#wanted to do something wintery and I missed them

[paris-in-space]

When your husband forces you to come outside even though it’s freezing.

[potatoplace]

this is me trying

ACOTAR x Archeron!Reader

The Afterthought: Chapter 3 | series masterlist

part 2 | part 4 | ACOTAR x reader masterlist

Story Summary: The day after your birthday is spent shopping for Solstice presents and a surprisingly pleasant conversation with one of your sisters. Winter Solstice proves to be a pleasant affair for you this year.

Warnings: self worth issues, discovering bisexuality, honestly there's not much here, it's a fairly fluffy chapter, lemme know if I missed something

Words: ~8.2k

Author's Note: here it is! It's only like... half of what I wanted to cover in this chapter, but I'm happy with what I've written. I hope you all like it! It's a bit nicer of a chapter, mainly fluff-ish with very little angst imo. (It's a lot nicer than I'd planned to be... lol) enjoooyyyy 🫶

18+ only pls

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You woke when the sky was still dark, the house beneath you quiet. Your body was still aching, the sharp pains having woken you from your dream of the cabin and your father.

Forcing yourself from the tub, you pulled your bedding back to its rightful place and drew a bath. The steaming hot water was the perfect remedy along with your fingers rubbing gentle circles over your lower abdomen.

The sky was just beginning to lighten when you dragged yourself from the bath and dressed, resolving to do you skincare when you returned from your mission.

Shopping for Feyre's birthday and Solstice was your one true goal for the day, and then you could hibernate for the two days before Solstice.

Your eyes roved over the stack of presents on your desk, catching on something you hadn't expected.

A plate with a piece of white chocolate raspberrry cake, a single candle sticking out of the slice. Along with it was a matchbook and a note. You tried to read it, but only got as far as deciphering who it was from- Feyre, from the signature at the bottom. Most likely an apology of some sort, but you could wait to have someone read it for you.

You turned your eyes to the cookbooks your sisters had gifted you. A sigh escaped your lips, and you walked over to look at them once more. The dessert book Elain had gifted you would be helpful for your gifting ideas- you wanted to give each couple, Mor and Azriel a box full of their favorite cookies and sweets.

Personal gifts would only be for Feyre, Mor and Azriel, seeing as it was Feyre's birthday, and Mor and Azriel had picked out more personal gifts for your own birthday. And of course Nuala and Cerridwen, you had always appreciated their willingness to share some of the cooking duties with you.

Mind settling back on the cookbook that Elain had given you, you flipped through it, attempting to identify everyone's favorites by the drawings accompanying the recipes.

Your head was starting to hurt.

A shake of your head and you closed the book, opting instead to tug on your coat and a hat, grabbing the cookbook before leaving your room, shutting the door behind you quietly.

Before you set out into the wintery city, you stopped by Nuala and Cerridwen's room, a soft knock on their door enough to have Nuala opening it.

"Could I come in?" You asked softly, trying to avoid waking those sleeping down the hall.

"Of course, Y/N," Nuala said with a smile, opening the door wider to let you slip inside, eyes catching sight of the book in your hands. "Did you need help reading a recipe?"

"Not quite, well... Yes, but I would also really appreciate if the two of you could help me find the recipes I need for Solstice presents, if you wouldn't mind?"

"Oh, I'd love to!" Cerridwen said once she had emerged from the bathroom, a towel still wrapped in her hair to dry. "Oo, a book of Solar Court desserts! I haven't seen this one before," the wraith said excitedly once she looked over the cover of the book. "Did you have anything particular in mind?"

"I was hoping we could find recipes for everyone's favorites, I'd like for all of them to have something they like. And maybe sugar cookies too, that could be decorated for Solstice."

"Ah, a challenge," Nuala smirked, a glimmer in her eyes. "Did you happen to want a little *help* making all of this?" She asked hopefully.

"If the two of you wouldn't mind, that would be lovely. But don't feel like you have to, please."

"Anything to help you out and spend a bit more time with you Y/N, it's been lonely cooking without you recently," Cerridwen reassured you, a gentle hand on your shoulder. "Now, let's get to finding those recipes, and Nuala and I will go shopping for any ingredients we'll need tomorrow if that's okay with you?"

You beamed at the twins, happy that they weren't upset at you disappearing on them for three weeks. "I would be so grateful to the two of you if you could help out. Thank you so much!"

The three of you sat down on Nuala's bed, flicking through the cookbook and marking each page that had a recipe you would need.

For Nesta, you would make thumbprint cookies with a blackberry jam- a dessert she had enjoyed since childhood, one that she had stared at hungrily for so long while your family had been impoverished. And for her mate, Cassian, you would bake lemon bars. He had absolutely devoured some at the Summer Solstice celebration this year, only leaving a few for everyone else.

Elain you would give chocolate dipped lacy cookies, her favorite treat to have with tea. Lucien would be receiving snickerdoodles, his favorite cookie and the first thing that Elain had baked for him.

Feyre absolutely adored thin lemon-ginger cookies, and with any possible morning sickness or nausea they could be a simple enough treat for her to have. For Rhys you would be making chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, made from his mother's recipe which Cerridwen had carefully tucked a copy of into the back of the cookbook for you to hold on to.

Mor would be getting lavender and pistachio macarons, snickerdoodles, and peanut butter fudge- the last you recipe you had stumbled across in the back of the book, and you knew it would be perfect for Azriel as well. For him you would be making the peanut butter fudge as well as a mint chocolate fudge, lemon bars, and peanut butter cookies. You hadn't seen him eat many sweets, but when he did they seemed to be either peanut butter, lemon, or mint, and you wanted to cover your bases.

And for everyone, and to give the three of you something to decorate, you would be making sugar cookies, hopefully in shapes resembling trees, ornaments, snowmen- really anything that would scream winter.

With the recipes picked out, the book left in the their care, and the twins' promise to gather the supplies, you set out for the Rainbow, in search of a present for Feyre.

The streets were quiet as you walked past rows of houses and apartments, the snow on the ground muffling everything.

It was easy to find the store you needed for the present you had in mind, the wood and paint scented air greeting you when you stepped inside. You glanced around, trying to familiarize yourself with the shop.

On your left was a wall of easels and canvases, the right taken up by every color of paint imaginable. You went to the left first after picking up a basket, setting nine small, square canvases inside before turning your eyes to look for rope and fasteners to connect all of them together. Your idea was for her to be able to paint one square per month of pregnancy, something to remember how she felt carrying her child.

"Did you need help finding something, love?" A female voice asked from the back of the shop, startling you out of your thoughts. You whipped around, eyes met with the sight of a beautiful fae, her skin shimmering in the light, constantly changing between the colors of the rainbow as she moved beneath it.

You managed to catch yourself from staring at her, your manners kicking in as you met her eyes- bright orange now, but you had a feeling that they would also change hue in different settings, the color shifting from a light sunrise to a burnt orange already.

"I was hoping to find some kind of rope to connect all of these, and something to fasten them to the actual canvas, if you have them," you replied shyly, your heart rate picking up as she came closer to you.

She was so pretty. You felt like you had months ago, staring at Cassian. But that was-

"I certainly do, love! They're on the other end of the shop, come with me," the fae said, her cool hand grasping yours and gently tugging you along with her. "What pattern were you wanting to put them in?"

"Uhm..." You tried to restart you brain, repeating the question in your head until you found its answer. "A three by three grid, I think."

She picked out several pieces of rope, as well as a small bag filled with pronged pieces of metal. "This should be enough of both, but if you need more you know where to find them now!" You nodded and followed her as she made her way to the counter in the back. "My name is Irina, by the way," she said as she bagged your items and wrote out a receipt.

"I'm Y/N." Just introducing yourself made your face flush, your mind replaying her name as you watched her fingers write.

"Oh, Feyre's sister?" Irina asked you, her eyes flicking up to meet yours once again. You nodded in confirmation, and she smiled. "I was wondering when I might happen across the youngest, I've already met your other sisters as well. Feyre's studio is just a few buildings down, and she comes in quite often for supplies. How has Velaris treated you so far?"

"Oh, uhm... It's a lovely city, truly. How... How much do I owe you?" You asked, trying to steer the conversation to a more pleasant topic.

"Eight gold marks, but I've already charged the account on file for you, Y/N."

You gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you, Irina. You have a beautiful shop here, I can see why Feyre comes in."

"Why thank you, Y/N! I'm very proud of it, and even more proud that our High Lady chooses my paints to use for her masterpieces," Irina sighed happily. "I hope the rest of your shopping goes well, love."

"I'm sure it will, thank you," you said with a smile before turning and slowly exiting her shop, your heart still racing from her presence.

You walked lazily through the Rainbow, eyes glossing over beautiful paintings and woven tapestries. You had nearly reached the end of it, almost in the Palace of Hoof and Leaf when you saw a stall that truly caught you eye.

Hairpins.

As children, the one purely material thing that you and Feyre had yearned for were hairpins. A woman in the village had made them by hand, delicate sticks with delicately crafted flowers attached to one end, sometimes with small gems dangling on short chains. They were far out of your price range while destitute, and you had almost entirely forgotten about your desire for one after your family had regained their fortune.

The ones from the village paled in comparison to these absolute works of art, lifelike flowers made of gems with matching petals dripping from them, secured only by small metal chains. Some had strings of pearls falling from them, others with a chain of sparkling diamonds.

You approached the stall, fingers hovering over the beautiful hairpins, but you were too afraid to touch them.

"Hello," the female behind the stall said, her silver skin shining, even shaded from the winter sun that had started shining brightly while you had been in Irina's shop. "Were you looking to buy a hairpin today?"

You smiled bashfully at her. "I might be, I'm not sure yet. They are absolutely beautiful, though."

The female beamed at you. "Thank you very much. They also double as a dagger, if needed," she said, pulling a thin sheath off of one of the hairpins, revealing a thin, sharp piece of ash wood. "They only open for the person it belongs to, so long as you place a small dot of blood on the sheath, it will appear as a simple hairpin. They're rather handy, for us females to keep around..." she trailed off.

Having something... Something to protect you could be nice, even if it wouldn't be much help in the end. But for peace of mind... And it could be nice for Feyre to have one, in case her magic is drained from her somehow...

Your eyes trailed back down to the hairpin that had drawn you to the stall.

A silver sheath with pink hydrangeas on the end, tiny flowers dripping down a short chain, tinier diamonds filling in the spaces between them. It was absolute perfection.

Another silver hairpin drew your eyes, this one with crescent moon at the end, a large sapphire hanging between its edges. Dangling from its bottom edge were two chains that met an inch down to continue as one, covered in small sapphires and glittering diamonds. Very Feyre.

"I'll take the both of these, please," you said as you lightly tapped both of them, not quite trusting yourself to hold them and not drop them.

"Ah, those are two lovely picks. May I ask who they are for?"

"The flowers are for me, the moon for my sister," you answered, watching as she carefully placed each in a velvet bag.

"What account would you like to credit it to?" She asked once she had tied off the bags, opening up the thick ledger next to her.

"Uh... Y/N Archeron, I suppose?"

"Ahh, the High Lady's human sister! If the crescent pin is for her, you chose perfectly," she said with a wink as she handed the hairpins to you.

Your nose scrunched as you smiled, "It is, and I thought so as well. Thank you so much...?"

"Opal. I'm always happy to sell my work to appreciative eyes," she said with a sparkle in her eyes.

"I may be back for another, at some point. Have a happy Solstice," you said cheerily as you left her stall, walking carefully after you spotted a patch of gleaming ice.

"The same to you, Y/N!"

The Palace of Hoof and Leaf proved perfect for finding tins for the sweets you would be baking, with an entire store dedicated to gift boxes.

Nesta and Cassian would be receiving one with a scene of the Illyrian mountains, a blazing bonfire the centerpiece, flanked by said mountains in the distance. For Elain and Lucien you picked a scene reminiscent of spring, a pond surrounded by trees with a clearing in front of it. In the clearing is a small, brown bunny, watched from bushes by a red fox. Very fitting, considering how Feyre always called Lucien a fox.

Rhys and Feyre would be getting a box decorated with the three peaks of Ramiel in the dead of night, a bright silver moon and speckles of stars lighting the sky. Perfect for the High Lord and Lady of Night.

Mor is receiving a tin with the view of Velaris at night from the House of Wind, what she had told you was her favorite view of the city.

And for Azriel, you chose one covered by a view of the sea from the cliffs of Velaris, late into a sunset.

You were satisfied with your choices, and left the Palace to cross the river and enter the Palace of Thread and Jewels.

Here, you found most everything else that you needed.

For Nuala, you got a new set of embroidery hoops as you had noticed hers were a bit worn, and truly she could never have enough seeing how many projects she had going at all times. In the same shop you picked out a variety of threads, including a selection of metal threads as she had mentioned a month or two ago that she wanted to try using them.

Before you left, you picked up a few skeins of soft yarn in jewel shades for Cerridwen, as well as a pair of knitting needles that were charmed to not lose any stitches if you accidentally dropped them.

You wandered further into the Palace, eyes grazing over beautiful gowns and spools of fabrics before they caught on something.

Red leather thigh high boots, a pair of matching gloves displayed in the same window.

That was a perfect present for Mor. You had even seen her in a pair of similar boots in black, so you knew they were her style.

And red. Her absolute favorite.

The boots and gloves were purchased quickly, tucked into a bag that you slung over you arm with the other two. You continued your journey, looking now for something for Azriel.

Quickly though, you found another present for the twins. A nice apron for both of them, one in a pale golden color with a silver moon and stars embroidered along the chest for Nuala, and a midnight blue apron, with similar silver stitching for Cerridwen. A nice apron always made you happy, and these ones seemed cute enough and close enough to each twin's typical color palette that they might wear them.

You ended up finding a nicely bound pale blue diary, almost the exact shade of Feyre's eyes.

If she was going to document her pregnancy in paint, she may as well have the option to document it in writing.

You explored the last few buildings of the Palace before giving up on a gift for Azriel from the shops it contained. You'd rarely seen him in anything but his Illyrian leathers, so you couldn't pick out a piece of clothing that you knew he would like. And he seemed to have all the gloves he would need, nearly always having a pair on hand.

The only thing you could think of...

Perfect!

You made your way back across the Sidra, through the Palace of Hoof and Leaf, and passed through the Rainbow before landing in the Palace of Flame and Steel.

You were searching for a dagger.

The Shadowsinger always had a dagger on him, if not an entire belt of them. Surely he could always use one more?

Twenty minutes spent wandering through the Palace had you shivering and slightly frustrated. Nothing seemed right for him, the hilts either entirely plain or completely encrusted in jewels.

While you were sure the plain would be just fine, you wanted something that seemed like him.

Not that you knew him very well.

You frowned as you entered a shop, its display window filled with knives, swords, and axes. Warm air rushed over you, smoothing your smile into a neutral expression as you took in the overwhelming amount of weapons inside.

An entire side of the shop was dedicated to knives and short swords, which you immediately gravitated towards.

There was some of the same fare you had seen outside, yes, but most of the knives had subtly decorated hilts, a good middle ground in your opinion.

You picked over them carefully with your eyes, trying to find one that Azriel may actually like to have. It was difficult, but you finally found one that you thought he might like. Fairly simple, a five inch blade with a black leather hilt, a small sapphire crescent moon on both ends of it. The gems matched his many siphons, and the knife came with a plain black leather sheath, a metal clip on one end so he could attach it to a belt if he wanted.

Your final purchase completed, you trudged back to the River House, taking as long as you could. You knew at this point that people would be awake and buzzing about, and you hardly wanted to speak with any of them. All you wanted was to put your Solstice presents away, make some tea in the new pot Azriel had gifted you, and eat the slice of cake that had been brought to your room some time last night.

Still, you dragged yourself back inside, shaking the snow off of your boots before you shut the door behind you. Quiet chatter was coming from the living room, but you paid it no mind as you snuck upstairs, shutting the door behind you softly.

The bags of presents were slid underneath the bed for safekeeping and to be away from any prying eyes. The only thing you kept out was your hairpin, the velvet bag soft as sin beneath your fingertips.

Should you...? Yes.

You shrugged off your hat and put it back in its spot, then your coat and replaced it on its hanger, leaving you in your dark blue wool dress and winter boots. Those were next, changed instead to your warm and fuzzy pink slippers.

Gently, you used the inside of the hairpin to prick your finger, and after replacing the sheath placed a drop of blood onto the metal, which sunk into it a moment later.

You went into the bathroom, your brand new hairpin in hand, and brushed out your hair. It took a couple of tries, but soon enough you had your hair secured in a bun, hairpin stuck through the middle. The petal chain hung down, and the sight of it in your hair made you tear up a bit.

