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yamujiburo · 1 year

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HANAMUSA (JESSIExDELIA) MASTER POST

I probably should have started doing this forever ago but I wasn’t sure how long I was gonna stick with drawing these comics. But I guess we’re in it now! This will be continually updated~ EVERYTHING UNDER THE CUT

BEFORE YOU START:

This post is required reading about Team Rocket’s ages since that’s usually a question that comes up a lot LOL. As for Delia’s age, she is said to be 29 in Takeshi Shudo’s (original writer on Pokémon) novel that built out the world and characters of the anime.

Next, I feel like this chart helps give the vibe of what these characters relationship is (all just headcanons except for their names and ages)!

WHERE TO START:

Here’s a post I made detailing how Jessie, James and Meowth initially start living with Delia. It also goes into what each character does in this AU. Before going into the post, you might enjoy this fanfic my girlfriend commissioned! It’s based off of said post and is a more enjoyable read.

Here’s also a list of headcanons!

COMICS:

Here’s all the comics I’ve done! The order of most of them are pretty ambiguous and up in the air but I put them in the order I kinda see in my head! There are some that do take place before Jessie and Delia start dating though! Also a few comics that have several parts but the “next” and “prev” links will be in each comic. So I’ll only link the first part of those ones in this masterpost.

Pre-Relationship

Fast Food

Ophidiophobia

Whipped

Making Eyes

Hairbrush

Inquiries

Separated

First Kiss

During Relationship

Big Bed

Tattoo

Crumbs

Pet Clown

I’d Like To

Jessica

Lipstick (not a comic but some fun extra dialogue for this)

Glow

Official

Stare Down

Shovel Talk

Invisible Walls

Date Night

Face Blind

One Motto Away

Babygirl

Snowgasboard

Delia’s Got a Cold

Mr. Jessie Ketchum

Peek-At-Chu

Hands Off Pikachu!

Wine Nights with James

Beauty and the Beach

Turning Point Arc

Sunscreen

Where Do Babies Come From

Head Scritches

Love Life

Ugly

Ace Trainers

Pikasitting

Mother’s Day

Father’s Day

Gift for Delia

Gift for Jessie

Jessilina Fan

Crossdressing

Type

Hickeys

Journey Arc

Tone

Cooking Twerp

Son

Cooking Advice

Serperior Facts

Cassidy’s Cabin Arc

Father/Son Bonding

Glasses

Uniform

Study Help

Happy Valentine’s Day

Wrapped

Daddy Daughter Double Battle

Splinter

Married Life

Wedding

Arbok/Weezing Reunion

Snake Eyes

MISC DRAWINGS:

I’ll update this with links to my other miscellaneous drawings later!

FAQ:

What does "Hanamusa" mean?

Hanamusa is a combination of Delia and Jessie's Japanese names, Hanako and Musashi respectively.

When does this AU take place?

It takes place sometime after the Mezase Pokémon Master/To Be a Pokémon Master series. So all the events that happened in the series, unless retconned within the series, happened. Ash is 10 at the start of the comics.

What's the status between Jessie, James, Meowth and Giovanni/Team Rocket?

Not great terms since they were fired, but also not the worst terms. Giovanni just let the three of them go without any further issues. I will say that I've always loved the theory that Giovanni keeps Jessie specifically around because of her parentage and he as a soft spot for her that he keeps a secret. I feel like Matori was the one that got the three of them fired and Giovanni wasn't able to make an excuse for them this time (without showing nepotism/special treatment) so he was forced to let them go.

If you headcanon Delia as a lesbian, how did Ash come to be?

Delia was young when she had Ash and I hc that she just didn’t really explore her sexuality much! I myself didn’t realized I liked women until I was 18 and didn’t know I liked ONLY women until like 2 years ago. She got married, had a baby and realized after her husband left that she liked women (trans people exist obviously but I’m also interpreting Ash’s father as a cis man).

Who do you think Ash’s dad is?

I don’t know and I don’t really care to explore it. I’m going off of the novel interpretation that he’s just a deadbeat that left to be a trainer, failed and never came back because of the shame. He’s not important.

Isn’t Giovanni Ash’s dad?

That’s a common misconception that people remember wrong from the Pokémon Live show. Delia mentions she dated Giovanni but then left him and his gang after meeting Ash’s father. I also don’t consider the live show canon personally! I follow The Birth of Mewtwo timeline where Madame Boss founded Team Rocket.

Do you think Delia and Giovanni dated at least?

Nah, I think he’s too old for her? I always got the vibe from The Birth of Mewtwo that he was quite a bit older than Jessie and it’d be sus if he was dating Delia when she was married to, and had a child with her husband at 18/19. He’s a bad guy but not a BAD guy.

You mentioned you still ship Jessie and James. Why not make a Jessie, James, Delia polycule?

I have a few reasons I’ve mentioned before! 1. I’m in super deep with this AU already and I feel it’d be very confusing for casual viewers of my stuff if James was added into the relationship haha. 2. I’ve drawn Jessie and James together since 2011 and took this AU as an opportunity to try my hand at writing them as queer, platonic besties bc I love that interpretation of them a lot as well. 3. I’m not poly myself and the way I write this ship is largely based off of my experiences with my girlfriend. I just know I’d favor the Jessie/Delia of it all which isn’t fair and not a good interpretation of a poly relationship. All that said, I DO super enjoy seeing peoples’ poly headcanons and art!

Who does James end up with in this AU?

No one. He's aroace and is happy to be single

Do Jessie and James have all their Pokémon in this AU

I think they have all the Pokémon that they did by the end of Mezase Pokémon Master (all their Pokémon that were left at HQ). Most of their released Pokémon have stayed released and the Alola Pokémon are still in Alola. I bring back Arbok and Weezing post-Jessie and Delia getting married. I may bring back Chimecho, Growlie and Cacnea if I think of an idea I like!

What are Meowth and James up to in this AU?

Hop back to the top of this post under the "Where to Start" section. All your questions will be answered.

Does Ash travel with anyone at this point of his life?

I don't have anyone in particular in mind! I could see him making new friends (Nemona???) or traveling with different combinations of old friends. Like him, Misty and Goh, him, Dawn and Cilan, him, Serena and Lillie etc.

Will Delia ever get over her phobia of snake Pokémon

Not fully! I think overcoming fears is fine and good but I think real PHOBIAS are much harder to get past and I don't want to cheapen it. She slowly gets used to Jessie's Seviper specifically and gets to the point where she can pet it comfortably with Jessie in the room. But otherwise, still scared and would need that same amount of time per Pokémon

Is Jessie gaining weight or is it just me?

Not just you! Jessie puts on a bit of relationship weight overtime as you'll see in the later comics in the timeline. Jessie grew in poverty, never knowing when her next meal would be and that continued into her life as a Team Rocket member. Once she was able to settle down (with a woman who runs her own restaurant no less) she's able to live a healthier lifestyle with regular meals and puts on some weight because of that.

Does Jessie ever feel self conscious about gaining weight?

Nope! She feels happier and healthier and hotter. She's also unreasonably excited to clear out her old clothes and get a new wardrobe.

Would Jessie and Delia ever have kids together or adopt?

Nah, Ash is enough for them! I have come up with hypothetical kids for them but they're not canon to this AU. Just a fun little thing for me.

Will you ever put this on webtoon?

Nah. People mostly ask me this because they want to read everything in the order of the timeline but to my knowledge, you can’t reorder chapters or installments which would defeat the purpose. I also don’t think nintendo fan stuff would fly there. Also, also it’s just extra work and another place to upload and I want to keep this all fun for myself~

#hanamusashipping #hanamusa #hanamusa comic #master post

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planet-marz1 · 5 months

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Our Little Sheep

Summary: You and Joel celebrate christmas with your many children Pairing: Joel Miller x F!Reader Word Count: ~4.1k

Tags/Warnings:18+MDNI no use of y/n, implied age gap(not specified), reader is able to get pregnant, jackson!joel, peepaw!joel(really peepaw), mentions of pregnancy, brief mentions of childbirth (nothing graphic), brief mentions of breastfeeding (again, nothing graphic) Lots of fluff & cuteness, Joel being a cute girl dad™, this seems like it should be a crackfic, but I promise It's so wholesome

A/N: Ok so this fic idea was born out of my cold medicine induced haze, so bear with me here guys. It's just a silly little fic, not meant to be taken seriously at all, and It's the most fun I've had writing in a bit, so I hope you enjoy reading! Just a little clarity here, the kids' ages range from 0 to 9. I know it gets all confusing here, so I am welcome to provide any further clarity if anyone needs it! A huge thank you to @catchallfangirl for helping with the naming of all of these gremlins & with the constant encouragement ❤️ Thank you to @fhatbhabie for beta reading!

lovely dividers by @pamasaur

| main masterlist | ao3 link | follow my fic updates blog @planetmarz1-notifs

You open your eyes slightly, squinting them. Joel sleeps peacefully next to you, his breaths even and steady. Burrowing yourself further under the blankets, you scoot closer to him, your head on his chest and intertwining your legs with his. You run your fingers through the curls of his now, fully gray hair.

Slight whines start to fill the room, and you lift your head up and glance over your shoulder to peek into the bassinet next to your side of the bed. Joel had been up with the baby all night after you two had finished wrapping up the gifts for the other kids. So, you groggily sit up in bed, reaching over to pick up the tiny little infant.

“Shhh, It’s alright, little one.” You whisper quietly, trying to calm him. After a few attempts to shush him, it’s still not working. He’s probably hungry, you figure. Lifting your shirt, you help him latch onto your breast, and he finally calms. You sigh quietly with relief. It’s all a part of the process, you try to remind yourself. Little baby Joelseph had only been born a few weeks ago. No, his name isn’t actually Joelseph. Simply a nickname given to him by his many older sisters when you had been pregnant with him. It started as a cute joke, but sure enough he came into the world, and no one was able to call him by his proper name. Named after his father, but considering the chaos of your family, the nickname is simply just another thing that you don’t bother to fight to keep the peace in the house.

The early hours of the morning are usually the small period of time when the house is completely silent. Every other waking minute is filled with the sounds of the kids, either giggling, or fighting with each other over something. Though, silence isn’t always a good thing. You’ll never forget the time the kids got into the kitchen cupboards and practically wreaked havoc in the kitchen while you were outside tending to the sheep.

Sure enough, you hear the trampling of footsteps coming down the hallway. No matter how chaotic it may be, this is your favorite part of the day. Getting to start each day greeted by all of your beautiful children, reminding you of why you are so lucky. You softly graze your fingers over the baby’s hair.

“I think your sisters are here, little guy,” You chuckle softly. The doorknob jiggles a bit. Before all of your daughters begin to spill into your bedroom, all eleven of them. Yes, eleven. You and Joel had, admittedly, gotten out of control in that department.

You and Joel had met when he had returned to Jackson in the spring with Ellie in tow. It had been an immediate connection, quite literally. Hooking up one night in the bathroom of the Tipsy Bison, which is what led to your firstborn, Emilie. The pregnancy had come as a shock, but you and Joel were excited nonetheless.

A chorus of variations of “Mom,” or “Mommy,” begin to fill the room, and you try to shush the girls, reminding them of their little brother. “Ok, girls, I know that you’re excited to get downstairs to all of your gifts, but you’ve got to settle down a bit, alright?” You whisper gently. Finally, they all nod in understanding. The calm is short-lived, though. Jane and Jules, the cutest, but menacing pair of instigators, hop on to your bed, shaking Joel’s shoulder, trying to wake their father.

They were your fourth pregnancy, which was by far the most difficult one you had ever experienced. Constant discomfort, and sleepless nights from the relentless kicking and movement from them. It wasn’t the first time you had been pregnant with twins, but It had gone nothing like you had expected it to.

Joel, though typically a light sleeper, is particularly hard to wake after a night with no sleep, hence why you’d opted on letting him sleep in. The two of them, each on one side of him, lean in close to his face, leaving little room for personal space. “Daddy.” Jules says quietly, Jane keeping a close watch.

Joel peeks one eye open, a bit startled at first at the heavy breathing from the two girls so close to his face, but the confused expression on his face is quickly replaced by a tired grin. As soon as all the girls spot that their father has woken up, they all pile onto your bed, excitedly squealing and giggling. Luckily, little baby Joelseph had already been lulled into a deep sleep after he finished nursing. Even if he hadn’t, you're pretty sure the few short weeks he’s been in the world, he’s already used to the constant noise and chaos from his older sisters.

Joel sits up on the bed, leaning back against the headboard, and tries to wrap his arm as many of them as humanly possible.

“When can we open our presents, daddy?” Tiny little Aurora questions impatiently. This is the first year she’s been able to fully understand the concept of Christmas, and all the gift giving. So, understandably, she is ecstatic for all the festivities of the day. She crawls into his lap, after attempting to clamber over all of her sisters in the way. Joel scratches at the scruff of his beard, and lifts her into his lap.

“How about we all eat breakfast first, sweetheart, then you all can tear into your gifts.” He says lowly, his voice still laced with sleep. “Sound like a plan?” He asks. The girls all nod in agreement.

You slowly stand up from the bed, still cradling baby Joelseph in your arms. Walking towards the door, you gesture for the girls to do the same. They all climb off of the bed, and without fail, the house is once again filled with chaos. All eleven of them racing out of your bedroom, and down the staircase to the kitchen.

Joel meets you by the doorway, placing a gentle kiss on your lips.

“Well hello, sleepyhead.” You tease him. “Sleep well?”

“Just like usual, darling.” He kisses you again, this time placing kisses all over your face, and down your neck, before you place your hand gently on his chest stopping him from going any further.

“Not so fast, old man.” you chuckle softly. “We don’t need another one of these.” you say, gesturing down to the baby bundled up in your arms.

“One more wouldn’t hurt, huh?” He teases, and you just shake your head.

“You say that because you aren’t the one who has to push them out.”

“We should probably get downstairs before they get into stuff that they shouldn’t be” You murmur, and Joel quietly nods in agreement.

The warmth of the morning sun filters through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room as you make your way into the dining room. Joel follows you, his hand brushing against the small of your back.

You and Joel enter the dining room, and expectedly the room is already filled with screaming and chaos. Alive with the energy of your daughters, and the two mischievous kittens, Ginny and Joel, weaving in and out of the chaos.

Emilie, your oldest, is trying to settle an argument between Lacy and Lily, your first set of twins. Nothing new in your household, nearly every morning, no matter how many times you have to tell them that every seat is the same, the kids insist on fighting on who sits where, who sits next to whom. It’s exhausting, but you can’t help but smile at the chaos unfolding before you-it’s simply the routine of your everyday life.

Emilie, with her stern expression, finally manages to resolve the seating dispute between Lacy and Lily. You glance at Joel, and he chuckles, a knowing look passing between you. The girls quickly settle into their chairs, the anticipation of Christmas morning evident in their sparkling eyes. As you take your seat at the head of the table, Joel sits beside you, and the cacophony gradually subsides. Little Aurora, perched on Joel’s lap, swings her legs excitedly, eager to dive into the festivities.

“Alright, everyone, let’s dig in!” you announce with a smile, and the room erupts in cheers. The aroma of the freshly cooked breakfast wafts through the air as the kids eagerly serve themselves.

Emilie diligently helps the younger ones with their breakfast. She occasionally steals glances at the pile of gifts under the Christmas tree, anticipation gleaming in her eyes.

Lacy and Lily are engaged in animated conversation, their excitement palpable. Daisy can’t stop giggling at something Theo whispered in her ear. The second set of twins, Jane and Jules, sit side by side, already plotting mischief as they eye the presents.

Willow, with her big curious eyes, is inspecting her plate with utmost concentration, trying to decide which part of her breakfast to tackle first.

In the midst of the laughter and chatter, you catch Joel’s eye. There’s a shared understanding between you, a silent acknowledgement of the beautiful chaos that is your family. His gaze is filled with gratitude, and you can’t help but feel the same.

As the kids enjoy their breakfast, you steal a moment with Joel. “Can you believe how fast they're growing?” you murmur, your eyes dancing with a mixture of love and exhaustion.

Joel leans in, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. “Feels like just yesterday we were sneaking around the Tipsy Bison.”

You laugh, the memory of that fateful night vivid in your mind. “Look where it led us.”

Kylie babbles incoherently as she attempts to mimic her older siblings. Aurora still sits on Joel’s lap, her eyes wide with wonder as she takes in the festive scene, and Joel aids her with her breakfast.

Maggie sits contentedly in her high chair, fingers sticky with syrup, as she munches on a piece of a pancake you’ve carefully cut up into small pieces for her.

The kids, fueled by excitement and sugar, chatter animatedly about their plans for the day. You and Joel exchange glances, both silently reveling in the joy of parenthood. The journey hasn’t been easy, but moments like these make it all worthwhile.

