#we do the big Christmas meal on xmas eve

[ciaossu-imagines]

Any Kusakabe and u Xmas HC?

Holy, you spoil me so frigging much, Martha! I love you and this ask and thank you for the chance of getting to be delightfully self-indulgent!

Oh boy, you bet your ass I have lots of Christmas headcanons for me and Kusakabe. I love the man and he is definitely a fictional character where, even when I'm not using him as a fictional other, I'm using him as one of my fictional best friends.

So, as anyone who knows me or has read this blog in previous years has learned about me is that I absolutely frigging adore Christmas. It stresses me out to insane degrees, but it is tied with Halloween as my favourite day of the year. Everything about Christmas, the magic and wonder and peace on earth and peace to all mankind build-up around it, just makes me happy and strangely nostalgic for things I've never experienced and only seen in movies and Norman Rockwell paintings.

I start my Christmas decorating ridiculously early, something Kusakabe likes to tease me about and kind of grumps about. He points out that…it's legit November fucking first, we really don't need to be digging up the many boxes of Christmas decorations yet. We really, really don't. Like, can't you at least wait until after Remembrance Day to which I always reply with 'Halloween is over; it's fucking Christmas bitch!' with the exact same confidence and sass as Britney Spears when she said 'it's Britney, bitch!'

He does grump but Kusakabe is great at getting all the boxes down from the higher shelves before I even have the time to think of getting a chair. He picks up all the heavy boxes and brings them out for me too, telling me it would really help him out if I'd grab the awkwardly shaped but really light boxes.

Because this man is stupidly strong, and he seems the type who would lift weights just to make sure he can pick my fat ass up, he lifts me up to put the Santa hat on the top of my tree instead of risking me falling off the chair or taking the joy away from me of putting the tree topper on.

Kusakabe has not a shred of aesthetic value or appreciation though and leaves the overall decorating scheme of the year up to me.

I do see Kusakabe as someone who has learned to be a really good cook and a decent baker. Hibari is such a finicky, fussy eater that sometimes the only way he gets fed is if Kusakabe makes his meals just so, so Kusakabe learned kitchen skills. Skills that come in useful not just for helping me do all the Christmas baking, but the jam and pickle making, for the care packages full of goodies that we go and deliver to friends and family the week leading up to Christmas proper.

And because he knows just how hard the big family supper will be for me, he makes sure that we have a Christmas supper all our own done on Boxing Day or Christmas Eve, whichever one I'm feeling more like that year. We spend hours together putting it together and making a fun time out of it, singing along to Christmas carols and sometimes dancing in the kitchen.

And that big family supper? Food was highly weaponized by my mother first and then by my step-father and his family growing up. My portions were heavily restricted growing up, always less than my sister's, and there were chairs I was plain out told I was too fat to sit in growing up, that I would break them. I still have a lot of anxiety around eating at big family suppers, though therapy has made things better when it comes to my family.

Kusakabe plates for me, keeping the portions small enough that my mother won't kick up too much fuss, and abruptly changing the subject if she or my sisters bring up my weight or the food or anything like that, shutting them down without causing drama to erupt. He drove me to and from the meal so that we don't have to stay overly long, and he tucked a Tupperware container in the back seat before we left without me realizing it, with slices of freshly made bread in it and little containers full of butter and jam, as a special treat for surviving the supper to eat on the way home.

He gives me head pats and lets me lay my head in his lap and fall asleep on Christmas night as we watch It's a Wonderful Life and I am just perfectly happy and content and I feel spoiled and full of goodwill and joy towards all of mankind.

[lewyn-martell]

re your tags about US xmas: okay so, it's different for everyone, it depends 1) how many extended families you have close by 2) if you're going to church 3) what your personal family traditions are. I was in the UK last year for christmas, and there seemed to be more... across the board traditions? and if there were variations, it still stuck fairly close to script. vs in the US, every family will do it different, there is absolutely no uniformity whatsoever. but here's what i experienced in the midwest: if you have kids, the church pageant is usually on christmas eve, so you do that first. you could also use christmas eve to go to one branch of your family - we went to my maternal grandparents on christmas eve after church. some families do one present or the stockings on christmas eve as well. but then you try to go to sleep early because you'll be waking up early on the 25th.

but typically everything major happens on the 25th. kids wake up early, you go downstairs. parents are bleary and make coffee as the kids tear into presents. but EVERYONE opens their presents on christmas morning, not just the kids. then you have a breakfast of some sort -- this was always a highlight for us, as my mom's from Texas and it was the one time a year she made biscuits and gravy. Then, although all you want to do is remain in PJs, lounge on the couch, and pop in the most exciting of the new DVDs you just got, you must then get ready to go to whoever's doing the big blowout christmas meal. You bring presents over to their house for all the grandparents and cousins, and you bring whatever you said you'd make for dinner - which is a lot, and the kids are grumpy cuz they don't want to go. Then yes, you sit down for a big christmas dinner. Then there's another round of present-opening. Then there's playing in the other room with your cousins and your new toys, naps in front of the tv (tuned to football or christmas movies), and adult conversations over dessert and coffee at the dining room table, until it's time to go home.

as an adult, i still try to go to bed early on the 24th, because there's a lot of magic for me on waking up early on the 25th; it feels special, in that "quiet of winter" way. it's the only day as a kid i ever wanted to wake up early. i liked going down by myself to check out the unwrapped gifts (santa's would have been decoratively placed under the tree overnight, unwrapped; the gifts "from mom and dad" would be wrapped) so that i could have a private reaction before the performative reaction i had to put on for my parents. plus, the earlier you woke up, the more time you had with your new presents before you had to put on your stupid new christmas outfit and go to grandma's and pretend to like the gifts your aunts picked out for you.

omg thank you so much for answering in such detail. it may not look like but i'm actually so curious about 'how things are done' in other countries and the christmas situation always puzzled me a bit when watching media from the US.

i can't believe i forgot the church! lmao i think this happens on the evening of the 24th here too and i may have been dragged once. i can't really remember. most people around definitely didn't go and it's probably because most people around me were catholic, which is usually the most chill/lax about religion you could be here. the protestants are the ones who are really into it.

i think what really comes across from what you wrote as well is how many presents there are lol the stockings thing is still such a movie thing to me, too but yeah ofc it's actually real hahaha i think ive seen child characters even do like a present list for their parents? when i was a child i thought that was crazy. we get one big present we asked for if our parents can afford it and the others are trinkets from adult family members. that goes just for us, though. i think well-off families definitely splurge some more. (the thing you mentioned about the aunties gifts is very real here too hahaha and i do understand that what you said might just be a matter of spacing out small presents throughout the two days because fr you guys do so much stuff. honestly, i think the more traditions the better uhhh except for church)

by the way, having a special breakfast sounds so lovely, but i think i also would feel weird having a day so busy on the 25th and a normal day after. here we do all the partying on the eve and have the 25th all to ourselves to wake up late and just laze around the house, or maybe visit someone real quick though you really don't have an obligation to do so. the 25th is fr just a day to do nothing.

still green with envy you guys have christmas on winter btw and hey merry christmas! happy holidays!! thank you for answering!!

[1kook]

A COLLECTION  [ updated: 8 . 23 . 21 ]

— STATUS ONGOING — NO REPOSTS — ASKS under #ncouple ! — Copyright © 2021, 1kook on tumblr

—NETFLIX & CHILL.

summary If you planned things right, you could rain down your raging displeasure on Jeon Jungkook right after the meal but before this proposed ‘Netflix and chilling,’ maybe dramatically throw your glass of wine at him, before storming out of his place and reporting him to the authorities (Namjoon) for his douchebag personality.  warnings smut in the forms of grinding, oral (f), cum eating, vanilla unprotected sex, dirty talk misc use of the oldest trick in the book (“your hands are sooo big”), shy oblivious AND gentleman jk? pick a struggle, brief ment of app developer kook, evil and conniving oc  word count 10.2k  posted june 12, 2020

—HULU & WOOHOO.

summary But there’s more important matters to attend to than Jungkook’s Jersey Shore boner. warnings slight feelings of insecurity, smut in the forms of fingering, cunnilingus, cum eating, squirting, hand jobs, unprotected sex, riding, slight praise kink  misc if you’re not a Jersey shore fan honestly GET OUT, mentions of capitalism😡, more kind/understanding kook, basically a “what are we?” fic but silly, irresponsible emailing habits, its so dumb just read word count 6.3k posted july 4, 2020

—IMAX & CLIMAX.

summary The occasional dark horse candidate among Barbie movie binges— Jungkook gets weirdly horny and fucks you to the tune of a classic Barbie movie soundtrack. warnings smut in the form of blowjobs, tit play, praise kink, standing sex, unprotected sex, reverse cowgirl (? kinda), daddy kink that morphs into ily kink misc  jk is an avid history channel viewer, jk hates Barbie movies ik we took an L today girls 😔, jk goes thru like 4 personality changes (commanding > soft > mean > in love), honestly idk what to tag it’s a mess, he’s still cheesy and romantic but also 👀 just read word count 9.8k posted august 5, 2020

—KISSANIME & FOREPLAY.

summary You get a glimpse of the KissAnime screen for a good two seconds before about seven ads pop up. Another tab to a raunchy hentai website opens, and Jungkook groans. warnings mentions of hentai, smut in the forms of cunnilingus, masturbation (f), oral (f), use of a sex toy, fingering, nipple play, face sitting/fucking/riding idk (f), praise kink, hints of dumbification, cum eating, jk is like passive aggressive in this one, 4 (f) orgasms, this is the kicker: sub kook at the end😳, like 2 sec of dom yn lol, & u get 0.002 sec of adams apple kink misc more dumb story lines, made up sex stores bc my creativity knows no bounds, Jungkook plays nice but is actually mean for the majority of it, once again doyeon plays a pivotal role in the furthering of women empowerment, internal love monologues about jk best boy<3 word count 8.2k posted september 1, 2020

—DISNEY+ & BUST.

summary There’s a pounding on your door a little past noon, so hard and rough, that you almost think it’s the police finally coming to catch you for all your years of illegally pirating Phineas and Ferb. It’s not. It’s just a really drunk boyfriend wailing for your forgiveness at the door.   warnings arguments, feelings of insecurity, bit of asshole jk, smut in the forms of humiliation, dumbification, choking, fingering, spit kink, self punishment (? idk lol), unprotected but [ passionate ] sex, jk losing his cool, the return of mean jk, desperate jk, he is actually an emotional mess in this one wtf misc angst, anniversaries, the L word😳, app developer kook, rip ‘pretty girl’ </3, we all become phineas and ferb stans word count 13k posted september 9, 2020

—ESPN & BDSM.

summary You would like to personally thank every loud-mouthed, ESPN commentator out there for saving you from Jungkook’s dangerous seduction skills.   warnings smut in the forms of brief femdom, handcuffs, nipple clamps, blindfolding, flogging/use of a riding crop, soft dom kook, cunnilingus, spitting, unprotected but passionate, degradation, as always it starts horny n then turns into I love u kink misc kook has a swollen ankle so idk how he did all this, jk abuses the fuck outta pet names part 7, revenge gone wrong tbh, this was honestly a beginner’s intro to vanilla bdsm word count 12.7k posted september 14, 2020

—YOUTUBE & USE LUBE.

summary You can’t believe this is Jungkook’s preferred sick day treatment; YouTube, cuddles, and an ugly amount of lube. warnings smut in the forms of nipple play, handjobs, spit kink, face riding, unprotected, flavored warming lube, riding, praise kink, soft femdom, missionary bc his eyes are pretty, tit sucking, tit fucking, more jk has an impreg kink, oh and this is all subby kook misc domesticity baby!! fluff, soft scenes /.\, jk is sick:((, doyeon is A Doctor, yn sees an opportunity and she grabs it, surprise ending <3 word count 8.7k   posted september 30, 2020

—VIKI & HICKEYS.

summary Just like in those Viki dramas Jungkook likes, the world around you is enveloped in shades of pink and red, kisses and hearts, so many goddamn roses it makes you sneeze. It’s absolutely perfect— nothing could possibly go wrong when there’s so much love in the air.   warnings a little hurt + a lot of comfort, mentions of cheating!villain!jin, insecure!kook, emotional breakdowns, mentions of jk’s lonely past, jk cries :( smut in the forms of making out, eating out, fingering, clit play, hickeys, jk likes cum, double orgasm, squirting, tiny praise kink, blindfolding, rough + unprotected sex, doggy style, choking!!!, breeding/impreg kink, JEALOUS KOOK, mini hand kink, a lil bit of spanking, degradation, he gets progressively meaner lol oc cries, jk is a good boy n I want him to be happy   misc there’s a lot of fuckin plot omfg -_-, it’s Valentine’s Eve!, doyeon makes Some Points, mentions of park seojoon juicy ass, they go on a d8 😳, oc like rlly wants to marry him, oc commits double phone homicide word count 16.3k posted january 14, 2021

—PEACOCK & SWEET TALK.

summary “I wanna watch Solange in Bring It On,” Jungkook smiles, and you have to wonder who exactly this blond man is and what he did with your teen-movie-hating boyfriend.   warnings smut in the forms of kissing, cunnilingus (eating out + fingering), light praise, a lil body worship, jk fat cawk, brief nipple play, playful jk, unprotected sex, riding and missionary, the jk hand kink, I love you kink, jk wants nudes, jk’s cheerleader fantasies mentioned, spit kink, light choking, jk has like a scent kink (?), mention of collars and pet play misc app developer jk becomes even MORE app developer-y, oc is anti-google, there's plot, a 2 year anniversary, Solange knowles appreciation, BLOND JK!!!, gets sappy for a sec, seahorse marriage mention, doyeon x joon side pairing, jk is disgustingly dreamy and oc is threatened by that fact word count 10.7k posted march 23, 2021

— CRUNCHYROLL & RAIL.

