysunflower]

Merry Crisis (a.i)

Pairing: Ashton Irwin (ft.5SOS) X Fem!reader (Dad!Ash)

Summary: Shopping is always stressful, but when you have a baby on the way... it can become a chaos, especially when you have 3 crazy best friends with you.

Warnings: Language. Fluff and some crackhead moments. Reader uses she/her pronouns. Mentions of Birth. Some grammar mistakes (English is not my first language, sorry)

Word count: 4.5 k

Author’s note: Hello! This is my first Holiday fic with 5SOS and it’s Ashton’s turn to shine (even tho each boy gets their moment) This was so fun to write, I did it on my sociology class (so maybe it’s not that perfect) and I love it very much and I hope you do too! Reblogs, feedback and comments are always welcome and encouraged! Support your writers! ❤️ Hope you like it and Happy Reading 🦋❤️

My materialist // wanna be on my tag list?

Twas the evening before Christmas, the streets were filled with Christmas lights and the chill air of Los Angeles made everything cozier as families gathered around the fireplace and enjoyed the most peaceful of times…

This statement does not apply to our favorite band, tho.

Our four Australians were not enjoying a cup of hot cocoa with their families as they were supposed to, oh no. They were doing the most dreadful thing a person could think of doing the night before dear Santa came to visit: They were Christmas shopping.

In their defense - or at least Calum’s, Michael’s and Luke’s defense, this was all Ashton’s fault for he was the one that dragged them to the crowded mall in the middle of one of the busiest days of the year. And, in Ashton’s defense, it was not his fault that the store had called him in the middle of a recording session to tell him that they finally had the only thing he wanted for Christmas: A music box.

He just had to get it before everyone else.

“Why did we come all over here for a little music box?” Asked Michael as they stood at the end of the line for the register. How could they only have one register open? It’s Christmas for fucks sake! but then again, it’s Christmas for fucks sake, so they know that people should be with their families instead of working a poorly paid job.

“It was the last one!” Ashton claimed, admiring the little circular box in his hand “It’s a limited edition and I just had to get it for Y/N and for the baby”

His eyes lit up when your name escaped his lips. Not even a year ago did he officially make you his wife, but now you were carrying his child! People might think it was rushed, but for Ashton it was the complete opposite. He had his life made when he met you, knowing that he will marry you as soon as he could… he had to wait a few more years to do that, but he was extremely happy, more so now that your little family was expanding. He loved you and your child with all his heart, and the boys all knew that so they can't even be mad about it, even if he kidnapped them to the mall with the promise of some cinnabuns later.

“She had one of these when she was little” Ashton continued as he admired the little hand painted details of the box “It always played a little lullaby to help her sleep. But it broke a few years ago and she always complained about not having one like this for her kids one day… But now she will!” The black haired man smiled.

“Shit, that’s actually pretty sweet” Michael commented “Okay, you’re forgiven”

“I don’t know if I want to hug you for being the perfect husband, or to kick you in the balls for being the perfect husband and making the rest of us feel bad” Luke chuckled.

The four boys laughed at the comment and started talking about their plans for the Holidays as they waited for the line to move. The problem was, it has been fifteen minutes and the line has only moved once.

“How long is this line anyway?” Calum said, peeking over the side, furrowing his eyebrows as he noticed at least thirty more people waiting in front of them “Shit, this is going to take a while. That man has at least twenty plushies and eleven race cars”

“I don’t know how people could leave this kind of stuff for the last minute” Ashton huffed, earning a death glare from each of his friends “This one is different, tho! It was the last one!”

“I’ll give you a hundred bucks for that!” Someone said behind Luke, making him jump at the sudden surprise.

“What the-” Luke said, placing a hand over his heart.

It was a short man in a trench coat who pointed to the music box in Ashton’s hand.

Ashton furrowed his eyebrows and said to the man “Uh, not a chance mate”

“Two hundred?”

“Nope”

“Five hundred?” The man would just not cave and Ashton was getting fed up with it, luckily Calum noticed and hurried to say something before his friend started a scene.

“Hey, mr. Devito wannabe. He said no, so just go bother someone else. Okay?”

The man scoffed and turned his face to the side, stating that he was offended. The four Australians rolled their eyes and turned their backs to him once again.

Another fifteen minutes passed and the line barely moved. The guys were not talking anymore, running out of things to say past the twenty minute mark. Each of them were bored out of their minds, well all but Ashton at least, he was still gleaming with pride as he looked at the music box and created scenarios in his head and thought about the joy that would be mirrored in your eyes once you open it tomorrow morning.

After a few more minutes of silence, Luke was the first one to break it “I think I’m just gonna get a coffee and wait in the car. These boots are killing me today” He looked at Ashton as if to ask permission, but the dark haired man just shrugged and nodded, asking him to buy one for him as well and to leave it in the car.

Michael then added “Yeah, I think I’m gonna go and check the electronics this store has. I think I saw a new camera that would be perfect for my streams”

And that only left Calum and Ashton waiting in line. But about five seconds later, Calum opened his mouth.

“Yes, you can go explore, too” Ashton said with a sigh before Calum even got a chance to ask.

“Cool” The curly man said, patting Ashton on the back before muttering a ‘I’ll be right back’ Leaving him alone with the music box.

Ashton didn’t mind. In fact, he kind of enjoyed this time alone. It gave him plenty of opportunities to imagine a new future for the both of you next to your little baby boy or girl. He catched a glimpse of families walking around the mall, buying gifts or eating a snack as they smiled at each other. He couldn’t wait for that to be his new normal.

He remembered the time when you told him you were pregnant. You gifted him a special baby bodysuit that said “My daddy is the best drummer in the world and there is nothing you can do about it” next to your positive pregnancy test. Ashton always wanted to start a family, especially if it was with you, but he never expected it to be so soon. Yet, once he held the test in his trembling hands, he knew that this was the best thing it could’ve happened to him. He remembers how tearful he got the second his brain processes the information, quickly running up to you and pressing an earth shattering kiss to your lips, promising you and your baby that he would be the best father in the world.

And, as he held the little object in his hand, he already thought he was doing a pretty good job. He smiled to himself and thought about calling you. Not only did he want to hear your voice at this moment, but also because he wanted to check up on you. You were having tea with your best friend at the moment, but the pregnancy hormones were hitting pretty hard lately and he wanted to make sure you were doing alright.