As breakfast winds down, you glance at Joel, both of you silently agreeing it’s time for the much-anticipated event of the morning.

The living room is now adorned with brightly wrapped gifts, a colorful display of the love and thoughtfulness you and Joel put into each one. The kids finish their breakfast, their eyes darting eagerly between the tree and the presents.

“Alright, kiddos, let the unwrapping begin!” Joel declares, and the room explodes with excitement. Each of their little faces lighting up with joy.

“Okay, kiddos, let’s see what Santa brought us this year!” Joel exclaims, and the room erupts in cheers. The kids, now fueled by excitement from their furry friends and a hearty breakfast, rush to the tree, each claiming a spot around the mountain of gifts.

Emily takes charge, distributing gifts to each of her siblings with precision. Paper tears and laughter fill the air as each child discovers the treasures hidden beneath the wrapping.

Lacy and Lily eagerly tear into their presents, sharing excited glances when they unveil matching toys. Daisy clutches a doll close to her heart, and Jane and Jules giggle in delight at the surprise in their packages.

Theo, wide-eyed, unwraps a superhero action figure, and Willow discovers a fluffy stuffed animal that instantly becomes her new best friend. Kylie is overjoyed with a set of building blocks, her imagination already running wild.

Aurora claps her hands in glee as she unwraps a musical toy, and Maggie, though more interested in the wrapping paper than the actual gifts, coos happily.

Daisy twirls with a new dress, her face glowing with delight. “I’m going to wear this everyday!”

Aurora, surrounded by a pile of toys, claps her hands and points excitedly. “Look, Daddy, Mommy, so many toys!” Maggie, with a new plush toy in her tiny hands, giggles with joy. The room is filled with laughter and chatter as the kids excitedly showcase their new treasures.

Jane and Jules squeal in delight as they discover Joel curled up in the tangle of discarded wrapping paper, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. Willow, with her big curious eyes, watches the kittens in fascination, occasionally reaching out to stroke their fur. Kylie bursts into giggles as Ginny playfully bats at a shiny ribbon. Aurora claps her hands in delight at the sight of the playful duo. Maggie points with chubby fingers, her face lighting up with a smile as Joel gracefully leaps onto the back of the couch.

Joel catches your eye, and you share a moment of warmth as you witness the joy on your children’s faces.

“Looks like our little fur balls are the stars of the show today.” He chuckles.

Watching as the kittens continue their playful antics. The room is filled with laughter, shouts of excitement, and the crinkling of wrapping paper.

As the chaos subsides, you lean into Joel, watching the kids with a contented smile. “Merry Christmas, Joel.” He whispers back the same sentiment, wrapping his arm around you, anchoring you in the midst of the joyful storm that is your family.

The room buzzes with the joyous laughter of your children, the kittens weaving throughout the living room. As the kids continue to show off their presents, Ginny and Joel curiously inspect the colorful array of toys and trinkets scattered across the room.

Emilie, your eldest, sits by your side, flipping through her new sketchbook. “Mom, look at this! It’s perfect for my drawings. Thank you, Santa!”

Lacy and Lily, wearing their matching necklaces, approach Joel with enthusiasm. “Dad, Dad! Can Joel play with us too?” they ask, extending an invitation for the adventurous kitten to join in on their imaginative play.

Daisy twirls around in her new dress, and with a dramatic flair, she curtsies. “I’m a princess, just like in the stories!”

Jane and Jules, holding their new board game, insist on a family game night. Jules, gives you a confused look, glancing from the box, and then back up at you. “What is Boggle anyway?”

“It’s just a word game, sweetheart, definitely an easy game to beat your dad at.” you laugh softly, shooting Joel a teasing grin.

Willow proudly shows you the fluffy stuffed animal she received. “Look Mom, It’s Fluffy! Daddy, feel how soft!” She grabs his hand to place it on the stuffed animal, and Joel enthusiastically plays along with her.

Kylie, engrossed in building her tower with the new blocks, beams with accomplishment. “It’s bigger than me, Mommy!” You smile at her gently, and give her compliments on her tower building skills.

Maggie, in her own little world, squeezes her plush toy and gurgles happily. The kittens, sensing the playful atmosphere, join in on the fun, batting at the discarded ribbons and chasing each other around the room.

Joel, still basking in the warmth of the family scene, leans over to you. “Seems like Santa knew exactly what they wanted.”

You nod, a content smile playing on your lips, ‘And the best part is seeing their faces light up with joy.”

The room is filled with laughter, the sound of wrapping paper being crinkled, and the occasional meow from Ginny and Joel. The chaos is harmonious, a melody of love and togetherness that defines your family.

The kids, their excitement undeterred, start brainstorming plans for the day–games to play, stories to tell, and perhaps a snowball fight if the weather permits. As the festivities continue, you can’t help but feel grateful for the love and warmth that fills your home–a treasure more precious than any gift under the tree.

As the kids reveled in the excitement of unwrapping their Christmas gifts, their attention turned to the chalkboard on the mantle–a poignant memorial to their older sister, Sarah. The room hushed momentarily as the children exchanged thoughtful glances, understanding the significance of the chalkboard.

The kids had put together some artwork and drawings the night before. They gather around the chalkboard, placing their artwork in front of it, creating a beautiful display of love and remembrance. The room, now adorned with their heartfelt tributes, felt infused with a sense of warmth and connection to Sarah’s memory.

Joel, watching from a distance, can't help but be moved by the sincerity and creativity of his children. The simple act of setting their drawings in front of the chalkboard transformed the mantle into a gallery of love—a tangible expression of the enduring impact Sarah's memory had on their hearts.

As the morning continued, the drawings stood as cherished tokens—a beautiful reminder that, even in the midst of joyous celebrations, the love for their sister would always hold a special place in the family's heart.

You nudge Joel gently, catching his attention. “Any Idea when Ellie, Dina, and JJ are planning to arrive?”

Joel looks thoughtful for a moment, his eyes scanning the room to make sure all the kids are engaged in their newfound treasures. “They’re aiming to get here just in time for lunch. Should be any moment now.”

Excitement lights up on your face at the news. “The kids are going to be over the moon to see them again, and It wouldn’t be Christmas without them.”

Joel nods in agreement, a fond smile playing on his lips. “Ellie’s always been good at timing. They’ll be here soon.”

As if on cue, a gentle knock at the door catches your attention. You glance at Joel, both of you sharing a knowing smile. The anticipation in the room heightens as the kids, sensing something special, look toward the door with wide eyes. Moments later, the front door bursts open, and the lively chatter of Ellie and Dina fills the air. The children squeal in delight, dropping their toys and rushing toward the doorway. Ellie enters first, holding JJ’s hand, Dina follows closely behind with a warm grin on her face.

The kids shout at them in unison, enveloping the new arrivals in a sea of hugs and excitement. You and Joel stand back, watching the heartwarming reunion unfold.

Ellie, catching your eye, gives you a knowing nod. “Merry Christmas!” she says as she greets you and Joel. You welcome them with open arms, a surge of joy filling your heart. “We’re so glad you’re here.”

As the laughter and joyful chaos continue to fill the room, you can’t help but marvel at the beautiful tapestry of your family, woven together by love, shared moments, and the bonds that withstand the test of time.

Amidst the joyful commotion, you navigate through the sea of excited children, still cradling little Joelseph in your arms. Joel joins you, and together you watch as Ellie, Dina, and JJ immerse themselves in the holiday cheer.

Ellie, after receiving an enthusiastic welcome from the kids, approaches you with a playful grin.

“How’s the newest little troublemaker doing?” she asks, casting an affectionate glance at Joelseph.

You chuckle, gently rocking the sleeping baby in your arms. “He’s been an angel all morning, surprisingly.” you yawn, tiredly.

Dina joins the conversation, “He’s gotten so big since we last saw him. Mind if we steal him for a bit?”

You nod with a smile, carefully passing Joelseph over to Dina. The little one stirs for a moment, but settles back into a peaceful slumber in Dina’s arms. “He’s all yours.’

The room continues to buzz with giggles and Ellie, Dina, and JJ become a seamless part of the festivities. The kids eagerly show them their new toys, and soon, the kittens, Ginny and Joel join the playful parade.

As the day unfolds, the house becomes a vibrant canvas, painted with the hues of love and togetherness. Joel, now with Aurora on his shoulders, navigates through the lively crowd. You find a quiet moment with Ellie, who is holding Joelseph with a tender smile.

“He’s adorable,” Ellie remarks, her eyes filled with a mix of nostalgia and affection. “Feels like just yesterday you were dealing with my teenage antics.”

You laugh, remembering those not-so-distant days. “Time flies, doesn’t it? Now look at us, and you, with a little family of your own.”

Ellie glances around the room, the sparkle of the holiday lights reflecting in her eyes. “Couldn’t ask for a better way to spend Christmas. And look at Joel, still being the heart and soul of this chaos.”

You follow her gaze to Joel, who is now surrounded by a group of kids, listening intently to one of Jane and Jules’ stories. The love in his eyes is evident as he shares in their laughter and mischief.

Ellie looks back at you, a soft smile playing on her lips. “You both did an amazing job. I’m proud to be part of this.”

And in that moment, as the laughter and warmth of your family envelop you, you couldn’t agree more. This Christmas, with all its magic, has woven another chapter into the rich tapestry of your lives–a chapter filled with love, laughter, and the cherished moments that make your family truly extraordinary.

As the festivities continue, Ellie, still cradling Joelseph, couldn’t resist the opportunity to tease Joel. With a mischievous twinkle in her eye, she approaches Joel, who’s now attempting to disentangle himself from a knot of kids.

“Hey, old man,” Ellie quips, giving Joel a playful nudge. “You holding up okay with all these little rascals running around?”

Joel chuckles, a playful glint in his eyes. “Someone’s gotta keep ‘em in check. You’ll find out soon enough, Ellie. Parenthood’s no joke.”

Ellie raises an eyebrow, her gaze shifting to Joelseph. “You’re the expert now, huh? It took you guys long enough to figure out the secret recipe for a baby boy.”

Joel grumbles and feigns offense. “Well, it’s not like we had a manual.”

Ellie rolls her eyes. “Says the guy who needed a football team's worth of daughters before finally getting a son.”

You join in on the banter, giving Joel an amused smile. “Took a bit of trial and error, but look at our charming little Joelseph now.”

Ellie leans in, bouncing the baby gently in her arms. “Not bad for an old guy, huh, kiddo?” she cooed, earning a content gurgle from the baby.

As the day of joyful chaos begin to wind down, the once lively house now settles into a more serene atmosphere. The twinkling lights of the Christmas tree cast a gentle glow over the living room as the laughter of the children gradually transforms into quiet giggles and yawns.

You and Joel, tired but content, herd the kids upstairs for their bedtime routine. The kittens, Ginny and Joel, follow along, their playful antics slowing down as they, too, sensing the impending calm.

“Alright kiddos, time for bed.” Joel announces, his tone gentle but firm as he ushers the kids into their respective rooms.

The procession of bedtime rituals unfold–one by one, teeth are brushed, pajamas are put on, and stories are read. The younger ones nestle into their beds, eyelids growing heavy with the sweet fatigue of a day filled with excitement.

As you check on each child, offering goodnight kisses and tucking them in, Joel moves gracefully through the house, turning off the twinkling lights and closing curtains. The house seems to exhale, the echoes of joyous laughter replaced by the hushed whispers of bedtime.

In the quiet moments between putting the kids to bed, you found Joel in the hallway, sharing a look of satisfaction passing between you. The day had been a whirlwind of love and joy, and now the peaceful hush settles over the house like a comforting blanket.

“Another Christmas for the books,” Joel remarks, his voice low.

You nod, a smile playing on your lips. “And many more to come, I hope.”

The two of you continue the nightly routine, gently closing doors and ensuring the house was ready for the calm of night. The soft glow of the light spilling from your bedroom illuminates your path as you and Joel make your way into the room, where little Joelseph lay sleeping in his bassinet.

Joel pauses by the doorway, his eyes fondly watching the baby. “He’s been the best gift, hasn’t he?”

You nod, a warmth settling in your heart. “The best, indeed.”

The day had been a symphony of chaos and joy, a beautiful crescendo that had now found its resolution in the quietude of the evening. As you and Joel retire to your room, you can’t help but reflect on the blessings of family, love, and the precious moments that make Christmas truly magical.

tag list: @pertinentpostmortem @party-hearses @mandoisapunk @bastardmandenni @chaotic-mystery @beskarandblasters @amanitacowboy @littlegrungegirlaf @pedrodascal @sweetercalypso @ilovepedro @cool-iguana @alwaysmicado @lovers-liability @futuraa-free @morgaussy @pedritoferg @spookykoolkat @wethairjoel @chronically-ghosted @buckyispunk @pattwtf @morning-star-joy @elvinaa @tinycozycomfort @magpiepills @pr0ximamidnight @joelscurls @janaispunk @5oh5 @farmerlarrry @maximoff-forevermore @atinylittlepain @joeldjarin @spookyxsam @mrsmando @hyzer34 @limerence4u @sin-djarin @reddedmiller @joels-shitty-puns @elvinaa @kajashe @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin @vee-bees-blog @josephquinnswhore @worhols

lmk if you'd like to be removed from the tag list! 💜or let me know if you'd like to be added!

#joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller fluff #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x you #joel miller fanfic #joel miller x female reader #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller au #joel miller fic #tlou fic #tlou fanfiction

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day6source · 1 month

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hello my loves <33333333 happy spring! i hope you've all been enjoying it so far, and especially enjoying it with the new album hehe!!🫶 so! first things first:

the welcome to the show concert is next week! as always i'll be recording, and i've since figured out recording with firefox, so there should be 0 to little stuttering this time in the VOD! i apologize heavily for that, and i actually have a gift to make up for it, but stay with me until the end! second: since kcon was...virtually unwatchable to most of us, i went on a little hunt for it! you may or may not be able to find the meet & greet here and the performance cut of the boys here. not sure. you might just have to check out the links to double check ;)

third: masterpost for 'fourever' is basically all updated! you can find it here! i was...unaware of the link limit, so if you want the shopping and streaming and performance links, those'll be in the first read more, watching things and articles are in the second one (which is the one linked for ease)! promo is basically over (i say cautiously) minus the concert, so feel free dive in if you missed anything! speaking of masterposts!

fourth: i got to thinking about it, and i found it a little unfair to only include jae in the pinned, so you can now find links/some updated info about what junhyeok is doing! i figured if i'm gonna have one former member, i should also have the other, even if he was there for only a short amount of time. so if you've been wondering what he's been up to, check him out on youtube and streaming! i'll be keeping it...semi-updated in the way i do jae's part, checking in every like, three months to see if anything's changed. on the flip side, if none of you care to know what those two are up to, i might just take their sections out entirely, but for now i thought it'd be courteous to have them there at the very least!

and last but not least: so, you guys know that watching old concert content is...entirely impossible really, and i thought...that was pretty wack, actually. so! the other day i went on a little deep dive on some sites, and i found some old concerts including the youth tour, the streams from pilmography, an old fanmeet, and the final every day6 concert. this site is uhhh basically impossible to see without a vpn and...well i also thought that was super wack, especially granted this content is...impossible to find elsewhere, and you can't even buy it. so i...took the liberty of gathering it and maybe...just maybe...you can find it here along with all of the other shows of recent, including a better stream of the christmas show for you guys. this is just me personally, but i think especially in comparison to other fandoms, ours is...a bit smaller and older, so gatekeeping content is just...not cool, and i wanna make sure that if you guys wanna see things, i can bring them to you to watch! it's not everything probably by a long shot, but if it's somewhere, i want you guys to be able to see it, even if those people don't think so, and especially if we can't just go out and buy it somewhere! so please enjoy! it should all be uploading as of me typing this post up, but should be up within a couple of hours, but there's some things in there like the kcon stuff and some other shows already, so that should keep you busy in the meantime.

okay, that's it! i love you guys, and i hope you're all staying so so so healthy and so so so so happy and enjoying fourever! we're actually almost at 300 followers which is INSANE, especially because the blog is almost a year old!!!!! what!!!!!!!! time truly flies, and i have loved every second with you all, i've got some potential things planned, so...stay tuned ;) stay happy and healthy, study well, take long breaks when you need, enjoy the weather! i love you guys so much <33333 tay💕💕💕🫶🫶🫶

#[admin post]

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teddybeirin · 1 year

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hello and welcome to: begging for help for me and my cat, the threest 🎊

now with CAT TREATS!! the first and second posts in the line have died, and we are still a long ways away from getting safe housing for us & our cat!

our name is Teddy & we've been trapped in an abusive household for the entire 21 (soon to be 22) years of our life! I need help getting me & our cat safely out of here as soon as possible, cuz things have continued to get worse & in the past few months we've made so much progress but that progress has come with escalating harm done to us (and Baby) by our family.

the gfm has more details, & I'm going to update it when I can.

