#summoner secret santa

[kellterntempest]

I was summoned to be a ringer by @panic-flavored for her 2023 Stobotnik Secret Santa event

And so here is your gift @cease-this-bitch-crying <3 "Affection like hugging & hand holding" have some touch starved jimbotnik and hand kissing i hope you enjoy!!

mini ficlet accompaniment below

Stone slowly tugged the fabric off each finger of Robotnik's hand. Delicately, deliberately, as if the hands beneath were made of fragile porcelain.

Stone paused, looking into Robotnik's dark eyes. Is this ok? His own eyes asked.

Robotnik's fingers brushed against Stone's palm in response, barely making skin contact, almost afraid to touch and be burned. But the touch was not the burning sensation he feared, but instead a spreading tingling like the aftermath of an electric shock. Invisible sparks – Robotnik swore he could feel them.

One glove. Stone folded and placed it on the counter beside them, to be easily taken back if Robotnik became too overwhelmed and needed them again.

The second glove came off, and Robotnik’s heart rate already started to climb. His hands were bare now, nothing hidden. Stone’s hands clasped gently over his, caressing the skin with his thumbs.

Stone allowed himself to look, to feel, to finally worship the hands of his king, his one. As he took in the sight of Robotnik's hands, memorizing every detail, Stone traced a pattern with his fingers, tracing over very white, pinkish scar, over the visible and dark veins, over the rough knuckles of the long bony fingers. 

Stone lifted Robotnik's left hand up to his mouth, bowed his head, and kissed it. His lips were beyond soft, warm, and adoring.

Robotnik fought the gasp in his shaking lungs, but his chest couldn't hold it in. It was the stolen breath of a man who had never been kissed like this, never been shown this kind of tenderness, this careful gentleness – a man who had been starving his whole life. So, so hungry, and the abyss of his hunger was unfathomable. Robotnik never knew just how much his hunger had been suppressed, didn't realize how far down he had repressed his need for human touch until he finally received it. Finally feeling. 

Robotnik’s heart beat so fast, like an untamed creature flying against the bars of its cage so wildly he thought it would burst. The kick drum in his chest beat asymmetrical to the rhythm of their slow, ever so slow moment. His hands quickly began to tremble in Stone’s grasp.

Stone’s heart raced in tandem with Robotnik’s as he placed another kiss on his knuckles, harder than before. “I love your hands.” He whispered into the skin, unable to find any other words that could possibly describe the depths of his feelings. Stone was consumed with joy to show his love and more so for it to be accepted, he couldn't contain himself and planted more gentle kisses along the skin of Robotnik's palm up to his wrist.

I love your hands. Robotnik's eyes welled up, much to his disdain for the stupidly human emotions plaguing him. But he couldn't stop it, and tears pooled in the corner of his eyes, ignoring his internal struggle to not give anything away. He nearly whimpered under Stone’s touch, but there he stayed strong, and instead managed to choke out, “Thanks. I grew them myself.”

Stone chuckled into his hand, his chest quivering with laughter from the unexpected joke. Of course, the doctor had to make light of everything. It was his way, to conceal heaviness with humor.

“Exceptional work, sir.” Stone's eyes twinkled. “Beautiful.”

[evostrashbin]

noticed I never shared this lovely gift I received in a secret santa exchange last christmas here, this was drawn by @catyypss 💖

[mamawasatesttube]

on the one hand i have plenty on my plate already on the other hand what if koncass gender fic.

[ship--ahoy]

A Christmas star made by the crew of the revenge as a Secret Santa gift for @blood-suits-and-tears.

They're just really into geometry ⛥ 😉.

Merry (belated) Christmas everyone!

Bonus: Jim is not amused.

[part-time-zombie]

So this episode has given us wonderful information such as...

Virgil can be summoned by an adrenaline spike

Roman sleeps for over 11 hours in one sitting

Janus is canonically cold-blooded (and roman knows this)

Remus named his shower drain "Joanne's Fabrics"

Both of the other dark sides have already known this

Janus and remus had to "come all this way" for the video

Logan doesn't usually plan Secret Santa, someone else does

Logan voluntarily wore a Santa hat and invited the dark sides

Logan called roman a "master of (almost) all rhythms"

Patton knows very little to nothing about remus as a side

Virgil arguably knows logan the most of all the sides

And I think that's beautiful

[sailoryooons]

T R I C K O R T R E A T

presented by BTS Fantasy and Fangs

Celebrate this Hallows' Eve with legends told by our most esteemed ghouls. Enter worlds of the unknown and lose yourself in these tales. But beware: one might lose themselves in these hallowed stories.

Rating: Works range from SFW and NSFW. Each work will have its own set of warnings.

Note: This collaboration features works written as general works and works that were assigned via a Secret-Santa style within the BTS Fantasy & Fangs server in which writers did not know who was gifting them a work!

LEGENDS COMING THROUGHOUT OCTOBER.

T R I C K S

☾ Title: Devil Town

☾ Pairing: Platonic OT7 x reader

☾ Summary: You take a chance and spend a month in Devil Town: a quaint little place nestled deep in the woods of The Unknown, where the air is always a touch chilly, things are never quite what they seem, and no one will tell you anything.

☾ Genre/AU: Autumn?? A lil spooky, a lil whimsy, a lil mystery; not quite angst, not quite fluff

☾ Rating: PG 

as told by @park-jimin-isnt-real

Read Now

☾ Title: Handmaidens

☾ Pairing: OT7 x reader

☾ Summary: When the murder of handmaidens begin in Joseon, you are assigned to serve the throne – the seven imperial princes, sons of Lord Sihyuk. Despite your loyalty, your suspicions begin to rise about the killings. Can you escape the palace before it’s too late? 

☾ Genre/AU: Joseon Era thriller/slasher

☾ Rating: TBD

as told by @eserethriddle

☾ Title: Have Mercy 

☾ Paring: Demon!Jimin x Reader | Alpha!Yoongi x Reader | Demon!Jimin x Alpha!Yoongi 

☾ Summary: As a crossroads demon, Jimin is no stranger to vile creatures. Summoned once more, Jimin is surprised to find one of the purest souls asking for his help. Not only does he accept her deal, but while watching over her, Jimin finds himself falling for the very soul he is meant to devour. Eager to confess, Jimin summons the sweet soul only for his plan to turn sour when someone far more evil finds her alone. 

☾ Genre/AU: Angst | Smut | Strangers to Lovers | Demon AU | A/B/O AU 

☾ Rating: 21+ | Dead Dove: Do Not Eat

as told by @sweetestofchaos

Title: The One who Saved Us All

Pairing: Kim Seokjin x Reader

Summary: It's the annual Halloween celebration in Seoul, where everyone from different walks of life get together and celebrate the history of the Vidyadhara. But when someone decides to cause some trouble, Seokjin's best-kept secret comes to life.

Genre/AU: Halloween, Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Disaster?

Rating: Maybe M to MA 15+

as told by @quirkybtsarmy

☾ Title: Simply Meant to Be

☾ Pairing: pumpkin king!jungkook x fem reader

☾ Genre/AU: nightmare before Christmas au, romance, horror, smut

☾ Rating: m (18+)

☾ Summary: You aren’t sure how any of it can be real. This place…these creatures…this man.

You wake up next to a man you’ve never seen before with no memory of who he is or where you are.

But everyone in town seems to know you. You belong to the Pumpkin King. Scared and utterly terrified you run into someone who claims they can help you remember. And now you’re starting to wonder if that’s truly what you want.

as told by @caelesjjk

Read Now

T R E A T S

☾ Title: Blessed With A Curse

☾ Pairing: Werewolf!Jungkook x Hybrid!Reader

☾ Summary: When your company throws a mandatory Halloween party, you aren’t thrilled. You’re even less thrilled when a delusional coworker ruins the party and places a curse on everyone because her crush, the resident werewolf, Jeon Jungkook, rejected them. OR When a coworker gets rejected at the company Halloween party, things get crazy.

☾ Genre/AU: Smut, Werewolf AU, Hybrid AU, Modern Magic AU

☾ Rating: NC-17

as told by @sweetestofchaos for @jessikahathaway

Read Now

☾ Title: Bump In The Night

☾ Pairing: Bogeyman!Yoongi x f. reader

☾ Summary: The dark can be scary; full of strange, unseen things. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on your fear, the lights go out, and you face the reality that you were always right—you should fear the dark and especially what’s waiting in it.

☾ Genre/AU: Monster Under The Bed, Horror/Thriller, Angst, Smut

☾ Rating: MA

as told by @colormepurplex2 for @minisugakoobies

Read Now

☾ Title: Carmen

☾ Pairing: Vampire!Jimin x human!Taehyung

☾ Summary: Taehyung gets lured to an exclusive club by a strange, enchanting woman. What finds him there is much more intoxicating and dangerous. 