Leaving the bathroom and going to your desk, you picked out a tea from the sampler that Azriel had gifted you, this one a strawberry green tea. You then pulled your new teapot and cups out of their box and braved the walk downstairs to the kitchen with all the items you needed for your relaxing afternoon, hopefully followed by a restful sleep.

When you entered the kitchen, it was blissfully empty, the rest of your family seemingly chatting in the living room, the buzz of which you could just barely hear.

Water was set to boil and you quickly washed the teapot and cups, a dish towel drying them just before the water began to boil. Tea leaves were poured into the strainer, hot water poured slowly and evenly over them.

It could almost be an art, you think.

"Oh, Y/N," Feyre said from behind you, just as you set the kettle back on the stove. "Could we- could I join you for tea? In your room I would guess?"

Lip between your teeth, you thought on it. As far as you could tell, Feyre hadn't wanted your birthday to turn into her pregnancy celebration. She had noticed you hadn't had cake...

"I suppose. For a cup," you replied, attempting to set a boundary with her.

Feyre nodded her head in agreement, a soft smile on her face as she watched you place two cups on a tray, the other two finding a place together in a cupboard. You waited another minute before removing the leaves, emptying the strainer and washing it. Once the pot of tea was on the tray, the two of you went up the stairs and into your room.

The tray went on your dresser, and you gestured for Feyre to take the squishy armchair in the corner of the room as you poured tea for the both of you. You passed Feyre her cup before pulling the chair at your desk over to her and sitting, your own cup of tea in hand. A cramp rippled through you, but you forced down any discomfort so that you could get this conversation out of the way.

"How are you feeling? Any morning sickness at all?" You asked Feyre, blowing on your tea after.

"A bit, but I've been having some ginger tea as soon as I wake up, and that seems to have helped." Feyre paused, taking a sip of her tea. "Mm, I like this one. Is it one that Azriel got you?" You nodded, taking your own sip. It was good. "And the tea set he got you is really pretty. I... I really didn't want for your birthday to end that way, Y/N. We tried to hide my scent but I guess something went wrong or... I don't know, but I feel so bad that we ignored you again," Feyre said tearily. "I really didn't want that to happen, I swear."

You sighed as you looked at her. You had already suspected it, but it still hurts. "I know you didn't Feyre, but it's still... It wasn't fair to me."

"I know it wasn't. I'm so sorry, I don't... I don't know how to make it up to you," she said quietly. "I... We're all going up to the cabin the day before Solstice, and staying through the night of Solstice. Did you... Did you want to come? Or you could stay here, if you'd prefer. I know last year was... Well, Nesta..."

Your mouth fell into a straight line as you thought back on last Solstice.

An absolute nightmare.

Nesta had been overly aggressive to you, still fully controlled by her rage and new mating bond. And just, overall, you had felt so out of place and unwelcome in the otherwise cozy cabin.

And on your cycle? Contained to an even smaller area?

"I'd rather not, if that's... If it's alright with you, Feyre," you said hesitantly, taking a nervous sip of tea after you finished speaking.

Feyre nodded her head in understanding. "I thought you might not, so I have one small ask: Would you be willing to have lunch with me on Solstice? I still want to see you, and spend time with you, if you'd like?"

The request was something you hadn't expected from your sister. Lunch?

"I think... I think that would be nice, Feyre. I'd like that."

Feyre's expression lightened at your acceptance, though her eyes still held unshed tears. "Really? Oh, thank you Y/N, I'm so excited to spend some one on one time with you!" Feyre said, as close to a squeal as you thought she would ever get. "And I do have a Solstice present for you too, I wanted to make sure you were celebrated then too." Feyre finished off her cup of tea and stood, placing it on the tray before standing in front of you. "Could I... Have a hug?"

A small smile played on your lips from the hesitant way she asked. You simply stood from your chair and set down your teacup before pushing yourself into her arms, savoring the warmth of her as you held each other.

"I'm looking forward to it too, Feyre. And I have a few presents for you too, so we can do a little exchange," you said once you pulled away from her. You looked at her- really looked at her. Your smile grew. "You're pregnant!"

Feyre was grinning as the tears finally fell from her eyes. "I am! I never thought- I never thought I would find a man that I would actually like enough, Y/N," she confessed through her tears.

"I know you didn't, Fey. I'm so happy you found Rhys."

The two of you embraced again, this time in joy of her expected child.

"Well, I should get back to work, I think. I've been planning an after-Solstice revel for the Hewn City as a way of breaking some of the barriers between us, but dealing with Kier..." Feyre sighed. "He's such a pain, but I don't truly have anything against the other citizens, so I'm pushing through. You're welcome to come, if you'd like?"

You instantly shook your head. "No, the one time I went I was so uncomfortable, I think I'd rather hear about any drama after, please."

Feyre's head bobbed. "I thought that might be the case. No worries there, sissy, but... You will come to Starfall, yes?"

"I'll be at Starfall, Fey, don't worry," you reassured her as the two of you made your way to your bedroom door. "Good luck with the planning, from what Mor has said about Keir he's... kind of the worst, right?"

Feyre chuckled. "He definitely is, Y/N. I'll see you later."

"See you later, Fey," you said, watching as she walked down the hallway. Your door shut softly, and you returned to your tray of tea.

One more cup, and you would do your skincare. And a bit of cake, as well.

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Two days later and the Inner Circle was departing for the winter wonderland of a cabin Rhys had, and you were in the living room seeing them off with Nuala and Cerridwen.

"Have a good time!" You said cheerily, mainly to Feyre and Mor.

"Oh, I'm sure we will," Feyre laughed, sending a mischievous look to her mate before turning back to you. "I'll see you tomorrow at noon, right?"

You nodded in agreement. "Definitely, Fey."

"Good! Have a good day here, you two take care of her, alright?" Feyre asked the twins, who nodded enthusiastically. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

She and Rhys winnowed off, taking Cassian and Nesta with them, along with their bags.

"Y/N, I had an idea, if you're up for it?" Mor asked once they had left, taking Feyre's previous spot in front of you.

"Depends on what it is, Mor."

"Well, I thought that I could come back ahead of everyone else tomorrow night, and the two of us could have a cozy little sleepover! Lots of hot cocoa, chocolate, staying up all night talking. How does that sound?"

You grinned at her, so happy to have her as a friend. "I would love that Mor!"

"Perfect! I'll most likely be back before dinner, but I will send a note if I'm going to be late." Mor's expression matched your own as she turned to leave, taking Elain, Lucien, and Azriel with her as she winnowed.

And then you were alone with the twins in the River House, much quieter than it had been all morning.

"So... Are you two fine with starting to bake now?" You asked both of them.

"That sounds perfect, Y/N!" Nuala said, clapping her hands together.

"We do have a Solstice present that we'd like to give you early, though," Cerridwen offered.

You thought back to the aprons you had gotten for the two of them. "In that case, I have one for each of you as well."

"Meet in the kitchen in five minutes?" Nuala asked.

"That sounds fine," you said, already rushing over to the stairs.

As promised, the three of you reconvened in the kitchen a few minutes later, all of you holding presents behind your backs.

You passed the two gift bags over to them, and they both handed you a small box.

They insisted that you go first, so you carefully opened the wrapping paper, then the boxes, met with your own set of pink measuring cups and spoons, their size engraved into the handles in the first box. In the second was something that looked similar to a magnifying glass, but the twins showed you its use quickly by having it hover over the recipe book Elain had gifted you.

The glass read out the title, "Decadent Desserts of the Solar Courts of Prythian," and tears filled your eyes.

"It will help you read recipes, or notes, anything really, if the two of us aren't available. We thought it would be a nice gift, seeing how your family has forgotten to teach you to read. This way, you can teach yourself," Nuala explained softly as she passed the glass back to you.

"Not that we wouldn't love to teach you, but... I don't think your feelings about that have changed yet, right?" Cerridwen asked.

You wiped the tears from your eyes as you nodded. "Yes, but this is... This is such a fantastic gift, thank you both so much." You wrapped your arms around the two of them, feeling like you were embracing sisters. "Go ahead and open your presents, I know they aren't much-"

"Oh nonsense!" Nuala interrupted you as she pulled out her apron, running her shadowy fingers over the golden fabric. "This is beautiful, Y/N!"

"I love it, oh, look! They have matching embroidery, Nuala!" Cerridwen said excitedly, running her fingers over the stitching. "These are just perfect, Y/N, thank you." It was your turn to be embraced by them, and you gladly soaked in their kind words and true enjoyment of the present you had gotten them.

"Now that we have presents done, should we get to baking?" You asked, already moving to pull out mixing bowls.

"There's no time like the present," Nuala said, and the two of them sprung into action, grabbing necessary ingredients and cookie sheets.

Baking with the two of them was a wonderful experience, as it always was, but today felt a bit different.

It felt like you were finally having the family holiday time you had craved, baking for Solstice with both of the twins.

The time flew by, and by the end of the day the three of you had made nearly everything you had wanted for tomorrow, the only sweet left unfinished was the sugar cookies. The dough for those was left in the cold box, and all of the other sweets were left on the counters overnight.

Together, the three of you made and enjoyed a hot meal, and ended the night sipping tea and eating a few of the goodies you had made earlier.

The next morning was easy, pleasant as you cut out little trees, ornaments, stockings. You all giggled over your attempts to make an Illyrian cookie, which turned out more like winged blobs.

While they were cooling, Nuala and Cerridwen made frostings in every color possible, and you packed up the tins of sweets for your family members.

Nuala helped you write out little notes of well wishes for each couple, and an extra one for Mor and Azriel stating that you had an extra Solstice present for them that you would give them in person.

And with the presents out of the way, the three of you decorated sugar cookies for the rest of the morning, the color schemes and designs getting more and more questionable as time went on.

That's how Feyre found you at noon, walking into the kitchen after winnowing back from the cabin.

"Feyre!" You exclaimed, dashing around the counter to pull her into your arms. "Happy birthday! Do you feel any older yet?"

"Thank you Y/N," Feyre giggled, squeezing you back. "Not yet, I still feel like a baby."

"Well, you are a baby still, Fey. At least compared to most of Velaris," you said cheekily, smiling when she swatted your shoulder gently.

"Yes well... This baby and my baby are hungry, are you ready to leave for lunch?"

You nodded. "Let me get my coat and boots on, and then we can go."

"Okay, I'll be here," Feyre smiled, and then her eyes locked on the cookies. "Can I have one?"

"Of course you can have one Fey, you're the birthday girl after all!" You said before you left the room, hurrying up the stairs to grab your outerwear.

By the time you returned to the kitchen, Feyre was sitting on a stool, decorating a cookie with precise strokes, turning one of the blobby cookies into something that resembled Rhys.

"That's a pretty cookie, Fey."

Feyre's head snapped up from where she had been entirely focused on her decorating. A light blush dusted her cheeks as she said, "Thank you, sissy. The girls told me you all tried to make Illyrians, and I thought they were just too cute to not do one of Rhysie."

"Well, you did a lovely job. Shall we go?"

Feyre nodded and stood from her stool, licking a small bit of frosting off of her thumb. "You made some really good cookies, Y/N. Are all of the tins filled with them?"

You shook your head. "No, they're filled with everyone's favorites, the sugar cookies were more for everyone. When you go back to the cabin, would you be able to take them with you? If not, I can give them out tomorrow."

The two of you walked to the front door, you opening it for Feyre and shutting it behind you. "I should be able to manage that just fine, sissy. Now, I was thinking we could go to Arlina's, I feel like pasta."

"Pasta sounds nice," you replied, letting Feyre lead you at a leisurely pace, locked arm in arm as the two of you took in the snow covered city.

Arlina's was a cozy little bistro only a few blocks away from the River House, tucked between some apartment buildings. You had been there once before, a few months after you had been brought to Velaris.

Once the two of you were seated across from each other in a booth, you pretended to look over the menu, but you already knew you would be getting the same thing you had last time. It had been very good, and you also wouldn't have to ask for help reading the menu...

The food was as good as you remembered, and your and Feyre's conversation stayed light, mainly focused on Feyre's duties and her hopes for her future, now that she has a little one on the way. You preferred talking about her, talking about your life right now... Would be a bit of a mood killer. And today was about Feyre.

During dessert- a delicious crème brûlée that you and Feyre shared- Feyre started to fidget.

Not much, but enough that you noticed.

"Yes, Fey?"

Feyre sighed at being caught. "You know how Starfall is coming up?" She asked.

Your narrowed your eyes in suspicion. "Yes?"

"I was hoping that you would go dress shopping with me- us," she corrected. "I want you to feel included, and it would be really nice to go dress shopping as sisters, like we were never able to."

Your first instinct was to say no, but this was Feyre. Feyre, who was sitting across from you and giving you her best puppy dog eyes.

You sighed. "Fine, but can you tell the two of them to behave again? I know that they have... Issues with me, but I would like to feel comfortable in a room with them again at some point."

"Oh, I've already told them to behave. Honestly I should have done it so long ago, it's not fair to you. From now on I'll do my best to make sure you can feel comfortable in the family again, okay?" Feyre said honestly, and you finally believed her.

"Okay. What day were you thinking about going?"

"I was thinking in two days time, I have a few meetings tomorrow, and that revel I was telling you about, so most of us will be busy then."

You nodded your head. Two days. You could prepare yourself for Nesta and Elain's inevitable scrutiny over two days. Especially with your evening plans with Mor tonight. "That sounds fine to me, Fey."

Feyre smiled at you widely before taking another bite of dessert.

🤍💝🩵💝🤍

The rest of your afternoon with Feyre flew by, your short walk back to the River House led to presents.

You had given her her gifts first, soaking in the absolute joy in her eyes when she realized that you had gotten her two gifts for her pregnancy journey, already telling you about what she wanted to paint for the first month. And the hairpin she absolutely adored, promising to wear it tomorrow night to the revel after sealing it with her own drop of blood, as you had with yours.

She had nervously handed over your own Solstice present, an apron that she had made for you. It was in a light pink, with slightly clumsily sown stitching, but you loved it so much. Something that she had made, just for you.

You had bid her goodbye after the two of you decorate a few more cookies, her arms now loaded with two bags, filled with tins of sweets.

You made Nuala and Cerridwen rest while you cleaned up, taking care to get every last bit of dough or sugar off of the counters and each dish cleaned.

After, you retired for your room for a while, a bit of light cramping having you in the bath again, soaking in the heat.

Just a few minutes after you had finished getting dressed, you heard Mor yelling something from downstairs.

With your slippers on, you exited your room and went downstairs, happy to see an excited looking Mor sitting in the living room, a couple of gift bags sitting on the coffee table in front of her.

"Happy Solstice!" The blonde said brightly, bouncing out of her seat to wrap you in her arms.

"Happy Solstice to you too, Mor," you giggled after she let you go, air returning to your lungs. "Did you want to do presents now?" You asked, gesturing to the bags on the table.

"If you'd like, or we could wait a little bit. I'm fine with either!"

"I'll go get yours, then," you said, and did exactly that, returning a few moments later, excitedly shoving a bag into her arms. "Open it!"

Mor did so, gasping when she pulled the boots out, and squealing when she saw the matching gloves. "Oh mother Y/N, these are perfect! Thank you so much!" The blonde exclaimed, pulling you into a hug. A playful look crossed her face, a smirk on her lips as she said, "Do you know what these would be perfect for?" You shook your head. "That stupid revel tomorrow! I'm already wearing this tiny little black dress, and these would look stunning with it."

"That does sound like a good time to debut them, it'll probably drive Keir up the wall," you joked.

"Yes it will," Mor sighed happily. "Now, open your gifts! Honestly I should have given them to you earlier, now that I think about it, but they'll still be useful."

Mor had given you several pairs of underwear, these specifically spelled with cycles in mind, making it so there was no noticeable scent, and also designed to come clean with no staining every time. In the same bag was a square herb filled pack, designed to be heated and kept against your skin as a way of minimizing the pain of cycles. Both were such thoughtful gifts, but you were most excited for the underwear. That meant less scathing looks from your judgmental sisters.

The second bag contained a large assortment of bath products, from bubble bath soap to deliciously scented bar soaps, to salt mixes that were supposed to help with aching muscles. She had managed to fit in a bath pillow, one that's able to get wet without being ruined, as well as a few face masks that appeared to lay over your face.

"Mor, these are such wonderful presents, thank you," you said gratefully, pulling her into a hug.

"I thought you might like them," Mor chuckled. "After all, you can never have too many self-care products in my humble opinion."

"Mhm. Humble," you giggled at her. "Did you have anything specific planned for tonight, or are we winging it?"

