#xmas got in the way lmao

[silenthilllz]

Wow Via actually scared of ICO

[deukaeloveclub]

😧🫣 got a snap from a guy I may have accidentally ghosted years ago

[maevebabyy]

would you like to do megan gf headcanons bc i know you would go crazy on them

MEGAN AS UR GF

a/n - don't mind that i'm jumping ahead to winter szn rn i was listening to ariana grande's xmas and chill ep during this LMAO

gf! megan who’s love language is quality time. doesn’t matter when or where, as long as she’s with the right person, anything you two do will end up a fun experience.

gf! megan who was NOT discreet at all before finally admitting to her friends that you two were dating. she’d be like “whaaat?…. we’re just really good friends!” while giggling and blushing.

gf! megan who talks about you without even realizing to the kats.

gf! megan who talks to you nonstop throughout the day about the smallest things, from her soggy cereal this morning to how she can’t find a comfortable sleeping position without you around.

gf! megan who takes a picture of you whenever the opportunity arises, just because she thinks you’re so cute.

gf! megan who sends you a million instagram reels that she found funny or that reminded her of you.

gf! megan who shares the dumbest inside jokes with you, but never fails to crack up at the thought of them.

gf! megan who is always so warm. she’ll take your cold ass hands and blow into them while holding yours.

“baby, you’re always so cold!” she giggles lightly, her breath visible due to the harsh winter air. she’ll take your hands in between hers and rub them together herself. after she’s done she’ll kiss your knuckles and give you a smile so bright that it makes you feel like you can lift mountains. “there, all better.”

on the thought of winter, gf! megan who is the best person to do winter things with.

gf! megan who’ll drag you down with her when she falls while ice skating, the two of you laughing nonstop after it happens.

gf! megan who loves cuddling up next to you while drinking hot chocolate on a snow day watching a movie she pirated.

gf! megan who tries to baking with you, only to leave the house kitchen an absolute mess while fearing for her life when sophia comes back. (it’s okay because she had fun though!)

gf! megan who looks forward to every holiday season just because she loves how you interact with her family. it makes her so happy to see you getting along with everyone in her family, plus seeing how much her family loves and approves of you.

gf! megan who loves stealing your sweaters because she absolutely adores the way you smell and how your size fits on her.

gf! megan who has a playlist of songs that remind her of you and her.

gf! megan who was a little shy at first when you first met, but now feels comfortable enough to let out her inner child around you.

gf! megan who’s got you so wrapped around her finger, all she has to do is send one text and you’ll be speeding on the freeway to get to her door with her favourite snacks and flowers for a sleepover.

[alwaysshallow]

every single one of those 141 mfs are hopeless romantics lmao.. it takes a while to get used to simon but once you guys are together yall are TOGETHER. This man fixes ur things u didnt even know it was broken. you get free oil change and break checks lmao. hes so unintentionally funny with you too and its a combo of levi ackerman + gordon ramsay it makes u wheeze and gasp for air. price out here buying you flowers all the time and you are starting to run out of vases to put them in. he probably has daydreamed about yall being on a canoe/gandila, white swans swimming around you guys in the lake, ect. then he gets interrupted by shots fired rip gaz makes anniversaries for everything. first ferris wheel date, first xmas together, first camping trip together. he also make sit a mission to have a treat-yo-self day every year. you guys have matching versace slippers lol. he plays piano for youuu ;) Soap smiling like a fucking dumbass when he sees you. like the smile he got when he told Valeria you gonna pay for what you did. THATS the smile he got. kick and swings his feet when u send his little texts through the day. he sends you pictures of houses/cars that looks like they have faces on them -💸

you get it, cash anon!!!

simon is such an acts of service type of man. might not be the best with words, pda or anything, but he's gonna fix everything you'll need to fix. quality time with you and him watching some sappy series and he comments everything.

price? come on, not only giving you various gifts, but also words of affirmation. he tells you how he loves you, he tells you how he loves you, how he appreciates that you're here with him:( you almost cry when you hear all of this from him. no matter if he's off at deployment or beside you.

gaz ahhh jhfsh quality time with him planning the dates, every little thing is just thought through, you don't have to worry about anything. he's also very on physical touch (aren't they all), like?? not even in sexual way, he just needs you there, in his arms, hand around your waist. when you're not beside him in bed, he's searching for you like a lost puppy sjjhb

soap mmm. physical touch, hands on your ass, everywhere he can, he's so gross with it sometimes, but he can't really help himself when he sees you. words of affirmation is his big love language too, like he's just feral for the whole idea of you telling him things like i love you or i miss you so much, i wish you were here. if he would, he'd hop on the next plane and spend an eternity with you lol

[theartsybat]

I got a kindle for xmas and I gotta, GOTTA, make covers to the fics I was gifted to see it all pretty in the kindle hehe

This one is for Grappling With Things Beyond Your Control by @sibillascribbles08

Donnie losing control of his powers, ooOOooo~~

havent drawn a cover in a long time, was hard to think of a way to represent the story without spoiling it kjfdhg

Also my kindle (idk if all are like this) is black and white, so ofc i went with b&w, also its newspaper-like so it doesnt get bright whites, and I noticed if the contrasts are shitty then.. it looks shitty. Great practice lmao

[shitouttabuck]

several sentence sunday

tagged by @try-set-me-on-fire @clusterbuck @devirnis @buckactuallys @transboybuckley <333

xmas fic i did abandon u...... doing chest compressions we will get her back

But then Adriana asks if he wants to have a beer on the porch and Abuela interrupts to say no, actually, she gets first dibs on Buck as soon as he’s gotten settled, because the tamales aren’t going to stuff themselves and God knows Eddie isn’t going to be much help. “Oh dude, you’re never gonna escape the kitchen on family holidays again,” Sophia mutters darkly to Buck. “She’s gonna put you to work like her own little Ratatouille.” “Am I the rat or is she the—” Buck starts, only to be cut off by Abuela calling over her shoulder, “Do you really want to finish that question, Buckito? Apúrate!” “She got hearing aids last month,” Adriana adds helpfully. “She’s like a bat now.” “Shout if you need a rescue, I’m great at faking minor emergencies,” Sophia grins. “Eddie’s terrible at it, he always undersells or goes way overboard. One time, he told the principal that I wasn’t in school because—” “Buck do you wanna see my bedroom,” Eddie asks quickly, grabbing Buck by the wrist.

sorry if i didnt reply to your pen emoji wip line asks yesterday i lost juice very quickly lmao but thank u sm for sending them in!!!! <3

tagging @onward--upward @eddiebabygirldiaz @rewritetheending @housewifebuck @chronicowboy @jeeyuns @anakinfallen @zahlibeth @athenagranted if you have anything soz i know it’s late for most of you

[mithrilhearts]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers (except me because obvs I have done it). Spread the self-love ❤

Look at me getting to this 500 years later (I'm so sorry!!) Anyway.

Thank you both so much, @cilil & @laurfilijames for sending me this ask game thingy!! I figured I'd just do it in one post, so I hope that's okay, but here we go!

I think picking my "favorite fics" of mine is like, asking a parent to pick their favorite child - not easy, in most cases I guess lol...but I will do my best and explain why! These are all based off of fics I've COMPLETED, and by no means reflects on my love and affection for the other stories I've written. I love them all for their own reasons, otherwise I wouldn't have written them.

In no particular order...

May Your Forge Burn Bright - This is THE original longfic from me. I started this back when I was creeping my way out of RP and into fanfiction, and was nothing more than an independent baby writer. (Been writing a long time, just never like this), and the story means so much to me, as well as the commentary from readers along the way. It's still my longest fic to date, and I love a good "alternate first meeting" fic. It's the OG, and you can't replace that.

Dragonhearted - The Hobbit & Beauty and The Beast are my two FAVORITE stories, and mashing them together like this was perfect for me. Dragon!Thorin is such a fun concept for me, and badass Bilbo is another. This setting just WORKS. (Also, did you know @i-did-not-mean-to had a BLANKET made for this fic???)

Kurdu 'abadaz - That's right, I finished this one just recently, and it has easily stolen my heart to being a favorite. The Fix-it fic that I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to write, that went under a LOT of rehashing and had a huge overhaul in the story early on when planning. It turned out so much better than anticipated, and the love for this fic from readers/friends has been overwhelming.

Fuck Thy Neighbor - A VERY FUN ROM-COM STYLE MODERN AU!!! This really had me cackling the entire way through, and like a few other fics of mine, it spawned from a writer's ask game/tag game thing that I can't quite remember. Accidental marriage & neighbors? I love it. It's so funny, and I enjoy rereading it frequently for the laughs.

When Darkness Shines Brightest - Did you know that anything can be made into a Bagginshield Fic? Did you know that this fic spawned from a joke/conversation between @starthecozy and I and then erupted into this really original Hades/Persephone, Nightmare Before Xmas, blended style fic?? Various worlds and environments, powers over elements, and saving homes from a dragon?? The Onion Fic sprouted, and blossomed into one of my favorite stories, and I got to collaborate with Star the entire way through it, and we had SO MUCH FUN!!! Go give it a read, it's really neat!!

Honorable Mentions:

(Take Me Back To) The Night We Met - My entry for THAUC22 (partnered with the amazing @consultingpacha), and one of my FAVORITE concepts. Yet again, another "alternate meeting" style fic, featuring small kids Fili and Kili, rather than adults. What it sets up to at the end of the fic blends into the OG Hobbit story, but with a few small changes that I kind of want to explore one day in a sequel. 👀

Between Vices and Virtues - My entry for TRSB22 (partnered with @mysandwichranaway!!) First of all, I love working with Sandy, it's truly one of my favorite things on this good planet, and I can't wait to do it again - hopefully soon. Secondly, this was my take at a modern royalty AU, and learning about how to connect with the people around you. I have two sequels planned for this universe (even if this fic kind of felt like a let-down in terms of reception? but idc about that lmao) it was so fun for me. A light dusting of magic superstition in a modern au setting? Sign me up!

[ladymarycrawley]

You make it feel like Christmas- Mason Mount

Request: I was thinking something like you and Mase got recently engaged and you are in your little love bubble still but now all his family is coming to spend christmas at yours and Mase’ house. A lot of fluff and family time where Mason has a really special present for you, a Cartier bracelet ❤ (as requested by that angel of @raremasey​ )

Warning: as the request says a lot of fluff lmao (His Lapland reel helps making the atmosphere even better!)