I've been eating a whole lot of not so good (read: spoiled and/or unsanitary) food cuz that's basically all my family will allow me to eat on a regular basis, have been running on empty, & have been paying the price for not being able to keep up with what family demands of me. I got permission to go out and get a regular job, but after that was given our family has spent a lot of time flip-flopping between trying to intimidate us out of leaving the house & trying to manipulate us with promises of change, so things have been going slower than snails.

If you have the means, please donate to help us get to safety!!

but besides donating to the gfm, there's other ways you can help us out! we do artwork, which you can commission us for (ooooo)

and there is of course reblogging this post, retweetening its poor tweet companion on the currently-burning-down tweeter, sharing this gfm anywhere else you like if you have other places you feel so inclined to link to it from.... and!!!! most importantly!!!

now YOU can give our cat even more than she already has

I've set up a wishlist of not-essentials, stuff that's to add on to what Baby already has to make the hell house we live in as comfortable as it can possibly be (when you live with a bunch of awful people who want to hurt you), to enable anyone who would wish to do so to have the joy of giving Baby things she will love.

a couple of things on here are things I'm planning to buy later on but put on there in case anyone wants to help me get them early to get her used to them before moving time finally comes (like a new carrier since my family holds anything I'd need to take her out hostage)

I will post updates with Baby's responses to her new gifts from generous internet peoples should she get any. i still can't share pictures of stuff that could get us in more danger if this ever by some horrible turn happened across our abusers, but my promise of Baby pictures when we're out and safe still stands.

PS: I heard you people like useless checkmarks. I've got one that's even more useless for you:

it's heart shaped because you're a Verified Reason To Believe In Humanity for any amount of help you give to get me & my Baby to a safe place. i am still so amazed that this has gotten as far as it has, even as far as we still are from finally having a good place to live in, i never thought i'd ever come this close to having safety, days and nights with no fear, access to good food and everything i've been denied for this long, all of this wouldn't be in the realm of possibility were it not for the kindness and generosity and warmth that you all have shown us so far. im feeling truly hopeful in ways i never thought i could feel. words cannot express the gratitude i have for you all!! 🧸

#cassia times

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ukfrislandembassy · 4 months

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Anti-Chomskyan masterpost

Sticking this up as a compilation (ever expanding) of all the material I've read and would recommend you read to get a handle on the criticisms of the linguistic ideas of Chomsky. This isn't just intended to be a criticism of Chomsky personally, but also the manner of linguistics that he engendered (basically anyone that uncritically cites Chomsky as a source on the nature of language). I have ordered these by date of publication in an effort to get across how long this has been around for.

I've tried to find publically accessible links where possible, but unfortunately not everything is so available even though it should be, so I've linked in some cases to JSTOR or similar (you might be able to get a copy if you e.g. request through researchgate but that might be it if you can't get Sci-Hub to work). Also, I've not directly linked to any PDF files, so for some of these you might have to do a little crawling through a long list of publications to find them, though that should be easier given these things are usually ordered by year, a piece of information I've given you.

I do expect to be adding to this post, so expect regular updates, as well as it being pinned on my blog.

What Did John Keep the Car That was In? (1972) - in merely six pages Dwight Bolinger Destroys Chomsky's Argument (in the New Yorker) with Facts and Logic (specifically making an early point that polar question inversion doesn't make the point Chomskyans want you to think it makes).

Cognitive versus Generative Linguistics: how commitments influence results (1990) - George Lakoff (the metaphor guy), gives his take on how the baseline assumptions of the generative model influence the results that emerge from its research.

Concerning the generative paradigm (1994) - Esa Itkonen's comprehensive criticism, including a criticism of e.g. generativism's conception of what 'Language' is, as well as the more specific points about acquisition, UG etc.

Grammaticality as evidence and as prediction in a Galilean linguistics (2009) - Nick Riemer makes a specific criticism of the notion of grammaticality in the context of Chomskyan argumentation. Follow-up after Chomskyan complaining is On not having read Itkonen: empiricism and intuitions in the generative data debate (2009), continuing the point.

The Incoherence of Chomsky's 'Biolinguistic' Ontology (2009) - Paul Postal gives his take on Chomsky's claims to being based in biology (note Postal is problematic in many ways, especially politically; I think on this one he has the right points, but I thought it worth noting).

Why Chomsky doesn’t count as a gifted linguist (2010) - a post from Dominik Lukeš that makes the point explicit, and provides alternative suggestions of actually good linguists who have had a positive impact on the field

Pullum sobre Chomsky en la UCL (2011) - Geoffrey K Pullum reports (in English, contra the title) on a talk given by Chomsky and outlines the major flaws in his rhetorical argumentation (and I mean rhetorical, there's not much in the way of actual argumentation, as you'll see)

What Chomsky doesn't get about child language (2012) - child development academic Dorothy Bishop lays out the problems with Chomsky's perspective on acquisition and how it has been superseded by pretty much all of the research by actual acquisition specialists in the decades since.

On the logical necessity of a cultural and cognitive connection for the origin of all aspects of linguistic structure (2015) - Randy LaPolla points out how odd it is to claim that Language isn't influenced by extralinguistic factors.

The description-comparison approach and the audacious Chomskyan approach (or: how to frame better) (2023) - not technically anti-Chomskyan per se, but rather Haspelmath trying to frame/put a name to the overall camp that he (and many others such as myself) reside in.

#linguistics #masterpost

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littleladymab · 28 days

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Fic Authors Self-Rec!

Ahhhh thank you @fourteenfifteen for the tag! (You can find Hen's post over here!)

Rules: When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let's spread the self-love

Also I'm totally going to CHEAT, because I absolutely LOVE my two big series that are NOT popular at all LMAO

the scars that we're made of series! This is my "Star Wars Rebels S5" fic. This is my "did you hate the ahsoka show for yes girl giving us nothing??" this is my "do you also want to know what happens after rebels but don't want it to be EXCLUSIVELY thranto?" THIS IS MY FAVORITE SERIES I'VE WRITTEN like the whole thing top to bottom bangers imo It's not yet finished, I still have to write my Eli prequel but honestly, if you love Rebels, read this! Here's the tumblr post for main fic, far from the world that i made.

inside every open eye series! This is a fantasy Magnus Archives fic, in which Sasha steps in to take over the role of the Archivist after Jon goes missing during a ritual for the Beholding. I love a lot of the visuals from this, and I loved writing for Sasha -- plus there's a lot of fun side-stories. This one is complete! Here's tumblr post for the main fic, tiny cracks of light.

my place to land. What is UP SIGNET/ECHO NATION, ALL FIVE OF YOU! I wrote a novel for my rare pair because i am actually three bodyguard AUs in a trench coat captaining the good ship I made up. Twilight Mirage is still my favorite fatt season, because it is exactly my aesthetic and also, Signet is there. This is still one of my favorite fics, even though I can think of many things that i would change upon a rewrite. I got a lot of amazing gift art from friends when I was updating it, too, and I treasure everyone who came to read it!! It is currently still the longest fic in the fatt tag, but not for long it does look like there is someone rapidly catching up with 74k on a 6/14 chapter fic. It was fun while it lasted! Unfortunately, twitter moments went kaput so I will have to figure out some other way to put all the wonderful fanart everyone made for me!

'til my lungs burn bright. Affectionately called my "regency magic spies AU" for Ace Attorney, specifically this is for AA4/Klapollo!! This is a sequel to a fic I haven't finished yet! (Someone encourage me to finish the main fic! it's what i'm supposed to be working on this month!!) I love this setting SO much and I loved making all the little references to in-game moments. Here's the tumblr link to the fic ;) I had a hard time picking between this and my sleeping beauty klapollo au.... Also shout-outs to Joanie for doing the WONDERFUL art for it!!! (I should actually go put it in-line with the fic text too oops)

Theseus' Ship. The Anders Defender has LOGGED THE FUCK ON. That's it that's the post. No okay, it's an Anders character study and i think it absolutely slaps. Here's the tumblr link to the fic!

Bonus very short fic that I still enjoy, which you can also read even if you're not in the fandom, but Five Steps To Ensure Your Soulmate Becomes a Ghost from Rusty Quill Gaming.

Honestly I love everything I write because I am an audience of me first. The current version of my masterpost has links out to a lot of my fics from different fandoms -- like some of my other friends at the table content and my jgm labyrinth au and my lockwood fic! That's my best piece of advice: love what you write, and write for yourself first! And then the two little freaks in your group chat second 💞 I wouldn't have been able to do most of these fics without the besties, so thank you to everyone who has read my novel-length fics.

Tags: Scrambling to think of any of my fic writing friends let's goooo @luukeskywalker, @mariusperkins, @lesbianahsokatano, @redtailedhawk90, @bardicspiration, @krisseycrystal , @strangeharpy and there's so many of you i love you all, please go flaunt your writing and talk about your five favorite fics!! and tag me!!

#a lil miss fic #just generally a huge shoutout to kaite for being my number 1 hype man i couldn't do this without u bestie!!!#argh does anyone know why tumblr will untag people but still pretend like they're tagged

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youchangedmedestiel · 4 months

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I haven't got the time to work on my fics lately, especially last week. I was busy and my brain couldn't focus on that. So I didn't even write a single word. And I miss it. Fortunately, next week will be calmer so I'll be able to.

In the meantime, if you didn't get the chance to read those, here are the last 6 fanfics I wrote (every fics are based on canon with little changes obviously), each link is on the titles:

SMUT

Thanked as deserved: Post 15x19

Castiel stays at the bunker, while Sam and Eileen go to hunt what happens to be a new kind of wraith. And Dean goes to work on his own werewolf case alone, he needs time to think now that Cas is back from the Empty. When he comes back from the hunt, he has a small cut on his cheek and his muscles are sore, Castiel offers to take care of the last one and thanks him for saving people, saving the world, like he deserves it. He doesn’t just massage his back.

Inspiring Fanfiction: Post 10x05, I updated this one with a 2nd smutty chapter

Dean discovers fanfics about Destiel, thanks to Marie, the high school girl that directed the show about their lives. She sent him some fic links to read, when she saw his reaction about Destiel. That’s how Dean ends up reading the one fiction that disturbs him in a way he couldn’t have imagine. And then I have to face Cas at some point.

NO SMUT

A gift to listen and keep: If you're still in a Christmas mood. Post 12x14, famous mixtape mentioned.

The brothers are back on good terms with their mother after the Alpha vampire was killed by Sam at the British Men of Letters' headquarters. Dean forgave her for working with them. He got scared of losing her again. Plus he - they - almost lost Cas not so long ago. So he decided that those reasons, and his mother being back from the dead should be good enough to celebrate Christmas this year.

Need for comfort: 14x08

Jack just died. Sam leaves the kitchen first after their drinking session to mourn Jack together as a family, leaving Dean and Cas alone. They drink a little bit more, just the two of them. Then Cas decides to leave the kitchen, but Dean calls him once he is in the hallway. The angel turns around and comes back to Dean.

There is nothing stupid about you and me: 10x09

Dean and Cas are on their burger date while Sam searches on how to find Claire. They talk about the Mark, but their conversation doesn’t just stop there like on the show. Instead, Dean tells Cas about the high school kids’ show about their lives, based on Chuck’s books, Sam and he attended to. He even mentions Marie and her view on Cas and Dean’s relationship, allowing him to know how Cas feels about it.

Healing guilt: Post 11x03

Dean refuses to be healed by Cas, after Cas beat him when he was under Rowena’s dog spell, because he feels guilty about almost killing Cas when he had the Mark of Cain. But Cas thinks about a plan to heal him anyway without Dean knowing.

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black-emporium-exchange · 10 months

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HOW TO SIGN UP FOR BLACK EMPORIUM!

Yes sweet nuglets, it’s that time of year again: Time to sign up for Black Emporium!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN-UP!

↳ Helpful Links:

Rules & Assignment Requirements - Updated for 2023! || Participation Walkthrough Guide || FAQ || Requests on Ao3 || Tagset || Nominations Spreadsheet || Request Database || Parent Collection (All Past Years) Signups end: July 16 July 15, 2023 @ 9 AM US Pacific / 12 PM US Eastern / 4 PM UTC+0 || Countdown

↳ Changes This Year

RULES & ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENTS: Please take the time to re-read our Rules and the requirements for assignments before signing up. RATINGS: If you are interested in receiving or creating Mature/Explicit level works (see Ao3 rating(s)), you must "opt in" by checking the "E" box for both offers and requests. Please note you must be 18+ to offer/request/create Mature or Explicit level gifts. For a more detailed explanation, click here. TREATS: If you are open to receiving treats, or a specific type of treat (single-recipient, multi-recipient, fanart, fanfic), you must "opt in" by saying so in the sign up description box. This field does not apply to your offers. For a more detailed explanation, click here.

For a how-to-guide of the whole exchange that includes all of the information in this post, please take a look at our Participation Walkthrough Guide and FAQ.

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO SIGN-UPS BELOW THE CUT:

1. SIGN IN TO AO3

If you don’t have an Ao3 account, contact the mods for help!

2. GO TO THE BLACK EMPORIUM SIGNUP FIELD (LINK)

3. SCROLL TO THE “REQUESTS” FIELD

Once nominations are finished, you'll be able to sign up. In your sign-up, you'll specify the works you'd like to receive and the works you're willing to create. (They do not necessarily have to be the same!)

You must fill out at least three requests and three offers. You may only select each pairing once, but may give multiple ideas per pairing in your prompt.

If you are interested in receiving Mature- or Explicit-rated works, you must be at least 18 years old and opt-in by checking the appropriate box ("E"); this is not a guarantee you will receive a higher level.

You will have to fill out several fields on the sign-up form:

↳ Relationships

Here you can write in the relationships that you wish to request. As long as it is part of the tag set/eligible nominated pairings, it should be able to be selected here.

If your chosen relationship is in the tag-set but isn't auto-completing, this is unfortunately a bug on AO3's end that we cannot fix -- but if you copy and paste your relationship from the tag-set into this field, you should be able to submit. (Please contact moderators via email at [email protected] if you get an error and let us know what the error was.)

You may list between 1-3 pairings in the same Request field. That does not (necessarily) mean you want all three ships in the same fanwork. We allow multiple pairings in the same Request Field because it allows participants to request up to 30 unique pairings, rather than just 10. Some people group thematically, or by character.

Example of someone requesting three, non-connected pairings. The participant here loosely grouped their "platonic" ships together into one Request Field.

Example of someone requesting a pairing.

↳ Additional Tags

This field is to mark if you're open to receiving fanfiction, fanart, or both (check both boxes), for this request.

Example of someone requesting ONLY fanart for any pairings listed in this Request field.

↳ Ratings (Requests)

If you are open to receiving Mature- or Explicit-rated works, please check the box to indicate your interest. We use the AO3 ratings guide as far as judging what each rating entails.

Any participant under 18 should NOT indicate interest in M or E works, as those are intended for 18+ audiences only.

Please choose your ratings carefully! Indicating interest in receiving higher rating works does not mean you are guaranteed to receive them, just that other people will be allowed to gift them to you in this exchange. If you're not comfortable with that possibility, do not check this box.

This recipient did not check the "Explicit" box; they will not receive any Mature or Explicit level works.

↳ Letter

This is a place to put a link to a letter, if you have one. A letter generally is a completely optional, longer version of the description field, and might include more details you'd like your creator to know, or things like pictures that are hard to paste into the description box.

Letters are commonly hosted on Dreamwidth, Tumblr, Google docs, or other such freely accessible websites.

Please note that the moderators cannot enforce any DNWs you put only in your letter.

Completely optional field. Leave blank if you don't have a letter.

↳ Description

Please feel free to use this field to go into some detail about what you would like; this helps give the creator of your work some different ideas about what they could make for you.

If you are open to treats, please indicate interest. See "Treats" for more.

Examples of prompts or helpful information you could share with your recipient (reminder, your creator is not required to follow your prompts/likes):

General trope likes, e.g., Fluff, First Kiss, Dwarven lore, There Was Only One Bed, Enemies to Lovers, etc.

Stylistic likes, e.g., 2nd person writing, Tarot Card art, chat-fic, etc.

World state options you favor that are relevant to your prompt, e.g., Anora is Queen/Alistair is King, Canon Divergent - Multiple Wardens, Modern AUs, etc.

A sentence or two about why you like the pairing, e.g., "I love Cassandra being flustered around people she likes!"

