#couldn't find any with my exact birthday on them

[vivwritesfics]

Waiting For The Sun

Chapter Four

Rhett Abbott has been hearing his soulmate in his head for ten years. She's the sweetest thing, nicknamed Muffin after her love of baking. Rhett doesn't know who Muffin is, doesn't know where she is, but hearing her voice always makes his day better. But then Trevor Tillerson is killed and Rhett's life is thrown into chaos. Through it all, Muffin in there for her soulmate. She wants nothing more than to find him, even through the chaos.

Soulmate AU

Warnings: smut, masturbation (guided), the bit where he snogs maria (yk), the piss scene (yk)

Series Masterlist

Rhett Abbott was twenty-one years old. His twenty-first birthday, to be exact. June twelfth, the day he had his first legal drink. He'd had alcohol before this, thanks to Perry and that fact that, when he went a few days without shaving, he looked older than twenty-one.

His poor soulmate had put up with so much from his over the year. She was there for his first drink, where she had to hope he was underage (simply because she was, too). He'd assured her that he was underage and that he'd let her know when he wasn't underage any longer.

He bought his first drink and downed it in one. It had very little effect and he quickly ordered another. And then another.

It fucking sucked that he couldn't tell his soulmate that it was his birthday. What he wouldn't give to hear her sing Happy Birthday in her sweet voice. He tried to tell her without saying it outright, tried to tell her that he was finally legal, but even that didn't work.

As far as she was aware, he was just getting drunk. An underage kid taking things too far. He wasn't, and he couldn't fucking tell her.

The kicker came when Perry ordered them tequila. They did the works, the salt, the lime, and threw them back in whatever order it went.

He remembered getting to bed that night, but he didn't remember anything he'd said to his soulmate before that. Everything he'd said to his Muffin in the bar was a blur, but he wouldn't forget anything that happened next.

It's my birthday, he tried to say to her. But it didn't work. He was growing increasingly frustrated as he struggled out of his jeans. When he let out a rather dramatic groan, she giggled in his head. You okay? She asked through her laughs.

No, he wasn't okay. He wanted to sulk like a child about it, but he was an adult now, wasn't he? He couldn't sulk like a child, even if he really, really wanted to.

Baby, Muffin, my love, he began, I need something from you.

What do you need, Cowboy? She asked him, and he couldn't help but be surprised that she was still awake.

Rhett sucked in a breath. He knew it was a huge ask, he knew there was a chance that she'd never want to talk to him again, but his drink addled brain made him at least try.

Have you ever touched yourself, Muffin?

There was a pregnant, anxiety inducing pause. This was it, he thought to himself. This was the point where she turned around and told him that she didn't want to be his soulmate. He couldn't blame her for that.

I... Hearing her voice was such a damn relief, but he was still incredibly anxious. I haven't, she finally answered. I don't know how.

She hadn't told him to fuck off, hadn't called him a creep and told him she never wanted to talk to him again. Rhett sucked in another breath. Do you want me to teach you how?

He almost couldn't believe it when she gave a meek yes. Yes. She had really said yes. She wanted him to teach her how to touch herself. Rhett had been dreaming about this moment for years now. He could never tell her, he knew. She really would think him a creep after that.

Tell me what you're wearing, baby, he mumbled as he wrapped his fingers around himself. But something about this, about fisting his cock while he taught her to touch herself, felt so wrong. This moment was for her, not him.

She told him exactly what she was wearing, stuttering out the colour of her underwear. Not a matching set, she'd said, somewhat embarrassed.

I wish I could see it. His voice was low and gravelly in her mind. I bet you look so damn pretty.

He didn't tell her to touch herself right away. No, he had her slowly peel off her bra and touch herself, describe all the sensations she was feeling as she groped her own breasts. She'd done it before, she admitted shyly, but never like this. Never with his guidance, never creating these feelings in her.

A weak moan sounded in his mind. Holy fuck, Muffin, he moaned right back, but his hands were behind his head. He was so hard, it was painful, but he didn't touch himself. Can you tell me if you're wet?

She didn't answer.

Muffin?

I-I've never done this bit before.

He shouldn't have found it cute, but it really was. It was so damn cute. It's okay, I got you, he replied, lip pulled between his teeth and eyes squeezed shut. He just wished he could picture her face as she did it. As she slipped her hand beneath the underwear that didn't quite match her bra and felt just how wet she was.

Rhett could almost feel it on his fingers. Shit, she squeaked and he held back a laugh. I'm wet.

I bet you are, Muffin.

He told her what to do, told her how to touch herself. Moans and desperate whines filled his head, and Rhett would have given anything to hear them out loud. Would have given anything to hear her moan his name.

He talked her through it until she quietened. Oh, so that was how she came. He could picture it, mouth falling open in a silent moan as her body stopped writhing. His mind strayed to Maria, but he quickly banished the imagine of her from his mind.

That was...

He grinned as he threw off his blankets, the night air in June too hot. That good, Muffin? He asked, tongue poking out to wet his lips.

There was a moment before she answered him. Better than good, Cowboy, she replied. But you can't tell anyone! She said in his head, words quick.

It wasn't long until she fell asleep. She must have already been tired, Rhett guessed as he looked at the alarm clock on his bedside table. And that must have worn her out. Tired, baby? He asked as he looked down at himself, so damn hard.

She didn't reply and he knew she was asleep. He released a breath and moved his hand, the memory of the noises she was making enough to keep him going.

***

He was riding that night. Twenty-Four year old Rhett was at the rodeo, mind quiet. Wherever his soulmate was, she wasn't speaking to him, busy in that moment.

That was okay, though. She was quiet when he rode, anyway, letting him concentrate on staying on the bull.

He looked towards the crowd. It was hard to make out any faces in the dark, but he could see Maria, clear as day. That was fine, they were friends now, weren't they? This was the thing that friends did.

(Let me clear something up. There was a chance that Rhett needed glasses. His eyesight wasn't so bad that he couldn't function without them, but it was bad enough that he knew he needed them. But he didn't have time or the energy to go and get his eyes tested. Plus, cowboys didn't wear glasses).

He mounted the bull. Riding now, Muffin, he said as he secured himself on. there was no way he was going to come off, not until he was ready.

There was a small, quiet Good luck! but then she was gone again. Where his Muffin went, he didn't know. His eyes met Sheriff Joy's. His Muffin gone, Sheriff Joy watched him so closely. Fuck, he couldn't do this.

The gate opened and the bull launched into action. Bucking, throwing his body around. He kept his arm in his air in an aid to keep himself balanced, moving his body with the bulls. It was expert, the way he kept himself on. His hat flew off, but he didn't much care. There was no way he was coming off this damned bull.

When the buzzer buzzed, he jumped from the bulls back. It wasn't graceful, but it wasn't supposed to be. He picked himself up from the sand, scooped up his Stetson and turned his attention to the score bored.

Rider 44. R. Abbott. 82.5.

Top of the motherfucking leader board.

His fist beat against his chest as he turned his attention to the crowd that watched him. Top of the fucking leader board, and almost everybody he cared about was there to watch him. It was a feeling he'd never get enough of, a high he wanted to chase.

Running on pure adrenaline, he ended up in The Handsome Gambler with Maria. They were just friends, that was all. She wasn't his soulmate, he knew, and there was nothing wrong with the two of them getting drinks together.

Muffin? He tried as he took their drinks to their table.

Hey, Cowboy, she replied as he placed the drinks down and slipped into the seat opposite Maria. Sorry, today got a little crazy.

Maria was talking to him, and he should have been listening. He tried, he tried really damn hard to not be rude, but his Muffin was talking to him, and he couldn't not listen to her. He nodded along to whatever Maria was saying as his Muffin told him about her day.

I snuck out.

His eyes bulged out of his head and he just had to hope that Maria didn't notice. He cleared his throat and agreed with whatever she was saying. What do you mean you snuck out? Are you okay? Are you safe? He asked in quick succession.

Maria asked him a question, but he didn't answer for a moment. So, she repeated the question (something about bull riding, about his aspirations) and Rhett scrambled for an answer. And, as he spoke, so did his Muffin. Yeah, I'm fine. I went to see my sister.

Her sister. Rhett finished his drink and went up for another. He knew the story of her sister, that she'd found her soulmate and run off, leaving her family behind.

She's married now, had a baby. She told me if anybody but me picked up the phone, she would have hung up.

Rhett sucked in a breath. He knew what her family was like, what her father would do if he found out she snuck out. If he could have taken her away from it all, he would have. But he didn't know where she was, didn't know how to get her out.

He grabbed his drink and sat back with Maria. Just let me know you're okay, okay? He asked as he sat back down in the seat opposite Maria. Got me worried now.

She let out a giggle, but it was only weak. Relax, cowboy. I'm okay, I promise. There was a moment of nothingness where Rhett said something quick and meaningless to Maria. Are you busy?

He shook his head and Maria furrowed her brow at him. Not busy, Muffin. Just out with an old friend.

I'll leave you to it, Cowboy. Let me know when you're home?

Rhett had several drinks after that. He and Maria both did. The more she had, the more flirty she got. But the conversation got more and more relaxed. Before he knew it, he was openly admitting that he once thought that Maria was his soulmate.

She laughed at that, hand falling onto his own. "I haven't found my soulmate," she admitted, hand still in his. Rhett didn't move and she didn't move, either. "And I know you haven't found yours."

He shook his head. "Still workin' on it," he answered and drained the rest of his glass.

She pursed her lips, fingers dancing across his palm. It might have been soothing, if he wasn't so gone. "You haven't found your soulmate yet, and I haven't found mine," she mumbled, staring into his eyes. "We're both adults, we both have needs."

Maria was gorgeous, but she wasn't his soulmate. Still, she was right. They both had needs that weren't being fulfilled without their soulmates there.

When she stood, hand still in his, he stood with her. Almost in a trance as he followed her out of The Handsome Gambler.

The cool night air kissed his flushed skin, but he had no time to appreciate it as Maria wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in close, backing herself up against the wall of The Gambler.

Her lips were on his. Maria held his cheeks as he leaned down, his hat almost hiding the both of them from any view. His hands were on her hips, holding her against the wall. A grunt left his lips, body pressing against hers.

"Muffin."

He hadn't meant to grunt it out loud. Certainly hadn't meant to grunt it in his head. Maria pulled away from him with a deep frown written on her pretty features.

Yeah?

It was almost startling when his Muffin answered him. Rhett blushed furiously as Maria pulled away from him. "I'll see you later, Rhett," Maria said as she walked away.

The shock of accidentally calling out for his soulmate wasn't enough to shock him into sobriety. No, Rhett was stumbling as he tried to make his way... where, exactly?

Fuck, he needed to go.

Leaning against the nearest thing, which just so happened to be a cop car, Rhett freed himself from his jeans and just went. He shut his eyes and threw his head back as he relieved himself into the road. Shit, how much had he had to drink? Clearly a lot, if this was to go by.

But then the door of the car opened. He looked up, almost in a daze, certainly in a drunken haze, as the cop climbed out. "What the hell?" He mumbled before he turned to see the handsome, drunk cowboy. "You're pissin' on my car, Rhett."

"Ah, shit," he mumbled as he looked around. "I'm sorry, I didn't... I didn't realise."

"Well, stop pissin', then."

Rhett released a breath. He couldn't. As embarrassing as it was, he couldn't. But he was drunk, and a bull rider. So, that was exactly what he told the cop. "Not so easy to turn off the faucet after ridin' bulls," he mumbled and released a laugh. He hadn't exactly meant to release this laugh, but he couldn't help himself.

"You think that's funny?"