Tag list: @masonxomount​ @chelsealover​ @masterclassbaby @johnstonesfc

Christmas is a holiday that is meant to be celebrated with all your loved ones, eating and opening the presents you got for each other. That year you were chosen as the guest for all the Christmas celebrations and what made it even more special was the fact that it was you and Mason's first Christmas as fiancés since he asked your hand in marriage a couple of months ago.

"No Mase, I have to go. I still have to get the beds ready in the guest room, packing all the presents…"

"Come onnnn, it's 5 minutes only" He whined, squeezing your hips tighter. He was so clingy getting out of bed was always a rather hard task, especially on those cold mornings when the world outside seemed so unwelcoming with that biting chill that would welcome you once out of the bed.

You sighed and gave in, letting him hug you way too close to his chest.

"I also have to cook the whooole dinner" You closed your eyes hoping some spell would hit all the groceries in the fridge so that they would cook themselves so that cooking them wouldn't have been your problem anymore.

"I'll help you" Mason muttered with his lips pressed against your cheekbone.

"Really? Are you feeling okay?" Cooking wasn't exactly one of Mason's greatest skills, he was a disaster to be fair so him offering his help was something you weren't quite used to.

"Yeah, I'll just follow what you're saying, it can't be that hard I guess"

You giggled, turning on your left side to face him: he still had that adorable just woken up expression on his face, his dishevelled hair, his slightly swollen eyes. He was perfect and he was yours and not to be too cheesy but with him and his joyful personality it felt like Christmas everyday to you.

You leaned forward to cup his face and kiss him right on the lips.

"You'll be like my Xmas elf"

"That's so romantic" You both giggled before sharing another kiss. "Come on, let me go"

Mason finally let go of his grip on you so you could go and start preparing all that had to be done before the arrival of your boyfriend's family. You loved them to pieces so you just wanted to give them the best Christmas ever, making them feel at ease in your own house as they did everytime they would welcome you to theirs.

As you got up Mason couldn't resist the urge to squeeze your butt, making you wince and giggle.

"Don't do that in front of your family"

"I'll do even worse"

"Don't you dare" You chuckled walking away from your shared bedroom.

If Mason, at the beginning of the day, thought that you two could have made the most out of your day together as it wasn't something that happened very often, he had to change his mind when he saw you speeding away from one corner of the house to the other to prepare all the things that had to be ready before his family would join you.

You knew your day would've been hectic but you didn't imagine it could have been that hectic: you only stopped to eat something quickly and then started running around the house again. 

“We can’t even eat in peace??” He asked, rather annoyed, as he saw you getting up and bringing your plate to the sink to wash it in a hurry and then go back to your Christmas duties.

“You can take all the time you want to eat, babe. I still have to prepare the bedrooms and check if I have all the presents” You said leaving a kiss on the top of his head.

Mason liked Christmas time a lot, that year even more as he got to spend it with his favourite people in the world, that is to say you and his family, so he really was looking forward to all the memories you would have made together but he didn't like seeing you getting that stressed over something that should have been joyful and not that frustrating.

“I already told you there’s no need to impress anyone. The presents you bought are fine, they’ll love those”

“I just saw the cutest thing for Summer! Look” You got closer to him, ignoring what he had just said, to show him a princess castle play tent, with lights and all.

“She doesn’t need this”

“That’s perfect! Jaz and her can enjoy some mummy-daughter time in there, that’s so cute!” You didn’t think twice and pressed the buy now button to get the most perfect gift for what had now become your niece too.

“Thanks for caring about my opinion, that moves me” Mason giggled, reacting sarcastically to the way you didn’t take into consideration his point of view.

You giggled, placing your head against his.

“Sorry babe but we don’t have much time to see all the presents in the world and then decide”

“Yeah but it’s like the fourth present you buy for her??”

“The third actually” You corrected him, slightly bitter.

He rolled his eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry then”

“Would you mind washing these dishes while I go check the other gifts?” You asked him as he was already standing before the sink.

“Sure, hun” The love you had for that man couldn’t be described as it was so strong. As a thank you gesture you placed a kiss behind his ear. “But I want to see what you got to the others as well”

“Okay” You giggled as you left the kitchen to go and take the list you made to make sure everyone had their own presents. “So…”

“A paper list?? Who are you?? Santa Claus’ assistant?? Or Santa Claus’ in the flesh??”

“Ha ha you’re so funny, Mount. Now shut up and listen”

You started listing everything you bought for Tony, Debbie, Jaz, Lewis, Summer, Poppy, Harley and Stacey hoping your soon to be husband would have agreed with your ideas, stopping when your eyes felt on his name as his presents should have obviously been a surprise.

“How much did you spend to get all these things??” He asked you, blurting his eyes out in shock. He was more than happy that you cared so much about his family but he didn’t want you to waste all your money on such things: he was perfectly aware of the fact that you didn’t earn as much as he did (since your job was much more humble than his which made your paycheck way lower) but never he didn’t made you feel bad about it as, if it was for him, he would have bought you the whole world and making you leave your job once and for all.

“It’s none of your business”

“Y/N you didn’t have to use all your salary for my family. A present each would have been more than enough”

You rolled your eyes, putting that paper away.

“What did you get me?” He asked in a childish tone, making you chuckle.

“Nothing” You stepped closer to him, bringing your hand to scratch the back of his neck.

“What do you mean nothing?”

“I’m your gift” You smirked before capturing his lips in a loving  kiss.

Mason smiled against your lips.

“That doesn’t count”

“What? You’re being kinda rude!”

“I’m not! It’s not fair you bought my family hundreds of present and not even a single thing to me”

“I’ll give you my present when you’ll give me mine”

“What if I’ll give you mine in the bedroom later?” His kinky joke made you blush, earning a cheeky smile from him.

“You should wait for Christmas day at least”

“Nope, I want the whole family to see what I bought you”

“Mason!”

He laughed wholeheartedly, looking at you leaving the kitchen to go and resume your work.

“Where are you going??” He shouted at you.

“You’re wasting my time, Mount!” You shouted back at him, checking the cooking book your mother gave you to write down a draft of what would’ve been your Christmas menu.

“Oh is that so? You should have thought about it a couple of months ago, love!”

Those little banterings were one of your favorite things in your relationship, it felt as if they brought you closer and made everything even funnier.

“Your bank account was more appealing”

In a matter of minutes you found your fiancé glaring at you and you couldn’t help but burst out in a fit of laughter.

“You little…”

“What??”

That was the moment when your little wrestling game started off, where you would try to playfully fight him off your body as he would crush you with his weight. 

“Let me go!!”

“Not before this!” He started inflicting you his torture which consisted in tickling you until you started crying ad screaming for him to stop and have mercy on you.

He got up from the floor taking you with him in his arms, pressing his lips against your forehead.

“What’s next on your Christmas to-do list?”

"The presents for Poppy and Harley!" Mason brushed his hand over his face desperately, giggling.

The day before the long awaited day, Christmas eve, finally arrived and to say you were stressed was an understatement: you kept looking at the clock to check how much time you had left before all your guests would grace you with their presence that should have happened later that day.

"Where the fuck is that fucking -"

"Y/N calm down hun"

The last thing you needed was him saying pointless things at you such as calm down, he wasn’t being helpful at all.

You got your head out of the cupboard you were looking in for the mixer you needed to make a sauce for the roast you were thinking of doing as part of the Christmas menu for your guests.

Perfectionism has always been one of your most prominent personality traits so that being the first Christmas lunch you would have hosted at yours, you just wanted to make everything impeccable. But at what cost?

“I’ve been looking for it for the last hour and I needed that for -”

“I know but calm down, I’ll help you with the cooking”

“They’ll be here in a couple of hours and I still have to take a shower, get ready and -”

“Babe, look at me” Mason took your face in his hands to force you to look at him in order to instill some calm in you who were clearly having a hard time. “Everything’ll be alright”

You let out a loud breath nodding at his encouraging words.

“You already made a good impression on them, they already love you so you don’t need all this tension”

Even though you knew Mason wasn’t exactly a chef in the making you let him help you prepare the roast turkey as well as the appetizers you planned on doing. The pudding was almost ready so you had one less dish to think of at least.

You were so grateful for him as he never failed to show you his endless love and support, helping you to stay sane in that case.

"See? I'm already husband material" He stated quite proud of himself while cutting the veggies into tiny pieces.

That line made you blush and smile widely, he was right: he was more than ready to become your husband and you couldn’t wait to call him that.

The way he made you smile warmed his heart so he let the knife fall on the chopping board to come and wrap his hands around your waist, hugging you from behind and kissing you, a soft and meaningful kiss against your temple.

"I'm so proud of you, it will be the best Xmas ever"

"Well, I hope so"

The Mounts arrived at yours in the afternoon, bringing some food Debbie cooked for you all to eat for dinner. You were buzzing to meet them as you got along since the first moment you met them, they've always been nice and caring to you.

Among all, the one who was the happiest with having you there was Summer who ran in your arms as soon as they entered your house.

"Auntie Y/N!!" She hugged you as tight as she could, showing you all her love and how much she missed you.

"Hey baby! I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too"

"You have a lot of things to tell me, missy"

"Yes" She took your hand in hers and pulled you towards your big sofa to have a sit and have a chat with you.

"Look at her, it looks like she found her old friend" Lewis noticed, making everyone laugh. Needless to say, Mason was so happy in seeing two of the most important people in his life being that close. He couldn't wait for the moment you would have your own children. 

That encounter was also the first one between you and Stacey and her babies, Poppy and Hafley, since they lived in Australia and meeting them hadn't been possible till that day. It was emotional and intense.

After sharing a much needed dinner where you could catch up on what had been happening in everyone's life lately, you all went on talking with your warm tea in your hands as the fireplace you wanted so badly to have in your house gave the perfect atmosphere. 

Mason sat next to you, attached to your hip to be fair, laying kisses against your temple, stroking your thighs covered in black tights lightly, squeezing your hand in his and raising it to kiss your knuckles every now and then. All those gestures didn’t go unnoticed to his older brother who didn't miss the opportunity to make fun of him for how clingy he was.

"Hey bro, no one will take her away from you, you know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Let her breathe for a moment, you're so clingy" 

Mason turned crimson while you tried to giggle the embarrassment away, gently stroking Summer's hair, who was sleeping in your lap.