☾ Genre/AU: Supernatural, Vampires, Smut

☾ Rating: Explicit/Mature

as told by @sailoryooons for @gimmethatagustd

Read Now

☾ Title: Fledgling

☾ Pairing: Jungkook x Namjoon

☾ Summary: Jungkook is tired of his dreary existence. So when a mysterious stranger offers him a way out of life as he knows it, he takes it without hesitation.

☾ Genre/AU: Vampire AU, horror, smut

☾ Rating: 21+ | Dead Dove: Do Not Eat

as told by @theharrowing for @sweetestofchaos

Read Now

☾ Title: Love As Soft As a Distant Star

☾ Pairing: Min Yoongi | Reader, Min Yoongi | Park Jimin

☾ Summary: You didn’t mean to fall in love with your husband and fellow Witches’ Councilmember Yoongi, but here you are: in love. (How gauche and not the thing. You’re co-workers, not lovers.) It’s particularly inconvenient since he is in love with someone else. 

☾ Genre/AU: Witch AU, arranged marriage AU

☾ Rating: Explicit/Mature

as told by @vyduan for @colormepurplex2

Read Now

☾ Title: Lose Your Head

☾ Pairing: Park Jimin x F!Reader

☾ Summary: As a constable’s assistant you have several duties to him and the police force. Not only as his assistant, but as his dear friend. However, when an ominous summoning sends you and Jimin both to the town of Sleepy Hollow, you fear there might be more at play than either of you understand. And feelings that you’d hope to bury for life bubble to the surface...

☾ Genre/AU: Movie!AU, Thriller, SleepyHollow!AU, Smut, Romance. Rating: 21+

as told by @jessikahathaway for @/sailoryooons

Read Now

☾ Title: The Love Witch

☾ Pairing: witch!yoongi x demon!taehyung

☾ Summary: Despite being a popular romance blogger, Yoongi isn’t interested in finding love. He only summons a demon boyfriend to prove to his followers that it’s possible. He’ll send Taehyung right back to Hell once he’s done with him, obviously.

☾ Genre/AU: fantasy, strangers to lovers, fake dating (kinda), light angst, smut, fluff, humor

☾ Rating: 18+

as told by @gimmethatagustd for @theharrowing

Read Now

☾ Title: Passage

☾ Pairing: Captain!Yoongi x Dracula!Jimin

☾ Summary: For several years, Min Yoongi and the crew of the Magpie have sailed the perilous waters of the Pacific, surviving treacherous waves and other deadly threats in order to deliver goods to the West. Now, on his final voyage as captain, Yoongi is about to face a danger like none he’s ever seen before - and he may find it too tempting to resist. 

☾ Genre/AU: horror, supernatural, angst, smut, Dracula!AU

☾ Rating: M(18+)

as told by @minisugakoobies for @vyduan

Read Now

Disclaimer: This is a collaboration put on for members of the BTS Fantasy and Fangs Server. These stories, characters, and festivals used here are not meant to represent any real or factual people, places, or things.

[sanzaibian]

This is part of the Secret TF Writers Swap, a small "secret santa" event between writers organized by the lovely @alphajocklover.

Thank you very much for organizing it !

================================================

To @fafnir19

You sat at your desk, readying yourself for yet another soul-sucking day of office work.

You may be writing loads of stories on the internet, of people growing in and out of wealth, of demons and creatures, and most of all of transformation, but back in the real world, everything feels so much more static. Yesterday’s problems are today’s problems, and today’s problems are tomorrow’s problems. A never-ending series of crisis after crisis, which somehow always swap roots yet never swap effects. You can at least consider yourself fortunate that your pay is comfortable enough so that you can weather these, even if it means having to look in the eyes of someone who has little, and answer their request for starting something greater in the negative.

But today, there seems to be some agitation in the office. A change in the routine. Something to bring you out of the intensive mundane and the boring busyness.

So you ask the colleague with which you share desk a part in today’s gossip, and what he answers may surprise you :

“Nathaniel Nostitz has come here ! I don’t know why he’s here, but I’m sure everyone wants to bag him !”

Now, as a banker, you do keep an eye on the important fortunes in your area, and the Nostitz family is one of them – if not the most important. You know that their family comes from Silesia, but that there was recently some family drama with his son, or at least that’s what the few articles of showbiz about him that some colleague forced you to read said. You don’t actually care, but you do know that such an important family coming to see a standard local bank is quite… unusual.

But you know to keep your head down and not cause unnecessary problems. You won’t be able to convince him to do anything with you, and he may be tempted to destroy your career if you’re too annoying. Therefore, you go back on working on your computer, some case of investment account or something. Boring, but safe.

That’s why you were surprised when, suddenly, you hear a deep sultry voice speaking right next to you.

“Greetings. I think I have a proposal that may interest you.”

You look up to suddenly see a middle-aged looking blonde man, impeccably dressed and styled, sporting a bit bushy beard.

Is he… actually Mr. Nostitz ? He looks quite a bit younger than you expected… and more attractive… but it may be due to him having access to all the best treatments money can pay, after all. However, as he looks right in your eyes, you suddenly understand that the proposal – a business proposal, you guess – was aimed at you.

“Oh, er…” You stumble, not having expected this turn of events. “Greetings to you too, sir… what is that proposal about ?”

He smiles when you call him ‘sir’. Somehow, this smile seems almost… predatory ? Of some kind ?

“I’d be willing to place some of my fortune in your care… therefore in the care of this bank, if you were willing to grant me a few... favors.” He smiles, trying his hardest to look innocent while he is, in effect, holding you hostage to your company’s expectations. - I… I’ll think about it, sir…” You answer evasively, taken by surprise. - Of course, of course !” He smiles, looking even more predatory and threatening than before. He gives you a black piece of cardboard paper. “Here’s my business card, for when you’ve taken your decision.”

On that not-so-subtle order to accept, he takes his leave, leaving you confused in-between the jealous and judgy eyes of your colleagues. And as expected, you’re immediately summoned by your boss. He urges you to accept without delay, promising you a share of the high profits that a share of the Nostitz fortune will bring the bank.

And the door if you dare refuse.

That’s why you’re now here, in front of this huge manor, as ready as you can manage to be to throw yourself in the lion’s den.

The manor is very big, and very beautiful. Its fine architecture betrays its age, which shows how entrenched the Nostitz familly is, around here. A butler welcomes you inside, and leads you up to Mr. Nostitz’s office, though not without ridding you of your coat. And as you stand in front of the old wooden ebony door, you gather your courage before knocking.

“Enter.” The low and sultry voice orders.

You follow suit, opening the door, and finding Mr. Nostitz reading some files on a well-organized desk, with only a suspicious brown mallet throwing the neatness off.

“Hello, Mr. Nostitz.” You start, but as you’re about to continue, he cuts you with his authoritative voice. - Greetings. So you’re here to discuss my… proposition, are you not ? - Y-yes, sir, I am.”

He puts his files down, and stands up, towards one of the racks on the wall, looking through binder after binder.

“You see… ever since my son decided that our wealth was… problematic, I had a little project in mind. And when I saw you, I knew you were the perfect candidate for it.”

Son leaving ? Wealth problematic ? You the perfect candidate ? … it seems like the family drama you desperately wanted to know as little as you could about comes back to bite you in the ass…

“I’m sorry sir, I-” You start backing off, but he cuts you once again, his mere presence silencing you. - I want to do a little experiment on you.” He says, having found the documents he was searching for, reaching for the mallet and opening it in front of your eyes. “These… potions, you may call them, have some effects that I want to study. And you’re the perfect man for it. - Sir, I’m sorry to say that, but I don’t know if I want to risk my health with an untested substance !” You start refusing, tampering it as much as you can. - Of course, your refusal is to be expected when presented with so few information.” Somehow, this felt like a jab at you. “However, I guarantee that it is safe, it has been tested on numerous animals, and it’s been proven to be safe for humans. Besides, the papers I brought out here make me liable for any disease related to this… treatment.”

At least he was thoughtful, and didn’t ask you to jump in with full faith. However, he does ask you to jump in blind, which is more problematic.

“And, this treatment…” You interject, finding an opening in the conversation. “What does it do ? - Ah, yes, a most important query.” He comments, yet again preventing you from going further in your thought. “Let’s just say that it may trigger a few… changes in your body. Most importantly, it will make you look younger.”

Changes ? Younger ? These are two keywords that draw your attention, as they usually belong to that other part of your life… You are quite a bit more excited than you should be, but the chance to experiment with at least part of one of your oldest dreams, one that felt like it could only ever belong to fiction, clouds your judgment.

Such was Mr. Nostitz’s plan.

“I… I’m interested.” You finally manage, feeling it’s safe and enviable enough to throw the remainder of your caution to the wind. - That’s perfect. Then, I’d ask you to sign those papers, please.”

You skimp over them quickly before signing, hopefully catching anything big that would be lying in the text, but you find none. Assuming that no surprises remained, you sign. On that, Mr. Nostitz smiles maliciously, yet again looking like a predator, before reaching in the mallet and drawing a small glass flask, half-filled by an opaque cyan liquid.