"What If?" prompts, especially open ended ones, e.g., "What if Blackwall did the Joining ceremony with the Hero of Ferelden in DAO? Or met HoF in the Deep Roads during the Jaws of Hakkon DLC in DAI? Would they have similar perspectives, or different?"

Rating restriction clarifications, e.g., interested in E rated smut, but not E rated violence

Be sure to list your Do Not Wants (DNWs) -- if they're not listed in the Description box of your sign up, then the mods cannot enforce your DNWs. If your DNWs are poorly worded or go against exchange rules, they will also be considered unenforceable.

Example Description. This person has NOT opt into treats and cannot receive any. Please see here for more help formulating your DNWs.

4. CONTINUE TO THE “OFFERS” FIELD

The process to Offers is similar to Requests when it comes to pairings and denoting interest in creating fanart and/or fanfic. However, there are a couple differences one should make note of:

↳ Ratings (Offers)

If you are interested in creating Mature- or Explicit-rated works, please check the box to indicate your interest. We use the AO3 ratings guide as far as judging what each rating entails.

Any participant under 18 should NOT indicate in creating M or E works, as those are intended for 18+ audiences only.

Please choose your ratings carefully! You will be matched on this field; if you're not comfortable with receiving prompts that may include NSFW or "E" elements, do not check this box.

↳ "Notes to mods" Field

If you want, you can write notes to the mods, but this isn't required. Some things you might want to include:

If you are under 18 or do not want to receive any "E" requests/prompts from your recipient, please put a simple "No 'E' requests" or in your sign up. This will not disclose your age as we have adult participants who have asked this of mods over the years.

The AO3 username of any individual(s) you don't want to be matched with. You don't have to provide a reason as to why you don't want to be matched with someone, but we will rely entirely on the name(s) you enter; if you ask not to be matched with FanficWriter69 but you meant FanficWriter96, we can't guarantee you won't get matched. For the sake of everyone's stress level, triple check any names and make sure you're giving us their AO3 username.

Please do not use this field to ask to be matched with a specific person.

↳ "Any Relationship" Box

If you would like, you can offer to create a work for "Any Relationship."

PLEASE ONLY CHECK THIS BOX IF YOU TRULY MEAN ANY RELATIONSHIP.

The only qualifications you can make are the category of pairings (i.e. F/F, F/M, M/M, Other, Gen, or Multi) or by DA game (i.e. DAO, DA2, DAI). You cannot differentiate by any other qualification or request.

An example of someone offering to draw fanart for any F/F pairing.

An example of someone offering to create fanart and/or fanfiction for the pairing "Fenris & Donnic Hendyr," but requesting not to be matched with a specific user.

5. A NOTE ON MATCHING

After sign-ups are completed, creators and recipients are matched based on their sign-ups. Matches are one-way; that is, while it is possible A may write for B and B may write for A, you are more likely to have A writing for B, and B writing for C, and C writing for A.

You will be assigned to someone who has at least one request that matches at least one of your offers for the below two fields: relationship pairing and type of fanwork.

You will be matched with someone who requested:

at least one of the pairings for which you offered to write or draw ("Relationship" field), and

at least one type of fanwork you offered ("Additional Tags" field aka fanfic, fanart, or both — if both, you can create an assignment in either format; you are not obligated to create two assignments), and

whether or not you've both indicated interest in Mature- or Explicit-rated content ("E" checkbox)

You are guaranteed to have a match by the end of the date listed under "Assignments" in the schedule. If you do not have a match by then, please contact the mods via email at [email protected].

#be_2023 #be_signups #be_announcements #be_rules #the black emporium #dragon age rare pair exchange

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sequinsmile-x · 1 year

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Stained Glass Windows - Chapter Fourteen

Life was complicated, but they wouldn't have it any other way.

-x-

Sorry it's been over 2 weeks since I last updated this one, I hope you enjoy it <3

Just a reminder that the 'up to date' section of this fic is now in October 2009

-x-

Words: 3.7k

A full list of warnings for the fic can be found on the Series Master List and will be updated as we go along. Please note that more warnings have been added.

Read on Ao3, or below the cut

October 2008

“You really don��t have to come.”

She rolls her eyes at him, and she knows if he was anyone else, if he didn’t have a persistent need to protect her from things she didn’t need protecting from, she’d be offended.

“Aaron, it’s Jack’s birthday party,” she says, slipping the envelope that had his card, and gift, into her purse, “Of course, I’m coming.”

“Haley’s family can be…difficult. Especially her dad,” he says, wrapping his arms around her and leaning down to stamp a kiss against her lips, “I don’t want to expose you to that.”

“Oh well if only I’d been trained since I could talk to deal with tricky social situations,” she says sarcastically, pressing another kiss to his lips, “Oh wait…I have been,” she smiles as she pulls back from him and links her arms around his neck, “I’ll be fine honey. And it’s a birthday party for a 3-year-old. I think I can handle it,” her smile widens as he tugs her closer, his hand persistent on her lower back, “Besides, I’m pretty fond of you and that son of yours. I’m going to have to meet that side of the family at some point.”

Aaron chuckles, shaking his head at her as he marvels at the fact she was always somehow able to make him feel better.

“We’re pretty fond of you too,” he replies, kissing her once more before he pulls away completely, reaching for the wrapped box on the dining room table that contained his son’s birthday present from him. She’d insisted that they got Jack separate gifts, sure that it would be important to the young boy to have something specifically from his father. “Ready to go?”

She nods, and the weight of what was about to happen, the potential awkwardness she was walking into, finally hits her.

“They don’t happen to serve wine at a 3-year-old’s birthday party do they?”

___

“You weren’t kidding about Roy,” Emily says into the rim of her coffee cup, her voice low enough that only Aaron hears her.

He smiles, looking over at his ex-father-in-law before he looks back at her. Roy had spent the majority of the party so far either glaring at Aaron and Emily or making not-so-subtle comments just loud enough for them to hear. Haley had already apologised, more than once, clearly embarrassed by her father’s behaviour.

“He never really liked me,” he says, “Even when we were in high school,” he looks over to see Jack running around with his friends, “It got worse after the divorce.”

Emily hums, “Still, he should try and keep it contained around Jack at least.”

Jack runs over, and Emily is only just able to hand her coffee to Aaron before the little boy wraps his arms tightly around her, running into her in full force.

“Emmy,” he says, wrapping his hand around two of her fingers, “Come sit with me.”

She looks up to see Haley looking at them, an amused smile on her face, “It’s time to open his gifts, and apparently only you will do.”

Emily usually enjoys how much Jack loves her, in how much he trusts her, but in moments like this when Haley was around it made her feel guilty. As if she’d walked in and interrupted what their family should look like even though the divorce papers were signed before she and Aaron came close to being more than friends. She doesn’t miss the look that crosses Roy’s face as they all sit down so Jack can open his presents, but she brushes past it.

She helps him loosen the tape on the wrapping paper before leaving him to rip the paper, revealing toys he’d wanted for months. She makes eye contact with Aaron at some point, smiling at him as he watches her with his son with undeniable affection.

“No present from you?” Jack asks, frowning slightly as he looks back up at her, and she suppresses a smile.

“Jack, that’s rude,” Haley says, her eyebrow raised as she gently corrects her son.

“Sorry, Emmy.”

“I thought she was rich,” Roy mutters, clearly speaking a little louder than he had intended when Haley chastises him too, her voice harsher than when she’d been speaking to Jack.

“It’s ok, Jack,” she says, pretending that she hadn’t heard the older man at all, “It’s in here,” she says, pulling an envelope from the pile of cards. She smiles as he opens it, pulling out the certificate that was in there and the credit card-sized plastic card on top of it. She smiles as he looks confused as if he suddenly remembered he wouldn’t be able to read it all, “Want me to read it to you?”

“Yes please,” he replies, leaning into her side a little further.

“It says that you and three adults can go to the zoo whenever you want,” she says enthusiastically, smiling as his eyes go wide, “And you can go to special events, meet the animals, and your name is on that big wall at the front when you first walk in.”

“Really?” He asks, kneeling so he can have a closer look at the paper as if he would understand all the words.

“Really. So you can go with Mommy, or me and Daddy.”

“Or all three of you?” He asks innocently, and Emily’s eyes flash to Aaron’s before she looks back at him.

“Yeah, or maybe all three of us.”

“Emily, that’s…incredibly generous,” Haley says, her shock at the gift clear, “Are you sure it’s ok?”

“Of course,” she says, only realising now she could see the looks on everyone’s faces that she may have overdone it slightly. She clears her throat, more than aware that everyone in the room would likely look up exactly how much she’d spent at the earliest opportunity. “Usually they put the actual donor’s name on the wall, but I know a few people high up there through my mother so I pulled some strings.”

Roy scoffs, and Haley sends him another warning look, before she sighs, “Jack, say thank you to Emily!”

“Thank you, Emmy!” He says, throwing his arms around her tightly. She hugs him back and kisses the top of his head.

“You’re welcome, sweet boy,” she says, kissing his head again before she pulls back to look at him, “Happy Birthday.”

Shortly after the presents the cake comes out, and Emily stands back as Aaron and Haley help Jack blow out the candles. A brief snapshot of the family life they once had that makes her ache in a way she hates herself for.

All the excitement eventually gets too much for Jack, and he starts falling asleep in Aaron’s lap, so he takes him up to bed, commenting that he and Emily should head off soon anyway. Emily finds herself standing back from everyone else, feeling like an outsider now neither Jack nor Aaron were in the room.

“Jack will be so pleased you came,” Haley says, approaching her, and Emily smiles, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I wouldn’t have missed it,” she replies, “I’ve been to a lot of parties in my time, but it’s been a long time since I went to one where the most important guest had to take a nap in the middle of it.”

Haley chuckles politely, “So it’s happened before?”

Emily laughs and nods, “Yeah, at my grandfather’s 90th. He fell asleep at the table.”

“Well, if you live to that age I guess that’s your right,” Haley replies, and her smile fades. “Again, I am so sorry about my dad,” Haley says, and Emily shakes her head, waving off the apology.

“Oh, no need to apologise. You should honestly meet my mother, he’s nothing in comparison to her.”

Haley laughs, “I’ll keep that in mind. And thanks for Jack’s gift, it’s very generous.”

Emily feels her cheeks flush a little, her previous embarrassment returning, “It’s nothing,” she says, shrugging it off, “He loves it there, and this way he can go whenever he wants.”

“Still, I think it solidified your place as his favourite person,” Haley replies, a kind smile on her face that somehow makes Emily feel more guilty.

“The birthday boy is down for his nap,” Aaron says, joining them and cutting off any further conversation. He places his hand on Emily’s waist, “I promised him we’d go to the zoo when he’s next with us so he can see his name on the wall.”

“He’ll love that,” Haley says, clearing her throat as she looks them up and down, still not entirely used to seeing how comfortable they were with each other, “I should go help out in the kitchen, thank you both for coming.”

“Of course,” Aaron says, “We wouldn’t have missed it.”

Emily and Aaron watch as she walks away and Emily waits until she’s no longer in earshot she turns to her boyfriend and glares at him.

“Why didn’t you tell me my gift was over the top?” She asks, furrowing her brows, “I told you what I was getting him.”

Aaron dares to smile at her, leaning in to kiss her cheek, not caring if anyone saw, “Firstly, he loves it so there is nothing to worry about,” he wraps his arm around her before turning her towards the front door, “Secondly, you never told me you were buying the executive level pass.”

___

Emily sighs as she tries to get comfortable, the familiar ache in her lower abdomen and back making the plush seat of the jet feel like it was made of stone.

“Are you ok sweetheart?”

Emily looks up at Aaron as he sits down next to her, and she nods, “I’m ok,” she says, smiling at him, “Rough case,” He places his hand on her leg, squeezing tightly, a silent attempt to comfort her that would have to be enough until they got home. “I just keep thinking about how scared those girls must have been. Being forced to have a baby in those conditions and then just…having the baby taken from them.”

“In these situations, it’s hard not to put yourself in their shoes,” he says, rubbing circles on her thigh with his thumb.

She chuckles humourlessly, “It’s not just…” she drifts off, shaking her head at herself as she places her hand over his on her thigh, “Yeah. It’s hard.”

She doesn’t know how to tell him that she’d spent most of the last day thinking she could be pregnant, a thought that had firmly been put to bed by the cramps in her belly, and her trip to the jet bathroom the moment the seatbelt sign was off. She can’t say that as they rescued the girls and the children from the house she’d struggled to tear her eyes away from the newborn baby.

Disappointment she doesn’t expect burns in the back of her eyes in the form of tears she doesn’t understand and won’t let fall. Before him, she wasn’t completely sure she wanted children. Her insistence when she was young that she’d do it better than her parents had slowly faded out into nonchalance, a silent promise to herself that she’d maybe do it one day. If she found the right person, if she would truly be able to provide the stable life for a child she’d always craved for herself when she was young. She refused to simply have a child because it was the done thing, something that was expected of her. She was that child. She had grown up feeling like she was somehow both in the way and a prop that made her parents, mostly her mother, look good.

Ultimately, it’s the love she feels for Jack that makes her mind up for her. It’s how she loves him so much it hurts sometimes. How he looks so much like Aaron when he smiles, and how it makes her want to know if a kid that was half her and half her fiancee would share that same smile too.

It’s how she knows she can love like that. Seeing how safe and secure Jack was, happy and content as he fell asleep against her on the couch even though he insisted he wasn’t tired.

“What do you want to do when we get home?” He asks, still rubbing circles on her thigh. He hadn’t missed how she’d stopped herself from saying something, but he knows not to push - especially not here in front of the team.

She leans her head against his shoulder, “Pizza, and a shitty movie?” She says, smiling as he drops a kiss on the top of her head.

“Sounds perfect, sweetheart.”

___

Aaron watches her carefully as she walks into the apartment ahead of him, a slight tension in her shoulders as she places her go-bag on the counter. He locks the door behind them, double-checking it as he always does, before he walks over to her, his hand ghosting her lower back as he places his bag next to hers.

“I’ll sort the bags,” he says, “It’s my turn to do the laundry anyway.”

She nods, “Yeah, thanks,” she turns to walk away, her emotions still all over the place, the persistent ache in her stomach a constant reminder of her thought process over the last day or so.

“Em, are you ok?” He asks, and she freezes, taking a moment to breathe slowly before she turns to look at him.

“I…” she drifts off, unsure how to put it into words, worried it would all sound as ridiculous as it felt.

“You know you can tell me anything, don’t you?” He says, stopping himself from stepping towards her, knowing that sometimes her need for space was quite literal. She’s silent as she looks at him, her eyes fixed on him before she swallows thickly.

“For a moment, I thought I might be pregnant,” she admits, watching as he freezes before he takes a small step towards her, “I’m not, by the way,” she adds, clearing her throat as she crosses her arms over her chest, “My period started on the jet on the way home. But it was a day or so late, and because of the case it was all I could think about.”

“Are you ok?” He asks again, taking a step towards her so he can place his hand on her shoulder, all too aware of the memories even thinking about it could bring up for her.

“Well, it’s a lot less terrifying of a thought when you’re in your late 30s and in a committed relationship than it is when you’re 15 and alone,” she quips, her voice shaking slightly as she tries to joke, and she sighs when all he does is squeeze her shoulder a little tighter, “I’m fine, honey, I promise,” she says, smiling tightly at him, “Maybe a little more disappointed than I thought I would be.”

“Disappointed that you aren’t pregnant?” He asks, and her response is a nod.

“Yes,” she says quietly, worried that if she says it too loud it would be like she was admitting too much.

They’d spoken about children of their own before. The discussions always revolving around ‘when’ not ‘if’ but without setting any kind of time frame. Aaron understands what she means. He couldn’t ignore the flash of hope that had flooded through him at the mere thought that she had believed she could have been pregnant.

“Come here, sweetheart,” he says, putting his arm around her and leading her to the couch, “Let’s sit down and talk about it.”

She sits on the couch and turns inwards slightly, one of her legs tucked under herself, so she can face him. He sits close enough that their knees touch, and he waits her out. His patience for her was as endless as the love he felt for her.

“I’ve just turned 39,” she says eventually, smiling softly at the fond memory of her recent birthday, of the lopsided cake Jack and Aaron had made her. “And I know it hasn’t even been 6 months since you moved in but…” she shakes her head at herself, “I want a baby with you, Aaron. And I am just…incredibly aware of the fact the clock is ticking.”

“Em-”

“And I know it is absolutely ridiculous that this case of all cases is the reason I’m even thinking about it this much-”

“Em, sweetheart,” he says, successfully cutting over her this time. He reaches out for her and grabs her hand, linking their fingers together, “It’s ok to want that. You know that, right?” He watches as she nods, her teeth sinking into her lower lip, “And it’s ok to talk to me about it,” he adds, reaching out to tuck some of her hair behind her ear, “Especially considering I’d be pretty involved in the process.”