He didn't exactly roll his eyes, but he was close. "Ah, come on," he said, adjusting himself slightly. "It's a little funny." And again, he laughed. But he was still goddamn pissing.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was how Rhett Abbott found himself in the sheriffs station.

Rhett Taglist: @finnydraws

@writtingrose

@nurse-sainz

@biancathecool

@xoxabs88xox

@afriendlyneighborhoodhufflepuff

Series Taglist: @nessjo

@butterflykale1doscope

@eternallyvenus

@daughterofapollo-7

@babybluemissy

@anonymousmuffinbear

@cloudroomblog

@harveysgirl101

[ferociouslycreativemystery]

Every clapperboard from the ghosts bloopers (so far)

[temis-de-leon]

Replaced MC AU/AU - Part 3

Characters: demon brothers, Diavolo, Barbatos, male! MC and crushing! male! NES (MC x NES)

How’s it gonna be , Intro – Part 0 , Part 1 , Part 2

Masterlist , about the NES

You can read about this MC and this NES here!

CW: Solomon is mentioned, jealous and mean brothers, black cat x golden retriever behavior i think, one single kiss, a bit ambiguous at the end, not very angsty really, NES x MC centered

A/N: my favourite version of NES and MC by far, I enjoyed writing this a lot. However, my pc came out as homophobic and decided not to connect to any WiFi for this chapter, so I won't be able to update the links nor the masterlist until next week. Also, some people aren't properly tagged once again because I can't find their blogs for some reason?? So so sorry for that, but I don't know what to do about it.

.

NES was… someone they didn't expect. Unknowingly infuriating, always distracted and too unbothered to care about any of his surroundings. He was a disaster that enjoyed living in disaster and, if they weren't threatened by his presence, Satan and Belphegor would love his insolence.

Barbatos remembered an occasion, one moment from the second week of NES's attendance at RAD, where Lucifer gave him an earful for his ‘impropriety and insulting attitude towards the uniform’. Mammon had been there too, shirt out of his pants and jacket nowhere near closed, backing his brother up.

NES’s pristine appearance lasted only two periods before MC saw him chocking under his tie and laughed at him in sympathy. After that, he'd only wear the uniform ‘the Lucifer way’ if MC was there to eventually mess up the outfit.

And how could the eldest brother object to that?

“They need to loosen up, Lucifer”

MC always had the last word.

Solomon found the situation hilarious. Witnessing the brothers competing against each other in search of MC's attention was one thing, but adding NES to the equation? Yes, Barbatos had to somewhat agree. It was funny.

Who had been cooking for hours in the kitchen if not NES trying to make a quick snack for his fellow human? And who was the first one to leave the House of Lamentation each morning, already waiting next to MC’s seat by the time everyone else arrived?

Mammon called him a simp. Asmo liked to call them both the kettle and the pot.

And while, yes, Lucifer was the one and only Avatar of Pride, none of the brothers were able to admit just how big of a deal NES was becoming.

When would it be too late?

.

.

The Demon Prince's birthday arrived and the mandatory celebration was as grandiose as one could expect. Everything was bright and full of laughter, the streets cramped with food stalls, demons and witches alike throwing mesmerizing magic tricks for the children, acrobats, costumes, music…

At one point MC considered handcuffing himself to NES. Even Luke was easier to manage!

Fortunately, Beel ended up finding him playing darts with a succubus and her partners. Unfortunately, MC seemed to be the only one who wanted to check if he was okay.

It was becoming… draining.

Not NES, of course. Sure, he was a handful, but none of his mistakes were intentional. Everything he did came from naiveness and ignorance, being new to the Devildom, and what he lacked in common sense he made up in enthusiasm.

At least he didn't steal his valuables and he’d never threatened to kill him or eat his heart, something MC still thought about frequently. The worst thing NES ever did to him was throw them both to the ground when he tried to slide on the floor at full speed. And he still apologized for that from time to time.

Did the brothers ever apologize for all the things they did or said? The way they used to look at him? He couldn't remember.

Now they were doing the exact same thing to NES. Treating him like an unwanted guest instead of the roommate they insisted on having, turning down every single one of his ideas, including the good ones, and very passively threatening him in a condescending tone, as if they could impress MC with that.

Maybe it was a demon thing? Or rather regular jealousy brought to a dangerous level?

Whatever the reason, MC didn't waste any time sitting them in the living room and chewing the hell out of them, something that enraged Lucifer and put a strain in their relationship, still making it difficult to make small talk, but of course none of them would back down. The rest of the brothers weren't so obvious showing their annoyance, but it was still there.

The good thing was that, as long as MC was there, NES wouldn't be the receiving end of any bullshit. The bad thing was that MC didn't know what was going on behind his back. And NES, bless his soul, was never willing to tell him if any of them made him uncomfortable.

It was draining and NES gave him a sense of peace, but the brothers missed him and they wanted to monopolize his time, but MC wanted to spend time with his new friend and that made the brothers angry and jealous, which made MC anxious, which made NES worry.

Every factor made the situation worse. The brothers were too much, NES was too good for the Devildom and MC was too done with everything.

However, the time passed surprisingly fast as they sang Happy Birthday to Diavolo, eating in the midst of it all, dancing with each other and talking like they used to do before the ridiculous ordeal, albeit with a subtle tension that limited their topics of conversation.

They even ignored NES! Which was better than any other option!

So, once the voices toned down and the guests divided themselves into small groups, MC forced himself to whisk Diavolo away for a moment and have a serious talk, Barbatos following close and listening with a curious glance.

That proved to be nothing but a waste of time.

“It's too soon to take conclusions, MC. I'm sure the brothers just need time. After all, remember your first year here!”

He did remember. That's why he was so worried.

And why did Diavolo talk to him like that? He was 100% sure Lucifer insulted NES to no end anytime he had more than one horn of Demonus. What did they call NES in the privacy of their office? What did they think while they talked to him and faked respect? What were they plotting when they looked MC in the eyes and promised him they wouldn't threaten NES anymore?

Too many lies.

“Alo?”

But then… NES smiled so easily… Like none of that bothered him. Luckily, MC didn't mind caring in his behalf. He wondered if being able to save someone from the fate he had last year was the root of all his actions.

“You look so worried, you're gonna get all wrinkly! Not like you'd look bad, but if you're going to have wrinkles, won't you rather have them in your eyes? Like, from smiling too much, you know?”

He did smile then, imitating NES’s caring expression.

“There you are, handsome! You're gonna be the envy of all in 90 years!”

“Do you really think I'm going to live that much?”

“God, I hope so”

They laughed softly, but it still sounded too loud. MC looked out for the brothers, checking their positions in the ballroom before grabbing NES’s hand and dragging him to one of the balconies. He preferred not having the moment tarnished.

“Good idea! Too hot in there…"

“Don't lie to me”

“Wha…?”

MC stared at him quite sternly, although trying not to look to much like Lucifer, but he needed an answer.

“Do they still bother you? Do they threaten you? Do they ignore you? What do they do?”

“Whoa, whoa, MC. Here comes the frown again…”

He raised his hands, caressing MC’s frown until it softened. His touch was warm and soft and it made MC lean towards him, not wanting it to end. When he opened his eyes again, unknowingly closing them before, NES stayed in that position.

There was silence for a few seconds, interrupted only by the violins, the harps, the pianos and other instruments serenading them under the moonlight. NES could only stare at MC’s lips for a fragment of a second before someone grabbed the scruff of their necks with poorly hidden aggressiveness and brought them back to the ballroom.

MC raised his gaze in fury, bending down to help NES get up again. He expected to see red eyes and black feathers, but, to his surprise, what stared back at him were purple eyes and a long bovine tail.

He wanted to scream at him, to ask what the actual fuck was wrong with him. Would he had acted the same if it was one of his brothers instead of NES? Would he had such hate in his eyes?

But people were staring, very obviously amused at the sight of two humans being put back in place.

MC would have to wait.

.

.

“NES! What happened?!”

MC watched as the boy waved at him, hanging upside down where Mammon usually spent countless hours. His arms were tied behind his back and the rope covered his body in a way that surely left no room for the blood to circulate properly. His head already looked dangerously red and MC knew he couldn't leave him there for too long unless he wanted him to have permanent damage.

“I think I failed my last test, but I don't really remember”

“What do you mean you don't remember?”

“Well, I'm very dizzy right now, but I'm sure it's okay. Lucifer will get me out of here soon enough”

Or he won't.

MC sighed, cursing in silence before studying the thick ropes and the tight knots. He knew he wouldn't be able to untie him by hand and he wouldn't be surprised if the kitchen suddenly lacked knives, no doubt the result of Lucifer's pettiness and sadism.

“Wait for me here, okay? I have to get something to cut the ropes…”

“Wait, wait! MC!”

He turned around, patiently staring at his loopy smile and cloudy eyes. He couldn't wait for too long, but maybe he could indulge a couple of minutes.

“What?”

NES briefly looked away, his embarrassment gaining MC’s attention. Now that was a rare sight.

“Have you seen Spiderman?”

His heart stopped for a second and he felt his cheeks getting hot. His hand, previously grasping his hip, fell to his side and made him lose balance.

“You can say no, of course. We can forget about this and I won't get offended. A little sad maybe, but I can manage. I like you too much to stop liking you for a kiss. Does that sound weird? You get me, right?”

His rambling gave MC the opportunity to go down a couple of steps in the staircase and align his face in front of NES’s. The position was weird and staring at his chin was an experience he didn't know he would get the chance to live, but he didn't care.

It wasn't until he finally kissed him mid-sentence that he noticed a figure peeking around the corner, eyes staring without blinking and jealousy ready to made itself known.

Accepting the challenge, MC closed his eyes and grasped NES’s hair, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.

Dinner that night would be fucking awkward.

.

.

.

Taglist: : @stfuchaase @k1-an @meggs-wonderland @kkeromenoo @va109 @marvelous-maniac @cruzerforce4256 @blarsh @marathedemonoverlord @junni-berry @arylleb @b-a-m-2006 @jonielunar @piercedddriver @cosmidaydreaming @bluegrey02 @anxious-chick

[theyoungeragrippina]

🫶🏻 15 gentlebeard/blackbonnet fic recs

(17 if you squint)

hey legends, in this bittersweet period where a lot of a us are feeling gutted but simultaneously, rebelliously hopeful, i've emerged from my reading den to showcase to you all some of the brilliant talent we have in this fandom! these fics are some of the best of the best, and i hope you love them just as much as i do! <3

they are all complete, do not feature any ongoing steddyhands/edizzy/stizzy, and are above 20k words.

peruse part 1, part 2, and part 3 at your leisure if you want to compare our tastes/devour more fine literature, or check out my masterlist as an ao3 collection.

adrift between the dreaming seas by @dandy-pirate-time

49k, mature, locked

stede lives a cursed life on a moving island, until the monotony of his days is suddenly interrupted by the fearsome kraken.

this was such a fascinating & incredible idea! i love how it manipulates aspects of the original story and transforms them into parts of the cursed island <3 sweet & unique & magical. i want to hug poor stede.

Five Birthdays and a Funeral by @bizarrelittlemew

58k, explicit

"When Ed and Stede's friend groups merge, they meet at a birthday party, and Stede's life is turned upside-down. As they collide again and again, he not only has to figure out what Ed means to him, but what he means to himself."

stede gets to be oblivious and a bit of a silly goose as a treat. also: treasure hunts, lucius is the best, ed has a cat whom i would die for, such a sweet & heartfelt fic. you will be so unbelievably fond of this version of every character.