“Then we should start now, don’t you say ? Please drink this.” He orders with his deep, authoritative voice. - O-okay…”

You were not expecting to start this so soon, but you’re quite weak to the strength of his voice… So you drink it. It doesn’t taste good, a bit too salty to your taste, but it’s not that bad. You know foods that tasted a lot worse. As you feel it coursing down your esophagus, you start expecting some effects, standing in silence, looking discreetly at your skin. But this just makes Mr. Nostitz elegantly laugh.

“Are you expecting instantaneous results ? You should wait until tomorrow, at the very least !”

You blush of shame from this, before deciding to cut this meeting there, since the treatment has already been administered. But before you can properly address your salutations, he stops you :

“I’m sorry, but now isn’t the time to go. See, it’s already late, so you won’t be able to go back to work.” He is correct, it is 7PM already, but you don’t understand why he’s stopping you like that. - I’m sorry, sir, but I… should really go home.” You say with the utmost care, not wanting to appear rude. - My, don’t you know you that, during the duration of the experiment, you agreed to lodging here ?”

You freeze.

You didn’t know that. Was it written in the document you signed ? Did you not notice it ? You did skimp through it, but surely such a motion would have jumped to you… However, taken in surprise, you improvise, lying to try and save face.

“Y-yes, of course, but I… need to get some things from home ! I can’t stay here with only what I have on me !” Hopefully he will buy your excuse. - Don’t worry, we have everything necessary on hand here. It might not be what you’re used to, but… everyone needs a bit of luxury in their life, if you catch what I’m saying.” He snidely smiles to you. - I’ll… see what I can do with…” You admit defeat, though surrendering to luxury isn’t the hardest thing to do. - That’s great ! The butler will lead you to your room.”

On that, the butler opens the door, and urges you to follow him. He leads you through beautiful corridor after beautiful corridor, all stinking money, until you reach another door. Inside is a spacious bedroom suite, likely bigger than your first flat, even without including the bathroom. It looks quite a bit more modern than the rest of the house, but with no less old money woody tones.

The butler leaves you alone inside, where, immediately after putting down the few things you were still carrying, you rush to the bathroom. However, you’re disappointed when you look inside the mirror and… it’s still you on the other side. Well, you expect it to still be you, but still, not seeing any change does bum you down.

This taken care of, you look around the room to get a bit more familiar with it. If it’s where you’re going to stay in the near future, you’d want to know where to find things of interest.

You start by the bathroom, finding a lot of hygiene stuff, including products for the skin and for the hair, as well as multiple bottles of expensive cologne and, weirdly enough, condoms… that are too big for your dick. Great. You move to the closet, in which you find a wealth of clothes, all fitted to your size – though they’re a bit loose on you, not by much, but noticeable enough – as if Mr. Nostitz knew you’d come. However, you’re surprised by their diversity. While there of course are the dress shirts and suits you’d expect, as well as polos, sweaters and other preppy clothes, there’s also some more young – for lack of a better word – clothes like a collection of jackets, t-shirts and even tank tops.

You close the closet back up, thinking to yourself that you’d never need this much clothes, but that you appreciate the thought. Having barely closed that piece of furniture, the butler invites you for dinner. He leads you to a grand dinner room, outfitted with a long wooden table, on which only two places were set.

You take place in front of one, while Mr. Nostitz takes place on the other side. On that follows a floury of expensive dishes, served as if you were at a high-grade restaurant. While you ate each of the courses, you entertained a lively discussion with Mr. Nostitz about investment, and about how his money would be taken care of, now that it is in your care.

That is, after all, the primary reason of your stay. Even if it got eclipsed by another.

Once the meal was finished, Mr. Nostitz waved you goodbye, and the butler accompanied you to your room. You did as usual, preparing yourself for bed, changing into your nightwear, brushing your teeth and all that. But as you were doing that, you noticed that your hair looked a bit… brighter than usual ?

It must have been the lighting, you think to yourself as you fall to sleep in the giant and extremely comfortable bed.

You are woken up by the butler at an early hour, as he tells you that breakfast will be served before you go to work. Ah… yes, right, you forgot, with how comfy the bed was, that you weren’t in holidays. So you stretch a bit, but as you enter the bathroom, something doesn’t look right…

It takes you a moment before you manage to figure it out.

Your hair was now blonde ! And curly !

You look out to your bedroom, but the butler isn’t here, so you look back in the mirror. God, that hair looks so healthy… You pinch yourself a few times, before you decide that you’re actually in the real world, and that this is now your hair.

A bit confused, you look in the myriad of products, and see that all the products for the hair are made for wavy or curly hair… how fortunate… So, you put some in your hair, hoping that they will make the mess that you woke up with more dignified, before continuing your morning routine as you usually do.

However, now the fact that there actually was a transformation makes you all excited for whatever comes next. You’re actually living your fantasy ! The one you thought wasn’t impossible in the real world !

Jovial, you eat, and enter the limousine, before being dropped off in front of your bank. You’re so happy about all that that you don’t even register the fact that you’re coming to work in a limousine, and sporting a healthier, curlier and blonder hairstyle than you ever had in your life. Though your colleague don’t ignore that, as you do manage to overhear people gossiping about those very things, you… really couldn’t care less. It just felt quite unimportant, really, when compared to everything else.

The day of work was over pretty quickly, and before you could even worry about going back to the manor, you see the limousine that drove you to your bank stationed in front, disturbing traffic in the meantime. You’d usually feel a bit guilty of being the reason of other’s frustrations, but somehow, you’re so happy that you just don’t care. Yet again.

As you enter, greeted by the chauffeur, it even starts feeling a bit normal, how you’re greeted with the utmost deference, how you are given privileges, how people are waiting for you…

You shake your head. This state of affairs is temporary, do not get used to the luxury. In a week, you’ll be back to your usual grind.

Arrived at destination, you enter the manor, expecting to see Mr. Nostitz, but he is nowhere to be found. That’s weird, you haven’t seen him in the whole day… you were eager to show him the golden curls you acquired… You furrow your brow at your sudden thought, finding them a bit out of character until you remember that you’re in an experiment. Of course the one responsible for holding the experiment should keep a close look on their patient.

But here you are, on your bed, not having seen him anywhere. You had the time to explore the mansion further, to write part of your next story, and relax, yet when the butler called you to go eat, you still hadn’t seen him. Taking place at the table, you also noticed that there was only one place setting. None for the elusive master of this mansion.

Adding insult to injury, before the first course, the butler comes back with a small flask, of the same kind that you took yesterday, filled in half with yesterday’s opaque cyan liquid. You sigh of frustration and take it from the butler’s hand, a bit more aggressively than you wanted to, and drink it, before unleashing your growing anger at the poor employee :

“Why isn’t Mr. Nostitz here ? He should be eating with me ! - Sir, Mr. Nostitz’s schedule is very busy, you were fortunate to have been able to share a dinner with him yesterday.” Explains calmly the butler, as if he’s seen this kind of tantrums many times. - That’s… understandable…” You answer, starting to calm down.

You eat each subsequent course in silence, trying to understand the reason of your anger. It’s not as if you really cared about Mr. Nostitz… he hosts you and runs this experiment, but you have only known each others for two days, and it’s not like it was love at first sight… After finishing your meal, you come back to your room, hoping to have a quiet evening after that feat of anger.

And as such started to create a bit of a routine for yourself.

On the morning, you checked the mirror for any change, noticing that you got taller, younger, more muscular and handsomer – for lack of a better word. You then take breakfast, ride up the limousine to your bank, slog through a workday becoming progressively boring as the days go on, and get relieved to find the limousine waiting for you in front of the building. Coming back to the mansion, you drink the flask, and then come out of your shell more and more, watching TV on the huge one in the living room, playing the latest Fifa if the urge takes you, going for a walk in the big gardens or even working out in the private gym, that seemed suspiciously new. And before sleeping, you use a progressively bigger amount of beauty products, noticing the odd few additional changes like your dick enlarging or your eyes taking on a blue color.

This life is becoming progressively comfier – not that it was painful by any means – and you feel more and more at home in the giant, faceless manor that you inhabit. Having a butler take care of you, being driven by a limousine, eating the finest foods, wearing the finest silk… all that luxury is starting to become second nature. The week flew by, and it was already time for the weekend. The last days of your experiment, the last days of a luxury that you will surely miss. And all that, without even having caught a glimpse of Mr. Nostitz.

You are now basically unrecognizable from the tired banker that came in this mansion. Now a handsome young man with blonde curls, all the fancy clothes that were bought for you fit like a glove thanks to the new muscles. As you take a last photo in front of the estate’s forest, you wonder if you should try opening an Instagram account. After all, your good looks aren’t going away, and work is just getting so boring...

But suddenly, your butler asks you to come urgently. Nonchalantly, you follow him to the mansion, where there seem to be a lot more people than usual. Is there a party of some kind happening ? You stroll in, finding Mr. Nostitz at the center of a small crowd. Finally ! He is here ! He will finally be able to see what you became !

