#— angel’s holiday workshop ! ⍋ ⊹

[gudfornuthin]

Hiii❤️, are you taking requests for Bernard rn? And if so can you write a Bernard x reader (she/her) where she has a very flirtatious personality and he has a huge crush on her and he lovesss when she’s being that way towards him but when he sees her talk to other people like that he’s kinda jealous and maybe end in some smut ( ofc only if you’re comfortable writing that!<3)

Jealousy looks good on you

Bernard the elf x reader

A/N: ‘tis the season and the Bernard girlies have awakened. I’m shocked at all the support I’ve received from these one shots and I’m so glad to be writing more. This isn’t my best imo, I don’t know where I was going with it so I kinda got carried away, but oh well lol. I have another Bernard request after this one and then I’ll be back to my Beauty and the Beast rewrite. Hope you all enjoy :))

“She’s doing it again.”

“Who?”

“Y/N. She’s flirting with him again.”

“Your obsession with Y/N is becoming a problem.”

This wasn’t the first conversation Curtis and Bernard had had with each other about Y/N. This topic specifically. It was known by the other elves that she was confident, and very blunt when talking to others. That also didn’t stop in the romantic sense. And Bernard knew that. She wasn’t afraid to flirt with him in front of others, and that’s why he loved it so much. It made him feel good. And also slightly embarrassed. Only because he wasn’t used to that sort of attention, especially from a very beautiful girl. He wasn’t great at reciprocating her advances, but he hoped she wouldn’t stop. So far she hadn’t. But a new ‘suitor’ had entered the picture, and Bernard was not happy. Some tall, blue eyed elf that he hadn’t bothered learning the name of was also receiving the flirtatious attention from Y/N, and unfortunately he was much better at dishing it back than Bernard was.

“I’m not obsessed with Y/N,” Curtis rolled his eyes at that remark, “I’m just curious to know why she thinks it’s okay to talk with that guy when they both have a lot of work to do.”

The younger elf snorted. “You don’t seem to have an issue when she’s talking to you and wasting precious work time.”

“You’re not helping,” Bernard huffed, walking away from Curtis and towards the workshop, trying to get the image of Y/N and the tall, blue eyed elf out of his head.

**************************************************************************************

It had been a few hours since his last conversation with Curtis, and Bernard had quickly calmed down, busying himself with tasks he had yet completed for the holiday season. However, it hadn’t helped him get Y/N out of his head. From the constant flirting, to seeing her using that charm on someone else, Bernard was unsure where the relationship stood. Was it all a big joke to her? Had she been leading him on the last few months to mess with him? Before he could dive deeper into his existential dread, a soft voice sounded from behind him.

“Hey handsome.”

Bernard froze slightly, and looked over his shoulder to see Y/N walk through the door, a stack of paperwork in her hands and a bright smile on her face. Glitter on her cheeks and nose, sporting a new dress that glimmered in the light, Bernard thought she looked like an angel ready to be set atop the Christmas tree. He shook himself out of his trance, and smiled tightly back at her, unable to form any words. He quickly turned back around, continuing his sort out of different coloured wrapping paper. It wasn’t usually Bernard’s job, but he needed the distraction, and the wrapping room was a quiet place to come in the evenings.

“Curtis told me you’d be in here and I need you to sign these papers for Santa.”

Y/N held the paperwork out towards Bernard, their fingers touching briefly once he reached out to grab them. He placed them on the side of the desk and mumbled a ‘thanks’ under his breath, barely audible. Y/N let out a small huff and strolled around Bernard, taking in his tense form.

She smiled again. “So. How’s my favourite elf doing?”

Bernard didn’t bother looking up from his work. “He’s very busy at the moment,” his tone dull and unwavering.

A hand suddenly came into the head elf’s view, and hit the desk hard, jolting everything laying on top. Bernard jumped back and looked to the side where Y/N stood with eyebrows raised and her mouth pursed.

“Have I done something to upset you?” She asked, crossing her arms and popping her hip to the side.

Bernard wasn’t sure what to say, nor how Y/N might react. He’d never been great at showcasing his feelings, especially in the romantic sense. But this wasn’t just some random girl he’d found cute once and never interacted with. This was Y/N. One of his closest friends, someone he cared deeply for. Who seemed to care deeply about him too. She was also someone he worked with. The possibility of admitting how he felt, and for her to not feel the same, it would no doubt make things awkward. And he’d hate to ruin what they already have. Even if it killed him to see her flirting with someone else.

“You’ve done nothing, I’ve just had a lot on my plate and I can’t handle any distractions at the moment,” Bernard finally replied, trying to keep his voice level.

“Really?” Y/N bit back, “because I feel like you’ve been avoiding me all day. And since when do you spend time in the wrapping paper room? When Curtis told me you were here, I was worried you might be having a mental breakdown.” She ended with a joke, but part of Bernard knew there was truth behind her words.

The head elf felt himself boiling over. His temper was short, and everyone knew that, but when it came to Y/N he was unusually chill. Her presence was good for him. Not at this moment though. He could feel himself ready to lash out, and he was worried what could be said.

“Do I have to explain everything to you? Can I not spend time alone without you knowing where and what I’m doing every second of every day?”

“I’m sorry I care about you and want to know what you’re up to! Sure you can have all the time you want alone, I just don’t like it when you avoid me completely,” by now, both of their voices were shaking and getting louder.

“I thought you’d want to spend more time with your new tall, blue eyed friend,” Bernard instantly regretted his words.

Y/N opened her mouth but closed it almost instantly, her brow furrowed and confusion clear on her face. “What are you talking about?” her voice now considerably calmer.

Bernard could feel the embarrassment wash over him, desperate to think of some excuse, but coming up short. “This morning, I saw you talking to someone. It looked like he was flirting, and you seemed to be doing the same back,” Y/N’s face softened as she begun to realise what and who the older elf was talking about. “It got to me, okay? It bothered me that you were talking to him in that way when,” a slight pause, “you usually only talk to me that way.”

Y/N shook her head, a confused look returning briefly. “I don’t understand, you never showed any interest in my flirting, why is it bothering you when I do it to someone else.”

“Because I like you!” There it was. That barrier Bernard built high for years, keeping relationships at bay, had just been broken. And he didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing. “I’m not the best at showing my emotions. Romantically speaking, I’m an amateur at it. And I’m sorry I was never good at reciprocating your advances. I guess it doesn’t matter if it was just a joke to you.”

Y/N reached out quickly, grabbing Bernard’s hand and holding it close to her. “It was never a joke to me. I just didn’t think you liked me in that way so I stopped. Thought I’d try with someone else to help me move on from you.” She moved a step forward, standing toe to toe. “I knew it would never work. You’re the only person I truly care about, in that way.”

Bernard was speechless. He couldn’t stop staring into her eyes, brimmed with emotion but full of love. He mostly felt like an idiot. Never taking the chance before now to make a move or admit how he felt. He finally felt at peace. Like everything had finally worked out.

“What now?” Bernard awkwardly questioned, placing his hands on Y/N’s hips.

“I think you should probably kiss me before someone else does,” She jested back.

They both laugh and lean in, Y/N’s hands going to hold the head elf’s face. The kiss deepened, Y/N moving her left hand to the back of Bernard’s head, tugging slightly at his curls. This elicited a deep moan from Bernard’s throat, his pants growing tighter, as he tugged Y/N somehow closer to him and towards the desk still covered with wrapping paper.

“Why did we wait so long to do this?” Y/N mumbled out between wet kisses.

Bernard moved to sucking her neck, most definitely leaving bruises. ��I don’t know. But I never want to stop.”

They continued making out, Y/N feeling the desk behind her and sliding on top, pulling Bernard in between her legs. She felt him growing harder, and slowly moved her hand down, palming at the front of his pants. Bernard couldn’t help but whimper slightly, gripping the side of the desk as well as Y/N’s thigh. Keeping one hand on his hard on, she moved her other back up and unbuttoned his shirt, rubbing her hand in circular motions on his chest. Bernard followed soon after, taking hold of the bottom of her shirt and lifting it over her head. The couple continued kissing and touching anywhere they could reach, seeming to care little to none about the door still being open, or whether someone walked by and found them in their current predicament. They were just glad to have finally admitted how they felt. In the back of his head, Bernard reminded himself to thank that tall, blue eyed elf for bringing out the jealousy in him.

(Sorry it seems to cut short, I’m terrible at writing smut or intimate stuff but I hope you all enjoyed anyways :))

[anangelinthepit]

Baby, you're the Right Kind of Wrong

Hey guys, so this is basically gonna be like my first series accept a little better. I hope you guys don't mind, but I have a lot of good stuff coming out for this one. As always, I love you all

************************************************

Part 1

Ever since I was a little girl, I was always told that the Devil was pure evil and he would do everything in his power to make your life a living hell. Every Sunday at church and every Thursday at youth group, Mama and Papa would preach that the devil would be disguised as an angel and try to trick me into falling in love with him. I look back at this now and wonder if they could look into the future because that is exactly what happened. Only in this case, the “Devil” turned out to be the angel that saved me from the real evils of this world.

“Y/N Y/M/N get down here, please!” my mother yelled from in the kitchen

As my eyes fluttered open to the sound of my mother's voice, the beautiful East Coast sunrise shined through my curtains, casting a glow against my skin. I looked over at my alarm clock and saw that the time showed 6:00 am.

“Oh my gosh, it's too early for all this.” I groaned, throwing myself back into the bed. I was reluctant to get up, but then I remembered what happened the last time I made Mama wait for me. Letting out a huge sigh of frustration I made my out of my bed, with my feet hitting the cold wooden floor. It was the beginning of October, and the cold temperatures were already starting to welcome themselves into our lives. I never minded it, but my parents, on the other hand, hated this month. Constantly believing that nothing but pure evil comes from October due to Halloween. I always thought it was a cute holiday, even though I never got to celebrate.

I finally started to make my way down the creaky stairs and into the kitchen where Mama was cooking. The sunshine glowed on her beautiful, tired-out skin. Mama used to be so pretty until she and Papa got more involved in the church. Papa made her throw out all her makeup and pretty clothes. Modesty was her way of life now and if you asked me it was boring

“Good morning, young lady. What took you so long to join us.” Mama said in a suspicious tone

“I'm sorry, Mama. I just didn't get enough sleep last night. It was a little difficult waking up this morning I said, kissing her on the cheek.

“Well, you should be happy that God chose to wake you up, missy. He blessed you with another day in the life we gave you. You better have thanked him.” Papa said from the end of the table.

