ecclesiasticallatinfest

[ecclesiasticallatinfest]

2025 marks the silver jubilee of the celebration of mother language day.

Languages, whether spoken by hundreds of millions, or just by a few thousand native speakers, connect people and are inseparably linked with the respective culture. However, according to a UNESCO estimate, one language disappears every two weeks – an irreparable loss for our collective cultural heritage. The International Day of Mother Language is a worldwide annual observance to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. The day was proclaimed by the General Conference of UNESCO in November 1999. 2025 marks the silver jubilee of the celebration of mother language day. The Division of Conference Management at the United Nations Office at Geneva joins these celebrations by highlighting the cultural wealth and language abilities of its staff and partners. 

[ecclesiasticallatinfest]

31/5 - Lost continent

Does the crew find Atlantis? Or do you want to post a fill for one of the other days? Now's your chance!

Full rules & schedule post

OFMD Continental Challenge collection on AO3

[ecclesiasticallatinfest]

End of OFMD Continental Challenge!

If you haven't checked out the fics in the collection, we have ten of them!

[ecclesiasticallatinfest]

It's catch-up day for @ecclesiasticallatinfest the OFMD Continental Challenge, so I'm catching up with Europe!

Pairing: Ed/Stede

Rating: PG-13

Summary:

Izzy then shows him the email, the website and some online news articles from legitimate newspapers that confirm that yes, there is a European gull screeching championship, and it’s held annually in some coastal town in Belgium.

“We’re going,” Ed tells him, while Izzy points at some of the previous judges with his mouse and explains that they’re renowned colleagues of his in the world of marine biology. “I want to see you judge gull screeching.”

Ed and his marine biologist friend Izzy go to De Panne for the European Championship Gullscreeching where Ed meets the blond DILF of his dreams. Luckily, the DILF's son is competing in the gullscreeching championship, and Ed will happily accept the opportunity to flirt with the attractive blond.

Yes, Belgium has a gullscreeching championship.

Yes, a British kid named Cooper won the Juvenile category last month. (A Portuguese scientist won the Adult category, btw)

Yes, lesbian seagulls pissed off a lot of conservatives back in the seventies.

Also, this is Gilles De Coster:

(Source)

[ecclesiasticallatinfest]

31/5 - Lost continent

Does the crew find Atlantis? Or do you want to post a fill for one of the other days? Now's your chance!

Full rules & schedule post

OFMD Continental Challenge collection on AO3

[ecclesiasticallatinfest]

31/5 - Lost continent

Does the crew find Atlantis? Or do you want to post a fill for one of the other days? Now's your chance!

Full rules & schedule post

OFMD Continental Challenge collection on AO3

[ecclesiasticallatinfest]

30/5 - Antarctica

Have our crew explore this continent whether on land or at sea! Or perhaps in the air if you're including Buttons or Karl or Olivia?

Full rules & schedule post

OFMD Continental Challenge collection on AO3

[ecclesiasticallatinfest]

30/5 - Antarctica

Have our crew explore this continent whether on land or at sea! Or perhaps in the air if you're including Buttons or Karl or Olivia?

Full rules & schedule post

OFMD Continental Challenge collection on AO3

[ecclesiasticallatinfest]

here in the land of mud and fire

it's not Tuesday where i live anymore but in some parts of the world it is so here is part two of my Azerbaijan-set fic, for Asia Day in @ecclesiasticallatinfest's Continental Challenge.

read the first chapter HERE. AO3 is HERE. rating is M-ish

-

Stede’s penthouse suite is fucking enormous. 

Ed has just enough awareness of such things as may exist beyond the pounding drumbeat of Stede Stede Stede in his head to realise that he can’t even see the bed from where they’re standing. To their left is a living space, sofas and armchairs and an enormous window with a view of the Flame Towers (ha, thinks Ed, called it) and to the right of that is a kitchen. A set of grand double doors takes up most of the far wall, though; Ed reckons they must lead to the bedroom. 

That’s their objective, then. Those doors.  

They make it as far as the sofa. 

Ed tumbles onto it with Stede beneath him and sucks greedily on his neck. Stede keens; he clutches at Ed’s back as Ed sets himself to the task of undoing the adventure outfit’s many, many buttons. 

“These little fuckers,” he growls, tweaking one of them, “have been driving me mad all day.” 