But as soon as he got his phone out of his pocket, your name started glowing on the screen.

“Baby! I was just about to call you” Ashton said with a smile, loving this little coincidence.

“Ashton, is coming!” You said in an alarming tone. Ashton, however, did not understand what you meant.

“Yeah? I’m coming home soon, why are-?”

“No!” You cut him off “The baby, Ash! The baby is coming!”

Ashton laughed “Ha, ha very funny Y/N. But the baby isn’t due until three weeks from now”

“ASHTON FLETCHER IRWIN” You yelled through the phone, making Ashton pull away from the phone for a second “MY WATER BROKE AND THE BABY IS COMING NOW. SO GET YOUR ASS TO THE HOSPITAL BEFORE I-” A sharp pain ran through you as you were experiencing the contractions. Ashton could hear your distant groan and immediately went pale.

The baby was coming and he wasn’t ready.

“Ash, hello?” Your friend’s calm voice came from the other end “I’m gonna take Y/N to the hospital right now. I need you to meet us there, okay?”

“Fuck, okay. I’m on my way” He rushed to say before he ended the call.

“Hey, dude. What’s going-?” Michael said as he approached the black haired man who looked like he might throw up.

“The baby’s coming!” He said, trying to concentrate on his breathing before he hyperventilates.

“What?!”

“Hey, Mike, is everything-?” Calum came next, worried about his friends’ weird behavior.

“THE BABY IS COMING”

Michael.

The guitarist started wandering the electronics and new technologies hall. He was secretly glad he got away from waiting in line for what it looked like another hour, but at the same time he was glad he decided to accompany Ashton in his little quest.

The moment he knew you were pregnant he set himself to be the best uncle that little kid will have. He already knew that you and Ashton were going to be great parents, with the way in which you love each other it was hard to think otherwise. Michael was always up for anything you guys wanted to do for each other, from secret dates or help you sneak out after a concert, or even to plan gifts! He always took pride to know that he was part of your epic love story, even if it was with just a little favor.

Michael stepped into the videogame aisle like he usually does, but this time he went directly to the kid’s section, knowing that eventually your baby will want to play videogames with uncle Mikey and he will have to be ready with the most family friendly games he could find.

He started grabbing a few of them and reading the little summaries they had on the back, eventually deciding that he did not understand anything about children’s games and that he might have to ask around in order to find the best ones.

He went back to the electronics aisle and something caught his attention.

“Is that a real megaphone?” He asked one of the workers there “I haven’t seen one since 2014” He said, remembering the last time the boys ever let him play with one of those in the Good Girls video.

“Yeah! It’s the new model” Said the teenage boy that was in charge of that seccion that day “Wanna try it out?”

“Before that, can I go and show it to my mates? I won’t be gone for long, they are just down the checkout line”

“Sure!” The young man smiled and gave him the megaphone.

Michael had a big smile on his face as he started walking towards Ashton to show him what he found. But his smile dropped the minute he saw Ashton’s face grew a thousand times paler.

He carefully walked up to him and asked “Hey, dude. What 's going-?”

“The baby’s coming!” Ashton said, trying to catch his breath.

“What?!”

Calum.

He hated the mall. He really did. There were always too many people, too much noise and the prices were always exaggerated. But he knew that he was here today for a good cause. Calum was not going to let his best mate down.

Ever since you came into Ashton’s life - and the boys’ life for that matter - he could tell that you were special. Not only because of the way Ashton talked about you all the damn time, but because of your energy, your passion, your kindness and obviously your undenying love for the drummer.

Calum was always the protective friend, always keeping his guard up for any new companion they boys might have. But with you it was different. The first time you two met was the day you instantly became best friends. He knew he could trust you to keep Ashton’s heart safe, and he knew that if Ashton ever broke your heart that he was going to have to kick his ass for being that stupid. Luckily, he wasn’t.

He was the first person (after Ashton, of course) to know about your pregnancy. He swore to himself that he would not let anything happen to his future godson/goddaughter. That baby was going to be the perfect mixture of his best friends, there was nothing in the world that could stop him from loving them just as much as he loves all of you. He even got them toys so they could play with Duke when they’re older! Needless to say that he was very, very excited.

As he wandered through the halls of the store he noticed a commotion next to the toys section.

A line of kids accompanied by their parents awaited in front of a huge chair decorated with fake snow and candy canes. Santa Claus was going to be there.

“Oh my god” A female voice said behind him “You are Calum Hood!”

Calum turned around and was faced with a young girl dressed as an elf looking at him like he hung the moon or something.

“That I am” He said with a smile “Hello, nice to meet you!”

“M-my name’s Lizza” The girl blushed “I’m a huge fan! Is it okay if- I mean, could I get a picture? Please?”

Calum smiled “Sure!”

Lizza squealed “Omg, okay. But, can we do it over there? The kids aren’t supposed to see me yet” She said, pointing to a corner with a curtain and some costumes, presumably Santa’s and his elves'.

Calum nodded and followed the girl, catching a glimpse of the Santa Claus outfit “Do you think I can wear that for the picture?” He asked. Honestly, he just wanted to know how it would feel like to dress up as Santa, knowing he would one day have to do it for your child.

“Of course!” The girl said, taking her phone from her purse and giving it to another elf so he could take the picture.

Once the picture was done, he started to strip off the big red coat, the white beard and the hat when suddenly he had an idea “Is it okay if I borrow this for a while? Maybe five minutes? I wanna prank some friends that are at the check out”

“Uhh”

“I’ll give it back, I promise,” He said with a smile.

Lizza sighed “Sure! We have another one for emergencies”

“Cool, thanks Lizza”

Calum walked away with the fake beard, the warm coat and the hat, feeling cheeky as he approached the line.

“What?!” He heard Michael yell. And although Michael always yells, this one seemed important as his voice sounded concerned.

“Hey, Mike, is everything-?” Calum said, approaching his friends with a very confused face. But before he could even finish the question, Ashton looked at him with fear in his eyes.

“THE BABY IS COMING”

Ashton.

This was not good. Not good at all. His wife is at the hospital about to give birth and he is still in the line of the fucking mall.

“Oh shit!” Calum said, looking frantically over the line that was still too long “OH SHIT”

“Okay calm dow- Is that a Santa costume?” Michael asked.

