#iron dad secret santa

[pointyfruit]

GIANT MEGA ART SUMMARY AND MOOT APPRECIATION POST! 😱😱

Art summarrryyy! ✨️

January is my flower person once again (still encouraging yall to ask about it).

February I explored with brushes. I wanted to see what I could do with fully saturated colors.

March is just drawing for a hairstyle I wanted. Kinda dead in the art department that month.

April was a gift I made for a friend after an ongoing inside joke.

May is an oc I made with my dad. He is the popcorn and candy man and loves drinking butter. It eases his nerves.

June is a collection of doodles. I was fascinated with rat ppl for some reason.

July marked my first serious dca fanart. Back then my SAMS hyperfixation skyrocketed. I was still figuring out just how I wanted to draw the blorbos.

August was a drawing of a random person. Just going with the flow. I think they are adorable and I rendered the horns well.

September is my most popular post. The infamous Solar Lunacy shitpost.

October is my spooky moon drawing. I still get notifs from it. Ppl think it's a scooby doo laugh and I find that funny. Ppl also think he's handsome. That was unexpected.

November is a drawing I made after taking a trip to the St. Louis City Museum. It's so wacky and whimsical in there. I am proud of my choice of colors and patterns. I'm not sure if I will finish it.

December is my Secret Santa. Ironically enough, the bonus drawing is the one I did first and spent the most time on.

Looking back through all of it made me realize that I have a lot of unfinished work and I have a LOT of things that I never shared with yall.. There are so many good drawings that never saw the light of day because I forgot about them or didn't think they were good enough. I want to share them all at some point.

I have improved. I am proud of my progress :]

°○°○°○°○°○°○°○°○°○°○°○°○°○°○°○°○°○°○°○°

Moot appreciation tiimme! ✨️

There are so many more but I ran out of art juice. I appreciate you all so much! Thanks for the laughs and silly messages. I appreciate that yall stuck around so long with how deranged I am sometimes (if that's the right word for it). 200 followers is crazies.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!! 💛✨️✨️💛✨️✨️✨️

@pasteldragonstuff

@beeeepis4why

@dragoncxv360

@unpaidchildsupportt

@imoreosdude

@zhench

@alexluminosbucket

@whipped-cheese

@sourlemonadez

@lunarthemexican

@ghosteii

@miasmaclockworks

@miss-night

@achickennamedcheese

@ryobitheaxololt

@penguins-dragons

@snake-legs2244

@catbatninja

@drcloudtheclown

@the-weirdcore-eyes

@maven31

@milooxeye

@m340700

@cleotdd

@lazywolf177117

@duhsty1

I would add more but eepy. Thank you to my not moots as well. I notice and appreciate you :]

Nighty Niigght~

[lilyrizzy]

Prompt: you can try to go home, but it will never feel the same

anon i know you probably wanted some daniel returning to redbull angst with this one, but i am nothing if not diaspointing lol, so have a self absorbed 'in that iron ground' sequal i wrote instead.

cw: parental death, angst, speculation on what it means to be the 'biological' parent or not of a child

“Here you are.”

 Max’s voice comes from behind him, but Daniel doesn’t turn from where he’s watching the gentle rise and fall of their daughter’s chest, the way the colourful lights from the mobile dance across her face in the darkened room.

“I’ve read they decided those types are bad for babies now,” Michelle had told him earlier, in that critical, been there, done that parent way, with just a healthy dose of big sister smugness thrown in, as she’d watched him attach it to the crib. It’s so old. Daniel wonders if it wasn’t the same one he slept in.

 Like father, like daughter.

 “I thought you had got lost on your way from the bathroom.”

 Daniel still doesn’t look up, but he hears the telltale ‘click,’ of Max switching off the baby monitor. Daniel has joked, more than once, about how Max had it surgically attached to his hip 6 months ago, when she first came into their world. Red-faced, and kicking, and the best decision they ever made.

 He comes to stand beside Daniel.

 Everybody else is downstairs. It’s past ten but even the kids are still up. Izzy is ‘waiting for Santa,’ and Isaac is shooting Daniel eye-rolls over her head, as though to prove he’s a grown-up because now he knows the truth. Max has been quizzing Michelle endlessly on the pro’s and con’s of different milk warming systems, and his mum has been sat listening with her new boyfriend—Tim’s—hand on her knee, and Daniel just-

 He just needed a minute.

 “Sorry,” he murmurs, not wanting to disturb Emilia, though anyone would know she was Max’s daughter by her ability to sleep through an earthquake alone, “I just-“

 “Wanted a moment?” Max supplies, because of course he knows when it comes to his family.

Daniel nods. Emilia makes a little noise, a groan, like she’s thinking about protesting their loving stares, but it’s gone as quickly as it came.

“It’s weird,” Daniel eventually gets out. “Coming home, and there’s another man sitting with my mum on the couch.”

But it’s not even about that, not really. Tim is nice, he makes his mum laugh and Michelle tells him regularly over the phone, “she’s really happy, Daniel. It’s the first time I’ve seen her smile so much since dad.” He shakes Daniel’s hand and asks him about his new job with the Redbull junior team, and when his mum sent Emilia her first party dress in the post, she had signed his name right next to ‘grandma’ on the card.

Besides, if Daniel ever- He’d want Max to find somebody else too. Even if the idea of it makes Daniel sick to his stomach, makes him want to do something crazy like tattoo his name onto Max’s chest, the thought of him being alone forever is worse.

Max’s hand comes to cup the back of his neck, to rub his thumb over the muscle that he knows aches more these days than it used to.

“When my mum got her first boyfriend, I did not like it also,” he admits, though it doesn’t sound like a feeling he is shying away from. “I know it is not the same, but I think always it is strange to see your mum with somebody else."

It is, but maybe what’s stranger is the way it took Daniel getting to the ranch for him to realise that his dad wouldn’t be here for his daughter’s first Christmas. He’d spent the first evening looking helplessly around the dinner table at everybodys faces, foolishly stunned to learn that the sudden life of her couldn’t raise his father from the ground.

“Sometimes I still have to remember,” he admits, because it suddenly feels too shameful to keep a secret. “That he’s- That my dad is dead.”

He forces the words past his teeth, eyes fixed on the slight purse of Emilia’s lips. It’s something he’s been practicing with his therapist; not shying away from saying the truth. You’d think that after five years it would feel like that, but Daniel still finds there are days when his fingers twitch to call the contact he still can’t bear to delete from his phone book.

From the corner of his eye, Daniel can see Max nod but stay silent, like he’s been given a particularly tricky problem that he’s trying to find a solution for.

“He was here for longer than he has not been here,” he eventually says, like the hole in Daniel’s life is something that can be plugged with logic.

“True,” Daniel agrees anyway, because he knows that Max is trying, and it’s unfair to expect him to have the answers when Daniel doesn’t even know what he is asking for.

The closest thing he can think of is, ‘do you think my dad would still have loved her even without any of my DNA,’ but it’s a cruel thing to ask Max, who so desperately wanted Daniel to be the biological father. Besides, it’s not like Max would know what to say to that anyway.