"Well, I thought we could do some extra skincare, I've already got an order of food in at Sevenda's- I got you curry." You nodded in approval. "And we can talk about how amazing those macarons you made were!"

You blushed under her gaze. "Nuala and Cerridwen helped..."

"Oh, it was all you, Y/N. I'm sure they helped a bit but you are such a wizard with baking!"

You almost went to deny her praise again, but thought better of it when she narrowed her eyes playfully at you.

"Skincare?"

"Skincare," Mor smiled, and let you lead her up the stairs and to your room.

The evening you spent with Mor was great, the two of you eating your takeout in your bed once it arrived, clay masks on your faces. You talked about the last couple days, Mor complaining about how the citizens of the Hewn City treat her, you opening up about how hurt you were over your sisters' gifts.

"I can't believe they forgot, though, Y/N. That's not something small, and I'm shocked that they haven't attempted to teach you yet..." Mor said disapprovingly. "I could help you, if you'd like?"

You shook your head immediately. "No, I'll be able to teach myself now, with a gift the twins got for me. It reads out the words it passes over, isn't that neat?" You asked, hoping she would understand that you'd rather not speak about the subject much.

"That was very thoughtful of them, I wish I'd thought of it!" Mor sighed. "I do hope that you feel more welcome here, now? Than a few weeks ago, I mean."

You glanced at her, seeing the emotion in her face. "I am, Mor. You've been a big part of it, I hope you know," you said softly.

"Good, I'm glad I can help. And you're just such a lovely person, it's hard not to want to spend time with you."

You blushed once more under her gaze. "Thank you, Mor."

"Any time, love."

The endearment she used had a pretty face flashing in your mind, a question on your tongue.

"Is it..." you trailed off, unsure if you wanted to ask the question.

"Is it... what?"

"Is it... normal...? To... to uhm..." you started nervously. "Is it normal to like girls...?" You asked Mor quietly, half hoping she would ignore your question.

"Like... To like girls as friends, or... To like girls like boys?" Mor asked cautiously.

"The... uhm... Boys."

Mor sighed, but not one of disapproval. You didn't think...

"Of course it's normal to like girls in that way, sweets. Maybe not for everyone, but I know that... I know that I do," Mor answered softly.

You turned your face to her, finding her cheeks pink, maybe for the first time since you had known her. "Really?"

"Yes, I've known for a couple of centuries, now. I still like boys some, but... I do find girls much more interesting." Relief flooded your heart at her words. "Can I... Ask what brought this on?"

"Oh, well... When I went shopping for Solstice presents, I met this really pretty shop owner, Irina? And I... I felt how I used to feel around... Cassian," you admitted.

"Well, Irina is very pretty," Mor said wistfully. "You have good taste," she joked as she nudged you gently with her elbow, getting you to smile.

"I do, don't I?" You giggled, feeling lighter with how accepting and calm she had been. The two of you sat in silence for a minute, before you had an idea. You looked over at Mor, a glint in your eyes. "What do you say to eating far too many cookies and passing out from so much sugar?"

Mor's eyes shined brightly in the candlelight of your room. "I say yes."

The two of you snuck downstairs, even though you didn't need to, it just felt right with the copious amounts of sugar you were about to consume.

You set to making a pot of tea while Mor grabbed a sinful amount of cookies and set them on the tray. She carried everything up to your room, you trailing behind her.

Mor had grabbed all of the sugar cookies that you and the twins had decorated all silly, including several deformed Illyrians that the three of you had attempted to make look like the three in the Inner Circle. Plus one of the ornaments that Cerridwen had written swear words on, claiming that she 'couldn't fit any other words on them.'

After a bit more talking, and all cookies eaten, Mor left your room so the both of you could change, and returned a few minutes later with hot chocolate for the both of you, a mound of whipped cream nearly overflowing from the mug.

"I'm really glad you suggested this, Mor," you said quietly once the two of you had laid down in your bed, all candles extinguished. "It's been really nice."

"I'm glad I did too, Y/N. This is a lot more fun than the bickering that I'm sure happened tonight at the cabin, that lot can never go too long in a confined space without arguing about something," Mor complained lightheartedly.

"You included, Miss Morrigan." Mor scoffed at the implication. "Tell me that you don't enjoy the drama a little, hmm?" She remained silent, and you giggled. "That's what I thought."

"Well, it's not my fault that they're so easy to bicker with..." Mor said sulkily before yawning. "Alright, I'm exhausted. Who knew eating cookies and takeout could be so tiring?"

"Not me," you said, yawning a moment after. "I guess that's our cue to try and sleep," you laughed.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Mor said quietly, her breathing evening out a bit as she tried to sleep.

You tried to do the same, but it took a while, with the now unfamiliar noise of someone sleeping near you. But soon enough, you had drifted off into a peaceful sleep, cushioned comfortably for the first time in months.

🤍💝❤️💝🤍

General Taglist: @daughterofthemoons-stuff @lilah-asteria @meritxellao

Series Taglist: @darkbloodsly @angelbunny222 @uniquedreamsblog @romantasyreader28 @that-one-bibliophole @idkmyoldonewasembarassing @deathtopistachios @saltedcoffeescotch @sleepylunarwolf @babypeapoddd @kingshitonly @bravo-delta-eccho @bluebries81 @liahaslosthermind @deepestmentalitypersona @historygeekqueen @hermajestysworld @marina468 @esposamultifandom @astrokitty18 @larissa01-blog2 @acourtofbatboydreams @angel-graces-world-of-chaos @thelov3lybookworm @weekendlusting @dxjaaaa @thejediprincess56 @casiiopea2

[kingprinceleo]

How are your sonic’s spending this Christmas? Your Shadow’s ?

uwahhhh sorry im late on this, things got busy !

1000YB shadow is sad and alone and a loser and probably hanging out with an old picture of sonic. probably being an extra strong workaholic ( sonic is big chilling in the afterlife) silly holiday piece Cat made with peepaw HERE

Happy auau- the gang is probably hanging out together ! doing festive little stuff and watching movies n playing games ,, sonic being the king probably dressing up as santa, they tried to get shadow to dress up but he chaos evaporated the costume before they could finish talking. but he is wearing smth wintery but not costumey (ough these are 2 years old please pardon them they never got finished vvv) if its cold enough shadow will also have his winter fur fdhghjg

Fire n water au- Sonic would be spending christmas at the castle with his family but, during the main plot, hes probably learning about the meaning of friends and family over big extravagant castle parties. Tails probably tries his best to make or find something for sonic, sonic may be a bit silly and spend a lot of their small amount of money on something cool for tails, and have consequences after. Blaze is being very normal about spending her first christmas alone with recently deceased parents and her missing brother ! Shadow is big chilling on the ocean floor. might eat a whale later if hes feeling festive

Desert vampires- i dont think they have christmas </3

Vampire au- i have a bunch for this ough. ...

Sonics festive but not as festive as amy is ! he has to help her decorate the house from top to bottom every season, and she'll likely move the house into ice cap zone to maximize the vibes

otherwise i think sonic just hangs out, admiring the island, running around, seeing lights n stuff, leaving little mysterious gifts around for his friends

Shadow doesnt do much ! hell stand in the snow and stare at the horizon, rouge will drag him christmas shopping (for herself HDJHFG) , probably drag him to a couple christmas parties he doesnt want to be at . and they probably steal from Geralds supply bays for funsies

i think when theyre older things are mostly the same ! sonic will usually split off to go hang out with his friends (now including rouge and knuckles) and he may be away to go down to the mainland to visit others amy inflicted him with the itch to decorate though, its deeply wrong to him to see shadows apartment look all lifeless and sad, shadow will sometimes just Wake Up to the house being almost fully decorated (shadow doesnt even know where he was hiding all this shit before)

i think sonics been able to get shadow to stay for a christmas party a couple times ! but never for long or without him finding some kind of corner to lurk in away from everybody,,, i have a tiny fic wip about one of them ough . its too rough to post any part of it </33

i dont think they really have any kind of christmas traditions they do, every year could be something different. And for gift giving, i think sonic does the same with leaving gifts around the house to find, surprises for shadow. shadows very direct though, always asking upfront whether sonic wants certain things or not uwah i think theyre silly,,, hope . htis is an adequate enough response LOL

[thesassypadawan]

Christmas Tree (Hayden x FemGremReader)

Summary: Wanting to have a little holiday date, you decide to mix things up a bit.  Do something from the usual corny movie, cocoa, and cuddling.  That involves two of your favorite passions and some paint with a twist.

Warnings: 18+ (mdni), because there sooo much of the smut.  Fun on top (ride it), some interesting body paints, big Christmas tree and balls, a little star, cheesy puns, and, as always… Hayden’s big, fat dick.

Notes:  Happy Holidays, lovelies!  Welcome to track two of my special holiday mix, Christmas Tree! ❤️💚

(Merry Christmas, @anakinsbbgirl! 🎅)

- “Stop, no peeking…”  Dipping your brush into, swirling it around in another color.  “Stay still…”  Look of concentration, brow scrunched.  “You’re going to make a mess of all my hard work…”  While you block out and ignore the sound of his low hisses, soft grunts.   “Few more and…”  Carefully doting, creating lines of glittery red on his jingle balls.

- “There, finished!”  Squealing, squeaking happily you sit back on Hayden’s thighs.  Admiring your handiwork, how the whole scene seems to twinkle in the tree’s light.  Bouncing a bit for joy…maybe a tad too much.  Mighty booty causing a small ‘oof’ to escape him; painfully, hard cock twitch.  “You can look now!”

- “All right…all right,” he mutters, hint of intrigue in his gravelly voice.  As he slowly eases, props up onto his elbows.  Those blue orbs opening a crack, chin tilting down slightly…to take all of your ‘masterpiece’ in.  “Let's see what we got.”

- Instantly a bemused smile spreads across his face, crinkles the corners of his eyes.  Gruff chuckle rumbles deep in his elaborately decorated chest.  “Wow, grem; great job…”  Hand blindly reaching for his phone, trying not to destroy the festive mural painted on his upper body and lower.  “Definitely one of your best, but they all are…”

- Always so sweet, dorkingly adorable.  Between hearing his words of praise, which are never far apart or in short supply.  And watching him struggle to snag a pic; tongue peeking out, leaning awkwardly in an attempt to get it entirely in the shot.  You couldn’t help but have your heart melt, bust out in a small fit of giggles… 

- You can’t help but have your heart melt, bust out in a fit of giggles.  “Here, Hay; let me do that…”  Teasingly you offer, plucking the device from his clumsy hold.  Blowing him a little kiss for good measure.  “…before you drop it.”

- “Yeah…thanks,” he slowly replies. Grin widening, warm palms coming to rest and settle on your plush waist.  Giving each handle a gentle, affectionate squeeze…eliciting a small coo and jump from you, curves jiggling.  “These big mitts can be awkward sometimes…ya know?”

- Snapping a few quick ones from multiple angles.  Capturing the ‘beauty’ and ‘essence’ of your magical, wintery landscape.  “Mmmh, I wouldn’t say that.”  Including and giving extra attention to the LARGE tree that stands proud, tall over it all.  Decorated so prettily with mini ornaments, strands of golden garland, and glistening globs of runny snow.  “I think they’re actually very skilled…in certain areas of expertise.”

- It really was perfect, except…

- “Wait, it’s still missing one thing though.”  Setting his phone off to the side, tucking it safely underneath the branches of your real tree.  Amongst all the other brightly wrapped trinkets and treasures.  “The thing that really makes it feel extra  jolly.”  You submerge your fingers into the paint pot once more; thoroughly coating them, drawing on your tiny paunch a haphazard…  “Star.”

- Hands wander lower, cupping and kneading your plump cheeks.  “A star, huh?”  Firmly, enough for your pillowy flesh to spill out between the cracks of his long fingers.  “And, let me guess, it needs to go on top of the tree…right?”  While Hayden pulls, urges you to lift that ra-pa-pum-bum of yours a bit.

- Eagerly and joyfully you do so.  “Yeah…”  Shifting forward; fingertips press, dips slightly.  Imprinting unique, metallic splotches on his toned yet soft abdomen.  “…you get it.”  

- Glistening core aligns with, hovers above…grinds against.  “Every oversized tree needs a little star…”  Spreading some of that runny snow around your naughty entrance.  “…to fit snugly, tightly on its’ thick tip.”

- Gaze locks with his and you sink down agonizingly slow.  Enjoying that familiar feeling of your gummy walls struggling from the blissfully uncomfortable stretch.  “Especially one…”  That look of barely withheld restraint on his handsome face, clearly fighting the urge to not just thrust up.  “…that’s as majestic as…”  The moment both of your sexes are overtaken and overwhelmed by the intense icy, tingliness of the peppermint infused chocolate body paint. “…y-yours.”

- Sucking in sharp breaths together, panting softly in unison.  “So, what do you say…”  Goosebumps pebbling on and across both your skins.  “Let's fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la all night long…”  You begin to cant, grind your hips with some help from those ‘big mitts’.  “See who can light up who the most…”  Taking your time, soaking in the shared moment of him being underneath your Christmas tree.

Tag List: @espinathena-17, @myheartwillgoon2022, @laylaplease, @princessswifie, @kenobiskywalker16, @loverforoldermen, @jediavengers, @anisangeldust, @fredswrite, @xhunnybeeex, @vaderswifey, @anakinstwinklebunny

  @hearts4sammonroe, @pitas-star, @sythethecarrot, @naberriess, @steven-grants-world, @valyna27, @elcaballerodragon, @yayyy5678, @anakinsrilgirlfriend, @padme-urlove,  @brattyyybbg, @mrschr1stensen, @rosie-chan92, @beresfordsgirl, @darthdaddi

[urautismdiagnosis]

Pokes u

Do you have Barnacles Headcanons to share with his wife (aka me)

YES also sorry for the late response lol uhhh this is mostly just stuff from my au lol and its got different world building than the show does

Ok first off some context, in my au the reasons for PEOPLE species to have different traits is more based on environmental factors and conflicts between other groups of people. 👌

There are definitely some wild species that aren't even intelligent enough to have nearly any sapience (in simple terms its self awareness) that would probably end up being food or wtv, but like going based off of irl stuff polar bears mostly need high fat diets and unless there are a TON extra of high fat food fish thatd make the arctic pretty hard to survive

Unless ofc 👀 well they are PEOPLE people so u can convince me they'd have somehow domesticated either musk or (hoofed arctic animal) or bred some other kind of milk producing animal as a source of food

All I'm saying is that he could and would and has eaten an entire wheel of cheese before

And he absolutely has a secret stash of high fat snacks because I think he might be a liiiiittttle bit self conscious about it

Because he realized that arctic animals and non arctic animals have HUGE differences in social norms and apparently most animals don't have at least 3 inches of fat minimum on their entire body???

And its not cuz hes embarrassed of the fat, its normal and healthy, he just doesn't want to go from Trustworthy and Reliable Captain of thr Octonauts to "oh my god i need like an entire cheesecake rn to feel normal" in front of everyone cuz like 😭 he is a bit of a comfort eater. Like ah yes our strong and level headed captain is eating an entire box of oreos at 2 am because he misses his sister again 😭

Ofc the others do find out but there isn't any judgement if anything kwazii would probably join him, bro has a history of having weird food habits (hm wonder why... surely nothing related to being shipwrecked on an island and having to survive) and its nice

He does like, have THE best snacks tho and he might be hoarding them just a tiny bit-

he also can feel a bit worried about coming off as too large or intimidating so thats why he's always got his hands on his hips- and his head lowered down a bit

its not that he seems like physically scary but a larger presence can be intimidating for a lot of people

Teeth and claws aren't usually seen as intimidating in most scenarios in this world because its so common and is just like a feature of the species the same way hearing or smell can be btw

so yeah someone threatening to scratch ya can be scary but so can someone being able to find you because they can hear ur heartbeat 💀🙏

Back to the main point, like all the other octonauts aren't even like medium sized animals (like wolves and whatever), there ALL very small species. So hes like way in the upper range, the highest and tallest possible species while everyone else are all smaller ones specifically

So if barnacles is Actually Mad (💀 the scenario to make him genuinely mad has to be BAD) then he will go to his FULL HEIGHT

Cuz irl polar bears got very tall strong necks and etc so I think him standing at Full Serious Height would be very startling

Also about polar bears sense of smell!

Circling back to the adaptations being related to survival pressures and social ones

Polar bears in this world, use their sense of smell for something very important in the arctic: navigation, above and below water

It prevents things like getting lost in the wintery white world, which is so so easy for others. It can help find others than might be lost, and it can tell u if they r injured or not and I think thats precious

there is one problem tho, while their sense of smell is VERY strong, stronger than bloodhounds and etc, its made for being able to detect things very far away in freezing temperatures... so they're extremely sensitive

Which wouldn't be that much of an issue if barnacles wasn't in all sorts of more tropical environments...