“Calm down?!” Calum said, panicking “My best friend is having a baby and you tell me to CALM DOWN?!”

“I’m having a baby…” Ashton said in a whisper, not really paying attention to what was going on around him “I’m having a baby”

“Not you!” Said Calum “Well... also you but I meant Y/N! She’s the one pushing it mate” But Ashton did not listen.

His whole world paused in that moment. Too many thoughts were running through his head as he tried to formulate a plan, any plan that would get him the quickest to you.

He thought he was doing a good job, he thought that he was going to be the best dad ever and now he was going to miss the birth of his first child because the line wasn’t fucking moving.

“Ash?” Michael called, but he wasn’t listening.

How could he screw this up so early in the game? Your baby wasn’t even born yet but he swore he could already feel their disappointment.

“Ash..”

And you! How could you ever forgive him?! You will surely file for divorce once the baby is born.

“Ashton!”

“What?!” He yelled, looking at Michael who was shaking him by the shoulders.

“Fucking breathe man! You almost turn purple there”

Michael started breathing at an even pace, motioning Ashton to breathe with him and so he did “It’s going to be okay, don’t worry about it”

“How can you say that?!” Ashton almost cried “I’m not even a dad yet and I’m already screwing up! Who doesn’t show up to the birth of his child?”

Michael rolled his eyes, knowing his friend was just talking out of fear than out of reason, and shook him by the shoulders again “Listen to me, you are already a great dad! You were a dad even before Y/N got pregnant and you are not going to miss the birth of my nephew or niece. I won’t allow it. But first I need you to calm the fuck down!”

Ashton looked at Michael and swallowed the lump in his throat “What if I’m not ready? What if we’re not ready?”

Michael chuckled “You asked me the same question when you were about to walk down the aisle a year ago. You were ready even before you knew you were and this is not different”

But before Ashton could say something, Calum walked up to them again.

“There are fourteen people ahead of us” Said Calum, who had just run up to the start of the line “If we asked them to move, we might get there in time”

“Or maybe you could leave the music box to me…” The man with the weird vibe intervened.

“Fuck off DeVito!” The three Australians yelled.

Suddenly, a lightbulb got turned on on Michael’s head “I got an idea!”

A panicked Calum dressed as Santa and a very panicked Ashton watched as Michael ran out of the store for a second, only to come back pushing a Target cart “Get in!” He said jumping in the cart and motioning to Ashton to follow him.

Ashton jumped inside without asking any questions, not even when Calum started pushing the car or when Michael turned on his… was that a megaphone?!

“Attention ladies and gentlemen” Michael said through the megaphone, making every single person turn their heads towards them, as if two large Australians standing inside of a shopping cart being pushed by a very tattooed Santa Claus wasn’t stiking enough “We have a man that’s going to become a father at any moment now while his wife is in the hospital! Please let us through!”

Ashton does not know if it was the weird scene they caused, his desperate face or Christmas magic that made everyone on the line take a step back as Calum pushed them through the checkout.

Once they got there, the cashier took his money, too shocked to say anything else as Ashton yelled “Keep the change!” As they rushed through the doors and towards the parking lot with Calum pushing the cart at a great speed with all of his energy as all the other customers looked at them and wondered what the hell was going on.

“Mommy?” A confused random kid asked “Why was Santa pushing those men on the cart?”

Luke.

His favorite Christmas playlist was playing in the car. He loved the holidays, but he hated Christmas shopping with his life. So he was very thankful that Ashton could understand this and let him wait in the car.

As he hummed through the song “His Favorite Christmas Story” he thought about the gift he got to your little unborn baby. As soon as he found out you were pregnant, he knew he had to spoil that kid rotten. Well, not that he knew he had to, but he wanted to. You and Ashton were the best people he has ever met, and he knew your little baby was not going to be different, so what’s wrong with giving that child the world they deserve?

A few months ago he talked to a friend of his that made customized presents made of crochet, so he asked if they could make a baby mobile to put over the crib. He also made sure to ask that the animals that were to adorn the mobile were your’s and Ashton’s favorites, and also throwing a little kangaroo in honor of their father’s homeland and a little penguin in honor of their future favorite uncle.

He smiled to himself as he thought he couldn’t wait to meet the little pal and how he couldn’t wait to start a family of his own. But his daydreaming got cut short when he heard a commotion coming from the mall’s doors.

Sirens were ringing and a lot of people stood and watched at whatever was causing the disturbance. He even had to take a double look because he thought he just saw Calum dressed as Santa Claus pushing a shopping cart with Ashton and Michael inside, the latter speaking with a megaphone in his hand. And indeed that is what he saw.

“LUKE START THE CAR” Michael yelled from his megaphone. And Luke, being the smart man that he is, did not ask questions as he did just that.

Soon enough, Calum Santa Claus was jumping inside of the car, followed by Michael and Ashton, who just sat in the front seat.

“What is-?” Luke tried to ask, but his three friends were quicker as they all said at the same time:

“The baby is coming!” “We needed to get the music box” “The line was too fucking long”

“Hurry up, dude!” Calum said, giving Luke a pat on his shoulder as he stared at them, very confused.

“Why didn’t you just leave the music box with one of them?” He said, motioning to his friends in the back “I could’ve come back for them after I dropped you off…”

The three Australians all looked at eachother like they were the most stupid people on the planet. Until Micahel turned on the megaphone again and said with a defeated voice: “Just drive”

The ride to the hospital was silent as Luke drove through the streets of LA at full speed. Michael even turned on the siren of the megaphone to make way across the traffic jam. How the hell they didn’t end up in jail? A Christmas miracle if you ask me.

Once they got there, Ashton was the first one to jump off the car, followed by his best friends as they ran through the hospital’s floors.

“Irwin!” He said, once they got to the maternity wing “Y/N Irwin! My Wife-”

Luke followed, almost knocking down Ashton as his boots slipped on the floor “His wife!” He said, almost out of breath.

“His baby!” Calum added, almost falling to the floor as he tripped over his foot.

And last but not least came a small “Help?” From Michael who was completely out of breath as he sat on one of the chairs in the waiting room.

The nurse, apparently not taken aback at the sudden outburst of three grown man and a Santa Claus in her waiting room, just smiled at Ashton and said: “Over here, Mr. Irwin. You are just in time, she just started dilating…”

But Ashton didn’t hear much as he walked behind her, anxious to see you and see your baby. Breathing heavily as he tried to calm his nerves before he got to your room. He gave one last look to his friends and smiled at them.