"Shut up, leave me alone"

"He's just in love, Lew"

"Thanks mum"

"You seriously make me wanna puke sometimes" Lewis muttered, loving how good you're making him feel but loving to mock his brother as much.

"So…I'm gonna be an uncle again soon enough"

You and Mason glared at him as Jasmine, Debbie and Tony widened their eyes moving their gaze from Lewis to you.

Mason then let out a laugh, brushing his hand against your stomach. 

"Maybe it's already here"

"MASON" It was time for you to blush in embarrassment, batting your fiancé's hand away.

"What? I guess that's how things will go"

"There isn't anyone in here at the moment" You snapped back, making your brother-in-law crack a chuckle.

Soon after Jaz got up to take Summer to bed and you all followed her to go to sleep too, not before making sure everyone found their own bedrooms and asking them three times at least if everything's okay and whether they needed something.

You let out a loud sigh when you closed your bedroom door behind you, raising your gaze to find Mason's, who was smiling.

He walked closer to you, placing his hands on your hips and pulling his lips closer to your ear.

"I can put a baby in you if you want"

"Mase!" You tried not to laugh as you pushed him away from your body. "Not yet"

"Oh come on! That would be a good Xmas present"

"You're crazy" You shook your head, before leaving him there to go to your ensuite bathroom.

"Yes, crazy for you"

"Stop it" You giggled, locking yourself in the bathroom. 

When you got back from your night routine, ready to have a good night of sleep, you cooed as your eyes caught sight of Mason who had fallen asleep with his phone in his hands, his head dangling.

You got closer and gently tapped your hand on his shoulder to wake him up.

"Mhh? What??"

"Put on your pajamas and get under the blankets" You sweetly instructed him as he nodded and sighed heavily.

The truth was that he was too lazy to get changed so he just took off his hoodie and put himself under the blankets, wrapping his arms around you, making you giggle as you kissed his forehead. 

"Nighty night"

"Goodnight, my love"

The next day, Christmas day, you woke up to his gentle caresses, his fingertips dancing along your neck and shoulders, brushing your locks behind your ear. Those gentle touches made you feel like the most loved person as his cuddles never failed to make you feel special, like you were the only girl in the world.

You tried to suppress a smile that, sadly for you, he noticed so you couldn’t go on faking being asleep to enjoy his cuddles in peace.

“I know you’re awake” He whispered cheekily, leaning forward to kiss your nose.

You let out an annoyed grunt that made him smile as he pressed another peck on the spot between your eyes.

“Merry Christmas, babe”

“Merry Christmas”

You spent a good while in silence, your foreheads against one another, your noses brushing as you stayed there with your eyes closed, revelling in the quietness of your own room before the loudness of the day ahead would have started.

But that peace didn’t last long as you heard someone cracking your door open, followed by the sound of a lively tiptoeing on the floor.

“Uncle Mase?” That was Summer who was probably doing her tour around the house to wake everyone up as the day she had been dreaming about for the whole year had finally arrived.

Mason sniffled looking down at her and smiled lovingly.

“Hey baby, happy Christmas. Do you want to come here?”

Summer nodded happily as Mason took her in his arms so she placed herself between you two to get her beloved cuddles: all the gentle touches and kisses were for her now.

“Let’s go see what Santa Claus brought us!” She jumped out of the bed, eager to go and see her presents, dragging her uncle along.

"Auntie Y/N, come on!" She nearly yelled at you, making her silly uncle laugh.

"Come on auntie, get up!" He said, doing a perfect impression of his niece hence getting a middle finger from you. 

Once you find the strength to leave the comfort of your bed, you walk downstairs to find everyone already sitting by the fireplace, ready to open the presents. 

It felt so good seeing everyone enjoy what you got for them, especially Summer who would have liked to spend the whole day sitting in that pink tent, playing with the dolls you gifted her.

As for Mason, you bought him a vintage watch making him whine about the fact that he didn’t like you spending all that money for him and then you thanked him a thousand times when you saw the designer bag and the aquamarine necklace he got you.

"Here's another thing for you"

"What? You know what I told you about presents"

"Said the one who bought ten presents each!"

"And they were all good presents!" Debbie stated, making you smile as it meant you did a good job in trying to please everyone. 

Mason handed you a little red shopping bag that read Cartier in it and you widened your eyes out in shock: you still weren't used to him spoiling you with luxury goods, no matter how many times you told him he didn't have to spend all that money for you.

"Open it"

"Mason, for God's sake…"

"Wait for what's inside" Jaz urged you, wiggling her eyebrows.

When you finally opened the red box finding the golden bracelet there was inside you breathed out, shivering a little for the emotion of the moment. 

"Are you crazy?? You didn’t have to buy me this!"

"Shut up" 

"Don't tell me to shut up"

"Why, Mase? I've told you so many times you don't have to buy me expensive things" You whined fiddling with your newest piece of jewellery as you couldn't stop looking at its perfect shape and golden surface. "You already got me a bag, that necklace I saw in the window the other day…and now this"

The Chelsea midfielder tilted your face up, placing his hand under your chin as you were met with his loving smile.

"I'm serious, Mase"

"I'm serious too, Y/N. I love you and I want to give you all the presents in the world, I want to spoil you cause you're always so supportive with me and I just want to give you small things that can make you happy, or even happier"

"But I'm always happy with you"

"Shut up" He hissed on your lips before kissing you, his hands placed at either sides of your face by way of hiding you, not to let anyone of the present spoil the little moment you were sharing.

"Guys, we're still here you know"

Mason threw a cushion at Lewis, making everyone laugh.

"Take a closer look at it"

You looked at him with raised eyebrows, clueless about what he was hinting at. He smirked and gestured for you to move the bracelet around to look better at the inner part of it. When you realised what he meant you gasped, as joyful tears started staining your face: he had engraved such a simple but meaningful declaration on it and, from now on, you would have worn it forever.

"Mase I - you -" No words that would have come out of your mouth would have been enough to thank him and express how you were feeling.

"Yeah, I love you too" A toothy grin appeared on his prince-like features, as he pulled you in to kiss your forehead, a long and loving kiss.

Mason himself was already a gift for you so you didn't need him to spend any extra money for you, he was your happiness and you couldn’t wait to spend the rest of your Christmases with him.

[shingetsu-online]

yes but then again me, my immediate family, and several of my cousins all live in the most transphobic place in the US of A. and my mom has several gay friends that she openly supports, including my hairdresser, his husband, one of our cousins, and the moms of one of my childhood friends [they gave us our kitchen table LMAO]. and whenever i bring up being ace she's like "that's perfectly fine but you're missing out" like WHAT AM I MISSING OUT I AM THIRTEEN YEARS OF AGE

thoughts on your mom. thoughts on rhyhorn’s evo. thoughts on swalots prevo. haha gottem

real question: thoughts on Hugh pokemon? The silly :)

going to genuinely answer the first 3 because I fucking feel like it

my mom is a very interesting person ?? like yes some of her ideals are okay but she's said a few times that she'd rather have me be a lesbian than a trans man and it seriously hurts to think about. she supports me being ace though

rhydon is ok?? nothing interesting going on aside from funny name. also that guy is so ears tbh

i love Mr. Gulpin Deez Nuts he's like my son. i can only see him as chobin from pokemon XD gale of darkness or something

hugh pokemon is the realest pokemon character ever. ive actually never seen a character that had so much in common with me before to the point where I named myself after him

[ineffabildaddy]

Hi sam! since the new year is approaching rapidly, i wanted to ask my favorite creators (that includes you! your fics and your posts delight me) how they look back on their 2023 tumblr year and which blogs made them happy to be here. i am very happy to follow you and hope you'll have a great 2024! 💘

hi!!! thank you so so much for this, a few months ago i couldn't even imagine being so active in the tumblr community again, let alone anyone's favourite anything!!!!

i've been very fortunate to receive the warmest of welcomes back to tumblr after a 7-year absence, and i've received so much support for my writing (and my shitposts lol) that this whole experience of finally joining the good omens fandom has genuinely given me a newfound confidence in my creative self, and in myself as a whole💙

in terms of the blogs that make me happy to be here... they are many!!! i shall put the rest of this post under the cut

@raining-stars-somewhere-else thank you for being my first go friend and now one of my closest buddies!!! i can't wait for us to finally write that fic together (lol) and for us to get up to some irl london shenanigans at some point✨ ur hilarious and kind and so correct about literally everything and i love u. literally everyone needs to read ur posts bc they're so well-thought out and unique. also your fics are really moving and human (even though they're about crowley and aziraphalekldfjgjl) and i adore them

@sad-chaos-goblin we literally just Get Each Other, same brain and all, and i absolutely love it!!! i couldn't ask for a better horny consultant bc after all it is Our Pornography™. you're also just an extremely understanding, open and lovely person, not to mention very fun and exciting to be friends with hehe. ur headcanons are so fucking interesting (and sometimes sad, how dare u do this to me) and i'm looking forward to hearing more when u eventually get round to writing all those fics you've got ideas for<3

@foolishlovers i'm really really happy we've got to know each other better over the past couple weeks!!!!! your xmas fic is one of my absolute favourite fics ever and i'm in awe with your skill and craft, i hope to write something as well-rounded and enjoyable as that someday<3 also you're one of my favourite posters, so fucking funny and u just make points left right and centre. i hope we can share our writing and our thoughts about life in general more in 2024!!!

