#maximalist holiday decorations

[strawberrum]

[hermaximalismhome]

[spooky-dice]

random specific dndads hcs that are canon To Me (content warning: brief discussion of mental illness)

carol and darryl’s house is very white + millennial griege with dark flooring, open concept minimalism. carol likes interior design pinterest, and darryl can’t stand clutter. they’ve got one of those portrait gallery walls. (stainless steel fridge house)

mercedes and henry’s house is super maximalist with busy, warm coloured patterns and plants and decor on every surface. it gets dusty sometimes but most of their trinkets are gifts from other people or handmade from a craft market so they refuse to get rid of anything. (coloured vintage fridge house)

glenn lives in an apartment, it’s very undecorated bc renting is Like That, and he’s a big believer in buying impulsive treats and luxuries over any investments. big dvd bookcase. intense stereo system setup is the centerpiece of the place. has a bunch of neon signs taken from bars. (white fridge house)

samantha and ron’s place is generally anti-big light. always natural light or little lamps. dark hardwood. periwinkle walls. has a big sliding door to the backyard that’s always open with the screen closed so bugs don’t get in. lots of bookcases and rugs. (black fridge house)

henry and mercedes will keep EVERY drawing or test and put it on the fridge “to celebrate both victories and opportunities for growth!” and teen sparrow gets really private abt his art and shoves it all behind his bed frame so they can’t hang it.

he also doesn’t draw for a year after getting sent to the realms.

lark sneaks out of the house and wanders the neighbourhood/park/gas station at pretty much any chance. takes a lot of buses to random places. henry used to fight with him abt it but eventually just agrees as long as he sends a check-in text after 5 hours. they still fight abt this.

grant has harm ocd. darryl never gets diagnosed with anything but it’s likely he had religious + contamination ocd. they don’t really talk about this.

glenn has the radio or tv on all the time because the silence freaks him out.

mercedes is really passionate abt all types of craftsmanship. she takes up woodworking and upholstery after she retires.

carol had subtly hinted that she wanted one of those fancy hair heat tools for christmas for 3 years straight before caving and buying them herself.

the first time nick smoked he did it alone on their balcony so glenn wouldn’t see if he coughed.

grant and carol go to comic con together. they both pretend they’re doing it to indulge the other person but they both really enjoy it.

terry is a several-hour-long-video essay fan, any topic. sparrow and grant are into those video game lore deep dives so they send each other links.

nicky’s texts are generally incomprehensible. he thinks emojis are unironically funny.

lark has bad taste in music, like folk punk and midwest emo shit. (folk punk fans know it’s bad. don’t complain. im one of you.)

ron does not know geography. like he just doesn’t know any places.

samantha leaves a place for terry sr. at their holiday dinner table. it helps all three of the stamplers feel better.

morgan got tattoos when she was in her early twenties. in the first timeline she got a few more, and in the second she didn’t. she had her tattoos touched up before moving to hell.

the marlowe’s fence has a really busted section where scary used to practice scoring.

link does all those summer library events. he doesn’t like reading he just likes the vibes.

taylor is highly susceptible to tiktok (or whatever the time period equivalent is?) ads. bought one of those electric pots where the guy cooks in his dorm room and never uses it.

normal will rewatch the same movie a million times. he’s also really into those mediocre shows where they run for like 10 seasons even though all the episodes are the same.

rebecca and sparrow are one of those “don’t go to bed angry” couples. it’s not really working but the unspoken agreement is there.

veronica and terry love going out for brunch. scary sleeps til noon. they leave her waffles in the fridge.

scary wants more piercings but veronica says she has to wait til her other ones heal. scary is not very good at taking care of them. her helix is perpetually infected and she keeps toying with her eyebrow bar.

veronica also keeps warning her that black box dye is a bitch to lift. veronica knows this from personal experience.

link has bad posture but worries about it a lot so he’s always correcting himself.

hermie keeps a ranking of his favourite B:TAS/timmverse shows/episodes. he’s also the guy who has to bring up the fact that it’s animated on black paper backgrounds in every conversation about it.

[lurkingshan]

1, 17, 29, 43, 62

Oh my god y'all are sending me so many.

What was the first piece of furniture you bought?