“You can do it man!” Michael said, giving him the thumbs up.

“You go Poppa!” Luke cheered.

“We will be here!” Calum said, feeling tears of pride gather up in his eyes as he watched Ashton turn into another hallway, ready to become the dad he always knew he could be.

“Did you actually steal a Santa costume?” Michael said as the other two sat down next to him.

“And you stole a cart and a megaphone so shut up”

A new family.

You watched with tired eyes as your husband held your baby girl in his arms.

“She is so tiny…” He said with fresh happy tears falling rolling down his cheeks. Ashton started crying as soon as he saw her little face and heard his heart shattering cry.

You almost thought that he wasn’t going to make it in time, afraid that you were going to have to get through the birth of your child all alone. But he came through the doors just in time and he did not let go of your hand for a second, even when you knew you were crushing it as you pushed.

“I love you so much” He said, just as he’s been saying for the past hours since he got here “I love you so much and I love her so much I- Thank you”

“Why are you thanking me, love?”

“For giving me the best gift of all” Ashton said as he laid next to you with your daughter curled up on his chest “You gave me the family I always dreamed of. I could never thank you enough for it”

He slowly lowered his head and pressed his lips to yours, showing you all the love that he could in only one simple kiss.

“Well, it’s not like you didn’t help on making this, you know?” You teased, making him chuckle “I should be thanking you, Ash.You and her are the best thing that has ever happened to me, I love you”

“I love you” He said, capturing your lips in another kiss as you let the music box play in the background, filling the room with the notes of your favorite lullaby.

“Should I let the boys in?” He asked as he passed your daughter back to you. You just nodded, not wanting to let your friends wait a second longer to meet your baby. “Oh, and just a heads up, Calum is dressed as Santa Claus and we might never be allowed on the mall again”

You laughed “I can’t wait to hear that story”

Ashton smiled as he got out of the room and walked towards where the boys were sitting. Once they saw him walk up to them, they immediately got up, all of them smiling proudly at the new - official, father of the band.

“Boys, come and meet our baby girl: Jane Elizabeth Irwin”

Tags: @iknowyouthinkimbulletproof @talksoprettyjjx @mystic-232

[ribbononline]

Horrible high school kids

You thought it was bonus doodles, but twas I ! another long hc post! This one is mainly about my personal HC’s for their childhoods and teenage years. Now edited to be slightly more readable! 

Also, for clarification- I’m from the Netherlands, so that’s the school system I’ll be using. I just don’t understand other systems well enough, so bear with me. We’ve got elementary school from ~4 to ~12 , high school from ~12 to ~18, and college after that. 

-Archie comes from a rather large family. His household consists of his mother, one older brother, one older sister, two younger twin sisters and one younger brother. His father used to be a sailor, but ended up in a shipwreck, never to be seen again. When he was still around, he was the one who caught a Carvanha for Archie.

 Despite his mother being a stay at home mom to take care of the children, due to being well insured and having a large network of aunts and uncles money never ended up being a problem for them. His mother did end up taking on farming on the side, mostly for themselves, but selling extra’s to the neighbourhood. Once Archie’s eldest siblings ended up getting jobs they also helped keep the family afloat.

Their house is right next to Slateport. They own their own patch of land and dock there.

-Maxie came from a pretty bad household. His mother and father didn’t meet under happy circumstanced, and his father ended up leaving the household when he was ~8. This left him alone with his mother, who fell further into a bad state. Due to not being in contact with other family members, it was just the two of them. Their house was an apartment in Mauville. They got in cheaply when the town was just partly done being rebuild. He stayed out as much as possible, preferring to explore the routes nearby whenever he could which is how he obtained his Numel. Back at home, the Houndoom his father left behind with them ended up having two Poochyena pups with the neighbours Mightyena. 

-Archie and Maxie went to the same high school in Mauville, which is where they met (around 14/15yo). Archie was the kid who passed all classes despite never even studying. Maxie was a problem child at school. Due to not having a healthy outlet, he mostly took things out on those around him, leading into him getting into fights a lot and being rather disrespectful towards the teachers.

-Neither of them really interacted until they ended up in some of the same classes. 

Due to Maxie keeping to himself and Archie already having a friend group, they still didn’t really talk to each other unless it was for class projects. Maxie didn’t care, and Archie just knew Maxie as the kid that liked to pick fights with people.

-The first real talk they had was when Archie ended up in detention due to being late with an assignment. Despite liking to act tough like any teenager would being put in detention for the first time kind of freaked him out! Maxie who also happened to be in for detention ended up striking up a conversation with him before the teacher came in.

They mainly ended up talking about Pokémon a bunch, and ended up promising each other a battle once they both weren’t stuck here. Archie assumed that meant once detention was over for the day, but Maxie decided he didn’t feel like sitting around there for an hour and left trough a window, leaving Archie to explain to the teacher what happened there.

(Due to always picking fights and never really turning anything in on time or being on time, Maxie was more or less in detention daily- or at least supposed to be. More often then not he didn’t feel like going, or left the moment the teacher stepped out of the room. He was kind of the personification of a problem kid.)

-After that, they did in fact have their battle later that week which ended in a tie, and they started talking in the hall sometimes. The year after their shared classes didn’t include any of Archie’s other friends, meaning they ended up sticking together more often as they gradually got closer. They started hanging out more after class, and kind of became an infamous duo- mainly thanks to Maxie- around the school.

Archie wasn’t quite as hyped at the idea of his mom being called about bad behaviour though, so he did his best to make sure they didn’t get in too much trouble. They butted heads over it sometimes, but overall kept getting closer.

This was also around the time Maxie got invited over to the Aogiri’s household more often. (Yes, I’m just using their japanese names as their last names, I don’t trust myself to name anything so this is just what it’s gonna be)

-From the way Maxie never invited Archie over to his house/the way he avoided talking about his home situation and family, Archie eventually figured something was up. After some awkward attempts to talk to Maxie about it (that mainly ended up in Maxie going on the offensive and yelling a lot) he one day showed up to Archie’s house crying and talked some about it. After that Archie became the only person he ever really confided in and even then not that much- preferring to talk about other things. Archie did his best to support him, but as a teen himself with his own issues it admittedly did take a toll on him as well.