“Also,” Max continues, a hesitant edge to his voice now, “of course it will be more sad this time. To bring Emilia and know he is not here to see her.”

That’s closer. Daniel can feel it, the way the words pang in his chest.

Yet, to hear it while looking down at his daughter’s sleeping body, it crests an entirely different wave of fear inside him.

There will be a time when this is her, when she’ll be spending Christmas night in the house where she grew up, but that she no longer lives in, and Daniel won’t be there to see her open her presents in the morning. It’s ridiculous really. He’s never spent one holiday with her yet, and he’s already worried about the ones he’ll miss.

“When me and Michelle were kids, on Christmas night my dad would cover the floor in flour,” he begins to recount, the words made of his desire to bridge the gap between what his father was to him then, and who Daniel is now. “He would make footprints in them, all the way from the chimney to the tree and back again, for us to find in the morning. He did it for Isaac too, made Santa’s footprints, we- We should do that for Emilia, when she is old enough.”

When he looks at Max, he’s smiling. Softly, the hue of the mobile turning the tips of his mousy hair golden. He nods, reaching for Daniel’s hand, and sliding his fingers into the four gaps between Max’s feels like coming home more than boarding a plane ever has.

“I hope I am a dad like yours,” Max whispers. The and not like mine hangs so heavy in the air, Daniel doesn’t need for him to say it to hear it.  

Still, he answers him-

“I hope we are better than both of them.”

[saccharineflesh]

G A E L ⋆˙⟡♡ P E R E I R A

w r i t i n g s ᯓ e s t a b l i s h e d ᯓ p I n t e r e s t ᯓ m o r e

Is that chay suede? Oh, no, that’s chistian gael pereira, a thirty five year old coo at Pereira Oil Co. who uses he/him pronouns. They currently live in Santa Moneda in Valparaíso, and the character they identify with most is Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl. Hopefully they find their own little paradise here in el país de los poetas!

Character Summary.

Born into a life of wealth and riches, Gael didn't ever need for much. At a young age he was in a car accident with his mother, which led to her losing the ability to walk. His father wasn't an affectionate man and ruled with an iron fist so Gael and he never got along. Over the years he'd do things specifically with the purpose to piss off his father even running off to Vegas to get married because he knew his family wouldn't approve. That didn't last very long and within six months of marriage Gael was manipulated back home where he belonged. Now, Gael is second in charge of an oil dynasty looking to expand it's resources to Chile where he now resides.

Profile.

Full name: Christian Gael Pereira Nicknames: Chrissy (family only) Age: thirty-five Birthdate: December 19 Zodiac Sigh: Sagittarius Gender/Pronoun: Him/He Sexuality: Pansexual Place of Birth: Dorchester, MA Residence: Santa Moneda, Valparaíso Occupations: COO of Pereira Oil Co. Languages Spoken: Portuguese, Spanish, English

Family.

Mother: Gloribel Marissa Pereira Father: Christian Arnaldo Pereira Siblings: Has one half-sister who he refuses to acknowledge

Headcanons.

+ traits - perfectionist, caring, innovative, tolerant, vibrant - traits - arrogant, impulsive, disruptive, stubborn, single-minded ♱ Has a 1 year old cat named Marco who he plays marco polo with. Marco does in fact respond, although not with an impressive 'polo' unfortunately. ♱ Loves to live life on the edge so anything thrilling/reckless/dangerous send it his way ♱ Does not drive anywhere, he has a personal chauffeur. ♱ He absolutely loves music and over the years taught himself how to play guitar and piano

The Past.

♱ trigger warnings ♱ car accident | depression

Christian Gael was born into an extremely wealthy family, but everything that he got was earned. His parents instilled in him from a very young age the importance of hard work, and making a name for himself regardless of their last name. They didn't want him to end up as just another spoiled rich kid.

His relationship with his mother is something Gael treasured. At the age of ten the two got into a car accident, which left his mother bound to a wheelchair for the remainder of her life. Gael blamed himself despite having no fault and promised himself he'd always stay near his mom. For the longest time his mother fell into a depression and refused to even speak.

His father on the other hand barely even spent time at home, and when he was present all Gael ever got were scoldings and judgements. Not soon after the incident with his mother, Gael witnessed his father's infidelity with a house employee. He didn't know what was happening at the time, being only ten or eleven years old, simply knew that it was wrong and he confronted his dad.

It took about a twenty minute conversation where he was manipulated into keeping the secret from his mother. Two years later his father brought home a little girl almost half his age claiming to be her father, and that they would live together as a family.

The betrayal that Gael felt has carried on to this day. He refuses to acknowledge her as a member of his family. He blames her for ruining his family and sees her as an extension of her home-wrecking mother. It didn't help that the moment she moved in her father showered her with gifts, and most heartbreakingly his love. Something that Gael never got from him.

While his mother still refused to speak, Gael could see how much pain his new housemate was bringing her which only infuriated him more. Being the mother that she was, Gloribel did her best to put her pain aside and raise his half-sister as her own while urging Gael to treat her well.

Tired of dealing with the mess of a house that his father had created, Gael moved out as soon as he was legally able to and did everything in his power to anger his father. It was no secret that he would be taking over the family company once Christian senior retired, but Gael had no plans of following in his father's footsteps at the time.

During one of his unavoidable family vacations, Gael met and quickly became infatuated with a woman he could only describe as 'godly'. Beauty unmatched, and a personality that made his toes curl. She (Poet) worked on the yacht, much to his father's dismay, and the two began seeing one another. It wasn't long after that they began traveling together and Gael felt what he could only assume was true love.

He had dated people from time to time, but they were pretentious and superficial - two words he could never use to describe Poet. They usually never lasted more than a month or two, but with her things were different. He couldn't get enough of her and after some years the two were running off to Vegas where they married.

After around six months of alluding and ignoring calls from his father, Gael's location was found and in the middle of the night a knock came to his door. He was given an ultimatum.

With little to no time to properly process or explain himself to Poet, Gael left her there and returned home with his father. Over the years he wondered what had become of her, and while he had all the means and opportunities to reach out as time went on, he didn't know what to expect. The uncertainly made him wait even longer and before he knew it years had gone by.

Despite not wanting to follow in his father's footsteps the thought of his half sister taking the company fueled his blood even more and so Gael focused his all on becoming the next C.E.O even pitching an expansion of the oil company to other countries which is how he found himself in Chile.

While all the legal process took form, Gael was tasked with securing locations for the expansion as well as looking into other competitors. This required him to temporarily move.

[nfumbewalk]

Charmed, I'm Sure

Well, what a freaking great day. I don't go into much mundane here but my husband and I were put through the ringer! Seems that way. We aren't huge fans of the outside world. We're little hermit crabs. I was raised that way, he wasn't. My family was mostly antisocial. I say "was" because my grandparents are dead & my parents are dead, I have a sibling who is "dead to me," and maybe a few uncles, aunts & few cousins that are living. I can say that I don't know my family at all, anymore. Bothers me, not. Only ones I was attached to was my dad, who passed last summer & my grandma who immigrated here to Ore. from West Germany in 1947. But, ppl say ain't you white? You look white. What is this? Cultural appropriation!?!