“I am Papa. I am more than thankful. And yes, I said my morning prayers” I said, sitting down with my plate of oatmeal.

Papa and Mama used to live the wildlife, or so they say now the “sinful life”. Mama was a beautiful model out in California, while Papa was starting to work as a movie director in the heart of Hollywood. I remember being a little girl and telling me all the stories about how they met and where they traveled. They seem so much happier back then without all this religious craziness. I always wondered what happened but never had the nerve to ask. Last time, I questioned our faith. Papa locked me in my room for a week with no food and water. Said, “God will provide to those who have earned.”

“Y/N please remember to tell your friend Ana that calling her at all hours is unacceptable,” Mama said while sitting down.

“I will remind her again, Mama.”

I heard my alarm go off once again letting me know it was time to head out and do my daily chores. I kissed Mama and Papa on the cheek and began to make my way to the door when Papa shouted his favorite quote.

“Y/N Remember, idle hands are the devil's workshop. “ He said, glaring at me from the kitchen table.

I looked back, nodded my head, and went about my way. The walk into town was only 20 minutes, so I was able to pull out my phone to listen to music. My parents were too tech-savvy, so I was able to keep some of my stuff a secret. I pulled up my playlist and found my favorite album. As the music began to play through my headphones, I drifted into my dream world

“Blinded by a fear of feeling. These are the kings we chose.”

My gosh, this man's voice drove me insane. Bad Omens became my favorite band ever since Ana showed them to me a few months ago. Of course, I had to had to hide this from my parents. If they found out, Lord knows I would be the talk of the church and made an example out of. I still have scars from the last time Mama and Papa had to prove to the church that they were God’s followers. I finally made my way into town and started my daily errands. Pick up eggs from Mr. Jenkins, grab Mama her yarn from the craft stand, and pick up meat from the butcher. I was getting ready to start when my ringtone played through my headphones. It was Ana.

“GIRL GUESS WHAT?” She shouted

“Good morning to you too, the fact that you’re up this early, must be something important,” I said laughing

“You’re not gonna believe this, remember that guy I dated two months ago?” She asked

“The one that had all those reptiles in his house? Yea, why ?”

“Well come to find out, he knows the members of Bad Omens. Like is friends with them. They invited him to a party and said he could bring anyone he wanted. Girl, we are going to a party and you’re gonna meet your hubby Noah. I’m the greatest friend ever aren’t I.” She said

“As great as that sounds Ana it’s not happening. My parents would never let me go to a party, let alone one with a band that talks about dethroning God.” I said, shaking my head

“Just tell them you're going on another religious retreat, and you can bunk at my place. As long as it has something to do with you worshipping god then they'll fall for it.” Ana said

“Okay, so when is this party?”

“Tonight..”

“HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?” I quietly yelled into the phone.

“Somewhat yes and don't worry, I got clothes for you. I'll pick you up tonight. Bye.”

My heart was officially in my stomach. I'm meeting Bad Omens tonight, and I have to somehow get it past my psycho-religious parents.

“God help me”

I finally got my errands done and was about to make my way back home when I heard someone yell my name. When I turned around, it was Elijah.

“Y/N wait up!.”

I waited for him to catch up to me and flashed a small smile. Eli was your picture-perfect Christian boy. My parents loved him and even tried to go as far as getting us together, but I never had feelings for him like that. I only like him as a friend, but he never seems to get the hint. It gets annoying from time to time, but he's got nothing better going on, so I let him live out his daydream.

“Good afternoon, Eli. How are you today?” I said, holding my basket

“Why so formal? Y/n, you never answered any of my messages.” he accused

“Eli you calling me baby and telling me I should come over to your place is not something I want to talk about. Now, please, I have to get back home before my parents worry.” I said, ending the conversation

“Well, at least call me tonight!” Eli said as I walked away from him.

I completely ignored him and went about my way. I made it home in time to find Mama setting up the table for dinner, and Papa smoking out of his pipe. I remembered that I had to tell them about a fake retreat and hope they believed my lie. My lies were always easy to breakthrough but the thought of finally getting to meet Noah in person gave me this confidence I never felt before. I wanted this more than anything so I had to make this believable. After greeting them both, I took a few deep breaths before finally laying out the lie.

“A religious retreat, that late in the evening?” Mama said, looking at me

With her arms crossed

“Bit of a late notice, don't you think,” Papa asked

“I agree, Papa, but I feel I could really spend time with God on this retreat and be away from the evil in the world,” I said

“Melinda, what do you think?” Papa asked

“Well I don't like the late notice, but if this finally brings you closer to god, where you should be, then who am

I to stop you.” Mama said

I thanked both of them and hugged them. Papa pushed me off, but it didn't matter. I was used to it. I ran upstairs and gathered all my things. Thank god Ana has an outfit for me. All I have are old people's dresses. I texted Ana and told her I was ready and to go pick me up down the block.

I didn't want my parents to question me anymore, so I left my house quickly. Ana came down to the block and picked me up.

“ Girl, we gotta get you into something different,” Ana said, giggling at me

“Well, stop laughing and help me.” I said, elbowing her

“From cute Bible girl to Gothic baddie. Let's go.”

Enjoy loves

Magenta 🌹

[schweizercomics]

Hello, friends!

I suspect that the chances of many folks being local on here are slim, but I reckoned I'd let potential neighbors know that, as we roll into this 2023 holiday season, I'm doing two holiday events in the next couple of weeks (both in Madisonville, Kentucky):

December 1st I'll be a couple of blocks from my house for the downtown Mistletoe Art Stroll to show off the big wooden Santa workshops, along with a few other things.

December 7, I'll be giving a presentation at the Hopkins County Madisonville Public Library as part of our annual friends of the library annual open meeting, in which we elect new officers (I'm currently the treasurer, but if someone else is interested, I am exceptionally bad at math and would not mind relinquishing the position).

Here's the skinny on the talk:

Santa isn’t the only winter holiday gift-giver!  Join cartoonist Chris Schweizer to learn the stories behind some of the most beloved (and outlandish) traditional characters of the holiday season from around the world, a cast that includes knights, pirates, baby angels, trolls, giant cats, snow wizards, bears, cowboys, anglers, rhyming horse skulls, and even a Cajun werewolf!

After my talk (which is for adults and kids both), folks can get their picture taken and visit with Santa Claus himself, who will be on hand, and I may have a couple Christmas thingies to sell, the proceeds of which will go to the Friends of the Library. If you're in or near Madisonville, Kentucky, I hope to see you there!

[agaypanic]

Love your work btw you’re amazing 😫😫! But anyways could you pls do a Bernard x reader where she’s Scott’s daughter and her and Bernard are dating but keeping it a secret and he finds out and like gets upset about it and overreacts a little and tells them they can’t see each other anymore and maybe like she has to leave the North Pole for some time but Bernard sneaks to her house and idk just some angst ouuu and maybe in the end everything works out and Scott apologizes, sorry it’s so long but i feel like this one’s a good one<333

The Boss' Daughter (Bernard the Elf X Calvin!Reader)

Masterlist

Request Something!

Summary: The best part of your dad becoming Santa Claus was probably meeting his right hand elf Bernard. But when your dad finds out about your secret relationship, he thinks the best thing is to keep you away from the North Pole until you get over your “little crush.”

A/N: thank you so much for 1.3k followers!!! it means so much! reader is in college, spending her winter break at the north pole. possibly ooc scott/santa ?? also lowkey forgot that lucy existed lmao

***

You loved Christmas. Even before your dad became Santa Claus, you enjoyed the holiday. Well, as much as you could, considering that some of your pre-Santa Dad memories involved your parents fighting and having two somewhat bland celebrations at different houses. Other than that, you enjoyed the occasion.

But you loved Christmas much more now, due to a certain elf.

“Here’s some cocoa.” You said softly, setting the piping hot mug on Bernard’s desk as he read over some paperwork. He quickly scanned over the last paragraph on the page before looking up at you.

“Hey,” Bernard said softly, giving you a smile. “Thanks.” He grabbed the mug and took a sip, visibly relaxing from his stiff, hunched-over position. You leaned against his desk, drinking from your own cup. “How’s your day been?”

“Probably better than yours.” You laughed, looking at the vast amount of papers on Bernard’s desk.

“Yeah, probably.” He agreed, sighing at the sight before looking back at you. “But my day’s getting better now that you’re here.”

“Well, aren’t you sweet?” You giggled, feeling your cheeks heat up. No matter how cold the North Pole was, Bernard’s words always made you feel warm and fuzzy inside, as cheesy as that is. You push off from the desk and stand, taking another sip of your cocoa. “So, I have a question.”

Bernard pouted, turning his chair to face you.

“And here I thought you just wanted to see my handsome face and give me treats.” He joked. You snickered, slapping his shoulder lightly before settling in his lap, putting an arm around his shoulders to stabilize yourself. Bernard put the hand that wasn’t holding his mug on your waist, keeping you close. “What’s your question?”

“Well, I know that you get really stressed leading up to Christmas.” You twirled some of Bernard’s curls around your finger as you spoke. “And I know that you’d probably rather be running around the workshop making sure everything’s in order while my dad’s gone. And I came up here to spend my break with you, but I don’t exactly wanna spend it chasing you around the workshop.”

“Isn’t there supposed to be a question?” Bernard teased, and you rolled your eyes.

“I was getting there.” You said. “Anyways, I was wondering if we could do something together while my dad’s gone. Like go ice skating or look at the lights around the North Pole or something.”

“Y/n, you can do that any day.”

“Yeah, but not as a couple.” You argue gently. “Whenever my dad’s around, everything feels so awkward because we’re trying so hard not to give away the fact that we’re together. Christmas Eve is the one day that he’ll be away, and everyone else will be so busy making sure the night goes smoothly that they won’t notice us sneaking away.”

“Angel, I’m like, the main guy who has to make sure the night goes smoothly.”

You pouted, knowing Bernard was right. Although you knew he loved his job, sometimes you wished he wasn’t Head Elf. More of your limited time could be spent together. Plus, you wouldn’t have to worry so much about your father, who your boyfriend worked directly under, finding out you were dating.

“It was just an idea.” You sighed a bit dejectedly as you leaned more into Bernard. “I just… I wish we could do couple things, you know? Like in public. But I know Dad would probably go ballistic, and I’m not exactly confident in the other elves’ ability to keep a secret.”

“Yeah, I know,” Bernard replied softly, kissing the side of your head before taking a gulp of hot chocolate. “One day, it’ll be different.”

The two of you fell into a comfortable silence, drinking and taking each other’s warmth. Eventually, Bernard looked down into his empty mug and sighed.