“They’re—mostly decorative,” Stede gasps. 

“Which are the ones that aren’t?” 

“On the left. My left.” 

“Right.” 

“No, left.” 

“No, I meant right, like right I get it.” 

“Oh, right.” 

“Don’t you mean left?” 

Stede starts to laugh. “It’s your right, anyway.” 

“Right.” Ed’s laughing too, then kissing the smirk off Stede’s face as he makes quick work of the correct row of buttons. When they’re undone he sits back and treats his eyes to the sight of a bare chest that’s even better than it was in his fantasies. 

“Fuck, you’re gorgeous,” he says. 

“That’s saying something, coming from you.” With the tips of gentle fingers Stede traces the contours of Ed’s face: forehead, cheekbone, the bridge of his nose, his lips. His manicured nails rake through the short beard that covers Ed’s jaw. Ed catches his breath. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man so beautiful,” Stede whispers. 

“You think I’m beautiful?” 

“You must know you are.” 

“No one’s ever said so.” Hot, yes. Fuckable, sure. But beautiful? Never. Ed gives a little shrug. “Just you.” 

“Well, they should have,” Stede retorts. “You should hear it every day.” Ed attempts a scoff, but Stede catches his jaw more firmly and holds his gaze. “Ed, if people haven’t appreciated you in the past then that’s on them. You’re not responsible for blind fools failing to see.” His fingers trail down Ed’s neck to his collarbone. “Do you know what’s been driving me mad all day?” 

“No.” Ed exhales sharply as Stede’s other hand slides beneath his shirt and up his chest. 

“Your forearms,” Stede says. “The tattoos that disappear under your shirt. I want to see the rest of them. May I?” 

At Ed’s nod of assent, Stede tugs his shirt up and over his head then he leans back to do some bare-chest admiring of his own. “You’re a work of art, Ed,” he says, in a tone of near-reverence. “You make me wish I could paint.” His roving fingers trace the lines of ink on Ed’s chest. “I want to re-draw every one of these across your skin with my tongue.”

READ MORE

[ecclesiasticallatinfest]

29/5 - Australia

Have our crew explore this continent whether on land or at sea! Or perhaps in the air if you're including Buttons or Karl or Olivia?

Full rules & schedule post

OFMD Continental Challenge collection on AO3

[ecclesiasticallatinfest]

29/5 - Australia

Have our crew explore this continent whether on land or at sea! Or perhaps in the air if you're including Buttons or Karl or Olivia?

Full rules & schedule post

OFMD Continental Challenge collection on AO3

[ecclesiasticallatinfest]

28/5 - Asia

Have our crew explore this continent whether on land or at sea! Or perhaps in the air if you're including Buttons or Karl or Olivia?

Full rules & schedule post

OFMD Continental Challenge collection on AO3

[ecclesiasticallatinfest]

28/5 - Asia

Have our crew explore this continent whether on land or at sea! Or perhaps in the air if you're including Buttons or Karl or Olivia?

Full rules & schedule post

OFMD Continental Challenge collection on AO3

[ecclesiasticallatinfest]

27/5 Africa

Have our crew explore this continent whether on land or at sea! Or perhaps in the air if you're including Buttons or Karl or Olivia?

Full rules & schedule post

OFMD Continental Challenge collection on AO3

[ecclesiasticallatinfest]

27/5 Africa

Have our crew explore this continent whether on land or at sea! Or perhaps in the air if you're including Buttons or Karl or Olivia?

Full rules & schedule post

OFMD Continental Challenge collection on AO3

[ecclesiasticallatinfest]

here in the land of mud and fire

every time i think i'm done posting gentlebeard fic, some new interesting event crops up and my fingers just start typing. This particular folly is for @ecclesiasticallatinfest and their Continental Challenge. It's a two-shot set in Azerbaijan, a country that spans Europe and Asia. First part posts today for Europe, part two will arrive on Tuesday for Asia.

this is by far the most self-referential thing i've written for this fandom. i lived in Azerbaijan 2013-2014 which is when the fic is roughly set. Ed's thoughts and feelings here are basically my own. There's also references to other places i've lived and visited, all real except for the sea turtle sanctuary which does not exist. There is however a Sea Turtle Museum on Kume-jima in Okinawa and it is worth a visit.

aside from all that the fic is basically just a meet-cute, a silly adventure, then sex. Boom, bing, bang.