@crowleyslvt i'm very happy i barged my way into your dms to be horny on main bc i definitely wouldn't've explored half the things i've explored in my writing if not for our discussions and your encouragement!!! i absolutely love talking writing and sexy headcanons with you, but above that i love that i'm now mates with such a talented, considerate, hilarious kiwi lad. i am honoured to be one of the little guys in ur phone who gets to hype up u as an exceedingly great porn writer but also as a legend in general

@voluptatiscausa no one understands my feralness for michael sheen like you do. i can go batshit insane in the dms over ms and dt with u and that space is important to me dlgkljdgldfjgl. i'm really glad i started reading ur writing this year bc it's very enjoyable, but it's also healing for me as a person who's [whispers] a traumatised and cripplingly shy person in terms of sex lmao. thank you for bestowing it upon ao3, and by extension, upon me!!!! also tho, you're a really nurturing and interesting friend to have, not to mention a Very Cool one so continue to be that pls and thanks

@bowtiepastabitch i've felt very honoured to hear about parts of your life as you share them with me - Knowing The Lore is so important to me and i'm humbled that you've trusted me with some of the stuff that's been happening in your world<3 on another note, your fanart may be quick but it's never shitty, it's always so expressive and fun and gets my brain Thinking Thoughts. i can't express how wonderful it was when you made a wee bit of fanart for one of my fics, and i hope i continue to see ur creativity shine✨

thank you to my favourite blogs for Existing Throughout 2023 (some of whom i know i can call friends, and the rest of whom i'd like to call friends in the future!!!) @sabotage-on-mercury @crowleys-bentley-and-plants @ineffableigh @celestialcrowley @queer-reader-07 @crowleyraejepsens @teddybearbutchh @crowleyholmes @ineffable-rohese @createserenity @quoththemaiden @procrastiel @sentientsky @genderqueer-hippie @beelzzzebub @lineffability @fellshish @greenthena @brainwormcity @opscuritas @tangerine-ginger @iammyownproblematicfave @crikey01 @crawley-fell @vroomvroomwee @bildads-shoes @shoemakerobstetrician @romansmartini @wraithee

i know i'll have forgotten people so i'll add em as i remember em hehehehe

[lightlycareless]

happy new year y'all and belated xmas I guess due to the theme of this oneshot lmao. I never get inspiration for these things unless on the actual day; can you believe that?

anyways, I hope you will still be able to enjoy this little thing i wrote :> I call it "Naomi's first xmas" (a.k.a your daughter with Naoya).

Warnings: none. fluff. your dad being a goofball.

Enjoy!

“I don’t think many people are going to come.”

“Who did you invite?”

“You know, the usual, but I doubt he’s going to show up, as always.”

“Then I won’t make more.”

“… well, do a bit more, a tiny bit, just in case.” 

Coming from the kitchen, you heard your siblings, Hinata and Ren, discuss the last preparations for Christmas Eve dinner.

Every year, planning around these holidays would go down the same way: Ren was designated to be the leader of sorts, making the decisions that ranged from what kind of decoration would be used around the house to what they’d have for dinner. 

Back in the day it would be your parents, (and then just Eiichi, of course), the one in charge of all that; but as of recent years Ren decided to take on that responsibility simply for the sense of comfort this familiarity brought him; and because he genuinely enjoyed doing so—also, because he’d spent last Christmas’ with his wife, Kanon, and felt like he needed to something to make up for those holidays he spent apart from his family.

From there, Hinata. She… Well, she’d try her best to be around the holidays to begin with, since work was always hectic for an accomplished sorceress around this time. Now add to that that she’s also an heiress of a somewhat important clan! And that’s just all year round.

Yet, she’d always manage, either through overworking herself days prior, or because she has excellent time management skills—thus, when she does find herself back home, she’d be the one to send out invitations and general holiday greetings.

And lastly, you. Alongside your father, you’d be the one to set up the decorations and buy gifts. It was your favorite activity to do during the holiday season, after spending time with your family of course. Something about seeing what new seasonal merchandise stores had always filled you with excitement, as well as an urge to get everything before it sold out!

But this year, you’d impose a limit on yourself; and not because you came to the realization that this might’ve been getting a bit out of control, but rather, because your attention now dwelled on something more important.

It’s what made this year’s holidays all too special compared to the rest: it was your daughter’s first Christmas.

It was safe to say that everyone held the same excitement as you and Naoya had when it came to seeing her reaction to everything Christmas. 

She already had her first Halloween, which had been a total success as seen by her toothy grin while wearing that adorable costume you got her—something you’ll forever remember thanks to the endless pictures you took, the same  ones your father and siblings demanded you’d share, quickly becoming everyone’s phone wallpaper.

In other words, the anticipation to see what Naomi will be wearing/doing for the holidays was much greater than that of the actual presents—although for you and Naoya, getting to spend time together as a family was more than enough.

“Do you need help with anything?” you’d ask, looking over Hinata’s shoulder; Ren had been earnestly debating whether to prepare more food, or not, for those yet-to-confirm guests. He didn’t mind having to do more, he just didn’t like the notion that it might go to waste.

But even then, he knew that between Hinata, you, and him, that wouldn’t be an issue.

“Yes—bring Naomi-chan!” Hinata says, swiftly turning around while grinning.

“I meant, with dinner.” You chuckle.

“Aw, then why you’d ask?” your sister frowns.

“She’s asleep right now, Hinata. Why would you even ask something so selfish?” Ren teases.

“I just want to see my adorable niece.” Hinata whines. “It’s all I want for Christmas!”

“Get in line, then.” Ren smirks, moving from one side of the counter to the other before placing a tray into the oven. “Do you plan to dress her up this time?”

“Not in a costume per say, but yes! Got everything set up already; but I’ll change her after Naoya and dad are back.” You respond.

“Oh, can we at least get a sneak peek?!” Hinata begs, you shake your head.

“It’s a surprise.” You smile, Hinata groans.

“Aghhhhh, then they better hurry up!”

Normally, everyone would’ve remained at the house by that point, with the occasional exception of going to the store to buy some last-minute things, but even then, it was still very rare since Ren diligently accounted for everything the moment he set his mind to it.

However, this Christmas would continue to prove itself different by a landslide, starting with the absence of your father and Naoya.

Circling back to the fact that this was to be Naomi’s first Christmas, Naoya promised himself to do everything in his power to make it extra special. 

Such as by getting her all the presents in the world: toys, dolls, plushies, or anything that pertained to her favorite character—and even though some of them weren’t really suitable for her young age, Naoya brushed off any doubts by  saying:

“What if it’s a limited-edition item and by the time she’s older it’s no longer available? Yeah, no, I’m not risking my little princess being upset because of my insolence. I’m buying it.”

The same excuse he’d when also getting her things that simply caught her interest; just to be sure she had them whenever she eventually began to like them.

But as happy as you were to see Naoya happily indulging your baby, there were moments where the thought of him perhaps going a bit overboard with the presents crossed your mind… 

Yet, as always, he’d reassure you with the following:

“This is only the bare minimum for Naomi—and even then, it is not enough!” 

And with that, you’d only chuckle, understanding that even if you asked him to control himself a bit, he would just proceed to spoil her again.

Looks like there’s no definite way to beat a father’s determination when it comes to making his daughter happy…

And talking about fathers…

Because Naomi was Eiichi’s first grandchild + her first Christmas, it was only natural that just like Naoya, he’d want to make this celebration as special as it could be—just as he always did year round.

However, one thing would still manage to surprise you out of all this, and it wasn’t their unconditional adoration towards Naomi, (which you were eternally grateful for) but rather… the unspoken competition that sparked between your husband and father to show said affection.

For example, whatever Naoya bought for Naomi, your father would get two, even in different colors, in case one of them broke down or got lost, or something between the two

“Just in case” Eiichi would say when confronted if this was really necessary.

It definitely irked your husband much more than he would like to admit, a consequence of his highly competitive and overprotective nature…

Yet, Naoya knew very well that there was no true maliciousness behind his actions, for your father was only being affectionate and caring—if anything, he was glad that she had a loving family to endlessly dote on her; a contrasting difference to how the Zen’in normally behaved. 

But going back to the reason for their absence, in their excessive purchase of presents they had failed to realize that shipped items may face a delay due to the high amount of work the postal service is put under throughout this season. 

The shock on their faces when finding out that Naomi might not be able to open all her presents on Christmas day is one that you’ll never forget—although it amused you more than anything else.

This issue would just remind you how resourceful they were, because by some strange, unknown efforts, they were able to get her presents just in time—like, on the very day of Christmas eve, which is why they were out, scampering to the postal office to pick up her things, subsequently wrapping them and placing them underneath the Christmas tree; and all before Naomi could notice they weren’t even there to begin with.

“Realistically, I don’t think she’s going to notice.”  You say upon noticing their stress, an attempt to alleviate some of their burdens.

“But still—we can’t have her believe Santa likes others better!” Eiichi countered, and Naoya silently agreed. “Y/N, do you think—"

“Already ahead of you.”  You smile, willing to go along. “She’ll probably be taking a nap either way, so don’t worry. Naomi won’t see a thing!”

… But will they be back soon?

[Naoya: We’re almost there, just finished wrapping the presents.]

[Y/N: Oh, that’s good. I was beginning to worry that something happened! Anyways, the food is almost done, all that’s missing is you and dad. Please come back quickly, baby ☹ Naomi and I miss you.]

[Naoya: I’m almost there, my love. However… there’s something I need to tell you first.]

[Y/N: What is it? Is everything ok?]

[Naoya: Yes, but it's about your dad.]

[Y/N: … What about him?]

[Naoya: Your dad is coming back later.]

[Y/N: Huh? What do you mean he's coming back later? What happened to my dad?]

[Naoya: Nothing bad, I swear, I know how this sounds but don’t worry about it. Just… well, you'll know what I mean.]

And a few minutes later, Naoya finally arrives, bringing along a huge bag filled with what you imagined to be (largely) Naomi’s presents, colorfully wrapped boxes of all sizes which he scurried to organize underneath the tree before anything else—He didn’t mean to walk past you without even acknowledging you, of course not, but he had to make haste of the fact that Naomi was still asleep.

But once that was set, he was finally able to greet you as his heart desired, swiftly walking over to your side as he took you into his arms, leaning down to sweetly peck your lips.

“Welcome back, dear.” You smile, placing your hands on the sides of his face and pulling him closer to you before helping him out his coat. “How was the trip? Chaotic?”

“Yes, last minute-shoppers.” He sighs, resting his face against the crook of your neck once free of his coat before groaning. “Don’t know why people tend to leave everything to the end, it’s—annoying. And to think they almost cost my daughter her first Christmas!”

You chuckle, kissing the top of his head while rubbing his back.

“Well, you won’t have to deal with them anymore—Or anyone else but us for the next few days.” you say, reminding him of his small break from work. Truly, a Christmas miracle.

From that day forward, until he has to go back of course, it’s just him, Naomi, and you.

“That sounds like a dream.” He admits, leaning back to get a good look at you and smiling. “Naomi is still asleep, right?”

“Yes, she is—napping in the bedroom.” You grab his hand, intertwining your fingers with his. Then, you look over his shoulder, noticing a peculiar absence. “By the way… I’m assuming dad is not here because of the thing you told me?”