She huffs out a laugh and shakes her head at him, some of the tension leaving her shoulders, and he smiles at her, glad that he’s been able to somewhat cheer her up.

“Aaron.”

“I want a baby with you too, Em,” he says, “So maybe we start trying, or at least, we stop actively preventing it from happening.”

She feels hope spark in her chest. Joy which had become such a part of her life since they’d got together that she can’t remember how it felt to live without it. She loves him, and she wants to be a parent with him. To watch Jack be a big brother.

“You don’t think it’s too soon?” She asks, watching his face for any changes, any signs that he wasn’t sure about this. All of her own doubts, the thoughts that had been circling her head for longer than she would care to admit finally spill out, “We aren’t married, we haven’t come close to planning the wedding. Fuck we haven’t even been together two years yet. We’d have to find somewhere bigger to live-”

“Em,” he says, smiling at her, love for her threatening to overwhelm him as it did whenever she got like this. She was usually so reserved, so held together, and it never felt like anything less than an honour to be the person she fell apart in front of, to be the person who could see what lay beneath her well-constructed armour, “For a start, we don’t have to be married to have a kid, and I know for a fact you’d get some kind of a kick out of telling your mother we were ‘doing things out of order,’” a smile flashes across her face, “And I know we’ve moved fast, but we’re both adults. I don’t need to be with you for a set amount of time to know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I knew that the first morning I woke up next to you.”

She chokes out a noise somewhere between a sob and a laugh, and she wipes a stray tear from her cheek, “Ok, you can’t say shit like that to me when I’m on my period.”

“It’s true, sweetheart,” he assures her, leaning in to stamp a kiss against her lips, “And as far as everything else like a place to live goes, we can figure it out along the way. And it might take a little while, it did when Haley and I were trying for Jack.”

He still remembered those days so clearly. How Haley slowly but surely started to lose hope. It was when the first cracks started to appear in their relationship. All culminating in one night, not too long before they found out she was pregnant with Jack when she yelled at him. Told him if they’d started trying earlier, if they hadn’t waited for his career to settle down like they’d agreed to from the very start, things might be different.

Haley had apologised for it the following morning, but he still thought about it sometimes. He still wondered if he’d taken something from her as he slowly turned into a crappy husband, and he knew he wanted to learn from his mistakes. To do better for his son, for Emily and for himself. For the family they were going to build together.

Emily stares at him, her eyes fixed on his. Her usual concerns that he’d done this all with someone else before, her deep-seated fears that he had once promised Haley forever that she’d never say out loud because she didn’t want to upset him, are nowhere to be found. Only her love for him, and her unending trust in him, spread through her chest, and she laughs, nodding before she leans her forehead against his.

“Ok.”

Aaron pulls back to look at her and he cups her cheek, “Ok?”

She nods, “Yeah, I’ll throw my pills away and we’ll…we’ll see what happens.” He beams at her, pulling her in for a kiss that she briefly gets lost in, before she chuckles against his lips, pulling back and pressing her hand into his chest. “Not so fast, honey. I’m off limits for a few days,” she grimaces as her stomach cramps, “I feel like shit.”

Aaron leans in and kisses her forehead before he stands up, “I’ll go get your heating pad and some painkillers.”

“And some chocolate?” She asks, smiling coyly at him, and he shakes his head.

“Yes, sweetheart. And some chocolate,” he replies as he walks towards the kitchen.

“You’re the best, I love you,” she says as she curls up on the couch, waiting for him to come back. She looks at the photo on the coffee table, one taken at Jack’s fourth birthday party only a few weeks prior, and she smiles. Jack is in the middle, smiling at the sight of the cake in front of him, and he has Aaron and Emily on one side of him and Haley on the other, all smiling widely too. The memory makes her smile, and it reminds her of how far they’ve all already come.

“I love you too,” he replies, and it makes her smile, love, and the promise of what was to come, warming her from the inside out.

-x-

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Join my tag list here!

#hotchniss #hotchniss fanfiction #hotchniss fanfic #aaron x emily #aaron hotchner x emily prentiss #aaron hotchner fanfiction #emily prentiss fanfic

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anjael · 8 months

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BALDUR'S GATE 3 SECRET SANTA - SIGNUPS OPEN

Welcome to our inaugural event post!

If you are reading this and would like to join, welcome! Even if you aren’t participating, I’d be very grateful if you could signal boost by re-blogging! I’ll also be cross-posting to my Twitter *here* so RTs much appreciated if you’re on there ~

What’s a Secret Santa?

For those who have never done a Secret Santa before, the way it works is you submit a gift request, which goes into a pool which is then randomised. The randomised requests are then handed out to the participants.

So basically, its Mystery Gift! Everyone draws/writes a gift for someone.You won’t know who it’s for, and you won’t know who is doing yours! Then at the exchange, the completed gifts are handed out anonymously to whomever they belong, via email.

Sounds good, where do I sign?

Send your email applications right here! -> [email protected]

What do I write in my application email?

1. Your name / tumblr tag / most used social media - a link to your blog would also be helpful so I know who you are and can contact you if emails are not working or something. A link to examples of your work (art tag, etc) is also appreciated!

2. Preferred gift rating. NSFW requests are totally okay as long as they are not offensive/racist/sexist but if you’d like something NSFW, please also provide a SFW alternative request as not everyone is comfortable producing such content. If you don’t mind receiving NSFW but would prefer not to submit it, please tell me and vice versa.

3. Your actual request! If you prefer shipping/non shipping, please include this in your sign-up email. If you would prefer a shippy request, please provide a choice of pairings. Please try to word your request so that it can be filled by either an artist or writer, as your gift-giver is randomly assigned! Please do not request anything involving Tavs / OCs / Durges. - this is a companion/origin/NPC only event.

Examples of requests (just for reference, there’s no required format):

- something with your fave pairing / a particular scene

- an AU you’d like to see (please provide some details)

Your requests don’t have to have any particular theme, request whatever you like!

4. Whether you would be able to pinch-hit (fill an extra gift if needed).

5. Whether you would like to remain anonymous to your gift recipient and/or on the master-post of entries (which will be posted up on Tumblr a few days after gift exchange)

———- DEADLINES ————–

Applications Close: 29th October 2023, 00:00 GMT

Prompts Sent Out to Participants: by 1st November 2023, 00:00 GMT

Gift submission: 20th December 2023, 22:00 GMT

(Please submit your completed gifts to [email protected])

Gift Exchange: 22nd - 24th December 2023 (TBC)

———- RULES/GUIDELINES —————–

No TAVs / OCs - see above.

Signups are capped at 40 people (I am running several events so don't want things to get unmanageable). I will update this post if we hit the cap before the signup closing date.

- Don’t be a butt. (generally the best rule to live by)

- Complete the gift using your MAD SKILLS, be it drawing or writing fanfic! If you have other cool magic abilities like animating, you’re welcome to use those too!

- Please submit completed works only. Your gift should be fully coloured if it’s art (unless you are specifically doing a monochrome / inked piece), and properly formatted, spell-checked and at least 1,000 words if it’s a written piece.

- For written pieces, google doc links/word documents are fine for the email exchange, but if you want me to include your fic in the tumblr master-post please bear in mind you need to post it somewhere link-able such as AO3.

- if you are submitting NSFW art, AO3 hosts art too and can be a good alternative to tumblr/twitter restrictions.

- Please don’t post any completed gifts on your blog before the gift exchange date!

- if the deadline is approaching and you know you won’t be able to submit your piece in time, please tell me as soon as possible so I can arrange for someone else to fill your assigned prompt.

- if you’d like to remain anonymous, please tell me (there will be master-posts of all the submissions a couple of days after exchange)

- I’ll be tracking the tumblr tag ‘bg3 secret santa 2023’.

There’s also a Discord group - please let us know if you’d like an invite!

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 secret santa 2023

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tumblingdowntheway2019 · 4 days

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Master List Here!!

A03 Version Here!!

Yoooooo!! Chapter Three (3) of 'To Cherish

These Moments." This was inspired by art

drawn by @hyrulerbnb, an awesome artist I

recommend checking out!!

Apologies for the VERY late update. I made a post about it but in short, I had a sudden block in creativity and no idea what happened. But I'm back and with the final chapter too!!

Other than that, enjoy the read and have an awesome day!!

💪😎💕

Word count - Six Thousand, One Hundred. (6100)

To Cherish These Moments - Chapter Three (3) - The Most Important Lesson.

"Ok, are we all set?" Zelda asked as she straightened out the huge blanket under the tree. "Is everything here?"

"Zeldaaaaaa." Tulin drags out her name, seemingly tired of hearing the same questions for the dozenth time this morning. "Everything will be fine; the plan is all set."

This morning, before Riju and Link had awoken, Tulin warped in to help Zelda and Buliara set up the area where the Sages would be having their picnic. With the extra Hearty Radishes, she was able to double the amount of Hearty Soup she could make. For the past few mornings, the people of Hateno Village have gifted her some extra food when they learned of her return, increasing the already huge amount she had in her storage.

She asked Buliara, who had been with the other region representatives an hour prior at the Landing to prepare for more paperwork, if they were busy or had eaten yet. Buliara confirmed they were not and had actually told them to hold off on breakfast for the time being, stating that there's a shortage on supplies at the Lookout. She even bribed the cooks ahead of time to do so, promising to help later on to prep dinner to make up for it.

That was something Zelda always loved about Hyrule and its people. It was the sense of community and familial ties, by blood or not, they had with each other. The cooks holding off breakfast and the extra foods brought in—some already cooked—meant she could invite the representatives too for the picnic. Perfect.

"I apologise. I sound like my father." She frowns. It was the last thing she wanted to do.

"I remember you saying he was a strict man. I cannot imagine that he didn't do anything without the consideration of Hyrule and its people, surely?" Buliara offers some comfort.

"I cannot disagree that Hyrule and its people were always at the forefront of his duties and mind. But most times, I felt like he used it as a sort of excuse to not listen to me. I know what he would have said if he knew that I was doing this." When her two (2) friends tilted their heads as a sign for her to continue, she did her best to mimic her father's deep voice and say it in an unamused voice. "Even if Ganondorf is gone for now, we can't just sit here and forget our duty as Sages." She then turns to them with a harsh stare, one (1) that she can perfectly mimic after seeing it far too many times than she cared to remember. "But I think none of you are aware of that."

"Damn Zelda. Chill." Tulin tried to reply back nonchalantly. The slightly raised feathers show that she had the intended effect that her father always looked for. She hated herself for it when she heard his voice confirm it.

"I apologise. That was just how he was. I vow I will never be like that with anyone. There are more options I am willing to explore than he had. Unlike him, I chose to study various topics and skills that I have found useful many a time."

She couldn't bring herself to continue with him being the main topic of the conversation, so she quickly changed it and was grateful for them catching on.

"Ok, once more for the plan." Zelda starts, mainly for herself, as she is steeling her nerves to pull it off. "I will return to the Landing. Tulin and Buliara are staying here to guard the food. Riju and Link should already have warped in by the time I get there. The others should already be there by now, and I will simply ask them to join me for a stroll."

Buliara and Tulin simply look at each other, the Rito giving the Gerudo a smile of excitement as the latter shrugs and smiles back. They've been hearing this all morning, though it's understandable why. It is something that has always had Zelda become a bundle of nerves, always making sure that her friends get nothing but the best of care and appreciation. The days passed by them so fast, gone in a blink of an eye. Now the remaining hour is crawling slower than a snail making its way towards Zora's Domain from Rito Village, with all the slippery slopes and climbing in between.

Zelda had already executed one (1) part of her plan the night prior. Due to the fact that the Shiekah were warping to Kakariko Village first thing in the morning, she managed to sneak into their rooms. Zelda thanked her luck that they were currently investigating a possible ruin that fell from the sky and were gone long enough to place extra boxes in their luggage. All labelled with their names. Their favourite desserts. Zelda already knew what her childhood friends favourites were; when she was still a child learning from Urbosa, she went out of her way to find Impa and Purah's father to ask.

The answer is Pumpkin Pie for Impa and Wildberry Crêpe for Purah. Josha would eat anything fruity, so a fruit pie would be perfect for her. The more difficult person to bake for was, surprisingly, Robbie. Despite him and Purah being joined at the hip before the Calamity, and even now, after finally reuniting after it, Zelda has never actually seen him eat anything sweet. She had to bite the bullet and ask his son, Granté (or Grantéson if you were to meet him in Tarrey Town), and found that his father's favourite dessert was simply Plain Crêpes. He would simply add anything to them if he had a craving for it. So for his box, Plain Crêpes with smaller boxes containing fruits and sweets along with a small container of honey.

With the hardest objective out of the way, now is the time to invite the others. Zelda carefully raises a hand, placing it where her hand aligns with the horizon in her line of sight.

"Uh, Zelda, what are you doing?" Tulin asks, confused as he watches Zelda join her pinkie and thumb together, and repeats once more. "Is the sun blinding you or something? You could just look away."

"What time did the sun start to rise this morning?" Zelda simply asks, with the answer being that it started at six a.m. (6 a.m./0600 hrs). She finally answered, "Link taught me this trick before the Calamity, and reminded me not too long ago about how one (1) could tell the time without the use of a clock. So long as you know what the width of your fingers represents—it could be five (5), ten (10) or fifteen (15) minutes for the sun to reach the top of the width from the horizon—then you should be able to tell how much time has past and what's left in the day."

"Eh?" Was all Tulin could reply with as he raised a wing to mimic Zelda. "Or you could just ask me; I have my Purah Pad right here."

"It's an old trick we learn in basic training," Buliara adds. "Warriors and travellers would use this method to estimate the time of day at that moment. It's actually an important skill to learn when in the wild. It's also used to figure out how much daylight is left in the day as well."

"My fingers represent ten (10) minutes. So it took eighteen (18) fingers from the horizon to reach the sun, which means three (3) hours have passed by, so it must be....nine am (9 a.m./0900 hrs)?" The Princess guessed, turning to Tulin as he took out the Purah Pad and all but jumped in excitement. "Judging by your reaction, I am correct!"

"How'd you do that?! I want to be able to do that too!!" He started flying around her, creating a small updraft that nearly messed up her hair. "Would I be able to do so as well? How would I be able to know how much sunlight is left if the sun is still rising?"

Zelda laughed; she was glad that something as simple as being able to tell what the time is out in the wild is something that people still want to learn.

"I will happily teach you while the Princess invites the others here. I promise you, it really is that simple." Buliara offers, relieving Zelda of the worry of possibly being rude by leaving him hanging for another day. "The day is still young, and I am confident that you will learn it quickly."

With that, Zelda took that as her cue to trek back to Lookout Landing. Rather than warping, she decided to just walk all the way back to give the young Rito the chance to learn a new skill. It didn't take too long—about thirty (30) minutes at most. She jumped when Link and Riju warped in front of the tower as she was passing by it.

"Link, Riju, good morning!" She greets them. "I believe your stay in Rito Village went well?"

"It never fails to amaze me at how the Rito are able to put up with the cold." Riju answers, shaking off the last of the cold as she adjusts the sleeve of the tunic she was gifted months prior after outgrowing her old set. "The soup was just delightful as well. Saki is an amazing cook!"

"Yeah, I always make a point of visiting them whenever I'm in the area." Link adds in. He raises his fists in front of him as he proclaims, "The soup is to die for. And the skewered Sizzlefin Trout. Man, I didn't know you could have that with some spicy peppers. The cold was nothing after I had that."

"Hopefully you had some BEFORE shield surfing down that mountain?" Zelda teased with a cheeky smile, revelling in the stunned expressions of her companions. "That's right, Patricia brought back Yona's letter too."

She laughed as the two (2) began to make excuses before arguing, in all good fun, about who won that race. But judging by the letter they received, it ended in a draw. It was nice to see her friends safe and well. She took the moment to observe what her friends were wearing.

Link wore his snow boots, Snowquill Trousers, Tunic of the Wild (as he dubs it after finding it in the Forgotten Temple during the Calamity), and his Hylian Hood. The tunic showed the minor scratches on his arm from when he fell.

Riju was wearing her full Snowquill Set, consisting of a pair of trousers, a tunic, and a headdress, along with snow boots. The only injury Zelda could see was a barely visible scratch on her cheek. She had four (4) new braids added to her usual hairstyle. Done all the same way, but each of them has a unique look to it as well. Zelda recognizes who did each of them, as they all had feathers at the end of them.

The two (2) near the front were done neatly and tightly. One (1) had a long, white feather with a black tip. Teba. The other has a long, all-hot pink feather, Saki.