My color never bothered my Cuban & Black teachers any! Of what? Palo & Ifá, respectfully. This was before 2016. Did not matter. Now, after the Wokedom arose, color suddenly matters. How racist is that? 😅 The deities certainly DO NOT give a crap. I get great responses & no, they aren't "unknown" spirits or whatever bullshit you see on Reddit.

Some ppl say if you build an Orisa altar without "being in the religion" that the Orisa won't see it or you & won't appreciate it! Bullshit! Ppl seriously think the Orisa are *that* narrow minded or that they don't accept the uninitiated? Flat out fucking retarded, right there! No one starts out initiated!!! Duh.

And heritage, race, creed, color has NOTHING to do with religion or spirituality. Now, no more! Done!

Onto the rest of my post. I chose the image above because Obatala has great meaning to me & I'm starting some personal goals with him He inspires me to "stay cool" which isn't really my easiest ability. He is also inspiring me to write by giving me the wisdom to know what to write, then Santa Muerte is a huge part of that - mostly helping me with critical content & drive to move forward. Obatala is also giving me the "Creator" vibe for my work, though my necromancy is definitely not as great of a creation as human life. 😊

I just got my candles in the mail, one GROSS and 48 more. I usually get two gross. Keeps my practice alive! 💀 Spendy? Not really, but learn to use white for *every* purpose & it works! A candle is a candle, just like any tool - it's the intention. Yes, ALL intent is ALL you need. Don't give me "This color is better..." Sorry. Ya won't win. Tested for 3 straight years & verified. Do I use colors? Yes, I do & love them. I'm talking getting magic results with practicality. Wins every time. There is one trick for cursing that a book threw out there years ago - turning your white candle upside down makes it work !like a black one.

No, it doesn't. Much better results sticking thin iron nails in it after anointing it with a cursing oil, like a Martial one. Burn it in front of a large piece of obsidian (like a obsidian mirror) & listen as the nails drop. A white taper is used here.

Anyways, Obatala is the King of the White Cloth. I love spending time with him. And saying his oriki (praise poems) always makes me happier. The Orisa come daily, but certain days are stronger. My mother's were with me this morning. I have to get to Obatala tonight for our routine. Santa Muerte also gets her attention, but our relationship differs than most of her devotees.

I don't ask for "stuff" from her. I pray to her for keeping me & my husband safe & together, to watch my 24 year old son, or certain friends to get well. I'm not a person of many wants or needs. Yes, I have very big forces but I am not the best liked person either. Why?

I'll speak many, many things - but the true secrets of any path? No. I was a known person before & I won't do it again, at least until my writing project takes off. Proj. #163.190 has it's wings. I'm in the beginning. Will take awhile!

Ah, well. Shit. Prolly write something else!

J. -Necromantress

[variousqueerthings]

Episodes in which Hawkeye sleeps/tries to sleep (not counting times where being tired is just talked about, or anytime I’ve forgotten)

From this list (which may have gaps, I speedran through every episode, I could’ve missed things) it seems as if season 1 has the most episodes in which sleep is either had, attempted/disturbed, or otherwise awoken from, with nine episodes, followed by season 7, with eight (at a mild stretch, as you’ll see)

Seasons 8 and 11 feature the least episodes, with four each (although of course  s11 has less episodes overall)

The average of episodes appears to be six, with seasons 2, 3, 5, and 10 all having six episodes

Episodes which feature the most moments of some kind of sleep are: Hawk’s Nightmare (the obvious winner), followed by Sticky Wicket, Promotion Commotion, The Joker is Wild

Season 1.

To Market To Market: Hawkeye and Trapper are awoken by Radar to enact the oak desk heist

Cowboy: Hawkeye is awoken by Radar for surgery on cowboy after having just fallen asleep

Henry Please Come Home: Hawkeye, Trapper, and Oliver are awoken early in the morning for calisthenics

Germ Warfare: Hawkeye is half-asleep on a chair, when Trapper awakens him so they can draw Frank’s blood

Dear Dad: Hawkeye and Trapper say goodnight after a successful prank against Margaret and Frank + Hawkeye exhaustedly finishes a letter to his dad and appears to drift asleep while in a Santa outfit

Dear Dad Again: Frank keeps Hawkeye and Trapper awake by getting drunk

The Long-John Flap: Hawkeye tries to sleep in his warm long-johns, but is compelled to give them. Later on he refuses to fall for Trapper’s pathetic coughing a second time

Sticky Wicket: Hawkeye is awoken because his patient is worsening + later on tries to sleep in a supply tent but is disturbed + awakens in realisation of how to help his patient

Showtime: Hawkeye falls asleep during a USO performance

 Season 2.

Divided We Stand: Hawkeye and Trapper are awoken for a secret meeting with Henry + everyone is awoken much too early in the morning

Dr Pierce and Mr Hyde: after spending the episode unable to sleep for several days, Hawkeye is drugged so that he can get some rest

Carry On Hawkeye: Margaret enters the tent and finds Hawkeye in bed, possibly having been about to sleep

The Incubator: Hawkeye and Trapper wake up severely hungover after a party

Officers Only: Hawkeye is awoken by Radar to attend to a patient after having only just fallen asleep

Crisis: Everyone is trying to get to sleep in groups within one tent (gender divided), due to a lack of supplies and severe cold

 Season 3.

Rainbow Bridge: Hawkeye and Trapper fall asleep despite being on-leave, due to exhaustion

Officer of the Day: Hawkeye attempts to sleep several times, but isn’t allowed to, as he has been declared “officer of the day”

Iron Guts Kelly: Hawkeye and Trapper are awoken by Margaret, to help remove the body of the general in her tent

Springtime: Hawkeye expresses an intent to sleep and is later depicted having been clearly woken up by Mulcahy and leaving the Swamp

Adam’s Ribs: Hawkeye is awoken by Radar because his ribs have arrived in Korea

Aid Station: Hawkeye and Margaret seek comfort while at an aid station and fall asleep together

 Season 4.

It Happened One Night: Hawkeye is awoken by Radar for a shift

The Late Captain Pierce: Hawkeye is awoken to take a call from his dad that he just misses + Hawkeye wakes up after his fake-wake

The Bus: Potter, BJ, and Hawkeye are sleeping in the bus, while Frank “keeps watch”

Of Moose and Men: Hawkeye sleeps in post-op after a difficult case + Hawkeye is resting outside when Frank disturbs him with a metal-detector

Der Tag: Hawkeye and BJ get drunk with Frank and tie a toetag to him, before falling asleep + later they stumble into bed after surgery

Season 5.

Bug Out: Hawkeye naps briefly against a wall

Out of Sight Out of Mind: Hawkeye is asleep when some nurses wake him up to help with a boiler

Hawkeye Get Your Gun: Hawkeye slumps in exhaustion after accidentally “hypnotising” himself to sleep

The Colonel’s Horse: Hawkeye and BJ are awoken by Margaret to take out her appendix

Hawk’s Nightmare: Hawkeye sleepwalks and has intense nightmares throughout

Hepatitis: Hawkeye is trying to sleep while BJ works out

 Season 6.