“I should get back to work.” He said, clearly not wanting to. You nodded, shifting in his lap to stand up when Bernard squeezed your hip. You looked at him with a raised brow. “At least give me a kiss before you go, angel.”

You grinned and did as he requested. Both of you tasted like chocolate and peppermint, and you couldn’t help but giggle when Bernard went in for another kiss when you pulled away.

Distracted by what you were doing, you and Bernard failed to hear a knock on his office door or the person opening it.

“What’s going on here?” You and Bernard broke apart, looking over to see your father looking at you in shock. You jumped out of Bernard’s lap, trying to seem like you weren’t just making out with him.

“Hey, Dad.” You said, your voice wavering from your nervousness. “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here?” It was clear that he wasn’t a fan of what he just saw. “What are you doing here, on his lap?”

You and Bernard didn’t answer; you didn’t really know how to. All three of you stared at each other, you and Bernard with slight fear and your dad with sternness. The tension grew unbearably thicker by the second.

“How long has… this been going on?” Your dad finally asked. He wasn’t stupid; it was safe to assume that there was some kind of relationship between you and his Head Elf.

“Um…” You were glad Bernard decided to answer the question, because you’re pretty sure your voice died in your throat. He played with a pen on his desk, not wanting to look up at Scott. “About two… Yeah, two years.”

“Years?” 

“Dad, don’t freak out.” You took a step towards him, and his gaze snapped to you.

“I forbid this. Forbid it, Y/n.”

“I’m an adult; you can’t stop me from dating Bernard.”

“Oh, yes, I can.” Your dad laughed, but he was far from amused. “You’re my daughter, and he’s my employee. My elf employee.”

“We’re grown-ups; we’re allowed to decide whether or not we want to date.” You knew arguing with your dad was a bit pointless, but you figured you might as well try. 

“You’re right, you are grown-ups. Bernard is over a thousand years old!” Under different circumstances, you would’ve laughed. Although you looked the same age, Bernard was an immortal being. One of the things you teased him about was being a grumpy old man, which he would always respond to with an eye roll. Your dad sighed, putting his hands on his hips as he thought. “Y/n, pack your stuff. I’m sending you to your mother’s.”

“What?” Bernard was out of his chair and by your side in an instant, both of you shocked by your dad’s words. “You’re not serious.”

“I’m as serious as frostbite! And until you get this little crush out of your system… Y/n, you can’t come back to the North Pole.”

***

You felt numb all over. It had been five days since you left the North Pole, since you last saw Bernard. Your goodbye was filled with tears and kisses that your dad didn’t see. Bernard promised that he would see you again someday soon, and you didn’t have the heart to tell him you didn’t believe that.

You tried to put on a happy face for your family. But they all knew better. Your mother was mad at your father on your behalf, unable to understand how Scott could break his daughter’s heart by sending you away. Neil did his best to comfort you, being a psychiatrist and all. Charlie went on about how unfair it was that you couldn’t go to the North Pole anymore, slightly ignoring the fact that you didn’t care much about the North Pole compared to Bernard. And Lucy just hated to see you so sad, bombarding you with hugs every chance she got.

When Christmas Eve arrived, you wanted to hide under the covers. If your mom and Neil wouldn’t try to drag you out of bed, you’d sleep your way into the new year.

Your parents coaxed you into watching movies with them later that night. Despite the occasion, they steered clear of the Christmas movies, not wanting you to cry more than you already have. But Bernard was still on your mind as you toyed with the necklace that he had given you for Christmas one year, right before he admitted that he liked you.

While your family argued over what to watch next, you got up and went to the kitchen to make yourself some tea. 

You put the kettle on the stove and picked out some sleepytime tea, hoping that would make the night end faster. When it started whistling, you took the kettle off the burner. You heard frantic knocking on the door as you poured the hot water into your mug.

“Who could be knocking at this hour?” Neil murmured as he got up and went to the door. When he opened it, he froze for a second before popping his head into the kitchen. “Y/n, it’s for you.”

Confused, you left the kitchen. You didn’t tell any of your friends that you were in town, so you had no idea who was waiting for you on the other side of that door.

“Hey, angel.”

You couldn’t help but gasp at the sight of Bernard standing in front of you. At first, you thought it was your imagination, some cruel joke being played by your subconscious. But when you reached out to him, and he immediately laced your fingers together, you knew it was real.

You yanked him into the house, wrapping your arms around him with almost the strength of a death grip. Bernard did the same, burying his head into the crook of your neck.

Being too wrapped up in your little reunion, you didn’t notice your parents tell your siblings that it was time for bed in order to give you and Bernard some privacy. When you finally pulled away, you were a bit surprised to find the room empty. But you weren’t going to complain about it.

“What are you doing here?” You asked Bernard, still trying to wrap your head around the fact that he was here, right in front of you.

“You said you wanted to be together for Christmas Eve.” Bernard held your cheek and kissed you sweetly, showing all the yearning you had both felt this past week. “I don’t care what your father says,” Bernard whispered against your lips, giving you a few pecks. “He can’t keep us apart. I’ll retire and leave the North Pole if I have to.”

“You don’t mean that.” You shook your head, grabbing Bernard’s hands. “Bernard, you love your job, even if it drives you crazy.”

“I’d go even crazier without you, Y/n. Not knowing where or how you are.” Bernard argued, squeezing your hands. “You know, I liked having you all to myself at first, but it’s so hard having to pretend I don’t love you as much as I do.” Your breath hitched at the sincerity in his confession.

“You love me?” Your voice was barely above a whisper, but with how close Bernard was, he heard it as clear as day.

“Of course I do, Y/n.” Bernard kissed you again, and then a few more times.

“I love you too.” You responded between the kisses.

Eventually, you were somehow all out of kisses to give. The two of you moved to one of the couches, where you cuddled up together. You didn’t need to put on a movie or say anything. You just soaked up each other’s presence that you had missed so dearly.

“Should we head to bed?” You asked after a long silence. “Or do you need to head back home?”

“I left Curtis in charge.”

“Oh, then you should definitely go back.” You snickered. You knew Bernard wasn’t entirely fond of Curtis, but he could probably hold down the fort for one night. “Come on, I’m tired.”

You stood up, Bernard close behind you. You started to lead him out of the living room when you heard a thump. Startled, you turned around to the source of the sound, seeing a giant red sack in your fireplace.

“Oh god.” You whispered, gripping at Bernard’s arm. You’d run up the stairs and hide in your room, but you felt frozen in your place. Bernard seemed to have the same sentiment, because the two of you stood and watched black boots appear in the fireplace.

Soon enough, your dad emerged, freezing as he saw the two of you.

“Y/n, I- Bernard? What are you doing here?” He straightened up, looking at the two of you inquisitively. It was softer than the last time he looked at you and Bernard, but you were still a bit weary.

“I came to see Y/n,” Bernard answered, feeling braver than he did while interacting with your father for the past week. 

“Yeah, I can see that.”

“Look, Dad.” You took a deep breath. As happy as you were to have Bernard back, you wanted to go back to hiding under your covers. “We don’t care that I’m human and he’s an elf. Or that he’s a thousand-year-old grumpy man.”

“Hey!”

“Bernard and I, we love each other. You represent a holiday that’s all about being together with the people you love; how could you try to keep us apart?”

Scott was quiet, staring at you with a blank expression. Eventually, he sighed.

“You’re right.” He said. “It was wrong of me to do that. I just… I don’t want my daughter getting hurt, is all. No father wants that. I’m sorry.”

Happy that he seemed to change his mind about the situation, you ran around the couch and hugged your dad. Being the big, jolly man he was, his embrace lifted you slightly off your feet.

“If you want, you can come back,” Scott said when he set you down. “To the North Pole.”

“Maybe.” You say, going back to Bernard. “Maybe I could go in the morning, bring the rest of the family.”

“That sounds good to me.” Your dad said, taking presents out of his giant sack and putting them under the tree. While placing them, he glanced at Bernard. “Bernard, if you’re here, who’s looking over the shop?”

From the corner of your eye, you saw Bernard’s jaw clench, and you let out a small giggle.

“Curtis…” 

“Oh boy. Have fun with that.” Your dad laughed, setting down the last of the presents and tying up the sack. He pointed at you. “No peeking, Y/n. Not until morning.”

“I promise.” You said, knowing that you would grab a present to open right after he left. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’m guessing you’re staying here tonight too?” Scott asked Bernard, who nodded. “Okay. Take care of her.”

“I will.” The two men knew they weren’t talking about Bernard caring for you for just the night. They knew it would be much longer than that.

You waved goodbye to your father, and he soon disappeared up the chimney, leaving you and Bernard alone in the living room once again.

“I’m glad you came.” You said, leaning into Bernard’s side and resting your head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around you and looked down at you.

“Me too.” He kissed your head. “I know you might still be tired, but there’s still about an hour of Christmas Eve left, and this neighborhood has really nice Christmas lights. We can go look, if you want?”

You squealed, kissing Bernard’s cheek and running to get your shoes.

***

Bernard the Elf Taglist: @katerinaval

[shivaniboutique]

A christmas party

A Christmas party with costume themes can add an extra layer of fun and excitement. Here are some festive Christmas party costume themes to consider:

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party:

Encourage guests to wear the most outrageous, funny, or mismatched Christmas sweaters they can find. Consider having a contest for the "ugliest" sweater.

Santa's Workshop Elves:

Invite guests to dress up as Santa's little helpers with elf costumes, pointy shoes, and hats. This theme works well for both adults and kids.

Winter Wonderland:

Encourage guests to dress in all-white or silver outfits, resembling a winter wonderland. Think snowflakes, icicles, and frosty accessories.

Christmas Movie Characters:

Have guests come dressed as their favorite characters from classic Christmas movies. This could include Buddy the Elf, the Grinch, Ralphie from "A Christmas Story," or characters from "Home Alone."

Gingerbread People:

Guests can dress up as gingerbread men or women, complete with gingerbread-themed accessories and perhaps some icing and candy decorations.

Christmas Carol Characters:

Invite guests to dress up as characters from Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." This could include Scrooge, Tiny Tim, or the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.

Holiday Villagers:

Have guests come dressed as characters you might find in a festive village—carolers, toy makers, snowmen, and even the occasional Grinch.

Christmas in Different Decades:

Assign each guest or group of guests a specific decade (e.g., '70s, '80s, '90s) and have them dress in Christmas attire from that era.

Festive Pajama Party:

Keep it cozy by having everyone come in their favorite festive pajamas. This theme is especially great for a relaxed, at-home gathering.