A custom-made headboard from an artist friend who did woodworking. For years and years I lived with hand me down furniture and it was the first thing I ever said, "fuck it" and bought for myself.

17. What's a movie you saw recently that you liked?

Oh I see, this was all a scheme to get me to post about Past Lives. Recently you tricked me into watching this on a plane and making an absolute fool of myself weeping in front of a bunch of strangers.

It's a really beautiful film about a Korean woman, Nora, who has made a life in the US with a career and a husband she loves. She is not unhappy with her life at all, but she reconnects with her first love and the life she might have lived and all her unresolved feelings about it come crashing down on her. My favorite thing about this movie is how generous and empathetic it is to everyone involved, including Nora, her husband, Arthur, and her first love, Hae Sung.

29. Go-to holiday card format?

I don't send holiday cards because I am lazy about that kind of stuff. If you want to see a picture of me in December just follow me on IG.

43. Favorite book you've read recently?

I have been having a bad few months for reading (my brain just gets like that sometimes post-COVID), so the last book I loved and actually completed was Da Ge during the early days of the Unknown watch. I still think about it all the time (and why the show adaptation messed up the ending FOR NO GODDAMN REASON).

62. Where are you on the minimalism-maximalism kinsey scale?

I am assuming 0=total minimalist and 6=total maximalist and we are talking about home decor, and I think I'm probably a solid 3. I like a home to actually have a personality and look like someone lives in it, but I also favor a soothing color palette and don't get too fancy with furniture.

Ask meme for people in their 30s

[thotsforvillainrights]

What would the mla members be like during the holidays?

(I had so much fun mapping out how they were acting during Halloween that I was hoping someone would also end up asking about Christmas too!)

headcanon|scenario|imagine|match-up

I imagine they all end up together regardless of the situation. I mean you have to think about the main man of the group. There is no way ReDestro doesn't find some sort of cheer in celebrating the holidays at some point. Because he's the shepherd and they're the flock, obviously they'll be giving into this. Rikiya likely holds any and all events personally in his home for this kind of thing. He does end up hiring some help to get the place decorated since his house is so large and there's no way he can find the time to get it all done himself. He probably holds a little dinner and maybe even thinks to get a game or two for the group to bond over. Geten naturally is there to help as well. Geten probably takes things a little TOO seriously when they're asked of him. ReDestro can ask him to go to the store and pick up some candy canes for the tree and Geten will go overboard and return with every size/shape/flavor of candy cane. There's no way he won't be told he's doing a good job by that! Chitose orchestrates a secret Santa of sort. If there's one thing about this group is that they go really hard for secret santa. There is no price limit for this thing. One year someone gifted Skeptic a car. It's still sitting in his garage considering he's not a maximalist for a lot of things other than computer related stuff. Speaking of Skeptic, he's probably expected to be the scrooge of the group. It's still so very funny to watch him in a grey and black Christmas sweater pouting as he sips hot chocolate or egg nog and complains about the ice on his car this morning. Nonetheless, he finds his way to the group and celebrates because he supposes it's better than being alone. Trumpet loves this time of year, but does tend to find himself busy in the weeks leading up to Christmas. He ends up taking part in a lot of charity events both to make his campaign look good, but to also give back to the good citizens of Deika for putting their trust in him enough to vote him into office every year lol.

[dullahandyke]

also i like christmas decorations everywhere insomuch as it feels like a game's event banner. oh fuck yeah the fucking lights are out, im gonna head down to the gift shop to see if i can pull the 4star blitzen with tastefully sexy christmas outfit. the core appeal of holidays to me is that its like playing a papa louie game where they go its NEW YEARS DAY time to cover EVERYTHING IN RAINBOW AND BLACK and then 2 days later theyre like its VALENTINES DAY time to cover EVERYTHING IN HEARTS and thats the kind of maximalist decoration i need in public spaces at all times

[kariachi]

Some daemon au fic, featuring Elena and Celio and preparing a space for a tiny daemon.

~~

If there was a benefit to settling as a bug, a standard bug not one of those giant stick insects or tarantulas, it was that you got an excuse to shop for furniture and such. Sure it was all miniature furniture, selected out of a catalog from their siring-pair’s favorite company, but still. They weren’t a wealthy household and had an allowance of ten dollars a week, this was the closest they were going to get to being able to interior decorate to their taste without having to undergo a whole plot to get the Morningstars to fund it and their parents to let them.