The Ghost of Frigate Point Lighthouse by @piratecaptainscaptainpirates

53k, explicit

"When history professor Stede Bonnet goes to investigate rumors of a ghost haunting the local lighthouse, he's thrust into a mystery centered around the ghost of one of the most famous pirates of all time."

was SO eager to read this and it did not disappoint!! it has everything - fun, magic, mystery, tired TA lucius, and a lil bit of seduction. good enough that i am worried the author may actually just be a sea witch recollecting events he personally witnessed.

Haunted by @thepirateroo

60k, explicit

"The Kraken is a famous spiritualist, working the music halls of 1920s London to help families communicate with their dead. But Stede Bonnet knows that underneath the fame and illustrious title, Edward Teach works as a ghost hunter, debunking the spirits he makes his living off."

this is, genuinely, in the top 5 fanfics i have read for any fandom EVER. i wouldn't bat an eyelid if i read this exact work as a published novel in a bookstore. the mystery is so good and had me guessing and re-theorising constantly, the characterisation is brilliant, and the emotions are perfect. i cried, i laughed, i felt sick with worry for the characters, and i couldn't stop reading until i was done.

haunt me, then by @hyruling

28k, explicit

"He releases the ropes slowly, barely registering the burn as they slip through his fingers. Then, fallible as Orpheus, turns to meet his ghost."

post s1 fixit fics ily. everyone needs some therapy. really VERY well written and a joy to read.

Homeward Bound by mari_who

51k, explicit

"In the long-ago year 2000, bouncy blonde boy-band member Stede Bonnet is 17-year-old Edward Teach's gay awakening. Decades later, Ed hears a voice he could never forget."

i said 'ohhh no poor ed/stede' so many times while reading this. a lovely exploration of emotion and human connection, and finding yourself when everyone else has always defined who you are on your behalf.

I just need some air by @cuddlytogas

26k, teen

"Stede Bonnet's been having panic attacks for almost as long as he can remember, suffocated by pressure and expectation... When [he] finally takes his life back — divorces Mary, moves to Melbourne, starts his own event management business — things get better, but he's still no good at parties. He still needs some air, even at the very events he's brought to fruition. Meanwhile, Edward Teach, renowned chef and owner of Blackbeard's Catering, is wondering why the newest bigwig in events still hasn't hired him."

zoomed through this faster than lightning mcqueen. such a lovely writing of stede, ed and the whole crew - it feels like there's depth in every character, even background ocs.

also fantastic australia rep (i was jumpscared by mention of the cotton on group) AND i've been to the bar the final scene takes place at!!!! most exciting reading experience of my life.

i'll be your treasure by @monksofthescrew

48k, mature

"Wasn't the Dread Pirate Blackbeard rumored to have a hoard hidden somewhere near Essex? It's a metal detecting AU. They're detectorists. They fall in love."

i LOVE this fic so much it is just,,,, so sweet. stede does self-discovery and is seduced. ed is a bit of a goose and i'm obsessed with him. doug and mary are lovely. alma is so cool and i love her.

+ the sequel! drift o'er the rolling hills, swim through the briny sea (made me cry. btw. doug keeps being the best.)

The Kraken's Sacrifice by @trinityofone

22k, explicit

"Every year, a person is chosen—supposedly at random—to be sacrificed to the Kraken, to quell the sea's worst storms and to stop the taking of ships... Stede discovers that there is much more to the creature than he was led to believe—and that they have a deeper connection than he could have ever dreamed."

i LOVED this okay. it was funny and sweet and gave an interesting spin to the ed-is-the-kraken genre. get both of these boys some self-esteem asap. also comes with art by @avatoh!!!!!

lovers in a dangerous time by @veeagainsttheday

52k, explicit

pacific rim au - "Edward Teach becomes a jaeger pilot, first with Izzy Hands and later with Stede Bonnet. It’s not easy trying to save the world and falling in love with your drift partner…"

made me feel every emotion under the sun, including foaming at the mouth jealous that i don't have a drift partner. absolutely, masterfully written. i've popped this link first since its the fic that focuses on stede & ed, but it was written as a prequel for:

+ catagory five: a shatterdome romance by @owlinaminor (27k, mature), which focuses predominantly on jim & oluwande, and which i also massively recommend reading (first). it's told through lucius' words and made up of journalistic notes and transcriptions, and its really terribly clever. i knew nothing about pacific rim before this, and now i'm really very invested. if i wrote something this fantastic (& creative & wildly unique) i would never shut up about it.

More of the Gravy Basket than of the Grave by @veeagainsttheday

36k, explicit

"Ed and Stede’s ‘unorthodox friendship’ ended four months ago when Stede left Ed without a word after Ed asked him to run away to a parallel universe with him. They’re thrown back together when they’re summoned to perform a supernatural exorcism at the Hillside Hotel during a blizzard."

this has got to be one of the coolest and most creative fics i have ever had the pleasure of reading. genuinely kept me guessing and so so intrigued, PLUS the most sweet stede & ed dynamic!!!

Nothing Missing in My Life by @semisweetshadow

63k, explicit, locked

"Hollywood action star Ed Teach is bored with his celebrity life. Everything changes when he meets Stede, a sweet extra working on the set of his latest film shoot. Stede doesn't know who Ed really is and treats him like a real person and Ed can't help wanting to keep him."

ed plays an action hero called jeff the accountant, and if that's not immediately the greatest synopsis ever idk how else to win you over. hilarious, clever, & so heartfelt. i gasped and said 'oh no' with a hand over my heart nearly as many times as i laughed out loud.

not pickles by smallestchurch

84k, explicit

"Ed's minding his business when the new neighbor's kid comes around holding a human puppet. It's creepy as hell, but as soon as the kid's father rounds the corner, Ed doesn't mind."

i actually feel a bit ill when i think about this fic because i love it so overwhelmingly. there's family, and healing, and good food and friends, and ed teach and louis bonnet become the dynamic duo they always had the potential to be.

Our Fangs Mean Death by @flawedamythyst

87k, teen, locked

"Master Vampire Blackbeard's afterlife is enlivened by the arrival of a new coven in town, lead by the self-styled Gentleman Vampire. Now here's a Master who doesn't mind shaking things up by wearing clothes 300 years out of date, buying a massive gothic mansion for a lair, and leading the most eclectic coven Blackbeard has ever seen."

ridiculously fun. this is the vampire novel/fic i didn't know i needed and i loved every silly second. stede really gets to fulfil his dad-ness. i'm furious i can't join the gentleman vampires coven irl, will just need to embrace the gothic vampire aesthetic in my own life.

Wayfaring by @justkeeptrekkin

35k, explicit

"The downside to being stuck on a desert island is that Stede's not awfully good at adapting. The upside is that he and Ed can finally have some peace and quiet– that is, if Ed ever wakes up from the gunshot wound in his stomach."

the sweetest desert island fic, feat. the cutest piglet in the world, a little bit of pining, a helpful skeleton named dusty, and some of the best & most accurately written stede and ed content ever (imo).

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for ditching my friends because they tried to surprise me for my birthday?

So I (F19) have really, really bad anxiety I'm trying to overcome. I've been on a couple different medications (still trying to find the right one) and working with a therapist, but it's still really bad. Like, one time I couldn't leave the house to go grocery shopping for over a week, because the thought of being in public sent me into panic attacks. So a friend tried to help me by ordering me a pizza and said I just needed to sign his name for it when it got there, and that sent me into another panic attack because 1) Now I needed to wait for this pizza, 2) I needed to open the door and talk to a stranger, 3) I needed to sign a guy's name when I'm obviously a girl so they're gonna KNOW I'm not the one who ordered the pizza and what if they take me to jail?? Yeah, it's totally irrational I know. And I hate it. I'm TRYING to work through it, but it's hard.

A few days ago it was my birthday and 3 of my best friends (all 19) took me out to eat at a restaurant. Before we went they joked in our group texts about getting them to bring me a cake and sing happy birthday, and I told them if they do that it will undoubtedly send me into a panic attack and I will never forgive them. Full stop, do not do that to me. And they agreed. But halfway through our dinner I hear the clapping and singing, and here come a bunch of waiters carrying a cake and singing Happy Birthday. I'm freaking out but think surely this is just a fluke, they're going to another table and not to ours. My friends wouldn't do that to me. But no, they come straight up to our table and put the cake down. I get up and run out of the restaurant before they're even done singing.

I end up going back to my car and sitting there shaking and crying for I don't know how long. Eventually someone knocks on my window and it's one of my friends asking me to come back inside so they can talk to me, I say I don't want to see them right now and drive away. Instead of going home I go to my mom's house and tell her what happened and she tells me to stay as long as I need, so I turn off my phone and hide in my childhood bedroom and try to get some sleep.

I woke up the next morning to a bunch of missed calls and texts from my friends. Apparently they didn't think I'd freak out that bad (even though I told them I would) and said technically the cake wasn't for me. They lied to our waiter while I was in the bathroom and said it was one of their birthdays, not mine. So that way they could "cheat the system" and still get me a free cake and someone else would get the singing, not me. I said it doesn't matter if the singing was for me or not, I had told them if that exact situation happened it would freak me out and they did it anyway, and they did it behind my back without telling me. Like, of course I would assume the singing was for me? It was my birthday and not any of theirs and they didn't tell me about their scheme? They said I just overreacted, and it's normal for friends to surprise friends on their birthday. Did I overreact?

What are these acronyms?

[farahtissaiamyloves]

Hi. Could you please write Lady Lesso x (student)reader(She's 18)?

It's Lesso's birthday, but she doesn't really like it and she's in a bad mood. Reader somehow finds out that today is Lesso's birthday and decides to surprise her, because she has a crush on her. She prepared a gift and a firecracker with confetti and glitter, taking it all with her to class, so she can surprise her right after class. But the firecracker goes off too early and showers Lesso with confetti and glitter, she gets angry, thinking it's some sort of prank. Of course, Lesso decides to send reader to the doom room, and reader somehow have to explain to her that it wasn't a prank and all.

Surprise gone wrong?

Lady Lesso x reader

I'm sorry for not updating for a long time. I finally found time to write again so here we go. This amazing request was waiting for me for a long time, and I finally seized the opportunity and wrote it. Sorry, for the long wait. Hope you are all doing great!

Ps: it's my name day!!!!

You were at your final year at the school for evil.

You never meant to overhear the Dean of Good talking with one of her colleagues.

Students were forbidden to be walking around the lake at such a late hour, yet here you were studying and mostly admiring all the different stars and magnificent constellations.

You hid and held your breath. The last thing you wanted was to gain detention.

But then again...

Detention with Lady Lesso wasn't such a bad idea...

"You see, Anemone, Lesso's birthday is coming up, and we happen to have already arranged our monthly meeting that day." Dovey spoke with a highly annoyed tone.

Your eyes widened as you processed the newfound information. When?

"Really? Oh dear, she will be more than a handful..." Came Anemone's reply as you continued spying on them with sparkling eyes.

So, Lady Lesso's, your crush's birthday was coming up. You could surprise her! Show her how much you value all her hard work and determination.

You silently squeeled, already thinking of all the ways you could make her day.

"I know! Right? We won't have any work done because of that whining.... vixen." You raised an eyebrow at Dovey's failing attempt to curse your Dean.

You heard Anemone sigh. "And when will we waste our entire day?" Anemone asked, referring to when the meeting will take place.

"Next Thursday. I simply cannot wait!" The good Dean spoke sarcastically.

You rolled your eyes at the way they were referring to Lady Lesso, but deep down, you were feeling beyond happy. You couldn't wait for next Thursday.

꧁☾︎❥︎☽︎꧂

The day has finally come. You couldn't put your excitement into words. It was the day you were looking forward to since you overheard Dovey.

You were beaming awaiting for the class with Lady Lesso to come.