In thr artic all u can smell is other people, animals, and which was is home

But if he's not in the octopod or under the water,but somewhere where there's THOUSANDS of insects,hundreds of pollinating plants, and tons and tons of different creatures all at once-

I think thats be overwhelming and he's probably be allergic to sooooooo many plants poor guy 🥺

Also even tho he like trims and thins out his thick coat, and even has a little cooling pack vest sort of thing under his uniform he can still overheat pretty easily

Cuz yk, the several inches of brown fat or blubber? Someone might say "hey just adjust ur diet and whatever to lose it" but that would be VERY UNHEALTHY for him... mess with the balance of his bodys systems yk? so its really not an option;^;

So yeah he still tends to overheat and thats why having his room canoncially set to actual arctic temperatures every night helps him sleep better and feel better

Usually alot of octonauts missions happen under water or in gups or maybe they'll spend some time on an island and it'll be hot

But with extended time spent in warmer climates he has to take alot more breaks and it can be alot harder for him

Also I think that he had a period in his early 20s college years where he was like kinda lowkey depressed because he was learning more about global warming and capitalism

, it didn't last too long fortunately because yk he met professor inkling who was already developing his idea for the octonauts

and they actuslly became really good friends and it really came together as a realistic thing when tweak got wind of em

On a more depressing note global warming for polar bears in a world where they're actual people with a unique culture and heritage means some totally different stuff

Like its not even the fact they can't even engage in their own cultural traditions (cough traveling in that one arctic global warming special where they were all exhausted cuz all the melted sea ice cough)

Its also the loss of genuine homes (in my au they're kinda like ice hobbit houses 🥰since polar bears irl will dig out shallow resting spots or mama bears will have dens with a toasty 30 degrees farenheit), architectural collapses, traditional jobs that can only be done in the arctic being lost, and being forced into more southern grounds because more and more just can't rely living there anymore

And I think that'd be super depressing to see in real time, its a cultural death

Heck even irl there's so many grizzlies going north and polar going south that they've actually started to mix and start having hybrids (grolar bears). And the thing is they're so genetically compatible that their species can actually develope into their own separate identity that might totally replace most if not all polar bears sense they're just more adapt to the changing climate and have more range,with benefits from both species

And while that sounds great on paper and makes sense and is obviously fine for them to have easier lives, I think in thr context of this world it would leave barnacles with some conflicted feelings

Because the thing is there used to be concerns about polar bears having to leave their homes to live is societies and communities that just... that their jobs wouldn't fit to. That would be physically harder for them to be healthy in. That they'd have to give up so many thousands of years of traditions thatd be impossible to carry over in.

Idk its late and I've got one braincell and idk if this makes sense and im sorry if it got depressing 😭

But yeah, so there's more and more of these younger people grolar bears, that just... will never have that full connection to their heritage. And idk I think its sad and maybe I'm projecting

Also I think that if barnacles was ever sad he'd just cope by playing the accordian lol,like the one meme of the girl playing "its a mental breakdown ✨" on a kazoo 😭

Let's end this on a happier note tho, circling back to barnacles being several feet taller than his entire crew, like-

We all already know this guy emotionally adopts every living being in sight

And well, his ENTIRE CREW literally, and I mean very literally and physically, looks up to him-

Like they all gotta turn their heads up and loon at him with big hopeful eyes ready for whatever he has to say

And im gonna be honest his composure is alot stronger than mine cux I would CRY because of how adorable that is

Like he knows its probably so unprofessional and might be seen as condescending BUT DAMN IT HE CANT HELP THR CUTENESS AGRESSION!!! HE WANTS TO SQUISH THEIR TINY FACES!!!

so sometimes hell have a very Serious and Leadership-like Captain Conversation, and then thr SECOND hes out of their sight (and hopefully hearing) HE JUST HAS TO STOP HIMSELF FROM JUST CRYING-

Cuz the second hes out of sight he will LOSE ALL COMPOSURE and need a minute because he loves them so much AND THEYRE SO FCKING SMALL-

Its kinda funny tho cuz ur captain barnacles is a pretty tiny guy, wonder howd that work for u XD

Anyways gn or whatever time it is for u 🐻‍❄️✨✨✨

Also he and Bianca call at least every week for an hour and frequently send eachother updates about what they're up to

He could talk to her about anything and she's good at talking sense into him

He makes sure that natquick gets plenty of social interaction too, that man is like his father figure

(Kinda sad but I headcanon barnacles dad died when he was really young cuz of an accident where ice collapsed, probably did not help how he felt when he got stuck in an icy hole as a kid 💀🙏)

ALSO

Barnacles looking up at u vvv

Barnaclea being his lil theater kid self^

Wait~ they don't love you ✨like I love you ✨🥰

Barnacles half awake at a late night mission when everything is done and they're just driving the gup a back home

Barnacles and Bianca on a video call

[glazedsnail]

Who wants to read Shane Girldadding?

I know you do.

Spring and Swing

A work I wrote while taking a bath. @whatdoidosatoru said the words "Jas wants to go on the playground but it's broken cause Lewis is an ass so Shane repairs it" or something close to that and it clicked. Cause of course he would do that for Jas.

The shy first rays of sunshine peek in the horizon. The melting snow slowly drips down the carrying trees and other rooftops, relieving themselves off their wintery burdens.

Today is the first day of Spring in Pelican Town. People, plants, and animals alike finally exhale the breath they were holding all winter. Routine prevails, as people are lucky enough not to need hibernation. Lucky indeed.

As the sun starts its journey to its highest point, breakfasts and coffees are being served. Quiet abode wake up at the rhythm of their rested bodies, bathing in a blissful comforting silence.

Unless you're at the ranch.

'I said: do you want eggs this morning?'

'Can I go outside now?'

'Buh.'

The three human residents manage to make the cattle and poultry think the for ever known ''What the heck are the neighbors up to.'' It's when you're noisier than a herd of dairy cows that you're grateful to live outside of town. At least the neighbors are.

'I wanna go outside!'

'You came home late again, is that it?'

'Aunt Marnie, can I please go outside?'

'I'm talking to your uncle, sweetheart.' Marnie answers cheerfully. 'Trying to, anyway.'

'But, I've finished my milk. I've finished my eggs. I want to go out and plllayyyy!!' The little girl tugs at her aunt's dress.

'For Yoba's sake Jas, since when do you need me to go outside?'

'I… I wanna go on the swing…' Jas' shyly says, twisting her fingers.

'The swing? On the playground? That's too far. Sorry but unless someone accompanies you'

'Uncle Shane could!'

Marnie scoffs, raising her chin at her half-asleep nephew whose own chin is about to fall on his breakfast plate. She opens her mouth, but, upon looking at the little girl shining eyes, she swallows her bile and grief, and offers her a smile. 'I'm sure he'll be happy to.' She says. 'Once you're freshen up and ready, he'll take you to the playground, ok?'

Jas nods with a muffled squeal. She's not been at the playground for so long! Miss Penny would sometimes bring them, her and Vincent, but the winter had been so harsh they would barely make it outside. Quickly hugging her aunt, she disappears in her bedroom.

'Shane, did you hear all that. Shane. Shane!'

'What?' The gruff man finally jumps out of his semi-slumber. Wiping his face with his hands he groans. 'What?' He repeats.

'You're taking Jas to the playground this morning.' She raises a finger to his slowly opening mouth. 'You are. No excuses. First day of Spring, you know what it means?' He raises an eyebrow, looking confused with his glazed eyes. Marnie sighs. 'Rebirth, Shane, renewal. You know? Making resolutions and all?'

Shane laughs. 'Sure.' He stretches, pushing his plate away, his bones cracking shamelessly.

'I'm ready!' The two adults turn to the gleeful voice. Jas skips toward Shane. 'Are we going?'

With an umpteenth groan, he looks at his aunt, quite ready to let her know it'd be a mistake to let his hangover ass take the kid out. But Jas grabs his hand, pulling softly toward the door.

'Let's go, uncle Shane.' She says with a big smile.

'This is a f…flying mess.' Shane remarks.

The small playground wasn't any sort of jewel on Pelican Town's fist, but the harsh winter had made a number out of it. The one slide had fallen on its side, bearing its rusted and broken bolts. One of the swing from the set had a broken chain, and the other was missing its seat which probably flew away up the mountain or into the lake. A fortnight of heavy snow and wind couldn't have caused this if it was at all a maintained park.

The only thing left was the springy ride. But its…unnatural features were scaring Jas at the best of times. Shane felt the squeeze of her little hand in his. He crouches to her level. 'Listen kiddo, I think we'll have to give the playground a miss today.'

'But I… I want to swing…'

'I know, little chicken, but look, the swings are only chains.' He sees her lower lip tremble, the creases on her chin. 'Oh boy. Jas. Listen. We can…Go to the beach? Would you like that? You like the tide pools right?'

Tears gathered in her big eyes start to fall. 'I want to swing.' She looks down, trying not to let her shoulders shake, keeping her sobs quiet.

'Sorry but there's nothing we can do.' Shane tries to wipe the tears with his thumb, struggling to remain crouched down to Jas' level, his knees screaming at him.

'You always say that.' Jas sniffles, turning her head away from Shane's hand.

'What?'

'You always say there's nothing you can do.' She says, raising her voice. 'But you never try anything.' After another sniffle, she wipes her face with her sleeve, looking away. 'Aunt Marnie says so too. And I…I need to swing today…'.

Shane felt the blow of his goddaughter's words, incapable of even blinking, his knees now pleading for him to stand up. He clears his throat, tries to open his mouth, clears his throat again. But he has nothing to say. He finally stands back up, grunting at the pain shooting down his legs. Why would he have anything to say. She was right. Painfully so.

'Look, er, Jas. You don't need to swing today, right?' She ignores him, slowly walking toward the bench, only thing intact apart from the terrifying…horse…duck? Shane sighs, watching her slouching herself on the wood. She doesn't need to swing today. But tomorrow the swings will still be broken. And, he would still be a piece of shit. He inhales sharply, taking in the crisp new spring air. 'Can you do me a favor and stay there, little chicken?' Jas slowly nods, wiping her nose with her sleeve.

Wrapping herself in her coat, Jas starts shaking. The bright morning sun is now covered by the white cotton clouds the soft wind was slowly bringing. She looks down at her feet, dangling from the bench. A clanking sound followed by a grunt takes her out of her mind. Kneeling on the sand, Shane is spreading tools around him.

'Uncle Shane?' She jumps down the bench to reach him. 'What are you'

'Can you hold this for me.' He cuts, handing her a pair of pliers. He then pulls out a sheet of boiled leather, and several nails.

'Uncle Shane?' She repeats, the heavy pliers in her hands. 'What's all this?'

He rolls his sleeves and stands back up, a smile on his face. 'Ok then!' He says, clapping his hand in anticipation.

Slowly, he lets Jas observe, hold the tools, hand the nails, tell him not to swear when one of the metal ring pinches his finger. And slowly, the added rings and support look like a swing again. 'You wanna do the other one?' Shane asks Jas, beaming. She quickly nods, bouncing in place.

'This one has no seat!'

With a triumphant "Ha-ha!" Shane pulls out the sheet of boiled leather. 'The weird old man near the lake had some leather lying around.' He says. 'Ah, don't tell anyone I called him "weird old man".' He quickly adds. Jas giggles, tracing her lips with her fingers.

Meticulously, he shows her how to pierce the thick material. He helps her handle the pliers to bend the metal, adding them to the chain to link the new seat, and the second swing is done too.

'There!' Shane looks at the two mended swings, proudly standing in front of the set. 'You wanna give it a try?'

'Will you swing with me?'

'I, ah, I'm not sure about that kiddo. You don't want me to push you?'

Jas seems to ponder, and shrugs. She'll get to swing after all. Shane helps her sit on the refurbished swing, making sure it's strong enough, and starts pushing. The little girl instantly starts giggling, asking him to go higher. He obliges, laughing too.

After a while, slowing down the swing, Jas jumps down. Finding her balance, she runs to her uncle who receives her in his arms. 'Thank you.' She says, a big smile showing her missing teeth.

'No sweat, little chicken.' Shane hugs her back. 'Happy you got to swing today?' Jas nods. 'Why did it need to be today?'

'Miss Penny read us a book that said that, on the first day of Spring, you could make a wish. But it needs to be whispered in the sky.' She twists her fingers, struggling to recount the words. 'It's also meant to make your family happy for the year coming.' She adds, playing with her foot in the sand. 'Wanted to make sure you…were going to be happy this year.'

The pinch in Shane's heart almost makes him stumble. He blinks tears away, and crouches down to hug his goddaughter properly. 'Well, thank you.' He whispers. He holds her at arm length, looking at her smile. 'D'you wanna swing a bit more? I have a wish to make.'

[justporo]

From savoury to sweet

All your friends are invited for winter festivities and you're doing your best to prepare everything for a big reunion. But a certain vampire keeps testing your patience until it ultimately snaps...

MASTERLIST | AO3

Author's Note: Written for the "Delicacies" prompt of the BG3 Winter Holiday challenge and since I'm running this challenge I'm cheating a bit and also fill the "Holiday spirit" with this - because I guess everyone knows the feeling of feeling stretched thin when the end of the year comes around with all the joy and stress it has to offer... And sadly I don't have a sassy vampire to pull me through it *sighs* Happy holidays to you all!

Pairing: Astarion/GN!Tav (You) Warnings: none Wordcount: 1,5k ~~~

The little townhouse in Baldur’s Gate you and Astarion lived in was filled throughout with delicious smells: mulled wine, freshly baked pastries, simmering gravy. Together with everything being neatly decorated with holly, candles and more wintery decor it made for a very cosy and festive atmosphere.

Unfortunately, the comfy mood was disrupted by smells of burning and colourful curses being spat.

Gale and you had been bustling around the kitchen cooking, baking and making preparations, meanwhile Astarion sat at the long table there - one leg lazily dragged up onto the bench. He was reading something and kept stealing brandy infused cherries out of a bowl that always seemed to magically find its way back into his reach - no matter how often you moved the bowl away from him.

The wizard had come over to help you prepare a whole bunch of food. And of course there had been a very good reason behind all of this.

Somewhen when winter had rolled around and the Midwinter holidays had come closer, a thought had entered your mind and been stuck there ever since - and with that a wish.

It had been quite some time since you had seen all the other members of your little adventure group last - or friends rather because that was what they all had become. And you missed them all deeply. But fortunately there could be something done about that.

So, you had brought up the idea to Astarion to invite them over for the holiday to have a nice festive evening together.

Immediately, the vampire’s nose had scrunched up in distaste: “You’re not becoming all sappy all of a sudden, are you? I didn’t sign up for this.”

You had swatted his arm and pouted profusely, feeling a little hurt by his immediate rejection of your idea.

This had been a dream of yours for a long time: having a really fancy and enjoyable holiday festivity with someone to actually share it. Because you never had the chance to have that when you had grown up on the streets of Baldur’s Gate.

The closest you’d ever gotten to a holiday celebration had been sharing a stolen pie with some other urchins while you had huddled somewhere under tattered blankets, trying to escape the cold.

When you had painted that picture for Astarion (maybe purposefully laying it on thickly), his sassy attitude had immediately fallen. You had seen some of your past hurt mirrored in his red eyes. With a small sigh he had hooked his thumb on your chin and promised you to give you the holiday festivity you had always dreamt of.

“But”, he had immediately added when you had already started jumping up and down joyfully, “no one and I mean none of them will stay with us, darling. I had enough of sharing camp with all these buffoons for a lifetime - for all of immortality even.”

You had brushed off his sarcastic words quickly and had sent out letters to all your friends the following day. Answers had come in slow and sporadically since then - but that surely only meant that everyone was just very busy. Right?

But once you had started to think about what dishes you all wanted to prepare for this evening, how to get everything festive and whatnot, all these worries had quickly been forgotten. Gale had immediately been enlisted as your aid to tackle the massive task - obviously not taking no for an answer.

So there you were: a prodigy wizard and a former thief slaving away in the kitchen for almost a whole day in preparation for holiday dinner. Meanwhile a vampire was contributing nothing to the efforts - except if you counted his snide remarks (and of those he contributed many).

Every surface in the kitchen was filled with already finished dishes, loose ingredients or heaps of dirty pots, pans and utensils. Together with Gale you had prepared little filled pies as a starter, a variety of sides for the main course of different picks of meats and fish and sauces to compliment everything.