Fade Out Fade In: Hawkeye is about to try to sleep, but is spooked by a fake snake that Charles put in his bed

Fallen Idol: Hawkeye gets very drunk after Radar gets hurt and is awoken while still hungover

The Winchester Tapes: Hawkeye falls asleep after long hours in O.R. and he is too tired to go on-leave

Comrades In Arms Part 2: Hawkeye and Margaret wake up after a night together

Tea and Empathy: Klinger wakes up Hawkeye so he can check on British patients in post-op

Your Hit Parade: Hawkeye and BJ camp out in Potter’s tent, due to a mass of patients

Dr Winchester and Mr Hyde: Hawkeye and BJ try to sleep, but Charles is high and loud

 Season 7.

Commander Pierce: Hawkeye and BJ try to sleep but Charles is sick and loud + Hawkeye tries to sleep at Potter’s desk

Peace On Us: Hawkeye naps in a wheelchair

An Eye For A Tooth: stretching, but Hawkeye is practically falling asleep at the mess table, until Margaret fills too much sugar in his coffee

The Young and The Restless: Hawkeye falls asleep at the mess table + Hawkeye wakes up at 6am to find BJ reading

Hot Lips Is Back In Time: Hawkeye falls asleep at the officer’s club bar

CAVE: Hawkeye and Margaret have fallen asleep on gurneys after operating on a patient while being bombed. They wake up when the camp returns and then promptly go back to sleep

Ain’t Love Grand: Hawkeye is awoken in the middle of the night by a phonecall declaring that BJ’s patient is out of danger

The Party: Hawkeye’s slowly preparing for sleep, when they have to bug out

 Season 8.

Mr and Mrs Who: Hawkeye is sleeping in post-op while waiting for a patient to get better

Yessir That’s Our Baby: The Swamprats are awoken by the cries of a baby

Heal Thyself: Hawkeye is trying to sleep, when he notices the interim doctor pacing outside

Dreams: Everyone in camp sleeps, and they have haunting and/or prophetic nightmares

 Season 9.

The Best Of Enemies: Hawkeye sleeps after going through a traumatic experience

Father’s Day: The swamprats are awoken because their stolen beef is at risk of being discovered

Tell It To the Marines: Hawkeye is asleep in the OR after surgery

No Sweat: Hawkeye is woken up by BJ obsessively rereading a letter from Peggy

Bless You Hawkeye: Hawkeye is keeping everyone, including himself, awake with excessive sneezing

 Season 10.

That’s Show Biz: Hawkeye and BJ are trying to sleep, but Charles and Klinger are mesmerised by a comedian

Twas the Night Before Christmas: The swamprats are all awoken by Potter + Hawkeye sleeps pressed against BJ’s back in Potter’s office

The Tooth Shall Set You Free: Hawkeye tries not to fall asleep at the mess-tent, after which he manages to get back to the Swamp and eventually get to bed

Pressure Points: Hawkeye awakens to a disgusting Swamp, because Charles has stopped cleaning

Where There’s A Will There’s A War: Hawkeye appears to be considering sleeping, but is disturbed by bombs

Promotion Commotion: Hawkeye and BJ are trying to sleep when Charles interrupts + Hawkeye is falling asleep at his a makeshift judges’ table + Hawkeye and BJ are awakened by Klinger telling them he’s been promoted

 Season 11.

Trick or Treatment: a stretch, but Hawkeye and BJ are pretending to sleep, while giggling about pranking Charles

The Joker is Wild: Hawkeye is startled out of sleep by Charles finding a fake snake in his bed + Hawkeye tries to sleep within a barbed wire mini-compound he’s made to protect himself from BJ + Hawkeye and BJ wake up in the morning

Strange Bedfellows: Hawkeye and BJ (and everyone else) try to sleep, but Charles is snoring + Hawkeye and Charles because BJ talks in his sleep

As Time Goes By: The whole camp is awoken by wounded patients incoming

[calyxthenerd]

Dropping my DCLA post-canon Christmas hcs in the middle of february because I saw a TikTok and got inspired

In the Castillo household, it’s obviously gonna be Germán, Vilu, Ludmila, maybe Fede is there, maybe he went back to Italy, who knows, Angie, Ramallo and Olga cause they’re always there, Fran shows up at some point because she didn’t get a flight to Italy in time, Olga bans anyone from entering the kitchen for the whole day because she takes holiday food very seriously, but Angie goes in anyways, and they keep gossiping about who knows what, secret Santa is as chaotic as your imagination allows, and the food is the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen, until Germán starts serving Vilu, Olga almost cries

Obviously in the Benson mansion there’s the Valentes, Ámbar, not Alfredo because he’s travelling, or dead, and also I don’t like him, depending on what type of scene you’re looking for Sharon got permission to go home for the holiday, since couldn’t afford tickets to Mexico, and refused both Ámbar’s and Luna’s offers to buy them for him, Simón is there too, trying to escape holidays with his extended family and his dad’s overbearing attempts to mend their relationship, Matteo is also there, dinner is obviously on Monica, with Simón, Miguel and Luna taking turns going into the kitchen to try and sneak a bite, she catches them every time, and when she doesn’t, Ámbar does, and they have to wear a santa hat with “Shame” written on the front, Matteo’s puts Luna wearing it and pouting as his lockscreen, Rey and Maggie show up for dinner, having been released from their court mandated community service, Matteo, the idiot, suggests lighting a fire, because that’s what they did back in Italy, the Valentes, Ámbar and Simón glare at him for the rest of the night, and every time he tries being affectionate to Luna, she walks away and goes to Simón instead, leaving Ámbar even more mad at him, as her boyfriend is too busy performing best friend duties to cuddle with her

In my ideal world, Antonio goes to jail (or gets run over by a car, because that would be ironic) and so Paula makes ammends with the Urquizas and they decide to have a joint Christmas party to celebrate that, Victor is still back in Spain because I’m mad at him, so it’s Paula, Alex and Manuel, Alice, Mariano, Helena and Bia, Helena invites Thiago since he doesn’t exactly have a family to celebrate with, Paula all but demands Carmín comes, they also invite Pietro so he doesn’t have to eat alone with his cousin (they wanted him to cook for them), and since it’s already a lot of people, and the residency is pretty empty with the other guys having gone home to the families, Thiago invites everyone to go there instead, Pietro is happy to cook in his own kitchen, the night ends with the Urquiza sisters singing a Christmas song by the piano, everyone joins in, and when the time to say goodbye comes, Thiago forbids anyone from leaving, since it’s very late and they’re all tired from having eaten so much, and we all know what happens when you drive late at night, so everyone who doesn’t live there ends up sleeping in one of the spare bedrooms, and the ones who do, sleep in their own rooms

[yaniidme]