summary Never mind the fact you really like Sailor Moon, or that you really want to pay attention to every little detail; the moment becomes Jungkook and his big smile and his red cheeks and the tiny box he produces from within his pocket. warnings smut in the forms of making out, jk nipple play, some 69 action, cunnilingus, blowjobs, brief choking, jk trying his best to listen to oc but he doesn’t rlly :/, fingering, missionary bc his eyes are pretty, unprotected fuckin raw, its romantic but when is it not… misc fluffy and domestic <3, weekend getaway <3, the Big Question, shy jk, sailor moon supremacy, jk makes this big elaborate speech about the sun and moon, mentions of 240p YouTube quality word count 8.7k posted may 21, 2021

—FUNIMATION & PROCREATION.

summary Never mind your upcoming wedding, this was perhaps the greatest moment of your life— the day Jungkook sought out an anime on his own. warnings kissing, smut in the forms of cunnilingus, cum eating, mentions of anal, doggy style, unprotected sex with the intention of pregnancy, spitting, hand holding<3 misc the wedding night, Doyeon strikes again, jjk watches  jjk, oh no not twins word count 9.1k posted july 31, 2021

—BOOMERANG AND BANG. 

coming soon

—COOKIES & CREAM.

summary Jungkook will watch a thousand cheesy Christmas movies if it meant making you happy. (And maybe having his dick sucked.) warnings smut in the form of blowjobs, face fucking, cum facials, fingering, overstim, double orgasm, r*mantic sex, riding, unprotected, cream pies, jk does this weird thing where he licks her face yeah idk, jk loves seeing his gf cry, jk has an obsession with jizz   misc jk pov !!, eggnog slander, jk hates xmas movies, oc dresses like a sexy mrs claus, Elf !!, jk is in loooove word count 7.1k posted december 23, 2020

— TUTUS & TIARAS.

summary your first pregnancy through the lens of your husband warnings smut in the forms of penetrative sex, sex while pregnant, unprotected sex, tit play, cunnilingus, mutual masturbation, sticking the tip in and jacking off/cockwarming?, creampies, nose kink (? like she grinds against his nose), infatuation with scent, frottage/grinding, lactation kink, titluvr jk [bass boosted] misc married ncouple <3, domesticity, jk pov, mood swings, pregnancy, GIRLDAD!JK, DILF!JK, pregnant!reader, jk’s kids are virgos its true  word count 10k posted august 23, 2021

— one.

summary Maybe Jungkook wasn’t always as cool and composed as you initially believed. But that’s okay, because you love him all the same.  word count 1.3k posted September 10, 2020

—two.

summary Even after all these years, all these doubts, and all this solitude that was really no one’s fault but his own, he still finds himself hoping that maybe you’ll be the one. word count 1k posted september 11, 2020

—three.

summary But Jungkook loves the sun. word count 1.5k posted september 12th, 2020

—four.

summary For the last ten minutes or so his mind has been bothered by one thing and one thing only— the hair that hung in his face. word count 800 words posted september 22, 2020

—five.

summary Startled and inexperienced, he can’t do anything but rub his hands over your back. “It’s fine, it’s fine,” he murmurs, even though it’s not. word count 1.3k posted september 22, 2020

—six.

SUMMARY Jungkook enjoyed pushing you down, indulging you in all your little fantasies, but he too had some he wanted to live out. WC 1.8k POSTED september 25, 2020

—seven.

summary And lastly, Jungkook will bring it full circle by indulging you two in some good old fashion spooky sex where he nuts inside you because the only thing scarier than a scary movie is a pregnancy scare. It’s a perfect plan. word count 2k posted october 30, 2020

—eight.

summary You always do this— always ask for more. You take and you take until there’s nothing left for Jungkook to give. But Jungkook is the same.   word count 1.9k posted december 28, 2020

—nine.

summary “I think that, like— me and you? We’re like, totally destined,” you ramble, “you should, like, take my number! And maybe we can, like— Netflix and chill one of these days?” word count 2.2k posted january 8 2021

—ten.

summary See, there’s no one in this world who ignores his house rules more than you. Even worse, there’s no one on this planet who can make Jungkook ignore his own rules like you do. word count 1.4k posted february 14, 2021

—eleven.

summary You’re too bright, too… there. His shell is too small. word count 1.2k posted may 3, 2021

—twelve.

summary Anyway, if it was up to Jungkook, Kim Doyeon would not be a member of the Engagement Ring Committee. word count 1.4k posted may 8th, 2021

—thirteen.

summary Because for as much shit as you let him get away with, Jungkook is certain you’ll draw the line today.   word count 1k posted june 13, 2021

—fourteen.

summary Jungkook needs you to know that you can always count on him. word count 1.3k posted july 6, 2021

—fifteen.

summary It’s Jungkook’s teenage fantasy— being pushed down by a cheerleader. word count 3.1k posted august 9, 2021

— sixteen.

summary Your skin is warm and smells like sunshine. Jungkook can’t really explain it. (And also like the sunscreen you had doused him in earlier, but that isn’t as romantic.) word count 1.9K posted august 11, 2021

—seventeen.

summary She looks his way and suddenly Jungkook is nineteen again, in his dorm, listening to the first person he ever thought he loved telling him he’s too much to handle. word count 1.6k posted august 18, 2021

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LASTLY: 

[badhockeymom]

Hello. What kind of Christmas traditions do you have in Finland? Which ones are your favorite?

My favorite Christmas tradition is that it is almost over! Just downhill sliding and chilling out from this point on.

I'll explain - here are a bunch of traditions in no particular order.

Eve is the main event! 24th Dec is when all big things happen. Declaration of Christmas Peace is televised from Turku. Sauna. Christmas dinner. Santa comes and brings presents. Some people even go to church to attend and evening or midnight service, or bring candles to graves of their passed loved ones. Christmas eve is a day off from most jobs, and shops close early, etc, so the Christmas really starts from there. Joulupäivä (Christmas Day, 25th) and Tapaninpäivä (26th, Boxing day, literally the day of St. Stefanos) are official holidays as well.

Christmas Day is a lot more chill. People sleep long, kids play with new presents, each home has their own traditions about dividing visiting relatives between days, and meals - some ppl cook a different fancy dinner for Christmas Day, some heat up the leftovers of the giant dinner from the eve.

Christmas Day is pretty quiet and private for most people but Boxing Day is considered more relaxed. Two old traditions are "Tapanin ajelu" (Boxing Day Ride) and "Tapanin tanssit" (Boxing Day Dance) - people wanted to be more social after being closed in the home and just eating christmas food for two days and used to go on sleigh rides just to get out of the house for a change, and go out dancing (in more modern days go to bars again)

Church. Well over half of Finns are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, in some regions something like 90 %. Christianity is super pervasive in the culture even though the life in general is quite secular (for instance, the Christmas Peace declaration is given by the city but the old text is religious, a hymn and the national anthem are both sung in the ceremony). Religious services are most popular around Christmas time. The traditional Christmas Day service is early in the morning, around 7 AM when on normal Sundays it's 10 AM but the churches are still packed. Many people prefer Christmas Eve evening services or midnight mass, though, this varies from parish to parish what they have.

Still about church, even more popular than the mass or service are pre-christmas events where Christmas Carols are sung in churches in December. It's called "Kauneimmat joululaulut", the most beautiful Christmas Carols, and a new leaflet with a selection of popular songs is printed each year.

Tree. There are a few christmas tree farms that sell their produce on market places or in front of supermarkets, and more people all the time put up a plastic tree early in December, but forest owners (about 600 000 people, that's over 10% of the population!) or people with access to a relative's forest take pride in picking the perfect young spruce in their woods and bringing it home. It's usually put up just right before Christmas eve that it lasts over christmas.

TV. Yes we have a tradition of watching It's A Wonderful Life here too, it's been on YLE for at least a decade every christmas and in the recent years it's been on the Christmas Day. On Christmas eve morning, there is a long phone-in show where Santa sits in his headquarters with elves and talks with kids who phone him and maybe send pics, and some Xmas cartoons or acted kids' shows are shown between the calls. British animation "The Snowman" is one that is shown every year. Then there is a Disney Special, I think the same is very popular in Sweden too, "From All of Us to All Of You", in Finnish "Samu Sirkan joulutervehdys" (Christmas greeting from Jiminy Cricket).

Food. Ham is the most usual main course of the christmas dinner. It's cooked overnight in the oven on low heat, and glazed with mustard and brown sugar with a dusting of breadcrumbs. It's served with mustard and gravy, potatoes and traditional side dishes that are mostly based on root vegetable purees baked in the oven. Loads of cold fish starters, smoked or pickled, and a salad that you only eat on Christmas, made of cubed carrot, beetroot, apple, pickles, eggs and pickled herring, served with a pink dressing (cream flavored and coloured with pickled beet juice)

Santa! Joulupukki doesn't sneak down people's chimneys in the middle of the night, he visits homes on the Christmas eve, chats and sings with the kids, and deals out the presents or part of them. He doesn't shout Ho ho ho! He greets and wishes merry christmas, usually asks if there are good children in the house. Modern Santas are usually dressed in red, but in older days he usually wore a fur coat. The Santa may be a family member or a neighbour /relative who happens to have the costume, or people who throw Santa gigs for money. If the Santa "can't come", he has "left the presents" by the door or under the tree when the family is distracted. Idk but this may have been the norm over the Corona years.

Sauna. Yes, when we celebrate we go to sauna.

This is probably too long already so I'll leave it here, and it's from my own experience which I think is pretty close to the standard Finnish one, and heavily influenced by a) being a mom and b) living currently in the countryside. Also, Christmases are often big family gatherings, but we haven't spent Christmas at our parents / our kids' grandparents in years.

My favorite part is probably the tree, going to the woods to pick it and letting the kids decorate it. And I like the dinner. And the chill day when you can just hang around and everything is pretty.

My least favorite may be all the logistics around the Santa visit, stressing over booking one, keeping the schedule of the day, sneaking the presents to the front door, etc. but this year that went quite smoothly too.

[arcticguk]

santa baby | knj

❅ pairing, au, warnings: kim namjoon x reader, fluff, allusions to smut, angst, emotionally and verbally abusive parents, swearing, fake dating au, best friends to lovers au, christmas au

❅ précis: you ask namjoon to be your pretend boyfriend for the holidays.

❅ word count: 4,667

❅ part of my holiday drabble series

❅ a/n: pls lmk if u need me to tag anything extra! i put stuff in the warnings, but do not hesitate to tell me if it’s not enough. also we’re gonna ignore the fact that this fic is so much longer than any of my other xmas ones :)

“Namjoon, please?”

“No.” He says firmly, shoving another spoonful of noodles into his mouth. “If this is the only reason you invited me to dinner, I’ll stop coming.”

You snort, loudly. “Like that’ll ever happen. You can’t cook for shit.”

He frowns, setting his fork down beside his near-empty bowl. “And if I do this for you, what will I get in return?”

“Besides my lovely friendship?” You smirk, earning a glare from Namjoon. “I’ll make you dinner every night for a month.”

He presses his lips together, contemplating. “Sold!”

You roll your eyes playfully, flicking his forehead.

“Hey now!” He scolds. “Is that any way to treat your fake boyfriend?”

Your family was very big on appearance. They didn’t care that you sister and her husband practically hated each other, as long as they plastered on fake smiles and put on a good show in front of everyone. They didn’t care that your little brother and his boyfriend had been broken up for two months, they paid the boyfriend to come to a family event and pretend to be infatuated with your brother for one night.

You’d showed up solo to Christmas in the past, but according to your parents, this year was important. They were throwing a huge Christmas Eve party with all of their friends, coworkers, and extended family. They’d made it very clear that if you weren’t going to show up with someone, then you might as well just not show up at all.

And you knew you should just say fuck it and not go. That’s what your brother was doing, but deep down, as much as you hate to admit it, you still crave your parents’ validation and praise.

Namjoon knows how rocky your relationship with your parents is, that’s why he was so against the idea in the first place, but here you were, packing for a trip home with your ‘boyfriend’.

“Okay, we need a backstory.” Namjoon says from the passenger seat. Reaching for the coffee in your cupholder to steal a sip. “Like how we met and started dating.”

“Wait!” He perks up. “Do your parents know that we’re friends? Because then we could say we were friends and then fell for each other or—”

You cut him off with a sharp shake of your head. “No, they don’t know. I don’t tell them very much about what goes on in my life.”

“Okay.” He says softly.

You crack a smile, biting your lip to keep tears at bay, ones you didn’t even realize had formed.

“So, this backstory huh?”

Namjoon grabs both his duffel and yours, helping you shoulder your backpack as he does the same. You take a shaky breath before slamming the car door shut. Namjoon reaches for your hand, giving it a light squeeze.

“Five days,” He breathes in your ear. “You’ve got this.”

You squeeze his hand in thanks, pocketing your keys with your other hand. “Let’s go then?”

You and Namjoon make your way up the front walk, observing the perfectly decorated façade of the house, something you know your parents paid good money for. Before you can ring the bell, the door is yanked open, both your mother and father standing there to greet you.

“___!” Your mother chirps, pulling you in for a hug. She squeezes for a second before letting you go, prompting your father to do the same.

“And who is this handsome young man?” Your mother wonders.

“This is Namjoon.” You swallow. “My boyfriend.”

Your mother smiles, clasping her hands together underneath her chin. “Oh, how wonderful!” She squeaks. “You didn’t tell me you were dating anyone.”

You shrug helplessly. “I wanted to surprise you!”

“And what a lovely surprise it is.”

“So, tell me again why we have to change for dinner?” Namjoon wonders, buttoning his grey shirt. You fluff your hair once more before turning to smirk at Namjoon.

“Because, everything in this family is an event.” You say sarcastically, giggling. He laughs, wiping his palms on his dress pants.

“You did great by the way,” You comment, sliding silver hoops into your ears. “I think they love you already.”