Candy Cane Lane:

Ask guests to dress in red and white, resembling candy canes. You can also encourage creative interpretations, such as peppermint-inspired outfits.

Christmas Around the World:

Have guests represent different countries and their unique Christmas traditions. This can lead to a diverse and colorful array of costumes.

Naughty or Nice:

Let guests choose whether they want to dress up as a mischievous character or an angelic one. This theme can result in a fun mix of costumes.

[jules-has-notes]

2018 VoicePlay fall activities — maintenance, music, and merriment

Heading into the end of the year, VoicePlay gradually ramped up their schedule until they were running at a decent clip for the holiday season.

.

Say cheese!

It had been nearly two years since they'd taken their previous set of promo photos, and enough had changed — Earl's lush beard, Geoff's longer hair — that the boys decided it was time for some new ones.

.

On the following Saturday, J.None and his Paradigm pals teamed up with the Push Love Productions folks (including a future familiar face) for a "Come Out with Pride" event at Lake Eola Park. They performed both before and after the parade.

.

The next week the SoJam A Cappella Festival released a promo video for their upcoming event featuring VoicePlay.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SoJam A Cappella Festival (@sojamfestival)

.

Over the weekend, J.None performed at a "night of spoken word and comedy" for the Pipol Angels Foundation, which provides funding for arts and education both locally and overseas. (Previous projects had provided new backpacks and school uniforms to students in the Orlando area, and helped a school in Trinidad build an additional classroom for its growing student population.)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pipiol Angels Foundation Inc. (@pipiolangelsfoundation)

J.None rehearsing "No Role Modelz" by J. Cole with the band a few days before the fundraiser

.

Ready for their close-ups

A few days after that, VoicePlay convened at a local studio to film their laid back video for "Thinkin Bout You".

When you show up for book club, but a slow jam breaks out.

.

As the end of the month approached, Layne and Tony gathered a cadre of lovely ladies for the first episode of their new Princess Academy series.

.

Sing for me!

The first weekend of November took VoicePlay to North Carolina for the SoJam A Cappella Festival. The attendees consisted of high school and collegiate groups, including two young groups from Winter Park, and three groups from the University of Central Florida (Layne and Eli's alma mater) who swept the top spots in the competition portion.

The guys spent Saturday afternoon leading a workshop on the business of singing for a living, and a masterclass for some of the competitors. Then they headlined the evening concert, with local openers Transit Vocal Band.

In addition to performing and doing educational outreach, VoicePlay also got to see some old friends. Alfredo Austin from The Exchange was doing coaching sessions. Max Herskovitz, who had subbed for Layne several times, was leading workshops for the kids. Singer and sound engineer Tony Huerta was running the show in his role as CASA president.

.

When they got back home, the boys headed to the studio for their next music video, a dramatic medley of Queen songs.

Then they spent a couple weeks finishing off projects in progress, working on upcoming ones, and polishing their setlist for their Warm Up holiday tour.

.

Holiday ro-o-o-o-oad

Since the Disney World residency for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party had passed to their pals in The Edge Effect, VoicePlay was free to embark on a slightly more relaxed holiday tour for the final month of the year. They traded a location close to home and four sets per night for just nine longer shows at a variety of venues across the country.

The first leg of their travels was a jaunt out west to Alto, New Mexico (via El Paso, Texas). As the name of the town suggests, it's quite high in the mountains, which can present a challenge when your job involves moving lots of air in and out of your lungs. Earl noted on Twitter that "7200ft above sea level was a real thing!"

.

When they got home, they continued the holiday spirit by filming their video for "This Christmas". It was the last remaining track on the "Warm Up" EP to get the visual treatment.

.

The next weekend the tour continued with a loop through the Midwest. The boys started in Findlay, Ohio, scooted up to Traverse City, Michigan, then hopped over to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

.

Back at home, they got into a bit of a pickle for a festive Mission Impossible tie-in video. (Luckily, they didn't get blown up this time.)

.

The following week's tour dates were slightly more spread out. Saturday took the guys to Kilmarnock, Virginia. The next day, they scooted down to Newnan, Georgia, where they got to see their artist pal Leon King, who had drawn their adorable avatars for the pre-show spiel.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Leon King 🦁 (@leekiings)

meet and greet in Newnan, GA — photos by Dawn Ortiz

Then they took a leisurely drive up to Waleska, Georgia before heading home. (Eli made some similarly hatted friends on the flight.)

.

Once they were back in Florida, they headed over to Kissimmee for a show at the Gaylord Palms resort. Because they were so close to home, some of their families came along.

.

They capped off their travels with a quick trip to a suburb of Chicago.

.

And to all a good night

Once they were finished spreading holiday cheer to others, the guys took some time at home with their own loved ones.

Then Earl got a head start on his New Year's resolutions by hitting the gym for a leg day workout.

.

With a couple weeks to rest, the guys prepared to hit the ground running in the new year. But that's a tale for another post.

[timeofjuly]

And Four Papyri in a Pear Tree

Chapter 3 - Been An Angel All Year

Summary: Stretch is a mall Santa and you get your photo taken with him.

Notes: The third chapter of And Four Papyri in a Pear Tree, my four-part holiday series focusing on festive-themed dates with Rus, Edge, Stretch, and Papyrus.

Tags: Reader/underswap Papyrus, kinda crack-y, fluff, established relationship.

Read it on AO3 or read it below the cut!

"a playstation and a puppy, got it. i won't make any promises, kid, but if you don't give your parents a hard time, your chances are looking good."

The monster child, wearing a very festive green-and-red striped shirt, nods solemnly. "I'll behave, I promise!"

Stretch taps a white-gloved finger to his skull, just beneath the socket. "i'll hold you to that. now look over there and give the nice person behind the camera a big smile."

From your place in line, you beam like an idiot, then conceal said smile with your hand. You already look like a weirdo - no need to make it worse by grinning like a crazy person at someone's kid.

But this whole situation is in that perfect sweet spot between absurd and endearing and no matter how hard you try, you can't fight the smile off your face. You rock back and forth on the balls of your feet excitedly, fighting the urge to fidget with your sweater.

You don’t rock far, though, because you’re crammed between two families with small children and want to avoid stepping on anyone’s toes.

It’s been like this ever since you got to the mall. It’s crowded, buzzing with activity. You'd driven around for a good ten minutes for a parking spot and had narrowly escaped with your life and front bumper intact after almost stealing a spot from a harried-looking woman in a minivan.

Now that you're inside, it's no better. The stores themselves are full-to-bursting with people doing their gift shopping and where you’re standing, lining up outside the roped-off area that serves as Santa’s Workshop, it’s even busier.

It’s cute, though. You’ll give them that. An elaborate set is constructed in the centre of the large open atrium, complete with fake snow, a red velvet throne, and a towering Christmas tree. Employees dressed as elves usher excited children and weary parents - and you, all by your lonesome - into line, while Stretch, clad in an impressive mall Santa get-up complete with a white beard and hat waits on his throne.

Mariah Carey blares from the speakers, just on this side of too loud. Not loud enough, though, to cover up the din of excited children chattering fills the air, punctuated by the occasional shriek or whine when someone gets stepped on or pushed.

You shuffle forward in line, dodging stray elbows and trying not to trip over any small children. The giant Christmas tree glitters with delicate glass ornaments, and the throne looks plush and luxurious.

As you get close to the front, the bored attendant waves you forward.

“Just you getting photos today?” they ask, raising their brow.

"Yep. That's my boyfriend," you say to them, feeling the urge to explain why you're a whole ass adult getting a solo photo taken with a mall Santa. It’s not weird if you’re dating said mall Santa, right?

"Good for you," the attendant says. They pick at their nails, painted a festive, glittery green.

"Yeah," you say softly, unable to stop your fond smile as you watch Stretch grin lazily at the camera, teeth almost hidden behind the fake beard. The lights flash and the next family are sent on their way. "Good for me."

The attendant makes a gagging noise under their breath, the bell at the top of their elf hat jingling.

You can't find it in yourself to be offended. You've worked customer service during the holidays; you get it. You'd be nauseated by you too.

As the family before you finishes up, the attendant turns to you. "Well, you're up. Three minutes with Santa and then you exit through the left - no clogging up the workshop. I don’t care if he’s your boyfriend, we're running on a tight schedule."

You give the attendant a thumbs-up and enter the little pen the throne, tree, and cameraperson are contained in, giving Stretch a little wave. He looks surprised to see you, browbone twitching under the brim of his hat.

“So,” you say, “how many Jack Skellington references have you heard today?” You’re fighting the urge to make one yourself.

“a few,” Stretch replies, sprawled across Santa’s chair like he owns not only the chair itself, but the entire mall. “tickled my funny bone the first fifty times, but they’re kinda losing their kick. what’re you doing here?”

You grin. “I've gotta get my Christmas wishlist straight to the top and I don't trust the postal service. You should get on that, actually - surely you could do some modernising. Email? FAX?"

"the big guy's more of a pen and paper traditionalist. i, heh, like your sweater."

You pluck said sweater; a woolen blue number, hideously lumpy, embossed with the words 'PUT YOUR BALLS ON ME'. It's patterned with lighter blue circles, but that's the only thing on it that vaguely alludes to anything festive. "You get it, right? Cause it's a --"

"stretch?"

"Yes!" You're so glad - you got some really weird looks in line and would've been heartbroken if it hadn't paid off. "I dug it out of a Goodwill bargain bin especially for you."

“aw, honey, you shouldn’t’ve.”

"Two minutes of holiday cheer left!" the attendant calls, tapping their pointy little elf-shoe covered foot.

You give them another thumbs-up, then turn back to Stretch. "Some operation, huh? I can't believe you're doing this - I know you lost that bet, but I fully thought you'd weasel your way out of it. Not like you to not leave yourself a loophole." He’s had some pretty weird odd-jobs, but mall Santa is out there, even for him.

“what do you mean? i'm having a great time. this is the perfect job for me; i get to sit on my ass all day eating candy canes. no loophole needed. ‘sides, who’s better to qualified than me to tell kids whether they’re naughty or nice?” he says.

“… that’s definitely one way to put it.” If that’s how he wants to use the judge, that's none of your business. It's hard to think of a child actually being deemed naughty by his standards, but then you think of what little you've been told about the resets and the judgement hall and swiftly shove that line of thought right out of your brain and into the not today bin.

By your count, you've got a minute and forty-five seconds left and you're not wasting any of it. Time to get this show on the road.

You plop down onto Stretch's lap, eliciting an "oof" from him as you make yourself comfortable. His hands come up to rest lightly on your waist. The cheap velvet of the Santa suit is scratchy against your legs, but you pay it no mind, focused entirely on your boyfriend's face.