So you hurry in his direction, drawing the ire of some of the guests. But you don’t actually care, they shouldn’t have been in your way in the first place. You are now in hearing distance from the architect of your experiment, but as you’re about to make yourself known to him, his voice overpowers you. However, it isn’t addressed to you, but rather at a guest.

“Cassandra, why must you raise this issue in a day of rejoicing !” As he told that, he looked briefly at you, noticing your presence. - Nathaniel, you cannot continue this charade ! Leandra has long passed, and even your own son agrees that you can’t continue claiming the fortune ! You are not part of our family anymore !” A well-dressed woman – Cassandra, you assume – with long curly dirty blonde hair insisted, angrily. - This son of mine isn’t able to manage our fortune, you can at least agree with me on that. Besides, I was married to Leandra, my beloved, so you know the implications. - Quit trying to act as if you’re part of our kin. We will need to see you in court, if you do not heed this last warning !” She said ominously, although it only drew Mr. Nostitz’s smile. An evil and predatory smile, as always. - If you’re talking like that… then I assume you are not acquainted with her second son.”

Second son ? You thought he only had one ! … and clearly, so did the rest of the room, who fell silent, looking at Mr. Nostitz with incredulity.

“Stop inventing excuses. If Leandra had another son, I would have been aware ! - Well, in this case, we may make introductions !”

He suddenly strides towards you, grabbing you by the arm, and as you stand there incredulous, he announces :

“I present to you my son. Leandra’s second son, and my second son. The true heir of the Nostitz family.”

A gasp of shock sleeps through the entire room, which would have included you if Mr. Nostitz hadn’t squeezed your arm at the right moment. Just what is he playing at ! Last you checked, you remember your parents, and none of them seem to belong to the Nostitz family that stands here, and you’re quite sure that Mr. Nostitz is in no way your father.

Yet, after the initial shock and denials, you hear people in attendance starting to notice similarities between you and your supposed parents. Some point out the curls like Leandra, or the blonde like Mr. Nostitz, some say your face looks like one member of the family or another, and other say you stature reminds them of Mr. Nostitz.

Out of them all, Cassandra, although she was just as shocked as the others, if not more, was the first to speak out against this assertions.

“This… is ridiculous ! You can’t just invent a new son to keep a hold of the money ! - I’m not inventing anyone. He was just… raised in another family to prevent him from being corrupted like his older brother. - This is pure and utter nonsense ! I require proof ! Irrefutable proof that he is your son, and Leandra’s son ! - All in due time, I knew you would react like that, so I prepared all the necessary prerequisites to make a paternity test. I wanted to present him to you all to continue this process.” Suddenly, he looks at you in the eyes. “Of course, my son will be enchanted to cooperate in your quest for proof, isn’t he ?”

His look was a dare. A dare to start living a life in a lie. A dare to continue living in the mansion you inhabit. Although he neglected you during your whole stay, although you have a life outside this mansion, although you have actual parents and family, you… can’t seem to be able to refuse his request.

Is it the luxury that drew you in ? Or the transformation, making you become a whole new person altogether ? Or is it Mr. Nostitz’s authority that you don’t want to defy ? Whatever the actual reason, you smirk, and cannot help but say, in the most proud and obnoxious voice that you have :

“Yes, of course, father.”

You pose, as your butler takes a picture in front of your vineyards.

You are dressed in an expensive shirt, with a luxury watch and obnoxious Gucci sunglasses. And you wouldn’t expect any less than this display of wealth. Because even though you don’t actually run those yards, your father being the one to generate all the wealth that you benefit from, you still own them. You also own a lot of other things, noteworthy between all these possessions being the Nostitz mansion.

However, now, you don’t work a day in your life. You quit you banker job as soon as the DNA test results came in, showing that you were indeed the son of Nathaniel Nostitz and Leandra Nostitz, as this life wasn’t yours anymore. Rather, you now spend your time on Instagram, modeling and throwing party after party with your new famous or otherwise wealthy friends. These activities let you earn a surprising amount of money, although it is just a drop in the ocean of all your wealth.

But you know that you are only a puppet, living a life of hedonism while your father cultivates power on your back, created with the only aim of holding on to a fortune. And you couldn’t care less. Hedonism is fun, once you give in, and it makes you happier than you have ever been. If the price for that is any sense of life achievement… then you are more than willing to pay it all.

Besides, it’s not as if you could actually say no to your beloved father.

[megs-98]

It's Always Been You

Finally posting the solstice/secret santa fic that i wrote for the lovely @smaranshakthi

big thank you to @justporo for helping me edit as this is the first fic that i've wrote

summary: tav left baldur's gate after the final battle but years later something... or someone, drew her back and she had to find out why

tags: dammon x f!reader (Tav), fluff, light makeout scene at the end, mostly just dammon being the sweetest boy

word count: 3.4k

It had been five years since the final battle in Baldur’s Gate when you and your companions had conquered the Absolute and the Dead Three’s Chosen. Five years since you had left the Gate in search of rediscovering yourself once you had been freed of the tadpole. It wasn’t all lonely though, Withers had summoned everyone back to your original campsite six months after the cult was defeated, which had given you a chance to reconnect with your friends. You found more companions and had seen spectacular new places with your most recent adventures. However, you felt that something was absent from your life the farther you got from the city. There was something absent in your heart, something that you weren’t able to find during your travels. That’s how you found yourself back in the city, staying in the Elfsong Tavern, just in time for the snowy season. 

You had felt a natural, almost instinctive, pull back to Baldur’s Gate, though you were unsure why. With resolve, you start visiting your old acquaintances. Rolan at Ramzaithan’s Tower as well as Cal and Lia, Alfria. Oskar Fevras, who attempted very earnestly, to get you to commission a painting from him, and so many others. While you were happy to see everyone, there was still something itching at your brain, an itch that you couldn’t quite scratch. That’s how you found yourself having a glass of ale at the bar top of Elfsong. You were pondering what, or who, could have subconsciously pulled you back to your home city, when you accidentally overheard a conversation from two men sitting farther down the counter from you. 

“Oi! Let me see that new blade of yours!”

“Ah, yeah, that tiefling did a damn fine job. Dammon, one of the best blacksmith’s I’ve ever worked with.” The man said as he pulled out a beautifully crafted silver dagger with a black leather hilt.

Your ears perked at the mention of Dammon. You silently cursed to yourself as you had forgotten to visit him earlier in the day due to the bustle you’d been swept up in. He had been someone you got on with so well during your quest to remove the tadpole, hells he had even helped Karlach with her infernal engine, granting her a little more time top side. A smile came to your lips as you reminisced meeting the tiefling for the first time. 

It was only a few days into your adventure of finding a cure for the Mind Flayer tadpole. You had found other survivors from the Nautolid crash on the beach, quickly realizing that you had all been infected. You and your new companions spent a couple days searching the beach and wreckage for supplies when you decided to venture farther out, starting to head towards Baldur’s Gate. You had heard from a couple of tieflings that there was a nearby druid grove not too far north, where there was a healer. As your group headed north, you heard shouting and the beat of war drums from a pack of goblins. You and your group realized that the druid grove was under attack and had quickly sprang to action, helping dispatch the goblins, earning you thanks from the tiefling leader, Zevlor. He explained that they had been attacked by creature after creature after fleeing from Elturel after its descent to Avernus. 

The tiefling had said that they were seeking refuge in the grove but with Archdruid Halsin missing after not returning with the scouts you fought the goblins with previously, Kagha was now commanding the grove, and she was ready to eject the tieflings. You agreed to find information about Kagha if you and your companions were able to see a healer and traders, with which Zevlor agreed. He pointed you towards the druid’s chambers to find a healer and towards The Hollow to find another tiefling named Dammon to trade with. You gave him your thanks as you and your new friends followed the dirt path further into the grove. You could hear the sounds of a hammer hitting metal get louder as you saw a man working at a makeshift forge. He was a man of medium build, blond hair, half shaved, tied back into a bun. Black horns, ridged skin you could barely see on his forearms from where he had his sleeves rolled up. Broad, muscular shoulders and the distinctive tiefling tail, which was twitching with frustration as the man cursed his less than stellar smithing conditions. 

You waved to catch his attention as you approached. “Hi, I’m Tav. Zevlor said you had items to trade?”

“Ah, hello! I’m Dammon, we can’t thank you enough for helping take care of those nasty little creatures out there. Whatever repairs you need I can do and you can take a look at my wares. Discount included.” He smiled as he shook your hand. He beamed with pride when he talked about the pieces he had crafted. You couldn’t help but be a bit smitten by the man. The passion for his work showed in his brilliant blue eyes as he explained the different materials he had worked with, from Infernal iron in Avernus all the way to basic tin from when he had first started smithing. His tail started to wag slightly the more excited he got, you couldn’t help but think how cute it was. You had wanted to spend more of your time in the Grove talking with him, but you and your companions had found yourselves quested with finding Halsin and deposing Kagha by more people with limited time. 