Almost all of it was done being prepped for dinner.  Now only your baked dessert was missing. And of course that had been where things had went awry. Your nerves had been on edge already, stressing how everything would go. Gale had not been helping with his unhelpful-helpful commentary. And not even to mention your vampire just lounging there on the bench like a cat, making it a point to annoy you even more with his sassy manner.

And you had reached your breaking point when you had pulled a completely burnt cake from the oven, covering up the delicious other smells while a small smoke cloud had erupted in the middle of the kitchen and Astarion hadn’t been able to keep his mouth shut about it.

“Oh love, I mean, I am no expert by any means, but I do think that’s a bit dark even for a dark chocolate cake,” he’d commented while he had barely even lifted his eyes from his book, one elbow propped up on the table and head placed on his hand while he popped another cherry into his mouth.

And that had also been the reason why he’d been hit with a small bun. Caused by your already thin stretched patience finally snapping you had grabbed the nearest throwable thing and had hurled it at the vampire’s head. That thing had happened to be a bunch of sweet rolls you had made as a side. Your impeccable aim had made sure that you hit your mark - and the screech you had let out had probably given it even more force.

Without even checking Astarion’s reaction you had sunk down on the bench opposite of the vampire and had buried your face in your hands while you tried to not let tears overwhelm you.

Astarion reflectively hissed and swatted the gnarly pastry away from him. But then he took in the scene and quickly realised that he had rightfully brought this onto himself.

Gale, who had taken a step back from you in caution with hands lifted defensively, threw the pale elf a sour look now while you suppressed sobs. “Incredibly supportive, Astarion, a job well done”, the wizard scolded the vampire who at least had the good grace to look ashamed of himself.

The wizard sat down beside you and started rubbing your back while he kept throwing Astarion looks. The vampire shuffled around awkwardly for a few moments, not being used to and not enjoying having to apologise.

With a sigh he finally got up and moved around the table and with a “shoo shoo” motion chased Gale out of the kitchen so he could be alone with you for a moment or two.

“Love, I’m sorry,” Astarion whispered as he sat down beside you and looped an arm around your shoulders. Immediately you let yourself fall into his touch. You really didn’t want to be mad at him. Under different circumstances you would have just laughed at his comment.

“I’m sorry I upset you with the stupid thing I said, forgive me?”, the vampire added and softly nuzzled his nose into your hair as you buried your face at his chest.

“I forgive you - sorry I threw baked goods at you”, you mumbled into his chest but you knew he had understood you when you felt the soft rumble of his laughter run through his whole body.

“It’s all good, my love. I got what I deserved and may I add: incredible aim. You’ve not lost your touch since the end of our grand adventure”, Astarion added and pressed a kiss to the top of your head.

You relaxed a little and just sat there with him for a few moments as you felt that your breathing slowly became normal again and some tension leaving your body. Astarion just held you.

After a while the vampire dragged over the bowl of liquor drenched fruit he’d been stealing out of. “Cherry, my sweet?”, he asked and with that made you look up again. He was holding the sticky fruit between his thumb and index and winked at you.

And for some reason that made you laugh. But when you didn’t immediately answer, Astarion shrugged his shoulders and popped the little treat in his mouth. You whacked his hand.

“No, Astarion! And stop eating those, we still need them!”, you scolded him as your partner pouted at you for being told off.

“Alright, no more cherries, but only if you agree to come with me and get some fresh air”, Astarion proposed. You wanted to protest but the vampire hushed you. “I’m sure Gale can be trusted to not burn the house down for like half an hour alone”, he continued.

You looked at him with some suspicion: “Unlike you to trust Gale with anything but walking in a straight line.”

Astarion rolled his eyes while he already got up and made to drag you along.

“Well, unusual circumstances and the like - you know”, he went on and let his free hand draw circles in the air. You just shrugged, honestly being happy to be dragged outside for a while.

“Now come, love, get your cloak - you need a break from all the sweet and savoury dishes here”, Astarion said and patted your butt for some motivation.You grinned at him: “Alright, except for that one sweet snack, my dear.”

Tag list: @spacebarbarianweird @sunfire-ancunin @tragedybunny @dependsonthedream @tallymonster @magazzne @micropoe10 @aoirohi @my-bunny-prince @lumienyx @fayeriess @darlingxdragon

[coqxettee]

How to romanticise January 🦢✩₊˚☁️⋆☾🌬₊✧

Happy first week of January completed!

I know January can be one of the dullest & hardest months, especially because Christmas is over, it’s still wintery & cold and it’s back to “normality” but here are some things you can do to make January a beautiful and cozy month ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Embrace the beauty of new beginning’s. Have an everything shower, create a new schedule, tidy your bedroom/space, organise your work, clean, plan a glow-up/plan for the new year. It’s a new year which means new beginnings so embrace these changes. Change can be scary but it is needed and can be beautiful ₊˚⊹♡

Invest in YOU. Save up money (or use money from Christmas) to get your hair done, a new manicure, buy a new item of clothing, invest in self care products i.e - A new robe/fluffy dressing gown, skincare products, new January pyjamas etc ₊˚⊹♡

Journal. Purchase a journal and practice journaling. You can do morning/night journalling, or write about what you did that day. There are loads of Journal prompts on Pinterest ₊˚⊹♡

Wear white’s, creams, beige’s, baby pink’s, grey’s & browns. Neutral colours look stunning this time of year, especially when there it’s frost on the ground or it’s raining outside. Perfect for outfit pictures ₊˚⊹♡

Bundle up in your nicest coat and scarf and go on a wintery walk. Take outfit pictures and listen to romantic music as you walk. Bring back dead leaves from the trees and press them to create a winter journal page ₊˚⊹♡

Bake - Bake anything. The new year is the perfect time to try new recipes, maybe try some healthy baking recipes. Take photos of them and write the recipes down in a notebook ₊˚⊹♡

Have cozy movie marathons, watch your favorite comfort films under huge blankets with hot cocoa, in a cute mug ₊˚⊹♡

Heal your inner child. Listen to classical music, ballet music and movie soundtracks, to take you far away to whimsical places. Light candles, watch nostalgic movies & tv shows, read your childhood favourite books ₊˚⊹♡

Eat warming, nourishing and comforting foods. January can be one of the coldest and hardest months for your body and mind, nourish your soul with warm soups, hot drinks etc ₊˚⊹♡

Start new habits/hobbies, Yoga, Pilates, (Working out in general) Painting, Crochet. Having a new hobby means you can always go back to it in the year ₊˚⊹♡

Read - Create a new TBR if you haven’t and start it at the top. Read new books and make your way through the list ₊˚⊹♡

Try frosty “Cold Girl” makeup with beige undertones for January. Try a new lip colour or put something shimmery on your eyelids. Also, give your makeup a clean (your brushes, palettes etc) ₊˚⊹♡

Take care of your skin babydoll. Use a moisturiser after showering, wear hand cream, use a good winter primer for your makeup, always take your makeup off in the evening and never miss a morning/evening of winter skincare. This is when your skin needs it the most ₊˚⊹♡

Get a new daily coffee order/go to coffee order at your local coffee shop. Try something new ₊˚⊹♡

Try going on daily walks ₊˚⊹♡

Self care nights at least once a week (working week) and set aside Sunday’s to have self care DAY’S ₊˚⊹♡

Start a new TV series ₊˚⊹♡

Limit screen time ₊˚⊹♡

Make lists of things you want to go that day ₊˚⊹♡

[theflyingfeeling]

conversations

~

just a plotless little Olli/Allu something I wanted to get out of my head because it's been keeping me up for several nights now. similar in style to this weird little fic, but not necessarily in the same universe (unless you want it to be)

~

i.

[by the fire]

The crack of the wood burning in front of them. The remains of a friends’ get-together, empty cans and half-finished bowls of crisps on the coffee table. A guitar resting in the corner because Tommi told them to call it a day already. Olli’s quiet breathing and his unreadable eyes, fixed on the fire, reflecting its warmth (or perhaps it was the other way around). 

“Do you ever…” Olli shakes his head. “Never mind.”

“No, tell me.” 

Olli’s eyes close and open again, his lips part and close, the fire swallowing whatever he’s going to say, it seems. Aleksi wants to grab the poker and prod it down to mere embers.

“Do you ever wonder what it would be like if things were… different.”

Aleksi dares not to guess what it and things were.

(He fears he’s wrong, and what might happen if he isn’t.)

“You know, if you had made different decisions. Or if you had… met someone at a different time.” 

Olli’s voice is hardly louder than the wintery silence around them, but Aleksi clings on to every word. 

Drowns in them. 

(Wishes they’d mean what he needs them to mean.) 

Dark eyelashes rest on rosy cheeks. A hand moves closer to Aleksi’s on the downy rug. Almost rests over it, hesitates, then does it anyway. 

Aleksi’s walls cave in and it’s hard to breathe when wet eyes find his own. 

“Do you know what I’m trying to tell you at all?”

Can I say no but still expect you to see through my lies? That’s all you seem to do these days.

Can I say yes and still have you hold my hand in yours like this? I might crumble if you let go.

“Maybe.” 

They hold hands as the fire burns out. They hold hands and the silence mocks their cowardice. They hold hands and Olli’s t-shirt is soft against Aleksi’s cheek, his chin quivering on top of Aleksi’s head. 

(From the cold that has fallen into the room, Aleksi decides.)

ii. 

[in the tourbus] 

A drummer snoring in the bottom bunk. Someone tossing and turning and grunting in their sheets. A thick curtain staring back at Aleksi on the other side of the narrow aisle. 

His phone buzzing. 

I miss you.

Aleksi glances at the curtain. It’s motionless, expectant. 

I’m right here?

There’s a barely audible sigh.

No, you’re not. Been absent all day and I miss you. 

Aleksi could beg to differ, but he’d have nothing to defend himself with (knowing Olli is right). He could agree, but what if Olli asked him why (knowing he can’t tell him why)? 

A compromise, Aleksi later convinces himself, to choke off the sound of his guilt and shame screaming slander at him for not knowing better. 

Aleksi does know better, but acts against such wisdom nevertheless. 

Come over here then.

A quiet whoosh of a curtain being pulled aside, then another, then something warm and soft crawls to him in the dark and wraps around him. 

A comforting scent steals all the air from Aleksi’s lungs (how could he smell so good even when living off truckstop showers?). 

A nose roaming over Aleksi’s neck brings pathetic whimpers to Aleksi’s mouth (does he not remember where they are?). 

Fidgeting fingers at the hem of Aleksi’s shirt make him tremble until they settle on his waist (and melt into the skin there like butter even though they’re ice cold there are shivers running along Aleksi’s spine). 

Lips tracing unspoken words on Aleksi’s skin where his collar bones meet (the shivers pass). 

Want you, Aleksi reads from the lips (in comes the ache in his chest). 

You can’t, Aleksi writes on Olli’s hairline, above his temple (his favourite spot). 

But I do, is the soundless response. And you do too. 

(And Aleksi did too.)

iii.

[in the studio]

A forgotten project on a laptop screen. A finished bottle of merlot. A joke that was a little too funny (or not at all funny) for them to forget themselves like that.

A nose to a nose, a pair of lips almost touching another. 

Olli’s eyes are unfocused, drifting between Aleksi’s eyes and mouth. 

“Should we… go back upstairs soon?” 

I shall make my speciality, she had promised them. The twinge of remorse is not enough to move Aleksi from the couch. 

“We should,” he says just in case, so that later he can fool his conscience and say had tried. 

A scented candle flickering by the laptop, yet all Aleksi can smell is Olli’s cologne. All that wine, yet Aleksi is drunk on something else entirely. It’s shameful, and Aleksi does feel ashamed for it, does beat himself up for it, but when Olli is right there on his couch and softening his brain like booze, Aleksi drops all his weapons to fight against it. 

There is no sound judgement in what they’re doing, nor even an ounce of self-preservation by this point. The further they go each time, the closer they come to being caught red-handed, and in a way, maybe that’s what they’re both waiting for. 

For a bandmate to walk in and beat the shit out of them, so that they’d maybe come back to their senses.

For a girlfriend to suspect something, anything, and force the truth out of them, so that they can put an end to it all, either for good or for worse. 

A ping sounding from Aleksi’s phone informing them of dinner is all they get instead. It’s enough to startle them, but not enough to completely lead them away from temptation.

iv.

[in the studio, scene 2]

[[inside him]]

The wall feels cold and harsh against Aleksi’s back, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. He can still taste his girlfriend’s praised curry off Olli’s lips, but even that’s not going to stop him from pushing Olli towards the couch. 

Olli below him is nothing like the cold and harsh floor, but instead velvety and radiating such heat that goes right through Aleksi’s bones. The taste of Olli is nothing like the spicy dish they had upstairs, but sweet and soothing, yet it leaves Aleksi hungrier than he was before dinner. 

They don’t talk. They don’t need to, not out loud. Instead, they have an entire conversation without ever making a sound, without speaking a word. 

Do you want this as much as I do? Aleksi’s fingers ask at the waistband of Olli’s trousers. 

Yes, Olli’s hips answer as they lift off the couch so Aleksi can take the trousers off. 

Am I hurting you? Aleksi’s thumb on Olli’s cheek asks. 

No, Olli’s tongue inside Aleksi’s mouth replies. 

Like this? Aleksi’s hardness moving inside Olli asks. 

Yes, like that, Olli’s entire body responds, arching, glowing, trembling.

They still don’t bother breaking the silence that fells in the room afterwards, when they’re all done and spent, lying in their own sweat and cum.

What are we going to do? Aleksi’s eyes ask.

What are we doing to do? Olli’s dark gaze echoes his question. 

Aleksi wishes he knew. 

Aleksi wishes he could find the answer in Olli’s mouth. 

v.

[under a birch tree]

The sky was white and blue and pink, and the last band of the day just got on the stage. Olli’s finger is still bleeding from when he scratched it on something during Balboa. It leaves a stain on Aleksi’s hand when Olli grabs it. Olli is drunk, but somehow his steps are anything but unsteady as he leads them behind the village of blue Bajamaja stalls. Maybe Aleksi is tipsy enough himself to not notice or care. 

“Olli, what–” and then he’s being pressed against a white tree trunk, deprived of his right to speak with his bottom lip in between Olli’s teeth. His teeth sunk in too deep, so that they’re both bleeding now.

Drowsy eyes stare up at him. Olli is drunk, but not in a tipsy way that makes him giggly and stupid, nor in the trashy way that has him scream-singing along to a song he doesn’t know in one moment and throwing up on Tommi’s shoes the next. He’s drunk in a gloomy way instead, one that sometimes had him sob against anyone’s shoulder, for no reason and for all the reasons at the same time. 

“Stay at mine tonight,” Olli begs him, his lips never leaving Aleksi’s, his eyeliner running down his cheeks. ‘Mine’ (‘yours and hers’) is just some five kilometres away, and Aleksi’s hotel purposely on the opposite side of the city. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” 

As if any of it had ever been. 

“She’s not home.” 

As if that somehow makes it any less wrong (but it does explain the regretful frown that’s been stuck on Olli’s face the whole day). 

��Still.”

“Then I’ll take you here.” 

The foolishness of it would make Aleksi laugh if he was sober enough to think that rationally, and if he didn’t feel as if they were running out of time, and if it wasn’t Olli.

“You can’t.”

The shakiness of his own voice would not have convinced himself either. 

“Aleksi, I want you.” A wet mouth is leaving its tracks all over Aleksi’s neck. 

“We’re in public,” Aleksi almost sobs and hates how the alternative to do it in private will tarnish yet another home. 

“Aleksi, mua panettaa.”

The worst thing is…

…Aleksi knew from the start he was gonna give in.

vi.

[in the studio, scene 3]

[[alone]]

A poorly-working radiator. Bottles of Pepsi that have been keeping him awake (and company) all evening. A pillow and a duvet on the couch in crumpled Moomin sheets, brought down from upstairs. 

Gonna be late ‘til I finish the project. Wouldn’t want to wake you up when I come back, he had explained.

Do as you please, she had said, never once lifting her gaze. Neither would Aleksi, if he was her. 

He could barely look at himself in the mirror these days. 

The radiator and the woolly socks he had found wrapped up under the Christmas tree were nowhere near enough to keep his blood circulating, nowhere near enough to comfort him so that he could fall asleep. 

He grabs the phone and hopes he’s not the only one still awake. 

Olli picks up within seconds. 

“Why aren’t you sleeping yet?” Olli asks him. He’s wearing a black hoodie and an ever blacker expression. 

“Why aren’t you?”

Olli looks down to hide whatever emotion he was almost about to reveal. 

“I was gonna call you. I wanted to ask you something.” 

Aleksi waits. 