The spirit gum holding on his fake beard is even more noticeable, little flecks of white dried adhesive visible along his jawline. The sheer ridiculousness of it forces a laugh out of you.

“hey, this is serious business. these photos are thirty-five bucks for the complete pack. extra ten if you want them sent to your email too.”

You whistle lowly. “That’s robbery. Highway robbery. What happened to having a generous, giving spirit?”

“what’s christmas if not a capitalist nightmare?” he says.

You cover your snort with your hand. “I hope you’re not telling the kids that.” 

He shrugs. “someone’s gotta. it’s a rough world out there.”

“And they’re smiling for the picture after that?”

“a few jokes and they perk right back up. usually save the best one right when the photo’s about to be snapped. speaking of, what do you call Santa when he's wearing earmuffs?” He covers the sides of his head with his hands, gloved phalanges pressed over his acoustic meatus.

“What?” you ask, fighting a smile. 

“what?” he echoes.

“What do you call him?” you say, a little louder.

He tilts his skull to the side, looking confused. “sorry, what?”

“I said wha- oh, fuck you,” you say, rolling your eyes. You’ve heard about a hundred different plays on that exact joke and have fallen for it about a hundred times. “I get it, hah hah, he can’t hear you. Very funny.”

You can see his shit-eating grin even through the beard. “i know, i’m hilarious. okay, what about this; what does gyftrot have hanging on their antlers?”

“…what?” you say, a little wary.

“horn-aments.”

That punches an uncouth snort out of you. “Poor Gyftrot.” You hope their antlers are free of decorations.

“poor gyftrot,” he agrees. 

“Photo time, guys,” the camera person says. Though wearing the same elf costume, they seem marginally more friendly than the attendant. Good for them. They jingle a bell right above the lens of their camera to draw your attention, the way you might wave a rattle at a baby, or a toy bone at an overly excited dog.

You turn to face the camera, angling your body to show off your sweater. It’s a little awkward, balancing on his boney, felt-covered lap, but you make do with minimal flailing. Stretch shifts too, straightening a little. You wipe an errant bit of spirit gum from his jaw.

“don’t worry, you can use my employee discount for the pictures,” he says. “in the spirit of holiday giving and all.”

“Yeah?” you ask, amused. “And what’s that?”

“one hundred percent off, ‘cause i’ll swipe the sd card at the end of my shift.”

That sounds about right. “Can you get me one of those novelty magnet frames too? I wanna put the picture on the fridge.”

“consider your holiday wish granted.”

“That’s perfect,” the cameraperson says. “On three, I want you to give me a nice big smile.”

You give a camera-ready smile and, as the cameraperson jingles their bell again, drawing your attention, you say to Stretch through your teeth, “Do I get your best joke now?”

“nah,” he whispers in your ear, “but you can jingle my bell anytime you want.”

Your practiced smile blooms into a genuine grin, mouth open around a laugh, and the camera clicks. 

[ohc-and-the-music-tapes-archive]

Artwork from "The Singing Saw at Christmastime"

Front cover by Brian Dewan Design by Katy Clove

Drawings by Julian Koster Photos by Nesey Gallons

Transcipt:

Saws encouraged to sing (alone and in groups) by Julian Koster

1. The First Noel 2. Frosty The Snowman 3. Silent Night 4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 5. Jingle Bells 6. White Christmas 7. Silver Bells 8. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing 9. O' Come All Ye Faithful 10. O' Holy Night 11. O' Little Town Of Bethlehem 12. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Singing Saws sing all by themselves. The idea that a Human Being could play one, as one might a cello or a tuba, is a common and understandable misconception, as this illusion is encouraged and cultivated by the Saws themselves. Saws are tremendous pranksters, and the ruse of causing Human Beings to believe that they are actually playing them is perhaps the most beloved and persistent joke in Saw-kind’s long history. The absolute truth, however, is a bit more nuanced than this. Most Saws are incredibly shy about singing, and especially so in the audience of a Human Being. Saws regard Human Beings, their creators, much as children do their parents. But a human can learn to comfort and reassure a Saw to the point of singing. The perpetuation by the Saws of their age-old ruse simply serves to detract from their own shyness and fears while providing the comfort of another to take the blame should they sing poorly.

A Saw can be encouraged to sing by taking it into one’s lap and cradling it there, while gently petting it with a small violin bow. Many of the Saws who sang on this record were encouraged to sing in this way. Some of the others, especially the youngest as well as the choir from the Singing Saw Symphony, sang without need of any such coaxing. This I have witnessed them do on several occasions. It was a challenge in the making of this record that they have thus refused to do so in front of the smallest audience. Even when recording, the Saws often waited until the album’s co-producer Nesey Gallons retired to the control room before beginning to sing.

The Singing Saw’s excitement for the Christmas holiday is quite like that of a Human child. Christ, being by far the most highly regarded and beloved carpenter of all time, was a great friend to the Saws. Left abandoned by Human Beings on Christmas Eve, workshops, barns, and such places become the sites of the Saws’ Christmas festivities. Their observances, often attended by varying societies of small bells, usually begin at nightfall but do not begin in earnest until all the Humans have gone to bed. One of the most beautiful of these is the traditional beginning of their Christmas Eve celebrations: the Saws gather outside and arrange themselves into a giant circle, each angling itself so that it reflects the moon, so that in the darkness, one is surrounded by a vast circle of reflected moons. The field recording from which the version of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” was chosen for inclusion on this album marked the first time that Human Beings have been allowed to be present at the Singing Saws’ traditional Christmas Eve observances. This recording, made at a rural barn in the the central Canadian province of Manitoba, was made possible by the generous loan of Ms. L. Boulton's Presto Recording Lathe.

Certain songs have an almost inexplicable popularity among the Saws. There were so many who wanted to sing "Frosty the Snowman" that I actually had to record several versions of it in order to appease them. I ended up choosing the version of one of the youngest who, while lacking the maturity and polish of some of the elders, delivered the song with unmatched earnestness and sincerity. I only wish there were film footage to accompany this recording so that you might see the seriousness and solemnity of bearing with which he sang this song.

The Saws featured on this album represent a great range of ages and ability. Each Saw has its own unique voice and manner of singing. Some of their voices are quite high, others low; some have a great range, while others can only sing a few notes but with extraordinary sweetness. Saws are born a certain age and remain so for the rest of their lives. Saw children are children forever, while others are born fully formed adults (I have yet to find a satisfying physiological explanation for this phenomenon). The children were all wonderful to work with and were often absolutely fascinated by the methods and practice of sound recording, never tiring of listening to playback and watching the tape reels go round and round.

Another challenge in the making of this record, from the standpoint of co-producer, was the tendency of Saws to occasionally skip notes in the melodies of Human Christmas songs, due largely in part to the fact that they, unlike us, do not sing with words. And so we would commit a wonderful recording of “White Christmas” to tape, only to find when singing along later that the song would conclude, “and may all your Christmases white”; they had left out the “be.” And so the entire song would have to be recorded over. The ability to miss mistakes of this sort was heightened also by the fact that the recording of this album often went from night into the next morning, requiring myself and Nesey Gallons to ask the Saws to recreate some of our favorite versions well into the beginnings of the next day. Luckily, the Saws remained inexhaustible.

It was a wonderful experience for Mr. Gallons and me to spend those days and evenings recording them and so take part in the extraordinary simplicity and sweetness of the Saws’ observances of Christmas. There is hardly room here to describe all of the games and traditions they allowed us to observe and take part in. I only hope that a measure of the warmth and kindness of those wonderful hours has made its way onto the recording tape, and so, through your record player, into your rooms.

Julian Koster, 2008

This sound recording was produced and engineered by Nesey Gallons and Julian Koster, assisted by lan Ludder’s

Front cover by Brian Dewan Design by Katy Clove

[lboogie1906]

Perry Watkins (April 13, 1907 - August 14, 1974) was the first African American set designer on Broadway. He was a stage painter, makeup and costume artist, producer, and film art director.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, he attended Hope High School where he and a friend hand-wrote and decorated a daily newspaper called “The Foolscape.” Awarded a scholarship to study art at the Rhode Island School of Design, he studied figure drawing and still life.

Despite having his paintings displayed at the Springfield Museum and the Providence Art Club, he struggled financially and worked as a waiter, chauffeur, insurance salesman, reporter, draftsman, and commercial illustrator. He applied to the Federal Theatre Project with a sample production and was employed.

Starting as a stagehand and becoming assistant technical director at Lafayette Theatre, he began a flurry of work, painting drops, dying costumes, and operating the lighting for Macbeth, designing sets for The Case of Philip Lawrence, Haiti, Plays of the Sea and Horse Play, as well as designing the costumes for Androcles and the Lion. He created sets for Mississippi Rainbow for the Chicago Negro Unit of the FTP and for the Los Angeles Negro Unit’s revival of Run Little Chillun!

He made a breakthrough, becoming the first Black Broadway set designer when he was commissioned for Mamba’s Daughters. He was permitted to take the drafting and art exam for admission into the Set Designer’s Union. He passed it easily and became the first African American to be admitted. He taught in the Rose McClendon Workshop Theatre and the following year designed the set for the revival of The Big White Fog at Lincoln Theatre.

In 1944 he served as the assistant technical director for Walk Hard, which was shown in Harlem and on Broadway. He co-produced Beggar’s Holiday. It was a success, showing one hundred and eight performances.

He ventured into film and television, working on art direction and design for films such as Hercules in New York, Come Back, Charleston Blue, Across 110th Street, and Gordon’s War. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/05/09/the-father-of-kwanzaa/ec0fe360-c895-47d3-a5b6-0a1a09a471b1/

The Father of Kwanzaa

By: Hollie I. West

Published: May 9, 1978

"I created Kwanzaa," laughed M. Ron Karenga like a teenager who's just divulged a deeply held, precisions secret.

"People think it's African. But it's not. I wanted to give black people a holiday of their own. So I came up with Kwanzaa. I said it was African because you know black people in this country wouldn't celebrate it if they knew it was American. Also, I put it around Christmas because I knew that's when a lot of bloods (blacks) would be partying!"

The overwhelmingly black audience at Howard University's recent National Conference of Afro-American writers broke into laughter. The joke was on them - and millions of other black Americans who taught Kwanzaa, the seven-day festival of harvest, was African.

Since he created the holiday in 1966, numerous Afro-Americans have come to celebrate the occasion between Dec. 22 and Jan. 1 as an alternative to Christmas.