5k for the first part, rated M

-

“…and I still can’t figure out how to get out to Qobustan!” 

With a crisp, economical movement of shoulder, wrist and elbow, Ed makes his shot. The tip of his cue hits the eight ball at precisely the angle he’d intended but Ed doesn’t watch to see if the ball sinks into the pocket. He knows it does based on that angle and on the sound of Izzy’s irritated huff, but Ed’s attention is elsewhere. 

Specifically, it’s on the blond who’s just entered Hops Pub—an only slightly dive-y sports bar near Fountains Square in Baku, popular with locals and Baku’s tiny expat community alike. The blond fits in here about as well as a cut diamond might in a handful of gravel but the man himself doesn’t appear to notice this, or much else around him. He’s gone to stand at the bar now, wearing a turquoise jacket and a bitchy expression, mobile phone pressed to his ear, actually tapping his foot with impatience as Ilya serves other customers. His hair frames his face in flawless golden waves and the pleat in his trousers could cut glass. 

Ed’s fascinated. 

“Another game?” he vaguely hears Izzy say. “Fang, rack ‘em up. Ed? Hey? Edward! You up for a rematch?” 

“Nah.” Ed doesn’t spare him a glance. His eyes are otherwise occupied. “Let Fang have a go.” 

“C’mon, Ed—” 

“He’d just kick your ass again anyway,” Fang points out. Ed chuckles as Izzy splutters. 

“Perils of playing pool with an architect,” he says absently. “We’re all about the angles. Hey, I’m gonna go to the bar, you guys want anything? My round.” 

They all accept of course and Ed heads for the blond. Er, the bar. He heads for the bar. If in doing so he comes extremely close to the blond, well. The man is standing right in front of the bar. Which is where Ed heads. 

“A taxi?” the blond is saying as Ed settles in beside him with his forearms resting on the familiar scarred wood. “Don’t you think I’ve tried that already? None of them are licensed, I don’t think there even is such a thing as licensing here, and the minute the drivers see me coming they form a sort of wordless pact to quote me absolutely absurd sums. It’s pure corporate collusion is what it is.” 

Ed catches Ilya’s eye and indicates with a gesture he’d like another round of their usuals. Ilya acknowledges this, then attempts to catch the eye of the blond. Who entirely fails to notice him or indeed anyone or anything else in his immediate surroundings.

 “What do you mean what was I wearing?” he demands in a testy voice. “The same things I always wear… Well, in this particular instance it was my teal jacquard… No, Lucius, I cannot ‘just wear different clothes’. My clothes are the only clothes I have… No, I didn’t repack after Osaka, why would I… Obviously I brought a proper adventuring outfit but I’m hardly going to wear that until it’s actually time to go… Well, yes, I believe there is a shopping mall around here somewhere but Lucius I simply refuse to lower myself to the gruesome depths of poly-blend suits just to get a reasonable taxi fare. There are limits… No, I’m sure there’s got to be another way.” 

By now Ilya is all but waving his arms in the air to get the blond’s attention and at last he succeeds. “Oh, yes, um.” The man blinks, apparently only just coming to the realisation that he’s in a bar and certain social customs must be observed. “A mojito please, if you have that.” 

“Of course.” It’s impossible to tell from Ilya’s straight face or toneless reply whether he’s annoyed or not but Ed rather suspects he is. “One ‘mojito’, coming right up.” Oh, he’s definitely annoyed. 

Ed shifts his body so he’s facing the blond directly and observes him with unabashed interest. Predictably, it takes him a moment or two to pick up what Ed’s laying down but once he does his reaction is deeply gratifying. His eyes widen, then travel slowly from Ed’s face down his body and back up to his face again. Ed unleashes his most mercilessly sexy grin. The man swallows visibly.

“Lucius,” he says, “I’ll call you back.” 

A tinny voice from the phone’s speaker squawks in protest then is silenced as the blond cuts the call. “Hello,” he says to Ed. 

“Hey,” Ed replies. “So, I heard you say you’re going to Qobustan.” 

“Trying to.” The man pulls a face. “I didn’t think it would be quite this hard.” 

“Yeah? What are you finding hard about it?” 