ʚɞ  ʚɞ  ʚɞ | bringing home for the holidays // @rising-dawn​

she twirled the little bits of hair that hung at her ears, watching as they stayed in a nice coil. her eyes peered over the little make up she’d done. if she hadn’t really tried on her outfit at the very least she could make herself look pretty. it made her stomach flutter that she was even doing this, or even spent the amount of hours she had on the and crafted gifts. yumi had spent a full ten minutes simply slicking back the high pony at the top of her head, only to spend another twenty on meticulously flipping the ends of it up to give her that preppy, retro style she’d come to enjoy with silver’s curling iron.

all of this for a boy, she wish she could kick herself, even as she went to tie the suddenly ‘too frumpy’ tshirt up to expose her stomach. and it was bold of her to assume dawn would even care, it was just secret santa. he’d probably gotten someone just as well, and why had his opinion on her appearance matter all of a sudden. lastly she hung a few of her ‘lucky’ necklaces her dad had sent her over her head, turning in the mirror to admire herself before finally exiting the poorly lit, hotel bathroom. she wandered over to the bed and gathered the basket she’d placed both the bowl and candle holder. she’d cleansed and charged a beautiful lilac candle for him to burn in it, layering it with intentions and vibrations of protection, convincing herself there was no use for the candle holder if she hadn’t given him a candle to go in it. 

breathing had begun to be a bit hard as she headed up to phoenix’s floor, holding tightly to the basket as her converse thudded over he tacky carpeting. knocking gently on the door yumi buzzed with excitement, hoping dawn liked the gifts even if they weren’t flashy or expensive. “um, merry christmas suprise~?” she said sweetly holding the basket out to him as he opened the door.

[i-am-beckyu]

yeah you've got fake fic prompts of mine still in the works, yeah you're still working on important things, but have more questions

deserted island edition ✨ food and water are all squared away

what book are you taking with you?

you can only watch one show on loop (on your own time), what is it?

you can only watch one movie on loop (on your own time), take your pick

five songs, go!

you can get a free dessert that you can have once a month. what is it?

your captor(s) let you have fast food once. what's your pick?

you find materials to make a structure. are you making a shelter or something else?

before you leave, you get your person pick of six items. what are they?

you're given paper and pencil, are you writing or drawing? you can not do both.

you get an animal to accompany you! what is it? :D

you get internet for six hours. what're you wasting your time on the most?

are you fishing in the water or hunting on land? doing none of that and growing a garden?

are you sending an sos secretly or just waiting to see where this all takes you?

what's the first thing you're doing when you get off of the island?

would you rather be alone the entire time or only have the annoying company of your captor(s)?

💃🕺

answer whenever you have the time btw !! get caught up with real life before you go cracking into the online stuff <3<3

Yes!! Hello Brick!

I am so sorry the prompts are taking so long to finish. Work is being extremely difficult atm and draining a lot of my energy and motivation to do anything but sleep so trying to prioritise has been rough writing wise especially with finishing my secret santa prompt on time! When its done, I should get out the fake fic titles next.

As for this, this I have some energy for!

what book are you taking with you? Since I assume ao3 doesn't count, Knife by R.J Anderson (will forever be my favourite written book)

you can only watch one show on loop (on your own time), what is it? mmmmm probably Friends because that's long and hilarious.

you can only watch one movie on loop (on your own time), take your pick Mmmmmmm either Pixars Luca or Newsies the broadway musical (I watch those soooooo often)

five songs, go! Have the links too: Figure it out , New Zealand, Get used to it, Calm and I can talk

you can get a free dessert that you can have once a month. what is it? double scoop coffee and pistachio icecream (I love that combo and I call it Cappacio)

your captor(s) let you have fast food once. what's your pick? KFC

you find materials to make a structure. are you making a shelter or something else? Shelter

before you leave, you get your person pick of six items. what are they? well if I'm on an island, medical kit, book on survival, warm and rain proof jacket, a metal water bottle, lighter, knife. (ironically I have all these things in my room so this would be possible if I was taken lol)

you're given paper and pencil, are you writing or drawing? you can not do both. Probably write.

you get an animal to accompany you! what is it? :D if we're talking domestic, dog. But if I could train one that wasn't gonna eat me, tiger :3

you get internet for six hours. what're you wasting your time on the most? ao3. A girls gotta read fics.

are you fishing in the water or hunting on land? doing none of that and growing a garden? mmm probably all 3. I'd have nothing better to do and all 3 would be beneficial for survival. Fishing would be safer than hunting tho I would think.

are you sending an sos secretly or just waiting to see where this all takes you? if the opportunity supplied itself and I was smart about it, send an sos secretly.

what's the first thing you're doing when you get off of the island? Get a hug from my Dad. I like his hugs.

would you rather be alone the entire time or only have the annoying company of your captor(s)? Company. I think I'd go insane on my own. I'm a people person

Thank you for the questions Brick! I'm sorry I'm not able to be as active as usual, but thank you for being understanding of that lovely thing we call ✨L I F E✨

[themculibrary]

Christmas Fics Masterlist 3

part one, part two, part four

A FrostIron Christmas (ao3) - Do_Whatever_You_Want_Im_Super_Dead loki/tony G, 1k

Summary: Tony and Loki spend a lovely Christmas together in this one-shot! I do not own Marvel or its characters.

christmas elves, carols, and other clichés (ao3) - D_melanogaster steve/bucky T, 5k

Summary: Steve and Bucky and Christmas through the years.

Or: The first time Steve and Bucky met, Bucky thought that Steve was a Christmas elf.

Christmas Tree Fiasco (ao3) - GraceKnowsIrondad0777 G, 4k

Summary: December/10/2020

2020 is a good time to go all out with the Christmas decorations. Peter's stuck in quarantine and in his holiday spirit, a well intended decorating plan lands him stuck in the Christmas tree longer than typically advised.

OR: Peter gets himself stuck in the Christmas Tree for 24 hours and Tony is not happy. It's a good thing he loves this kid.

Christmas with the Wilsons (ao3) - Impala_Chick sam/bucky T, 2k

Summary: In an effort to get his family to stop badgering him, Sam asks Bucky to pose as his boyfriend for Christmas dinner.

home with my love (this christmas) (ao3) - kickflaw steve/bucky G, 1k

Summary: Bucky opens his mouth in greeting after Steve hurriedly throws open his door, but gets one look at Steve and stops dead. His eyes travel from the Santa hat atop Steve's head, down over his illuminated Christmas sweater and further still, to his slippers, decorated with little reindeer antlers. Blinking, he reaches out to tap one of the fat red light bulbs decorating Steve's chest.

“Huh," he says.

Honorary Parker (ao3) - parkrstark G, 3k

Summary: Tony lets it slip to Peter that he'll be spending Christmas alone. Peter refuses to let that happen.

I’ll Be Coughing Painfully (With A Ho Ho Ho, Hee Hee Hee) (ao3) - josywbu G, 2k

Summary: Peter is sick in the week leading up to Christmas and Tony is his appointed caretaker. Here’s what they get up to, to keep up the Christmas spirit.

It's beginning to look a lot like christmas (ao3) - IJustReallyLikeFluff steve/bucky G, 597

Summary: The world need more stucky christmas fluff, okay

Therefore, Steve is baking cookies, but not all things goes as planned

Meeting in Winter (ao3) - a_written_dream steve/bucky T, 2k

Summary: Bucky runs into a pretty blond who looks like he's freezing his ass off.