The night of the tiefling party quickly came to your mind as you were reminiscing. How Dammon hadn’t made an appearance, much to your dismay as you hadn’t thought you would see him again. Oh, how wrong you had been… Once your friends and you had made it into the Shadow Cursed Lands, the Harpers scouting the area quickly ushered your group to the Last Light Inn, a sanctuary within the afflicted area. You quickly realized that the tieflings, as many of them that had made it, were recuperating at the inn as well. After speaking with Jaheira, your group grabbed a drink from the boys working the bar and started making the rounds checking in with the tieflings. Rolan and Alfria filling you in on what had happened during their trek over, with you promising to do your best to bring everyone back, at the behest of Astarion, who reminded you that your little troupe already had enough on their plates. 

As you made your way through the inn’s courtyard you heard the familiar beat of metal on metal as you walked closer to the barn. You quickened your step, the pace of your heartbeat also picking up, matching the beat coming from across the way. You had left the others behind, to find who was hammering away, elated to see that Dammon was there. He was safe.

 He had his back to the entryway, working on some armor. You could see the muscles in his back and arms tensing as he worked the metal. The veins in his hands and forearms visible from where you stood. Callused hands firmly, but delicately, reshaping the metal back to robust condition. Dammon turned around once he noticed you standing there, the first thing you noticed was the sweat running down his brow, loose hair falling around his face, having come undone from his bun. The way he looked up at you half lidded eyes as he pushed the hair back out of his face as he walked over almost causing you to come undone. A smile graced his mouth as he saw you, tail lifted and wagging, showing his excitement at seeing you again. 

“Dammon! I can’t believe you’re here, I was worried I wouldn’t get the chance to see you again..” You caught yourself from giving him a hug, not wanting to overstep his boundaries, instead placing your hands on his arms.

He let out a low chuckle, “Oh, Tav, please, the Hells couldn’t keep me. You didn’t think I’d let some cult get me, did you?” He winked as he patted your hands. You felt his tail trying to curl around your ankle, a redness coming to both of your faces as the rest of your group caught up to you, greeting the tiefling. The two of you were able to continue your conversation a little longer at the inn with Dammon joining you at the bar. You couldn’t help but smile to yourself as you saw your group of friends finally relaxing, even if just for a short moment. Having a drink, laughing with each other as they ate their dinner. You felt Dammon’s shoulder against yours as he sat down, causing you to look over at him. You were met with him already looking at you, a smile on his face. Neither of you moved, both your eyes jumping from irises to lips, unsure of what to do. Your impassioned thoughts of the man were quickly pulled from you as you heard Karlach booming with laughter, causing you to turn to see what had the barbarian so happy. You didn’t know what was going on but you were happy with where you were, putting your hand on Dammon’s, leaning into his shoulder more, earning you a content sigh from the tiefling. It didn’t matter to you that it was a short lived reunion, you were just glad he was there and safe.

As if you had deja vu, your second reunion with Dammon, in Baldur’s Gate, had been similar. You were unsure if he had made it to the city, worried you might not see him again, until you heard the familiar sounds of a forge as you walked around the city with your friends. Cautiously, you and your group approached the workshop and heard a man cursing to himself as he grabbed a new tool. You saw a familiar set of broad shoulders working over a sword and realized that Dammon had made it, had even found himself a forge to get back to work. 

You yelled his name, causing him to turn around, smiling as soon as he saw you. 

“Ah, there she is! The hero of the Grove, now the hero of the Shadowlands. It’s good to see you again.” Dammon happily said to you as you found him at his new forge, Forge of the Nine. 

“Hey, wow! Look at this setup. It looks great, Dammon. It’s incredible to see you here, and  safe.” You gave him a tight hug, not wanting to let go. “Could I trouble you for some repairs?” You asked as you held up your beat up sword after he had given everyone in the group a small hug.

Dammon smiled as he grabbed all the different weapons you and your companions needed fixed. “Let’s take a look at that armor too.” 

He motioned to you to lift your arms as he inspected the breastplate you had on, his hand cupped over the small of your back as he looked over the rest of your armor. There was a hitch in your breath when you felt Dammon’s warm hand on your back. You cleared your throat in an attempt to hide it but the tiefling looked at you with knowing eyes. Making eye contact with you, an obvious shudder going through him at the closeness between the two of you. 

“Uh.. yeah, I can make some quick repairs. I’ll have this done within a couple days for you guys.” 

You remembered that day well, between the frustration of Dammon not letting you pay full price for his services and the way he delicately touched your back, the hug that felt like neither of you wanted it to end. Something about that made you yearn for more. More than the flirtatious looks and easy conversation. You wanted something special with Dammon, but you never got the chance to tell him after defeating the Netherbrain. With all of the festivities and overwhelming excitement, you had to leave the city. You quietly told all of your companions, and Withers, goodbye and that you planned on traveling from city to city to rediscover yourself, but eventually you found yourself led back to Baldur’s Gate. In the city you weren’t ever sure you were going to be in again, five years later hoping to see the man who had always been for you. 

 Dammon’s forge wasn’t far from the tavern, you knew you could stop by first thing in the morning to see him but you knew that wasn’t an option. You quickly finished your ale, grabbed your coat off the barstool next to you and ventured into the cold, dark night.

The tiefling sighed as he hung his smithing apron on the hook on his back door, a tired hand rubbing over his neck. Dammon knew that he stayed out working too long, the sun was long gone and the first snow of the year was coming down, affecting the temperature consistency of his forge. He had orders that needed to be be done though, and he would be damned if he didn’t finish them on time. It seemed to Dammon that that’s how he spent all of his time the last few years. Hyperfocused on work so his thoughts didn’t wander back to the one that got away. He hadn’t known her all that long, just enough to know that she was quick to help anyone in need, strong, fearsome on the battlefield, and devastatingly beautiful. He missed seeing how the flames of his different forges danced in her irises, how her smile seemed to light up the room even more when he cooled Karlach down enough for her to touch others. Everything about her had bewitched him heart, mind, and soul. 

Dammon had even smithed a sword for her, matching her beauty and fierceness. A sword with a silver hilt and an intricate gold design going up the fuller, set with opals, meeting at a deadly sharp point at the tip of the blade. He kept it on display on the mantle of his fireplace, hoping that someday he might have the chance to give it to her. 

Dammon changed out of his work clothes and began to make himself some tea, lighting the fireplace as he waited for the kettle. His eyes were met with the blade he was never able to give, a small smile gracing over his features as he thought of the woman who unknowingly stole his heart. As he was lost in thought, his eyes drifted to the window, when he noticed that someone was standing outside his forge.. “Bloody hells.” he whispered to himself as he walked over to his front door.

“Hey! What are you doing?  It's too damned cold to be out right now. Come insi-” The rest of his words were caught in his chest as he realized the person outside, now right in front of him at his door, was the woman he had been longing for. You. You were here, staring at him with those doe eyes of yours. His brain couldn’t register what was happening until the whistle of the kettle grounded him. 

Realizing that you were actually here, right now, standing in front of him again. “Where are my manners, I’m sorry, Tav. Please come in, let’s get you out of this cold and out of that coat.” He said as he stepped aside and opened the door wider for you to come. You kicked the snow off your boots as you stepped through the threshold, hanging your coat on the rack next to the door. You smiled as you watched Dammon pouring the two of you a cup of tea, his hair hanging down around his face rather than in its signature bun, the red highlights glinting in the firelight. You noticed as his tail swiped back and forth, low to the ground, giving away his nervousness. 

You decided to break the silence. “Were you able to buy this place from the owner?” 

“Oh, yes. She said I was one of the better tenants she had had and gave me the opportunity to buy it from her a couple years ago.” Dammon responded as he watched you fidget with your tea cup. He couldn’t believe that you were here, after disappearing for five years. Five years of nothing but hoping to the Gods that you were okay. He continued to eye you, lips pursed. “Tav.. What are you doing here? I mean, I’m happy to see you and all but just reappearing after all these years, like nothing has changed? As if it was just another instance that we found each other before your tadpole was removed?” 

You could hear the pang of hurt in his voice as you met his eyes, feeling guilty. You ran a hand through your hair as you thought of an answer. “I… I don’t know. I know that leaving after everything the way that I did was shitty, and I will never forgive myself for not finding you first, Dammon. I just.. couldn’t handle the pressure of being one of the heroes of Baldur’s Gate. I didn’t even know who I was as an individual anymore, so I left. Hoping to rediscover myself.” Dammon gave you a hum of acknowledgement as he watched you find your words. 

  “And did you?” The tiefling asked. You gave him a confused look as his question registered. 

“Ah, well. That’s a tricky question, I suppose. I learned that I love Waterdeep during the summer, some of the best fish that I’ve ever had. I also learned that I still don’t care for goblins, I met too many of those bastards on the road.” You looked back to the tiefling, giving him a small smile. “I don’t know how many swords and blades I went through whilst traveling. I never met another blacksmith as good as you.” You said as you put your hand over his, hot and calloused, but still gentle as he placed his other hand over yours, smiling at you as his eyes drifted towards the blade he had made for you. Without another word, Dammon got up and grabbed the sword from its resting place, inspecting it. 