He looks at you, admiring the way your chiffon jumpsuit fits you, how great the black material looks against your skin.

“Joon?” You wonder, ripping him out of his daze.

“What? Oh, thanks.” He smiles.

“Hmm.” You grin, reaching up to fix a piece of his hair. He’d recently dyed it black and you were obsessed, you can’t get over how good it looks on him.

“You ready for dinner?” You wonder, reaching for his hand.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” He sighs, pasting on a smile, gripping your hand tightly with his own.

As you make your way down the grand staircase, leading Namjoon, you smile with ease, surprised at the calm in your being. Family dinners always filled you with dread but having your best friend by your side seemed different, less scary.

When everyone is seated at the large, mahogany table, you start on your salad, taking a sip of water. For most of the meal, your parents focus their attention on Namjoon, peppering him with questions about his job, his education, and childhood.

Namjoon smoothly transitions the conversation back to your parents, wondering; “If ___ told you about her big promotion at work?”

Your mother’s gaze shifts to you, raising her eyebrows expectantly. “That’s great sweetheart, congratulations.” You smile at the praise, your face warming bashfully.

After dinner and dessert, you and Namjoon bid a goodnight to your parents, sister, and your brother-in-law, before heading up to your bedroom.

“Are family dinners,” Namjoon starts, tugging his shoes off, once your door is shut, “usually that tense?”

You nod solemnly, removing all your jewelry and pulling out the elastic from your hair. “You really impressed them though!” You exclaim. “And that’s not easy to do.” You mumble, looking down at your feet.

“I’m sure it is for you.” He laughs. How could your parents not be impressed by his beautiful, intelligent, kind, and brilliant best friend.

You shrug, pulling some clothes to sleep in from your bag. “I’m gonna change then the bathroom’s all yours.”

He nods, taking the opportunity to change into his own sleepwear, setting his watch on the dresser, and setting his phone on the charger.

When you emerge from the bathroom, clad in a hoodie and matching sweatpants, Namjoon smiles softly, switching with you so he can wash his face and brush his teeth.

When he exits the bathroom, you’re working your dinner outfit onto a hanger before placing it in the closet.

You flick the overhead lights off, turning on one of the bedside lamps to cast the room with a warm glow. Namjoon awkwardly stuffs his hands in his pockets.

“I can sleep on the floor.” He speaks up. You give him a look, arching an eyebrow.

“Joon, don’t be silly,” You comment. “It’s a king size bed.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

He smiles, gingerly sliding into the bed, tugging the covers over his lap. You smile, doing the same, pulling out your phone to watch something while Namjoon opens a thick novel from his bag. The two of you sit in comfortable silence, each doing something separate while together. It’s not awkward, in fact just the opposite. The space surrounding you and Namjoon is comfortable, calm, and it feels nice.

Namjoon learns that breakfast is the only meal where it is acceptable to dress down. After informing him that pajamas, are in fact, allowed when he’d gone to get dressed. After you slide into your slippers, he wraps an arm around your waist, letting you drag him down the stairs just as you had the night before.

You and Namjoon are the first people to arrive at the table, so you scoot your chair extra close to his, giggling when he stumbles getting into his chair. His smile dimples his pink cheeks, a sight that makes your heart flutter in your chest.

Your head is nestled in the crook of his neck, cheeks warm with laughter, giggles escaping your lips at the story Namjoon finished telling you. Namjoon’s lips are parted in a wide grin, one arm flung loosely around the back of your chair, the other one resting on your thigh. When your laughter has subsided, you nuzzle further into his neck, sighing heavily. Namjoon’s hand cradles the back of your head, lips near your ear.

“You doin’ okay?” He wonders softly. You nod against his neck. You reach for his free hand, squeezing it tightly with your own.

“I’m fine.” You breathe. “Just a little on edge.”

He nods in understanding, pressing a kiss to your hairline.

It was not unusual for you and Namjoon to be affectionate with each other, but this morning, butterflies were flapping in your stomach, the way Namjoon is treating you borders on couple territory.

“Well look who’s up!”

The warm, soft atmosphere Namjoon had created for you, vanishes when you hear your mother’s voice, your shoulder’s tensing, head whipping around.

“Hi, hey, good morning.” You stumble, moving you chair back to its normal spot, putting some space between you and Namjoon.

“Good morning.” Namjoon greets with a dimpled smile. He reaches for your hand underneath the table, giving it a big squeeze.

You smile at the small show of affection and squeeze back.

Your parents wait until your sister and her husband have joined at the table, taking their seats directly across from Namjoon and you.

“Orchid!” Your mother says, speaking directly to your older sister. “You should’ve seen Namjoon and ___, when we first came down.” She smiles motioning at the two of you. “They were all over each other.”

Your sister looks to you, eyebrows raised.

“We weren’t, I don’t—” You flounder for words in your haste, Namjoon smoothly cutting you off as he puts his arm around the back of your chair.

“It’s hard not to be when you’re with someone as wonderful as ___.” Namjoon chirps. You step on his foot under the table.

“Cheesy much?” You wonder, quiet, but still loud enough for the other members of the table to hear you.

“Only for you honey.” He produces a megawatt smile before pecking a kiss to your temple.

Your mother practically falls out of her seat swooning, but not before giving a pointed look to Orchid and her husband, Sungmin.

That was what your mother did. She pitted the two of you against each other, pulled out your insecurities and served them out on a silver platter. Orchid and Sungmin were on the brink of divorce, of course they aren’t affection with each other. You were just waiting for your mother to sink her claws into you.

“Oh but ___, did you hear about Orchid’s big case?” She wonders, a vile smile creeping up her face. “It’s very important and her boss has entrusted her with handling it. I have no doubts she’ll win.”

“That’s great Orchid.” You smile. “Congratulations.” You feel genuine warm feelings towards your sister, your shitty childhood making your relationship stronger. Orchid had often held you when you cried and let you sleep in her bed when you were really upset after something your mother had said.

“And ___,” Your mother shifts her attention fast enough to make your head spin. “How’s work?”

“It’s great.” You manage through gritted teeth.

“She actually just got a promotion.” Namjoon smiles. “Like I said last night, its super exciting.” You don’t miss the little dig at your mother, and you suppress the urge to laugh. He grins proudly and you can’t help but smile a little. Namjoon had been the most supportive person in your life ever since he came into, overwhelmingly proud when you became got your degree and again when you got your first serious job.

“I’ve never understood how people can find joy in accounting.” Your mother spits. “It seems boring and there’s so many numbers.”

“Actually,” You pipe up. “It’s very interesting and you can really—”

“Still, I could never do it.” She cuts you off sharply.

“___ is incredibly intelligent.” Namjoon speaks again, eyes locking right on your mother’s. “It’s not boring for her. Although I could see how it could be for those who don’t understand numbers as well.”

Your mother’s jaw drops just the slightest, before she shuts her mouth, arms falling helplessly to her lap. You could kiss Namjoon right there, no one’s ever gotten your mother to shut up like that and you revel in it.

Once your mother has composed herself, she clears her throat, gaining the attention of everyone, yet again.

“So Namjoon, what do you do?”

“I’m a writer.” He answers, posture tall and confident, his eyes right on hers again.

“That’s lovely.” She comments. “Did you know that Sungmin is a doctor?”

“I did not.” He says politely. “That’s a very admirable job.”

“So is writing!” Sungmin pipes up. “I’ve always wished I had a talent with words like that. I used to pay my friends in university to write papers for me.”

Namjoon chuckles at that, smiling.

“Namjoon writes for a magazine in our city and he does some freelance stuff for big companies too.” You say proudly and he grins at you.

“That’s awesome man,” Sangmin comments. “I’d love to read some of your stuff sometime.”

“Yeah, I can—”

“But surely writing can’t be as fulfilling as a doctor. Nothing can beat saving lives.”

Everyone straightens grimly, all smiles disappearing.

“Remember I’m a general care physician, I don’t perform major surgeries.” Sungmin smiles awkwardly.

“That doesn’t mean you don’t save lives baby.” Orchid coos, setting her hand on his forearm. “But no career is better than another.” She comments, looking directly at your mother. “Every job is important, and everyone has different things they’re passionate about.” She looks at Namjoon now. “And I think writing is wonderful. You must be really smart.” You smile at your sister in thanks and she winks.

Your mother just scoffs, finally deciding to be quiet and eat her breakfast.

That was really��intense.” Namjoon sighs, tugging a clean crewneck over his head. You look up from the mirror where you’re rubbing moisturizer into your skin.

“Hmm.” You hum in agreement. “I’m so sorry by the way. The way my mother treated you was unacceptable.”

“It’s okay.” He answers honestly. When he sees your frown deepen, he sets his hands on your cheeks.

“___. I promise you it’s fine.”

“I just feel bad. It’s bad enough you had to come here and do this but now my mother is insulting your career and—”

His thumb nudges your chin, prompting you to stop talking. “First of all, I didn’t have to come here okay? I chose to be here. And second, you are not accountable for the things that mother says. She’s not nice to you either.” He reminds you with a soft smile.

“Thank you.” You say simply. He kisses the top of your head before scrounging his suitcase for his Converse. “Okay, I’m making an executive decision for us.” You state, flopping down onto the bed. His eyebrow quirks in curiosity, smiling, encouraging you to go on.

“We’re going out.” You announce. “I can show you my hometown, we can go shopping, get food. And if we time it right, we won’t have to be here for lunch or dinner.”

“I like the way you think.” He smirks, winking as he laces up his sneakers.

You’re a little buzzed from the spiced cider you had at dinner, giggling when Namjoon helps you out of the car, one arm already full of bags from the purchases you’d both made that day.

One of the things you loved about coming home, was getting to visit all the little shops and restaurants that were set up in town. You and Namjoon spent the day supporting your local small businesses and you couldn’t have been happier. It was a great way to spend time with your best friend—and get away from your parents.

You lean into him as you make your way up the front walk, giggling again when he trips on the cobblestone, his stature pitching forward before he catches himself.

Your parents and sister are lounging in the front room, your parents seated on the large sofa, your sister and Sungmin across from them on the loveseat.

“___, Namjoon, come join us!” Your mom suggests cheerfully, a glass of red wine resting in her hand.

“Okay,” Namjoon nods. “Let us take these bags upstairs and we’ll be right back.”

Namjoon leads you up the staircase, hand on your lower back.

“We probably should hang out for a bit,” You comment. “We haven’t seen them all day.”

Namjoon nods in agreement, taking the bags from your hands, setting them in the closet alongside his suitcase.

“Lemme just change,” You say, peeling your sweater over your head, eliciting a blush on Namjoon’s cheeks, his head ducking down.

You trade your sweater and jeans for a hoodie and Christmas-themed pajama pants, heading into the bathroom to scrub off your makeup while Namjoon changes into sweatpants and a t-shirt.

Your parents look up when you reenter, smiling softly when they see the way you’ve nuzzled yourself into Namjoon’s side.

“Oh! Look what we put up earlier!” Orchid comments, pointing to the doorframe right above you and Namjoon.

Mistletoe.

“Oh, ha ha.” Namjoon chuckles awkwardly, his face heating up once again.

“Come on lovebirds,” Your sister laughs. “Give us a little show.”

“Gross Orchid.” You mumble, glaring right at her.

“You have to!” Your mother giggles. “It’s the rules.”

Namjoon looks like he wants to melt into the floor, scratching the back of his neck.

You aren’t sure if it’s the alcohol that’s lingering in your body, or how cute your best friend looks with his red cheeks, but something fills you with confidence, and you squish his warm cheeks with your hands, pressing a hard kiss to his pouted lips.

Your parents laugh and cheer, Orchid clapping good-naturedly. When you pull away from Namjoon, his eyes are wide, puffy lips parted in astonishment.

“So, this is it huh?” Namjoon wonders, straightening the red tie around his neck, which not-so-coincidentally matched the exact shade of your cocktail dress. “The big party.”

“Yup.” You nod, double checking your makeup in the mirror.

To say Namjoon was nervous about the Christmas Eve party, was an understatement. He was freaking out. He wants to make a good impression on everyone, in hopes that he can sell the lie the two of you have been living the past few days.

“You’ll be fine.”

He nods, swallowing harshly. He doesn’t admit it to you, but the party isn’t the only thing making him uneasy. You had never talked about last night, after you had kissed him, everything went on as usual, as if it never happened.

You slip into your heels, giving him a small smile.

“Alright,” You sigh softly, taking his arm. “Party time.”

You swallow another sip of champagne, gripping tightly to Namjoon’s arm. He had survived all of the introductions, and unsurprisingly, everyone loved him.

Dinner had already been served, and everyone was mingling, upbeat holiday music filtering through the speaker system, champagne and wine flowing easily.

Your parents were talking to some clients from your mother’s interior design firm, and you know without listening that she’s talking about you and Orchid.

That’s the thing about your mom—she’ll criticize every decision you make, but in front of everyone else she plays the proud, devoted parent, bragging about all of your accomplishments, as if she had anything to do with them.

Namjoon senses your discomfort and he nuzzles his cheek against the top of your head. The wine he’d been drinking had earlier served as liquid courage, but now that he was relaxed, he was just sleepier and cuddlier than usual.

“You okay?” He murmurs, lips at your ear. You nod robotically, leaning against his shoulder. Obviously, you’re not okay and he knows that, so he takes your hand, leading you outside to the back patio for a moment of fresh air.

Noticing the chill on your skin and the shiver in your movements, he drapes his suit jacket over your shoulders, wrapping an arm around you.

“You’re not okay.” He whispers. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s just,” You sigh, leaning into his embrace. “My mother. She’s so critical and finds fault in everything we do, yet when it comes to appearances and other people, she has nothing but good things to say.” You bite your lip to hold back the tears that fill your eyes, looking out into the wooded backyard. “If she really is proud, then why can’t she ever tell us?”

“Oh honey,” Namjoon frowns.