-Somewhere during this time friendship turned to dating! It ended up being natural progression more then anything so it wasn’t the biggest change- they were already all over each other at that point anyhow. Now they just could be slightly more obnoxious about it PDA wise.

-Archie’s mother ended up noticing some things off about Maxie’s home situation over time as well, and after Archie explained some things to her, Maxie ended up being invited over even more. The Aogiri’s did their best to let him know he could stay here whenever, and he ended up being really close with all of them.

-Maxie started eventually doing a lot better in school with the support of the Aogiri’s. He mellowed out a lot and started getting better grades too. Despite trying harder in class, doing well in them never came as naturally to him as it did to Archie, so Archie ended up helping him majorly when it came to studying. That said, Maxie would never ever admit to that.

-At 16, Maxie officially stopped ever coming back to his own house. Most of his stuff was already with Archie’s family anyhow. He took the two Poochyena pups they had at home and his Numel and took off. His grand master plan was mainly just to live either outside or stay in Pokémon centers nearby- with all the 10yos running free in the world, it wouldn’t look that out of place. He figured he’d just keep himself monetarily supported by battling.

-As it turned out though, that was a lot easier said then done. Archie and his family however knew Maxie was on his own now, so they ended up being the ones providing for him. At that point there already was always a mattress laid out in Archie’s room for him and he had a corner of it to himself for all his stuff he couldn’t carry on him, so it worked out. They invited him in to officially live with them, but the anxiety of living in a house with others again was hard for him to deal with. So to keep his peace of mind he ‚officially’ stayed homeless. That said, he stayed there more then half of the time, and Archie’s mother always joked about how Archie was the first of her kids to bring her a child-in-law.

-Maxie ended up helping Archie’s mother on her mini farm a lot. He really enjoyed the work, and she appreciated the extra helping hand.

-Archie meanwhile ended up feeding stray Pokémon around their house a lot. This meant more and more would show up there each day, especially once his younger siblings started joining him. His mother wasn’t the happiest about it, but as long as they caused no harm saw no reason to stop them. It’s where he met his Zubat!

-Maxie met his Zubat when off on his own once in one of the school vacations where he ended up exploring a cave. 

-Despite Archie trying very hard not to let it be noticed, and not even being entirely sure himself why, somewhere in high school he ended up first getting kind of depressed and feeling down. Due to having the support of his family and Maxie, it never ended up getting too bad, but he refused to truly confide to people about it, so it never truly left either. He did his best to ignore it and hoped it’d eventually go away on his own. (it didn’t)

-Once the kids turned 18, the Aogiri’s ended up helping fund his college education. Unbeknownst to anyone else, he also ended up sneaking back into his own parents house and stealing a large sum of cash from them to help with that. 

-Despite having a rocky childhood, the support shown to him by so many different people throughout the years made Maxie grow very fond of community and humanity. He didn’t really have any big grandiose ideals at these ages, but it helped lay the groundwork. 

Archie always kind of felt the opposite, being upset that the system led down his friend and worrying about what would have happened had his family not been there. 

-While Archie and Maxie ended up getting different degrees- Maxie in Geology, and Archie in Marine Biology, they got an apartment together where they lived together pretty happily! It was mostly a calm time for the both of them. They both had some odd jobs on the side to support themselves, still looking for the actual dream job they wanted to end up in after graduating.

And from here on out it’s to be continued for whenever I finish the next HC post about their Rocket years! ＼（°▽°）／

[funkypoacher]

idk if you actually want suggestions but you could start with 30 from that drabble list with characters of your choice. that's what i'll start with when i get around to it, lol

THANK YOUUUUUUUUU FOR THE PROMPT

I tried for flash-fiction, which, for me, is only an hour to write and edit. I ended up spending about an hour and ten on it. I… did not like that. Twas stressful. But here: have some stupid, predictable, half-finished fluff stuff.

Shenko - “Is That Blood” - rated S for Smooches

Still not used to the plush suppleness of the beds at Anderson’s borrowed apartment, Shepard’s body allowed her to languish in repose for about two hours before it was k-norking her back to consciousness, every inch of her lavished by softness while her mind reeled at awaking in unfamiliar territory. 

She’d been out for one-twenty minutes almost to the second. When her lids peeled back, she was pulled to wakefulness by a clink-clanking of steel squealing on metal, the clamor distant and harsh. 

Hurrying towards sounds she couldn’t place, she spotted Alenko in the kitchen. When he turned to her, Shepard stopped dead.

“Is that blood?”

There was a dab at the corner of his mouth. Thick, brown, and sickly, it was, to a soldier’s specialized eye, most certainly something that seemed to be coagulating.

Kaidan frowned. Looking her over from very-likely bedhead to totally-borrowed bunny slippers, her XO canted his head just as viciously as his hip.

“Commander,” Kaidan admonished wryly. “I’m wearing my ‘Grillfather’ apron. I’ve got every inch of this place covered in baking flour, something’s clearly in the oven, and there isn’t one sign of struggle. But you think there’s blood. Somewhere.” Brow falling, he looked down at his torso, hands running over his chest. “Wait—where?”

“No, on—It’s on your…”

Shepard touched at her own mouth. Upon mirroring the gesture, Kaidan’s finger came up smeared and sullied, causing him to chuckle.

“Oh, yeah. Gonna be a goner any minute.” He motioned for her. “C’mere.”

Arms tight across her chest, Shepard dragged herself closer, embarrassed only by the insufferable toploftiness pulling Kaidan’s face into a lopsided smirk. Although he deserved every victory earned, this heavily-haranguing simper was a bit much of a brag.

“You know what, Major? The racket down here was enough to wake the dead. And after the last few days—after that clone, and, hell, the party—I am not going to apologize for assuming the worst.”

“Got it all wrong, Shep,” Kaidan assured, voice pitching smugly. “Don’t want you eating crow. I just want you to taste this.”

Shoulders hunched, Shepard leaned towards his presented finger. Lapping it once, she then grabbed Kaidan’s wrist and stuck the digit in proper, swirling her tongue to investigate every possible flavor.

Sweet; saltiness; the suggestion of richness making her wish there was more. Most tasty, unsurprisingly, was how Kaidan began to twitch as she sucked his finger. His lips went slack; his breath stilled. A little wheeze stuck in his throat, but subtlety had Shepard stopping before things became too salacious.