As such, Elena and Celio treated going through the catalog with similar weight to Black Friday shopper gearing up. They set up shop at the kitchen table, Celio settled on Elena’s nose for an aerial view. Two rulers off to one side, a piece of paper and a pencil on the other. One cup and one small cap of cocoa, because they deserved it. A post-it note with his measurements, in millimeters, centimeters, and inches all. Not that there were many inches, or even a full inch. And right in the center, the latest Arthrotect catalog, a thick thing that wasn’t quite up to the position of doorstop but surely hoped to take on the role when it grew up. The cover showed a snail daemon stretched out on a little leather couch. The words ‘Full Detail Guaranteed on All Pieces!’ stood out in bold red letters in the bottom corner.

The first quick flip-through, as suggested by their siring-pair, showed the first section to be an array of two-page images of different daemon apartments, each labelled at the top with the range of pages to visit for that style. From spotless whites contrasting with straight black lines under ‘Minimalist’ to bold colors and tilework under ‘Traditional Mexican’. Dark woods and warm metallics under ‘Traditional’ to bright, contrasting colors and loud wallpaper under ‘Maximalist’. Some with endless blues, some with endless wicker, some that came out of a castle and some that came out of a pagoda. One that’d had a multi-colored crystal and glass lamp so ugly they’d had to immediately go to that section and write it down. Why the ugliest lamp on the planet had to be over thirty dollars they did not know, but if it came down to it, they’d get Mike and Ruth to buy it for them. Thankfully it’d been available in an acceptable size.

Somehow, despite being primarily bugs for the past six months, it had never occurred to them that daemon apartments would be scaled before. The catalog had five separate size categories under every apartment box and item of furniture- from five to twelve millimeters all the way to forty-three to fifty millimeters- alongside the pieces’ own measurements and level of functionality. Depending on the size of the daemon, buyers could make sure they wouldn’t be overhanging or swimming in their bed or chair or some such. Celio was just barely in the thirteen to twenty category, so while some items had to be purchased at a larger scale if they really wanted them, they were mostly accommodated. And even for those daemons that weren’t, the catalog had a range of sets of stairs, ladders, and ramps that smaller daemons or disabled daemons could use. It even had a lighting guide in the back, explaining the different lighting levels beside each of the functioning lamps and such and what area and how much they would brighten when turned on.

There was even, before such things as the lighting guide, a section for general household goods. Small cups, bowls, and plates, décor outside of any specific style. A holiday section ranging from tiny Christmas trees to little towels with pomegranates on them to miniature beaded skulls. Half-inch tall statues of people and animals, and paintings of similar scale. Tiny puzzles and boardgames. They really did have everything.

By the time Elena cracked her knuckles, matched her own sip of cocoa by holding Celio’s little mug up to him, and they properly set in to work, there were already four things on the list.

[hiccanna-tidbits]

Jackunzel February Special Week 4 - Winter Winter in the City

Sure, a festive sleigh ride through sprawling fields, rolling hills, and quiet, snowy forest might not be an option, but Jack and Rapunzel can still find ways to enjoy a very urban winter.

It turns out flirty and needlessly-intense snowball brawls are just as much fun at the bus stop or in the city park as they are in a frozen-over meadow. As pleasant as braving woodland trail with a thermos full of hot chocolate might sound for some, it’s equally as delightful to stroll along snow-adorned neighborhood streets, house never too far in case you need cocoa refills.

And that’s to say nothing of the decorations and festivals and cheer. Shop-lined streets could very well be wild countryside, for how many Christmas trees, holly boughs, and pine wreaths line everything in sight. In all honesty, nothing feels more lively than the darkest, coldest days of the year, with the city air filled with singing and laughing and bells and the smell of gingerbread and peppermint and wassail. There are few places better for a wintry adventure than a line of cheery gift shops with snow-covered awnings--and no place where you should keep a close eye on your bank account, for that matter.

But one year, Jack and Rapunzel’s urban winter is different. There’s snowball fights and hot chocolate and fireside storytelling and tacky Christmas gifts that break the next day, of course, but this time, something seems to have shifted by the time spring rolls around.