“Do you… do you remember that one time in… I can’t remember actually. Somewhere in the Midwest maybe. That one time it was thundering real loud. 

And you woke me up to listen to it with you?

“Yeah, I think I do remember.”

“Do you remember how the rain was coming down in buckets?”

Yes, and your eyes were as dark as they are now.

“And do you remember that one morning in Colorado? When it had snowed overnight and the bus was freezing.” 

And you crawled in my bed again, slid your hands under my shirt again. 

“And that one freaky hotel in… was it Amsterdam? Where they had that strange shower thing.”

And where you fucked me for the first time (yes, even in that strange shower). 

“And… and do you remember when we were in Tokyo. It was so beautiful there.”

I only remember the early mornings and you biting my thighs to wake me up, and you riding me when we couldn’t sleep, and you showing me that vibrator you had bought. 

I only remember how shy you looked all of a sudden, and how the shade of your cheeks matched the shade of that toy when I pushed it in. 

“I wish we could go back.” 

The tear-choked confession brings Aleksi back to the present. 

“Back where?”

Olli shrugs. “Anywhere. Tokyo, maybe.” 

Kissing under an out-of-bloom cherry tree. 

“Me too,” Aleksi says. 

Maybe that’s what it would be like. 

If things were different.

~

authors note: the Finnish word panettaa is not the easiest to translate but it means that one is feeling horny. a more direct translation would be something along the lines of "I feel like fucking" or "I want/need to fuck"

[gaypleasantview]

Day 5: Wonderful Christmastime // Clothing Set

Set includes:

⋆ spannersims' AF Dawn Sweaters, converted from TS4 on keoni's 4t2 EP11SweaterFrench mesh

⋆ GenericFan's AM Knifty Sweater (Pride & Holiday), converted from TS4 on lowedeus' 4t2 SP17 Sweater Crochet mesh

⋆ Miss Ruby Bird's AM Winter Sweaters for the Boys, converted from TS4 on lowedeus' 4t2 SP17 Sweater Crochet mesh

⋆ Miss Ruby Bird's CU Winter Sweater Recolor, converted from TS4 on RentedSpace's 4t2 EF13SweaterFairIsle mesh

⋆ spannersims' Holly Jolly Hat, converted from TS4 on MDP's 4t2 EP05Santa mesh

Link, swatch and more info under the cut ♡

Hi! Happy holidays to everyone celebrating! I'm thinking of maybe sharing a couple more gifts before the end of the year now that I have a little more free time. May not be the most traditional way of doing an advent calendar ever but it's more true to my culture that way, anyway. And yay, presents!

Today I wanted to bring you something really wintery so I converted a bunch of sweaters and a Santa hat! I didn't feel like having another breakdown meshing clothes so I looked for some recolors for TS4 meshes that have already been converted by amazing people in our community. Some of these sweaters have a more holiday-ish vibe, and some are just cute thingies that your sims could wear in cold weather. All of them allegedly work as outerwear, too, but I currently don't have the separates mod to check so let's just hope I'm not lying on the internet right now.

Everything is tooltipped and compressed. I tried to name the files clearly so you know what kind of print every file contains, if I labeled something weird it's because I don't always understand pictures lol. No age convesions today, unfortunately. But feel free to send requests, I'll see what I can do!

Credits: spannersims, Miss Ruby Bird, GenericFan for the textures; keoni, lowedeus, RentedSpace, MDP for the meshes; Julia Dreams for some of the original patterns; 4t2 CAS Conversion Archive for being a super useful and fun tool!

☁ Download

Important: all of the AM sweaters (Knifty Sweater and Winter Sweater AM) share the same mesh (lowedeus_TS4sweater_MESH) so please be careful not to put it in your game multiple times. I put it in the shared folder :)

SFS | Mediafire

☁ Swatch

⋆ spannersims Dawn Sweaters on keoni's 4t2 EP11SweaterFrench mesh - AF, everyday & outerwear

⋆ GenericFan Knifty Sweater on lowedeus' 4t2 SP17 Sweater Crochet mesh - AM, everyday & outerwear I think I will convert the solid/striped/Halloween sweaters eventually, but for now I only did the Holiday and Pride ones. The colors on some sweaters might not be spread out evenly due to the mesh mapping. I also edited the lesbian ones a little bit to be slightly more orange and resemble the older flag less.

Pride:

Holiday:

⋆ Miss Ruby Bird Winter Sweaters for the Boys on lowedeus' 4t2 SP17 Sweater Crochet mesh - AM, everyday & outerwear

⋆ Miss Ruby Bird Winter Sweater Recolor on RentedSpace's 4t2 EF13SweaterFairIsle mesh - CU, everyday & outerwear

⋆ spannersims Holly Jolly Hat on MDP's 4t2 EP05Santa mesh - TU-EU, glasses bin, layerable

[soiltouched]

@moondevoured

"I'm cold, Nessa." She wasn't really, aside from the little feet that had pattered across the marble flooring of their mansion's lavish landing in order to reach her older sister's room. But the company of her sister always made her sleep that much more soundly, and trying to obtain a spot in her bed had become a bit of a habit now. Some nights, she knew Nesta would begrudgingly give up the comfort of her spacious bed to accommodate her younger sister curled up next to her, whilst on other days, she would send her back to bed with promise of other times of shared comfort to come. Little did they know that there would be many times of shared beds, where moments of comfort would be few and far between.

---

"Nesta, I'm cold---I can't shake the cold..." Her teeth had been chattering for well over an hour, and despite having the luck of being in the middle, between her two sisters, for this night, there was just no warming up, no winning the eternal race against the icy cold of winter that seeped through the cracks of their cottage. No matter what, it always seemed to catch up with her. And once it held her in its icy grasp, the cold would seep into her bones and settle there until every part of her ached. Pressing herself further against her older sister, Elain clenched her jaws tightly together.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you. Could you just---"

Nesta's warm breath washing over her was a good remedy against the wintery chill. Perhaps the only remedy she'd found; the fire had crackled out, their father asleep in front of it, and with no more wood to fuel it, they would have to wait until the next day to gain a true semblance of warmth again.

---

Cold. So very, very cold. Not just her body, her very soul was cold now, her heart stilled, her breath frozen in her lungs, and she couldn't speak, couldn't hear, couldn't see. Everything around her was black now, a deeper, darker black than anything she'd ever experienced. And then the ice, Mother Above, the ice that ran through her veins---she opened her mouth to scream, but no sound emerged. Death gripped her, and she was deconstructed, piece by agonising little piece, until she was nothing but essence of the girl once known as Elain. The Cauldron stilled for the briefest of moments, marveling as it does with all Creation, and it gifted her with something in exchange for the marvel of her life. She could see. She could see so very far now.

---

"It's been cold without you."

She doesn't know why she says it like that, nor does she know if the message will even reach its intended goal or simply fall on deaf ears, but she has to try something. There was a point where she would have simply let the situation be, where she would have focused on her own pretty little things and pastimes in order to avoid confrontation...and she has been doing that, for far too long now.

It's taken quite a bit of time for her to come to that conclusion, and it takes even more conscious effort to not fall back into the same patterns, but she's on the right track. So is Nesta, she knows for a fact. But too much has happened between the two of them to just address that out in the open, out of nowhere. And so, she pushes past her habit of making herself scarce and busying herself with inconsequential things, in favour of what truly matters. Her sister.

She doesn't know a better way to say it. She can't outright say it. But it's written on her face nonetheless.

I miss you, Nessa.

[invisibleraven]

Keeping Spirits Bright

Day 11: Snow + Ralex <=AO3

“If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?” 

The question comes out of nowhere, but Alex is used to that with Reggie-his mind works in mysterious ways. And maybe it’s because he’s a good boyfriend, or maybe it’s because he is bored and there’s nothing on that he indulges him. “I mean in the US? New York definitely-I want to see the sights and sounds of Broadway. In the world? I mean, I’d like to visit Germany; see where my oma and opa grew up. What about you?”

“I’d go to Antarctica.” 

“Why ?” Alex asks with a sidelong look. 

“Well for one, because I would like to see a penguin,” Reggie said, ticking it off on his finger. “Plus I would love to see snow.” 

“You've never seen snow before?”’ Alex asked. 

“I mean, I have,” Reggie replied. “But nothing that stayed long enough to do all the fun wintery stuff you can do in it. Make a snowman, go skiing, have a snowball fight.” 

“I mean if you really wanna ski we can go up to Vail,” Alex offered. “I used to go with my folks all the time when I was a kid.” 

“I don’t think I should actually ski,” Reggie replied. “You know how uncoordinated I am. But a wintery getaway might be fun. One day when we can afford it.” 

“Go to a chalet in the Alps, sip cocoa by the fire?’ Alex proposed. 

“Skate on a frozen lake, go on a sleigh ride,” Reggie mused. “Though I still wanna make snow angels.” 

“We can do that,” Alex assured him with a giggle. “Maybe when we tour through Europe we can convince Luke to take a break in Switzerland in December.” 

“Oooh, have a real white Christmas!” Reggie enthused. “With a real tree, and chestnuts and everything in that Nat King Cole song.” 

“That’d be nice,” Alex admitted. “So that’s what we’ll do-when we’re rich and famous, we’ll have our winter getaway, complete with all the wintery fun you want, and it’ll be great.” 

“Yeah,” Reggie sighed, leaning into his side. “I can’t wait to do all that with you-see the world, play sold out shows everywhere, get to do everything we’ve ever wanted to.” 

“As long as we’re together,” Alex stated.

“No getting rid of me,” Reggie assured him. 

And years later, with fresh rings on their fingers, Alex mad good on their imaginings-whisking them away to a cabin for the holidays. Reggie was in his glee-even as he shivered through every activity, despite his layers. Nothing could erase his smile, and Alex prided himself on a job well done. 

But also on having the forethought to get the fire and cocoa ready so his new husband didn’t get hypothermia before they go to their sleigh ride and snowball fight. 

A snowball fight Alex was determined to win. 

Of course, given Reggie helped coach Little League, he had pretty good aim, but he was a rank amateur when it came to forming his projectiles, so Alex scraped by with a win, but they were laughing too much to really keep score. 

The sleigh ride was more sedate-though of  course Reggie, ever the cowboy at heart was so enthralled by the horses he almost missed the scenery. Alex didn’t mind though-Reggie’s enthusiasm helped belay his own anxieties about trusting two massive beasts (and their driver) to steer them safely through unknown woods and not toss them into a ravine or something. Reggie swore that one day he was taking Alex horseback riding, but Alex wished him all the luck in the world ever getting him close to a horse again, no matter how smooth the ride had been. 

“Anything else you wanna check off your wintery bucket list before Christmas?” Alex asked that night as they enjoyed their fire and some warm cider. “The staff says the lake isn’t solid enough to skate on so that’s a no, but we could try skiing if you’re up for it.” 

“Would it be terrible of me to say I wanna stay in tomorrow?’ Reggie asked. “I love that you did all this for me, but snow is cold and wet , and I’m kinda over it?” 

Alex laughed then to the point that he almost collapsed on top of Reggie. “Oh thank god you said something. I am so sick of it!”

It was Reggie’s turn to laugh then, the two of them holding each other as they shook with giddiness. “So you wanna head home?” Alex asked. 

Reggie looked outside to where the drifts were sparkling in the moonlight, then back to Alex, lit by the fire’s glow and the soft twinkling of the lights on the tree they had decorated earlier. “Nah, I still want my Christmas with you. Just maybe we'll stick to indoor activities from here on out.” 

Alex grinned, pulling him in to rub their pink noses together. “That sounds like a perfect way to finish off our honeymoon.” 

Reggie responded with a kiss-one hot enough to make even their lopsided snowman melt. But that was okay-the both of them preferred the heat. So even with the snow blowing outside, they didn’t mind-they had each other to keep them warm. 

[thewritingbeforesunrise]

BALLERINA - Chapter One.

A Jake Kiszka AU

Pairing: Physiotherapist!Jake x Original Female Character

A/N: As promised, this is the first chapter of the story about ballet dancer Iris and physiotherapist Jake. I apologize in advance for any mistakes and I really hope you like this. I had this idea in my mind for quite some time, I am so happy to finally be able to share it with you. This story is a slowburn.

Don't hesitate to let me know what you think about this!

Word count: 3.5K

Warnings for this chapter: talking of bad injuries and medical stuff (I am not an expert, so I apologise for any inaccuracies), poor mental health, talking of depression, death and suicide (only hinted at), panic attack, Jake is a sweetheart.

I think that's all. Let me know if I missed something.

If you are interested, you can join my general taglist here.

_________________________________

Dancing had always been one of Iris's biggest passions, ever since she was very little.

As far as she could remember, she always danced.

Even her mother told her so.

Even before learning how to walk properly, she would stumble around dancing to every kind of sound she heard.

Even the random advertising jingles she heard on television spurred her on to move in rhythm.

So it was obvious for Iris, and for everyone else around her, that when she had to decide which career to pursue in her life, she had chosen dancing.

She had to make many sacrifices, but the satisfaction she felt because of her talent and dedication repaid her for every night spent practicing and every party she had to skip through her teenage years, to pursue her dream to become a ballet dancer.

Iris absolutely lived and breathed dancing and she couldn't even imagine what would become of her if she couldn't dance anymore.

~

It was a wintery Saturday evening like many others.

It was very late and the weather was awful.

There was a thin layer of snow on the pavement that creaked softly under her every step.

Big cottony flakes were falling slowly all around her, making her cheeks sting every time one touched her skin, like invisible freezing kisses.

Iris had been practicing a very difficult part for an upcoming audition she had been both dreading and longing for almost three years.

And she was absolutely knackered because of how many times she replayed it alone in her practice room.

She was finally heading home, to her little rented flat.

It wasn't that far away but she was walking fast anyway.

It was cold and she just wanted to shower and go straight to bed wrapped up in a soft blanket.

She was crossing a road on the pedestrian crossing and, suddenly, she was blinded by white headlights that weren't there a second before.

She heard the loud screeching of tires and the sound of a car swerving onto the pavement and a loud crash.

Then darkness swallowed her and everything around her.

~

She woke up in an anonymous hospital room, after two days of complete unconsciousness. She knew this because a nurse happened to be in her room when she woke and told her with a grimace that it was Monday.

The last day she remembered something from was Saturday.

Her head hurt, but she could feel pain everywhere.

She had IVs in both arms.

She took a while to focus on her surroundings, also because her eyes kept closing. It was so difficult to keep them open for more than two seconds without having to close them, due to the bright light coming from the windows.

She suspected it had also something to do with the analgesic they were probably keeping her on, to make her pain somewhat bearable.

She didn't remember anything so started to panic because she didn't recognise her surroundings.

The nurse approached her immediately and tried to comfort her.

"Where am I?" She asked her feebly in a whisper.

"You are at Saint James hospital darling, you were brought here at two in the morning two days ago." The nurse replied gently, trying not to scare her more, treating her like a caged wild animal.

Iris tried to move, but felt a jolt of pain in her right leg.

"No no, darling, don't move," the nurse said, worried.

This time Iris asked her the question she dreaded the answer the most.

"Why am I here?" The girl inquired, voice shaking.

The kind nurse didn't answer her, but the sorrowful expression in her eyes told her everything she needed to know.

She panicked even more.

She could hear the heartrate monitor beeping like crazy on her left. She started to shift her gaze down her body and noticed that her arms were scattered with deep blue bruises and cuts.

Then, with a swift motion, she moved the covers aside and froze.

She had a big loose white t-shirt on that didn't cover her lower half.

It wasn't hers.

Her legs were covered in cuts and bruises, but what made her start crying and her stomach churn were the white bandages around her right leg, starting below her hip and going down to her calf.

The nurse was still next to her and Iris grabbed her arm strongly, stopping her before she could inject another tranquiliser into her IV.

She wanted to be conscious when the nurse answered her question. The girl watched her right in the eyes and spoke.

"What happened?" She asked again through sobs.

"Darling, you were brought here after a car hit you in the middle of the street on Saturday night. Now it is Monday afternoon. You were unconscious for two days." She said and Iris couldn't stand the pity in her voice.

She pressed her further.

"What happened to my leg?" She gestured down to it with a grimace, fearing her answer.

"I am going to call the doctor, he will tell you everything" and before she could stop her, she disappeared down the corridor.

Iris started sobbing again and she lightly touched the bandages.

She winced at the pain and retrieved her hand, immediately.

At that moment a doctor entered the room.

He was a tall, middle-aged man with kind

eyes.

"Miss, you are awake, finally" he said.

Iris didn't even answer his greeting.

She went straight to the point.

"What happened to my leg?" She asked, her voice was harsh and cold.