When the time was right, you went into the classroom a quarter earlier to do the needed preparations.

You knew that Lady Lesso always came from ten to five minutes beforehand to stare daggers at everyone who came into the classroom.

The firecracker was set and ready, and you had your gift inside your backpack. Your plan was to surprise her first, wish her happy birthday, and then pull out her gift to show her.

You couldn't wait to give her your gift, you were a little nervous but you were confident that she was going to like it.

You heard her heels clicking against the floor and giggled in excitedly. You couldn't wait for your little surprise to unfold.

You stood next to the firecracker, which meant to shower the ground in front of her with pink glitter and black confetti.

Lady Lesso marched inside the room at a faster pace than the one you anticipated. Your eyes widened as you were unable to stop the firecracker before being activated.

You stood and watched in horror as the Dean of Evil was showered from head yo tow with your glitter and confetti.

"Surprise." You spoke in shock as you were gazing at her.

The Dean had the exact position and grimace of a cat being thrown water.

She slowly opened her eyes, looked down at her ruined clothes, and up to you.

"What's the meaning of this?" She snapped at you.

You gulped as you noticed her state. "I- I am sorry. I didn't-" You started apologizing.

"Save it." She cut you off and grabbed your arm.

Your eyes widened as the Dean dragged you out of the classroom.

"La- lady Lesso. I can explain." You trembled.

Instead of answering, she pushed you in front of her violently and grabbed your arm again, leading you to the Doom Room.

"Everything but this place. Please." You begged, feeling really scared. You just meant to surprise her.

You briefly looked up at her only to see her furious face. Why was she so angry with you? Couldn't she clean her clothes with magic?

She pushed the door open and pulled you inside. You fell to the ground due to the force and turned to look at her with pleading eyes.

Lesso returned your gaze with an angry and cold one. "Forget class. You shall wait here for me for your proper punishment."

Lesso shut the door and locked it behind her.

You shakily got up and walked to the chair. You sat down and started crying. This was supposed to be a happy day. Couldn't she just use her mind and understand that the confetti was for her birthday?

You sighed as you were left alone with your thoughts. You were disappointed in yourself for ruining such a well-planned surprise and sad because instead of making her feel happy and appreciated, she was feeling furious and sad.

You cried a little bit, realizing that you won't get to give her your gift... All of those hours of preparing the surprise and searching the perfect gift were in vain.

Not just in vain, but they'll probably get you tortured well. You didn't want to be tortured, not for something that you didn't deserve, at least.

You didn't notice the door opened until a cold voice was heard. "Such a polite girl.... She's even trying to make her torture enjoyable.... for me." Lesso's words were accompanied by a chuckle. You knew she was referring to the fact that you were seated on the chair.

You immediately got up and took a deep breath. "I had no ill intentions." You declared.

Lady Lesso smirked, closing the door behind her and walking inside the room. "Oh, I'm sure you don't.... Nobody has in here." She mocked you.

You swallowed hard. Of course, everybody would lie to get themselves out of here. "I'm not everything, Lady Lesso. I never caused trouble in the past. Why would I do it now?" You inquired in a desperate attempt to prove your innocence.

The dean chuckled coldly as she stood in front of her torturing equipment. "There's always a first time for everything, little brat."

You took a deep, shaky breath. Your hands had become sweaty, and your eyes teary. "Can I, at least,... try to explain myself?" You hesitantly asked.

The Dean took a big whip from her collection and sighed. "If you stop acting like a little baby, afterward, then I guess you can certainly.... try to change my mind."

You nodded shakily as she turned around and showed you the whip. "I- I learned that today was your birthday, and I meant to surprise you. The firecracker never meant to wash you with either glitter or confetti. It just meant to surprise you." You explained.

Lesso raised a single perfect eyebrow. "And supposing my birthday was today... How did you learn about that?" She voice a very smart and calculated question.

You bited your lip. You were just going to make your torture worst, perfect. "I was just studying some astrology a week ago, at the lake, when I overheard Professor Dovey and Professor Anemone talking about a meeting happening at your birthday. I wish to reveal no more."

Lady Lesso thought about what you just told her. In was in fact true that there was both a meeting today and her birthday. She also knew that students weren't informed about those kinds of events...

The Dean looked down at the whip, then back to you. "Why the firecracker, then?"

You scratched your head. "That's what they do on birthdays."

Lesso sighed, turning around to put the whip back to its place. She didn't know whether she was disappointed for not conducting the torture or relieved because her favorite student didn't mean to stab her in the back.

"Such a cruel way to torment someone." The woman commented with gritted teeth.

"It didn't mean to fire on you, but in front of you. I'm deeply sorry, Lady Lesso. I never meant to make you furious." You apologized.

The Dean turned to look at you, only with her can in her hands. She sighed. "You did not mean ill, in the end. I'm glad."

You titled your head. "You are?"

Lady Lesso approached you with a sad small. She patted your head and then caressed it. "I am.... You didn't have to make such a big deal out of it, though."

You smiled, looking up at her. You didn't pull away from her grip. "Why not? It's your special day! You should enjoy it!"

Lesso shook her head and sighed. "No, no, I shouldn't. And you shouldn't either. Where's the good with completing another lonely, annoying, and boring year of your life?"

You pouted at her. "Don't say that, Lady Lesso, you have me."

The woman chuckled, patting your head. "That's not what I meant, and you know that."

You swallowed hard. Here goes nothing. "I. I know what you meant." You spoke, biting your lower lip.

Leonora's eyes widened as she looked down on you. Her piercing gaze remained on you as she processed your words. "No." She whispered.

You hesitantly nodded. "Yes."

The Dean took her eyes away from you before returning back to you pretty quickly. "You are lying."

You shook your head. "I had gotten you a gift, too. It's in my bag."

The Dean's eyes widened. "A gift!?"

You nodded. "Yes, if you want it. I think you will like it." You spoke with a smile.

Leonora Lesso was speechless. Firstly, her student admitted on liking her, and now this very same student has bought her a gift.

The Dean bited the inside of her cheek. "How much did it cost?" She meant to repay you.

You shook your head. "It's a gift for now, and it shall remain like one."

The Dean cursed. "What is it?"

You smirked at her and shrugged. "Only one way to find out, professor."

The Dean gave you a stern glance. "Why are you doing this? What do you wish in return?"

You looked up at her smiling. "Making you feel appreciated and cared for."

Leonora's eyes widened in shock. For the first time in a long while, she was truly speechless. She didn't know what she awaited you to say, but definitely not this. Not this, and definitely not with such happiness.

You stood up, standing in front of her. "Wanna open your gift?"

The woman looked at you for a second before blinking to bring herself back to reality.

"I- I guess." The Dean surrendered without a fight.

Nobody had ever gotten her a gift without waiting for something in exchange, and it made her feel... warm.

You walked outside of the room with the woman behind you. You led her to her classroom before taking your bag and opening it.

You pulled out a black box with a golden ribbon.

"Happy birthday, Lady Lesso." You said enthusiastically, handing her her present.

The Dean took the box and examined it. It was a pretty box in nice colors. Lady Lesso hummed, feeling pleased with the box as she slowly pulled it open.

Her eyes widened when she saw the matching cravat and gloves with the color of the box and ribbon.

The Dean touched them both in awe. They were so beautiful and precisely her style.

"So.... Do you like it?" You asked, examining her reaction.

Leonora looked up at you with a genuine smile. Her eyes were teary as she wanted to cry due to your thoughtful action. "I do. I guess a thank you is necessary."

You smiled back at her. It was the first time you saw her so happy. "You are very welcome, Lady Lesso."

The woman nodded and took a glove in her hands, and she caressed it, enjoying the feeling of leather against her fingers. "Call me Leonora when nobody is around."

Your eyes sparkled. Really? She liked it that much. It was your lucky day! Maybe you even stood a chance with her in the future.

The Dean glanced at you. "I believe this is the beginning of something wonderful."

[pascalsummers]

You Give Them a Magical Companion (Team Free Will x Male Reader)

A/N: So this idea of mine originally started as just stuffed animals given to them but I wanted to give it a more 'supernatural' vibe lol. I couldn't find an exact mythology for what I wanted to do so I took a bunch of inspiration and just made my own thing. I'll probably make another post later on fleshing this idea out because why not?

What you need to know for the sake of this post is that the reader can imbue an item (Usually Jewelry) with a magical creature influenced by the wearer. Anyway with that out of the way consider this my birthday gift to you all, and enjoy!

-

DEAN

When it came to Dean you decided that a bracelet would be the best option for him. Mostly because you remember Dean complaining about rings getting scratched up when opening beers and him getting hit in the teeth by necklaces. He will forever deny fanboying over the fact that his companion turned out to be a wolf but that doesn't stop him from subtly bragging about it once in a while. Dean's companion is mostly used during hunts to help track down monsters or sometimes help in battle if Dean really needs it. When not on a hunt Dean can be found hanging out in the Batcave with the wolf sitting close by.

SAM

For Sam, you decided that his item would be a ring. You didn't want to choose anything that stood out too much and a ring seemed like the perfect subtle piece of jewelry. Sam was a little worried that the world would decide to make his animal a moose but much to his relief, it turned out to be a simple owl. The owl became a kind of study buddy for Sam as he would ask his companion to find certain books for him while he focused on other tasks. In return, Sam would give the owl scratches which it would coo at, and eventually, he even made it a small nest in his room for it to rest on whenever it wanted.

CASTIEL

Figuring out what item to give Cas was a challenge since Cas didn't seem to have a big opinion on the matter. Eventually, though you decided that he would have a necklace. When Cas accepted the gift and saw that his companion was a cat he was confused but of course accepted it. Cas didn't know what to do with his new companion but after a bit of contemplation, he decided to get all the needed items for a cat owner and set them up in his room in the bunker. Though Cas's companion didn't require any food or water to live it did eat any food and drink any water that Cas gave it. Usually, the cat can be found perched on Cas's shoulder watching the people of the bunker.

CROWLEY

Thinking about how Crowley you knew that a brooch would be a good choice for him. You thought it was the perfect fit for someone whose closet seemed completely made of suits. When Crowley laid eyes on his tiger companion he thought that it was an apt creature to be paired with. Crowley is quick to befriend the companion and learn as much as he can about it. During meetings and interrogations, Crowley will sometimes let the tiger sit close to him as a way to add a little extra intimidation factor. When not busy with something Crowley will let his companion roam around especially when Crowley's with the Winchesters just to annoy them a little bit.

[naavispider]

Happy late Birthday! Speaking of birthdays did you know Na'vis don't celebrate them. The closet things they have as a birthday is when a Na'vi reaches to a certain age of maturity.

So basically, Spider has never celebrated his birthday. I could imagine the recoms having a conversation about someone upcoming birthday (Lyle, Mansk, Z-dog, etc.) and Spider will have no clue on what they're talking about. This shocks everyone, Quaritch the most. He'll really have it out on Jake as no one celebrated or gave him a single childhood wonderment. In the end Quaritch and the rest of the recoms will do a little surprise birthday event for him and it'll definitely impact on Spider a lot.

Spider headcanons 🎉🎂 birthday edition 🎂🎉

when he was a toddler, none of the scientists were really sure when his birthday was. The birth had been kept quiet by higher ups in the RDA, and no one was supposed to talk about it before the battle, so there was no written record of the birth.

Norm eventually decided that they had to find out somehow, so did some digging and found out it was a March birthday (I'm biased so what) going by Earth's calendar. It took him some time - he had to go through all of Paz and Quaritch's old video logs and diary entries, assess the calendar, pick out key events that could hint as to the exact date. Even today, he suspects he knows the date but there is no actual, written conformation of Spider's birthday anywhere. They celebrate it on the 25th - Norm's best guess.