It probably has something to do with the fact Jack and Rapunzel have fallen back into the hand-holding habits they had as kids, insisting it’s only for warmth because “this winter is especially frigid.” Or maybe the fact they dozed off on top of each other mid-holiday-movie marathon one too many times. Or perhaps something related to them both separately paying a visit to the city’s biggest candy store and purchasing a heart-shaped box of chocolates for the other “as a joke.”

Either way, it turns into a spring of kissing under blooming trees. And they have a feeling they’ll still be doing it when next winter rolls around.

***

YOOOOO, last Jackunzel February Special submission!!! Alas, all good things must come to an end :( But there seems to be a Jackunzel revival as of late, so rest assured that the shameless Jackunzelposting will not be stopping anytime soon :P

Anyhoo, I have all these winter city pics that I’ve been saving basically like. As long as I’ve been making Jackunzel moodboards. And I have so many saved up I do what I always do and am like “what if I made a themed moodboard about it???”

...and so I did XD

I do love the idea of Jack and Rapunzel living in a big city, though. They seem like they’d live for the energy and liveliness of it all, and would have a great time just walking up and down a busy street and people-watching. They’d also be the kinds of people to live in a city their whole lives and still try to hit every tourist trap in it, just to have the experience XD

Continuously enamored with the idea of them at some kind of holiday market and going on a shopping spree for nothing but festive knickknacks and wintry snacks while sipping hot cocoa, and then going home and redecorating their rooms with the most maximalist winter decorations known to man <3 <3 <3

Pic credits available upon request!

[alotsgonnachange]

Literally blacked out and drew what i think the entrance danielle’s dildo emporium looks like …not a background artist in the least but this made my brain feel good

Lore under the cut

I firmly believe any magic shop just looks kind of weird and haphazard no matter what

Danielle is actually the world’s only maximalist virgo

Stuff will be everywhere (not evident from sketch)

The area past the drapes is where most of the sex stuff will be, the front of shop is generally manned by her and she has a spell that keeps sneaky young’uns from going into the adult section

She sells non-adult stuff too in the front like basic supplies, balms, lotions, candles, dried herbs, and trinkets

Her supply comes from a few sources: Self (purchased or foraged), her “plugs” (assortment of fellow shopkeepers or retailers who make the wares that she keeps in contact with), Questionable Means (listen.. old habits die hard!), or Created Herself with own ingredients

Yes she has magical ability, but a lot of the time creating lubricant, contraception, and moulds for toys is straight up chemistry. Her back room is a mess of chemicals, herbs, and ingredients and she has all kinds of protective gear and masks

Also tries to maintain some stock of sexy clothing or lingerie - often courtesy of isabella who is a seamstress

Though her love advice sucks (“break up with him! Who cares!”) her sex advice is top tier, and she’ll happily take the time to answer any questions or concerns regarding purchases or products.

If you’re looking for something she doesn’t currently have, she’s more than willing to have something custom made, or see if she can have something delivered

She’ll set up a mini stand at the Red Market on Fridays

Decorates for holidays and will also have sales for the seasons

Shop is decorated for certain pagan holidays (samhain, festivals, moon phases,,,, etc)

She does events! She’ll happily set up a vendor stand if you’re having a sexy party or event

If individuals are looking specifically for Kink/orgy/community things she’ll have a few connections and be able to point you in the right directions, and has a bulletin board in the front with events and business cards

On Valentines/heartsong whatever the fuck is her biggest sale and probably busiest season

If she had the means, she would wish to hold events and uh.,, demonstrations. But in Vesuvia her shop doesn’t have the space!

Wow I went overboard ❤️

[lazyhousecarly]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Vintage Hippie Tapestry Pants Pink Peacock Flower Power Psychedelic Boho Rainbow.

[donnabryant1977]

Check out this listing I just found on Poshmark: JIMMY CHOO Callie Blush Satin Clutch with Circle Pearl Embroidery Embellishments.

[dobroyeutro]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: White Casual Women's Solid Color Button Decorated Long Sleeve Cardigan.

[penguin-pebble]

Journal 20/24/09/29

I guess I should probably write down what happened. I honestly don’t remember much. Just stepping off the London underground on my way to Uni, then stepping into a lab. Most of my first few days here were spent in a plain beige observation room, waiting for tests to come back. Was I dangerous? Not imminently. Was I contagious? Not dangerously so. Was I truly from another world? Or simply pulled from somewhere else in this one? Their questions about history and current events, and my blank stares, confirmed it. Eventually, they deemed I was harmless and released me from my beige prison. 