Naoya nods.

“What happened?”

He presses his lips together.

“… he told me he needed to do something else before returning.” Naoya begins, in such a suspicious way that obviously makes your anxiety rise even higher. 

Your husband is quick to catch your reaction, but he's even quicker to reassure you.

“I wish I could tell you more, mochi, but he told me to keep it a secret. It’s nothing bad, just… play along, ok?” Naoya says, kissing your cheek.

Well, you know it could never be anything bad if it came from either your father or husband.

But if so, why such secrecy? It really unnerved you, especially for the time this was taking place in…

“Will I get to know eventually?” is all that you ask, he nods.

“Very soon.”

But if it was of utmost importance they keep this a secret, then you’ll trust them. And soon, you leave it at that.

“Do you think they’ll like our little surprise?” Naoya asks, changing the subject.

“Of course.” You grin, excitement beaming through your words. “Kept it a secret until now so no one suspects a thing!”

“I still can’t believe.” Naoya smiles, kissing your lips once more. “It's really happening.”

“I just hope my dad will be here to see it…”

“Why is dad still not back home?” Hinata asks upon noticing the elephant in the room: Ren had just taken out the last tray from the oven, began to prepare the food to be served, yet Eiichi was nowhere to be found. 

Certainly uncommon from someone who treasures family above anything else. 

“I thought he was only going to pick up some things.” she adds.

“Right, Naoya?” Ren says, with an accusatory tone that immediately makes your husband nervous.

“Ye—yeah…” he murmurs, eyes darting around the room for your support, only to panic when realizing you also have yet to come back from Naomi, away readying her for the evening now that she woke up. “He said he’ll be back soon.”

“Heard anything from him yet?” Hinata asks for the nth time at that moment. He shakes his head.

“Just that he’s almost done.” Naoya responds, trying his best to not feel intimidated by them. Even after years of being married to you, and now father of your child, your siblings always found ways to tease him; all in a playful nature, of course. “Anyways, Naomi should be ready soon…”

“Oh, that’s true! Y/N’s getting baby Naomi ready, isn’t she?” Hinata gushes, completely discarding the dilemma with her father out the window and focusing on what she considers the highlight of the day, no, year! “I wonder what adorable outfit she’ll wear today! Can you give us a hint at least, Naoya??”

The ball is on his court this time, and Naoya plans to take advantage of that.

“No can do.” He says, a smile on his face. Revenge is served when Hinata groans. “Not even I know what she’s planning.”

“How… mysterious” Ren murmurs. “First dad, and now Y/N… if I didn’t know any better, it seems like they’re plotting something together.”

“No, that can’t be.” Naoya immediately says, and as if his behavior wasn’t suspicious already, Ren and Hinata are now completely convinced that your husband is hiding something. “I mean, Y/N doesn’t know what’s going on either so….”

“Well, I’m sure we’ll figure it out soon enough.” You suddenly say, having arrived just a few seconds ago as you stand by the entrance; with a big grin on your face and the perception of hiding something behind you. “Is the food ready?”

“Y/N.” Naoya breathes; hopeful at the sight of his salvation. At least he’ll be away from being further interrogated by your siblings and jeopardizing the mission. 

He wishes to walk over to you, but knowing the intention behind your approach, as well as noticing the eager look on your face, he stays still.

“It is… but only for those that bring Naomi-chan!” Hinata exclaims as she tries to look over your shoulder, you moving along her eyes. “Where is she? Still asleep?”

“Not quite.” You say, giving your husband one last glance, a tight smile that tells him just how excited you were, a sentiment he also shared, which he responds with a reassuring nod.

So, gathering all your courage, you clear your throat, take a deep breath, and then, address your siblings.

“Naoya and I wanted to keep this a surprise for today, since we thought it was quite fitting.” You begin. “I was hoping for everyone to be here, but if I don't do it now, I fear it might spoil itself.” 

“What surprise?” Ren asks, and with that, you move to the side, letting your small surprise step into the picture.

Dressed in a green and red linen romper over a long sleeved white collared shirt, with a bow of the same fabric decorating her dark hair, your daughter Naomi tightly held onto your leg as she walked beside you.

Her legs were a bit wobbly, with one of her arms occasionally stretching out as to keep balance, while the other tightly held onto your hand for safety—Yet her determination to continue forward remained unwavering, as well as the excitement of your family when seeing their beloved niece finally taking her first steps!

Kind of. 

“She can—she can walk already?!” Hinata is the first to exclaim, crying at the adorable way Naomi tried to follow your lead. “When—when did this happen???”

“She can.” You say, trying your best to not pick her up, hug her, and kiss her all over her soft cheeks! After all, Naomi was very determined to keep walking once she discovered she could, a fact that made her advancement impossible to hide from the rest of the world since she wanted to do nothing but explore her new skill! 

There's no doubt in your mind that if she keeps up like this, she'll be able to run in no time! And from there…

Oh, can't she stay a baby forever?

“Naomi only started walking a few weeks ago.” Naoya says as he walks over to the two, solely intending to accompany both and be there if Naomi were to fall, but he ends up leaning down to grab her hand instead, for as soon as he was near, she reached out for him.

A sight that almost made everyone's heart burst out of their chest at the sheer adorableness of it. 

“Ho—how?” Hinata asks, still not believing her eyes.

“She just… pulled herself up one day, kept trying until she was able to do it, and the rest is history!” You happily recount her efforts, as well as the adorable pout she’d make when trying. “Whenever we tried to help her though, she always rejected us, guess she wanted to do it herself— she takes after her papa in that matter.”

Naoya chuckles; he won’t deny his stubbornness.

“Owww, I can’t help it, I need to hug her!!” Hinata cries, swiftly running over to Naomi and unwittingly startling Naomi, who cowered behind her dad soon after. A sight that effectively snaps Hinata out of trance, kneeling to her level to softly hug her and utter endless endless apologies. “I’m so sorry, Naomi-chan, I didn’t mean to scare you, please forgive me!” 

She begs while kissing her cheeks, which at first confuses Naomi, enough to attempt to push Hinata away… until her gestures begin to tickle her, making her stop and giggle in turn, seemingly leaving all misunderstandings behind.

“I can’t believe she’s growing so fast…” Ren says, walking over to the rest and carefully pinching Naomi’s cheeks once Hinata frees her; this makes her giggle too. “It seems like only yesterday we were getting you ready to go to the hospital.”

“And now, she’s almost a year old.” Naoya concurrs, looking at you. 

He too can’t believe that almost a year has passed since she arrived in this world, since she made their life happier—better. Truly, it almost seemed like a dream, however, the truth would prove much, much better this time around.

This wasn’t a figment of his imagination: this was his life. And he wouldn’t want it any other way.

“We need to prepare everything for her birthday!” Hinata declared. “I can already think of a few places we can do her party! How about it, Y/N? Picture this—”

“Let’s do a celebration at a time, Hinata.” Ren chuckles, you doing the same soon after, finding her enthusiasm amusing. “We’re still not even done with Christmas, let alone New year… Which makes me ask, where’s dad? Are we to eat without him? This is the first time he’s ever been this late…”

The look of concern you and your siblings direct at Naoya is what finally pushes him to disclose what he and Eiichi agreed to keep a secret.

“I wasn’t supposed to tell, but the reason why Eiichi-san is late is because he—”

“Ho, ho, ho!!”

A loud voice, followed by heavy footsteps making their way through the entrance are heard, followed by a soft thud and another cheer. 

“Merry Christmas!!”

Everyone’s head swirls into its direction, expectantly hoping to see the one behind these unanticipated actions.

Yet, it’s only you who manages to recognize who it was, as well as the nature of their actions.

And boy, was it a surprise when the truth finally settled in.

“Oh my god…” it’s all you could muster in reaction as the guest continues on with their rally.

“I heard that here lived an adorable baby girl that behaved very well this year!” Santa Claus would continue to say, grinning as he took some presents out of the large bag he carried along and placed them underneath the tree, before turning around towards the intrigued, if not slightly embarrassed, family staring at him, searching for said girl. “And because she was such a good girl, I wanted to personally come here and give her her pres—”

But when his eyes finally fall onto Naomi, Santa Claus immediately goes silent, intently staring at her for a few seconds before coming to the same conclusion that had everyone in shock, eyes widening as he shrieks.

“SHE CAN WALK!???”

Any suspicions that the man dressed up as Santa Claus was in fact, your father, are quickly verified by his reaction, further cemented when he rushes over to her, swiftly picking her up in a hug to coo at Naomi’s advancements.

“Oh, Naomi-chan!! When did you begin to walk?!” He’d ask, feeling a combination of happiness, nostalgia, and even heartache—for he was both glad and sad that his grandbaby was growing up. “Had I known, I would’ve gotten you more presents!!”

Everyone knew that the man behind this amusing spectacle was none other than your dad, per usual goofy Eiichi nature, by this point. However, there was still one person that remained in doubt, and that would be none other than Naomi herself.

Even if she was an impressionable young child, there were still a handful of things that didn’t necessarily catch her attention; unless it pertained to those of her favorite characters, of course.

But returning to her distaste, the most noticeable icon of this festive season fell into that list; she just… didn’t like him. Ignored him whenever possible; yet, there was still a catch: if her favorite mascot was dressed as Santa Claus, then Naomi couldn’t have enough of him!

Neither you nor Naoya knew why she did so, but it just happened, and the two grew to accept that fact, just as everything else.

Unfortunately, it seems that both had forgotten to tell your father about this small detail, and what Eiichi hoped to be a heartwarming experience for his beloved granddaughter, soon turned sour, specially when her big round golden eyes began to water after noticing that no matter how much she tugs, this stranger was not letting her go.

“Oh, little pumpkin, no!” Eiichi gasps, feeling like absolute garbage when Naomi continues attempting to push him away. “It’s me! It’s grandpa!”

“There’s no way for her to know that—take the beard off!” Ren exclaims, and in one swift movement, Eiichi strips the white beard off his face, discarding it to the side and revealing his face for Naomi to see.

“See, little pumpkin? It’s me!” he repeats whilst frantically hoping that he hadn’t irrevocably messed up. “It’s me! Granpa!”