“So?” Kaidan asked, voice barely audible as she dislodged. “What’s the verdict?”

Shepard shrugged. His heavy lids, at half-mast over velvety brown eyes—not to mention her own teasing—had her body going a-tingle. “Regular blood? No, it’s probably not. Now—the blood of my enemies? That is pretty close to what it tastes like.”

Kaidan chuckled. “Can’t be wrong for one damn minute, can you?”

Swallowing, Shepard couldn’t look away from his lips. “It was a fairly small sample size. Might be I should try again.”

Closing the distance between them, Kaidan held her waist as she clung to his shirt. His lips brushed up and down, pulling, tugging, and parting enough to exchange a sigh. He nudged Shepard back against the cupboard, mouthing along her cheek to her neck, his soft, submitting lips beginning to drag across tingling skin until Shepard gasped, head thrown back; body tensing.

“Major,” she moaned. Her head lolled to the side as he teased a delicate spot below her earlobe. “Alenko, I… Kaidan.”

“Mmm.” Pulling back, Kaidan’s eyes were soft and his lips plumped. He blinked hard once, and then blinked hard twice. “Yes? Uh, Shepard? Hes?”

“Thought you wanted to slow things down this time,” she said, willing her shivering body to cool it, despite how she still clung to his clothing.

“I—I do, yeah.” Rubbing the back of his neck, Kaidan stepped away, head shaking. One step wasn’t enough, it seemed, and he moved around the kitchen island before speaking again. He cleared his throat. “A-hm. You’re still alright with that? Going slow?”

“Would I have said something if I wasn’t?”

Breathing as heavily as they looked at each other, the both of them broke into quiet giggles and glowing, eyes averted until Shepard finally forced them to smarten-up and speak like sensible, not so lust-addled, adults.

“So. Not blood then?”

“No!” Grinning, Kaidan sighed. “Alright. That’s got half an hour in the oven. How about I get cleaned up, and we hit the Strip? Cool down a little, I guess.”

“Good idea,” Shepard said, nodding as she watched him make for the shower. Before he closed the door, however, she called out, “it was chocolate, right?”

“Jesus Christ, Hes! Yes!”

[roseyturtles]

hurt. part three

I like to think that, while theatrical to the point where it’s hard to pinpoint the intricacies of his personality, Mettaton does have something about him that’s almost akin to heroic. Otherwise he would not have risked his life without so much as one audience member.

Series title: hurt.

Edition title: Part three.

Word Count: 457

Previous: https://ntgforever.tumblr.com/post/168977930744/hurt-part-two

Next: Coming soon!

Were it possible, tears would’ve gathered in his eyes. How could anyone be this cruel? To just go around and…the robot shook his head, steadying his mind for the oncoming battle. There was no time for emotion. Not anymore…

But, oh! How his fears hung like a heavy fog on the stage. There were a few people he was sure had fallen: Papyrus, faithful fan and lightbringer to dark Snowdin. Undyne, determined heroine of the Royal Guards. Alphys, who had decided ‘twas better to fall by her own hand. These he had seen fall before his own eyes, and grieved constantly. The ones whose fate he did not yet know, however, were the thoughts that tortured him constantly. The insane cousin who had taken refuge in a mere training dummy, and…

Blooky.

Mettaton sighed and trembled. What had happened to his sweet baby cousin? Being a ghost, he was invulnerable to physical attack. That should be enough to ensure his safety. That should be enough to reassure him that his relative and best friend was safe at home, mixing tapes, and waiting for his return. That thought alone should prepare him for the oncoming battle.

So why didn’t it?

What made him afraid?

…

Then he realized.

Alphys and Naptsablook were far too similar for his own reassurance.  Not only were they both obsessed with something that primarily came from the surface, but they were both codependent on someone. Someone more important to them than anything. Someone who they spent almost every waking hour with.

Someone who had left them.

With another tremble, Mettaton bowed his square head. He didn’t want to confront the thought until now, but he knew it was a possibility. Had his sweet cousin suffered the same fate as his colleague…?

Then his thoughts switched to, not the how, but the why regarding her demise. Alphys had seen Undyne die by the human’s hand. She had problems before, but that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Blooky got to see him speak and dance on-screen every single day. He knew that he was okay, that he was happy, that he was strong.

And he would also know if he fell.

…

No.

Mettaton was not about to let that happen. Failure was not an option.

He had become the perfect human-exterminating machine, equipped with everything possible to completely obliterate the creature that was about to crawl through that door and show its lowly, dust-covered face. The minute they stepped onstage, he was ready to blast them into nothing. Or cut them to pieces. Or blow out their brains. Whichever one he thought was best.

He was determined to save the last of monsterkind.

With that last thought, stage left slowly opened.

[bluegreenamber]