“You know, I made this for you, all those years ago.. Been holding on to it, hoping to give it to you someday.”

“Dammon, have you been carrying a torch for me this whole time?” You half jokingly ask as you set your tea down. You gasped as you turned and saw the beautiful blade up close, inspecting its features, gently touching the opals that lined the middle. You looked up and realized that Dammon was already looking at you, his eyes so full of love you wondered how you missed it before. 

“I always have, Tav. It’s always been you, I’ve never met a woman like you.” Dammon tucked a strand of hair behind your ear as you looked at him, slowly standing from your chair. 

You took the sword from him, placing it on the counter. You surprised the man as you wrapped your arms around his neck pulling him into a hug.

“Dammon, there is no other man in this life that I have wanted more than you.” Dammon hugged you tighter as he listened to your words, his tail wrapping around your leg as he tried to bring you closer to him. He finally pulled away from the hug to grab your chin, lifting your face up to his, kissing you passionately, like a man starved. You carded a hand through his hair as he cupped your cheeks, working his hands down to the sides of your neck, one hand then cupping the back on your head as he deepened the kiss. Causing you to moan into him, he took the opportunity to slip his tongue in your mouth, eliciting a moan from the man. The kiss turned to your tongues dancing with each other and hungry moans as the two of you sought to find purchase on the kitchen counter. It was again Dammon that pulled away first, an audible whine leaving you as he pressed his forehead to yours. The both of you panting, having forgotten that air was required. His thumb swept across your cheek as he hummed in delight as you leaned into his touch even more. 

“I suppose we have a lot of catching up to do, don’t we?” 

[promptsbytaurie]

can you write some meet cute prompts? :D love your writing, keep it up !! ^^

of course!!! and thank you so much :]

31 meet-cute prompts

you're immortal and they're the mortal who keeps showing up??? hundreds of years apart???

you're a talk show host and they're the celebrity you're interviewing

you're a vet and they're the owner of the dumbest animal in existence

your uber didn't show so they offered to drive you

you both reach for the same library book at the same time

you're the waitress saving them from a bad date

they're drunk at a party but you're just there for the trail mix

you share the same fire escape/balcony

your lawnmower won't start and they get it going in one try

they're the photographer at a wedding you're attending

you're at a hair salon next to each other

their cat keeps sneaking through your window

you were accidentally given the same seat at the movies

they're your sibling's new roommate

you work for the same supervillain

you're both musicians and you're neighbors (you maybe kinda get into a musical battle) (the landlord hates you)

your pipes keep bursting and they're a plumber

you're both sitting next to the most obnoxious karen ever on a plane

they're your secret santa

you hugged the wrong person at the airport

you tutor their younger sibling

they're the stowaway on your ship (dude)

you're both camp counselors and all the kids think you should kiss

you're a comic book nerd and they're a stuffy traditional librarian

you're both at a family reunion to act as emotion support for your best friends (it was a plot to get you two to meet)

you're a dogwalker and they're your newest customer (their dog is a little shit)

you're the only two people in the compartment of a train that's been stopped for two hours

your little brother is sick, your parents are traveling, and your only hope is your recluse neighbor

you're the monster underneath their kid's bed (wait no come back and check under the bed again--)

you're a librarian and they're the demon you accidentally summoned

you work the midnight shift at Walmart and they come in at 2:33 AM every night to buy dino nuggies

[osamucide]

ADA secret santa . . . .ᐟ

wc: 1.4k

cw: crack, everyone is a menace, no reader included, probably some ooc, language, alcohol, drug mentions, suggestive gifts but nothing strictly nsfw, this is really just silliness

reid: happy christmas to those who celebrate! this was fun to write and think about i hope you guys enjoy and get a kick out of imagining this chaotic group being a dysfunctional family as much as i do

. . . .ᐟ

first things first: who gets who?

just like everything else at the agency, it’s a fucking ordeal.

dazai writes down everyone’s names to draw out of kenji’s hat, but he’s given them all nicknames, some more horrendous than others, and kunikida’s standing at the whiteboard writing down everyone’s favorite colors and t-shirt sizes when naomi pulls a name and asks, “who is ‘bawss bitch’?”

“president fukuzawa, duh,” dazai chirps.

cue face-palms and eye-rolls around the room.

“naomi, draw again. the whole point is that no one else kn-“

“thanks, ranpo, we know the point.” yosano reaches into the hat for herself. “who is . . . ‘tightass’?”

everyone glances to kunikida, who freezes and turns slowly, threateningly, toward the bandaged menace.

dazai tries so hard to contain his laugh, but ends up snorting unceremoniously.

so, commence kunikida choking him out and demanding he write down everyone’s proper goddamn names so they all know what the hell is going on. atsushi’s on it, copying everyone’s legal, government-registered first and last name down onto one sticky note each, and the drawing restarts.

names are distributed. instructions follow. yosano lovingly requests the biggest bottle of tequila the budget will allow.

the office party will start on christmas eve at 6pm.

. . .

naomi’s forcing junichiro into the ugliest, most uncomfortable-looking matching sweater anyone in the office has ever seen in all of their days (it’s got glitter-hot glue balls and messily sown-in sequins all over it. it’s hard to tell if it depicts something festive or if it’s the cover of lil wayne’s 1999 studio album tha block is hot).

yosano has cracked into the bottle of wine she’s kept stashed under her desk all day and is drinking straight from it.

ranpo’s encouraging her to chug while he makes a sizable dent in the huge tray of cookies provided by fukuzawa.

atsushi’s on the verge of tears because he’s never celebrated christmas with anyone who cares about him before, and kenji’s doing a mediocre job at consoling him.

dazai has brought eggnog and announces to everyone, at the exact moment that kunikida finishes off his third glass, that it’s spiked.

kyoka’s dragging haruno toward the group, where she places a reindeer antler-headband atop the older girl’s head. kyoka smiles so purely at her. it puts the fear of god into poor haruno.

it is 6:08pm.

once junichiro’s in his sweater and thoroughly suffering and atsushi’s stopped hiccuping, fukuzawa summons everyone around the tiny office tree for secret santa.

and here’s who got who.

. . .

president fukuzawa has drawn ranpo’s name for the third year in a row. he always goes with some sort of snack, but this year he found these on etsy and couldn’t resist.

the boss lets out a chuckle. everyone is jazzed. atsushi covers kyoka’s eyes. ranpo sticks his tongue out at fukuzawa (but cracks into the bag immediately).

. . .

ranpo drew yosano.

yosano lets out an unhinged laugh and puts it on. ranpo, mouth full of gummy dicks, lovingly retrieves a bottle of tequila from hiding. already half a bottle of wine and two glasses of eggnog in, yosano throws her arms around the great detective for a siblingly hug. atsushi is covering kyoka’s eyes again. he wonders if he’ll have to do this for every present.

. . .

yosano got kunikida.

“sorry, I couldn’t find an actual prescription.” kunikida’s lips are pursed in disappointment, not out of lack of appreciation but for shame in her joke. everyone knows it holds weight. dazai is on his ass laughing. kunikida remarks how he’s been needing a back pillow for his desk chair anyway. atsushi has his head in his hands.

. . .

kunikida got junichiro.

dazai and ranpo are nodding solemnly. no one is laughing because it’s true other than naomi who insists kunikida really does have a sense of humor. wow!

. . .

junichiro drew dazai’s name.

“awww!” dazai croons, holding it to his chest before going to place it on his desk next to his nameplate. “tanizaki, I’m so glad you think so.” again, everyone knows it’s true and laughs because of it this time.

. . .

dazai got fukuzawa.

it’s extra funny to dazai at this point because the boss is such a cat guy and also he and yosano have already snuck off cousins-at-thanksgiving style outside to smoke whatever (all while he’s on his way to being plastered. yosano’s the resident alcoholic, yes, but no one can ever truly contain dazai’s festive substance use). fukuzawa laughs - it has to be an effect of the alcohol on him too, everyone thinks, because no way would the stoic man ever crack a smile at such a gift let alone actually use this fucking mousepad. dazai tells him he’ll cry if he doesn’t see it on his desk next week.

. . .

a break proceeds because kunikida swears something got fucked up in the drawing process now that half of them have looped around. yosano, dazai, and ranpo are doing tequila shots. haruno explains to kunikida that it’s fine - someone had to go first - and they should just pick someone to start the second round of gifts. kunikida’s scribbling in his notebook trying to figure out what they screwed up. kenji insists that they’re already playing the game, there’s no point in trying to rewrite it now as long as everyone has a gift! kunikida looks visibly intoxicated like he’s about to pop a vein in his forehead, so kenji just laughs nervously and takes the reins. he tells kyoka to go next.