“It just feels like nothing I ever do is good enough. I work hard, I did well in school, but it’s like it’s not good enough. Why do I care so much about my parents’ approval, why can’t I just be proud of myself because I’ve done well?”

You don’t stop the tears from falling, splattering onto your cheeks and no doubt making tracks in your carefully applied makeup.

“I’m sorry.” Namjoon whispers. “I’m so sorry that you feel this way. I’m insanely proud of you and I wish you could see how wonderful you are, so deserving of love and praise.”

“I love you.” You blurt, the words spilling so easily from your lips, with a little help from the champagne in your system.

“Oh,” He smiles. “I love you too, you know th—”

“No Namjoon, I love you.” You murmur.

Something sparks in his eyes, you don’t see the way his demeanor changes, as he realizes what these feelings were—are. Spending all this time with you has made him feel different, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on the feeling. But now, he knows, he loves you too.

“Can we go upstairs?” You wonder. “I’m so tired, I can’t be down here anymore, I just want—”

He cuts you off with a nod, taking your hand and letting you lead him to the back staircase, so you can escape without anyone seeing you.

Once the door is closed—and locked, you fling off your heels, flopping onto the bed. You drag your ring finger under your eyes, in attempt to collect the mascara clumps that washed off your eyelashes with the tears you’d shed.

“I love you too.” Namjoon announces, throwing his tie and shoes in a pile before standing over you. “God, I love you so much. I never realized how I feel, but now I know and—”

You cut him off with a press of your lips on his, hands grabbing for his shoulders and pulling him down. His lips melt into yours, returning the kiss with more fervor, mouth warm and soft.

You’re gripping on his shirt, clawing at the buttons when he pulls back slightly, running a hand through his damp locks, slicking it up onto his head.

“H-honey,” He starts, stumbling over his words a little. “I don’t know if we should be doing this right now.”

“What?” You pout, sitting up. “Why not? Do you not—”

“No, no, no, trust me I want to.” He sighs. “But you’re upset, we’ve been drinking…” He trails off and you whine.

“Joon please, I want this, I want you, I love you.” You frown, setting a hand on his cheek.

He looks into your eyes, searching for an ounce of hesitation. When he doesn’t find any, he you pull him back down, hovering above your form.

“Are you sure?” He murmurs, his breath ghosting over your lips.

“Positive.” With your affirmation, he presses his lips to your own, lightly tugging on your bottom lip with his teeth.

He breathes in the groan that passes through your lips, sighing deliciously. After Namjoon’s tie is crumpled on the floor and a failed attempt at the buttons on his shirt, you tug on each side until it releases, the fabric literally ripping before you toss it away.

Namjoon only chuckles, shifting positions so that you can straddle his lap. Your hands grip his hair, exhaling when his lips meet the skin on your neck.

“I love you.” He simpers, lips behind your ear. “I love you so damn much.”

When you wake up the next morning, something’s changed. Not only between you and Namjoon—who’s currently cuddled into your side���but also the way you feel about yourself.

“Joonie,” You coo, tousling his hair. “Joon wake up, it’s Christmas.”

“Mmm, morning Christmas,” He murmurs sleepily. He nuzzles his face into your neck, eyelids falling shut.

“Namjoon,” You whisper. “C’mon. Let’s get up.”

“Please?” He whines. “Can we please sleep for a little longer before we have to go down there?”

“No Joonie, we’re going home.” You push back the covers and climb out of the bed, cold air flushing your skin.

His head snaps up, eyes perking up. “What?!”

“We’re leaving.” You announce, sliding on his t-shirt from two nights ago. “Unless, you want to stay?” You tease, raising an eyebrow.

“I’ll start packing now!” He gets out of bed, pressing a kiss to your cheek before grabbing some fresh clothes and entering the bathroom.

You dress and pack up your belongings, so that when Namjoon is ready, you are too.

The two of you hold hands down the stairs, leaving your bags by the doorway before venturing into the kitchen.

“Good morning!” Your mother chirps. “Merry Christmas!”

“Hey guys.” You greet awkwardly.

“Come, sit down—have some breakfast, then we’ll open gifts.”

“Actually Mom,” You breathe. “We’re leaving.”

“What!?”

“Namjoon and I are going to go home.”

“Absolutely not, sit down.”

“No Mom. I don’t wanna be here anymore. I thought now that I’m grown up you would actually treat me with an ounce of respect, but I was wrong.”

“Excuse me?” Your mother snaps.

“Come on honey, let’s just go.” Namjoon urges, squeezing your hand tightly. You shake your head, squeezing his hand back.

“Before we leave I have something to say, and you’re going to listen to me.” You tell your mother, tone firm yet gentle. “For my entire life I’ve taken shit from you. The verbal abuse, emotional abuse, all the digs, all the criticism. Nothing I ever did was good enough for either of you and I’m done with it. I’m happy with who I am, what I do, and who I choose to spend time with. I’m done trying to impress you, this is my life, not yours. I am more than good enough and shame on you for not seeing it.”

You take a shaky breath wiping the single tear that fell down your face while you were speaking.

“And you Dad?” You add, redirecting your gaze. “You never did say anything. Never stood up for us, and God forbid you actually were proud of us without Mom telling you, you were allowed to be.”

Your parents sit there, dumbfounded. You take a moment to catch your breath before turning to look at Namjoon, who is trying very hard to bite back his grin. Orchid’s face is a mixture of admiration and pure joy, mouthing; I’ll call you later.

“Honey, I’m sorry you feel that way.” Your mother manages, thinking for her next words.

You swiftly shake your head.

“I love you both, but we’re leaving.” You smile. “We can work through this, only if you’re willing. But for now, I want to go home and spend Christmas with my boyfriend.”

You and Namjoon turn to leave, collecting your luggage before loading up the car.

“Holy shit.” Namjoon blurts. “That was fucking amazing, I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you.” You smile. “It felt good.” He leans over to kiss you, hand cupping your cheek.

“It was also pretty fucking hot.”

© arcticguk 2020. absolutely no reposting, translating, or modifying, even with credit.

[castlevania-afterdark-imagines]

Christmas Special: Characters spending Christmas with their S/O

HAPPY HOE-LIDAYS!!!

Christmas morning is happening all around the world, but no matter what you do or don’t celebrate, or how you do or don’t celebrate it, we here at Afterdark hope y’all have a wonderful time! 

The holidays are hard (pun not intended), but please know that if you’ve ever enjoyed a post on this blog, we love you, we appreciate you, and wish you all the best in the world.

Here’s your present!

Trevor

AINT NO CHRISTMAS LIKE A BELMONT FAMILY CHRISTMAS! 

Lights, food, music, more lights!

His whole extended family gets together for this, so expect to be dragged along to many many events throughout the month. 

No pressure about the gift buying though, they're all very practical people and contributing to the food pile is a perfectly acceptable offering. 

You never would have guessed the size if his personal ugly sweater hoard.

And you are less surprised to find his mistletoe belt buckle. 

It's not so much he gets jolly as he and his family honor the traditional route of drinking and feasting. 

He's very shy about his few gifts he gets you though, when you both get to have Christmas Day to yourselves. 

He gets a few necessities, like the soaps you like and socks to replace all the holey ones he tossed behind your back. (The man can have holey underwear but is weirdly specific about socks being intact)

But among them he'll get a cheesy sentimental thing, like a locket his nan thought you'd like or a card with a better poem than he has any right to be able to write. 

With the rest of the month having been crazy, this day he wants to spend with you, in pjs, nibbling on leftovers and watching movies. 

Begs you not to get sexy santa lingerie because he really doesn't need to be reminded of his family while fucking you that night. 

Adrian 

He can enjoy the sentimentality of the season, but you can see him roll his eyes at gaudy Christmas displays. 

He sees mistletoe in doorways less as an opportunity for a grand romantic gesture and more of a game. 

How many seconds does it take him to go from noticing to smooching your face?

You have the suspicion he might also be so quick about it because he wants to make sure there's no window of opportunity for anyone else to come in.

He offers to spend the holiday with your family if you prefer, his parents aren't sticklers about the exact day you visit. 

He uses the cold weather as an excuse to be ten times more cuddly than normal.  Obviously he just doesn't want you to catch a cold. Obviously…

Kid damn near forgets to buy gifts. 

He's just so used to getting things as you need them he forgot to actually hold anything back to the holiday. 

He does get cheeky with them though, adding things like "Christmas Edition" naughty dice next to your favorite candy. 

Hey, the point of the holidays is to have fun, right?

Sypha

Caroling, caroling, caroling- Sypha it is literally December 1st.

Expect there to be music playing through the house 24/7 of a wide range of genres.

While her family has always spent extra care to teach each other about the variety of celebrations during the winter months they would settle on Christmas as the day to actually get together. Work schedules and all. 

Has much more fun with Christmas activities than gifts or food. Sledding, building snowmen, watching movies, quality time is huge for her. 

Her family has such a variety of ways to spend the holiday she has to ask you exactly what your family might expect of her if you visit. 

Very much a getter of "us" gifts. Fancy coffee for us to try,  a new toaster for us to use, spa passes for us to go to tomorrow. 

When things boil down she's a bit glum, knowing most people will go back to being less kind without the holidays and a looming hint to be nice. 

But she can't stay sad for long with you to be with her until next Christmas. 

Hector

December always sneaks up on him, you can tell by the eye rolling when he hears the music in the stores change overnight.

Not digging the cold much, but he will risk freezing to avoid the gaudy Xmas sweaters. 

Snowflakes are fine, he draws the line at lights and tinsel. 

You can tell he gets a little salty about a lot of people only acting nice during this month but he can't stay sour when he sees you glow under the lights strung up between street lights. 

Spends extra time at the animal shelters, helping them bring critters in from the cold and he donates all the blankets and pillows he can grab from second hand stores. 

He's not a huge gift giver, but if there's something specific you've been eyeing he'll go out of his way to make sure you don't get it for yourself.

Is the YouTube boyfriend who gets you the puppy/kitten you've been looking at online,  minus actually filming it. 

He also loves making a big Christmas Eve meal,  even if it's just the two of you,  and then having delicious leftovers for days after. 

Isaac

Probably the one who needs the most persuading to be…"jolly".

No Christmas sweaters, no Christmas music, any carolers are getting a door shut in their face. 

He finds it the biggest spit in the face for people to think being jolly for 25 days undoes all of the cruelties of the world.

But you discover he has a soft spot for decorations, especially the lights. 

He likes the handcrafted ornaments and the reflection of people's personalities in how they arrange their homes. 

But of course he won't discourage you from enjoying the season, he just has trouble doing it himself. 

When it comes to gifts he's very simple,  minimal wrapping, but he does make a little game of it.

Why put everything under a tree when you can find small tokens of his affection by the coffee mugs, on your nightstand, maybe in the pantry?

He cuts off the baking early in the month though once he notices the slightest tightness to his belt. 

He can't say no to your cooking, clearly this isn't his fault!

Dracula

Is he a scrooge? Not… exactly. 

He gets testy about the hypocrisy of a celebrity holiday turned commercial and the religious overtones and the worst version of "Santa Baby" to be released in his lifetime which he always thought was a garbage song in the first place-

But for you he can suck it up. 

He always gets confused at how people with wish him a Merry Christmas for things like holding doors during December, even though he does that year round. 

To be honest he'll follow your leads, not carrying many traditions with him. 

You like big family gatherings? Sure, he can bring the roast beef or honey ham for the crowd. You want to hide away and drink peppermint schnapps in hot chocolate watching horror movies? Strange approach but whatever makes you happy. 

He won't buy a ton of gifts, but the one thing he has a weakness for is holiday lingerie. It is perhaps the one thing he could argue that pays tribute to the original holiday practices, fucking. 

It's gaudy and can be ripped apart easily but replacing it is what next Christmas is for.

Lisa 

You can guess by the boxes upon boxes labeled "XMAS" living in the attic that there's some serious decorating that's gonna happen December 1st.

Lights everywhere, giving a little ray of hope and magic. At least that's how she will describe the effect she wants her elaborate display to have. 

No religious symbols, since she wants the feelings of goodwill to be broader in scope. 

She'll drag you outside to browse other people's displays, squeezing your hand and pulling you close and she gets lost in the glittering lights. 

She doesn't push much for the family get togethers, she likes to keep things intimate and personal with you. 

Movies, going ice skating, just taking the time to appreciate being together. 

Which means she's a hell of an accurate gift giver, always finding the exact thing you need without you having to ask for it. 

She also does a loooot of baking. She does donate a lot of it, and will give it to carolers if they come by, but you might need to step in to tell her that you have no more room in the fridge or pantry for all of the goodies. 

Godbrand

The whole of December was quiet...too quiet. 

Sure he was up to his usual hijinks, but not really feeding into the holiday theme.

Aside from the stash of eggnog in the fridge and gigantic bottle of rum to go with it. 

You would've thought he'd completely ignored the tree aside from a few baubles that got rearranged. 

Then Christmas Eve rolls around and he's full ugly sweater, glitter and lights in his beard, sack of gifts over his shoulder,  "Ho ho ho Merry FUCKING Christmas!" 

Apparently he doesn't think much of wasting the whole month being half assed when he can go balls to the walls in one night. 

Spoils the fuck out of any kids in either of your families. 

Once your home alone, expect the whole ribbon on his dick, sexy Santa ready to "cum down your chimney" bit.

Is it gaudy and ridiculous as fuck? Yes.

But he'd rather be over the top for you than make you think he just hadn't cared at all. 

-Mod Soviet

[randomoranges]

have some very soft xmas fic

O Come, All Ye Faithful [I Just Want You and Me Warming our Frozen Feet]

Early Morning December 25th 2020

 Edward pads towards his kitchen in search for two things. He’d woken up thirsty and had gotten up to get a glass of water, only to notice that Étienne was not in bed. He’d decided to give a quick search while fetching his water and thus, had found himself in the kitchen. He notices the Christmas lights on the tree are still on and it’s odd, considering the fact that they’re on a timer and should have gone off ages ago. He decides to investigate and continues his journey, after he finishes his water.