Nevertheless, the ploy was not malicious. Karenga, political activist in the late '60s, currently a college professor and frequent lecturer asked: "Can you imagine 30 to 40 million people not having one national, non-heroic holiday? We couldn't wait around for someone to do this for us."

In the late '60s and early '70s, he had a profound effect on the thinking of Amiri Baraka (formerly LeRoi Jones) and other Afro-american cultural figures who spread his philosophy.

From his base in Los Angeles, Karenga came to national prominence following the Watts civil disturbance. He was seen frequently on television and made numerous speeches. A civil rights observer called him "one of the leading theoreticians in the national black power movement."

His role was described as a study in contrasts. He urged militant self-defense by blacks, but he also conferred with white politicians on civil rights issues. His bald head and Genghis Khan-styled beard and moustache gave him a fearsome look, but in face-to-face meetings he was calm and soft-spoken.

Using the tough rhetorical style of the '60s, he wrote in "The Quotable Karenga," a thin handbook given to his followers: "When it's burn, let's see how much you burn. When it's kill,' let's see how much you kill. When it's blow up," let's see how much you blow up."

But times have changed. Between 1971 and 1975 he dropped out of sight while serving a prison term for ordering the beating of a woman. He is appealing. Now he was resurfaced and said he is rebuilding his movement.

Although the popularity of Kwanzaa mushroomed dramatically, Karenga also established Kuzaliwa, a tribute honoring Malcolm X's birthday on May 19, and Uhuru Day, a commemoration on Aug. 11 of the 1965 Watts civil disturbance.

The 1960s were a time of fervent cultural activity among blacks. Theater groups and writers workshops sprang up in most large cities. And Karenga took advantage of this.

He spoke to large and small, middle-class and working-class black organizations from CORE to Baptist church groups, carrying the message of Kwanzaa. At the same time, Baraka spoke for the Karenga philosophy to thousands of people at Congress of African Peoples meetings. He also wrote tracts that were published by black publishing houses.

The Kwanzaa idea began to pop up in black mass publications such as Ebony and Jet. From there it was picked up by white publications - daily newspapers and magazines - and radio and television.

Who is this short, squat man with the high-pitched voice and the flery rhetoric, and what is the current measure of his influence?

A. B. Spellman, writer and National Endowment for the Arts official, said: "There was no theory of nationalism in the '60s. What Karenga did was to rationalize the nationalist impulse and try to codify it."

Larry Neal, writer and executive director of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, said: "Vocabulary and Kwanzaa are the major influences he's had. People started studying Swahili. Kwanzaa was like Topsy. It just grew.

"People wanted form, structure. He spoke to a need."

But Baraka, a former black nationalist who's become a Marxist, is not so charitable in his current assessment of the man whose ideas he once proselytized.

Said Baraka: "There was a vacuum created after Malcolm X died . . . Karenga was very well organized. He moved into the vacuum.

"He did a positive thing as far as Kwanzaa was concerned. But in a way it was another form of bourgeois nationalism. And he taught male chauvinsim."

"People have slandered me," complained Karenga. "I's slow building an organization in this atmosphere. There's a lull in the (black liberation) movement and I've got to dismantlef the bogus image that has gone up around me."

In his rapid-fire black preacher's oratory style, marked by staccato rhythms and syncopated long and short phrases, Karenga said, "What I said in the '60s I stand by. I'm still black. I still put black first. I'm still for the cultural revolution. Until somebody develops an alternative, more comprehensive view of reality, I've got to ride with mine."

Karenga was not always so outspokenly black. In the early '60s, he was Ronald Everett, the 14th child in the family of a farmer and part-time Baptist minister in Parsonburg, Md., on the Eastern Shore.

After receiving his master's degree in political science, he dropped his "slave name" and took on Karenga. In 1965 he organized US (as opposed to "them"), and gave himself the title Maulana (Master teacher). In 1976, he received a doctorate in urban development.

He would not say how large his following was before his 1971 imprisonment or how many followers he has currently.

"Our movement has been discredited," he said, "and I'm trying to rebuild it. The day I got out of captivity I went to a meeting."

His goal is to construct a national cultural network among Afro-Americans.

"We don't have a national culture," he explained. "We have a popular culture. We confuse influence with power. Influence is the ability to effect. Power is the ability to change."

--

By: Bruce A. Dixon

Published: Dec 29, 2018

[..]

But for many of us who took part in or were simply aware of the Black Panther Party in the late sixties and early seventies, the Kwanzaa holiday is inseparable from the career and persona of its inventor, Ron Karenga, now a professor in California. Back in the day, Karenga headed up an organization called US. As a tool of COINTELPRO, the federal counterintelligence program directed at movement organizations, Karenga’s US organization murdered two leading members of the Black Panther Party in Los Angeles, Alprentice “Bunchy” Carter and John Huggins, and two more in San Diego, Sylvester Bell and John Savage.

To my knowledge, Mr Karenga has never expressed the faintest remorse or regret for these murders, or for his part in furthering the nefarious aims of federal and local police agencies in their assault upon the movement of those times.

Karenga was later convicted, along with his wife, of kidnapping and torturing two women in his own organization, a crime for which he served four years in prison, and one of which he still claims to be innocent. Some of Karenga’s close and credible associates however, like former US chair Wesley Kabaila, maintain Karenga was not only responsible for those women’s torture, but that it was part of an ongoing pattern over the years.

“I’m a feminist,” Kiilu Nyasha, a former Black Panther in New Haven, CT told me. “How can I honor a holiday made up by a man who tortures women in his own organization?”

[..]

==

Reminder that Kwanzaa is a fake holiday invented by a black nationalist Neo-Marxist felon who tortured, branded and waterboarded two women.

It has absolutely no African origins. None.

Happy Kwanzaa.

[laidee-flegman]

Third day of Christmas journaling prompts - Childhood memories!

Santa's Workshop Flashback: What was your image of Santa's workshop as a kid? Describe the magical details you imagined, from elves to toy production.

The Christmas Morning Wake-Up Call: Take us back to the moment you woke up on Christmas morning as a child. What was the first thing you noticed, and how did you feel?

The Great Cookie Caper: Share your childhood strategy for catching Santa in the act. Did you leave out cookies, set up traps, or write him a persuasive note?

The Tree-Trimming Tradition: Recall the annual ritual of decorating the Christmas tree. What ornaments were your favorites, and did your family have any quirky traditions?

The Letter to Santa: What were your most outrageous requests in your letters to Santa? Any funny stories about what you thought would convince him to bring you the goods?

Holiday Hijinks: Did you ever pull a prank during the holidays or witness one? Spill the cocoa – what happened, and was it all in good fun?

Ugly Sweater Showdown: Describe the most memorable Christmas sweater you wore as a kid. Bonus points for any embarrassing photos that may still be floating around!

Christmas Morning Breakfast: What was the go-to breakfast on Christmas morning in your house? Pancakes, cinnamon rolls, or perhaps something a bit more unconventional?

The Gift-Wrapping Chronicles: Share your wrapping skills as a kid. Did you meticulously measure and fold, or did you embrace the glorious chaos of crumpled paper and excessive tape?

Snow Day Shenanigans: If you experienced snowy Christmases, what were your favorite activities? Snowball fights, building snowmen, or attempting the elusive perfect snow angel?

The Caroling Crew: Did you ever go caroling as a child? What songs were in your repertoire, and did you have any hilarious mishaps while spreading holiday cheer?

The Annual Nativity Play: If you participated in a nativity play, share your role and any amusing anecdotes from the performance.

The Stocking Surprise: What was the most unexpected thing you found in your stocking? Any childhood favorites that still make you smile?

The Annual Family Photo Shoot: Describe your family's attempts at getting that perfect Christmas card photo. Any funny outtakes or unexpected photobombs?

The Christmas Countdown: Did your family have an Advent calendar or any other creative ways to count down the days until Christmas? How did you mark each passing day?

The Midnight Mass Marvel: If your family attended a midnight Christmas service, share your memories of the atmosphere, the hymns, and any comical moments.

The Neighborhood Decorations Tour: Take us on a journey through your childhood neighborhood during the holidays. What houses had the most impressive decorations?

The Classroom Gift Exchange: Reminisce about the excitement of the annual classroom gift exchange. What was the coolest gift you received, and did you have any favorite classmates to exchange with?

The Homemade Ornament Odyssey: Share memories of crafting Christmas ornaments as a kid. What materials did you use, and do any of your handmade treasures still adorn your tree?

The Midnight Sneak Peek: Did you ever sneak a peek at your Christmas gifts before the big day? What lengths did you go to, and were the discoveries worth the risk?

The Christmas Eve Traditions: Describe your family's Christmas Eve traditions. Did you open a single gift, have a special meal, or participate in any unique rituals?

The Christmas Special Extravaganza: What was your all-time favorite Christmas TV special or movie as a child? Bonus points if you can still recite lines or sing the theme song!

The Secret Santa Schemes: Did you ever participate in Secret Santa at school or with friends? Share your most memorable gift exchanges and any amusing hints or surprises.

The Holiday Crafting Chaos: Share memories of any DIY Christmas crafts you tackled as a child. Did you make cards, ornaments, or maybe even attempt your version of Santa's workshop?

The Grandparent's House Getaway: If you visited your grandparents for Christmas, what special traditions or treats awaited you there? Grandmas and grandpas often know the secrets to extra festive fun!

The Adventurous Midnight Snack: Did you ever embark on a late-night kitchen adventure for a Christmas snack? What tasty treats did you concoct in the wee hours?

The Christmas Wish List Wonders: Reflect on the epic Christmas wish lists you created as a child. Were they pages long, and did you ever get that one special item you hoped for?

The Caroling Candy Cane Trail: Did your family ever go caroling in the neighborhood, leaving treats for friends and neighbors? Share your sweet stories from the candy cane trail.

The Winter Break Wonders: Reflect on your favorite activities during winter break as a child. Did you build epic snow forts, embark on family trips, or create your winter wonderland at home?

The New Year's Eve Nostalgia: Round off the Christmas memories with a look into New Year's Eve. How did your family celebrate, and did you have any unique traditions to ring in the new year?

[camp-counselor-life]

The first "real" job I applied for was a camp director position with Girl Scouts of Los Angeles. I was 23 and I was about to go into my fourth summer at my camp, as well as graduating grad school. Here are the things that I wish I knew/had done:

Ask your current camp to involve you in director/organizational level stuff, so you can learn. I think that a big factor in why I didn't get the job was that I'd never hired or fired anyone. I know this isn't realistic at all camps, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Do your research on the camp/council/organization you are applying to. I did some, and I also got to have a phone call prior to the interview with the manager to ask questions about the camp and make sure I knew what I was getting in to.