After realizing I had nowhere to go, one of the scientists, Mood, who had originally questioned me, offered me the guest room at her house. I was surprised, even more so when I remembered Mood and her husband had a four-year-old kid at home. But Mood and her coworkers seemed even more aghast at the idea of spending possible months in a hotel so I accepted, at least for a few days. Looking back, it seems like this world is just a little more trusting.

Leaving that stark whiteness of the Lab, or at least the sterile portion of it revealed more differences in our worlds. They could be described as cubicles, but it was nothing like the sea of corporate I was used to. Each sectioned-off workspace (apparently they call them nests) had a few monitors and perhaps some gadgets that had scientific importance unknown to me. The rest was covered in trinkets. Mugs, potted plants, tchotchkes, novelty snowglobes, tiny figurines, and more. The cubical walls, which looked more like the sides of a woven basket scaled up to room size, had even more decoration. Keychains, ribbons, macrame, and bits of elaborate jewelry hung from the woven fibers, and pictures or larger hangings were pinned to larger vertical supports every few feet. It looked like a few people had sectioned off their desks further, with more woven dividers or lengths of tapestry strung from beams on the ceiling.

This theme continued outside into the dry late afternoon heat (yet another reminder I was somewhere entirely different). The parking lot was relatively familiar, but the cars were something else. Similar makes and forms, but the colors. Most manufacturers I know stick to greys, silvers, whites, and blacks. Maybe the occasional red. These shades of brights and pastels are only for classic cars or expensive bodywork. Not here. Each car had a unique combination of colors. It seemed purposefully contrasting paint was used on parts that had been replaced (Mood’s blue-silver van has an iridescent purple bumper and right mirror and evidence of a large dent in the back has been embellished with gold paint).  Not to mention the stickers. about a dozen “Honk if you science” bumper stickers on Mood’s car alone. Some cars had familiar stick-figure families on their rear windows (albeit each figure seemed similarly bedazzled in their own vinyl clothes and accessories). But every car was covered in a myriad of different bumper stickers featuring cheesy slogans, landmarks, and unfamiliar cartoons or mascots.

This maximalist theme only continued as we drove through town and into a small suburb. At first I thought it must be Christmas or some equivalent holiday. As we passed by rows of houses, each door had a wreath. Most had two or more, with many having additional wreaths on the lower half of the door. These weren’t your normal pine sprig and holly Christmas wreath or even the more niche wreaths for other holidays and seasons. They looked like rope, or sometimes a wire, or maybe willow base. Each one covered in more random trinkets. Necklaces and strings of beads were artfully draped across and pins, earrings, and keychains hung from the frames. A few even had small figurines or toys stuck within the tangle of chains and beads.

Harper and Mood’s house had modest wreathes by comparison. I could still see the wire structure underneath all the brica-brack. Later, I learned this was because they only moved here a few years ago, so they were closer to both Tyler’s school and Mood’s lab. Apparently moving is like a really big deal here. Harper said that most families live in the same house for generations, adding on when they need more room. Usually, one kid stays in the family home while the rest move out join other families or create their own. Haprped says that if I’m still here I’ll be able to tag along for some winter holiday hosted by Mood’s brother.

Even though the house is new construction, it seems like Mood and Harper have already added on. The guest room I was offered turned out to be a separate building entirely. A sort of mother-in-law unit connected to the main house by a small covered patio area. It’s actually making me a lot more comfortable staying here, I’ve got my own bathroom and shower (I am infinitely grateful that area of culture seems to be the same) and even a small kitchen. The bed is weird though. It’s about the size of a double back home, maybe a queen. But it’s sunk into its own alcove, like a fancy window bench pumped up to eleven. And there are so many pillows. I don’t think the bed even has a proper mattress, just a thin pad, like a giant chair cushion, then a sea of pillows. All different shapes, sizes, colors, and designs. Plush, firm, or just decorative. It took me ages to find a position I could fall asleep in, but it was the best sleep of my life.