“Well, my original plan was to hire a car and drive there myself. But I’ve been travelling a lot in the past few years you see and in all the confusion of being away from my usual routine I sort of… forgot to renew my driving licence. Turns out it’s been expired for six months.” 

Ed makes appropriately sympathetic noises and the man continues. “So then I thought, well, surely there will be a bus. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site! But, well.” 

“Yeah, mate, there’s no bus. Not outside Baku.” 

“Which I soon discovered. And then finally there were the taxis.” 

“I heard what you said about the taxis.” Ed can’t keep the amusement from his voice. “You’re absolutely right about them, they charge foreigners extra and you’re probably the most foreigner they’ve ever seen.” 

The blond gives him an odd look, a sort of bemused scowl. “I can’t tell if that’s an insult,” he says. 

“Wasn’t meant as one. Just a statement of fact. There’s not a lot of Western tourism in Baku so most of the foreigners here are Russian, Georgian, or Turkish. The ones that aren’t are probably oil rig workers or English teachers. Hardly surprising they haven’t seen anything like you before.”  

The blond sighs. “I actually get that a lot.” Ed believes him.

Ilya sets Ed’s drinks down on the bar then with exaggerated ceremony places a beautifully constructed mojito on a bar napkin and slides it over to the blond. “Sir’s mojito,” he says, deadpan. “Ten manat.” 

“Oh, right, um—” The blond begins to fumble for his wallet. 

“Put his on my tab,” says Ed in Russian. “Спасибо.” Ilya nods curtly and turns to the next customer. 

“You didn’t have to do that.” The blond picks up the mojito. “I’ve got manat of my own, you know. I didn’t come here entirely unprepared.”  His lips purse around the stripy straw in his drink as he takes a sip and Ed is momentarily distracted. 

“Wait,” he says, once his ability to produce language returns. “Do you speak Russian?” 

“Understand it mostly. Read it a little bit.” He shoots Ed a little smirk. “See? Not entirely unprepared.” 

“And did you know they spoke Russian in Azerbaijan before you came here?” 

The blond’s cheeks pinken. “Not precisely.” 

Ed starts to laugh. 

“Look, I know! This whole trip is a mess. In my defence I’m actually very good at what I do but the logistics surrounding my work are not something I normally have to manage. That’s my assistant’s job but he’s been down with the flu for two weeks and I’ve had to muddle through on my own. Not very well, apparently.” He gives a rueful shrug.

“Why don’t I take you to Qobustan?” Ed offers, casual as you like, as though this is merely a friendly gesture and not the object of the plan he’d formulated about three seconds after first laying eyes on this man. As though it were not the opening salvo of what he hopes will be be a quick and successful campaign to get himself into those sharply pleated trousers. Figuratively speaking, obviously. Pleats are not Ed’s style. 

The man looks taken aback but Ed can see he’s also considering it. “I don’t even know your name,” he says. 

“Ed Teach.” Ed holds out his hand. 

“Er.” The blond takes it in a firm and confident grip. Something ignites low in Ed’s belly. “Stede Bonnet.” 

Ed nods, swallows, forces himself to withdraw his hand. “Well now that we’ve been introduced, Stede Bonnet, can I give you a lift to Qobustan? Tomorrow’s my day off.” 

“Really?” Stede brightens. “On a Thursday? That’s a bit of luck.” 

“Isn’t it?” 

Tomorrow’s not Ed’s day off, of course. He doesn’t really have days off. But what’s the point of being the fucking boss if you can’t skive when you feel like it? Life is short and there are shiny blond men to fuck.  

“Well, if you’re sure it’s not an imposition,” says Stede. 

“Definitely not.” 

“And you aren’t some sort of deranged killer?” 

“Never on a Thursday. That’s my day off.” 

Stede laughs. It makes his eyes sparkle and his nose crinkle, exposes the line of his throat as he tilts his head back. Ed wants to devour him. “Then I’m delighted to accept your generous offer,” he says. “Thank you.” His beaming smile lights up the dim pub and Ed’s insides alike. 

“Cool,” Ed manages. He’s cool, everything’s cool. “Can’t wait.” 

continue reading on AO3

[ecclesiasticallatinfest]

26/5 Europe

Have our crew explore this continent whether on land or at sea! Or perhaps in the air if you're including Buttons or Karl or Olivia?

Full rules & schedule post

OFMD Continental Challenge collection on AO3