As Spider gets older and more independent, the scientists start to forget more and more about his birthday. He's never had a cake, never had anyone sing to him. Some of the scientists he was closest to make him a card every year, but if it wasn't for Norm they'd never remember. So Spider never really sees the joy in it. For him, it's just a painful reminder of Paz, the woman he lost and longed for most in the world.

One year (when he was 14 or 15) Norm mentioned to the Sullys that Spider's birthday was coming up and that maybe they should do something special. Jake of course knew the importance of birthdays, coming from Earth, and enjoyed explaining the custom to his kids. Kiri made him an intricate feathered arm band, and Tuk carved him a simple but beautiful bead for his hair. Spider was overwhelmed and speechless. He thought that night that maybe, just maybe, he belonged with the Sullys.

The next year came and went and they forgot.

After Spider got captured by the recoms, Quaritch eventually decided to work out just how old Spider was, and in doing so, realised that his birthday was already coming up (the 26th). The kid would be 16. He didn't know why or how, but he knew he wanted to mark it somehow.

He confided in Wainfleet, who suggested that Quaritch just do something simple and effective. Something meaningful that would show Spider that Quaritch really cared about him. Quaritch knew this was the perfect time. He secured the knife that his human self had carved almost 16 years ago (though it felt like only a few weeks), and offered it to Spider on the evening of his birthday.

"What's this?" Spider asked, frowning as though it was some trick.

"Take the knife, kid. It's just something your old man made you after you were born." Suddenly Quaritch got rather self conscious and pressed the handle quickly into Spider's hand. "Happy birthday."

Spider's eyes widened as though he'd forgotten. Maybe he had. "It's the 26th," Quaritch said, trying to prompt Spider.

Spider frowned. "The 26th?" he said, confusion etched on his face. "My birthday is the 25th."

Holy shit. Understanding swept through Quaritch immediately. Of course, there wouldn't have been any formal confirmation of Spider's birth, so he couldn't actually blame the lab coats for getting it wrong. Even still, it was pretty sad that the kid hadn't even been sure of his own goddamn birthday.

Quaritch corrected Spider, and that opened the door to a whole load of questions. Mainly about his birth... and about his mom.

The recom spent the majority of the rest of that evening patiently answering any questions that Spider had, and Spider could have kept going all night. This was the most answers he'd ever gotten. He couldn't stop himself - it was like Pandora's box. For the first time in forever he felt connected to Paz, learning all about his birth - what his possible other names would have been, whether they knew if he was a boy or girl, how much he weighed, the fact that he had almost needed a c-section, how much Paz held him when he was born, what Quaritch's reaction was, what the RDA's reaction was.... Spider was taking it all in like water in a drought.

The other recoms all gathered round too - hearing Quaritch reminisce was comforting and entertaining to listen to. Some of them had even been there at the time.

Of course, the answers are all given through Quaritch's lens, and Spider didn't miss the details that the colonel skipped over (like the fact he obviously wasn't at the birth), but all the same he listened eagerly with stars in his eyes until eventually, he fell asleep dreaming of Paz.

[apathetic-pixel-42]

Shaman King Boys React To You Surprising Them With A Gift 🎁

Includes: Yoh, Horohoro, Ren, Lyserg, Chocolove, Hao

Yoh:

You'd most likely give him some sort of food or trinket

Extremely happy about receiving it even if it doesn't seem like much

Very appreciative and would definitely want to get you something in return

Would smother you in affection as a thank you

໒꒰ྀིっ˕ -｡꒱ྀི১ ♥ ♥ ♥

You watched patiently as Yoh continued to train with Anna in the field. You knew he would be finished soon but you couldn't wait any longer, excitement getting the better of you.

Minutes pass and they both start walking back to the house, Yoh complaining about how tired he was the whole way back.

He turns to look at you, heading in your direction with a smile while Anna heads inside with the others. "Hey mochi!" He embraced you, resting his head in the crook of your neck. "Why hello to you too my dear. Speaking of, I have a little surprise for you!" You pulled away from him, both your hands behind your back to conceal the gift.

"Tell me, tell me, tell me!!!" He jumped up and down on his heels, not being able to contain his excitement. You tell him to close his eyes and once he does, you pull the charm from behind your back and put it in his hand. "Alright go ahead and open your eyes!" You watched as he looked down at the charm, eyes immediately turning soft and a large smile growing on his face.

You had created a tiny charm of Matamune, making sure every detail was exact from the eyes to the tip of his tail. You knew how much he cherished his friend and you decided to make him something so that he'll know he's always there for him.

He tackled you to the ground, showering you in kisses and one thank you after another. Your shirt got wet from his tears but you didn't mind. "Thank you, thank you, I love it so much you're the best darling!!" "Anytime love."

Let's just say that he's never gone anywhere without it since.

Horohoro:

I see Horohoro as the type to give more than receive, usually giving you random trinkets and not the other way around

When he does get a gift, however, he has one of two reactions (the most common ones anyway)

He either a: becomes very blushy, hiding his embarrassment almost to the point he may faint

Or b: his ego skyrockets

Either way, he's grateful and will cherish the gift no matter how dumb it is

He even has a little collection of all the stuff you've given him hidden somewhere in his room

໒꒰ྀིっ˕ -｡꒱ྀི১ ♥ ♥ ♥

You watch as Horohoro stomps to his room, slamming the door behind him. For the past few days he's done nothing but train with his team, sometimes not even acknowledging your presence, always being too tired whenever you guys had any alone time.

After confiding in Yoh and the others, you decided to do something to cheer him up. With the information you got from everyone, you set out to buy him a gift.

Now comes the hard part, actually giving it to him.

You slowly open the door, stepping inside to find him sitting on the edge of the bed with his back towards you and facing the window.

You slowly make your way towards him, sitting next to him and looking out the window like he was. You then placed the gift in his lap, going back to looking out the window once you did.

You heard him let out a sound of confusion, but nonetheless it made you smile. You heard him open the cute gift bag you used for the gift, followed by the sounds of tissue paper being yanked out the bag.

You turn to look at him, seeing a smile growing on his face. It was a little stuffed bunny, a snow bunny to be exact. Horohoro had gotten you a little wolf plushy for your birthday once, so you figured you'd return the favor.

He looks up a you, all the tension in his body leaving as he wraps his arms around you in an embrace. You didn't need to hear him say anything, you knew he liked it and that he was grateful for the gift.

Ren:

I can see Ren being the type to absolutely love a gift from you but he just sucks at showing it

He'll most likely display your gift somewhere safe since he doesn't want it to end up damaged or lost

Probably the hardest person to find gifts for in my opinion since it feels like he already has a lot

Would enjoy anything you give him anyway even if he already has that thing

໒꒰ྀིっ˕ -｡꒱ྀི১ ♥ ♥ ♥

It was after they'd all finished a round of the tournament, everyone tired and ready to call it a night. You walked in the room to see Ren alone about to head to bed himself. You followed him to his room and stopped him before he entered it.

He turned to you, a slightly annoyed but curious expression on his face. You pulled your hands out from behind you, revealing a small box wrapped with a purple ribbon on it. You handed him the box, a small settling onto your face.

You watched as he slowly unwrapped the gift in an attempt to make as little mess and noise as possible. He didn't want to disturb anyone, after all, he had already dealt with them the whole day and he'd rather not do that now.

He opened the box to reveal a small golden necklace. The necklace was thin and had his name written in cursive. You watched as he pulled it out and examined it, handling it with care as he put it on.

He looked down at his name, admiring the attention to detail and how beautiful it looked. He then turned to look at you, only a small smirk forming on his face as he pulled you close into a side hug, continuing to fidget with the gift.

You both said goodnight and went to your respective rooms, ready to head to sleep. You'd say that was a mission success.

Lyserg:

To me, Lyserg isn't someone who's normally used to receiving gifts as he rarely ever got them

He is, however, one of the more outwardly appreciative ones as he doesn't shy from showing his gratitude even if it's a little awkward for him

I feel like after losing what he had, he values gifts a lot, especially yours

Probably also another difficult one to shop for in my opinion because I don't think he talks about himself or his interests too much, wanting to hear yours instead

But he's grateful for whatever you give him nonetheless

໒꒰ྀིっ˕ -｡꒱ྀི১ ♥ ♥ ♥

You were walking over to the beach were you asked Lyserg to meet you. You had set up a little picnic date for the two of you to help destress and to just spend time with each other.

You walked over to see him sitting on a blanket that he had laid out, turning his head towards you with a smile. You watched as he patted the spot next to him, scooting over to make some room as you sat down. Taking a seat, you handed him the gift bag you had with you, watching as his eyes widened.

"For me..? Really?" he said, shock but genuine appreciation lacing his tone. "Of course, it might not be anything special but there's nothing wrong with giving gifts to those you care about." you say, a smile growing on to your face.

You watched him pull out a f/c hoodie, one that's almost identical to the green one he got you awhile ago. You watched as he slipped it on, examining the sleeves and all the little details on the fabric. You saw him smile, a big and genuine smile. You smiled too, finding the situation a bit funny since you decided to wear the matching green hoodie that day.

You both had a little laugh at the situation, continuing on with picnic as Lyserg said thank you for the gift.

Chocolove:

I'm going to assume that given that Joco's blind, he prefers gifts like stuffed animals or small trinkets

That or he just generally prefers gifts that he can feel like maybe clothing or jewelry

Safest option is probably food if you don't really know what to get him

Very appreciative, loves receiving gifts from you in general

໒꒰ྀིっ˕ -｡꒱ྀི১ ♥ ♥ ♥

You were in the kitchen, cooking up a surprise for Joco. You heard that he'd participated in the tournament that day, so you wanted to give him a gift when he returned.

Of course, you could've gone out to one of the shops and gotten him something there, but you wanted to do something different given that you didn't have the money or energy to go out anyway. So, you decided to make his favorite snack: donuts.

Do you have any baking or culinary experience? No, but did that stop you? Nope. So, you googled a decent looking recipe and got to work. Sure it took awhile, but it was worth it in the end. They were pretty tasty if you had anything to say about it.

After you finished frying them and whatnot, you finished up by taking off the excess oil and melting some chocolate for the frosting. Was it a lazy move? Probably, but it is what it is.

Once you finished plating them, you heard the door open with Joco and everyone else coming inside. Once everyone got settled in and went off to do their own thing, you found Joco and pulled him into the kitchen.

Before you could hear a single joke come out of his mouth, you shoved a donut into his mouth, grabbed once for yourself and waited as the two of you munched on them. You watched him jump up and down in delight as he finished the donut quickly and practically almost tackled you into a big hug.

You didn't have time to process as he started spewing a bunch of stuff on how it was delicious and how grateful he was, which in turn alerted everyone else and caused them all to try and get a donut for themselves.

You stepped back and watched as Anna handed the situation instead. But you smiled, happy that Joco enjoyed them.

Hao:

As someone who was derived of affection for a VERY long time, he likes it when you give him gifts

He accepts them with pride, always grateful for whatever you give him even if sometimes it's a little stupid

Man's like I said very prideful of what you give him and will wear or display whatever it was you gave him

Likes giving you gifts in return, usually of a greater value than the one you gave him as a way of "returning the favor"

Also think this man really likes jewelry for some reason

໒꒰ྀིっ˕ -｡꒱ྀི১ ♥ ♥ ♥

Valentine's day was coming soon and you decided to go shopping to find the perfect gift for Hao. You knew he had a surprise in store for you, so you decided to get him a surprise of your own: a goodie basket.