In doing your research, also price out the area and make sure they'll be paying you enough to live on. Mine would have been quite tight but doable, with California living expenses.

Included, required housing is both a blessing and a curse. Consider which it will be for you. And look at your housing contract carefully (for sure have a contract). Recently (last five years) our ranger contract (housing required) stated that you couldn't cohabit unless you were married.

Look at your whole contract and job requirements carefully. I don't feel like I did a good job of this with my full time job. I sort of knew them, and they've changed several times, but read everything well.

It is also ok to ask to take contracts for longer than your in-person meeting to review them, or have someone else review them. It's not common in all industries, but it is allowed. If they seem unwilling, be cautious - why do they feel that way?

It doesn't hurt to ask if a salary is negotiable. Camps often pay like crap, even at the director level, and be especially cautious of accepting low offers if you will be exempt.

Exempt means that you don't get paid for overtime, so it's common with full time camp jobs, especially overnight camps. Exempt can also be a blessing or a curse, and usually it's both. I appreciate being exempt for the flexibility, but wish I got paid overtime, because I work a lot of it.

Be sure to ask what your hours will be like, in season and off season. The LA job had like random, non-holiday Mondays off during the year, which sounded lovely.

Tailor your resume to the job description. It's a pain, but I left off one of the councils I worked at when I applied to this job, to emphasize more recent, relevant work, and that was I guess a no-no.

I'm sure that the world of interviewing has changed over the course of the pandemic, but they are long and tedious and I got super tired about 2/3 of the way through my first interview for this job and totally blanked on a question. It is ok to take a moment to collect yourself, to breath, to think, or to ask a clarifying question. At the time I felt a lot of shame for losing my place though.

It's ok to ask around and see if you have any contacts at a potential job. Obviously if you end up working for the same organization you did seasonal work for, you'll have contacts (unless it's been a while).

If you're in school, use your school's job/career center as much as you can. Sometimes they'll let alumni use it too. They often do workshops and consultations on various topics. Some student groups do too. Sometimes towns or counties also have a job center. 211 can help you find it.

I'm going to stop there, but these are my top tips for job hunting.

[dianniesolivio14]

Mr. shark's night before christmas

Hello Happy holidays I wanna Takes a Very Northern town in Santa's workshop But my going you need an Ice cream and ginger bread cookies But we gonna at a Los Angeles Because I wanna for us like mr. Wolf and Just like else!!! Now ho ho ho ho We need going at for a Santa Claus and Elf be Very to going at Epic to my Screenshots and Rolls So many nice to be going and Happy Happy holidays for everything Merry Christmas see you there!!

The End!!! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!🎄🎄

[shivaniboutique]

Christmas Party Costume Themes

Christmas party costume themes can add a festive and entertaining element to your celebration. Here are some Christmas party costume theme ideas:

Santa's Workshop:

Dress up as Santa, Mrs. Claus, elves, reindeer, or any character associated with Santa's workshop.

Ugly Christmas Sweater Extravaganza:

Encourage guests to wear the most outrageous and tacky Christmas sweaters they can find.

Winter Wonderland Creatures:

Choose costumes inspired by winter animals such as polar bears, penguins, or snow leopards.

Christmas Movie Characters:

Dress up as your favorite characters from classic Christmas movies, like Buddy the Elf, the Grinch, or characters from "A Christmas Carol."

Candy Cane Lane:

Attendees can wear red and white outfits, inspired by the classic colors of candy canes.

Gingerbread People and Treats:

Embrace the sweetness of the season by dressing up as gingerbread men, women, or other Christmas treats.

Christmas Carol Sing-Along:

Choose costumes based on characters from popular Christmas carols, like the Nutcracker, Frosty the Snowman, or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Holiday Villagers:

Have guests dress up as characters you might find in a festive holiday village, such as toy soldiers, carolers, or snowmen.

Christmas Pajama Jam:

Invite everyone to wear their coziest Christmas-themed pajamas for a comfortable and laid-back party.

DIY Ornament:

Encourage creativity by having guests dress up as their favorite Christmas ornaments using craft materials.

Festive Fairytale Characters:

Dress as Christmas-themed fairytale characters, such as the Snow Queen, Jack Frost, or the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Naughty or Nice:

Allow guests to choose whether they want to dress as naughty or nice characters, leading to a mix of playful and angelic outfits.

Holiday Glam:

Go for a glamorous look with sparkly and glitzy attire, embracing the dazzle of the holiday season.

Christmas in Different Cultures:

Have guests dress in outfits inspired by Christmas traditions from various countries around the world.

Holiday Time Travelers:

Encourage guests to dress in costumes from different eras, adding a time-travel twist to the Christmas festivities.

Choose a theme that suits the preferences of your guests and guarantees a jolly good time at your Christmas party!

[jules-has-notes]

2016 VoicePlay fall roundup — projects galore, frequent travels, and holiday cheer

As summer rolled into autumn, VoicePlay just kept rolling on their various creative fronts.

While the other guys were cruising in the northeast, Tony and Layne were hard at work back home, prepping and filming PattyCake's first Halloween video.

.

California schemin'

Once the sailors were rested up, most of the guys headed for the west coast. They spent two days in Los Angeles filming collaboration videos, first with Kurt Hugo Schneider and then with AJ Rafael.

On the upside, their absence from Florida meant that they didn't have to take shelter from Hurricane Matthew. Unfortunately, Tony wasn't involved in the videos (for reasons that would soon become clear) and was supposed to be on a later flight than the others. He didn't make it out of Orlando before the airport was shut down.

From L.A., the guys hopped up the coast to San Francisco to perform at a benefit concert for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation hosted by the Alpha Epsilon Phi fraternity at Stanford University. With Tony stuck at home, the fellas called in their old buddy Paul Sperrazza from Vox Audio to pinch hit as their baritone for the night.

.

Squeeze me in

After a few days at home, the guys hit the road again. They started with three days of student workshops in eastern Ohio.

During the week, they set their social media followers the challenge of finding them among the crowds of students and faculty at some of the schools. (Can you spot them all? The kids make surprisingly good camouflage.)

New Philadelphia, OH — East Elementary // West Elementary

Zoarville, OH — Tuscarawas Valley Elementary School

On the final day, they worked with the choirs from two local high schools, who then joined them for a show at Kent State Tuscarawas the following night.

.

From there, the guys headed south to West Memphis, AR for another concert and a workshop at the local high school the day after that. One crafty fan brought them homemade VP logo cookies.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by VoicePlay (@thevoiceplay)

students at West Memphis High School

.

Next they flew up to NYC to perform at a fundraiser for the Lupus Foundation of America.

.

Then they scooted upstate to Rochester for a show at Nazareth College before finally heading home.

.

Happy holiday-ween

Once they returned to Orlando, it was time to buckle down on rehearsals for their second year at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, so that they'd all be able to hit the stage running in November. (Layne did take the time in the middle of the week to have dinner with their old friend Jeff Thatcher and introduce him to Doris, though.)

The extra twist this year was that, on top of getting themselves and their backup guys ready to perform their holiday setlists, these performances would also be their next step toward formally acknowledging Tony's departure. He wouldn't be joining the other guys on stage in Tomorrowland this season. Instead, they would alternate between two replacement baritones, Erik Winger and J.None, who would continue performing with them into the new year, until the group could decide on a new permanent member.

.

No trick, all treats

At the end of the month, Geoff & Kathy announced that baby Castellucci was on the way at long last. They shared a short video documenting some of their challenging road to parenthood on Geoff's personal YouTube channel.

and baby makes three… er, five?

WARNING: This video contains footage of Kathy receiving many injections in her belly and buttocks. As a result, she engages in some pain-induced swearing. Understandable, but probably NSFW.

.

One of the pumpkins from the baby reveal was then repurposed to create VoicePlay's social media posts for the day of Halloween.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by VoicePlay (@thevoiceplay)

.

North to South (Carolina)

After a week and a half at home, the guys moseyed up to South Carolina for a pair of shows in Aiken, this time with Erik Winger as their substitute baritone.

A group of fans, perturbed by some negativity they'd been seeing directed toward the guys in YouTube comments and on social media, had been conspiring amongst themselves to counteract that energy. They'd created a book of positive messages and images. The two friends who had volunteered to collect and deliver everyone's submissions also documented the presentation during the post-show meet and greet on the first night so that all the contributors could see the guys' initial reactions.

Ashley and Nancy present the book of fan love

.

The second day also held a few surprises.

It can be nice to have fans in the service industry.

Aiken, SC show — pre-show chatting // post-show group hug with fan Ashley // prezzies!

.

Sing, laugh, and be merry

And then it was off to the races. VoicePlay began their second annual residency in Tomorrowland for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at Disney World in early November. For nearly 100 performances over the course of six weeks, they once again entertained thousands upon thousands of visitors to the Magic Kingdom.

.

Hardcore mode

In between MVMCP shows, the guys continued doing their other jobs. Among other things, that meant Earl was lucky enough to be playing Crush in the Nemo live show when iconic professional wrestler Mick Foley was in the audience.

Earl meeting Mick Foley // the VP MVMCP B-team — Tony F., Antonio, Deejay, Joey, & J.None

Having a full cast of replacement singers came in handy during the second week of Disney World shows. VoicePlay had also booked a holiday concert down in Delray Beach for the Friday before Thanksgiving. So, while Winger filled in for Tony on the road, J.None and the rest of Echo took to the Tomorrowland stage in full force.

Eli and Ashley even left a day early and took a detour to attend a Carrie Underwood show in Tampa on the way.

.

VoicePlaying for Gamecocks

At the beginning of December, VoicePlay headed up to South Carolina with Winger once more for their last non-Disney holiday concert of the year at USC.

.

Bubblicious

In early December, some of the guys finally got to meet the British music blogger who had been singing their praises for several years when his vacation itinerary brought him to the Magic Kingdom.

.

Caroling we roll along

Their final video shoot of the year was also the final entry in their first set of PartWork videos, a gentle rendition of "O Little Town of Bethlehem". With the announcement of Tony's departure drawing closer, the other four guys were all featured in this video in their usual roles, and Geoff did double duty to cover the baritone part.

.

VoicePlates

As a fun little end-of-year treat, their pal (and former 4:2:Five tenor) Danny Alan stumbled upon some holiday paper goods that bore a surprisingly familiar looking design.

.

The guys finally took the last few days of the year to relax and rest in preparation for their hectic start to the new year, but those are stories for another time.