The back two (2) were not as neat, but still tightly done and showed some level of skill behind them. A smaller, white and grey feather accompanied it, Tulin. It was done a few days ago, but Zelda was happy to see how well it's holding up.

The final braid was more well done, but not quite on the same level as Teba and Saki, a hawk feather neatly tied to the end, Link.

His was more unique because while the Rito clipped their feathers into the braids, Link used randomly found feathers. He carefully preserves them in order to give them to each of his companions whenever he does this Rito tradition.

The Champion fondly mentioned that he uses a feather of the bird he most associates with the person whose hair he's braiding. For Riju, he used a feather from a Peregrine Falcon. Majestic birds of prey known for their hunting skills, lightning-like speed, and the fact that the female Peregrine are known to be considerably larger than the males. Just like the Gerudo.

For Zelda, he used the feather of a Blue Jay. At first, she thought that it was because the royal family used the same shade of blue as their representative colour. She was shocked and blushed like mad when he added that it also represented the intelligence that accompanied beauty. She was blushing even now, remembering it.

She quickly pulled her thoughts back on track.

Tulin, despite having been pulled down with them, didn't sustain any injuries. His feathers prevented any risk of the cold affecting him as well. Zelda is thankful that neither of them seemed unwell, meaning they got to warmth quickly and the soup did its job.

Honestly, what is she going to do with them? A mental note was made to send some gifts to Saki and Yona as thanks for caring for her three (3) precious idiots. For now, the matter is at hand.

"Where's Queen Yona and Elder Teba anyway? Did they get here before you?"

"About an hour prior, yes." Riju answered. "I believe Queen Yona had mentioned that King Sidon and Muzu would also be here around now as well. She was going to meet them for breakfast before continuing with the paperwork."

"Unfortunately, there seems to be a shortage at the moment. Breakfast has been temporarily postponed." Zelda does her best to sound regretful. "I hope they aren't too hungry."

"Whaaat?!" Link groaned as he tilted backward, arms hanging from either side. "You gotta be kidding me."

"I told you it would have been better to have something back at the village." Riju elbowed his side playfully, dodging his swats of protest. "But nooo, you insisted we wait. Thank goodness I had that porridge this morning. Though I am hoping it won't be too long before they are cooking again, I didn't have much."

"Patricia is in the office. Karin asked me to pass along her message. 'Thanks for letting me brush Patricia. She was well behaved, as expected from the best Sand Seal in the world, and she has a load of pretty ribbons in too.'" Zelda relays. "Buliara is with Tulin on patrol at the moment. I was thinking that we would all have a stroll before we deal with more work. Wake up a little?"

"That does sound lovely." The Gerudo agreed. "Some fresh air before working does wonders. I'll see you at the office then."

With that, she leaves Link and Zelda at the tower's entrance, eager to meet with her best friend again as well as change back into her usual attire.

"Doesn't suspect a thing. You pulled that off like a pro, Zelda." Link proudly says, tilting to the side enough to be in front of her with his arms folded, a lopsided grin on his tilted face. "Who knew the Princess of Hyrule could fib so easily?"

"Oh, hush you, my heart is still beating fast from that alone." She'scolded' him, nudging him and causing him to hop back onto two (2) feet again. "Sidon told the same story, I hope?"

"Just like we practiced. But I wasn't lying when I said that I am not happy with the shortage of food here." He crosses his arms with a pout. "I could have sworn we brought some in the other day."

"We did. Buliara told the cooks to say that so the others wouldn't eat till we got to the spot." Zelda laughed at Link's betrayed face as she added with a raised brow and cheeky grin. "Must be part of your punishment for getting yourselves hurt yesterday while shield surfing."

The colour drains from his face, knowing the ruthless regime that awaited them, having now confirmed that Yona did indeed tell Zelda and Buliara everything that happened. Well, at least Riju and Tulin are going down with him. He never was one (1) to go down without dragging his opponents down with him after all.

They both proceeded to make their way into the office, and as Zelda suspected, the Shiekah were already gone. Sidon gave her his signature shining smile upon spotting her as they all greeted her. It seems everyone bought the story of a delayed breakfast but was eager for the morning walk. Muzu's protests must have died in his throat, because he noticed how quickly everyone was getting ready to enjoy their last bit of freedom of the day. Zelda nearly tripped when he smiled!! Retirement must be working its charm on the stubborn old Zora. He insisted on helping one (1) last time as a way to phase into it; who was she to say no?

With that, they finally began their trek. Stories were shared about times before and during the Upheaval. Yunobo tried to do his best "Jerk Yunobo" impression from Offrak and Slergo's description. The latter mimicked as best as they could, making the group laugh.

"So what did we learn from that?" Teba asked the Goron President in his fatherly way.

"Not to eat the strange rocks or wear strange masks without double checking first, goro." Yunobo sheepishly answers, scratching the back of his head. "To be fair, I really did think it was Zelda at the time!"

Zelda did her best to hide her guilt. Many of her friends here fell for Ganon's Puppet and she wasn't here to stop any of it.

"From now on, whenever I have to do any sort of item or order giving, I will give out a specific phrase or code word, different for all of you and will change on a daily basis if need be. Will that work out for everyone?"

They all agreed and added that the leaders of each region would be doing the same. It will make finding any impersonators a lot easier too, what with the Yiga lurking around more brazenly now. Though a simple banana would always do the trick.

"Riju would be difficult to mimic!" Sidon proclaims. "Lady Patricia here would be able to tell before she even entered the room."

The sand seal in question hops into the air in confirmation of it. Sticking her chest out and back fin hitting the ground with a mighty bark. It was common knowledge that she would easily headbutt her opponents through walls and would do it again without hesitation.

"Also the fact she can't stand the cold." Yona adds in. "No offense, Chief Riju."

"Just Riju is fine, your Majesty. We are here as friends, after all. And none taken." Riju laughed. "All it takes for me to confirm it's really you two (2) is your healing abilities and King Sidon's smile."

"Thank goodness. No lightning." Sidon sighs with relief, dramatically placing his hand over his chest. "And you can still just call me 'Sidon' like normal. We're not at our thrones after all, so there's no need for formalities here."

"Oh good, because now I can say this: if you take my Sizzlefin fish again, lightning will be the least of your worries." Riju warned, lightning glinting in her eyes.

"IT WAS ACCIDENTAL, I SWEAR!"

Riju couldn't help but drop her serious act to laugh at her fellow Sage's dismay. That laugh was soon cut short by the Zora King grabbing her leg and back before swiftly lifting her over his head with ease.

"There! I'm sure you'll make a satisfactory cover." He laughed.

"Jokes on you; that's only if I have the Thunder Helm. Regardless, I WILL take you down with me!" Riju declared, flailing her remaining limbs.

Sidon gave her his signature Shining Smile. "Then I'm afraid you're out of luck; I believe the Gerudo are taught to always protect their loved ones. Especially their husbands. Zora do the same, you know."

"I'm a healer, not a fighter. But if I must, I'll avenge you by taking down this little Electric Eel." Yona chimes in. "All I have to do is tell Buliara."

"No!! Please, no, I still haven't gotten to have a Noble Pursuit. The real Noble Pursuit not the kid version!!"

"A defeat with only one (1) sentence. You're most definitely a fearsome foe, my love." The Zora King applauded, allowing the young Chief to sit on his shoulder, she slumps onto his head in defeat.

"I may have to tell Buliara about you too, dear husband. Using a lady as a lightning shield Foreshame!!" The Zora Queen mockingly proclaimed. "Whatever will the children think when they see the king do such a thing."

Offrak and Slergo, who were rolling nearby, stopped with a look of utter awe and missed half the interaction as it was.

"The Gerudo are lightning-proof?!"

Thus begins a brief lesson on the Thunder Helm and no, the Gerudo aren't lightning proof.

The closer they got to the picnic spot, the more nervous Zelda was becoming. Did she pack enough food? Was the soup going to be to everyone's liking? Please let the Chu Chu Jellies be in one (1) piece and not destroy the food! A hand found its way to her wrist, looking up to find Link, ever her trusted companion and housemate, smiling warmly at her. They were leading the pack, so his hands were hidden.

'They are going to love this, Zel. Please do not worry.' He signs.

'I know. But this was Sidon's idea. Not mine.' Zelda signs back. 'I cannot take any of the credit here.'

'Yes, it was his idea.' Before Zelda could be upset, he adds. 'But you did all the cooking for us. Sidon and Tulin agree that you took on the most important task of this picnic. I can't wait to see what you have in store for us.'

'Thank you, Link.'

She truly meant it. Her friends were always able to open up and share opinions freely with each other. She wouldn't be shunned should something go wrong.

It was a beautiful day that was growing warmer by the minute, and Zelda didn't question if it was due to the sun rising higher into the air or the presence of her friends.

When they finally reached the spot, Zelda could not help but be nervous when they made noises of curiosity and confusion. Tulin, standing on Buliara's shoulder with one (1) talon as the other stuck out to the side, wings also to one (1) side as he does a presenting pose.

"Welcome all to our awesome picnic in the most awesome spot that was ever found!! We hope that you all enjoy your time here and enjoy the delicious food that awaits you." He calls out confidently as he adds a well-balanced one (1) legged bow at the end, his other just hanging off to the side as he stood too close to the shoulder edge, reminding Link and Zelda so much of Revali and his bravado when showing off his skills.

When Zelda slowly turned to see their reaction, she was relieved to see all eyes had stars in them. Their smiles at this pleasant event and their excitement at the site of the food displayed before them.

"Zelda, what's all this about, goro?" Yunobo couldn't help but ask as he giddily jumped in place a little.

"The presentation of the food is just outstanding." They were surprised to hear Muzu say. "The smell is just exquisite."

Zelda beamed with pride. Confirming that it was thanks to those involved in planning that she was able to pull it off, it was Sidon's idea while Tulin found the perfect spot.

"Buliara. I know I requested that you guard Zelda. But I suspect you also played a part in this?" Riju leaned forward with a loving smile at her guardian. "Fess up, what did you do?"

"Hehe, always the observant Vai, Lady Riju. I may or may not have told the cooks to hold off on cooking food until you all left." Buliara chuckles. "I will help with cooking dinner in return."

"I must say, the excuse of a food shortage was clever. I'm glad dear Sidon convinced us all to have a light breakfast and to stay." The Zora Queen praised.

Buliara lifts her arm up and nabbed the back of Tulin's vest as she made him face her, a mischievous grin as she replies, "That's just a part of the punishment I have in store for a certain trio. I expect them to enjoy today while they have the chance because in two (2) days, laps will be run with extra heavy rucksacks."

"We will have them up and ready first thing in the morning, then." Saki happily replies. "Better than having them clear the village of the snow, not much since the storm stopped."

Tulin gave Buliara a nervous laugh as Riju, placed back onto the ground by Sidon, and Link hid behind said Zora, Sidon proclaiming: "I'm not going to be part of that. Sorry Riju." He then proceeds to hide behind her instead, keeping her struggling form in place as a shield in mock fear.

"Well. I hope you all enjoy the meal. The main thing I'm excited for you all to try is the starter. Hearty Soup." Zelda announced. "I wanted to express my gratitude for so long. You have all done so much for our homes. Fought many battles and got many scars. I know it's not much; I wish it were more, but I hope that the meals I have prepared will show just that. There's plenty to be had for everyone, so please take as much as you want."

They all cheered, thanking Zelda with hugs, pats on the back, and handshakes as they all made their way to the food table. Zelda also made sure they praised Sidon and Tulin for the idea and location, as well as Link for ensuring it was safe. Link blushes, saying that he was only doing his duty as Hyrule's Champion and Zelda's bodyguard. She shushes him; he is now a hero and a member of everyone's family, even to the Gerudo, a super rare occurrence! So they too will make sure that they show how much they care for him in appreciation as such.

The afternoon went swimmingly. Tulin got to show off his new skill; his feathered fingers represent thirty (30) minutes. Offrak and Slergo used a tilted boulder to roll off of it as fast as they could and into the lake. When the group expressed concern about it, Yunobo confirmed that while Goron can't swim due to their anatomy and literally being half rock, they can actually hold their breath for a very, very long time. Days if need be, allowing them plenty of time to plan ways to navigate out of the water. Sidon and Yona made sure to have him give them common trading routes so the Zora could patrol the lakes and rivers just to be safe, much to the delight and relief of the Goron President. Muzu also had to be reminded that he was retired now, so he will have to start enjoying it and will continue to do so after the paperwork is finally over, as ordered by the new King and Queen of the Zora!!

Buliara sat cross-legged next to Riju, enjoying the tale from the Young Chief about her time in Rito Village, what she learned, and how she couldn't wait for the rematch with Link on shield surfing. She met a teacher Link met on his travels who was willing to teach her and Link properly not long after their incident. Riju accepted her punishment elegantly....Being Chief of the Gerudo meant nothing over her guardians authority at this point. Riju got to enjoy hearing about how Karin knew more about the Gerudo than she let on, knowing of the traveling merchant and how Patricia got to reunite with Rhondson. She can't wait to see her again too and tell her and Hudson of Maddison's great progress. Maybe she'll allow the young girl to accompany her. She did make a new rule to allow the Gerudo to leave town to visit their Voe relatives on a regular basis, something that greatly improved morale. It was something she never got to do, hence why she decided to implement it.

Riju was then nudged by Tulin to show off what he learned from Buliara. Riju joined him in guessing the current time. They then joined Link and Sidon for a mock battle for the Chu Jelly. Buliara won by sneaking it onto her plate, and she was on her final bite by the time they noticed. She relished the look on their faces when they realised they could have done the same thing.

Teba gave them a soft look, and Saki placed a comforting wing on his shoulder. Tulin sure was growing up fast, now with the responsibilities of being a Sage on top of it. But it was nice to see he wasn't alone on that journey. The Rito parents certainly weren't going to forget their struggles against Vah Medoh any time soon, but the comfort of not being alone in this story remains strong.

The morning and afternoon were amazing. It has been so long since Zelda has been able to freely laugh and joke around. With bellies full and energy restored to full capacity, Zelda decided that maybe work could wait another day. She herself admits that she is far too relaxed now to do anything. She was now destined to join those who had succumbed to a food coma under some shade or quietly talk amongst themselves.

"Something on your mind?"

"Link?!" Zelda squeaked out. "My apologies. Did you say something?"

"No, I just noticed that you look a little sad, is all." The Champion replied with a shrug. He looked towards the others before softly adding, "I miss them too, the moments before the Calamity."

Zelda hadn't noticed the silent tears running down her cheeks. She did her best to keep a smile, but she failed to realise her eyes were indeed the windows to her heart and soul's true feelings.

"How did you learn to accept it?" She asked quietly so as not to disturb the others by making it seem like she casually turned to look at the lake behind her. When Link looked at her, the Princess added, "How did you accept their passing? To accept that everyone is just....gone."

"I didn't. There are even days where I still don't." Link confesses. "When I had no memories after waking up in the Shrine of Resurrection, everything was new to me. The area, the people, the history.

Little did I know that I was actually right. Everything and everyone was new to me. When my memories came back during my mission, it just....hurt. So much. I would remember when Mipha would heal my wounds and us swimming at Zora's Domain. Daruk and I having a Rock Roast after racing down Death Mountain. Urbosa being the mother I had long needed and her advice. Heck, even Revali's cocky attitude and how we would just challenge each other on every mission with just a look in our eyes.

And that's the funny thing. After I freed Vah Medoh, Revali said something that stuck with me. He was worried about how he would be remembered. If his efforts were worth the sacrifices he made for Hyrule, we were the same age, and yet I got to see the fruits of those efforts."

Link to a moment to compose himself as he stares at the sparkles in the lake water. Zelda was stunned; this was the most he had ever spoken in such a long time. It was to relate to her in such a deep bond about their shared traumas. He had such a sad smile when he spoke again.

"That shrine. It was both a blessing and a curse. It saved me the pain that came from many painful memories, but it also robbed me of my most cherished ones. I had to...rebuild myself with baby steps. I felt to free when talking to new people and helping around Hyrule."

"Until I called you back for your forgotten mission." Zelda adds on in a whisper. "The moment I sensed your awakening, I called you back to a mission you were still too weak to do."

"You also allowed me that freedom. You allowed me to say my goodbyes."

"Huh?"

He was looking at her now. The same sad smile, but more.... relieved?

"I was able to free the other Champions spirits. I allowed them to fulfill their promises made to you. To their families and friends. To each other. They got to see that their people were still going strong. To know that their efforts were not in vain.

I got to renew those bonds with those still here and heal their hurt as well as my own. We got to say goodbye to them, Zelda.