He watched her closely then answered honestly.

"A car hit you in the middle of the street a couple of blocks away from here. They left you there without calling an ambulance, but some people saw the incident and called the hospital. The doctors stabilized you and then brought you here. You haven't suffered any kind of brain damage, but you have a concussion and your leg was broken in two different places." He came closer and motioned to her bandages.

"You suffered the fracture of the femur and of tibia and fibula, here and here" he pointed at her leg but she didn't see him do that.

She didn't even hear him finish his explanation.

In the middle of his speech her brain had stopped working.

She was transfixed.

The word fracture was burning in bold letters in her mind every time she blinked.

She started to panic seriously.

She almost yanked away all her IVs and the nurses and the doctor had to physically hold her down to prevent further damages.

Iris felt something sting in her leg and the bandages started to soak with dark blood.

She was screaming horribly like a mad woman and they had to sedate her.

Everything around her turned dark again.

~

Once Iris re-emerged from deep induced sleep, she felt even more tired than before.

She couldn't keep her eyes open and her head straight.

She didn't even have the strength to speak.

She heard a voice next to her.

She recognised it.

It was the same nurse, she was telling her something she couldn't understand.

Iris felt her hand lightly brush away her hair from her face.

She felt like crying.

She remembered everything that happened and the physical and psychological pain immediately cleared her mind, unfortunately.

She didn't want to think about it.

She didn't want to think, at all.

At that moment, she wished that the car had killed her instead of leaving her like this.

Alive but damaged.

Deep down, she already knew she wouldn't be able to dance anymore.

A friend of hers some years prior had to quit for minor injuries.

Her heart was broken, her dream too, what was the point of living?

She didn't have one anymore.

She started sobbing and the nurse tried to comfort her.

Iris held onto her and she cried all her tears.

Once she didn't have any more tears left to cry, she fell asleep with the worst headache ever.

~

The next morning Iris woke up really early.

The nurses had called her mother and she was right by her side.

She told her that she was there for a brief moment even the day before but they sent her away because she needed rest.

The sun wasn't even out and Iris's eyes were already open.

She had still that terrible headache, due to the longest crying session she had ever had.

Her mother told her that she was going to get a coffee and asked if she wanted something too.

The girl told her no but her mother left with an expression that was telling her she was going to bring her something anyway.

Since there was nobody around, with trembling hands, Iris decided to push away the covers and inspect her injuries again, trying not to have another panic attack in the process.

She gasped loudly when she saw the clean bandages for the second time.

This time the length of her leg wasn't all wrapped up in white gauze, like the other day.

This time her skin was free, big white patches covered two points of her bruised leg.

She thought about the deep wounds that they were covering and she felt a little sick.

Right when she was about to cover herself again, the doctor arrived.

"Good Morning Miss, I didn't want to disturb you, but since you are already awake…I came here because I wanted to know how you are feeling today" he said with a calm tone.

Iris didn't know what to say so she opted for the truth.

"I am a bit in pain, and I am very worried" she told him and then she gathered the courage to ask him the question she had been dreading for the entire time she was conscious.

The one that she already knew the answer to.

"Please be honest with me, will I be able to dance again?" Her voice was so feeble she didn't know if he heard her right.

He sat down on the chair on the other side of the bed, facing the one her mother was occupying a few minutes before.

Her hands were visibly trembling and he noticed.

After a moment, he answered.

"You want me to be honest and I am going to be." He said, while touching his glasses.

"I don't know. All I can tell you is that, with a lot of rehabilitation, you will be able to stand and walk just like before, but I can't say anything about dancing. I don't want to get your hopes up, but I don't want to tell you you won't dance anymore, either." He said matter-of-factly.

Iris nodded at his words, tears already clouding her vision.

"Right now, you have to focus on starting to walk again and you will need a lot of strength to do that. You have to focus all the effort you used on dancing on walking, first. And I am here also to talk about this. We have a physiotherapist here that can help you. And..." He stopped as someone knocked on the door.

At that moment, her mother entered the room.

She had a small paper bag with her and she placed it in front of Iris. The girl thanked her and told her what the doctor said when she was away.

The doctor went on talking about the physiotherapist and he told her that he was going to bring him there to talk to her, too.

Iris was worried and scared.

He went out of the room to call him and she

waited.

After a moment, he reappeared on the threshold with a young man next to him.

They stopped there for a moment, talking quietly.

Her breath catched in her throat

The physiotherapist was very young and, honestly, beautiful.

He had long brown hair tied in a low ponytail, sweet brown eyes and a perfect smile.

They approached her and he smiled, making her blush.

He was gorgeous and she was beyond embarrassed by her reaction.

Iris was sure she was looking miserable and ugly in her hospital attire and messy hair, so she tried to get herself together as best as she could.

She heard her mother mutter something not very nice about his long hair.

"Mum, sshh" she hushed her with a sharp look.

Unfortunately, he caught the comment, she saw it in his eyes that he did, but he acted very politely and didn't say anything.

"This is Doctor Jacob Kiszka, he will be your physiotherapist. He will help you with your rehabilitation. He knows everything about what happened to you because he was in surgery with me when I operated on you" The doctor introduced him to her and the young man smiled kindly, extending his hand towards her.

Iris grabbed his extended hand. It was so warm and soft in contrast with her ice-cold skin.

It was over too soon for her liking.

She had to forcefully avert her eyes from his, his deep brown stare was too intense. The doctor left him there with her and excused himself to answer the phone.

When the young doctor started talking, a warm shiver ran down her spine.

His raspy voice made her fingers fist the white hospital linen in her lap.

"Hi, Iris. You can call me Jake, we are the same age, no need to call me Doctor." He said smiling and she timidly smiled back to him.

"I will take care of you and your leg, don't worry. May I inspect the wounds? I just want to see how they are healing, so I can tell you when we can start with rehabilitation." He said in a warm calming tone.

He was so polite.

She nodded and he grabbed the cover and pulled it off her body gently, exposing her naked right leg.

She wasn't wearing pants, so she was laying in front of him in her panties and a big white t-shirt. He seemed unfazed as he focused on the bandages.

"Madam, may I ask you to exit while I inspect your daughter's wounds, please?" He spoke to her mother.

Considering her mother's rude comment about him, he was still very polite towards her.

Her mother had to do what he said even though she didn't want to, because his tone didn't admit any contradictions.

When she was out of the room, Iris quickly apologized on her behalf and he laughed.

"Don't worry about it, darling" he said with a beaming smile and then spoke again, focused on her leg.

"Do you mind if I take these off?" He asked, pointing at her bandages.

Seeing the terror in her eyes, he quickly added "I won't hurt you, I promise."

"I am not afraid of the bandage" she told him in a whisper.

"I am afraid of what I am going to see underneath… but go on, I will be ok" Iris knew she wouldn't, but she didn't tell him.

He touched her thigh, his fingers brushed directly on her naked skin, making her shiver and goosebumps raise on her skin.

He started to peel off the bandage, very delicately and carefully.

Once he was done, Iris looked down and covered her mouth with a gasp at the sight underneath.

There was a very long cut down the side of her thigh, the black stitches standing out sharply against her skin. The wound was rimmed with slightly pinker skin. The bandage was clean, the wound was finally healing.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

She cleared her throat and answered with a timid "Yes".

He inspected the cut and, after a moment, he spoke.

"It's healing, but it should be a little more by now" he said, inspecting the wound closely.

"Oh, it's my fault, on Monday I had a nervous breakdown and it started bleeding because I tried to move and they had to sedate me". Iris told him sheepishly, casting her gaze on her hands, embarrassed.

He grabbed some disinfectant and dabbed at it lightly. She flinched a little because of the cold and he apologized.

"You don't have to apologize about what happened on Monday, ok? But, please, be careful with your movements from now on, since your wounds are healing very well. I was there when the doctor operated on you and the fractures looked horrible. Both displaced fractures" He tapped lightly on her thigh, then grabbed a big white envelope and showed her the x-rays.

Iris was shocked.

Her femur, tibia and fibula were snapped in a half.

"Don't worry, the doctor did a great job with your leg. This is the new x-ray" he said, grabbing another envelope.

There were many screws in her bones and it hurt just to look at it, but, at least, the bones were in one piece again. His hands went back to her leg and moved down on her knee.

There, he carefully took off the other bandage and inspected the other wound. It wasn't as big as the other one but still, she had at least fifteen stitches there. He dabbed a bit of disinfectant there, too, and then spoke.

"I think it is better if we wait two weeks before doing some rehabilitation. I am sure that, in two weeks' time, your bones and wounds will be fully healed." He said smiling kindly to her.

Iris was a bit disappointed.

She didn't want to wait two weeks before being able to see him again, but she nodded anyway.

"Now I am going to replace your bandages and then I will let you rest." He grabbed two clean bandages and he attentively put the first one right below her knee and the other one on her thigh.

Again, his touch made her shiver a little, his hot skin in stark contrast with her icy one.

He waved her goodbye and exited the room.

But, she already missed him.

His delicate touch, his beautiful hands, his kind eyes and his raspy voice occupied her thoughts very often in those two weeks, much more than she would like to admit.

_________________________________

Next chapter

Taglist: @why-ami-on-here @sammyslappers @spark-my-nature @highladyofasgard @sparrowofthedawnsworld

[cryptidsurveys]

Wednesday, October 2rd, 2023.

do you have a favourite sibling? I only have one sibling. They were the catalyst for the recent family drama, and let's just say if I ever gave them the benefit of the doubt in the past, then those days are long expired.

apple or android? I don't think I've ever owned an Apple product.

what colour is the blanket/quilt on your bed? The comforter is light gray. I have several other blankets as well, and those are a variety of colors. One has hunting dogs in an autumn forest, the second has a group of kittens, and the last has a cardinal and holly leaves (kind of wintery/Christmas-themed).

any languages you want to learn? A couple visited the animal shelter the other day and they only spoke Spanish, which got me thinking - yet again - that it might be a good idea to at least learn the basics.

is maths easy or hard? I was decent at it up to a point, but as new concepts built upon my relatively flimsy foundation, things eventually started to crumble. I kind of wonder how I would do now, though - like would my adult brain be better at grasping those concepts, or would it still lead to the same inevitable end?

do you play basketball? I don't.

ever prank called someone? I went through a brief prank calling phase as a kid. I went a little too far, though, and it resulted in the one and only time I've ever been grounded.

ever tried carrot juice? I haven't.

what's an unusual/weird food combo you like? My dad used to eat pickle and peanut butter sandwiches. They aren't something I eat often - I think I've only tried them a couple of times - but the flavor combo wasn't bad. Aside from that, I really can't think of anything too unusual.

favourite milkshake flavour? Maybe something with coffee or peanut butter.

favourite type of milk? I use almond milk most often (in addition to coffee creamer), but if I was going to drink it plain, then I would go with whole milk.

would you rather wear a suit or dress? A suit.

best year of your life? Much of my childhood was pretty good, so maybe a year in there somewhere. And 2011 was great for backpacking-related highlights (I'm really going to miss those days) but was otherwise kind of shit. I think I'm going to go with 2023, though - it started off slowly, but ended on a high note that continued into 2024. There were some rough patches along the way, but nothing anywhere close to what I experienced in the decade prior to it.

how loud do you like your music in the car? Loud enough to hear, but not so loud that you can't comfortably carry on a conversation.

prefer to write or read? Read. These days, surveys are pretty much the only form of "writing" I do.

favourite apps? YouTube and Instagram.

did/does your favourite teacher wear glasses? I don't have a definite favorite teacher, and I honestly can't recall whether the ones I did like wore glasses or not.

how do you like your eggs if you like them at all? Over easy or scrambled.

ever seen snow? I have.

ever gone sledging? Yeah.

favourite holiday? It's so hard to choose. I enjoy all of the autumn/winter holidays. It's not even about the individual "days" themselves; it's about the whole atmosphere surrounding and leading up to them.

is your hair long? No.

do/did you play an instrument? I played piano and clarinet when I was little, and I taught myself to play a bit of guitar when I was in my early 20s. I don't play anything these days, though.

do you have a nintendo switch? Aside from a much-neglected Xbox 360 in our basement, I don't have any gaming systems/consoles.

ever skipped class? Yeah.

ever skipped a whole school day? Yeah.

what is a fruit you refuse to eat? I'm not a huge fan of oranges, but it's not to the point where I would absolutely refuse to eat them.

would you rather gain weight or lose weight? I don't want to lose weight because I need at least this level of strength and stamina to do what I do at the shelter, but I don't want to gain weight either because I don't think my eating disorder brain could cope with it. I'd really like to just stay stable for a while.

would you rather gain height or lose height? Neither.

when was the last time you ate cotton candy? I have no idea.

are both your eyes the same colour? Yeah.

do you prefer to carry a backpack or a purse? I take a backpack to the shelter and on trips to the Mountain Park, but I use a smaller bag for shorter outings.

do you like glittery things? I'm kind of indifferent.

ever watched a play in the theatre? I went to see The Ugly Duckling when I was a child, as well as a play at the community college (some sort of cowboy western musical comedy) when I was around 19-20 years old.

are you naturally blonde? No. Brown is my natural hair color.

do you have a pet rabbit? No.

do you have a pet fish? We used to.

do you have a pet cat? We have three kitties.

do you have a pet chicken? No.

best thing that's happened today? Probably my therapy appointment. Getting everything off my chest that I've been carrying around for the past couple of weeks was nice. I'm going to see a movie with my mom later (Wild Robot), so hopefully that will be a good time too. Praying for there to be nothing more than a little bit of unavoidable awkwardness. Also praying for my ability to set strong boundaries before a little awkwardness turns into a whole lotta awkwardness.

opinion on brussel sprouts? I like 'em.

what colour is your country's flag? Red, white, and blue.

are you studying any languages? I'm not.

how many followers do you have on instagram? I think I have 55.

how about twitter? I don't use Twitter anymore.

are you brave? Maybe in some ways.

how much would i have to pay you to get you to do karaoke? As long as no one else was subjected to my subpar singing, I would gladly do it for free.

would you rather watch a movie from home or at the movies? Home is more comfortable and convenient, but who am I kidding? I probably wouldn't even watch movies if it wasn't for my mom taking me to see them. I wish I was more of an independent movie watcher because there are so many I think I would enjoy, but I'm just…not.

last time you went ice skating? A long time ago.

have you cheated on a test? It's possible. I don't recall any specific instance, though.

painting or drawing? Digital/tablet painting.

art or science? Science.

dancing or singing? Singing.

history or geography? History.

favourite season? Autumn. With winter as a close second.

do you watch supernatural? I've seen a few episodes.

if you could change your eye colour would you? Naw.

what colour would you change it to? N/a.

what is your religion? I believe in God, but I don't follow a particular religion.

are both your ears pierced? No.

[novantinuum]

Fandom: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Rating: G Words: 1.7K~ Summary: heart•song (n.): An expression of our most inner being, identity, and reason for existence – what twists and turns of life have led us here, to this dangerous place? And by what strength do we keep enduring? - Or: For a sage to give one their vow, first there must be vulnerability. (A collection of shorts exploring the bond between each sage and Link.)

Some Tulin and Link bonding content for y'all today! I have a lil' one-shot planned for every single TotK sage.

NOTE: This fic contains TotK main quest spoilers.

Enjoy! <3

____

One: Tulin

The bitting air chill produced by the monumental cyclone they’re approaching is almost enough to send a shiver down his spine, downy feathers be damned.

Tulin tucks his wings in tight and scoots himself closer to the fire Link just lit, its delicate flames protected from the merciless touch of this wintery weather within a little alcove they spotted in the ruins midway up the Rising Island Chain. It’s not an impressive fire by any means— not like one of Gesane’s massive hillside beacons— but it’s more than enough to keep warm and cook a quick meal over. 

Of course, resting and eating are the last two things he wants to focus on right now with the well-being of his whole village at stake.

He lets out a faint huff, his warm breath condensing into a foggy cloud that‘s rapidly whisked away by the wind. Restless talons rap against the sky platform’s aged stonework. Nothing about this quest has panned out as expected so far, and it’s super frustrating to him. First his prized bow got stolen by monsters— and that’s embarrassing enough on its own— but then he’s been lagging behind Link all the way up these freezing cold islands… struggling to recover his full stamina after continuous use of his wind burst powers. He just feels… so, so small— so guilty, as if… he’s somehow letting his whole village down if he allows himself to slow down and rest for even more than a minute. 

“Do we really have to break now?” he halfheartedly protests, fighting to keep his beak from chattering between syllables. “We’re like, halfway there!”

“Your stomach’s rumbling,” is all Link signs in response, before reaching into his bag.