Although you had trouble remembering, you figured out the basic things that how liked. Favorite color, favorite candy, etc. So, using that information, you searched the local market to find them and put them together into a cute basket for him.

Once you got everything, you spent the next couple days putting it together and making it pretty since you at least wanted it to look nice. Once Valentine's day arrived, you made sure the gift was ready and waited for the perfect time to give it to him.

Hao had taken the two of you to a romantic date under the stars, the two of you under a tree basking in each other's company. You decided now would be the best time to give him the gift, so you told him to wait as you went to retrieve it.

Once you returned, you could see how excited he was. "Oh? For me? Darling you shouldn't have, you being with you is enough for me ~" he said as he kisses the top of your head. You blushed, obviously flustered, and gave him the gift as you took your seat next to him.

You watched as his face turned to one of excitement and curiosity, as he sat there looking through all the different treats you got him, including the big red bear that you found. You watched as his smile grew till he looked up at you and brought you into his embrace.

The next few days he enjoyed and displayed all the little things you gave him, specifically the small golden necklace and rings that you got him. But hey, you didn't mind, he was happy and so were you.

[justagamerandaweeb]

Loss. - Tanjiro x (Y/N) (Platonic) Modern AU!

Synopsis: Tanjiro tries to make you crack and let it out.

Scene: you both are in a car driving after arguing with the Hashira group (specifically Sanemi).

Tw: loss of a friend, suicide mention, mentions of wrist cutting.

Tanjiro looks to his right to see (Y/N)'s hands gripped on the wheel, where their knuckles are turning white, showing clear signs of non-verbal anger. He touched their shoulder, and they rolled their shoulder, making Tanjiro's hand slide off. "C'mon, (Y/N), I'm sure Sanemi didn't mean—"

"Mean what? Say that my friend was right to end themselves in order to leave my ass? Because he said that with no hesitation. Not a single thought went up in his head for him to not say that." (Y/N) interrupted Tanjiro, showing clear signs of abhorrence in their voice. "Like, how fucking disconnected with society do you have to be to straight up tell someone that to their face?"

"I know you're angry, but, I'm sure he'll apologize. He has to otherwise the others will hate him for it." Tanjiro spoke out, trying to give Sanemi the benefit of the doubt as he was in the moment arguing with them. "I have every fucking right to be angry! I've known them for fucking years, and he doesn't know jack shit about what we went through together!" (Y/N) said, with their voice breaking little by little.

Tanjiro puts his hand on (Y/N)'s shoulder again, but this time, they didn't roll their shoulder. Tanjiro took this a s an opportunity for him to talk as he says, "(Y/N), what happened to (F/N) isn't your fault. Not you, not Sanemi, not Inosuke, not even the delinquents at our university. You're not the only one who's dealing losing someone. I mean, my dad..."

"Yes, your dad died from an illness that gave him a slow and painful death! The only difference is that your Dad encouraged you to be a better person and treat others with respect! Meanwhile, I never knew my dad, and my mom is dying from a fucking genetic disease that has no cure! It doesn't make it any better at the fact that my friend killed themselves because people pushed them too far!"

"I... So, who do you want to blame?"

"Myself, if that wasn't fucking obvious!" (Y/N) said as tears started to streak down their face. Tanjiro was shocked at this, because he could understand if they'd blame the loss of their friend on the people that antagonized them, but they blame themselves? Over something they had no control over?

"You blame yourself? Really?"

"Yes, I do. I decided to be a stubborn dickhead about my friend's mental health, even though they had cuts on their wrists, and they told me not to worry about it. All because they had therapy, and was "getting better"."

Tanjiro was shocked at the fact (Y/N) said that to him. Even when they had cuts, they told them not to worry about it. They took that into consideration, and rolled with it, until it was too late.

"My friend's Mom actually blames herself. She's a single parent who had a lot of shit on her plate trying to live in a stable environment for them, and her younger children. She was so busy with everything that she couldn't find the time to check on her own child. Sometimes, I blame myself for that."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, Tanjiro, I do. Do you know what it's like to see a text that was sent at two in the morning that reads, "I'll miss you." after waking up three hours later? Do you know what's it like feeling someone's parent hugging you at a funeral and repeating, "I'm sorry." to you like it's their fault? Do you?"

Tanjiro started to get a little bit teary-eyed at those questions, as in a honesty, no, he hasn't. Outside of his dad, he's never lost anyone important to him, and it didn't feel fair to him, he's been blessed with the life that was given to him while (Y/N) was living the exact opposite.

"Their birthday was fucking yesterday. No one else but me, their mom, and their siblings came to visit their grave. Some fucking friends I have that won't there to comfort us." (Y/N) said as they wiped their face and eyes, and sniffled.

His hand from (Y/N)' shoulder, to their back, as he caresses them and says, "No, I don't know what it's like to go through all that. But I can imagine how much pain you're going through. I understand the pain you're dealing with if I went through it through your perspective, but—"

"You see? It's always that kind of bullshit that people say! "I know what you're going through. I understand your pain. I can see it through your perspective." How about you shut your fucking mouth when you say dumb shit like that? Because no, you don't understand what I'm going through. If you did, you wouldn't be saying the most basic shit just to sympathize with me!" (Y/N) bellowed as they were about to hammer fist the steering wheel, but let out a sigh of sadness as they lowered their hand down.

(Y/N) decided to park at some sort of supermarket as they turned the car off, and laid their head down on the steering wheel. They started to elicit sounds of soft crying as their forearms were crossed together, dangling. "Why couldn't it have been me?" They whimpered out as their breath started to hiccup.

Tanjiro wiped his eyes as he spoke up to (Y/N), "Now, I know you don't mean that. Would you have been happy if you were to take your own life, and left them alone?"

"If it meant my friend still being on this planet, yes. I have nothing else in this world. As everyone I have cared for has either forgotten about me, or straight up left me. So that already tells me that I'm not good enough to be anyone's friend. But they knew what it was like, and the bond that we created was so genuine, it was like I had a real friend. And now they're gone..."

"But you're still here. You still have a life ahead of you. You still have time to make new friends and make good memories. It's what they would want you to do. Move on, honor their memory, make them proud." (Y/N) looked at him with red puffed eyes and sniffed the snot in their nose. "Let me drive. The least I can do is give yourself some rest as we drive back to campus." (Y/N) continued to stare at him for a couple of seconds before they unbuckled their seatbelt and opened the door.

Tanjiro took off his seat belt hopped in the driver's seat and turned the car on as he put on the seatbelt. (Y/N) opens the passenger door and sits down as they close the door and buckle up. They laid their head against the window as Tanjiro put his hand on their shoulder and said, "It's gonna be alright, I promise." He puts the car out of park, and left the parking lot as he went back on the road, and drove.

A couple minutes after the argument, they both arrived at the residential hall of the campus. Tanjiro puts the car in park, and took the keys out of the ignition as he looked to his left to see (Y/N) asleep. He softly shook them and they woke up. Their eyes were still red, with little bags under their eyes as they asked, "We're here?"

Tanjiro nods as (Y/N) lets out a sigh of disappointment as they unbuckle their belt, and got out of the car. Tanjiro followed suit as he followed (Y/N) and walked up the mini-stairs of the building's main door. (Y/N) grabbed the knob and struggled to open the door as it was looked. Tanjiro tapped their shoulder as they turned back to see Tanjiro with the keys in his hand.

They grabbed it, picked out the key for the main door, and unlocked it. "Thanks." "Anytime." Tanjiro responded with a soft smile on his face. (Y/N) extended their hand out to him for a handshake, but he politely declined as he decided to go for a hug instead. (Y/N) was a little stunned at this, but still accepted it as they wrapped their arms around him too.

They both stayed like that for the last 15 seconds, before Tanjiro disconnected himself from them. He softly puts his hand on his shoulder as he says, "You'll get through this, alright? You're stronger than you think you are. And hey, if you ever feel like you need to talk to someone, don't be afraid to call any of us. Me, Tomioka-san, Rengoku-san, any one of us, we'll be there, okay?"

They softly nodded as they huskily said, "Okay." Tanjiro softly smiles as he pats their shoulder and says, "Take care of yourself, alright?" And walks off. He looks back and waves goodbye at them, as (Y/N) follows suit before going inside. Hang in there, (Y/N). We'll make sure we make you feel special.

My first angst, and it's something I relate to on a personal level. Never thought I would be making angst, considering my account, but, here we are. Don't ask for a part two, by the way, I'm not going to.

[cosmo-lexies]

The apprentices (1) - Wolf in the public park

He looked up with a defiant expression. Too much insolence for such a young boy. I twisted his arm a little more. It wasn't necessary, he was defeated with several of his bones broken, but I couldn't help but test him.

I was going to foster him whatever was his reaction. He was strong enough to be my apprentice. Making me bleed wasn't easy and we're talking about a seven-year-old boy. To be sincere, he was in before we started this battle, but I had to know with what I was working.

"I'll let you go if you apologize," I said, holding his broken wrist. He stayed silent looking into my eyes. I could see a small bright in his eyes and I squeezed again before he could shapeshift again.

Werewolves are taught but easy to handle. They don't have distance attacks and only a few of them can do magic, which isn't combat-oriented. Let distance and with two or three attacks they're yours. A cambion, for his part, can be a true pain in the ass at any distance but with one good blow is over. However, the unexpected offspring of a werewolf and a demon had the worst part of both, well the worst part for me. I was the one who had to fight with a gigantic wolf who could breathe fire and heal at superhuman velocity. If I hadn't squeezed his wrist, it would have been recovered in a few minutes.

"C'mon, Cosmo, apologize," I said. The eyes of the boy soften for the first time. Probably for the unexpected revelation that I knew who he was. I could use his birthday name but his pack had been truly cruel when they named him. Zatrello, whose meaning was who was contaminated. This kind of name was a burden for anyone. I quite understood why he wasn't using it anymore.

"Yes, I know who you are. I was searching for you when you decided to attack me," I said.

"You brook into my home," he finally said. He used his high-pitched childish voice which he tried to make look rough and mature, not getting a good result.

"This's a public park, to be exact the third biggest from the biggest city in the world."

"No one is using it." He shrugged.

"Yes no one is using it because they're terrified of the big black wolf who barks and breathes fire at anyone who enters," I said raising my voice.

"I said that no one was using it, not the reason why." I had to avoid laughing because if I was going to raise that kid, I could reward that kind of behavior. But I must admit that this stubbornness mixed with his lack of worry about the situation was getting my heart.

"You don't feel remorse, do you?" He didn't answer, he didn't need to do it. "I'm here to speak with you and make you an offer. Can I set you free without fear that you attack me again?"

He narrowed his eyes and nodded. I put him on the ground and let go of his wrist.

"Well, my name is..." The sudden sound of a branch breaking drew my attention. My eight-year-old silver-haired apprentice was passing through a bush. His long pointed ears and nose were red due to the cold of the winter. I must have been very slowly fighting Cosmo if the elf could reach me so fast.

"He's gone," he said.

"What?" I looked around noticing that Cosmo wasn't there anymore. I sighed in despair. Finding him had taken me two hours the first time when he didn't know that someone was behind him. I was going to need all night to catch him again.

"You should have broken his legs, not his wrist," my apprentice said passing by my side.

"Thanks for the advice. It would have been unnecessary if someone had waited at the park's entrance as I asked him."

"Waiting is not my style," he said.

"Fantastic, now we have to waste all the night sear..." A strong whimper from some meters ago interrupted me. "What was that?"

My apprentice started to walk towards the sound. "I prepare some bear traps before coming here, just in case."

"That's a pretty good idea." I hadn't discarded any kind of trap because I thought that a more gentle approach would be better with a child. "I taught you well," I said with a proud smile.