Some of the walls here have that same woven texture as the cubical nests at Mood’s lab (apparently the beds are also “nests” along with the small writing desk nook next to it). Sometimes they use little folded dividers of the same material too. That and curtains. Every room is divided into countless nooks and cubbies. It’s still very strange, but I’m starting to see how it could be considered homely.

[bluecrazydriver]

Chapter 2 - Hydes' Family

It was the first day of the school holidays, Snape arrived at his house the same night got on the train. He remembered Anasthasya's goodbye hug at the station, so soft and tender. Snape could smell her friend's sweet perfume still permeating his clothes.

Upon arriving at his home, Severus finds a humble dinner already served. He sits at the table and starts to eat, it was bread and soup.

The smell of Tobias' cigarettes disturbed Snape's nostrils, now it would take weeks for him to get used to that disgusting odor.

"I miss Hogwarts...and Anasthasya" He thought.

Around 11pm, he was lying on the mattress in his small, grim-faced room. He only had a bed, a dresser worn out over the years, a dusty carpet and a rusty window. Everything is so depressing and empty, like his life.

Staring at the ceiling, he tried to get bored and fall asleep, however, Anasthasya wouldn't leave his head.

"She's just a friend, a good friend. She's just a friend, a good friend. She's a friend, a good friend-"

His repetitive thoughts are abruptly interrupted by a hurried knock on window. He gets up hurriedly and goes towards the noise, noticing a light coming from there.

His expression of surprise is evident. The boy was speechless about what was happening. Severus carefully opens the window.

— Did you miss me? — Anasthasya asks with a mischievous smile, sitting on a floating motorcycle — Come on.

— I can't just go with you! Oh My God! Are you fucking crazy? — Snape tries to lecture the girl.

— Oh, yes I am. Do you want to spend your holidays in that cubicle or are you going to come with me? — she questions him. Severus sighs, looking around with some distress, he takes a bag and puts some clothes, books and items inside - that's a real bad boy!

— I can't believe I'm being kidnapped by you! — he murmurs, putting the backpack on his back, then sitting on the motorcycle seat next to Hydes.

His hands held the girl's waist, Severus could smell her hair, it was that pleasant and familiar scent he always had.

— Hold on.

Minutes later, Hydes' magical motorcycle lands in the backyard of a mansion. Snape was unable to see much of the dwelling due to the poor lighting outside, however, when Anasthasya opened the front door, he was enchanted at a warm and well-decorated place.

During the abduction, Severus marveled at the view from above of the city. It was such a gray and lifeless place that he never thought there could be beauty there.

Removing their shoes and cozying up in that corridor, a woman of medium height approaches the young duo silently from behind, scaring them.

- Mother! Oh, what a scare! — Anasthasya exclaimed, sighing with relief when she saw that she was just her mother — This is Severus Snape. My friend.

— Good evening, Mrs. Hy- — the boy is interrupted with a sudden hug, contained almost the same warmth as Anasthasya's.

- Welcome! Nana speaks so highly of you! — the woman expresses, soon separating, but squeezing Snape's pale cheeks.

Anasthasya laughs at her friend's situation, she knew that Severus wasn't used to so much physical contact and attention. Mrs. Hydes finally quiets down, still with her cheerful smile on face.

—Oh! Forgive me, I get excited when we have visitors. Please, just call me Paola... unless I'm angry... then it's still Mrs. Hydes...

- Mom! Thomas cut his finger! — a young girl voice calls her.

— I'm already going there, Georgina! Nana's friend has arrived! — Paola shouts, completely different from the tone she said with Severus — dinner WAS ALMOST ready, but Georgina BURNED the rice and Thomas forgot the salad...Nana, take your friend to the living room, your father will be home from work soon.

After the woman goes to the kitchen, Snape lets out a low laugh.

—Nana? Is your nickname Nana? — he murmurs, laughing at Anasthasya's face.

— Shut up, Severus — she pulls her friend by the hand, taking him to the living room of the house.

There, the rest of the house was no different. "The maximalist and vibrant decoration should fill the remnants of emptiness and loneliness." Thought the boy, following Hydes to the blue sofa with colorful crochet cushions.

He notices a lady sitting in a yellow armchair in front of the lit fireplace, with a black cat on her lap, the elderly woman caressing the animal with her eyes focused on the embers.