 By the time he reaches the tree, he finds Étienne standing by it, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Edward pauses, a few feet away and takes in the sight of his boyfriend’s body illuminated by the multi coloured lights and there’s something tranquil and otherworldly about the spectacle. It’s in the quiet of the moment and the gentle sway of his body that’s nearly impossible to see.

“Hey, you okay?” Edward chooses to break the silence and Étienne turns, slightly startled by the interruption in his pondering and is quick to nod.

 “Couldn’t sleep,” He offers as an answer, before Edward steps in beside him. Étienne leans against him and Edward reaches out to wrap his arm around his waist. This, unfortunately, is nothing new. “Figured I’d come and contemplate life here instead of tossing and turning in bed and waking the both of you up.”

 “Well, as the saying goes, misery loves company, so, penny for your thoughts?” He hopes it’s nothing too bad. Étienne’s had a rough time of it and he’d hate for his boyfriend to have another setback – especially on Christmas.

 “Penny’s gone, Edward,” Étienne tells him, but there’s a grin on his face that goes from blue to green and Edward can’t help but chuckle. He takes the joke as a sign that Étienne isn’t off in the deep end and it reassures him a little. It’s the holidays after all and Étienne deserves a break.

 “Humour me; nickel for your thoughts?”

 Étienne snuggles up to him and lets out a content little sigh. Edward rubs his side and finds himself thinking that despite everything, it hasn’t been a bad Christmas Eve. Different, sure, but for the first time ever, he’d gotten to spend it with both Calvin and Étienne and it had been more than nice. The smaller crowd had allowed them to enjoy each other’s company and even though it hadn’t been like the other times, it had also been very nice. Perhaps, he reflects, it had been the Christmas Eve they had needed. In any event, he’d found himself hoping that in the future, regardless of location and crowd, he’d still get to be with Calvin and Étienne.

 “Just reflecting. On Christmas and such.” Étienne shrugs, trying to dismiss the importance of his thoughts, but Edward won’t let him. “It’s – It was different,” Étienne offers after a moment, “but it wasn’t bad.” He says and Edward’s glad and relieved to hear it. Deep down, he’d known that Étienne hadn’t hated it, but he also knew that this wasn’t what his boyfriend normally did.

 Étienne liked the busy aspect of Christmas Eve with the big crowd. He liked to drink in the boisterous atmosphere and thrived in the chaos of a large gathering. “I’m glad I was here – thanks for having me – for everything,” He murmurs, soft and quiet.

 Edward had even gone so far as to make some of his favourites for supper, knowing how much he looked forward to some of these meals and – he’d been touched and surprised by the gesture. Edward had assured him that it was nothing – that he knew this entire year had been terrible and that this was the least he could do, if it meant it would make him just a little bit less homesick. Étienne had hugged him, wordlessly, and Edward had held him close for a moment longer.

 Edward can’t help but hold him tighter still this time around as well. He still wishes he could chase away the dark clouds that linger in Étienne’s mind, but he’ll have to settle with what he can do, and so he holds his boyfriend close.

 “Of course; any time,” He reiterates again, over and over, but he wants Étienne to know that he’s an integral part of his life now; he doesn’t need to wonder if he’s wanted anymore. He is. Always. Always has been, but, he is. Edward spares him a glance and finds a soft smile splayed on Étienne’s face. He’s beautiful, he thinks, shifting lights dancing on his face and Edward still tries to grasp how it is that they both got here, somehow.

 “It was nice,” He says and looks up to the tree, his smile growing a fraction and Edward’s breath hitches for a moment, but he doesn’t say anything, not wanting to interrupt Étienne’s train of thought, “Despite everything, it was nice. I think this was my first Christmas in a long time that I did things differently and – I’m glad you were part of it.” Étienne turns and looks at him, before leaning his head back on his chest, most likely hearing the erratic beating of his heart, but he doesn’t comment if he notices it and for that Edward is thankful.

 “It would have been nice – to be with Élyse, and I think overall, that was the hardest part – not being with her. She’s been my one constant, always and it still feels a bit off not having her around...” He trails off with a small sigh and Edward places a tender kiss to the top of his head, unsure what else to do or say. “Other than that, however, I didn’t hate this – I’m glad we got to spend the holidays together again. I had forgotten how much I missed having you around for them.” Étienne reaches for his other hand and twines their fingers together.

 “It made me hope that – I don’t know – we can do this again, next year, or in the future, or something. Spend the holidays together again. We can figure out the logistics of where and with whom, but it’d be nice. I’d like that.” He pauses and Edward lets the quiet of the late night envelop them both in its embrace. “Obviously, with Calvin,” He adds, wanting to reassure Edward that he’s not being a callous egoist – that he’s aware that Calvin means a lot to him and Edward appreciates Étienne more for the comment. Appreciates the effort both Étienne and Calvin keep putting towards each other, for his sake.

 He’s seen it in their interactions; the slow and tentative progress they’ve made. How Calvin had introduced Étienne to his Christmas Village – how they’d set it up together under Calvin’s careful guidance and how Étienne had volunteered to fix up some of the buildings that had needed a fresh coat of paint (and the work he’d put into making some of the pieces even better.) It’s also in Étienne’s offer to have Calvin join him on his walks with Mercury more often than not and in Calvin’s attempt to teach Étienne to knit.  

 Then, there’s the presents they’ve gotten each other that had warmed Edward’s heart. Calvin had knit Étienne some thick socks, saying that he’d heard Étienne complain about being cold so often, that he figured this would help – hopefully. Étienne had genuinely liked the socks and Edward now notices that his boyfriend is already wearing them.

 Or the throw Étienne had found with tiny horses and cowboy hats that came with an accompanying horse pillow that also served as an adorable plushie. Étienne had hesitated when he’d found the items, but Edward had assured him that Calvin would love them. (And he had. His entire face had lit up and he’d nearly knocked Étienne over in his excitement to hug him tightly for the gift.)

 “That sounds lovely – I’d like that too,” He says and it’s true. It would be nice. To spend it with Étienne (again) and with Calvin. He’d missed spending the holidays with him as well, and now that they don’t have to step on eggshells – that he doesn’t have to worry and second guess himself, he knows that it would be even lovelier. “We’ll figure it out.” Étienne nods to that and they fall silent once more.

 “I must say though,” Étienne starts again, a lifetime later, the lights still merrily twinkling away, creating a mosaic of colours, “I did not miss going to midnight mass or having to freeze my ass off waiting to get into church.”

 Edward laughs and they chuckle over the comment. “Remember that time Samuel made a big stink over getting to the church too late so we couldn’t sit in the usual pew or whatever?”

 Étienne groans, but doesn’t stop grinning, “God; that was the worst. The insufferable melodramatic asshole.” Anyone else would have thought that Étienne meant it, but Edward knows that despite it all, even though they haven’t always gotten along and haven’t always seen eye to eye, Étienne does care for his older brother and he might even dare to say that he’s missed him. Not that he’s about to mention that last bit to his boyfriend. Étienne would be affronted Edward would even deign to think that.

 Instead, they observe the effect of the lights on the ornaments Edward has collected over the many years. Étienne had been surprised to find some familiar ones – some Edward had gotten for himself when they’d travelled off to warm places together, a memento of the place they’d visited. Then, Étienne had found one he himself had given Edward one Christmas over thirty years ago and he’d been shocked to see that Edward still had it. Edward had shrugged, saying that it was a good ornament and he’d always been fond of it, but Étienne had still been surprised – still thought that Edward had gotten rid of absolutely everything that had to do with him after their fall out.

 The last ornament that had surprised him had been a simple snowman of which he had a similar one at home. It had been a gift from Suzette, one year, and she had placed one on everyone’s dishes as a table decoration. Étienne had noticed that his and Edward’s matched – had the same coloured scarf and hat and he’d wondered if it had been intentional. He hadn’t mentioned anything and had never known if Edward had noticed, but he’d kept his snowman, put it up on his own smaller tree every year and had been greatly surprised to find Edward’s on his own.

 There had obviously been a slew of ornaments that Étienne had never seen, from tacky-cute-silly ones, to the more traditional, and even some that Étienne had been surprised to see (notably; one rainbow coloured snowflake and another simple rainbow) and Étienne had gorged himself on the stories Edward had shared of how some of the ornaments had come to be.

 “It was nice putting up the decorations with you and Cal,” Étienne says and he smiles to himself as he recalls the excitement he had felt when Edward had announced, late November, that it was time to start decorating. He and Calvin had helped Edward bring down the boxes and slowly, the house had turned into a real holiday wonderland. He’d wished he had asked Suzette to ship him his Christmas stocking, realising that he wouldn’t have one to put with Edward’s and Calvin’s, but then the other two had surprised him with one of his very own that they had made together. He’d been – touched, by the gesture and had never expected something of the sorts, but Calvin had been quick to tell him that he needed a stocking, or else how would Santa give him anything – even if it was only coal and Étienne had laughed at the comment.

 “Wouldn’t mind doing it again,” He says and looks at Edward again.

 Edward pulls him in for a proper hug and seeks his lips for a long overdue kiss, the words failing him to say how all of this makes him feel – how relieved and glad he is. He wants this as well, no doubt about it and he really hopes that next year, and the one after that, he’ll be able to spend the holidays with both Calvin and Étienne by his side, again. And again and again. Étienne cups his face with his hands and responds back to his kiss as the lights keep dancing about for a moment longer.

 “Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” Edward murmurs, when they pull away, before Étienne settles back against him. They stay there by the tree for a little longer, before Edward suggests they get some rest, and once the lights have been turned off, they return to the bedroom and Étienne snuggles back by his side. Edward falls back asleep, content and at peace.

 FIN

[mygiantesslove]

Christmas Eve at My Cousins Feet

How I Could've Avoided This Fate (2)

December 24th 3:59pm.  While struggling to endure with Bianca’s foot stepping on you. You tried to hold up her foot.  At first, you thought you were getting stronger but then soon realized that she was only toying with you and would press her full weight down every time you got tired of lifting her foot up from crushing you.  Every time you failed she would laugh and that only dampened your spirits even more.

While her big and second toes had their soft grip around your neck you wondered how humiliating this would look like if you saw yourself in a mirror, your face barely peeking out of your younger cousin’s toes while she toyed with you.  If only you followed the signs that she gave on planning to shrink you.  It was so obvious if it was a bee it would have stung you.  Especially what she was telling her parents last night.

December 23rd 8:08 pm.  The whole family except Bianca was sitting at the dinner table and Aunt Michelle had made a magnificent feast for 8 people.  Everyone was starving and when your Aunt finally said those two magic words “Dig In!”  Everybody put massive amounts of food on their plate and gobbled up what they could until their stomachs were full.  Michelle finally noticed her only daughter wasn’t there and said where is that girl?  Jake, I told you to go get her before we started eating our meals.”

You sputtered out through your mouth full of food and said "Bla-wha-what?  No, you didn't!”

 “You really have to pay more attention, Jake. I guess I can’t trust you with anything.”

Your mom jumped in and said “Pay more attention to your Auntie, Jake.  You don’t get to see her very often and you should do what she says.”

You didn’t say anything after that because that was total BS.  She didn’t say anything to me about getting Bianca.  Aunt Michelle called out “Biancaaaaa, get your little butt in here!”

Bianca yelled back “Coming” and walked into the room rubbing her belly.  She was wearing matching blue pajama pants and shirt and had on these pair of worn out Christmas socks that were striped red, green and white.  Bianca’s mom saw this and said annoyed “Bianca, honey, what did I say about wearing those disgusting old socks.”

 "You said not to wear them anymore because they stink and need a good washing I should be quarantined to my room because if you get close enough to smell them you're likely to pass out.”

Astonished that her daughter memorized everything she told her before, Michelle said “Exactly.  So why are you still wearing them?”

 "Because they’re my favorite Christmas socks and I'm gonna wear them the whole month of December until I wear them in each one of my slippers, boots, and sneakers until I have no more footwear left to wear them in and that includes the presents I still haven’t gotten yet in 2 days.  And… (Bianca looks quickly at you and then turns away)….um……uh..… That’s it” you thought Bianca was going to say something about you but quickly avoided it.

Her mother replies “Well if I had known that, I never would’ve bought you such expensive shoes.  If I had known you were going to ruin them while wearing those sweaty socks I would have given them to the poor and needy.  If you ever find a boyfriend Bianca you better pray he likes the smell of your feet because I’ve never met a guy who could stand such a strong smell coming from his girlfriend’s toes to stick around with her very long.”  

Bianca replies smiling “Don’t worry mom.  I think I’ve found somebody who won't be able to run away from the smell of my feet.  He might even not be able to live without it.”

Again you thought you saw Bianca quickly glance in your direction but you couldn’t tell if she did or not.

After hearing the crazy statement her daughter just made Michelle replies sarcastically “Yeah, Right.  Just don’t wear those socks for the Xmas party tomorrow.”

Trixie was paying very close attention to her older cousin and asked: “Can’t live without what?”  Bianca replied with a quick “Nothing” and started to eat her dinner.

You couldn’t help but wonder if this had anything to with what she said earlier when you arrived at her house yesterday at 3:45, but ignored your rambling thoughts and started on your dessert.  If you only knew this would be the last dessert you would Ever eat.

[anyarusama]

Xmas poem part 01

001 ‘Twas the night before Xmas and all thru LA

002 Everyone was preparing for the fun holiday

003 The hookers all wore some green and some red

004 While the depleted drug dealers were preparing for bed

005 The gangs all traded their guns and their caps

006 For a cup of hot cocoa to share with their paps

007 Yet in one business stood an overworked girl

008 For she had a boss whose rage could unfurl

009 You see she had asked for Christmas Eve off

010 That day was denied which made the night rough

011 And now here she stands making pizza for none

012 While everyone’s Christmas is nearly But done

013 “Hate working” complained the overworked girl

014 “Should be at home Fuck Manager WURL!”