"Please, don't overestimate yourself," he said breaking my bubble that I was starting to connect with the silver-haired kid.

The state didn't pay me enough to raise such a brat, and not enough to add the aggressive stubborn wolf to my dysfunctional family.

"Let's go, it's high time you knew your new roommate," I sighed.

[haveyoureadthisqueerbook]

the other me by xan van rooyen (trans mc)

this rebel heart by katherine lock (polyam relationship, two bisexual mcs, one gay side character)

iron widow by xiran jay zhao (polyam relationship, three bisexual mcs, mc is also possibly nb or genderqueer)

call down the hawk by maggie Stiefvater (gay mc, bisexual mc, bisexual side character)

the prey of gods by Nicky drayden (can’t remember the specific kind of rep)

it’s not like it’s a secret (lesbian characters and relationship. please maybe note on the poll that the submitter would really really not recommend this book? i think it’s important to let people know of queer books, but also this book relied on so many stereotypes — about lesbians and Asian-Americans — and had a cheating subplot and was just….)

beating heart baby by lio min (trans mc)

the borrow a boyfriend club by page powars

may the best man win by zr Ellor (trans mc, bisexual mc, nonbinary mc, queer side character)

a promise broken by Lynn o cochroft (trans, aroace guy is one of the two mcs)

not your sidekick by cb Lee (lesbian mc, sapphic relationship, trans side character)

always the almost by Edward underhill

the spirit bares its teeth and hell followed with us both by aj white

a day of fallen night and the priory of the orange tree by Samantha shannon

generation one by pittacus lore (gay mc, not a huge part of the plot though. but confirmed in-text)

last night at the telegraph club by malinda lo

you’re not supposed to die tonight by kalynn bayron

lady midnight and sword catcher both by Cassandra clare

Star Wars: black spire by delilah s Dawson (aroace mc)

Star Wars: the empire strikes back 40th anniversary short story compilation (idk if it counts as a queer book but one short story was a sapphic love story)

one of us is lying by Karen mcmanus

two tuns of fun by

birthday by Meredith russo

invisibly breathing by

i’ll give you the sun by judy Nelson (i think! not sure if i’m remembering her name right)

brooms the graphic novel by jasmine walls

this queer girl is going to be okay by dale walls

two mummies / two daddies (kids picture books)

death’s country by rm romero

redsight by Meredith mooring

the death i gave him by em li xu (tumblr would LOVE this book)

Been outside by shaz zamore

ALSO: a note to op. this blog is such a great idea, but have you considered setting up a google form for submissions instead? they work for people who don’t have Google accounts, and you can export the entries to a spreadsheet automatically instead of manually that way too. if you let submitters view previous responses you can prevent repeats too?

I've queued most of these! Exceptions below:

-Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary short story compilation: since only one of the stories is queer, I'm not going to include it. This is absolutely arbitrary, I realize, but for short story collections, I'm looking for them to be mostly queer.

-Two Tuns of Fun: I couldn't find any book by this name.

-Two Mummies / Two Daddies (kids picture books): are these individual books? I couldn't find anything with these exact titles.

-Beating Heart Baby and The Priory of the Orange Tree were already queued (they were both in my initial batch of queued books prior to going live with the blog).

The google form is a good idea and something I'll consider! At the moment, it doesn't save me any work, and actually creates more. I would need to check every submission anyway to make sure it's correct and in the format I want it in. Currently I've got a Google Sheets spreadsheet with all books (both queued and posted) for people to check if their suggestion has already been submitted. Thanks for the idea, though!

[bridgertonbabe]

Edwina's Children

For @edwinaweek I thought I'd share my headcanon for Edwina and Matthew Bagwell's children as part of my Bridgerton: The Next Generation series.

Jeremy Bagwell is born the day before his cousin Edmund's first birthday, and throughout their childhood the Bridgerton and Bagwell families would celebrate the birthdays together at Aubrey Hall, which was always an anticipated highlight of Jeremy's year. He was a very easy baby and rather quiet much to his parents curious disbelief, especially in comparison to the energetic chaos his cousins wreaked on a daily basis. But as he grew, it became apparent that Jeremy was simply a boy of a quieter nature, who was more than content with his own company and much preferred the peace and tranquility of his parents' library than the rough and tumble of the great outdoors. His favourite pastime was being read to by his parents, an activity which he didn't want to limit to just bedtime alone and he would eagerly run up to either parent throughout the day with books in hand requesting to be read to. When he was old enough to read himself he permanently had his head buried in a book, and he could often be found alongside his father in the library as they separately studied their favoured texts. Much like is father, Jeremy would go on to be a scholar, but instead of philosophy, Jeremy opted to become a professor of his lifelong passion; history. So engrossed was he with his educational role, he never showed much interest in settling down or even courting any of the eligible young ladies of the Ton. He never much cared for balls and parties, with the only social events he ever made an effort to attend being those hosted by his Aunt Kate. While he tended to stick close to his relatives, at one particular ball he slipped away to the library of Bridgerton House in search of a textbook he hadn't reread in several years; only to find the season's diamond tucked away reading the exact book he was after. Miss Theodosia Barrington was a reluctant diamond and had been shocked to named as the season's incomparable, especially when she hadn't wanted to take her bow in society in the first place. Much to his surprise Jeremy felt an instant bond with her, and then to his even greater surprise by the end of the season he had married a diamond of the first water, just like his father had before him.

Three years after their first, Edwina and Matthew welcomed baby number two, Francis, into the world. From very early on Francis was an incredibly smiley baby who adored every show of affection he was spoiled with. While his brother was happy to be independent and do his own thing, Francis loved being surrounded by others and would trail after his Mama, Papa, his brother Jem, the household staff, and any guests that came to visit. Someone he adored in particular was his dear Grandmama Mary, who he always ecstatically greeted with a great big hug and whose lap was his most favourite seat. In turn (as much as she claimed not to have favourites among her grandchildren), Mary couldn't help but possess a special fondness for Francis, not just in the way he loved her abundantly, but how his smile and shining eyes were the most reminiscent of her late husband out of her four grandsons. Francis thoroughly enjoyed his stays at Aubrey Hall throughout the years and loved running after his older cousins Edmund and Miles, as well as his cousins' cousins too, happily integrating himself among them as they played games together and hurtled around from one end of the estate to the other. His outgoing and personable nature carried on into adulthood, making plenty of friends along the way during his years abroad, as well as befriending perfect strangers in any ballroom and assembly room he stepped foot into. As delightfully affable and pleasing as Francis was, there were two weaknesses he possessed; pretty girls and suggestibility. With the former he often tended to fall hard and fast for ladies with winsome smiles and sweet temperaments, and had ended up suffering from a string of heartbreaks as a result. The latter was arguably the bigger flaw for him because as confident a young man as he was, he still relied on the approval of those in his life who he looked up to the most and would end up swaying to agree with whatever his role models advised of him in spite of his own thoughts and feelings on the respective matter at hand.

After another three year gap, the Bagwells welcomed their little girl, Maryam, born a month after her Cousin Charlotte. Edwina and Kate loved having daughters so close in age and much to Mary's amusement, Maryam was practically identical to Edwina as Charlotte was to Kate, and watching her granddaughters play and spend time together was just like watching Kate and Edwina twenty odd years before them. Maryam loved her big brothers and copied them both despite their contrasting natures; she'd lark and dance about with Francis as often as she would take a seat next to Jeremy and read a book alongside him (which she adorably did even before she had learnt how to read). She also loved to copy her Mama and enjoyed playing dress up in her mother's gowns and having her Mama style her hair to match hers. From a young age she adored bedtime stories of handsome princes and falling in love after a single dance, and naturally Edwina couldn't help bracing herself for the day her daughter wanted to make her debut into society and all the hopeless romantic antics it may bring - however Edwina was surprised when Maryam came to her about her debut and made the odd request to spend as little money on her gowns as possible. When Edwina asked why, Maryam expressed her worry of impressing the Queen too much and potentially ending up as diamond of the season just like her, not wanting to suffer the same pressures as Edwina had during her season. Sympathetic to her woes, Edwina assured her daughter that regardless if she was the diamond or not, she shouldn't feel burdened by any pressures of securing a prosperous match for the sake of bettering their family; all she wanted for her daughter was to find a love match and secure her happiness. With the reassurance that she would only be expected to marry for love, Maryam enjoyed her debut season alongside her Cousin Charlotte. Sure, not all the suitors she danced with or who called upon her impressed her much, but she was in no real rush to find her perfect match just yet - that is, until she attended David Basset's wedding and was introduced to the bride's brother, Mr. Benedict Woodson.

[kulturrgroupie]

“I partied with Jimmy Page and other famous bands”

Carla Lynne Kluss: It was 1994 and my girlfriends took me to the Coverdale/Page concert at The Osaka Stadium in Japan. It was the second from the last tour date. After meeting the boys that night, we girls went home to our tiny apartments and basked in the fact that YES we had partied with Jimmy F#%*ing Page!

The next day I received a call from Jimmy himself inviting me and my friends to the last show in Nagoya with my very own suite next to his in The Nagoya Hilton.

My girlfriends and I took the Bullet Train to Nagoya and went to the stadium to watch the very last show of the Japan Coverdale/Page Tour. Then we went to the Nagoya Hilton and were met by Jimmy Page and his attendants who showed us to my room (yes, it was reserved in my name). It was an amazing ensuite next to his. Laura, Emma and myself, the three musketeers, and Jimmy. It was too cool for words.

After we dropped our things in the room, we went back to Jimmy's and we had a few drinks and laughs. He had roomservice bring up a large cardboard box full of mix and alcohol to make the drinks he had remembered us drinking the night before. Let me tell you he got it right. There was Gin and Tonic, Peach Schnapps, Vodka, orange juice, rum and coke and Jagermeister, all in the biggest bottles he could find. Smiles all around. He had remembered perfectly. He was quite the gentleman too. He would have nothing to do with us making any drinks and proceeded to make them all. After a short while he sat in his chair in the corner of the room with his humidifier/mister going on behind his head and asked us if we wanted to hear some music. We said okay and he put on a private cassete of him and David Coverdale jamming some songs that hadn't yet been recorded. He was so cute because he was worried that it wasn't music we would've liked.

Lara L. Bolton: we had so much fun, both nights!!! Thank you Jimmy, I'll never forget when he called the next day and asked us to come to Nagoya, couldn't believe he was calling me, what a great Birthday

Carla Lynne Kluss: Without Lara, this ticket wouldn't have been possible. She went to the show the first night, met the sound engineer and scored tickets for the following night. Way to work that one, girl. What a great time we had.

Lara L. Bolton: Geesh I remember getting home after some late night partying with Jimmy Page only to discover that my place had been robbed, at that exact moment Jimmy called (I leaned over to my girlfriend Emma and said "its Jimmy Flipping Page on my phone") me and asked if I would like to come to Nagoya with a few friends...did I???? YES - we went and continued the blast for days!!! to be 23 again...lol

[aubins]

TOA Anniversary Munday!

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!

Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

NAME. darcy, but i also go by elio in other places

PRONOUNS. they/them

BIRTHDAY (NO YEAR). january 9

WHERE ARE YOU FROM? WHAT IS YOUR TIMEZONE? sea & gmt+8

ROLEPLAY EXPERIENCE. i couldn't give you an exact timeline tbh i do it very on and off for the most part

GOT ANY PETS? not at the moment!

FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR. there aren't really seasons where i'm from, so more generally my favorite time of year is the start of it! something nice about seeing the year turn over i think

SOME INTERESTS AND THINGS YOU LIKE. my life is a constant cycle of consume new media > fixate on said media > repeat so my current interests really depend on what i've gotten into recently haha (rain code right now i fear) otherwise some things i always like to talk about regardless are atla, orv, ace attorney, and specifically venti from genshin & ryuki from somnium files. i'm sure there are other things that i can't remember rn tho haha. in general, i also like math, reading & writing (i mean. you know LOL), photography, and music (i play the piano)! i also just like to learn in general

SOME FUN FACTS & TRIVIA ABOUT YOU. i speak three languages, though i can only confidently say i'm fluent in two. my mandarin has unfortunately suffered from years of disuse

WHAT NON-FIRE EMBLEM GAMES DO YOU PLAY? ace attorney, somnium files, rain code…there is a pattern here lol but those aside, other games i like that come to mind are 13 sentinels: aegis rim, hades, pokemon, and honkai: star rail

FAVORITE POKEMON TYPE & POKEMON. fairy types & ditto :] i just think it's a silly little guy

HOW DID YOU GET INTO FIRE EMBLEM? my brother came home with fe3h one day and i decided to play it too because he seemed like he was having fun

WHAT FIRE EMBLEM GAMES HAVE YOU PLAYED? fe11, fe12, fe16 (+ hopes), & fe17! though i got a little bit through awakening before i stopped, and i've watched play throughs of the tellius games & sov

FIRST FIRE EMBLEM GAME. three houses

FAVORITE FIRE EMBLEM GAME. i don't know if i would say i have a specific favorite to be honest

ANY FIRE EMBLEM CRUSHES? hm, not really? if i had to say one, maybe yuri, but that's in part gender envy i think haha

IF YOU'VE PLAYED THE FOLLOWING GAMES, WHO WAS YOUR FIRST S SUPPORT? WHO WOULD YOU S SUPPORT NOWADAYS? — THREE HOUSES. claude…probably yuri these days though haha — ENGAGE. technically no one because i immediately reset it after, but i gave the pact ring to veyle before i did

FAVORITE FIRE EMBLEM CLASS. mages are fun! in general i just like magic conceptually

IF YOU WERE A FIRE EMBLEM CHARACTER, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CLASS? i used to do archery so probably an archer!

IF YOU WERE A THREE HOUSES CHARACTER, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR AFFILIATION? i am heavily biased toward the golden deer because they were my first route haha but i'm an ashen wolves liker at heart so probably between those two

IF YOU WERE AN ENGAGE CHARACTER, WHICH EMBLEM WOULD YOU ENGAGE WITH? ooh…byleth? goddess dance is silly methinks

HOW DID YOU FIND TOA? i was struggling a lot with my writing at the time and stumbled upon the heart & soul ad on twitter! it was rather serendipitous timing i think

CURRENT TOA MUSES. one mister yuri leclerc

WHO WAS YOUR FIRST TOA MUSE? IF YOU DON'T HAVE THEM ANYMORE, COULD YOU SEE YOURSELF PICKING THEM UP AGAIN? my first muse was the lovely marianne von edmund :] she is very dear to my heart which unfortunately means i was very hard on myself when it came to writing her so probably not, but i think of her time in toa fondly

HAVE YOU HAD ANY OTHER TOA MUSES? caeda very briefly from when i first picked up the archanea games, and est whose app i wrote on the spot in the middle of the night after rereading her base conversations & supports

DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE A TYPE OF CHARACTER YOU GRAVITATE TOWARDS? i'm sure i probably do, but i wouldn't be able to put my finger on it myself. i think the process that happens for me when it comes to muses is that i find characters with certain aspects that i find interesting and would like to explore, then i learn to write them. and very rarely a character will just hit me over the head with a steel chair (yuri and est namely for muses i have/had in toa haha)

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE YOU ENJOY WRITING THE MOST? i love exploring a variety of relationship dynamics, though antagonistic relationships and found family in particular are my favorites (paw against the glass for the ashen wolves..) and i like writing the disparity between what a character thinks internally versus what they would actually express externally. more generally, i really enjoy writing combat!

FAVORITE TOA-RELATED MEMORY. i think any silly rng moments with the dice. two that come to mind immediately are est & sirius whiffing their attacks against one another in arena and, far more recently, waking up to yuri immediately getting bodied in team zofia. those made me laugh a lot haha

HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE TOA? by the letters! t-o-a

GOT ANY DELUSIONS THAT DIDN'T SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE? fun fact of the day is that edelgard was going to be my first muse before i got intimidated at the idea of writing a lord mfksldjflskd i unironically have delusions of writing sommie haha but otherwise i have half-written apps for clarisse, both solm royals, lysithea, and shez

[buoyfriend]

A Surprise Birthday Gift ft. Aymeric, Estinien & Zenos

I've always wandering about Aymeric's, Estinien's and Zenos's reactions at a gift given to them by WoL. And their realization that they've forgotten about their own birthdays:)

Aymeric

Though Aymeric is a shrewd and clever man, he is a busy one as well. [redacted] day of [redacted month] is always labeled "House of Lords Vote" or "Alliance Meeting" rather than "Nameday Celebration".

Ser Aymeric's nameday is quite the event in the Holy See. In the weeks preceding it, the price of dragoon blue dyes skyrocket at the Jeweled Crozier. Florists prepare their stocks of blue oldroses, always failing to estimate the number needed every year.

Lost in increasing responsibilities, he always fails to see the month of unceasing attention coming for him like snow tumbling down a mountain. That is, until it has arrived in the form of many, many gifts.

He ignores the notes praising the lustrousness of his hair and the richness of his voice. He sends his regrets, he will not be able to attend any banquets in his honor. He discards requests to meet in some dark corner of the Empyreum ward under the waxing moon.

Instead, he chooses instead to spend the night in his office, lamenting the strangeness of his culture. For as much political opposition as he had received, he had always received shallow admiration in equal measure.

On such nights, his thoughts trail off into the meaning of the day. This nameday, the very first day he was Aymeric de Borel was the first time he was chosen. It was the first time he was loved.

Imagine his surprise when you catch him lost in reverie! He doesn't give much time to reflect on his parents, but you've found him doing just that as he sips his tea before the fire in the parlor. As he shakes the thought of the very first time he was loved, he thinks on all of the love you've given him in the time you've known each other.

Your gift isn't a shallow attempt to earn a high house's title nor to win his political favor. It's simply a token of your appreciation, of your affection. To say he is moved is an understatement.

Aymeric, you receive so many gifts each year. Why was this one so meaningful to you? I'm told you "stuttered and couldn't find any words"!

Aymeric blushes, red spreading to the tips of his long ears. He gently clears his throat as he looks away from his interviewer.

"Truthfully, I did struggle in that moment. You know the ways of the Holy See, if not through your own travels through these interviews, I'm sure. Their gift was simple, but it meant all to me. Not a grand bouquet of oldroses, not jewelry crafted by the Crozier's finest artisans. It was not extravagant nor was it attempt to curry my favor. It was a small token, made for me by their own hands. The same hands that carried the burden of Ishgard's history, the same hands that rebuilt the Firmament.

Though you and I do share quite a bit of candor between us, the exact nature of the gift is not something I will disclose. That is between the Warrior of Light and I. But, know that as they presented the gift to me, I was quite overcome. My eyes glazed over with returned admiration as I thought of exactly where I might place it to see it every day."

Estinien

As his Temple Knights are wont to do, Estinien has long enjoyed excuses to celebrate over a pint! Despite leaving his company of warriors, he has not lost his interest in celebrating namedays at the Forgotten Knight.

But despite all interest, his attention has been split in the last several years. Since your arrival in Eorzea, his views have been shattered. On his life, his country, the world around him.

A man so committed to defeating dragonkind, driven to cast aside his family name in place of "Wyrmblood" has found himself in the deepest kinship with many dragons. His nameday is the last thing on his mind in light of the years' many events.

Estinien prides himself on being difficult to find, only appearing on the board at the precise moment that he would like to join the game. Alas, you have found him. The surprise does not end there.

Though he catches himself as the words tumble out of his mouth, he does realize that his tone was impolite, that your intentions were nothing but kind, he is quite taken aback that you have learned his nameday without him sharing it directly with you.

He softens as you extend your hands with a gift, surprised that you would make a point to find him at all, let alone on this day with a trinket meant to express your feelings.

It must have been quite a shock that the Warrior of Light found you. How do you think they did that? They are quite talented, you and I both know that, but you're a slippery one. How did they manage?

Estinien releases a low growl as he rolls his eyes. He sighs as he turns to look at his interviewer.

"Gods if I know. I would like to know to avoid a repeat of the incident. I do not enjoy being surprised in such a way. Though, I do admit, I enjoyed the rest of the surprise. In these last few years, I've had quite a bit to consider. My views on things have changed, as you can see.

Estinien turns his head to smile lightly at Vritra.

My view of myself has changed. The last time I celebrated mine own nameday, I was covered head to foot in a wyrm's blood, cheering many deaths at the Forgotten Knight.

He scowls, head hung low for a moment as if he's not proud to admit this in present company.

The Warrior of Light made a fool of me, of what I had believed. But in that, they made a better man of me as well. I was a fool, we all were. It was a nameday better spent, surrounded by the friends I couldn't have imagined having before we met. After all, the taverns in Thavnair aren't half bad."

Zenos

To say that Zenos is disconnected to the arbitrary ways people mark the passage of time is an understatement. He may have attended Garlean banquets for his nameday, but to say he "celebrated" them would ring false.

He has a singular focus, of course you know of it, he has told you many times. He has chased you across the star, to the far edge of fate, longing for the fulfillment that only a bloodstained dance with you can bring him.

He is not surprised when you refuse him yet again, but even more surprised when you offer something else.

At first, he is disappointed that you would speak of something so banal, a nameday. He had expected that you of all people would understand, it was simply the day one had breathed their first breath on this star, simply the day they were first known as who they are.

Yet, he must admit, he is...feeling something. An emotion he can't quite place, one wholly unfamiliar to him. He feels it strongly as soon as he hears your voice calling to him, watching your eyes hold his gaze. His first friend, reaching out to him simply because you remembered a fact from this history books: Zenos Viator Galvus, born [redacted] day, [redacted] month, Sixth Astral Era.

The Warrior of Light had long refused your company, rejecting your pleas for another glorious battle. Why do you think they came to you on this day?

Zenos is wearing a face that I myself have not seen before. He looks flummoxed, his expression shifting as he searches for words to define the emotion lingering within him.

"I had hoped when I heard them call my name in the distance that I would turn to see them, weapon drawn, hunger in their eyes. I was disappointed to find them marching slowly, comfortably. Not racing, leaping for the first strike. I had thought I had overcome disappointment,. It is hard to be disappointed when you have no expectations for mankind, knowing in your heart that they would never rise above their drive to satisfy base instincts. Yet, I felt deep disappointment to watch them stride closer to me, arms extended to present me with a gift.

A gift! A material trinket. I scoffed at it, yet found my hands grasping it, my arms clutching it to my chest as they said their farewells. We parted ways once again, our mutual friend once again leaving me with an emotion I never thought I would experience. Not simply the disappointment, but...

Zenos casts his head upwards to the moon, gazing at its' fullness. He is silent for a moment, forgetting that he had just been speaking with someone. He is lost then, imagining something I could not fathom.

Do you treasure this gift?

Zenos turns back to his interviewer, his lips spreading in a wry smile. His hand moves to his pocket as if it were a subconscious act, fingers curling against a shape in his pocket. He walks away without another word, as if the question was just as banal as remembering a nameday, of loving a friend deeply enough to share a gift. Yet, he smiles once more at the moon, a smile that slowly becomes a grin.