What you're feeling now is how I felt. Awoken from such a long slumber from what you knew. To the people who cared about you, gone, just like that in an effort to stop a tyrant. Even as a dragon, you still fought. You never fully lost yourself because your spirit didn't allow that to happen. The love of those we lost and still have is your armour as you move forward.

We lost them, but we never lost their love. We got to say goodbye, even if it wasn't directly to them."

Zelda could hide the tears now, even if she wanted to. He was right. The Calamity, the full one hundred (100) years, she never felt truly alone. The Champions were with her despite having fallen within their respective Divine Beasts. Link's warmth grew as their bond grew after Calamity's defeat.

Rauru, Sonia, Mineru, and the Sages. They did exactly what Link described before her Draconification. Sonia's warmth and Rauru's confidence in her. The Sage's trust in her. Mineru has even gone far beyond time with Zelda within the Purah Pad. Determined to rejoin the fight one (1) last time. She confirmed before passing on that Sonia and Rauru were so proud of her, filling in the details when they reunited once more.

"You're right. In small ways, since this all began, we got to say our goodbyes and fulfill this long mission. This journey to grow as individuals, scars, warts, and all." The Royal Sage of Time turned to those behind her. All seemingly at peace with all that had happened during those long months since the castle rose into the air. "And now, we get to start anew on this chapter of our lives. Calamity. Ganondorf. He is gone. Hopefully for good, but if not, I know the people of Hyrule are safe in their capable hands."

They stood to join the group behind them. Zelda stops halfway to get a better look at everyone as Link takes notice a few steps ahead. With a growing smile, she says,

"After all that has happened, there is certainly something we should always remember to do during peaceful times."

"What's that?" Link asked with an understanding smile, knowing she came to the same conclusion he had come to years ago.

She closed her eyes. Memories of her happiest moments throughout her life appeared. Her friends—no, her family—protect her. The hearty meals she had with the Champions, the meals she had with her ancestors. Experiments she got to try with Mineru, lessons with Rauru and Sonia, learning about her fellow Sage's ancestors that she will pass onto. Just happy moments that outshine the growing shadow that Ganondorf brought upon them. Here she stands amongst the lights. Not the light of the goddess, but of the love and warmth of being surrounded by those who love her just as much as she loves them.

"That, despite everything Hyrule endured, no matter what, we must always remember to do one (1) thing."

Everyone heard her and turned to look at the princess, who happily finished her sentence in a warm, genuine tone.

"Nothing ever stays the same. Nothing, nor will anyone, be around forever. The past can't be changed; we've seen that now. The future can be, though. For now, all that matters is the present. What is the lesson we must remember from all of this?

Is to always cherish these moments."

#tears of the kingdom #loz tears of the kingdom #legend of zelda #legend of zelda tears of the kingdom #video games #link #zelda #totk riju #totk yunobo #totk sidon #totk tulin #teba totk #basically all main characters #lol too many tags 😂#loz fanfic #inspired by Hyrulerbnb's art.

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bravelysanta · 8 months

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Hi everyone! I'm opening sign-ups for Bravely Secret Santa a couple of hours early. I made some modifications to the deadlines and guidelines so please read below:

Once the form is completed, check the response text for the link to the SneakySanta invite!

Deadlines:

1) You have until (Sunday) October 22 at 1 AM EST to sign up. I’ll also be posting regular updates so follow bravelysanta at either Twitter OR Tumblr.

This is a hard deadline. If you miss it, you miss it! Try again next year!

REMEMBER THAT YOU MUST JOIN THE GROUP ON SNEAKY SANTA - the link will show up after you fill out the form. Reach out to me on tumblr (komatsujo) or twitter (bravelykoma/fairyglowcharm) if you missed the link to join Sneaky Santa.

2) On the afternoon of October 22nd, you will receive an email with the name of the person that you’ll be gifting via Sneaky Santa.

3) Gifts are due anytime between December 22nd - 29th. If you will not be able to post it during that time, submit/msg it beforehand and I’ll post it for you.

4) If you think you may not meet the deadline, please contact me immediately and no later than December 21st. But please don’t sign up if you know your availability will be iffy in the first place.

5) If signing up as a pinch-hitter, those will be due by Jan 1st.

Guidelines:

1) If you must cancel your application, please notify me immediately either via either Tumblr (komatsujo) or twitter (bravelykoma/fairyglowcharm) or at the bravelysanta accounts, preferably before assignments are chosen. If you find you cannot meet the gifting deadline, please also notify me before the 21st.

2) When filling out your name on the Sneaky Santa website, please use your social media handle (either Tumblr or Twitter), so your Santa knows how to @ you. Example - Koma (bravelykoma).

3) Remember that you are gifting a present to someone, and be prepared to spend at least some time on it. No one likes a last-minute gift!

4) Both fanart and fanfic are accepted as submissions. Santees, please do not specifically request one or the other.

5) No AI generated art or fanfiction is allowed. The point of this is to create something for someone.

6) If there is a character and/or a ship that is an absolutely no go for you that you know is in someone’s wishlist, please let me know before the 21st (email [email protected] or DM me on Tumblr/Twitter) so I can prevent you from picking that person. Unfortunately, there’s little I’ll be able to do if they did not fill out their wishlist prior to assignment selections.

7) Please try to complete your wishlists before Oct 20th for these reasons.

8) When creating your wishlists, please take care to not be so specific as to make it difficult to fulfill the request (example: requesting specifically fanart of the Crystal Crew as kids, instead of requesting something like “I would love to see the Crystal Crew as kids, doing something cute”). However, you should have more than 1 item on your wishlist. Please try to have 3-5 different items so your Santa has some freedom!

9) Specifically requesting shippy gifts is allowed, but no NSFW material, either in wishlists or presents. This is mostly about smut, but also be mindful with gore and violence.

10) Your wishlist and present must be Bravely themed, such as Bravely Default 1 or 2, Bravely Second, Fairy’s Effect, Brilliant Lights, Praying Brage, etc.

*Octopath 1 or 2 related stuff is cool, as long as it also includes Bravely AND please keep in mind that not everyone has played those, so be careful with spoilers for them and Bravely 2.

11) Please try to keep your assignments private! Talk about them with friends in DM all you want, but if someone can find out that you’re their Santa on social media, that ruins the surprise!

12) Please tag submissions as #bravelysanta2023 !

#bravely default #bravely second #bravely default ii #bravely default 2 #bravely secret santa #bravely santa #bravelysanta2023

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nightcat2609 · 1 year

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I just have to get this off my chest lmao: what I wanna say about Owl City's latest album Coco Moon, released on March 24, 2023.

If you see this post and haven't listened to Coco Moon yet, here's the Spotify link. The album's also on Youtube, Youtube Music if you have that, Apple Music and iTunes.

and on Bandcamp, you can also purchase the album there for as low as $1 (name your price basically) and iirc you can also get the studio master versions there.

On February 10, 2023 Adam posted this long but lovely post. It's also on his official Twitter and Instagram pages. I'm gonna quote some lines from this post along the way

First of all, this album has been a revelation. The five or so years of waiting for a new album since 2018 has been truly worth it. Adam didn't dissappoint me as usual and forever may it continue.

"Some songs on “Coco Moon” are metaphorical in a story kind of way. I like to read books because books take me places. When I pick up a book, I leave planet Earth. I wrote a few songs inspired by this." Ah a fellow book lover, I love the way books and stories can take us anytime and anywhere even for just a few moments

"And then some songs on “Coco Moon” are odd. Meaning, some have unusual structures, some don’t make a lot of sense, a few are extremely wordy, others are a little too long." Maybe this is me getting old but I love the long and wordy songs on Coco Moon, Adam truly has a gift with words and storytelling. It'll be a welcome surprise if any Coco Moon songs go viral since online virality these days tends to favor short songs, not that's it's a bad thing. just a sign of the times I guess.

"Creative oddity is beautiful to me so I embraced it." this is the Adam I know and love since I heard Fireflies on the radio back in 2009. And true to these lyrics from "Fiji Water" from his Cinematic album:

"And I'd say "Hey, there is more to me than meets the eye

Let me be who I wanna be"

And I'd say "Hey, I'm an oddity and that's alright

Let me fly and follow my dreams"

"The point is that “Coco Moon” is a very Owl City album. It is quirky. It is odd. It is unapologetically myself. I made an album that is exactly the way it was supposed to be, not an album that popular culture, or algorithms, or analytics, or anyone else on planet Earth told me to make. I wrote me. Average, ordinary, weird me."

Imo nobody in pop music these is doing it quite like Owl City. It makes for more unique and progressive vibes. And as a reminder because of some songs in Coco Moon with a Christian undertone, Adam's Christian faith has been a part of him since day one. At the very least, we should respect that and let him cook.

"CS Lewis said to Tolkien, “If they won’t write the kinds of books we want to read, we shall have to write them ourselves.”" - I feel this on a deep level since at this rate I have to write some the stories I wanna read.

"I started by imagining an album I wanted to listen to. The result is “Coco Moon.” I’m so grateful and honored to be able to share it with you soon."

After finally hearing all of Coco Moon this week, it's been an honor in return to listen to a masterpiece of an album. Adam has come a long way from being a kid in a small town, dreaming about seeing the world, to who he is today, experiencing the good, the bad, and the ugly of life. And he's even found the love of his life along the way! I'm so happy for him and Abbey. They deserve everything good in this world. Thank you very much good sir Adam.

Right now I need to listen to the album some more times to pick favorites. I'll update this post when I've made my picks.

#owl city #adam young #coco moon #music #brainfart #Spotify #Bandcamp

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just-dreaming-marvel · 2 years

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I’m From Brooklyn, Too ~ 154

OUT OF TIME MASTERLIST

I’M FROM BROOKLYN, TOO MASTERLIST

< previous chapter

Word Count: 2,660ish

Summary: Y/N is growing more and more confused about what is happening in Westview.

Notes: Please read the taglist information link at the end of the chapter for updated information. (You must read Out Of Time in order to understand this. The chapter numbers continue from Out Of Time.)

Previous on I’m From Brooklyn, Too…

“I’m just going to stay in the backyard, I promise,” Y/N said, trying to convince Tony to let her out of his sight for a few moments. “You can keep an eye on me through the window if you want. I just… I need some fresh air and some alone time.”

Tony studied Y/N for a moment before he sighed and nodded. “Fine. But don’t leave the backyard.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

Y/N gave Tony a kiss on the cheek before slipping out into the backyard. She left out a long, deep breath. It was almost like she was able to breathe for the first time. The scene she has witnessed after touching Vision replayed in her mind. She closed her eyes and rubbed her face with her hands.

A sudden crash through the fence caused her to jump back. She watched as a woman, who seemed to be Geraldine blasted through the backyard. Y/N looked through the hole with wide eyes. Wanda was standing in her house, a hole through it, with red glowing hands.

“It was real,” Y/N whispered.

“You shouldn’t have seen that,” Wanda stated.

Red shot at Y/N and before she knew it, her world was black.

~~~

The scene was orange, heavy emotion weighing everything down.

“Y/N, here’s your son,” Ma stated with a smile.

Y/N shakily walked over, peaking through the blankets. The sight before her took her breath away. The baby boy cooed at her, reaching for her.

“Would you like to hold him?” Her Ma asked.

With a nod, Y/N carefully took the child from her mother's arms. She couldn’t stop the tears that slipped down her cheeks as she brought the baby up to kiss his head.

“Hello my sweet boy,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry… So very sorry.” The boy simply cooed back, smiling up at her. “He’s beautiful.”

“He is,” Ma agreed. “But he has yet to be named. Your Pa was about to do it, but I was holding out that you’d show up soon.”

“Do you know what you’ll call him?” Pa asked.

“Anthony,” she responded, quickly. “Anthony James… AJ for short.”

“Anthony James,” Ma repeated with a smile. “It’s perfect.”

Y/N gasped as she woke up from the dream. Or, was it a memory? She glanced around to see that she was in her and Tony’s bed, AJ sitting beside her, watching her with a worried expression.

“Mom?” He called softly. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m… I… I’m okay,” she slowly responded. “What happened?” Y/N had no memory of anything after telling Tony she would be in the backyard.

“I found Dad and I found you passed out in the backyard last night. You’ve been unconscious ever since.”

“Oh…” She tried to push her mind harder to remember, but she was coming up with a tainted red, blank. She sighed in frustration. “AJ, my dear, can you please give me your hand?” She outstretched her hand toward the boy.

“Uh, sure.” He carefully rested his hand on hers.

Y/N closed her eyes and began flittering through his memories. She held in a sob as she realized that he had the same problem as Tony, his memories did not reach back further than just days ago. Y/N opened her eyes back up and moved to hold AJ’s face in her hands, tears slipping down her cheeks.

“Mom? What’s wrong?” AJ asked.

Y/N shook her head slightly. “I wish I could tell you,” her voice was rough, full of emotions. “Maybe once I fully understand it myself… where’s your father?”

“At work. He only agreed to leave because I promised to watch you closely.” Y/N nodded slowly. “Oh! Dad did wanted me to tell you that our neighbor, Wanda, had twins.”

“Wanda had twins?”

“Yes. We should probably bring a gift over.”

“Yeah…. We should…” Her face scrunched up in thought as she remembered that it was Wanda that knocked her out. “Let me get ready for the day and then we can go over, okay?”

“Okay, Mom.”

~~~

Bucky was leaned up against one of the desks, arms crossed over his chest and a serious look on his face, when Monica, Jimmy, and Darcy joined the briefing.

“Sargent Barnes,” Monica greeted.

“Just Bucky,” he muttered.

“Morning,” Hayward said, getting the room’s attention. “We are now assessing a more clear picture of this crisis. And thanks to Captain Rambeau, we now have first-person intel from inside the Westview Anomaly. Our initial theory had Wanda Maximoff as one of many victims. We now know that she is the principal victimizer. Jimmy.”

Jimmy stepped up to the holo table. “Quick history on our subject,” he began. “Born in Sokovia in 1989 to Irina and Oleg Maximoff, both killed during an air raid when Maximoff and her twin brother, Pietro, were ten.”

“The twins were subsequently radicalized, volunteering at HYDRA.”

“It’s an oversimplification of events, but, yes. After unspecified experimentation with the Mind Stone, Maximoff gained telekinetic and telepathic abilities.”

“Back up, Jimmy. Does Maximoff have an alias?”

“No, sir.”

“No funny nickname?”

“Not a one.”

“Barnes, can you confirm this?”

“As far as I know, Maximoff does not,” Bucky answered.

“Great. And earliest tracking had her using her powers against the Avengers. Is that correct?”

“Right before she earned their trust and became one herself,” Jimmy responded, glancing Bucky’s way.

Hayward pulled up video footage. “Lagos and Germany, we all know how that turned out. Thanks, Jimmy.” Jimmy went to stand by Monica, Darcy, and Bucky. “Now that we have the lay of the land, let’s talk about strategy. It is the policy…”

“I try not to speak ill of people,” Jimmy whispered.

“Then allow me,” Darcy offered. “Hayward’s a dick.”

“…terrorists,” Hayward continued.

“Wanda’s not a terrorist,” Monica stated.

“By your own account, you described the experience of being under her mind-control as ‘excruciating, terrifying, a violation’.”

“My point is, I don’t believe she has a political agenda or any inclination toward destruction.”

“Monica, she blasted you halfway across New Jersey.”

“And I survived because she chose to protect me.”

“She’s holding thousands of people hostage.”

“And it could have been thousands more if she hadn’t put up her own quarantine. Listen, I don’t believe this is a premeditated act of aggression.”

“You don’t? Bring up the visual.” A new video showed on the screens. “This morning, I received authorization to share this highly-sensitive material from SWORD headquarters. Until very recently, it was the top-secret location of the Vision’s corpse.”

Bucky straightened up as he watch Wanda break through the glass to get to Vision and then the footage cut out.

“When was this?” He asked.

“Nine days ago,” Hayward responded. “Maximoff stormed our facility, stole the Vision’s body, and resurrected him.”

Bucky could immediately tell something was off about Hayward’s statements.

“But that’s in direct violation of Section 36 B of the Sokovia Accords,” Jimmy said.

“And the Vision’s own living will,” Hayward added.

“He didn’t want to be anybody’s weapon.”

“Maximoff, in her grief, disregarded his wishes. Alright, that’s it for now. Let’s work the problem, people. Dismissed.”

People began to separate and go do their jobs.

“How did she even do it?” Jimmy asked. “Bring him back without the Mind Stone?”