And as if she understood what he meant, Naomi finally glances back at him, staring at him for a few moments in what many considered both curiosity and fear… which slowly shifted into adoration once finally recognizing her beloved grandpa, and subsequently hugging him.

“Yes! I knew you’d recognize me!” Eiichi softly cries as he leans down to kiss the top of her head, making her giggle in response. Your heart melts at the sight of Naomi warming up to your father, while Naoya sighs, relieved that this didn’t escalate any further.

“Without the beard, it would be almost impossible not to.” Hinata teases, and your dad frowns, trying to understand what your sister meant—she and Ren only laugh. 

“Ah, but my sweet adorable little pumpkin, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Eiichi would continue to say, feeling very, very regretful for his actions. However, it seemed that Naomi no longer paid mind to that, giving the understanding that she knew it wasn’t intentional, or cared more to be with her favorite grandpa.

And while that went down, you look over to Naoya, moving closer to his ear to whisper:

“Is this what you were referring to?”

Naoya hums, nodding. You chuckle.

“I should’ve told him.” He says, and you give him a soft smile, squeezing his hand.

There was no way he could’ve known, but after this happened, alongside Naoya’s growing guilt, he began to believe that maybe he should’ve…

But truth to be told, Naoya didn’t have the heart to ruin Eiichi’s enthusiasm, after all, no one from the Zen’in clan bothered to care about anything but the bare minimum when it came to Naomi, while your father consistently went above and beyond for his family. 

So because of that, when Eiichi told him of the little surprise he was preparing for his daughter, with such excitement that told your husband how much he wanted to do this … Naoya allowed him to go through with it.

Because at the end of the day, anyone that has your and Naomi’s happiness and safety in mind, he’ll always welcome—and he’s long come to see that your family wants nothing but that for the three.

“Does she not like Santa?” Ren asks now that the situation has calmed down.

“It seems so—it’s why we haven’t been able to get a picture of the two.” You explain, reminiscing how you’d have to cancel a photo appointment because Naomi didn’t want to be near Santa Claus, not even when you and Naoya were there.

“Ah, well, Santa is overrated anyways!” Eiichi says, more than ready to discard this silly costume if it meant baby Naomi would no longer be afraid of him.

“How… ironic of you to say that.” Ren adds with a chuckle.

“Unless you’re dressed as—“ you begin.

“Hello kitty.” You and Naoya speak in unison. 

“Naomi really likes Hello Kitty.” Naoya finishes.

At the revelation, Hinata grins.

“You like cats too?” Your sister asks, lightly tickling Naomi, she giggles in response. “When you’re old enough, I’ll give you a cat—how about that, hm?”

“Ehh, I’ll hold that thought for now.” You intervene before Hinata could continue on with her promises. While you would’ve loved for your sister to spoil your daughter, two particular reasons pushed you to stop: first, this was a decision that should be previously consulted with the parents, and secondly, Naoya already planned to gift Naomi a kitty himself—one that would resemble the character as closely as possible—when she was old enough to take care of it.

“You’re getting ahead of yourself again, Hinata. There’s still gifts to open.” Ren says, gesturing over to the boxes underneath the tree, and those still inside Eiichi’s bag. 

“Yes! I want my adorable granddaughter to open all of them first!” Eiichi would say, handing Naomi over to her father once she began to gesture her desire to be carried by him. The way she rests her head over his shoulder makes Naoya smile.

“But first, let’s eat dinner—I didn’t spend all this time preparing food for no one to take a bite!” Ren says, the group agrees, and soon, preparations for dinner begin.

Hinata would help you set up Naomi’s chair, placing it just between Naoya and you, while you went ahead to get your daughter’s food—the slow transition of feeding her with a cup instead of a bottle had just begun a few weeks ago, and with great feedback, you just hope it continued on steadily.

Eiichi, on the other hand, rushed to his bedroom to quickly change out of his costume and adequately help Ren serve dinner. 

Once everyone was seated and with their respective plates, dinner finally began.

The evening would go on wonderfully, with everyone relishing on the delicious delicacy Ren had prepared, as expected, while sharing anecdotes that made you both laugh or fluster, depending on who was the one telling them: how your dad always managed to make everyone embarrassed is something that you’ll never figure out—certainly, a talent of his own—before moving onto comparing the similarities between Naomi and her parents once she does a particular gesture that Eiichi had to point out.

“Well, I didn’t want to say anything, but I think Naomi is starting to take more after you in that aspect.” Naoya would tease.

“No, she does not!” you gasp, referring to the habit Naomi had of pouting when things didn’t go her way. Sure, you might’ve done it once or twice when you were younger, but…

No, surely not.

Unless…?

“Or does she…?”

“A bit. She has to take after you. I was never that cute when I was a kid.” He reiterated; you smile, trying to hide your blush.

“Really? I always thought she looked more like you.” You confess. Always hoped that she would… 

“She looks just like the two, actually.” Eiichi added. “But I do have to say, that out of the two, Naomi looks a bit more like—”

“Naoya” an unaccounted voice coming from the entrance was heard, making those at the table quickly turn around to see who it was, even little Naomi, as if she knew that no one was expecting anyone else to show up —especially the one that after years and years of being invited, never attended.

“Satoru!” Hinata gasps, perhaps the most perplexed one out of the group; at one point she even felt as if had hallucinated seeing him there. “I didn’t think you—what are you doing here?”

“I’m visiting my other family! I know we’re not together anymore, but I still hold everyone dear, you know?” He jests and Hinata sighs. Seems that not even during Christmas time would the god’s honor your sister’s request of making Satoru a bit less annoying. Not that much, just… a little.

Truly, she was better off asking for literally anything else but a miracle.

“We weren’t even married…” Hinata murmurs, not that it mattered at that point anyways, less when Satoru moved on to greet Eiichi and Ren (who were rather amicable to say the least, still speechless for seeing him show up after years of absence) before stopping by you, Naoya, and Naomi—lips parting onto a grin when seeing the new family.

“And who is this? Chibi Y/N?? Wow, look at how much she’s grown! I still remember her when she was nothing but a little baby! How old is she now?”

“You’d know if you’d respond to my messages.” You respond, a smirk on your face as Satoru pouts. “Or come to the party I threw for her 6th month birthday…”

“Hey, I got her a gift! That’s bound to mean something, right?” Satoru pinches Naomi’s left cheek, causing her to frown and whine. “Ah, you’re just as moody as Naoya; Thank God she looks more like you, Y/N. Imagine if we’ve gotten two Naoya instead of you? The Zen’in would go insane!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Naoya frowns.

“Didn’t you just say she looked more like him?” you raise an eyebrow, Satoru shrugs.

“Huh, did I?” He feigns ignorance, you roll your eyes. “Must’ve slipped my mind… anyways, I got everyone presents!”

You now notice the bag he was carrying; didn’t seem that big, but it did look like it was full. 

“Especially for chibi Y/N” Satoru hands you over the bag, which Naoya takes soon after standing up—your theories of the bag being full are proved right when your husband notices how heavy it was.

You sigh.

Even if Satoru is what many considered imprudent, he was still goodhearted. And so, you motion Naoya to take the presents to the tree.

“Thank you, Satoru. I’m sure Naomi will appreciate your gift.” You say, a smile on your face.

“If you didn’t get her anything weird, of course.” Ren adds. At the noise of his voice, Satoru can’t help but unintentionally tense up—your brother always had an effect on him that made him feel like a cornered kid. In that sense, everyone was relieved that there was one person that could ground Satoru to reality. “Unless…”

“No, of course not.” Satoru quickly says, laughing nervously. “Who do you think I am??”

Everyone remains quiet as they silently judge him—even little Naomi, who couldn’t possibly know what he was referring to, joined in on the bewildering scrutinizing crusade against him; there’s no doubt in his mind now that she is a L/N.

“Have you eaten anything?” You’d move on. “The food is still warm if you want some.”

“Sit down, I’ll serve you some.” Ren would say before Satoru could even answer, which prompted the Gojo heir to finally accept his offer and take the last available seat, the one besides your father.

Once getting his food, dinner would go as it went before, prompting more stories now that Satoru joined in, with the slight difference that Hinata was now the center of attention.

You undoubtedly knew that your sister was much more than she was letting on, but these anecdotes from when she was a student at jujutsu high were far better than you ever imagined; she sure had everyone fooled with the responsible and dedicated image she made for herself!

But even then, they’d have nothing on your father when he began to tell his own stories: who would’ve known that the goofy, lovable man that your father was had actually lived through his fair share of mischief? Seems that even after years of knowing him, there were still many things to discover about him!

It made you and Naoya wonder what kind of reaction Naomi would have once she learned of your own adventures; the thought that either of you (Or maybe even the two) could become the uncool parent makes you chuckle. 

Maybe your dad was right, maybe this was some kind of rite of passage one must go through when becoming a parent.

After sharing enough anecdotes, now began the most exciting part of the night—opening the presents.

Tensions were already high when it came to the silent competition going on between your father and your husband, but with the unexpected addition of Satoru, this just raised the stakes: they all wanted Naomi to open their presents first.

Luckily, they were still able to listen to reason when you suggested that the best way to solve this was to let Naomi choose by herself, nothing of persuading her to choose theirs or anything of the sorts—simply letting her walk towards the box she found most interesting and let everything else fall into place. 

It was endearing to see how happily she reacted to the fact that (mostly) all the presents underneath the tree were there for her, as well as the cheerful way she began to open them, alongside the help of her papa, of course, for she still wasn’t strong enough to do it herself.

You once considered your dad and mom to be a bit… well, exaggerated whenever they’d take endless pictures of you and your siblings when doing anything—but now that you and Naoya had Naomi in your life… their actions no longer seemed overstated as they once did. If anything, you grew to understand why they’d done so and if anything, it inspired you to  do the same!

To see her chubby face beam whenever seeing her new toys and plushies was one you’d never replace for anything, more so when she got to see all of the presents her daddy got her. 

No one knew Naomi better than her own father, thus every single thing Naoya got for her was to be Hello Kitty themed: from socks, to shirts, plushies and even accessories—anything that his baby wanted, he’d get. In all the possible variations of her favorite Sanrio character. 

Which made Ren, Hinata, and your dad a bit nervous, for it seemed that Naoya had the gift department well covered, making it almost impossible to compete…

But you’d reassure them that Naomi, alongside you and Naoya, were wholeheartedly grateful for their attention and gestures, and that she’d love them all the same.