. . .

kyoka drew haruno.

it’s in a pretty purple bag, christmas spirit somewhat lost upon the child. atsushi almost starts crying again (dazai’s been slipping him eggnog). kyoka’s already assembled and glued the flower together. haruno smiles appreciatively. it will go on the front desk.

. . .

haruno got naomi.

no one expects this from haruno but it’s a huge hit, especially juxtaposed with junichiro’s gift from kunikida. it’s a book cover over a blank notebook and the only thing she apologizes for is that it doesn’t say “sibling.” naomi is red in the face and forcing a laugh. dazai and yosano are a second away from hoisting the girl up on their shoulders like she just made a winning touchdown. atsushi’s head is in his hands again.

. . .

naomi got atsushi.

it’s him if he was a single-celled organism, kenji remarks. atsushi is wholeheartedly pleased with this gift and gives naomi an extremely awkward hug. he holds onto it like a lifeline for the rest of the night.

. . .

atsushi pulled kenji’s name.

he wasn’t sure how seriously to take the gift, but he thought these were fitting. kenji beams and jumps up and down and hugs atsushi so tight the older boy starts to go blue in the face.

. . .

and finally, kenji drew kyoka.

kyoka wants the spiderman one. kenji obliges.

. . .

new and old traditions alike arise; yosano and ranpo each gift each other $20. fukuzawa has given both of them the $20. it's a ritual they refuse to let die. dazai tries to get kunikida to do a shot out of his mouth which leads to shouting and beating. atsushi sits both of them down on the couch and forces them to drink water and be nice to each other. naomi, haruno, and junichiro pick out a christmas movie to project onto the wall as background noise; they settle on a cheesy musical hallmark movie suspiciously similar to the one they put on last year. kyoka and kenji join ranpo in raiding the dessert table. yosano is singing! she is trying to get everyone to sing with her. dazai is the only one who joins. he is wearing the i ♥️ cock(tails) hat. they start with silent night and end with skeeyee by sexyy red.

before long, drunken detectives fall into their chairs and couches with blankets and plates of sweets to get comfy for home alone 2. dazai wants a whole couch to himself but that's unfair, so he settles for stretching his gangly ass legs across kunikida and tanizaki. kyoka and kenji curl up on the floor in a pile of blankets; the girl looks on the verge of sleep. naomi and haruno squeeze into a chair; yosano finds herself flat on the ground, nearly finished bottle of wine in hand; ranpo's feet are kicked up on the nearest desk and he sits in his chair near fukuzawa, who overlooks his employees with tired satisfaction. atsushi glances around at his his colleagues, and for as unhinged as they are, he feels lucky to have a group of people so welcoming to call his friends. all is peaceful and happy, except for ranpo's incessant burping and yosano's eventual snoring. it's fine.

merry fucking christmas.

[itsnotjustgibberish]

I suppose I forgot to post these, but they’re now quite fitting for the one year anniversary of The Heart Acoustic, The Mind Electric, and The Soul Eclectic!

Silly HMS refs for my designs {Soul was… especially cobbled together since I was trying to get them all finished for a secret Santa thing haha}

[(As always, feel free to draw or use my fandom designs With Credit!])

Other notes I ran out of room for:

The stars/sparkles move and float around them, the placement isn't all that consistent {Although Soul specifically keeps the single Whole/Soul star, representing their shared song, orbiting his trident & it travels with it when the trident is banished/summoned. He wants to keep it safe}

Soul can make more simple red eyes appear. He mostly does it in his hair but they can really be anywhere on or around him

Mind’s mechanical hands can produce mild electric sparks, which are part of what produces the glow in his hand joints. They’re intense enough to scar, but it takes conscious effort for it to be lethal. The sparks can fairly easily get out of control

Heart can also have wings. One set is fairly large, spanning a little over his height, and he has a second very small set that together looks a bit like a butterfly

[allwaswell16]

All the One Direction fics I read and enjoyed in November 2023. You can listen to my podcast to hear me talk about each of these fics as well as an overview of what was posted on ao3 including the fics on this month’s fic roundup which you can find here! Please let the writers know if you liked the fics by leaving kudos and comments! Happy reading!

Fanfictional Podcast #56 |  ko-fi | fic recs

- Louis/Harry -

🍂 Train Tracks and Porcelain by @jaerie

(E, 41k, historical circus au) Shadows were forming into people and things and, there in the middle of it, Louis watched the humongous head of an elephant emerge from a box car right in front of his eyes. Or a Water For Elephants inspired AU

🍂 Big, Bright World by RealName

(M, 35k, office au) Every day, Louis' feelings became more intense, more immediate, each little smile and gesture and silly flirtation mounting up into something palpable, with a life of its own. The only problem? Harry was engaged to someone else and had been from the moment Louis started working at Visionary.

🍂 two feet standing on a principle by Anonymous

(E, 10k, exes) Harry is a famous fashion model and Louis works at the mall, nobody knows they broke up two weeks ago.

🍂 you make my whole world feel so right when it's wrong by orphan_account

(T, 6k, mpreg Harry) Harry is pregnant and stops at the mall to buy cheap baby clothes. Louis has extra money from working a long shift, and he can't think of a better way to spend it than on him.

🍂 make my wish come true by deblond / @braveryandtea

(T, 4k, Christmas) Louis works as Santa’s elf at the mall. He meets Harry.

- Rare Pairs -

🍂 take me back, take me back by eynap / @panye

(E, 32k, Niall/Shawn Mendes) Niall invites his new friend Shawn to Zayn and Liam's three-day wedding in Napa Valley, California. He gets way more than he expected.

🍂 must be love by @nouies

(NR, 6k, Louis/Andrew Garfield) AU where Louis doesn’t know how to approach his neighbour, and Andrew keeps receiving homegrown vegetables at his door.

🍂 lonely in [paris] by f_ckromeoandjuliet / @louiesonlyangel

(T, 5k, Louis/Awsten Knight) Alternate version of Louis's tour where he's in a secret relationship with Awsten Knight from Waterparks. Based on Awsten tweeting at Louis.

🍂 Feeling Feline by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

(T, 4k, Louis/Niall) “Not medically wrong,” the blond one says. “But I swear, and I know this sounds nuts, but I don’t think he’s a cat?”

🍂 it's the summer of our love by localopa / @voulezloux

(G, 3k, Louis/Ryan Ross) ryan is in love with his best friend and gym bro, louis. the problem? ryan is straight.

🍂 Got My Chaos Automatic by LetTheMusicMoveYou / @letthemusicmoveyou28

(E, 3k, Zayn/Louis/Liam) the one where Louis comes home from tour feeling exhausted, yet antsy. Luckily, Liam and Zayn are there to put him back together

🍂 Crush by @allwaswell16

(T, 1k, Louis/Niall) When Niall stops smiling around the office, his co-worker Louis sets out to lift his mood with the help of their office mates.

- Trick Or Treat Fest -

1D Trick Or Treat Fest / @1dtrickortreatfest (each 666 words)

she bit someone by larry_hiatus / @larry-hiatus

Sounds horrifying..... tell me more by @lunaticcat009

In The Dark by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

Ghosted by @haztobegood

Summon A Demon by red_panda28 / @red-pandaaa

Slow Dance with the Tension by LetTheMusicMoveYou / @letthemusicmoveyou28

I See You by @neondiamond

Lipstick stain fades with time by @lunarheslwt

Watch How Good I'll Fake It by mmaree / @zqua1d

Irresistible by mmaree / @zqua1d

find a way (to send me a sign) by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed

when love gets involved by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed

Harryween (series) by @babyhoneyheslt

Fruit Bat by yeah_alright / @uhoh-but-yeah-alright

Odds Are That We Will Probably Be... by @lululawrence

A Witch's Longest Day of the Year by 4ureyesonly28 / @evilovesyou

pasta-tively sweet by shiptattou / @wecantalktomorrow

perfect pumpkins by shiptattou / @wecantalktomorrow

Fa-boo-lous Halloween by bluegreenish / @greenblueish

Still by downcamethelightning / @downcamethelightnings

[saltwatersweets]

here's an old-ish secret santa fic i made for dr3 (@cdroloisms) in late 2021 :D probably should have put it on tumblr ages ago but It's Here Now // read on ao3 here !!

content warnings: implied torture, blood, abuse, manipulation, morally ambiguous (at best) c!sam, general warden c!sam + c!dream-isms

reblogs > likes

————————

you meet him when he is a child.

you are a child, too, technically, but even with his somewhat tall frame for someone who should only be half grown up, even with the hoodie covering his entire torso and then some, even with the porcelain mask covering his face, you can tell that this boy is younger than you. you can tell it in the way he fumbles as he runs, in the way he clutches his half-broken iron ax too close to his chest, the way he crashes into you and falls to the ground, dragging you down with him. 

you round on the kid, a stern word on the tip of your tongue, but pause when you see the way he had fallen; arm underneath his chest, body shaking with the force of his fall. he freezes, shudders, a tiny, muffled groan escaping past his teeth. wincing, he rolls over, cradling his left arm with practically his whole body as he curls inwards. 

you make a move to stand, and the rustle of grass and leaves’ movement must alert him to your presence, if his masked face snapping up to stare into yours is any indication. he reels back, and though you can’t see his expression, his body language makes his surprise all too visible. lifting his right arm just the slightest bit, the boy’s shield is dragged from his inventory. the thing is so big and his curled up form is so small he manages to hide himself completely behind the thing. 

you wonder why he’s so startled by you for a moment - you don’t even have any weapons out - before it clicks. 

you’re a creeper hybrid. of course, of course, he likely mistook you for a regular mob.

after a moment, his shield lowers, and you see the two black dots that make the eyes of the mask. he must get a better look at you, now, because he puts his shield away and makes a small sound of embarrassment. 