— Grandma, this is my friend, Severus — the girl introduces him to her grandmother, who doesn't respond, in fact, doesn't even look at Anasthasya — Grandma Diana has been on a vow of silence since Grandpa Henry's death. Look.

Anasthasya takes a picture frame of her family from the bedside table next to her and shows it to Snape. The black and white photo of the members moved.

— I must have been 12 years old when we took the photo...this is my mom and my dad, Simon — she points to a hugging and smiling couple. The tall blond man looked passionately at his wife, a beautiful woman with black hair and black eyes who returned the look with the same intensity and passion — These are my older siblings, Georgina and Thomas — they both had wavy blonde hair, but Georgia's eyes were green, like Grandma Diana's, and Thomas had Anasthasya's eyes. Black and sparkling. And they were both pushing each other's shoulders.

Severus notices the image of Anasthasya in the photo, his heart skips a beat when he sees her as a child, he remembers the first time he saw her in the Slytherin common room and every moment after that, warming his heart.

— I imagine the lady in the chair is your grandmother — he says, guessing.

— You got it right. There's also my aunt Carmen in the corner waving — Hydes points his index finger at a tall, red-haired woman — There are four people missing in this photo. The aunt's ex-husband, Tyler, who is holding the camera, her new fiancée, Eliza. My grandfather Henry who died three years before the photo and my little sister, Becca.

— Your family is big — Snape comments in a low tone — and they seem to be happy.

— And we are happy... — the girl returns the photo to its rightful place. She had a longing expression on her face, and Severus noticed — I would do anything to go back to that time... the world has become more dangerous and darker, I miss when everything was colorful like this room.

Severus understood her, even though his world had never been like hers, he too felt that things would get worse.

The front door opens and closes, Hydes gets up heading towards the hallway.

— Dad! — she runs to the man and hugs him tightly, not feeling her feet on the ground.

- My little girl! — Simon Hydes returned the hug with the same intensity and a smile beneath his mustache. Severus approached, not so close, but enough to admire the scene. Now he knew where Anasthasya had gotten her hugs, smile, compassion and beauty.

The young man did not feel envious, however, something inside him wanted to be in that place. Greeting his lovely father, expressing love and longing after months away from home.

The man notices the visitor's presence, and after hugging his daughter, he goes to Snape and squeezes the young man's shoulders as if he were family. That moves the boy as much as the affection he received from Paola earlier and all the serene looks he received from Anasthasya.

— Dinner is on the table! — Thomas announces from the dining room.

- Perfect! Severus, haven't you packed your luggage yet? — with his wand, Simon makes Snape's backpack float and fly to the second floor — Nana, then show your colleague the guest room for him, now let's enjoy your siblings and mom's meal! — he say sto the two, who soon follow you to the dining room.

The florally decorated room had cloud paintings on the walls and potted plants in the corners. Plates and cutlery magically floated to the table as the siblings placed the food on the table.

— We can't trust Georgina's floating spell sometimes — Anasthasya explains to her friend, seeing her sister mumbling something after the criticism.

— It's true, once a plate of jelly fell on my head — Thomas adds — imagine if it was hot!

— There's no way jello is hot, idiot! — Georgina says laughing.

Everyone sat at the table, even Grandma Diana who remained with the cat on her lap.

— Will Aunt Carmen be able to come to my birthday? — Anasthasya asks, as everyone helped themselves to the meal.

—She said yes, but the Ministry of Magic has put so much pressure on employees, they completely changed my schedule and increased the workload — replied Mr. Hydes.

— Do you work at the Ministry of Magic? — Severus asks, genuinely curious, something he normally wasn't.

— Yes, I am Secretary of Defense Against the Dark Arts — the man answers Severus' question — I analyze and prosecute cases of wizards who use or have used the Dark Arts.

— It looks dangerous — the black-eyed boy comments, starting to eat.

— Yes, but maybe next year I'll be teaching at Hogwarts as Defense Professor of the Dark Arts.

- Incredible! Does that mean I'm will get an A in this subject? — Anasthasya asks ironically.

- No, honey. At Hogwarts, you will forget that I am your father. And maybe it will take longer, two or three years.