015 She played with a laser pointer she snuck to work

016 She had nothing to do! This made her berserk!

017 No one buys Pizza on Christmas Eve night

018 “Fuck Christmas” she said straight outta spite

019 ‘“Chill out and relax!” Said her special pig friend

020 “For all you need now! Is joint till the end

021 “When all turns out bad, Pull out your stash

022 “And go smoke it all all faster than flash”

023 The overworked said feeling reassured

024 “I’m down to do it! It’s Tonight’s perfect cure!”

025 They ran to the alley way into the back

026 And they would stay there till the joints turned all black

027 “Give me a lighter” said the special pig friend

028 “So we can begin my unique special blend”

029 she then began to realized she had not brought a lighter

030 But she did had something although a little less brighter

031 Remembered that pointer deep in her pocket

032 Which she would now use to get high as a rocket

033 She aimed her pointer straight right up at the sky

034 Which brought a red sleigh down, along with a guy

035 The laser had blinded the guy on the sleigh

036 In turn brought the sleigh down and left him astray

037 The bang had confused the overworked girl

038 As well as the pig friend both were all in swirls

039 The two muddled up to the guy in the sleigh

040 Guy wore all red and looked very cliche

041 The overworked pointed to the guys eye

042 But the man just laid there and did not comply

043 “The mans dead!” Yelled the overworked girl

044 But the light eventually, gave him reason to twirl

045 ‘Tis a zombie” shouted the special pig friend

046 So both of the friends now have to defend

047 The overworked girl gave him a hard punch

048 Which made the poor man deliver his lunch

049 She grabbed the mans hat and strangled the man

050 Now turning back she must finish what she began

051 Once all was done she knew who he was

052 ‘Tis was ol Saint Nick! AKA Santa Claus!

053 The Overworked girl checked the man for a pulse

054 The man her none so this made her repulse

055 Her assumption had now become true

056 Santa was dead and his face was full blue

057 “What now!” Panicked the overworked girl

058 “I wish not arrest by our officer Earl”

059 “No worries” said the special pig friend

060 “For hiding the body is what I recommend”

061 “But first burn the evidence, it’s easy like so”

062 Store the body in the freezer is whatnot should know

063 But chop the body and keep it hidden

064 In barrel which will now stay forbidden

065 The overworked girl complied without second thought

066 She did not want jail time and feared getting caught

067 At the very moment a family of six entered the store

068 Which made the overworked girl stop all the gore

069 The family sat down and ordered a pizza

070 They wanted the best like they were in Pisa!

071 the special pig friend began making the pizza

072 And The overworked girl waited and prayed for amnesia

073 She served up the pizza and caught something strange

074 It was Saint Nick finger which made her derange

075 “Sorry we are now closed” Said the overworked girl

076 “And i must take the pizza it has a Diseased sausage curl”

077 “But we have no meal tonight” said the little poor boy

078 This was our meal for tonight now we have no more joy”

079 But the family did not leave feeling hungry or sad

080 The overworked girl gave them all money for she felt really bad

081 The overworked girl had brought her conscience

082 A solution she needed for Santa strange absence

083 As the family left she got a terrific idea

084 Everyone’s Christmas was saved! Even Korea’s!

085 She ran to the sleigh and put out the fire

086 She will save Christmas for she was inspired!

087 With Santa dead and the toys all destroyed

088 She will give her stuff which she quickly deployed

089 Off to her home the girl sure did hush

090 And filled up the sleigh all done in a hush

091 Her big screen TV went in as well as her food

092 For hopes that this Christmas will be any good

093 She packed up her fun video game console

094 As well as her liquor to prove she’s no asshole

095 Off in the sky she delivered her stuff

096 While her special pig friend smoked all his puffs

097 She read off the list made by good ol Saint Nick

098 And Matched up her stuff in hopes it would stick

099 Lil boy jimmy had asked for planting seeds

[rhonddaandallaneuro]

Christmas Day in 2017 was very different for us both. It is only the second time in over thirty years we have not had family at our place for dinner and an experience for us. At the park where we are staying there are six families of travellers (gypsies) and they really speak a language of their own. They keep to themselves mostly but really know how to party as the days get longer. Hahha We spent Xmas eve with other guests at the park from Pomona on the Sunshine Coast enjoying a few drinks before retiring late for the arrival of Santa. Prior to actually going to bed though we knocked off a special bottle of port we found from a previous trip. Also knocked off a block of the darkest chocolate from the freezer along with a coffee Allan brewed up from the Margaret River region. I should also mention the "travellers" gave us two dozen fresh oysters, which we thoroughly enjoyed. To say we were in the Xmas mode would not be far from the truth. Christmas morning after taking the time to speak with family and friends we caught a taxi to the Tolland Hotel, where we had booked in for lunch. The food was great and to finish off we had an oldy but a goody in "bread and butter" pudding. On our return to the park it was alive with children and groups all celebrating the day with laughter everywhere. It was great sitting around listening to the music and sounds of children playing. As the night drew on the "travellers" became the focus of all. Hahha. I have to mention our newest friends, the "travellers", were evicted. Seems the manager felt two days non-stop celebration was not acceptable. They played music, sang, talked ever so loud and their children worked out they could do what they wanted, and they did. Nothing bad just did what happy people enjoying life do. The local police also visited the park and handed out gifts to the children, flashing the car lights and sounding the sirens. Really added to the spirit of the day. Finally we surrendered to the night so we could be ready for the "sales" with shops opening at 7am here. Someone however should tell Big W that the prices are supposed to come down not go up. A most disappointing event. Wagga Wagga is a huge regional city, even having its own beach on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River and we elected to stay an extra three nights. The longest we have stayed anywhere. Friday we went back to the RSL club for another seafood feast and on Saturday drove to Cootamundra the birth place of Don Bradman and Young the home of cherries in Australia. Along the way we stopped off in Junee the home of the red cow, which also has one of the best bakeries in Australia we have visited. Stopped and bought some cherries from road side shack along the way with a cherry ice cream and a cherry pie. Our taste buds we're loving us as we enjoyed our evening meal of "fruits from wherever" something we will do again. I must mention that cherry pie is amazing and no one should ever pass up a chance to try one if offered. Rates above apple pie. Sunday "New Years eve" we are spending in Goulburn after our free camp tonight last night at the Bowning Football Club, a freebie camp site just short of Yass. Very good with its amenities and we are sorry we missed the local pub as it has a great presence as you drive past. Shortly after arriving in Goulburn we went on a quick tour and have already visited the WWI War memorial which sits high above the city. Very impressive, as too the local Catholic Catherdral which is the only such structure made of green stone in the world. The park is small but has everything we need including an aviary and a "larger then life" model train running around the gardens. It also has musical ants which welcome visitors within. Currently they are all rigged up in readiness for News Years Eve. The park is obviously old as even though they are drive through (on angles) sites the larger vans hang over the drive ways. Hahha Worse things can happen I am sure. To all have a great new year and we look forward to catching you all up in the new year. Stay safe.

[osakaso5]

Ryunosuke Tsunashi Xmas Magic Rabbit Chat Part 5: Christmas Comes Yet Again. 

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Tsumugi: Good work, Tsunashi-san! 

Tsumugi: 

Tsumugi: I'm sure you must be busy with Yuki-san's birthday preparations and your work, but are just the three of you planning on doing anything for Christmas? 

Ryunosuke: Good work, Tsumugi-chan! 

Ryunosuke: 

Ryunosuke: We’re  thinking of getting  together at my place for dinner again if we can! We'll have to prepare lots of sweets so Tenn will come! 

Tsumugi: Is he still reluctant to join you for meals..? 

Ryunosuke: Gaku told me we should invite Tenn, but he turned us down just like that... So I thought maybe he'll accept if we have tons of sweets! 

Tsumugi: So that's how it is ><

Ryunosuke: He said  "The only people who can change my schedule are our manager and the president". Maybe it was because of how Gaku said it..? Since he just bluntly told Tenn to be free on Christmas Eve and the day before that. 

Tsumugi: I-I see. I suppose Kujo-san can also act stubborn sometimes... 

Ryunosuke: That's why we'll make a ton of Tenn's favorites, like pancakes, donuts, and this apple pie that got him to quietly whisper "delicious" before! 

Ryunosuke: Gaku had been drinking when he said that, so he might just have been boasting, though. 

Tsumugi: You were drinking together? 

Ryunosuke: Yeah! I got some really delicious liquor, so I called Gaku over. We'd been talking about drinking it together before, but it's so rare that it was pretty hard to get a bottle of! 

Ryunosuke: I like the face Tenn makes when he's eating sweets, so I really want him to come. Because that's when it feels like he's finally acting like a 18-year-old kid instead of the usual tense Tenn Kujo. 

Tsumugi: I'm sure he'll join you. When talking to Kujo-san, I often feel that he really treasures the moments he spends with you and Gaku-san..! 

Ryunosuke: Thank you. In that case, maybe I should even make some omurice! lol

Tsumugi: How nice! Kujo-san likes omurice, after all..! 

Choices/outcomes:

1. Will you get a present for Kujo-san?

Ryunosuke: Last year, we had fun exchanging gifts with IDOLiSH7, but since this year is different, I'm a little worried. 

Ryunosuke: He's really picky about skin care products, so I don’t think I should try and get him any, and if I buy him a toy, he'll probably just get mad and tell me not to treat him like a child...I haven't been able to decide on anything yet! 

2. Will you get a present for Gaku-san?

Ryunosuke: I think I'll probably get him alcohol! I have an acquintance back home who's in the brewing business, and I was thinking of asking them to make an original brew for him. I'll get to name it, and I'm even thinking of making a label that says "YaGaku" or something for it! lol

3. I hope you'll have another great Christmas this year!

Ryunosuke: It was really lively last year snce IDOLiSH7 was also there, but since this year is a bit different, we thought of all kinds of stuff to do so Tenn won't feel lonely! We looked up "ways to liven up a party" on the net, but all the results were things like the King's Game (1) or strip rock-paper-scissors and other stuff that would be inappropriate for Tenn, so we're still looking, lol

Ryunosuke: How are things over there? I hear you're having a fun party, too! 

Tsumugi: We're thinking of getting everyone a present from the whole agency! It seems the members of IDOLiSH7 have knit big Christmas stockings to hang up, so we'll secretly put the presents in them... 

Ryunosuke: They knit them from scratch? That's so nice! 

Ryunosuke: Back when I'd just met Tenn and Gaku, I knit some things with "TRIGGER" written on them as tokens of our friendship, but I've never seen them wear them... 

Tsumugi: I see..! I'm sure they're just using them sparingly! 

Ryunosuke: I hope so... I wear mine a lot at home. Those two should've seen me do it, but they haven't said anything. 

Ryunosuke: Maybe they thought it was too childish, I guess I should have made them belly warmers instead. 

Tsumugi: Then why don't you knit them belly warmers this year..!? I'm also having Mitsuki-san teach me how to knit, and we were thinking of starting with something like a scarf. 

Tsumugi: If it's alright with you, the three of us should get together and knit..! ><

Ryunosuke: Get together!? You mean we'd be like knitting buddies. Can I really  join you guys!? 

Tsumugi: By all means! We thought it'd be like a club that gathers regularly, but we were a bit short on people. I'm sure Mitsuki-san will be happy that you're joining us, too..! 

Ryunosuke: I'm so happy! Thank you, Tsumugi-chan! I had no idea that Mitsuki-kun also knits. I'm feeling a kind of solidarity with him. 

Tsumugi: He even knits things with names written on them, just like you! lol

Ryunosuke: Really? lol I'm really good at both sewing and knitting, but snce it goes against my image, I haven't really been able to talk about it. Hearing someone as manly as Mitsuki-kun likes that stuff too makes me really happy. 

Tsumugi: It must be lonely to be unable to share something you like with others... 

Tsumugi: But since it'll be like a club activity, I don't think it'll be a problem! I'd like it if we could upload pictures of our work online every now and then and expand on our project..! 

Ryunosuke: You're right. I'll message Mitsuki-kun later! 

Tsumugi: Alright! 

Ryunosuke: Also, this time I was thinking of making something with "Gaku" and "Tenn" written on them. It'll feel more intimate than just "TRIGGER". 

Tsumugi: I think that's a wonderful idea..! 

Ryunosuke: Aren't you going to make something with a name written on it? Don't you have anyone you want to give the first scarf you've ever made to? 

Tsumugi: Huh

Tsumugi: T-that's a secret! ><

Ryunosuke: Too bad! I just thought I'd ask. 

Ryunosuke: 

Translator’s notes..? 

1) the king’s game (王様ゲーム) is a pretty popular japanese party game where one person from a group is randomly chosen as the king and the others have to obey them

next up: sogo’s märchen dream chats! 

[surveysonfleek]

138.

1. What was the last Youtube video you watched? a makeup tutorial i think. i don’t really pay attention to them anymore, they’re basically background noise for me.

2. When was the last time you were bitten by an animal? What kind of animal was it? mosquito if that counts.

3. What was the last alcoholic beverage you consumed? an espresso martini.

4. What was the last TV show you watched? sense8.

5. Where was the last place you worked? at a casino.

6. When was the last time you got something for free? What was it? food at work.

7. Where was the last place you drove to? home from my friend’s house.

8. What kind of car was the last car you drove? suzuki alto.

9. What was the last meal you cooked? How did it turn out? i made steak tacos. they were okay, definitely not the best lol.

10. When you last went to the theater, what did you see? fantastic beasts and where to find them. yes, ages ago.

11. When was the last time you crossed state lines? Where did you go and why did you go? in usa i guess pennsylvania to washington dc?

12. When was the last time you left the country? Where & why? april. i went to canada and usa mainly for coachella but ended up visited a whole load of other cities.