Tulin’s features scrunch into a grimace as he realizes the Hylian is clearly attempting to spare his feelings. After all, it’s not a coincidence that Link suggested setting up camp right after watching him lose air momentum and almost miss his landing on this latest chunk of island.

He may be foolish sometimes, may be in way, way over his head up here, but he’s far from ignorant.

Or at least, he’d really like to believe so.

After a minute or so of rummaging through various pockets and flaps, his traveling partner retrieves two metal skewers and a handful of peppers and cubed venison from his supplies. (Good grief, just how deep is that bag?) He’s swift and methodical in preparing them for the fire— piercing their sides one by one, alternating between meat and vegetable to provide a well balanced meal: protein, and something to keep their bodies warm at these near impossible heights.

(For, despite what many of his people would have the Hylians think, there is a limit to how far up a Rito can venture before even their feathers freeze over.) 

But even if he’s anxious to continue their mission as soon as he possibly can, there’s no denying the fact that a skilled warrior dare not fight on an empty stomach. Swallowing the rest of his impatience, Tulin mouths a hollow ‘thanks’ as Link passes one of the finished skewers to him. Clutching it within his feathery grasp, he starts to rotate it over the flames. The two fall into a natural silence in the minutes that follow. It’s quite simple to let one’s mind wander whilst cooking, of course. The eye is so fixed on the outer rind of one’s food— waiting for the fire to provide that perfect, smoky singe— that the auditory senses are left free to explore whatever else they desire. Like the rhythmic crackling of embers from beneath the wood, or the wailing gusts intermittently slamming into the sides of the toppled Zonai ruins that form their alcove.

Swallowing, he traces the path of the wind towards the very edge of the sky island just a few talon lengths away… marvels at how far down the steep mountain peaks of Hebra are.

“Y’know,” he begins with hesitance, forcing himself to glance away from the daunting view of The Down Below, “I don’t think I’ve ever flown so high before.“

Long pause.

He glances back towards Link. His friend doesn’t move to respond at first, clutching his skewer with both hands, but he can tell he’s paying attention from the way he shifts his head, angling his ear so he can catch his voice over the air’s violent whistling. 

“Sometimes,” he continues, “it felt like… I dunno. Like even though I wanted to prove myself to my dad, wanted to explore the furthest reaches of this sky… it just wasn’t the right time yet.”

“And is it the right time now?” Link asks, almost so quiet so as to be imperceptible. It’s actually a little jarring— he doesn’t hear the man speak out loud too often. He wonders why he’s chosen to do so today.

Although on second consideration, the answer may be simpler than meets the eye- it’s probably because his hands are occupied with the cooking.

Tulin clamps his beak shut, considering for a moment. “I— I don’t know. I hope it is. Everyone back at home could really use a turn in this weather.”

His dad, most of all. It wasn’t too long ago that Elder Kaneli relinquished the role and passed it on to him. Seeing the way this duty has washed out his feathers, he almost wishes it didn’t happen at all. Of course, no one could’ve predicted the Upheaval, or this dreadful blizzard. No one could’ve predicted the village would have to reckon with the very real threat of starvation. So having to watch Dad’s dauntless spirit nearly crumple under the pressure all the responsibilities of leadership bring… it pains him. It’s why he’s been so fervent in pushing back against his non-engagement policy this whole time— because the Dad he knows wouldn’t just sit back and accept bare minimum survival when his people are suffering.

His thoughts are interrupted by a faint rumble at his side, likely Link clearing his throat. With a hum of intrigue, he turns to meet his gaze.

“Your skewer’s smoldering,” he says, nodding towards the campfire.

Sharp inhale.

Oh! Oh, yeah—

Thanking his lucky stars that someone was paying attention, Tulin yanks his meal from the flames. He summons a focused gust of wind upon his wing, blowing it across the skewer’s tip to make sure it’s not too burning hot when he bites into it. Well, at least it’s done. A bit overdone, but food is food. He certainly can’t complain after a few weeks of rationing back home. Stomach rumbling with ferocity once again, he digs in. The roasted spicy pepper warms him instantly.

From the corner of his eye, he catches a glimpse of a faint smile curving across the Hylian’s face.

“What?” he asks, the word garbled within a beak-full of meat.

Link removes his own skewer from the flames, and gestures towards him with the end of the metal stake. “Your ability,” he begins, voice a little hoarse with disuse. “Manipulation of air. How’d you become so skilled at creating such precise gusts?”

A slight laugh escapes his lungs, his body suddenly brimming with nervous energy. “I’m not sure, actually… I was really young when it started, and my memory’s kinda shaky… plus, most people don’t believe me, anyways.”

His friend scoots across the stone so he’s sitting a bit closer, and takes a hefty bite of his own dinner.

“Try me,” he says mid-chew.

Tulin inhales deeply. Oh boy, what’s the easiest way to explain this…?

“Well,” he begins, a cold burst of anxiety rushing through his veins, “it was when I was still a fledgling… still learning how to fly. I was playing with Molli and Kotts in the woods outside the village, and then… suddenly I was alone. Someplace completely different, as if I’d been spirited away.”

He pauses his story for a few seconds to take another bite of his meat and pepper skewer.

“I was in this huge, gigantic forest… even larger than the one I came from! I thought I was lost forever— that is, until this other Rito found me, and led me back to my dad. Like Dad, this Rito was also a warrior— but he had a special power, one he developed all by himself. He could push himself high up into the sky with one, mighty gust.”

Link’s brows raise in noted interest at that last statement.

“I wasn’t with him for long, but—“ Tulin lets his eyes flutter shut, thinking back to those clouded memories with deep fondness— “that day, I promised myself I’d train until I became just as powerful a warrior as him. Someone my people could really be proud of. But then again…” Opening his eyes, he turns towards his companion and gives a big ol’ shrug. “I still don’t understand how any of that could be real. That warrior… my memory’s a little fuzzy, but he looked a lot like how people describe Master Revali, from the age of Calamity. His powers, too… it’s all so strange.”

“How do you think it happened?” Link asks, his expression brimming with curiosity.

“Hmm…” he muses, curling his wing against his chin. “I dunno. For a while, I started to think that… maybe it was a dream. Maybe all my friends were right. But then again… if I’m hearing some mysterious voice calling to me from this storm… then who knows what’s possible? Maybe there’s more to all this than meets the eye, y’know?”

And maybe… just maybe… whatever’s hiding at the core of the maelstrom will finally feed him the answers he’s craved his whole life… finally feed him new purpose.

The Hylian hums, giving a short nod. “I’ve long accepted there’s things in this world I’ll never fully understand. And for what it’s worth… I believe your story.”

After a whole childhood of deniers, the sheer validation laced within those words are enough to almost bring him to tears.  

“Thank you,” he says, his heart brimming with gratitude.

And though this is but a singular moment of validation after a whole childhood of being told he’s got ‘an overactive imagination,’ the pull of the world below suddenly feels a little lighter. Light enough to push through his exhaustion and scale the rest of this rising island chain, at very least! After all… it can’t be that much further to the top. And once they’re there… this whole mystery with the storm, and all the Zelda sightings, and the strange voice he keeps hearing is gonna slot right into place.

He just knows it.

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Basalt

Summary: Ruby takes Regina to the Blue Lagoon for her birthday.

Regina bites her nails, a habit she had thought that she had overcome years ago. At this rate she would be spending the entirety of her birthday at an airport. 

Ruby nudges her. “If you want to bite something you can have some of my oatmeal. It's got brown sugar and apple chunks.”

Regina lowers her hand and bites the inside of her cheek which is only a slight improvement. “I'm not particularly hungry.” Apatite is usually the first thing that anxiety takes from her. Sleep is the next to follow.

“You haven't eaten since breakfast.” Ruby passes her the little styrofoam cup and a plastic spoon. Steam fogs reading glasses that she may as well not have put on--she hasn't touched her novel. “It'll give you something else to do.” Ruby urges.

“Thank you.” 

“It’s just a small delay and your birthday isn’t until tomorrow…”

She very nearly snaps that she knows when her own birthday is but she bites her tongue at the last moment. If nothing else, this so called short delay is a testament to how far she has come in regards to how she deals with stress.

“We’ll get to Reykjavik way before then. We’ll probably even have enough time to explore the city a little bit before we have to get to the bus stop.” 

Regina nods. She watches yet another airplane that is not hers take off. With her luck, when they do board the plane, she won’t even be able to sit next to Ruby. Likely she will be sandwiched between two perfect strangers and one of them will have probably neglected taking a shower that day. She clutches her carry-on bag to her chest. Twenty-eight years in the same town, never leaving, never wanting to has left her with an unease around planes and a twitchiness towards airports and their frantic crowds. Some would probably call it karma. 

God, the longer she sits here listening to folks more disgruntled than she, the more antsy she gets. This chair is making her lower back sore. Her neck too. The Blue Lagoon is sounding particularly inviting right now. 

Ruby leans against her shoulder as she forces herself to eat an admittedly tasty spoonful of oatmeal and than another. It certainly tastes better than fingernails and chips of dark brown nail polish. She recalls, at once, why she stopped polishing her nails after leaving the Enchanted Forest. 

At least it isn’t an overnight flight, she reminds herself. At least it will only be several more hours. It is only late afternoon but she is thoroughly exhausted. One bowl of oatmeal later she finds herself nodding off. 

She wakes up to Ruby nudging her awake with new that it is time for them to finally board their plane. 

.oOo.

The view from the plane had been amazing in itself–a first glance at the glimmering, sparkling splendor that they would soon be a part of. It offered snippets of volcanoes and glaciers and geothermal steam. A wintery wonderland with plumes of fire and heat. Admittedly she had slept for much of the car ride from the airport to their hotel. Ruby insists that she had missed out on some spectacular views but at least she can say that she isn’t cranky and moody anymore. Still a touch tired, but she can function now. And the view from their hotel room is nice enough. 

They have a perfect view of the Blue Lagoon whose steam rolls right up to the glass door, beckoning them to step into waters surrounded by black, volcanic rock. Rocks that tower high, teeming with rich green moss. The auroras aren’t out tonight but a steady sprinkle of snow glitters in the soft lights that illuminate the patio.

“Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get thee Blue Lagoon Suite. I would have had to fill out this request form…but I was able to get this Lagoon Suite.” She sighs. “Sorry, Gina.” 

“Sorry?” Regina furrows her brows. She runs her fingers through the curling ribbon tied to a complimentary bottle of champagne. “This room has its own minibar and a private section of the lagoon!” She looks at the pamphlet. “Apparently daily group yoga and Icelandic coffee time is included in this package as well.”

Ruby’s smile returns, she sweeps Regina off of her feet and twirls her around. She lays her on the bed where Regina kicks off her shoes and lets herself sink into a plush mattress. A mattress that is somehow even comfier, more luxurious than the one in her own mansion. She exhales. 

Ruby finds the remote and turns the stereo on. “Want the curtains opened or closed?” 

“Well that all depends on what we’re doing.” Regina raises a brow. 

“I was hoping that we could go for dinner and a bath, unless you wanted to get right to the sex.” Ruby shrugs. 

It still takes Regina aback how blunt the woman can be sometimes. “Actually, a bath with dinner sounds nice.” So long as she doesn’t knock the plates into the bath. 

“I’ll call and order. Do you want to get the bath going? I’m pretty sure that skincare, candles, and some massage oils were included with the stay.” She pauses. “What were you planning on getting? I was looking at the…this.” She points at the menu.

“Rúgbrauð.” 

“How do you do that?”

“Do what?” 

“Pronounce these words.” 

Regina laughs. “I did a little research before coming here. Perhaps I should order the food and you can get the bath ready so you don’t have to try to say kjötsupa.”

“Yeah. That might be a good idea. I was thinking of just saying ‘hot spring bread’ and ‘lamb soup.’” 

After putting the phone back in its cradle she joins Ruby on the patio where they dip their feet into the lagoon water until room service lets them know that their dinner has arrived. 

Regina lets her night robe drop to the floor and slips herself into the lightly steaming water. She closes her eyes and sinks into its warmth. It is, by all means, an amazing taste of what tomorrow will be like. She exhales the stress of the day. 

“Want a massage with your bath and dinner?” Ruby offers. 

Heavens, it isn’t even her birthday quite yet and the woman is absolutely spoiling her. “That would be wonderful, dear. If you would.” 

Ruby’s touch is absolutely divine as her hands work the knots out of her neck. Her meal can wait, for the moment she is perfectly content to lean on the bathtub and let her fiance knead the tension away. The right squeezes in the right spots and the right pressure applied in just the right way makes it easy for Regina to pretend that she hadn’t been sitting tense and stiffly at an airport for several hours.

She will have to do something extra special for Ruby on her birthday. The woman had mentioned Morocco.

“How’s that?” Ruby asks. 

“Perfect.” Regina purs. 

Ruby smiles and ruffles Regina’s hair. “Well that’s all I’ve got. I’m ready for my…”

“Rúgbrauð.”

“Yeah, that.” 

Regina chuckles.

.oOo.

It isn’t as crowded as Regina had anticipated, likely because she has the advantage of being an early riser. Ruby, a woman of the moon by nature, not so much; she is running almost entirely on that Icelandic coffee. 

She seems to have as much fog in her head as the lagoon has steam. 

“Happy birthday, Regina.” She says at last. “I hope that this is a good start.”

“So far, yes.” She certainly can’t complain about a gourmet breakfast. Neither can she complain about having a hand to hold as she makes her way into the lagoon water. Truth be told she hadn’t expected it to be as blue as it is in the pictures. But she is pleasantly surprised to find that it is every bit as vibrant as she had been led to believe. 

Last night’s bath had been exquisite but it is nothing compared to feeling the lagoon water on her skin and the basalt rocks against the soles of her feet. Nothing compared to feeling the water stir against her body as she wades deeper within.

“So we get our silica mud masks over there.” Ruby points. “And our drinks over there.”

“I think that you should wait until at least noon to get a beverage, unless your going for something that’s non—”

“I’m getting something alcoholic.” Ruby interrupts. “We’re getting something alcoholic to celebrate your birthday with.”

“How about we start with the facial mask first?” She suggests. “Personally I would love to start my day with soft skin.” 

“Would you like to try that float therapy before or after we have our drinks?” Ruby asks. 

Regina shrugs. “I’ll see what I’m in the mood for after washing the mask off.”

.oOo.

Ruby grins to herself; it is nice to see Regina in such good spirits. She is so used to seeing the woman all tense and stressed. To see her running her hands along the black rocks of the lava canyon as she glides her way through the water. To see her slow down for a change and pause to marvel at the sights around her. There is an almost childlike sense of awe on her face as she marvels at the small cave—their own, for the moment—hidden corridor for the day.

Regina finds herself a seat on one of several rocks and rests her chin in her palms. For a time she simply sits in silence, watching the water reflect on the cave’s ceiling, listening to its gentle churning. Outside of the cave, another dusting of snow begins to fall. Each flake dissipates well before it has a chance to hit the lagoon’s water.

 “This is…it’s really wonderful. All of it.” Regina finally remarks. “Thank you, Ruby. It means a lot. I can’t remember the last time that I actually enjoyed  my birthday.” 

“Of course, Regina.” She invites herself into the woman’s lap and lets her play with her hair. Regina moves her chin from her palms to the top of Ruby’s head. 

In continued silence, Regina slides her arms around Ruby’s waist. And for a moment she thinks that Regina is going to cry. Recently it has been pretty easy to forget just how much the woman has been through and just how frigid the entirety of Storybrooke had been to her. And how hostile she had been to its citizens. The woman holding her is such a far cry from that; she is a rather quiet woman. Reserved and private. But she is a warm person with a kind smile when she manages one. 

With any luck, Ruby will be able to coax more of them from her. She has seen so many of them in just these last two days. 

“I’m going to make a cake for you.” Ruby declares. 

Regina quirks a brow. “Is that right?”

Ruby nods. “It is. And we’re going to enjoy it on the patio with a side of northern lights!”

“You can’t just order those.” Regina gives a humored sniff. “They'll come out when and if the are ready.” She pauses. “It would be a nice touch but…” she pauses. “This has already been amazing.” She kisses the top of Ruby’s head. “Thank you.” This is spoken in a whisper that Ruby barely hears. 

“Of course, Regina.” She herself can’t really ask for more. Frankly she would be perfectly content to sit in a cracked and battered pool of some cheap hotel so long as she could make conversation with Regina. So long as she could see that smile.

She looks from the diamond on her finger to the one on Regina’s. 

She will get to see that smile. 

Over and over again as they explore the world together. 

Finally, she is free. 

Finally, she has adventure. 

Finally, she has a lover who can keep pace.