Twisted alt. ending 1

(AN: Well. Here's one of the endings I might have done. I decided to have mercy and wrote the fluffy ending first. It's supposed to be the "happy" ending, but it didn't actually turn out all that happy. Probably because I literally cannot seem to write pure fluff. Oh well. Twas bittersweet. If kinda predictable and stereotypical. Thanks to the ones out there bold (and insistent) enough to ask me to write this out. I think one of them is still wrapped around my leg? *looks down then shrugs* The words in brackets are from where I've copied and pasted (and sometimes, slightly edited) the text from the original ending. I'll still forever enjoy the ending I chose, but this one was pretty fun to write as well. Not as much evil cackling from me though. Hope you guys enjoy!) [Edd had been shooting at the creature as well, but seeing as it did nothing, he turned and tried to flee. It was fruitless however; he could never hope to outrun the monster he had created. Paul lunged.] Edd was nearly crushed under the weight of Paul’s ginormous paws landing on him. His breath left him with a sudden “oof.” Paul snarled in his face, looking ready to tear him limb from limb. Edd shut his eyes, anticipating the end, when a voice cut through the chaos. “Stop!” Paul’s growling halted. Edd opened his eyes hesitantly, not daring to hope. His saving grace, none other than Patryk, approached. He knelt by the helpless brunette, expression unreadable. “Do you remember how this all started, Edd? You blackmailing us into coming here by threatening one of our lives? Well I think it's about time we returned the favor.” His gaze sharpened, a strange look for the previously complacent man. “You and your soldiers surrender and you turn Tord and Jon back to normal, and Paul here won't tear out your other eye. Deal?” As if to accentuate the point, Paul bared his teeth. Edd gulped. It was pretty obvious he was in no position to negotiate. However, his sense of self-preservation and his pride were clashing. He didn't want to give in, didn't want to be seen as weak. But he also didn't want to die. He grimaced before reluctantly giving up. “Fine. Weapons down, soldiers,” he called to his army. “We’re officially surrendering.” He turned his gaze to his two victims. “Vacat vobis, liberum." Tord and Jon blinked, their faces immediately showing their confusion. Around them, Edd’s soldiers dropped their guns and stood silently, waiting for further instructions. Tom and Matt finally started approaching. Pat met them halfway after ordering Paul to “Stay on him but don't attack.” He could see a newfound respect in the other two’s eyes and allowed himself a grin as they embraced good-naturedly. “Didn't know he had it in ‘im,” Tom commented, giving Pat one last light-hearted slap on the shoulder. They were all grinning now, relieved that the battle was finally over and they had come out successfully and without casualty. Tord and Jon had finally caught each other’s gazes. There had only been a moment of hesitation before they were practically sprinting towards each other and embracing as well. “Jon?” Tord’s voice broke, but he didn't seem to care. “Are you back? Are you really back?” “Yeah…” Jon sniffled, and Tord held him tighter as he realized he was crying. “I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry, Tord.” Tord stroked his hair comfortingly, tears trickling down his own cheeks. “It's okay. It wasn't your fault, Jon. You know that, right?” Jon didn't answer for several worrisome moments. Finally, there was an unconvincing “Yeah…” Tord pulled back and looked Jon directly in the eyes, which was difficult with vision blurred by tears. “Jon. It's not your fault. None of this was your fault. You couldn't have done anything more to stop it. No one could blame you for something this out of your control. It was Edd’s fault. He did this to you, and he made you do whatever horrible things you're blaming yourself for. It was him, not you. Okay?” Jon sniffled again and nodded, burying his head on Tord’s chest. Tord pulled him back into his arms, and they were silent. Pat glanced around the room, seeing the rebels still standing strong, the surrendered soldiers, the pair holding each other lovingly, and trying to ignore the bodies littering the floor. His attention turned to the creature pinning the army leader to the floor, and he smiled fondly. “Guess I better handle that,” he said to no one in particular. He strode over to Paul and Edd. Paul’s eye shifted over to focus in on him, and he almost thought he heard a low rumbling noise that resembled a cat’s purr coming from the monster. His smile brightened, and he ran a hand through Paul’s fur, which elicited what was definitely a purr. Pat rubbed a bit harder, still smiling, then turned his attention to Paul’s captive. “Alright, Paul, you can let him up now. Anybody got something I can bind him with?” he asked the soldiers around him. A rope was passed to him. Paul reluctantly stepped back off of Edd and watched as Pat tied the leader’s hands behind his back. Pat helped the guy stand and started leading him away towards the cells. Edd was silent, face expressionless as he gave no resistance or complaint. Tom and Matt still clung to each other as they surveyed the room. Neither of them wanted to move, to let go of each other, to shatter the silence and peace that had settled over the room. But they had to begin fixing what had been broken today. [The two shared a glance, somehow seeming to read each other’s thoughts. They knew what they were going to do, what they had to do. Tom, being the obvious choice what with the respect he had with the soldiers and his way with people and knowing how to handle them, would assume control for now. They would try to help the wounded as much as they could. They would enlist Edd’s remaining allies to help and join them. They would hold funerals services for all of the fallen. Then, they would disband the army, no questions asked. And they would try their hardest to make sure that nothing like this ever happened again.] As for what would happen to Edd… Well, they would have to convene with the others to decide the fate of the Green Leader. “Guys!” Pat’s shout was laced with utter astonishment and… fear. Tom, Matt, Tord, and Jon broke from their respective pairs and rushed over. Pat was staring, horrified, in the window of one of the rooms near Paul’s old cell. Inside was what looked like the mangled body of Paul. “Do you want explain this, Edd, or should I?” Paul’s voice coming from behind them definitely had some bite to it. He approached them, back in his human form and looking completely unaffected by his time as a monster. He was glaring at Edd. Edd hadn't looked up from the floor. He didn't say a word, didn't acknowledge that he had even heard Paul. Paul’s eyes narrowed. “Fine. I'll do it then.” He gestured to the body in the cell. “That was my clone. Edd cloned me because of my ability to transform into… well, you've all seen. That one couldn't transform and was deemed a failure. I believe Ivan disposed of it?” He looked at Edd again and took his continued silence as confirmation. Jon looked like someone had just kicked his puppy. “That's so horrible. He was still a person, a living human being with thoughts and feelings of his own. And he was just… tossed away like trash?” Pat had been holding a hand to his mouth but now clenched it at his side. “How dare you?!” He glared at the perpetrator, but Edd appeared to still be oblivious to the world around him. There were many similar glares directed at the one-eyed man that had the same effect. The anger gradually melted into a somber mood as the six of them glanced back and forth between the body in the cell and each other. Pat wordlessly took Edd to a holding area and returned just as quietly. The dark cloud of a mood that hung over them only grew as they gravitated into their pairs. Jon curled into Tord’s chest, an arm wrapped around him protectively. Tom and Matt clasped hands, almost leaning on each other for support. Pat absentmindedly ran his hand through Paul’s hair as if he was petting the giant furry monster version of him, and anyone watching could've sworn Paul was making the same purring noise. The mood became bittersweet as they realized just how grateful they were for having all of them here together and safe again. But things weren’t perfect by far. They had an army to gather, settle, and disband. They had wounded to tend to. They had many funerals to arrange. And as they glanced back at the cell and what lie within, they realized that they had one more funeral to attend to than they had thought. But at least they could do it all together.