13. What was the last band or artist you discovered? anders.

14. What was the last song/band/artist you listened to and didn’t enjoy? jay z’s new album. haven’t gotten into it.

15. When was the last time you “jumped on the bandwagon,” and what was it? fidget spinners hahahaha.

16. When was the last time you were kissed? Are you with that person? just tonight to say goodbye to my boyfriend.

17. When was the last time you had sex/did something sexual? How was it? tonight. it was good, i hadn’t hung out with my boyfriend in like a week.

18. When was the last time you did something illegal? What did you do? speeding i guess.

19. What was the last colour you dyed your hair? light brown/blonde.

20. Tell me about the last thing you bought: a lash lift.

21. When did you last try something new (i.e., a new food, a new activity, picked up a new hobby, etc.)? a lash lift lol. today.

22. When was the last time you locked your keys in your car or your house? How did you get back in? i was off to go to work and locked myself outside the house without my keys, therefore couldn’t get into my car. i had to wait until my mum got home to let me in. luckily wasn’t late to work.

23. What was the last really chaotic thing to happen in your life? just the usa vacation. hadn’t saved enough but managed to pull through.

24. When was the last time you got a ticket (if ever)? What was it for? speeding like nearly 7 years ago.

25. When was the last time you rode on a plane/train/bus? Where were you going? train... i was on the way to the city.

26. Who was the last person you hung out with? my boyfriend.

27. Who was the last person you told off or got really angry with? my boyfriend.

28. What was the last concert you went to? Who did you see & how was it? the weeknd. it was really good except we had damn nosebleeders seats! we paid quite a bit for those seats too, didn’t expect it to be full back row.

29. When was the last time you were under the influence? What did you take & did anything interesting happen? i was drunk about three weeks ago. nothing interesting happened.

30. Who was the last person you messaged/emailed/IMed? my boyfriend.

31. What was your last Halloween costume? a cat. super boring and last minute.

32. What did you do for Christmas last year? How about for last New Year’s? i spent xmas eve with my boyfriend’s family and xmas day with my family. been the same for years.

33. What was the last thing you celebrated and who did you celebrate it with? hmm my friend coming back home from london.

34. Who was the last person you know to have something big happen to them (i.e., get engaged/married, have a baby, etc.)? my friend got engaged a couple months ago and i get to be bridesmaid :)

35. What was the last book you read? Did you enjoy it? currently reading big little lies. it’s going fairly slow but still enjoyable.

36. What was the last movie you saw? Did you enjoy it? i rewatched blood diamond. still good.

37. Tell me about the last really cute thing you saw: hmmm idk.

38. When was the last time you did some kind of physical activity? What did you do? i was walking up the stairs not long ago... lol.

39. When was the last time you painted a room/house? maybe two years ago?

40. What was the last thing you made by hand or from scratch? tacos.

[koala-chaser]

Xmas and NYE! The way the holidays worked on the boat since they're such a busy period is we could each decide which one we wanted to take as leave, and we would have to work the other. I decided to work xmas day, since that was when the majority of my crew were already working and I figured it would be more fun to go out on NYE than to hang around on xmas with no plans. Our crew Xmas party happened on the 18th and we did one of those room escape adventures, which was a real throwback for me since I used to play point and click puzzle games a lot when I was young. We went out with both crews and split into four teams to do the room escape and my team won! (although this could have been because we had one more person than any other team...) in spite of the fact that we spent ten minutes solving clues with a torch because no one thought to look for a light switch. Xmas day turned out to be a pretty good day, we did two cruises (one lunch and one dinner) but cunningly arranged to serve the same buffet meal for both and got a good amount of the prep done on christmas eve, so on the day we had plenty of time to skype home, hang out with the crew and eat 90% of the mince pies that had been ordered in for customers (they were very good mince pies). Plus since the dinner cruise wasn't an overnight, we were finished by about 9:30 in the evening so those with family locally could go home and the rest of us broke out the hot chocolate and remaining mince pies to play some christmas card games. Apparently this was much better than NYE, where everyone was on board to get drunk and try to jump off the boat and the galley team ended up going to bed before the fireworks since they had to be up for breakfast in the morning. I had three days off over new years, and I was having a bit of trouble finding a hostel to stay in for them since obviously the city is a popular place to be on the big night. I also wasn't sure whether to splash out a bit more for something private, since december had been very hectic and January was shaping up to be very busy on the boat I thought maybe I needed more of a rest. I got chatting to Char, my cruise leader, and she very kindly offered to let me use her apartment. Since she was working NYE and her visiting family were travelling, the place was going to be empty for the three days. It was really nice to have my own space for a while, cooking in a kitchen that wasn't full of people and where all the pans were actually clean. Plus, I finally got to see some NZ television! (Mostly the same reality tv as home, sadly). For NYE I went out with one of my crewmates and some of his friends and had a really good night at a bar near the harbour, in the perfect position to go out to the end of the wharf at midnight and watch the fireworks off the sky tower - although they were something of a let down compared to the epic five barge, one bridge fireworks of Sydney new years. So Happy New Year! My goals this year are to eat more fruit, do more writing and continue with my Spanish lessons on duolingo. Mostly it's been going well, and i'm finally catching up a bit on the blog!

[kellyzeagman]

Hello

((I’m not reading this over so I’m sorry for spelling/grammar/repetitiveness))

I don’t even know where to begin in terms of explaining the absolute gong show of a month that December/early Jan was. As crazy as it was, it flew by faster than anything I’ve ever experienced (thank the lord). I remember on November 30th I was working in the nursery with my friend from Russia and we were saying how we couldn’t believe the following day was December 1st. We literally BLINKED and it is January. It’s hard to believe how fast it went by considering the craziness that occurred over those 31 days. I have so many random things to touch on so this will probably have no flow or structure but I’m just going to run with it. Let’s dive in

Firstly, we are currently in Australia school summer season, meaning the kid counts are already high, but throw Xmas/New Years holidays on top of that and it’s through the roof. We had just under 1,000 kids for the 9 day cruise that occurred over Xmas. We have hit capacity in adventure ocean (the kids club) pretty much every single day, morning, afternoon and evening. Parents love their kids enough to leave them with us every possible hour of every day, what can I say! The capacity for the rooms are 80 kids all together. 50 6-11 year olds, 30 3-5 year olds. So, many, many kids missed out on many days, but lots of kids also just were never signed up, presumably because their parents wanted to actually spend time with them over the holidays, weird. In the nursery (where you have to book), we had a 2 year old girl signed up from 5-10pm every. single. day. for 9 days straight, including the 24th and 25th. I had hope in thinking maybe they didn’t celebrate Christmas, but sadly they did and she spent Christmas Eve and Christmas night with us. In the end, the mom spent over 400.00 on her being in the nursery, craziness. At least she was cute. Also sad, we had a 6 year old special needs boy who was a bit of work and had other siblings and cousins on the cruise with him. On Christmas Day we offered a kids dinner where we would take kids to the buffet because it was a formal night and we always offer kids dinner on formal nights (and in this case, maybe for kids who didn’t celebrate Christmas). The only kid signed up for dinner that night was this poor boy, because his family decided to take the rest of his siblings and cousins out for Christmas dinner while he had to spend it alone with the two staff who ate with him. How sad. Lots of really weird and sad stuff happens like that all the time, but it was really frustrating to see over the holidays. So many parents just decide to neglect their kids the entire cruise, it’s shocking. Today we hit capacity (obviously) and a dad stormed into the room and yelled at the front deck while complaining and said “what am I supposed to do with him now then!?” To which every staff had to bite their tongue to not a) die of laugher, and b) tell him to f#%! off and spend time with his kid. Cheers, we love the holiday season! We have all been so excited for the New Years cruise to be over because we all believed the kid counts would drop, but royal caribbean had a “kids cruise free” promotion for the next cruise and we just found out there’s going to be 1,200 of them. Simply amazing. That’s all I’m gonna say because I don’t even want to think about it.

On Christmas Eve I worked during the day and then spent the evening alone watching the Christmas carol show by myself because all my friends were working during the evening. It was cute because people were all in the Christmas spirit but I was a little sad thinking about the fun times I could be having at home in Newmarket with the crazy Zeagman side of the family while I was standing alone amongst hundreds of families. There was a balloon drop with about 2,000 red and green balloons while people sang Santa Clause is coming to town and Santa walked across the stage and I was just standing there alone haha, kind of sad but it was fine. On Christmas Day I was able to get off in Lifou and go to the beach. Was pretty weird spending Christmas on an island boiling hot. However, I experienced a Christmas miracle that day. As I’ve written before, I have been dying to come across a sea turtle. I went out snorkelling by myself to find one on Christmas and had no luck. It was kind of overcast and the water was not as clear as it usually is. I also don’t know why I think i have good odds of randomly coming across a turtle when it has the whole ocean to live in. But these islands are known for having them which is why I’m so keen. Anyways, we decided to leave and I was a little defeated because I thought that seeing a turtle on Christmas Day would be so amazing and I really thought it would happen. As we are in line to get into our tender boat to take us back to the ship, the clouds cleared up and the sun became so bright and the water literally turned to a different shade of blue and became super clear again after being pretty dark all day. We sat in our tender and started to head back to the ship. My roommate and I look to our left and there is a DAMN sea turtle coming up for air right beside us. I truly couldn’t believe it. It was huge. It was too good to be true (but would have been better if I was in the water). It was literally a Christmas miracle and the timing/irony of it blew my mind. My Christmas Eve/day mess were the furthest thing from a miracle. They made special Xmas eve, day and New Years meals for everyone with crazy seafoods and meats and cheeses, but literally had nothing I could eat. All my special holiday meals were pretty much rice and potatoes. No desserts either. I’ve just been nursing a huge chocolate bar I bought 2 weeks ago for my holiday treat.

Speaking of the holiday season- perhaps the worst case scenario (minus the ship sinking) happened over the Christmas cruise and extended into the New Years cruise aka the two most expensive and expectation filled vacations. There is an acronym on all ships referred to as “OPP” (outbreak prevention plan) and there are 3 levels- 1 being minor, 2 being more severe and level 3 meaning chaos pretty much. When more and more people become sick, the level of OPP increases and each level requires different ways of doing things and different duties from staff. Illness spreads so fast on ships and everyone has to be dealt with immediately otherwise the whole ship will go up in flames in terms of germs and sickness, which has to be avoided at all costs for safe operation. Side note- vomiting/diarrhea is taken so seriously that if you don’t report it/report it too late, you can get fired. And when you do, you can get confined to your room for anywhere from 48 hours-7 days. Guests also get confined to their rooms when they report Ill Getting to level 3 is like, a BIG deal and rarely happens. A certain % of passengers/crew on board have to be sick in order to reach it. On December 26th there were roughly 10 people reported ill just a few hours on top of everyone else already sick and the number kept rising. (This number honestly didn’t seem like a lot to me but who am I to say anything) And as a result, guess what level we got to over the end of Xmas and beginning of New Years? Level 3 baby. Buckle up.

During level 3 in adventure ocean (the kids club), we had to put away all the video games, couldn’t have colouring sheets, had to put away 90% of the toys and could only let the kids play with one ball. This was to minimize the spread of disease. Entertaining 50 kids with 1 ball for 3 hours was not fun. Every parent had to sanitize their hands before touching the pen to sign their kids. The few toys that the younger kids were allowed to play with had to be dishwasher after each session. It was truly an experience. I helped in hosting a ginger bread house making event on Christmas Eve where 80 ginger bread houses were made by families. People weren’t allowed to eat them or take them back to their rooms hahahaha (germs). We told everyone that they were getting put on display on Christmas Day and that’s why they couldn’t eat/take them. The whole OPP level 3 situation is pretty hush hush for guests because they aren’t really supposed to know how severe it is.

We were very lucky during this whole mess though, because in most level 3 situations, staff has to serve the food to guests in the buffet so they aren’t touching everything. So on top of already working 11 hour days during Xmas, we would have to help serve each meal in a buffet setting which is apparently the worst. However, for some reason, we didn’t have to (bless the lord).

On turnaround day (the day the Xmas guests leave and the New Years cruise comes on) we had to do a “barrier clean” of the entire ship. Every single thing needed to be sanitized. My team was responsible for sanitizing adventure ocean, the ice skating venue and the sports deck. Every arm rest on every chair in the ice theatre, every railing on the stairs, every toy, blah blah blah. Then, each room had to be sprayed with chemicals. After all this was done, we were finally able to get off in Sydney for a few hours and the new guests came on like nothing had even happened.

It was really cool to be some of the first people in the world to enter 2020. We were also the first royal caribbean ship to do so, pretty neat. We all had to dress up in formal attire (I wore my grade 12 prom dress lol). Myself and roughly 30 other staff were allowed to stand on a bridge that looks down into the ships promenade (which is pretty much a big open space with shopping and food). We stood on top getting roughly 2,000 people below us hyped up during the moments counting down to midnight. At midnight they did another balloon drop with hundreds and hundreds of balloons. I posted pictures to my Facebook. Both sides of the bridge were filled with people dancing and popped balloons. I felt like a no name Ryan secrest in mini Times Square. It was such a cool and unique way to ring in the new year as I usually just sit at home eating food in pyjamas with friends. (Not that I didn’t miss that, it was just more intense this way). After that, the crew all had a huge party in our special area and people got extremely drunk, which wasn’t too nice for them the next day, especially considering the ocean conditions- will expand below.

The Christmas/New Years cruises were soooo rocky. The movement/rockiness of the ship has never bothered me but oh my goodness some days it is just so bad. (Especially on New Year’s Day after having drank the night before). The ship was very quiet on New Year’s Day because of the partying that happened the night before and because of how rocky it was. My room is located at the very front of the ship on deck #1, so it is really easy to feel the waves. You will literally be laying in bed and can feel your body being moved from left to right because of the waves. Also, so crazy, but where the crew/staff live, we can literally hear the waves crashing into the boat. It is so incredibly loud that it sounds like insane thunder. The waves sometimes are just constantly crashing into the sides of the ship. It sounds like we are crashing into ice bergs. Thankfully, the last few days have been quite calm. And thankfully, there are no icebergs in the South Pacific.