Merry Christmas, Bucky Barnes (ao3) - Bulmaveg_Otaku bucky/darcy G, 5k

Summary: Steve's hoping to catch sight of his elusive BFF this Christmas, and needs someone to do the recon. It can't be anyone he knows Bucky would recognize or someone who he would recognize as trained in spy craft or combat techniques, but it also needs to be someone he can trust. Enter Darcy Lewis. Steve's pretty sure she's the right person for the job. Probably. Maybe?

Mission - Steve and Bucky's Best Christmas Ever (ao3) - LightningStriking steve/bucky G, 10k

Summary: Bucky has a plan. A carefully constructed, and meticulously plotted plan. Of how to give his best friend Steve the most wonderful, festive, and happy Christmas season ever. Culminating in a declaration of love, which hopefully will be returned. Can Bucky pull it off, and receive the best Christmas present of all - Steve as his boyfriend??

new york's santa (ao3) - hailingstars pepper/tony G, 4k

Summary: New York City has it's own Santa, and Peter discovers it's Tony Stark, because of course it is.

Peter's Christmas with Tony (ao3) - Rowan_M T, 11k

Summary: One-shots of Peter at Christmas. Lots of whump, fluff and Iron Dad.

Secret Sugarplum Spiderling (ao3) - happyaspie G, 27k

Summary: Peter has been taking ballet for nearly as long as he can remember and all of his hard work has finally paid off. He's been cast as the Cavelier to the Sugarplum Fairy in his Performing Arts School's production of The Nutcracker. It's a big deal and it's going to take up a good bit of time but... he's just not sure he's ready for his mentor to know about that particular hobby just yet.

🎄🩰❄️He's sure it'll be fine ... ❄️🩰🎄

All he has to do is show up at the studio on time, keep his grades up, make sure to see Tony on a regular enough basis that he doesn't worry and try to squeeze in some patrolling in between. It's that simple. Right?

Stay (ao3) - grandmacore steve/bucky T, 3k

Summary: After the death of Bucky’s parents and sister, his friend Sam arranges a getaway for Bucky; a few weeks of sharing a cozy cabin with Sam’s other friend Steve. When Bucky and Steve meet they immediately feel connected and it’s not long before that connection grows into something deep and beautiful.

Steve and Bucky's first Christmas in retirement (ao3) - Laevateinn steve/bucky T, 2k

Summary: Follow Steve and Bucky as they decorate their house, then celebrate the holidays surrounded by family.

Stocking S(t)uffers (ao3) - HiddenSt0rms G, 933

Summary: It’s not uncommon to have a sore throat in the wintertime, especially in a crowded place like Queens. It’s also not uncommon for said sore throat to turn out to be strep. But what is uncommon is for this to be the seventh throat problem this year.

Leave it to Peter’s luck to need his tonsils out right before Christmas.

Or: Tony knows just what to get Peter for Christmas following his tonsillectomy.

The Magic of Mistletoe (ao3) - TheDisneyOutsider happy/may, pepper/tony G, 1k

Summary: “Hey, May, Happy, you guys are standing under the mistletoe, you know what that means, right?” Tony wriggled his eyebrows and pointed to the plant hanging over their heads.

“Ew, Tony that’s gross,” Peter grimaced, but he watched Happy and May both blush, staring at each other awkwardly.

this christmas, I'll give you my heart (ao3) - buckyismybicycle sam/bucky T, 6k

Summary: Bucky and Sam draw each other's names for Secret Santa - neither of them know what to get and enlist the help of Nat and Joaquin. Cue a lot of misunderstandings.

Tony's Christmas Carol (ao3) - kickcows pepper/tony G, 11k

Summary: Tony Stark was a mean, crotchety miser. He never felt he was doing wrong, until three spirits came to visit him on Christmas Eve, showing him otherwise. Or, a retelling of ‘A Christmas Carol’ set in the Marvel universe.

[davecumstaine]

Hi there, secret Santa here!!

Really sorry for my absence!!!!!!

That’s a nice variety of bands. Some of them I haven’t heard yet. I’ll definitely check them out. I’ve just started listening to Iron Maidens. What songs do you recommend?

Some of my favorite bands/artists are The Monkees, Majestica, Veonity, Savatage, Sabaton, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Jan and Dean, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Journey, Chicago. There’s a band for any mood. 😂

Do you have any plans for Christmas? How about New Years?

Have a wonderful Christmas Eve! Talk to you soon!

You're fine!

Any of their top hits are a good place to start cus they're genuinely great songs (Aces High, The Trooper, Run to the Hills, Number of the Beast, etc...) But my favorite Iron Maiden songs of all time are Hallowed Be Thy Name and Powerslave. I highly recommend those two. I would also suggest Wasted Years, Speed of Light, and Where Eagles Dare.

I've heard of most of those artists. Honestly, I'm the same way. One moment I can be listening to a song about the horrors of war and the next I'm listening to a song about a night light 😆

I'm spending Christmas with my dad, sister, and brother-in-law. We'll probably just watch some Christmas movies and then have dinner later in the evening. No plans for New Year's though.

Happy holidays! I hope you have something nice planned for Christmas as well! ✨

[cartoonjessie]

*slithers down your chimney* It's Santa again, hello!

I have a plot, a plan, and a visual inspo for Belle's dress. (As one does.) Now all that's left to do is FINISH IT, which does remind me, two little details to iron out.

1: I am undecided if Belle's Dad should be Crazy Old Maurice with his whimsical inventing skills and Good Dad powers, or Disappointment Moe with his lack of respect for autonony and "Why in the Underworld did you invite this man to your wedding, Belle?" vibe. He is an offscreen background character, but in case of small talk, do you have a preference?

2: What sort preteen literature could you associate with Belle? Like is she an Animorph gal you think? Harry Potter? Lemony Snicket? Babysitter's Club? This is oddly more important than her father, for plot reasons.

Hiya Santa, hope you been well! I been drawing a TON of Christmas trees the past week, which means Christmas cheer is in my heart and in my sketchbook now! Your questions are good! 1. Just gimme disappointing canon Maurice. He sucks, and Disney-Maurice is so much cooler, but Belle (in OUAT) is who she is in part because of disappointing Maurice, so let's just stick with the dude. 2. Gosh... I think she would sooner read things like The Secret Garden from Frances Hodgson Burnett or any of her books, a touch of magic and old charm and mystery, set in the English country. I don't think she'd be into Animorphs or Babysitter's Club (I did read the latter myself as a child because my sister collected those books) but Lemony Snicket and HP could probably appease her too if she was a zoomer or millennial. Hope that answers your questions!