“She has the Mind Stone with her,” Bucky said. “Y/N’s the Mind Stone.”

~~~

Y/N tried not to be too confused at the sudden change in her wardrobe once again. Before she really knew it, she and AJ were at the doorstep of Wanda’s house. Y/N had a wrapped gift and a small bouquet in her hands. Vision was the one to answer the door.

“What a pleasant surprise,” Vision said. “It’s nice to see you, Y/N and AJ.”

“You too Vision,” Y/N replied. “AJ told me that Wanda had twins so we brought over a gift for the mother.”

“That’s so kind of you two. I can take those.”

Vision reached over and took the gifts, his hands stopping when they made contact with Y/N.

Y/N and Tony were in a strange, high-tech room full of people. Vision’s skin was red with a gem in the center of his forehead. Tony was there as well and so was Wanda. The others around them seemed familiar, Y/N just couldn’t put a name to them. The tension was thick.

“Tony,” a blonde man called. “You chose to do that. If we sign these, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don’t think we should go? What if there’s somewhere we need to go, and they don’t let us? We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own.”

“If we don’t do this now, it’s gonna be done to us later,” Tony retorted. “That’s a fact. That won’t be pretty.”

“You’re saying they’ll come for me…” Wanda whispered.

“And me,” Y/N added.

“We would protect you,” Vision promised, looking from Y/N to Wanda.“Both of you.”

Both Vision and Y/N gasped as they pulled their hands apart. Just by looking into his eyes, Y/N knew that he and seen the same scene that she had. This weird instance happening once again.

“Vision? Who is it?” Wanda questioned from inside the house.

“Uh, it’s Y/N, darling,” Vision responded, still keeping his eyes on her. “And her son.”

“Oh! Please, invite them in.”

“We really don’t need to,” Y/N tried to argue. “I’m sure that you—“

“Nonsense, come in.”

Vision moved out of the way, allowing Y/N and AJ to enter.

“We won’t be long,” Y/N promised. “I can’t begin to even know how hard taking care of twins is. AJ was—“

Y/N halted in her words and steps as she took in the twins before her. They were not newborns, they were at least five years old. Looking around, she realized that she seemed to be the only one phased by this.

“Boys, come here, please,” Wanda asked. Her twins quickly came to stand in front of her, facing their guests. “This is Billy and Tommy. Boys, this is our neighbor Y/N and her son AJ. Why don’t you boys go show AJ the yard?”

“Okay!” The twins said in unison, running out the door.

“Mom, can I?” AJ wondered, looking at Y/N.

“Of course,” she replied, forcing a smile. “Stay safe.” AJ was quickly outside with the twins.

“Please, sit,” Wanda requested.

“I am going to get ready for work,” Vision stated, still dazed.

“Of course, sweetheart.”

Vision kept glancing back at his neighbor as he headed up the staircase. Y/N sat down on the couch with Wanda quickly joining her.

“My… your boys are… grown,” she struggled with trying to find the right words to say.

“Yes,” Wanda smiled kindly, “kids grow up so fast don’t they?”

Y/N nodded. “Uh, yes.”

“How are you feeling? I heard that Tony had found you passed out in the yard last night.”

“My head is a little fuzzy, but I’m alright.”

“I hope it isn’t anything serious.”

“Me too.”

~~~

It was the next day when Y/N felt the shift. She had kept herself inside the majority of the day, per Tony’s requests. She was standing in the kitchen when she felt it, a change in the air. Slowly, Y/N went out the front door. Wanda and her boys, who seemed another five years older now, were staring at something in the air. Y/N’s eyes looked to the sky to see some sort of machine coming closer. She gasped at the sight of Stark Industries written on the side of it.

Wanda’s head snapped in Y/N’s direction at the sound of the gasp, but Y/N quickly ducked behind a bush. Peeking over it, she noticed that Wanda’s eyes were glowing red.

“Get inside, boys,” Wanda ordered. Her sons didn’t hesitate to follow orders.

With a flick of her wrist, red surrounded the machine in the air and it came crashing to the ground before Wanda and the machine disappeared.

~~~

Bucky was losing it. He hated trusting SWORD, specifically Hayward, while trying to get more information about what was happening in Westview. What was making him lose it, even more, was the possibility of Wanda using Y/N for her own gain. He was standing away from the controls, watching Monica guide the drone to Wanda’s house. His jaw clenched as the mission failed due to Hayward’s ignorance. Before anything could really be done, the bases’ alarm system was going off.

“There’s a breach, sir,” an agent announced.

Everyone went rushing toward the Hex, armed and ready to shoot at whoever was trying to exit. The boundary flickered and they could see an outline of a person coming through. Bucky’s metal hand clenched as Wanda, in her Avengers attire, broke through, dragging the drone behind her. She waltzed to the center of the semi-circle the agents had formed before stopping.

“Is this yours?” She questioned before tossing it at Hayward’s feet.

“The missile was just a precaution,” Hayward stated. “You can hardly blame us, Wanda.”

“Oh, I think I can.” Her Sokovian accent was stronger than it had been in years. “This will be your only warning. Stay out of my home. You don’t bother me. I won’t bother you.”

“I wish it could be that simple. You’ve taken an entire town hostage.”

“Well, I’m not the one with the guns, Director.”

“But you are the one in control,” Monica said, stepping forward.

“You’re still here.” One of Wanda’s hands began glowing red.

“Wanda, I didn’t know that drones were armed. But you know that, don’t you? A town full of civilians. And you, a telepath, brought a SWORD agent and an Avenger into your home. You trusted me to help deliver your babies. On some level, Wanda, you know that I am an ally. I wanna help you.”

“How? What could you possibly have to offer me?”

“What do you want?”

“ I have what I want and no one will ever take it from me again.”

She held up her glowing hand and her power dispersed into the agents holding guns. Suddenly they were all aiming at Hayward.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!” Hayward exclaimed. “Stand down!”

“Wanda!” Bucky called. He stepped into the circle before she could turn away. “I will force them to leave you alone, just let Y/N go.”

“Let her go?” Wanda chuckled. “You seem to be mistaken, Barnes.” She shook her head, a sly smirk on her face as she stepped forward. “She is not a hostage.”

“But Tony and AJ—“

“Are her own creations, not mine.” Bucky somehow immediately knew that she was speaking the truth. “She is even more powerful than me. She could come and go as she pleased. But she won’t. Tony and AJ are in there, two of her hardest losses. Doesn’t that say something about the choice she made?” Wanda took another step toward Bucky, almost simply inches away from her former ally. “Y/N didn’t want to choose you. She made a mistake in doing so.” She studied Bucky closely. “You can see that now, can’t you?”

“Y/N would never leave Morgan.”

“If you bring Morgan here, she could join her brother and father. The family would be complete.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“As I said, Soldier, this is all her.”

Wanda waved her fingers, tossing Bucky aside. Then she lifted her hands and forced power into the boundary. The men under her control were freed as she entered the Hex again. They all watched as the boundary turned from semi-clear to red.

Bucky stared at the boundary, thinking intently about what Wanda had just said.

next chapter >

Notes: I’m so sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I hope it wasn’t complete crap.

I appreciate all likes, comments, asks, and reblogs! Thank you for all the positive support!

TAGLIST IS CLOSED-Taglist Information

I’M FROM BROOKLYN, TOO TAG LIST:

BOTH:

@23victoria

@azure23x

@booknerd-3000

@thewidowsghost

@tuttifuckinfruttifriday

@i-dumb-bitch

@booksarebae2000

@roxytheimmortal

@love-couldbe-my-weakness

@bellamy-barnes

@loveisallyouneed1125

@paintballkid711

@stuckupstucky

@austynparksandpizza

@sydney-m

@fangirl-swagg

@livinglikebritishroyalty

@cspr-2

@supernaturallover2002

@laic2299

@aubreeskailynn (won’t link)

@capstopavenger

@bestofbucky

@irishfaulk97

@a--1--1--3

@marauvdersfate

@hallecarey1

@mjaudrey

@osugahunnyicedtea

@steverogerswifesblog

@cevans-winchester

@ducks118

BUCKY:

@the-hell-is-life

@pastel-boy-sungjae

@obsssedwithjustaboutanything

@outsideratheart

@freyagallileaevans

@ashleydaze

@intothesoul

@bizzlevol6

@fyreball66

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pinkchaosstories · 1 year

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Blood and Thorns - Chapter 7 (part 1)

Chapter 7 (Part One): Parties and Invitations (Read Chapter 1 (part one) here) - (See here for a complete list of chapters) **Updated with minor (though important) changes April 30 2023

Just a quick Author’s Note: if you’ve read B&T on other platforms, you might notice these parts going forward will be different. I’m currently going through another round of editing! Thank you everyone who’s read any part of this and please leave your feedback/comments and/or like/share/reblog/etc. 😘

The Magnus-Monroes hosted the engagement party a week after Frigga’s birthday. It was small, just the coven members and their families, and much more relaxed than the formal ball had been. It was a calm environment, the witches mingled easily, mostly talking about their own magical work or some work that was going on as the summer solstice neared. Frigga and Marcus were arm in arm, accepting congratulations from different members, and Frigga was in a good enough mood that evening that it was almost nice. Everyone had something to say, mostly about how good the match would be for everyone and how they were relieved for Marcus to finally settle down.

In between the well-wishes, Marcus would lean into Frigga and crack some joke or make an observation. After Victoria Bloodswell had politely and somewhat coldly congratulated them, he took the opportunity. “That woman is almost as scary as your aunt. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she’s turned into a ghost herself. Should we ask the Blackwoods to hold a seance the next time we need to hold a business meeting?” He stuck the tip of his tongue out and winked. Frigga giggled, lightly slapping Marcus’ arm that linked with hers. “Shush, she’s just like that. She’s not my aunt’s biggest supporter.” “Really? I had no idea! I thought she constantly looked like she was trying to explode your aunt’s brain telepathically for fun,” Marcus teased. Anyone who saw Victoria Bloodswell interact with the Thornehearts would see the bad blood. Something about leadership being stolen from her family, blah blah blah, generations ago founders did a thing, et cetera. It was all very abstract, and Frigga wasn’t sure there was any truth in such claims as the family had never been able to produce sufficient proof to back them up. She briefly looked around the room, taking in the scene. Who hadn’t they spoken with yet? They’d seen the Morgansons and Cromwells, Ophelia and Aphrodite Rynauld were in a lively conversation with Morgan Blackwood about something, and the Downspires were in the middle of searching for their youngest daughter who, Frigga was pretty sure, was hiding under the table with Leland in the opposite corner of the room. It was cute, actually, Leland’s friendship with Celeste. She was about a year older than him and was quite gifted. Leland had some kind of crush on her. Frigga couldn’t blame him, she was a cute kid, and it was honestly good for him to be around someone his age who was magical. He wasn't very interested in the comings-and-goings of the coven, so being around Celeste was a good way of getting him involved in the group’s social life. A small exploding noise followed by surprised yelps and coughing of two small children captured Frigga’s attention. She quickly glanced at Marcus, who nodded and released her to investigate in the other corner of the room. She was readily joined by Sapphire as it sounded like Leland might be hurt. But when the two children crawled out from the table they were uninjured. Leland was covered in some sort of neon blue dust, like it had exploded in his hands. It painted the entirety of his pastel blue button-down, his palms heavily coated, most of his face, and some even settled into his mop of short red curls. Celeste giggled, less heavily affected though was decorated with a significant coating of blue down the front of her pink dress and in her black coiled buns as well. “Something magical happened!” Sapphire and Frigga looked from Celeste to Leland who laughed in a carefree way, who was starting to get to his feet. “She was showing me her conjurations, and I wanted to try!” “Wait, Leland, did you do that?” Sapphire asked breathlessly, grabbing a napkin from the table they’d crawled out from under. “Yeah, it didn’t go very good! It exploded!” The room froze when everyone heard Leland’s explanation. And then Aurora Morgansons began to excitedly clap closely followed by the rest of the guests, and Frigga and Sapphire gathered Leland up in a big hug, his aunt planting a kiss on his cheek much to the young boy’s obvious embarrassment. He had finally confirmed it: he was a witch and Frigga was ecstatically proud of him. Once the applause died down, Frigga took her brother to get cleaned up while the party continued on, more excitedly and energized than before. It was rare a youngster would be confirmed around so many people, but everyone had been privileged to see it. It was a happy thing. She carefully led Leland to the nearest powder room and had him sit on a chair after making sure he wouldn’t accidentally ruin it with the blue dust. “Hang on, I’ll get us a towel or something.” “Sure, thanks Frigga.” The young boy peered around the room curiously, his legs kicking the seat. She found a rag, dampened it, and pulled up a stool next to him to start working on the stain. “This is exciting, huh?” she asked cheerfully. Leland shrugged. “I guess, but I don’t think it matters.” His sister frowned and looked at his face. His complexion matched hers, pale skin littered with freckles, but he had their father’s brown eyes. He looked a lot like their father, actually. “What do you…why do you say that?” Leland laughed, as if the answer was obvious. “Auntie already said you had to be the next heir, right?” Frigga shrugged, rubbing forcefully at his shirt sleeve, checked to see if she was making any progress, and winced slightly because there was absolutely no change at all. “Sure, but that doesn’t mean anything at all. Magic isn’t just for coven work, my magic helps me too!” Leland rolled his eyes. “But auntie is going to make me study more. I already get so bored. It’s borrrring!” The stain wasn’t coming out. Frigga scowled at it, her nose wrinkling in frustration. “Yes, it can be. But,” she paused and looked at her brother, a mischievous smile on her glossed lips, “there’s lots of things that make it fun. Want to see?” Her brother grinned and nodded furiously. Frigga sat up and looked around the room for inspiration. It was a small room, painted soft pink with white crown moulding, shiny marble tiles, and wall-length mirrors. There was also a large painting in an ornate hardwood frame hung on the wall behind the pink velvet chaise Leland was perched on. The painting was of a woodland scene. Someone had fallen asleep in a pasture and was surrounded by all sorts of small animals. It was perfect. Frigga focussed in on a small rabbit in the front of the painting, pointed a finger at it, and released a soft burst of energy at the painting. It impacted, bursting like fireworks, and suddenly the rabbit began to animate, jumping out of the painting and around the room leaving footprints of blue sparkling light behind it. Leland shrieked with laughter, and Frigga couldn’t help but smile at the boy’s reaction. She pulled a few other creatures from the painting, a bird, a mouse, had them join the rabbit in running around the room and under the chairs, one even hopped into Leland’s lap. His eyes were huge with wonder, and when he went to pet the rabbit, it and the other animated creatures dissolved into white light, reappearing back in their original spots in the painting. Leland burst into applause, and Frigga nodded in a smug bow. “Why thank you, sir!” “Cool! Why don’t you do that all the time?” “There isn’t a lot of practical uses for this kind of illusion, but sometimes if I can’t sleep, I animate a few of the angels on my ceiling to dance for me.” “You think I can do it too?” Frigga nodded, picking the rag back up to half-heartedly wipe at the boy’s mussed up face. At least that was coming out though it still left a small tint of blue behind. “I think you can do anything you want, Lee.” He looked down to where she had scrubbed at his shirt. “You can’t use magic to clean it?” Frigga sighed in frustration as she finished wiping his face and started at his hair. “No, you can’t clean magic stains out with magic. Or anything it seems. I think you’ve gone and changed the colour of the fabric itself, but I don’t want to mess with it until you’re not wearing it anymore.” She grinned and leaned in close, as if to tell a secret. Leland mirrored her. She whispered, “Wouldn’t want to accidentally explode you.” Leland cackled. “I don’t think you can do that, Frigg!” She crossed her arms, a brow raised comically high. “Oh, you don’t do you?” Leland rigorously shook his head. “Nope!” “I think I could!” “Nu-uh!” “Uh-huh!” And they had about ten rounds of “nu-uh” and “yeah-huh” before dissolving into a fit of giggles. Frigga knew she was going to be missed if they were gone much longer, but it was nice to spend time with her brother away from it all. And honestly? It was nice to escape from all the social chess she’d had to play all evening. When the siblings calmed down, Frigga sighed. “I think we should be getting back.” Leland groaned. “It’s boring, though.” Frigga smiled sympathetically as she stood to hang the rag on a nearby towel rack. “Yes, it is.” “Isn’t it your party?” “It’s still boring. And stressful. Just be thankful you don’t have to deal with coven stuff.” “Why?” Frigga thought for a way to phrase her complaint that wouldn’t turn him away from magical practice generally. “I love our members, of course I do. And the magic we do is so much more powerful than any one of us can do on our own… But I’m not fond of all the social duties that come along with it, let’s say that.” Leland nodded solemnly. “Yeah. Do you think Gertrude will make me a cake when we get home?” Frigga chuckled as she held her hand out for Leland, offering to help him from his seat. “Maybe. Like a birthday cake?” Leland took her hand and jumped up from his seat. “Yeah, but for magic-day.” Frigga took a deep breath, steeling herself against the thought of returning to the party. But her chest softened with a thought. “I think I know someone that could do that for you, Leland.”

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