But outside of that, the thing that perhaps intrigued everyone the most was Satoru’s present. As previously stated, he had a tendency of gifting… Well, odd things, and that was the easy way to put it. 

From objects that you have yet to find a use to, to things that you would rather die than to be seen in public with them, Satoru was unpredictable as unpredictable as he could be.

Thus, everyone understood why Naoya took it upon himself to open Satoru’s present, even if it made Naomi whine in response.

“I just gotta make sure there’s nothing wrong with it, little princess.” Naoya explains, hoping that this would ease Naomi’s rising irritation—it kind of did, but she’d only calm down when Satoru’s gift was eventually revealed:

A Digimon plushie, from the character known as koromon, to be precise.

“Huh, I guess you are capable of doing normal things.” Hinata would say, Satoru scoffs.

“Don’t you mean better things, Hinata?” He teases back, Hinata rolls her eyes.

“Thank you, Satoru.” You say, looking at him. “But you know that in this household we only like Pokémon.”

“Not if I influence her early on!” Satoru grins—but really, he was just happy to see Naomi wholeheartedly enjoying his gift, which she latched onto as soon as Naoya handed it to her.

“As if I’d let you do that.” Naoya says. “Maybe if you had good taste in anime…”

Ren laughs. “Can’t argue with that.”

“Ah, stop it all of you… it was a nice gift.” Eiichi would intervene, making Satoru pout and cry, before rushing over to hug him.

“Oh, thank you so much!” he’d dramatically gasp, tightly holding onto your father. “I knew someone would appreciate my efforts!”

Eiichi presses his lips together before sighing. He’s long come to understand that it was better to not fight it than to do so, because whenever your dad managed to push Satoru away, he’d always come back, and stronger too.

But even with this, Eiichi was happy to have his family back together, reunited and having a good time: the one thing he always wanted for Christmas.

Everyone would continue on opening the rest of the presents, that is, until Naomi began to feel tired as seen by the way her eyes slowly blinked, yawning every so often, before leaning her head onto Naoya’s chest, breathing softly until she finally fell asleep. 

At the sight everyone couldn’t help themselves from cooing, (albeit not too loud in fear of waking her up) as well as take it as a sign to call it a day; everyone had been up since early to get everything done, so it was only normal that they’d begin to feel a bit tired too, Naomi’s yawns were only there to make it more obvious.

“We can continue tomorrow.” Your father would say, referring to the left-over presents still underneath the tree. “It is kind of late.”

“And I still have to call Kanon.” Ren said, looking over to his clock—still a bit of time before she heads to sleep. “Think you can help me pick up, Hinata?”

“Yeah.” she nods, standing up.

“Let me help too.” You offer, standing up as well, he shakes his head.

“No, I’d rather not keep you away from Naomi.” He says. You frown, feeling as if you’ve barely done anything this year… “You can repay me tomorrow.”

“Alright, then.” you smile before sighing, looking over to Naoya carrying a deeply asleep Naomi. “Guess we’re off to bed.” 

“Goodnight Naomi-chan!” Hinata whispers with a grin.

“Goodnight, Y/N, Naoya.” Ren adds.

“Goodnight!” Satoru waves, you way back before making your way over to your dad.

“Goodnight, dad. See you tomorrow.” you say, hugging him. “Thank you for what you did for Naomi, even though she got a bit upset. I’m sure when she’s a bit older she’ll come to appreciate it better.”

“Thank you, pumpkin. And I didn’t mean to scare her.”

“I know, and she knows that too.”

Naoya and you would then head back to the living quarters and into Naomi’s room, the one your father had prepared as soon as your pregnancy was announced, just in case it was ever needed—it didn’t take long for you to decorate it either— to get her changed into her pajamas and into her crib, underneath the warm blankets alongside her favorite plushies, before leaning down to kiss her head and wishing her a goodnight.

Naomi doesn’t respond, outside of a deep sigh and those soft snores that always make your and Naoya’s heart squeeze with adoration whenever hearing them; evidence that she had a tiring, yet fun day.

And as both continue to admire her, a feeling comparable to nostalgia begins to settle in both your hearts, with you being the first one to acknowledge it. 

“Can you believe it?” you whisper, still looking at Naomi.

“What?” Naoya asks, leaning closer to you.

“That she's almost a year old.” You go on. “It’s been almost a year since she arrived in our lives… and now…”

“She can walk.” Naoya finishes. “... it almost feels… surreal, doesn’t it? I can still remember the day she was born like it was yesterday.”

As if it was only yesterday he was that lonely, sorrowful man seemingly destined to live out the same way the rest of his life… and now, he has a family.

“When did time go by so fast?” you ask.

“I don’t know.” He admits, taking your hands and intertwining it with his fingers. “I stopped caring after I met you.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” you chuckle, looking at him.

“What reason do I have to count days, when I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you?”

“Naoya…” you murmur, blushing. “I… I guess to keep important dates…. Or something.”

Naoya was glad that the moonlight coming through the window wasn’t strong enough to show how flustered he truly was.

Taking a deep breath, he now looks at you.

“I still can’t believe I got to meet you, fall in love with you, marry you and now… have a family with you.” he starts. “I got to experience something I never thought I would; and in a way, I still can’t wrap my head around it. There are still moments where I want to pinch myself to see if this is all a dream, if you can believe that; But when I see you and our daughter and I know it’s not my imagination; because you and Naomi are far more beautiful than anything I could’ve ever imagined.

And today… just reminded me of how lucky and grateful I am to have both of you in my life and to have spent another holiday with you.”

It wasn’t your or Naoya’s first Christmas together—not the first one you’ve spent with your dad, or the Zen’in for that matter.

But it was certainly the first one both had spent as a family, enough reason to make it as special as possible.

However, that wasn’t the only reason why you allowed Naoya to do whatever he wanted this year, or why you asked him to spend Christmas with your family. 

More than making this celebration special for Naomi… you intended to do it for him.

Even now, you could still hear it in Naoya’s words—the slightest hesitation that reveals he didn’t believe he’s received all these blessings; and not because he thought them incapable of occurring, but rather because…

He didn’t think himself deserving of them.

Naoya always foresaw that his life would continue on rather… uneventfully, going through the same vicious cycle of people that couldn’t really care less for him, or anything pertaining to him, and him believing the same of himself.

Until you’d come along—to show him that he too was deserving of love, and not only that, but that he was also capable of loving.

And creating something out of love.

A daughter, a baby girl: the biggest blessing he never thought he’d receive. One that while it saddened him to realize she’s growing up, he still couldn’t wait to see the kind of person she’d become, guide her to the greatness he just knows she’s destined to be, as well as be there in the moment she ever finds herself falling and catching her.

One that slowly began to teach him just how much love he was capable of harboring for others, as well as the limits he’ll go beyond just to ensure their happiness.

All the things he’s done, and will do for her, are nothing but the bare minimum; nothing but his way of protecting her, giving her a life vastly different from his so that she’d never have to suffer the same way he did.

But he knows that she will never go through the same things, because she has you as her mother.

And that is something he’ll never, ever be able to thank you enough for.

“I love you, Y/N.” Naoya would say. “And… Thank you for loving me. Enough to have a family with me.”

“Naoya… you never, ever have to doubt yourself deserving of this.” You say, gently placing your hands on each side of his face and resting your forehead against his. “You deserve all this, and more. You are a loving husband and the greatest father any child could ask for, and today you proved it—Even if you went a bit overboard with the presents.”

Naoya chuckles.

“Do you think we’re spoiling our daughter too much?” he asks.

“Undoubtedly. What are we even going to get her on her birthday?” you wonder.

“I can start with the moon.”

“Then I’ll see if I can get the stars.”

The two laugh together for a few moments before quieting down.

And in the silence of the night, their hearts reveal their deep feelings for one another.

“I love you, Naoya.” You begin, gently kissing his lips. “All that I want is the opportunity to spend this Christmas, and those to come, with you and our baby.”

“I love you too, Y/N.” He pecks your lips once more. “You two are the best thing that has ever happened in my life, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

“I know. Thank you for everything, Naoya…” you say, hugging him before gasping. “Oh! And merry Christmas! Can’t forget about that one, can I?”

Naoya chuckles as he pulls you into a tight hug, giving the top of your head a kiss before leaning down to rest the crook of your neck and melting against your warm embrace and scent.

It was his way to silently vow to never let you go; no matter what happens, no matter what is to come… He’ll never, ever let you, or his daughter, go.

Never.

A promise that would continue for the rest of his life underneath the wish of a prosperous holiday.

“Merry Christmas.” 

the two got emotional at the end 🥺 nnghhhhh Naoya just can't believe he's spending an actual christmas with his family, happily you know?? aaaaaaaaaaaa man, i really got it bad for him.

anyways, I originally intended to end this with Naoya gifting Y/N a house because he felt like Y/N and Naomi would be better away from the Zen'in clan... but then Y/N would just go on saying that it would be too much of a hassle because of his duties as the heir, and because she'll miss her friends there (we're going with the notion that the Zen'in aren't as big a*holes as they are, maybe because Naoya managed to scare control them)

Outside of that, for their fellow presents Y/N got Naoya an Asuka figure to fuel his anime tendencies; while he got her some things he saw her ponder about days prior, alongside some special edition gengar they both had to keep hidden from Naomi lol.