[count3rparts]

(5 out of 6.) okay now… what’re your other favorite bands? i'm assuming deep purple is one from your tags? what made you gravitate towards classic rock? i became a fan on my own despite growing up on it. i just learned to appreciate it more as i got older, and it resonated with me deeply. [from, secret santa.]

i'm super into deep purple, megadeth, iron maiden, king crimson, porcupine tree, tool, primus, rory gallagher, pink floyd, talking heads, dire straits, motley crue, and guns n' roses! there's some more modern stuff i'm info as well, but i mostly stick to classic rock and older music in general! i always really liked it as a kid, my grandma always sang beatles songs to me when i was little, i memorized all the words to yellow submarine when i was a toddler. my mom and dad got me into some of my music as well, my mom saw a lot of the big 90s grunge bands in concert (still jealous she saw alice in chains) and my dad is a led zeppelin super fan.. another big influence on my music taste in my early teen years is my uncle, he gave me a ton of his cd collection. the first band i remember really liking in the more classic rock category is guns n' roses, my parents gave me their old copy of appetite for destruction and i remember instantly loving the whole album.. as i got older though i've gravitated even more towards prog rock, i got into king crimson a couple years ago and just fell down the rabbit hole.. definitely understand your feelings of appreciating it more now though :D

[selfparasbym]

“Slow down you crazy child You're so ambitious for a juvenile”

Sadie was never quite patient. She was born in the middle of a snow storm in Memphis while her mother was working on her masters degree, and her father was beginning his career in the field of banking and finances. 

”I like the name Sadie,” her mother, Jocelyn finally said as they stared at the pink bundle blankets in front of the them. 

”Maybe Beth for the middle name,” Richard suggested after his favorite song by Kiss. “Sadie Beth Morgan. I like it.”  “But then if you're so smart tell me Why are you still so afraid? (mmmmm)”

When she was ten her parents had told her they were moving to Seattle; her dad was originally from London, and her mom was originally from deep in the heart of Texas, they had met when they were both doing undergrad work in Chicago, moved to Memphis for her mother’s grad work, and then had lived the last five years in Santa Fe.

Her dad had gotten a job as marketing director of a Seattle bank, which was going to be a lot of money, while her mother got a job at Seattle children’s working in the NICU doing swallow therapy. The move was one they promised was going to be permeant, but Sadie was hopeful they’d move back to Santa Fe eventually.  “Where's the fire, what's the hurry about? You better cool it off before you burn it out”

But the longer they stayed in Seattle the more she realized they weren’t moving back home. By the time she was 14 she had come to find Seattle home. Her parents were very career focuses and had set up very high standards for both Sadie and her younger brother Jeremy, 

Jeremey thrived under pressure, he had straight a’ and was dedicated to playing baseball. While Sadie crumbled under any sort of pressure, and made it by with C’s. 

She and her mother clashed over everything, while she and her dad only seemed to bond over music.  “You got so much to do and only So many hours in a day (Ay) But you know that when the truth is told That you can get what you want Or you can just get old”

High school was a disaster she spent most of her time barley getting through school; half of the time she was high during class the other half she was skipping. 

Her afternoons were spent working at the local record store or shop lifting lip gloss and panties from the mall. 

Her parents begged her to find a hobby, and the only club that would take her that didn’t seem lame was photography which started her love for taking photos.  “You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through (Oooh) When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?”

Of all the places post high school she ended up in Athens, Ohio at Ohio University studying photojournalism. Halloween of her freshmen year she was at a frat party when she got a call from her mother who was screaming and crying, she slowly left the party and ended up on a flight back to Seattle. 

Her younger brother’s life at 16 quickly ended due to a drunk driver, When she returned back to college she felt like she could ignore the grief, and in her mind her little brother was still alive.. A grief she never quite coped with.  “Slow down you're doing fine You can't be everything you want to be before your time”

The four years of college flew by, and her only two jobs offers she had gotten   were taking sports photos for a conservative university, or working for Seattle Met taking photos.. She hated sports, and living by her parents again didn’t seem appealing but in the end Seattle won.  “Although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight (tonight) Too bad, but it's the life you lead”

”Did you get your apartment?” her co-worker Bea asked her as they walked through the building together coffee in hand. 

”I’ll be able to sign my lease next week, which thank god because I don’t want to wake up every morning to my mother doing her working yoga and talking about egg whites, while my dad is working out on the treadmill telling her the secret to health is red wine,” Sadie explained with a sigh. 

”Ironic you mentioned red wine when I think you got picked to cover a local brewery,” 

”That’s perfect I shotgunned a beer last night,” in her parents basement hiding from them because they wanted to talk about her lack of drive in life. Something she didn’t quite understand? she had a job. How was that not drive? “You're so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need Though you can see when you're wrong”

”So, how was the interview?” Bea asked as they both sat at their desk. Sadie picking the lettuce out of the wrap she had gotten for lunch. 

”I never quite understood why places insist on putting lettuce in wraps, nobody even likes lettuce,” she rambled on as she looked up at her co-worker. “The interview was good I got a lot of good photos.”  “You know you can't always see when you're right (you're right) You got your passion, you got your pride”

The interview ended up being more good, and the relationship formed between Daniel and Sadie ended up being something that was more than she could imagined. Every single thing seemed easy and fun.  “But don't you know that only fools are satisfied? Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true (Oooh) When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?”

The easy turned to fear when she got a positive pregnancy test, and her whole world was turned upside down. She didn’t quite know how to be a mother, and what if she was bad at it?

“You can no longer your beer tours with Sadie articles anymore,” Bea commented as they both stared at the pregnancy test on Sadie’s desk. Of course this series of articles was a new thing within the last year, so it wasn’t exactly a big deal in the magazine yet. “How are you going to tell Daniel?”

That was the moment her words finally started to sink in. “I don’t know. I’ve never told anyone i’m pregnant before,” nor had she ever been pregnant before. “Do I just tell him?”

“Slow down you crazy child”

All the ideas of how to tell Daniel didn’t quite seem to top the ironic baby onesie she found with a bottle of beer and a baby bottle on it that said “daddy’s drinking buddy” that, that was funny to her. 

Which was how she ended up telling Daniel leaving it for him on his desk while he was working.  “Take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while It's alright, you can afford to lose a day or two (oooh)”

When Ivy was born she swore she was going to be the best possible mom to her, but then post-partum depression set in and she wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself. And she felt like she was trapped in a cycle of never quite being enough, and she wasn’t quite herself.  “When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?”

After six months of it she left. She left to try to find herself, got a job working for a travel magazine to that allowed her to take photos of anything she wanted.

But every time she went somewhere all she could think about was Ivy and what she was doing and if she missed her. Which hurt even more when she thought about Daniel and what he might be up to. 

She often wondered if he missed her, or even thought about her.  “And you know that when the truth is told That you can get what you want or you can just get old”

The years flew by and she knew she couldn’t be away from him anymore which led him to stopping by his house knocking on the door in the middle of the night praying that it wasn’t a wife who would answer, and that he was willing to hear her out.  “When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?”

[swiftiephobe]

Hello there !!!

First of all, I would like to wish you a Very Merry Christmas’ Eve !!! I hope you have a wonderful time and you enjoy yourself 🎄!!!

Well, I’m currently studying *native language* philology (I’m not saying what because there are like two of us here, I don’t think you know me but just in case, you’ll find out on January 6th 😌).