[hellotherepalpalpals]

Brought Together by a Five-Year-Old (Dean Winchester x F!Reader) Part 9: The Holidays

Dean ran back and forth down the hallways of Wilson Elementary, from the gym to the cafeteria to his room and back. He could feel himself starting to sweat but there was too much to do, he didn't have time to worry about how disheveled he looked. The school had decided to push the Thanksgiving dinner back and merge it with the Christmas pageant. It was every teacher's nightmare. The board had claimed it cut costs and made the holiday season less hectic, but they had only given the staff and students a weeks notice so Dean didn't really understand how it made the season easier for anyone other than the board.

He frantically searched his room for the Santa beard that Alesteir had forgotten. He dug through the boxes of toys and craft supplies before finding the little white bundle in the back of the room, underneath the bookshelf. There was no way it had gotten there accidentally. Dean rolled his eyes, positive that the little boy had tried his best to hide the beard, probably just to create more drama and chaos before the play began, mischevious little shit that he was.

He wiggled himself under the shelf, grabbed the beard and was about to scoot back out when he heard a small cough from the room behind him. Jumping at the noise and his attempt to turn to see the person he hit his head on the underside of the shelf. Groaning, he shuffled out and looked behind him to see who had caught him in such a compromising position. Of course, because he had the most rotten luck, he turned around to see two small, sneaker-clad feet accompanied by two larger feet in sensible heels.

Raising his eyes he realized it was none other than Castiel and Ms. Novak. Why they were in his room, he had no idea. The woman should've been in the gym with the rest of the parents, and Castiel should've been backstage in his elf costume. But, he supposed, these were the Novaks and they did whatever the fresh hell they wanted.

He brushed the dust off of himself and stood up, offering his free hand to Ms. Novak. Her eyes flicked toward it with disgust, and he gave her a sheepish smile before retracting his hand. He let out a breath and spoke, "Hello, Ms. Novak. What's going on? Shouldn't Castiel be in his costume? The show is starting soon, I'd imagine you'd like to get a good seat."

Ms. Novak looked down her nose at Dean, tilting her disapproving jaw in the air and tutting, "I most certainly do not want a "good seat" to this heretical performance! Why have you decided on such a sacrilegious work to present to us during this holy season? My Castiel should be an angel in a nativity scene, not an imp in Santa's workshop!"

Dean took a deep breath, met Castiel's cowering eyes and let it out, "Ma'am, we are a public school and we aren't affiliated with any particular religion. We try to encourage children to be accepting and knowledgeable about different belief systems and cultures, so we felt it was best to refrain from a Christianity related Christmas play. The board decided that a production of Elf would be perfect for the kids and wouldn't push any sort of agenda."

She huffed angrily, "It is pushing the anti-Christian agenda that has been plaguing this country for far too long and I won't have it ruining my Christmas season."

Dean fought the urge to roll his eyes, biting back some choice words before responding, "Well. It's a bit too late to alter any of the plans for tonight, seeing as the show starts in..." He glanced down at his watch and deflated a bit, he had wasted so much time here already, "twenty minutes. It's also a decision that's entirely out of my hands, though I wouldn't change it even if I had the power to. We need to teach tolerance and acceptance from a young age, and if that means putting on Elf instead of a nativity show then that's what'll happen."

The woman was turning red with frustration, and obviously wasn't happy with what Dean had to say but frankly, he was exhausted, of this day, of the play, and of Ms. Novak's shit. And while he couldn't quite tell her that, he decided that he had every right to run his classroom the way he wanted, so long as he wasn't infringing on anyone's freedoms or beliefs; and she couldn't tell him otherwise. "So, if you have nothing else to say, I'd like to take Castiel back to the gym to get him ready for the show. And I hope you choose to stay and watch, if not for anything but your children. They've been working very hard on this performance."

Ms. Novak looked appalled at Dean's insolence. She huffed and turned toward her son, "I will allow you to perform and I will stay to see it, but you must promise me an hour of prayer when we return home."

Castiel nodded sullenly and held his hand out for Dean to grab. His mother straightened her back, turned up her nose, and led them out of the room. Dean was sure she'd take the issue above his head and was only acting semi-cordial now to feign a sense of security for him but, at the moment, he couldn't care less. It was the first time in this hectic fucking week that he had felt at all empowered and in control, and that was worth any barrage of complaints Ms. Novak could send his way. The group marched down the hallway, splitting up at the gym so Dean could help Castiel get ready and Ms. Novak could find a seat. 

"Fank you Mistew Winchestewr." Dean almost missed the little boy's gratitude because he expressed it so quietly. He looked down and saw that Castiel was staring at his feet shamefully. Dean crouched down, putting his hand on the young boy's shoulder, "Cas, bud, what's wrong?"

Cas glanced up but dropped his eyes back down to the ground almost as quickly, "I... Sometimes... Sometimes I don't like my mudder vewy much. And that's not good. God would be mad at me."

Dean felt his heart tear in half at the tears brimming in the child's big, innocent, blue eyes. Cas sniffled and stayed focused on his shoes. Dean lifted Castiel's head with one hand, wiping his tears away with the other, "Cas, it's ok to not like people sometimes. We all fight, we all feel mad and sad because of other people sometimes. God understands that. He made you, and he gave you the ability to feel these things. He wants you to feel. It's what makes us people. You're a good kid, Cas. You don't need to worry. You can try not to let other people affect your feelings though. If your mother starts frustrating you, just take a few deep breaths and remember she has feelings too. And she loves you. Very much. And you've always got me to talk to, buddy."

Dean noticed Cas's lip quivering and pulled the boy into a hug. Cas clung on to his teacher and sobbed once, breathing heavily. Dean held on until Cas let go. The boy looked up at him, a hesitant but grateful smile on his face. "I wuv you Mistew Winchesterw."

Dean had to take a moment. Now he was going to fucking cry. He took a deep breath and looked at Cas with eyes full of affection, "I love you too buddy, now let's go get you ready for the show, ok?" 

Cas nodded excitedly and ran off, pulling Dean behind him. Dean giggled and followed the happy boy to the backstage area. Cas stopped next to S/N and Kevin, who were already dressed in their elf costumes. The boys twittered and helped Cas get himself pulled together. Dean had to smile at the comradery and genuine care the boys showed for each other, god little kids were so pure. He fucking loved his job, despite the annoying parents and stressful weeks like this. 

The show went on without a hitch. Dean was incredibly proud of all of his students, especially Alesteir and Gabriel who happened to land the parts of Santa and Buddy, respectively. He wasn't surprised necessarily but they were on the younger side of the students who auditioned. But both had quite the flair for dramatics. Regardless, both children put their hearts and souls into their characters, as much as two six-year-olds could, and he was impressed. 

After the show, he ran into Sammy and Peter. The three men were chatting when Dean felt a small tug on his pant leg. Before he could turn around he saw all too pleased smiles creep up on the faces of his friend and brother. He rolled his eyes, knowing exactly who must be behind him and finding it hard to stop his heart from racing at the thought. Lo and behold, it was the ever adorable S/N, still dressed in his elf garb, and his darling mother. And there goes Dean's heart. Faster than ever. Y/N looked absolutely radiant in a pair of very well fitting jeans, not that Dean was looking or anything, and an oversized but somehow still flattering holiday sweater. 

She gave him a small wave, smiling sheepishly. "S/N couldn't bear to leave without saying hi to his favorite people." She explained with a shrug. 

Dean couldn't help himself, he smiled so wide his face hurt a bit, "His favorite people? I'm honored." He knelt down to pick the young boy up in a bear hug, which was quickly turned into a group hug when Sam wrapped his long arms around the two. S/N excitedly proclaimed this and gestured for Peter and his mother to join in. Peter chuckled and put a hand on Sam's shoulder, making it clear that was his sole contribution to this mass show of affection. Y/N hesitated, a smile slowly making its way onto her face. Her son pulled out the puppy eyes, prompting Sam and Dean to do the same, to which they happily obliged. She sighed and moved closer to the group. 

Dean felt his heart speed up and he shifted S/N over so that he and Sam were both holding the child. This freed up one each of their arms, which they opened so that Y/N could be accepted right in the midst of the hug. Y/N giggled, her face bright red, and sighed again before entering the hole they had made just for her. Dean wrapped his arm around her and could've sworn his heart was about to pound out of his chest. He was so close to her. And damn, she smelled heavenly. He took a breath in, closing his eyes and trying not to make it obvious that he was being a total creep and smelling her. Her scent made him feel at ease. He felt so at home, in the arms of this woman, her child, and his brother. 

The group broke apart after a moment, far too soon for Dean's liking but he also realized how incredibly odd they must've looked. Y/N was still blushing like mad, making her even more adorable, in Dean's humble opinion. 

She calmed herself and then threw on a smile, "Sorry to cut this interaction short again but we kinda have to get home, I prepped a pretty big dinner to celebrate-" She trailed off as S/N quickly signed something at her. She appeared to be weighing her options before answering the boy with a quick nod of her fist, the sign Dean had learned (thank you Google) to mean 'yes'.

Y/N cleared her throat lightly, "Well, as I was saying, I prepared a pretty big dinner to celebrate S/N's performance, and, well, you three are welcome to join us if you'd like."

Dean's heart soared. Another dinner. Another evening spent with her. Another chance to get to know her better. Sam looked at Dean, silently asking if it would be ok for him to accept the invitation as well. He thought it sounded nice and Jess was gone visiting a friend for the weekend. Without words, the two agreed that they would both go. 

Peter spoke up before the boys had a chance to, "I'd love to, but I actually have a dinner date planned for tonight. Another time hopefully." 

Dean whipped his head around to the older man, "A date? Peter you sly old dog! Who's the lucky lady?"

Peter smirked, "Maybe you'll find that out later, παιδί μου. We'll see how tonight goes first. I should get going, or I'll be late." And with that, the man shuffled out the door.

Dean stared after him in awe. "I can't believe that."

Y/N laughed heartily, "Honestly, I can. He's a real charmer, I bet he's got all the elderly women swooning and calling Life Alert."

Dean turned to her, astonished, before breaking out in deep laughter and having to steady himself on Sam, who had also begun to laugh. Y/N chuckled, looking incredibly pleased with herself. 

"So, would you two like to join us for dinner?"

The brothers stood up, wiping tears from their eyes and steadying their breathing. Sam nodded, and Dean replied, "We'd absolutely love to."

Y/N smiled brightly and S/N began to rock back and forth on his feet with anticipation. He grabbed his mother and Dean by the hand and started pulling them toward the door, "Let's gooooooo then!" The three adults chortled at the boy's enthusiasm and followed him out onto the street. 

Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14