I was just responding to a friends email and was telling her that I couldn’t believe I only had two months left and then I told her that I kind of got butterflies of not wanting to leave as soon as I typed that sentence out because the time left really hit me for some reason. Then I sat there for a minute trying to figure out if it was butterflies from that, or butterflies stemming from excitement of getting out of here in 2 months to come home HAHA. I can’t figure my emotions out. Still can’t decide.

I’ll tell you what, one of the best things about this contract is something that I only noticed just the other day. 3 friends and I and our amazing and cool manager were out for drinks for around 3 hours after our day was done. When I was laying in bed that night, I realized no one even looked at their phone once the ENTIRE time. How unfathomable. Maybe it’s because we were having a great time, maybe it was because we have no service or wifi (haha). No but really, the lack of wifi/service results in the best/funniest conversations because there are no distractions and no one feels the need to check a phone, not like they can anyways :D. I’m now realizing that this pretty much happens every day. No one has their phone out practically ever, which is amazing and is something that I hope stays with me when I get home. If you can even believe it, it’s very easy and possible to get through each day without knowing what people are posting on Instagram, or what celebrities are dating or even what stupid things trump is saying. Is he even president anymore? I’m genuinely not sure.

Lastly I will speak of my day on Mystery Island in Vanuatu before I end this blog because it’s far too long. Mystery island sure was a mystery. It is an island off of one of Vanuatu’s big islands that has no one living on it. Vendors and people drive over in boats when cruises are docked so they can sell things and provide excursions, food and souvenirs for cruisers, as there is literally nothing else there. Actually, there was an airport there if you can even believe it. It was an old building about the size of a garage that had one little desk and chair. The landing strip was an open area of dead grass that we were all allowed to walk on. Thankfully, no planes landed that day. My friends and I saw a shark and turtle snorkelling tour advertised for only 30.00. It was written on a wooden plank with white paint, super sketchy. But we decided why not go on a 30.00 shark tour. So, the 4 of us hopped into a tiny little plastic boat with a driver and our instructor and boated our towards the open ocean. They took us out to a very choppy part where there were a lot of waves, but that was where the shark caves were. It was a bit scary jumping off the boat into water where you know there are sharks. The snorkelling and reefs were absolutely amazing and there were so many different types of fish (better than the Great Barrier Reef). The sharks live in these caves that were below us, and were being quite shy, however I did see one about a metre long swim around to the other side of the cave, and then we could all see a big ones head through some open rocks. That was our only encounter. I was feeling very safe so I wish they had come out more, so I will definitely do this tour again next time I can get off. The tour then escalated. Our guide drove us further away from land to try and find eagle rays. We jumped out of the boat and then he just said “follow me” after this, we quite literally swam the distance of approximately 6 football fields. He didn’t ask any of us if we were strong swimmers, but thankfully we all were otherwise it would not have been pretty. It was so choppy. And it got quite scary because the way we were swimming started to become more and more deep. Before we knew it we couldn’t see the bottom anymore and we were swimming through pitch black shark infested water. After just having seen sharks, I kind of went into panic mode being in the open pitch black ocean. No life jacket, no boat or land near us, and our tour guide was light years ahead of us. But don’t worry we all made it back alive. Amongst the minor panic, the whole situation and being stranded was hilarious. We could have more easily swam up to the other main island or the cruise ship than mystery island where we started the tour. Before we knew it, we had practically swam to the cruise ship. I can’t even explain how far we swam that day. And, no eagle rays. Our guide felt bad about the rays, so we got back in the boat and slowly started to make our way back to mystery island. He stood on the top of the boat looking. After a while, we told him that it was okay and that we wanted to head back to the island. He said okay, and then 5 seconds later he spotted a sea turtle. Literally what are the odds. We all jumped out and swam with it. Such a peaceful way to end our crazy experience. I’m glad my mom bought me a sun-resistant long sleeve shirt to wear while snorkelling because the sun HITS different in this part of the world. If I can at least save my arms and back from horrific burns, that’s okay. It has saved me many times.

This blog has taken a few days to write and as I finish it off we are now on the last day. 12 days is just far too long to go cruising. Such a shame as the rest of my time here is all 9,12 and 14 day cruises. Too much. Onto our next 12 day cruise now with 1200 kids. The most we’ve had so far. Rip. I hope it goes by fast. I’m really interested/worried to see what Sydney will be looking like tomorrow morning. I haven’t seen much of the news, but from what I hear things have got much worse with the fires. The waters we are cruising through right now already look a bit Smokey.

Alright, I’ve talked your ear off for far too long now. Hopefully my pictures upload.

8 more weeks left!

Ciao for now

[fuss2019xmas]

Day 9 - Pasel

First off Merry Christmas to everyone, seems strange celebrating Christmas at the same time on opposite sides of the world. Right - how did the big day in Germany progress. First off the full on breakfast followed by Pete & Shazz having a rest, both not feeling that flash, succumbed to northern winter flu and sniffles. Slow day followed doing last minute preparations for the evening. At 4.00 pm it was off to the village hall / church to meet up for what's a 70 plus year tradition in the village, the local coral group singing carols first in the neighbouring villages and then around Pasel. Ten different stops (stations) where the singing is rewarded by drinks, As Pete and Shazz were the support crew we got to participate in the drinks as well. This included, gluhwein, egg nog, schnapps, mead, beer, cherry liqueur shots ....... The warm drinks made up for the weather, cold raw wind and heavy showers. The Iceland winter gear was given a good workout😀😀. Despite the weather everyone in great spirits and could be debated how the quality of the singing improved as the more drinks were consumed😀😀 About 0830 it was home to spruce up for the Christmas Eve dinner, traditionally this meal is sausage and potato salad. This was followed by a quick Skype call home where the family had gathered for Xmas breakfast before we started the opening of the presents. Both Pete and Shazz spoilt - Pete with the Tissot watch he has been wanting for years and Shazz with jewellery. Finally made it to bed around 11 in preparation for early morning church, something both Michael & Pete really looking forward to😀😀😀 A great day experiencing a traditional German Xmas, the only thing missing snow!!

[kadobeclothing]

Celebrate 2020 in style with our 10 best New Year’s Eve breaks from around the globe – The Sun

FANCY escaping the usual New Year’s Eve antics this time? The biggest party night of the year doesn’t have to be all about Big Ben’s “bongs”. 11 New Year’s Eve doesn’t need to be all about Big Ben’s ‘bongs’Credit: PA:Press AssociationWatch fireworks over the Colosseum in Rome, gawp at Dubai’s skyline or ski down the snow-topped Alps. We have scoured the travel world to uncover some cracking deals for inspirational places. Lisa Minot rounds up her favourites. Brandenburg Gate BERLIN’S famous Brandenburg Gate is home to one of Europe’s largest open-air parties on New Year’s Eve, complete with party tents, multiple stages and fireworks. Clubbers can party for days on end at some of Berlin’s famous techno clubs, while elsewhere there are rooftop parties at many bars, ideal for admiring the firework-lit sky. 11 The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin is home to one of Europe’s largest open-air New Year’s Eve partiesCredit: Getty – ContributorThree nights’ B&B at the 4 star Titanic Chaussee Berlin in Berlin is from £475pp including flights from Gatwick on December 29. To book, call 0203 870 6844 or visit loveholidays.com Cyprus ENJOY the warmer weather and party with the whole family in Paphos. At the 4 star Louis Phaethon Beach Club there’s plenty to keep the kids entertained with mini club discos and mocktail parties. 11 There’s something for all the family to enjoy at the Louis Phaethon Beach Club in CyprusAdults can enjoy a range of activities throughout the week from archery and bowls to cooking demonstrations and quizzes. New Year’s Eve sees a gala dinner with live music and entertainment. Seven nights’ all-inclusive is from £830pp including return flights Gatwick on December 29. To book see tui.co.uk. For hotel details, see louisphaethonbeach.com Hurghada THE 5 star Jasmine Palace Resort in Hurghada is a great-value resort for an all-inclusive winter-sun break boasting five restaurants and six bars. So no worrying about finding somewhere to celebrate. 11 There are plenty of restaurants and bars to celebrate in at the Jasmine Palace Resort in HurghadaCredit: Getty – ContributorThere is a private sandy beach on the Red Sea as well as a number of outdoor pools, a spa, fitness centre, a kids’ club, pool and a great entertainment programme. Water sports including diving, snorkelling and windsurfing are available and charged locally. Seven nights’ all-inclusive costs from £868pp including flights departing Stansted on December 30. Book at loveholidays.com or call 0203 870 6844. Madeira THE Portuguese islands of Madeira go all-out for New Year’s Eve celebrations with the spectacular fireworks at Funchal, once hailed as the best in the world by the Guinness Book of Records. Funchal is decorated with stunning lights and live music is performed along the Avenida Arriaga. 11 The fireworks at Funchal, Madeira, were once hailed as the best in the worldOn January 5, locals celebrate The Singing Of The Kings, when there are outdoor concerts, street parties, music and food for Twelfth Night. Seven nights’ B&B at the 4 star Tui Blue Madeira Gardens in Funchal is now from £597pp, saving £412pp, departing Gatwick on December 30. See holidayhypermarket.co.uk or call 0800 916 5100. French Alps THE French go crazy for New Year and celebrating among the majestic mountains of Val Thorens – the highest ski resort in the Alps – is a spectacular way to do it. The night’s festivities start with a torchlit descent followed by entertainment for the whole family and, of course, a fabulous firework display at midnight. 11 Bring in the new year at the spectacular French AlpsCredit: AlamyFor a chance to really mark the night in style, head to the famous Folie Douce on the slopes. Ski Beat has £410pp off the original price of a week chalet-board at Chalet Renne – now from £999pp. Includes accommodation at the chalet with its own indoor pool and sauna, cooked breakfast, afternoon tea and three-course evening meal with wine as well as return flights from Manchester on December 28 and transfers. Call 01273 855100, or visit skibeat.co.uk Fuerteventura FOR guaranteed sunshine over the New Year, a stay in the Canary Island of Fuerteventura promises warm temperatures and the chance to relax and recharge after a busy Christmas. The coastal town of Caleta de Fuste marks the start of the New Year with a free party in the main square complete with music, entertainment and fireworks at midnight. 11 Fuerteventura guarantees warm sunshine to see in 2020Credit: Look – GettyThe celebrations continue until 3.30am. Seven nights self-catering at the 3 star Caybeach Caleta is from £499pp, based on two adults and two children sharing and including flights from Stansted on December 30 with 22kg baggage. See jet2holidays.com Dubai HARK back to the decadent days of luxury cruising and combine sunshine with a very British New Year’s Eve celebration in Dubai. The Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship is docked permanently in Dubai’s Mina Rashid waterfront. 11 The Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship is a 13-deck hotel and dining destination docked permanently in DubaiNow a 13-deck hotel and dining destination, you can step back to the ship’s heyday in an Eighties-themed gala dinner-dance under the stars. The buffet will extend across three decks with free-flowing drinks, live music and a DJ. Three nights’ B&B is from £1,559pp including return flights with Emirates from Gatwick on December 29. New Year’s Eve dinner costs extra, with prices from £105pp. See emiratesholidays.com or call 0208 972 8949. Rome CELEBRATING in Italy’s stunning capital guarantees a stylish way to bring in the New Year. During La Festa di Roma, there will be 100 outdoor performances from 1,000 artists over a 24-hour period starting at 9pm on New Year’s Eve. 11 Rome is a stunning destination to celebrate New Year’s EveCredit: AFP – GettyThese performances will be staged across the city centre’s bridges, theatres and piazzas. Three nights’ B&B at the 4 star Raganelli in Rome is from £390pp including flights from Gatwick on December 29. Find out more and book at loveholidays.com or call 0203 870 6844. Portugal ENJOY the warmer weather and relaxed pace of the Algarve in Portugal. Albufiera takes its New Year celebrations seriously with a multi-sensory show on the beach and fireworks over the sea. 11 Enjoy fireworks over the sea and a relaxed pace in Albufiera, PortugalCredit: Getty – ContributorEnjoy it all with a seven-night B&B stay at the luxury 5 star Pine Cliffs Resort in Albufeira. Prices are from £497pp including return flights from Gatwick on December 30. You can book online at kenwoodtravel.co.uk or over the phone on 0207 749 7216. Benidorm HEAD to Benidorm for a double dose of good luck over the year ahead. Locals believe a dozen grapes eaten one at a time on each of the midnight chimes for New Year’s Eve will bring prosperity for the next 12 months. 11 Bring in 2020 with DJs and fireworks on the beach in BenidormCENTRAL PERK You can have afternoon tea at a Friends-inspired cafe in London for £9.50pp SEASON GREETINGS Alton Towers’ 2020 Season Pass is now CHEAPER than a day ticket BA-RGAIN British Airways kicks off January Sale two weeks early with £99 holidays SANTA’S HERE Your kids will love Xmas theme park Lapland UK & Holly Willoughby is a fan SponsoredCOMPETITION Win a holiday for two to Dubai AEROFLOP Plane passenger stunned as overhead locker smashes on to their head during flight Visitors can double their chances of positive vibes by following another Spanish New Year tradition and wearing red underwear they have been given as a present. Usher in 2020 on Levante Beach, where there is an open-air New Year’s Eve party featuring DJs and fireworks at midnight. Get there in time to celebrate with a seven-night all-inclusive stay at the 4 star Flamingo Oasis Hotel. Depart East Midlands airport at 2pm. Prices are from £405pp, down from £803pp. You can book now at holidayhypermarket.co.uk or call 0800 916 5100. New year celebrations: London welcomes in 2019  

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