My favourite books. Okay, so I haven’t been able to read for fun that much lately because I have work and also school but due to my degree, thankfully, I have a lot of books to read. I found out that I quite enjoy Dante’s inferno, the brothers karamazov, Gogol’s short novels (I recommend the portrait). Aside from that, I really enjoy pride and prejudice, my policeman, withering heights, the Antichrist by Emilian Stanev and the iron candlestick by Dimitar Talev. I’m more of a classic literature kinda girl with a few exceptions.

What is your favourite show ? Emily in Paris season three was released a couple of days ago and this is my comfort show so I’m very very excited to see what’s going to happen !!!! Have you seen it ? I understand that people are very critical of it because it’s “unrealistic” etc. but I really, really, really love it !!!!

Love,

Secret Santa 🎅

hi there! i did really enjoy my christmas :) i saw my mum's side of the family on christmas eve and then my dad's side on christmas day and both days were really nice!

ooh that's so cool! i had to google what philology was because i hadn't heard of it before but from what i gather it's like the study of language? that sounds really interesting! i always enjoyed learning other languages at school and how it gave me a bit of an appreciation of how different languages are structured and related!

i have to admit i probably haven't read as many classics as i should have haha, but i do want to read more! i've also been so busy with my study that i've struggled with reading for fun, most of the reading i do for work/study is scientific papers which of course can be interesting but it's not really the same as reading a good book :')

my favourite show of all time is gilmore girls!! i was introduced to it by my mum and we've watched it together heaps of times, rory is one of my all time favourite fictional characters and probably the one i relate to the most! i haven't watched emily in paris but i know some friends who have really enjoyed it!! i've heard it's kind of "trashy" tv but in an enjoyable way? i think that shows like that can be so great, it's fun to watch a show that doesn't take itself too seriously!! i hope the new season lives up to your expectations!

[goforth-ladymidnight]

Hi, secret santa here! I hope you are doing well! I'm busy working on your gift rn but I wanted to check in to ask how you are? Also, because I think it's good if we got to know each other better (well, me knowing you, obviously I won't uncover my secret identity) I wanted to ask what your favorite books were? Also what is your favorite thing out of everything you have written?

Hi there! I am doing well, thank you. I appreciate you checking in. 😊 And my heart did a happy dance when I read your message. ❤️ What delightful questions! 

Now, I’m going to assume you’re asking about my favorite books in addition to ACOTAR. If you’ve been poking around my blog, you’ll know Book 1 is my favorite in the series and that I prefer it as a standalone because of how different the sequel books became... but I digress.

There are some books on my shelf that are very near and dear to my heart. I often see ACOTAR cited as the book that gets many people out of a reading slump, but for me, that book was “Wildwood Dancing” by Juliet Marillier. Kinuko Y. Craft illustrated the cover of the edition I own, which is what drew my attention to that book in the first place. @/janainaart has done some illustrations for it in the years since; I adore her work. Anyway, the story is a combined retelling of The Frog Prince and The Twelve Dancing Princesses that takes place in the Transylvanian countryside. It has fairies, vampires, and an enchanted frog in a land that fears magic. I told myself I would only read a chapter or two before bed (because I had work the next morning), then whoops, I finished the book at 3 o’clock in the morning. Welp.

I’m also rather fond of Robin McKinley’s work, especially “Beauty” and “Sunshine”, though I do wish her endings didn’t feel so abrupt. Sherwood Smith’s “Crown Duel” is full of fantastic worldbuilding. I would love to see a film or miniseries adaptation of Garth Nix’s “Sabriel”; the story and the world are just *chef’s kiss*. I keep telling myself to pick up some of the more recent YA fantasies to add to my library, but I’m been more focused on writing lately. I have “Spinning Silver” and “An Enchantment of Ravens” on my TBR, though.

And speaking of writing...

I haven’t published anything yet, but I have several projects in the works. Before I got involved in the ACOTAR fandom, I was working on a novel-length retelling of “The Frog Prince” [official title still pending]. I just have to give it an ending (which is the one thing my dad asked for for Christmas, so...). I love classic fairy tale retellings, and I have my own versions of “Cinderella” and “East o’ the Sun, West o’ the Moon” in various stages of completion. One project I’m eager to put my own spin on is “The Snow Queen”. Out of everything I’ve written, though, my favorite bits happen to be the poems that I sprinkle into the stories themselves. 

In my fanfiction “A Court of Frost and Embers [ACOFAE]”, I came up with this poem that Feyre repeats several times: “If a faerie invites thee to dine, taste not its food, drink not its wine. Such is not meant for mortal men, lest ye be bound to Prythian.” Though the lore of ACOTAR doesn’t line up with traditional faerie lore (addictive food, being weakened by iron, inability to lie, etc.), it was fun to imagine that it did, at least for a little while.

My original work keeps that faerie lore intact, such as the beginning of this original spell from my version of The Frog Prince: “The Fae Folk cannot tell a lie, so magic will make truth comply...”

There’s something so satisfying about writing a poem that rhymes and has the right rhythm. *happy sigh* I could go through every one of my stories and find more examples, but I’m nervous about sharing too much of something before it’s published. One day, I’ll share this original work. But for now, my fanfiction will have to do. 🙂

So that I don’t leave you hanging, I’ll tell you that my second favorite thing to write (and read, tbh) is lush description. I have passages marked in my favorite books with descriptions of food, clothing, landscapes... I was able to indulge in this love of detail when I wrote my ACOFAE sequel last Christmas: “Together for Solstice”. In that oneshot, Feyre is noticing all of the winter solstice decorations in the Spring Court manor:

The banister was covered in plump white roses, bound with silver ribbons and accented with fresh sprigs of evergreen. She touched one of the velvety blooms, breathing in the spicy blend of roses and pine. Downstairs, some servants carried silver candelabras topped with thin white candles and garlands of pine boughs. Others carried armfuls of silver streamers and white lace. Feyre’s fingers lightly trailed along the garland of roses as she descended the stairs. For the land of eternal springtime, the effect was perfectly wintery.

It was so much fun to imagine how a place that never sees snow would make it feel Christmas-y (or at least the Prythian equivalent). Where I live now actually doesn’t get a lot of snowfall, not like where I grew up, so that may have been why I was so inspired. It definitely put me in a holiday mood. 🎅

Anyway, thanks for asking about my writing! I struggle with self-promoting (I’m afraid of coming off as annoying), so it’s easier to answer questions. Thanks again for giving me the chance to share my thoughts. 💖

P.S. I look forward to getting to know you when the time comes. 😘

[splendidcyan]

My Iron Dad Secret Santa piece for @tonystarkbrokemyheart!! They asked for domestic Tony and Peter and I was very happy to provide :) They mentioned how their siblings will make sure to take off toppings and such that they don’t like, and so I drew Peter giving Tony all the mushrooms off his pizza~

The New York skyline photo is from Unsplash user fezbot2000. I was originally going to paint it out but I decided I actually really liked how it looked as-is!

Thank you @irondadsecretsanta for organizing this whole ordeal! You are the real MVP!!