[rusticrevivals]

  ‘Old Braided Rug’ – Poem by Linda Winchell

I found an old hand-made braided rug At a thrift store the other day. It was quite a dirty sight to see With some of its edges frayed. I bought it up and rushed it home To give it a much-needed bath. And when it was cleaned, there t'was seen Braided memories of someone's past. One braided rope weaved into another: A child's pajamas, or perhaps a robe? Then an old flour bag, 'Velvet Flour', Was the logo in this rug twas sewed. Then what looked to be a small center piece Remnants of someone's wedding gown? I think they placed it there on purpose Sort of like this rug's jeweled crown. Memories of someone's life Braided into this useful little rug. To place in front of a sink or bed Giving where ever placed, a hug. Does anyone still make them? These puzzles of someone else's past... This braided rug's now mine to treasure To be enjoyed as long as it will last.

Well, yes, Linda – someone DOES still make them.  I’ve made a few smallish ones myself, years ago, and the easy way – from strips of old woolen rugs, and just one-sided.  But my mother, not only a spinner and weaver of rugs, etc. has now turned her hand(s) to braiding rugs.

Joy is a terrific braider.  When she was young, her own hair was in ‘pigtails’, which we still have in a box from when she finally got them cut off, pre-teens.  And until I was old enough to become “Chip”  ( early teens – see post from two weeks ago: “Hill-billy Hootenanny”) with my hair boyishly cut by the one and only Shirley Robinson (no one else dared do it EXACTLY as I asked – which was essentially like all the boys my age in the early 1970s) I, too, had a pair of two long braids, expertly twisted up each morning by my mother. She would French braid the part near my scalp, then quickly do regular braiding until near the ends.  These went along with my grandfather’s nick-name for me, “Annie Oakley”, esp. when I mounted my steed ‘Sugar’.  (Gail Davis, as Annie, DID wear pigtails, although the real Annie Oakley seemed to prefer to wear her long, thick tresses DOWN.)

Once I gave up both rocking horses and hobby horses, (age about 14 – yes, seriously) and gave up riding Western (had my first pony from age 10-13, but Western horses are rarely braided) I then had to become an expert braider, as show and “3-day event” horses (the dressage portion at least and sometimes the stadium jumping portion) are always braided neatly, and often the braids are SEWN or rug-hooked in with yarn, and sometimes, if they are dark manes, wrapped with white medical tape to make them ‘pop’ out and show the line of the horse’s neck better. Here I am with some of my darker-maned geldings, with the white tape wrapped around the braided knot.  For the forelock, like my mother Joy had to do on my own ‘plaits’, you must first FRENCH braid before braiding regularly to keep it tightly pulled:

My sister Jennifer’s husband, Boyd, is from the west side of Newfoundland, and he inherited an old family farm there, (in whose orchard he proposed over a decade ago).  They, like us, are turning the farm into a renovated cozy home – for them, their summer home only- and Jennifer asked Mom to please BRAID her a rug with her bright ‘newfie’ colours.  Jen and I are lucky enough to both have a number of Mom’s beautifully-designed and custom-requested-coloured loom-woven rugs scattered about our homes, but Jennifer wanted a good braided one.    I had one of my great-grandmother’s making for years, until after all my travels with it, it essentially dilapidated beyond repair.  But Jennifer had never had a hand-made one.  If you have been faithfully reading this blog since before Christmas, you’ll have seen Mom/Joy at work on this particular rug, which she finished a few weeks ago:

She and Jennifer chose most of those fabrics from 2nd hand stores in St. John’s when Mom was last out there in the fall, so none of them are sentimental or familial, as described in the poem above.  But they DO match the colour scheme Jennifer requested, and they are of various textures and material, so it was quite a challenge for Mom.  Jennifer ALSO requested that it be neither circular NOR oval – ??? so THAT was another challenge with which Mom had to try and contend, cutting out the middle part several times in order to shape it to those specifications.  Here is the lovely, cozy result, and I’m sure Jennifer and Boyd will enjoy it, as well as son Sydney, for many decades to come, as it is equally the same on one side as the other (the real trick in making a braided rug from rags!).  I ‘made’ Joy get in her jammies and ‘sleep’ on the rug, as a special photo for Sydney to show him that we want to think of him enjoying it the same way in his cozy farmhouse.  We did NOT specifically plan for the model to ‘match’ the colours of the rug, but she does indeed!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I guess she felt badly for us, or just enjoyed making this one so much, that she has then offered to do one for Richard’s and my own ‘meeting room’, as we call our livingroom-cum-diningroom-cum- musicroom-cum-communitymeeting room! (It’s held 18 people around the fireplace at one meeting!)  This one has fabrics she and I picked out to go with the earthenware dishes (my ‘good’ set) I so love -the Nut-tree Franciscan.

She’s already got a good start on this, although I hope it doesn’t keep her indoors too much as the warmer weather begins to settle upon us!  Here are the beginnings, and I did ask for an oval shape, so hopefully it won’t be such a challenge for her:

Here are just a fraction of the various fabrics we’ve chosen, from which she may then apply her artistic skills in co-ordinating each long braid:

All but one of these were purchased by the bagful, or at least armful, at 2nd hand stores and charity shops.  The one piece that WASN’T, Mom picked out herself and I thought it had too much white in it, so she promptly went and tea-dyed it and now it’s much less ‘flashy’.  Good old primitive technique I use all the time for my prim-dollies and stuffed animals, (and even my mother’s bridal veil when I also wore it in 1988)  but I didn’t expect Mom to just run to the sink and do this on the only brand-NEW piece of material! Yay, Joy!

When I braided my small rugs with the wool blankets, I used the good old homesteader’s bible that’s been in our home since the  1970s when it was first published – the Reader’s Digest’s BACK TO BASICS “A Practical Guide to Old-fashioned Self-Sufficiency”.

However, Mom was guided more by several online sites, and then just trial and error experimentation.  Here are a few links if you’re interested in doing this fairly simple technique for having a rug that could incorporate either your chosen room/accent colours OR some sentimental pieces of clothing from loved ones – OR both…

http://pioneerthinking.com/learning-how-to-make-braided-rugs

http://www.littlehouseliving.com/how-to-make-rag-rugs.htmlhttp://inhabitat.com/diy-learn-how-to-make-a-beautiful-braided-rug-from-old-fabric/

Life is always spiraling around us.  Why not boldly say so with something you see each day, and have it add comfort and cheer to your room as well?

And P.S. – watch for an upcoming link to all of Joy’s fibre artwork, with photos of her in situ,  in the spring/summer edition of Created Here, a New Brunswick online magazine!

'Old Braided Rug' - Poem by Linda Winchell I found an old hand-made braided rug At a thrift store the other day.