🥺 I hope you all enjoyed this little thing I wrote. I shall continue writing more things, request to be precise, before heading back to my main fic :>

Thank you so much for your support ❤️❤️❤️

[andthebubbles]

downton abbey 6x09 (the xmas special)

well that was a nice ep!

thomas and the never-ending goodbye lmao

i miss arsehole!thomas actually

thomas likes gossip but actually i think i'd have loved his new workplace lol

carson continues to be a dick. omg it's not anna's choice that she's having the baby in mary's bed...

ummm what else. bertie's mum is scary. also i'm not sure why she cares so much about brancaster castle being a house of good repute or whatever the phrase was. it's not like she really knew her son was going to inherit until cousin peter suddenly died...

carson with his shaking hands and skjfnkf him being like 'my father and grandfather had it but we don't know what it's called' and i was like, IT'S CALLED KARMA, CARSON

never-ending hatred for that piece of music played at the church as edith was walking down the aisle

daisy is like a mini anna lmao (i mean personality, kinda, like, being interested when someone isn't interested in her, and then not being interested when they are interested in her (seems kinda comphet/gay lol))

tom and henry and mary are being ot3 and should get in bed with each other/be three-way married

anyway that was a very christmassy/holiday-ey ep. i might add more later if i've forgotten something

eta:

the dinner with bertie and his mum popping up one after another from their seats was funny. but i also think his mum... wasn't happy about edith until lord grantham was like, yo dude. and then afterwards she just backed herself

eta2:

amelia and larry are horrible, amelia particularly in this ep, like downright rude. hooray that lord merton and mrs crawley got away from them, and fuck the house. when they die, they should go back to that house and haunt amelia and larry out of it

[gregoftom]

I was thinking about how Shiv said that Tom’s mom loves her more them him (which Midwestern mom whose son calls her mommy loving the woman who wouldn’t let him visit love her more? No fucking way)

But I feel like the Wambsgans would LOVE Greg immediately. Like he would always be down for to visit and would constantly offer for them to visit (the power of loving midwestern parents with a home-cooked meal is SO GODDAMN STRONG, greg would have no chance). SPEAKING OF FOOD, midwestern parents love you eating their food especially when you go for seconds bc it means you really liked it and Gregs got that in the bag!! And like Greg is from Canada or has Canada roots and Canada politeness and niceties translates perfectly with Minnesotan-specific midwestern niceness and politeness. Plus Tom seems way happier and much more content with Greg and mama Wambsgans (and attorney Wambsgans) just wants her baby to be happy.

And I feel like Tom would jokingly be like…so you actually do love him more than ME huh, but secretly be thrilled that Greg gets along so well with his parents.

OUUGHRHGR NO BC I HAVE ACTUALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BEFORE AND IT ACTUALLY KILLS ME SO MUCH, like. i love how sweet tom is with his parents/family like. it makes me Lose my mind [and yeah no way lmao that was just a shitty little dig bc she Knows how much it hurts tom when he loves someone more than they love him/they love someone else, it's abso not true it's just a comment designed to hurt him] AND WHEN IT COMES TO GREG AND MEETING TOM'S PARENTS LIKE, ough. coming over for xmas and thanksgiving... possibly bringing marianne sometimes like omg the shenanigans that could ensue! YESSS it would mix so weeeeell i fully believe greg is canadian idgaf what jesse said about la greg? or whatever i can't remember that is just. yeah no greg is Moosecore that boy is canadian asf babeyyyy!! but no yeah, i absolutely love the thought of tg visiting tom's parents and hanging out and staying and just. tom doesn't say it but his heart is gonna burst with all the homeliness and family and how Right it feels and how finally he's gotten what he's always wanted and. hhhhfnghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

he wouuuld be like that and his parents would be like pshhh, don't be such a stick in the mud tommy, i thought you wanted us to like your partner! and his mama would be like so does this one actually love you or. and tom is just. E. DROP IT. maybe she would get greg alone first visit and ask him what his intentions are, she's just protective bc she knows how deeply tom has been wounded by shiv. but greg is just honest and says he loves tom. he doesn't want anything from him just wants to be with him. maybe tells her some stories of their journey. maybe brings up the bottle smashing part and from then she's like. YEP this one. he's the one!

greg's kinda Unsure how to act around tom's dad bc he's not really. used to that kind of presence or how to respond to it but he settles soon enough when he realises he's kinda similar to tom. his voice intonation is almost exactly the same and it puts him at ease. both tom and greg grow to adore the time spent with family, sharing food and warmth. they have the real warmth now, not the artificial one ewan spoke about in his eulogy.

[mike----wazowski]

got a xmas eve sunday six for ya- thanks for the tags favs @four-white-trees @skysquid22 😘🎄

tags for @overdevelopedglasses @passthroughtime @woundedheartwithin as per ! feel free not to do if youre celebrating tho lol

continuing with the shinadai fluff, as i dont think anyone wants to read the Depression Content while theyre feeling the festive spirit lmao

"You bought me a rice-cooker?"

***

Daigo came back later with shopping bags. One of them was bulging and distinctly box-shaped, and Shinada soon realised why.

Not only was it a rice cooker, it was a fucking expensive one. Shinada didn't have time to be surprised, though, because that wasn't the only thing Daigo had bought. Not only were there three bottles of dish soap and a brand new sponge- he had done an entire grocery haul. Rice, noodles, chicken, shelf-stable food, frozen food... he'd even bought Shinada's favourite snack, the one he had bought from the vending machine every day when visiting the hospital. How did he even remember that?

"I thought I would go shopping. It might make things easier for you," Daigo said, laying the bags down on the counter. "Help me pack these away."

Shinada could only manage one word: "Dude!"

"What?"

"How much did all of this cost?" Shinada asked, gaping at the rice cooker. "You really didn't have to go out of your way like this! You're crazy!"

"There are a lot crazier things I could spend money on, Tatsuo," Daigo said. "These are just groceries. Would you rather my yakuza money go towards arms dealing and bribery?"

"You... have a point." He blinked as Daigo thrust the fridge food at him. "But don't you have a job to do, Dojima-kun? A clan to run? Better things to do than grocery shopping for me?"

[jev-urisk]

A Musing Monday 🎐

Today I am musing on too many things! 😵‍💫

My brain feels crowded by little rabbit holes and I keep catching myself fully lost in them to the point where im getting salty or spicy or sad over imaginary scenarios. Ive been having more nightmares than usual lately, too. So I guess what im going to muse on today is processing things (I'll leave musing on innovation and the way its weaponized against the working class ((one of the rabbit holes🐰))for another monday)

WHY am I circle-thinking about stuff like 'what would I do if I was stuck in the past?' 'why didnt the industrial revolution provide more ease and profit for every class' or 'how would I convince strong people to protect me if I was in an apocolypse situation?' 😣💫

Now take this with a grain of salt, I may have a psych degree but im not a researcher or anything (just a nerd with autism 🤓); my brain is using fictional scenarios to practice processing🎭🧮. It feels the need to practice because there's a LOT within my brain thats unprocessed right now (hello trauma, hello issues with finding a better job, hello feeling very vulnerable lately). 👋😩

Our brains are solving machines geared to find the answer🤖, and when that answer is not immidiatly available we may experience things like nighmares and intrusive thoughts and maladaptive daydreams to try to get an angle on The Thing thats not processed.🔬

Thinking about The Trauma directly often puts the body in a stress mode thats not condusive to creative problem solving📉. Like being stressed is literally counterproductive to solving bc we go into 🔥survival mode🔥where fight flight etc are The Options Available. Imagining yourself in a historical fiction situation is not a 1-1 ratio to 'what exactly happened when abuse appeared in MY past' and but ya know what, its close enough for our brains to bring it up as a substitute. 🤷

And the fact that our brains have this reaction to The Bad Thing is interesting in itself. 🤔 Why are some bad memories just things that happened, and some are so triggering your mind would rather process terrifying nightmares every night than just.. face The Memory? 🫠 Like it's over, it can't get you now, the past is dead, right?

The solution? Well obviously it looks a bit different for everyone, particularly depending on where you are on your path. 🧭 Like if you have nightmares/intrusive thoughts/maladaptive daydreaming and dont uh... dont have any trauma coming to mind that aint my place to tell you whats next 🤐. I can only really mind my own gourd here and MY next step is Accelarated Resolution Therapy🗃, which is often used with war veterans with ptsd, to store my truama memories in a better, less triggering way. 📈

Well it turns out that memories like to be filed away by our senses 📂. Like memories sit best and retrieve easier (lets take xmas as an example🎄) if you're remembering the smell of xmas dinner, the sound of wrapping paper, the bite of the cold outside and the taste of hot coco✨️. When memories store poorly, as they usually do with trauma 😔, your body is not just remembering- it is acting as if You Are Still There. 💥📍

Infact to prepare for ART, I have had to purposly bring up all my old memories 😬, which has in turn signalled my brain to circle around pseudo truama thoughts when I'm 'at rest' in attempt to solve whats not really 'solvable' and with that weve gone fuuull circle on my musings here lmao ➿️

I got two weeks until that all important therapy session and until then I figure my brain is gonna keep trying to hampsterwheel 🐹🎡, but perhaps my loop will inspire something within you, or help you out of a loop, or perhaps make you realize you’ve been in a silent loop for awhile now.. 🔄👁👁

In anycase, thank your brain for me! Particularly if its doing these things I described above. It's trying so hard to help and protect you 🧠🫶 My apologies for giving it something so tough to chew on this Monday lmao 😅 Stay safe out there 🫂

(I don't have a taglist for my Monday posts yet, hmu if you want to be tagged on these zanny adventures plz)

[ugh-yoongi]

more personal stuff under the cut~

so my best friend’s (who i’ve been best friends with for 25+ years) spouse (who i have also been close with since high school, before they got together) recently came out as trans and started the process of transitioning to her correct gender.

all well and good. i love them no matter what.

to make a long story short, my aunt called me today to discuss xmas and i broached the topic with her of inviting bestie & spouse to thanksgiving bc they were not uninvited?? from their usual go-to but were basically told “maybe next year” and i wanted them to have the option.

my aunt was surprised, to say the least, but immediately started using the correct pronouns and her new name and said she wasn’t sure about my dad and grandfather but she’d sus them out and let me know. but to tell bestie’s spouse that she’s happy for and proud of her.

and then she texted me to say my dad is fully on board, that “he’s ok with if you’re ok with it,” and to tell bestie & spouse that they will always be family to us.

and this situation is not about me at all. it’s bigger and more important than me. but the “he’s ok if you’re ok” hit me like a ton of bricks and i full-on sobbed over it. i’ve talked about it here before, that my dad and i didn’t have a good (or any) relationship for a long time, and 9 times out of 10 i’m expecting him to disappoint me in some way.

but this was a reminder that, for as much space as i hold for people to disappoint me, i need to hold the same amount of space for them to surprise me. i haven’t spoken to my dad yet but i know he probably doesn’t “understand” people being trans, but he loves and respects me enough to take cues from me. he doesn’t have to “understand,” he’ll back me up regardless.

and, on a smaller scale, a reminder to me to stay true and loud on my morals and goodness and political stances, because people are listening and do look for guidance even when you think they aren’t.

anyway. just needed to get this out bc i have been crying over it all afternoon and i need to not cry at the sink doing dishes lmao.