— How unfair! — she jokes

— So, Severus, you're a Slytherin like Anasthasya, aren't you? asked Georgia, sitting across from the boy. — she is the only Slytherin in this house. Me, Dad, Grandma Diana and Aunt Carmen were in Gryffindor. Mom and Grandpa Henry are Ravenclaws and Thomas, Aunt Carmen's fiancée...ah...

— Eliza Rachert — coughs Paola.

— That's right, Thomas, Eliza and Tyler are Hufflepuffs. And I bet Thomas and Dad 10 Galleons that Becca will go to Gryffindor.

— What did I say about betting in this house!...Simon, you bet with the children?! — Paola directs an angry look at her husband.

— I bet she would go to your house! — the man defends himself, not preventing his wife from kicking him under the table.

— I don't mind! Look at the example you set!

A wave of laughter is released, as the older Hydes calmly pet the cat.

That was perhaps the most cozy and laughing night Severus had ever had in his entire life. While the dishes cleaned themselves with magic, the whole family played board games until two in the morning, celebrating Anasthasya's return home.

Hydes goes up with Severus to the second floor, accompanying him to the guest room. Upon opening the door, the boy enters the place with slow steps, perplexed (internally) by the beauty of the room, however hiding it with his stoic face.

— It's a beautiful room... — he says, smelling the lavender, calming his soul.

— It has a view of a lake, a bookcase, a record player and wine hidden in the dresser, but don't you dare open it without me — she warns him, leaning her shoulder against the door frame.

— Thank you... for everything — Severus turns to her.

— Don't thank me, you're...my best friend, it's the least I can do for you. Well, now sleep and dream, because tomorrow we will have a long day. You and I, enemy of the sun, are going to stay outside all afternoon, riding our bikes.

— I don't know how to ride a bike — he confesses, with a sideways smile.

— It's as easy as riding a broom, don't worry, you'll have a great teacher. Goodnight. — she jokes, soon closing the door to his room.

— Goodnight.

____________________________________

AN: Ufa! One more chapter written, see you next time.

[420-6969]

can’t wait for the day I’m a rich nyc mom/wife/auntie/sister that lives in a penthouse and hosts the holiday gatherings while sparing no expense. fully 90s maximalist luxe christmas decor

[laidee-flegman]

Eighth Day of Christmas journal prompts - Festive decorating!

Decorating Delight: Reflect on the emotions that arise when you start decorating for Christmas. Is it a burst of joy, a touch of nostalgia, or something else? Describe the feeling in detail.

The Ornament Odyssey: Choose your favorite Christmas ornament. What's the story behind it, and why does it hold a special place in your heart?

DIY Magic: If you could create a DIY Christmas decoration from scratch, what would it be, and how would you personalize it to make it uniquely yours?

The Tree Transformation: Dive into the process of decorating the Christmas tree. What's your strategy for placement, and do you have any quirky traditions associated with it?

Decorative Traditions: Explore the specific decorations that have become traditions in your home. Is there a cherished nativity set, a special wreath, or an ornament with sentimental value?

The Great Garland Gathering: Share the story of a memorable moment while putting up garlands. Did you get tangled in the tinsel or have a festive "aha" moment while hanging them?

Festive Feng Shui: If your Christmas decorations could influence the energy in your home, how would you arrange them to create the ultimate festive feng shui?

The Twinkle Test: Reflect on the significance of twinkling lights. What do they represent to you, and do you have a favorite memory associated with their warm glow?

Window Wonderland: If your window could tell a story through your Christmas decorations, what tale would it share? Describe the scene it paints for those passing by.

Decoration Discovery: Share a story of finding the perfect Christmas decoration. Was it a hidden gem at a thrift store, a handmade treasure, or something unexpected that stole your heart?

The Sentimental Scent: Explore the scents associated with your Christmas decorations. Is it the smell of fresh pine, cinnamon candles, or the lingering aroma of holiday baking?

Decoration Duality: If you had to choose between a minimalist or maximalist Christmas decoration style, which would you go for, and how would you rock it with style?

Holiday Hues: Dive into the color palette of your Christmas decorations. Is there a specific color that dominates, and what emotions does it evoke?

The Inherited Decor: Share the story of a Christmas decoration that has been passed down through generations. How does it connect you to your family's history and traditions?

Decorative Dreamscape: Imagine your ideal Christmas decorationscape. What would it look like, and how would it reflect your personality and festive spirit?