“did i knock you over?” the boy asks, barely making a sound this time as he pushes himself off the ground. you stare at him for a moment, eyes half open in snarky annoyance. “oh. sorry.” 

doesn’t sound very sorry, even if a little sheepish. “it’s fine. don’t do it again.” 

he tilts his head at that, akin to a confused animal. “i probably won’t. y’know. i mean, i’ll be heading off right about now, so…”

the boy freezes for a moment, before slapping his face - or the mask covering it, in this case - and making a short huff of exasperation. “shit. they’re still after me.” 

well that’s interesting. “what, are you on the run?”

he lets out a small noise that almost sounds like a laugh. “sorta? i mean- like, i’m not being hunted, really, i’m not in danger. well, so long as i’m careful, i mean. they’re not- like, y’know, the law or anything, so-“

“get to the point,” you say, not rudely. 

“it’s… basically like a game of tag? but cooler. we call it a manhunt - i coined that name, by the way, don’t let george try to tell you differently - and basically my friends run after me until i give up or win.”

huh. that sounds… incredibly dangerous, actually. you’re certainly not the pinnacle of safety, having your own redstone mob-traps backfire as you get the hang of the red powder won’t get you a reputation as such, but you have the maturity to recognize this as dangerous. you also have the maturity recognize that it does sound, maybe, kind of, fun. 

the boy stares at you for a moment, almost but not quite awkwardly. “i gotta go - they’re still chasing me, and now i need to find food to heal myself before they catch up. it was nice meeting you, though.”

“wait.” you begin, surprising yourself. you reach out for his arm, but think better of it at the last second and quickly pull it back to search through your inventory. shifting through for a moment, you summon a healing pot. “for your arm. i mean, it was partially my fault you broke it.”

he stares at it, unmoving. you fear you’ve made a mistake - does accepting help from others break the rules of the boy’s little game? is he offended by your offer? but he takes it, a smile in his voice, “trading with villagers isn’t cheating, after all.” 

before you can blink, he stuffs a few sticks in your hand, thanking you very much for the potion. you tell him no problem. he runs off, waiting until his front is out of your sight, likely to keep his true face hidden. 

you huff lightly. kids. 

————————

your footsteps ring out a hollow echo as you walk into his cell. 

almost immediately are you hit with the overwhelming stench of it all, the blood and total lack of hygiene tickling your nose through your mask. you wonder how quackity stands it every day. you wonder how you stand it. 

you stare at the prisoner, who blinks sluggishly. you doubt he even heard your approach, he seems so out of it, mind a thousand miles elsewhere and unfocused. if he hadn’t pulled this dissociative stunt four times in the past week, you’d briefly wonder if he was concussed. now, however, you only sigh, stepping ever closer to the half unconscious form of your once-friend. 

kneeling down, shifting through your inventory, you summon a healing pot. usually, this would spark panic in the prisoner’s eyes, but nothing happens. if it weren’t for the added annoyance that his consciousness brings, you’d be impressed at the fact that he’s even awake. 

carding your fingers through his hair, he finally stirs, a mumbled half word escaping past his teeth. you pull his head up by the knotted strands that are matted with half-dried blood, not harshly, not gently, and press the cool glass of the potion against his lips. obediently, he opens his mouth. the still bubbling liquid slips down his throat, and he only gags on it once. 

you watch as his wounds stitch themselves together. it’s like clockwork. he is broken shards of glass you must glue together every time it shatters.

after a moment, you replace the empty bottle in your hand with a wet piece of cloth, to clean up the blood. unlike potions, you do not clean him after every session, moreso just once a week. at the feeling of cold cloth on his skin, the prisoner’s half lidded eyes raise, meeting your own. you watch as his pupils, previously swallowing the green whole, dilate as he regains some focus. you turn away. you’d rather not look a monster in the eyes. 

“i’m out of water, y’know.” he states, and once again you are taken aback by his audacity. just moments ago he was on the brink of death, and now he has the ability to ask for more water when it’s still halfway full. 

“you have plenty of water already, dream.” the wet cloth grazes his arm, the one you had found twisted and limp upon today’s visit, and he winces in phantom pain. in his defense, you’re hardly being careful. in his defense, the blood from his closed wounds is spilling onto your fingertips. 

“it’s all bloody. you can see it.” he turns his eyes to the dripping ceiling, then the lava, then to you. “you can see it, sam.” 

already, you feel your frustration rise. you had already healed him, and now were cleaning up his blood for him. you didn’t have to do this. you’re being generous.

“if you want clean water so badly, behave. you want these privileges, these things i’m letting you have? then behave. you’re lucky i’m even here, cleaning up your messes.” you stuff the cloth back into your inventory. you don’t care to get your hands dirty.

“you don’t think i’m trying?” he asks, head lolling to the side. “you think you can hurt me in a way i haven’t been hurt?” 

there is nothing you hate more than him. him, and how much you used to love him. how much true hatred stems from once-love.

(you hate how scared of you he looks, even as he deliberately measures your patience.) (you hate how scared of him you are.)

you turn away from him. the platform clicks loudly as you leave him behind to the obsidian and bloody water and lava. 

as you hold down the lever that will cover his cell in lava once again, you take a better look at your fingers. you regret ever coming in to clean him at all.

he got blood on your hands. 

[mycatwantstoeatpins]

Favourite MoShang fics

I’ve read something like two hundred MoShang fics in the last couple of weeks (RIP my sleep schedule) and these are some of my favourites.

bureaucratic processes (Restricted) by tciddaemina. Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Canon, Oblivious Shàng Qīnghuá, Demon Courting, Demon Politics, POV Mòběi-jūn, Cultural Misunderstandings, Marriage, Bad Communication, Crack, Explicit Sexual Content, Shang Qinghua is Empress of the Northern Demon Realm, posessiveness, Shang Qinghua is Loud

how to face your high school crush after 7 years by revesdelimonade. Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe – Office, Getting Together, First Kiss, Jealousy, Mutual Pining, Happy Ending, Oblivious Shàng Qīnghuá, Childhood Friends, Moshang Events Secret Santa 22

How to Tell if a Demon Wants you Dead: the Unhelpful Guide by Esora247. Tags: 5+1 Things, Fluff, Attempt at Humor, Oblivious Shàng Qīnghuá, Courting Rituals, Gift Giving, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, No Beta We Die Like GongYi Xiao, Post-Canon, Canon-Typical Violence, < basically violence stemming from demon lords being protective (possessive) of their humans, Mobei-Jun is whipped he just shows it in his own special way

Husband (Imaginary) by diamondbruise. Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attempted divorce, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, extremely poor communication from all parties involved, Angst with a Happy Ending, although is it angst if it's just straight up stupid

in the stripped club. straight up "jorking it" by Volatilevore. Tags: Overstimulation, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting

no more choose than rivers (Restricted) by Val Mora (valmora). Tags: Cultural Differences, Marriage Proposal, Courtship, Misunderstandings, dowry/betrothal gift/bride price, Classism, Discussion of mpreg, historically-inspired sex education, awkwardness about sex, Fade to Black, comparative cuisine, Weddings, Canon-Typical Fantasy Racism

of love, war, and romantic reconnaissance (Restricted) by dalairei. Tags: Fluff, Misunderstandings, Humor, Demon/Human Relationships, Human Courting Customs, Demon Courting Customs, Getting Together, Oblivious Shàng Qīnghuá, Soft Mòběi-jūn, Moshang Events Big Bang 2023 (Scum Villain)

The Shang Qinghua Effect by Yuu_chi. Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Romantic Comedy, Fluff and Humor, Background Bingqiu – Freeform, cucumberplane friendship, Shang Qinghua isn't undesirable he's just dumb

Stay Acting Brave by Pip (Moirail). Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Magic School, Demon Summoning, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Rimming, Oral Sex, Size Kink, Size Difference, Loss of Virginity, accidental boyfriend acquisition

The Subtle Art of Trying to F*ck by firesandpixies. Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe – Showbusiness, Social Media, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, Crack, Alternate Universe – Actors, Mobei-Jun being oblivious to his feelings, Bingqiu is a side pairing, PiningDirty Jokes, Bad Jokes, Bad Puns, Puns & Word Play

[idontreallywanadotheworktoday]

Explaining the plot of the moonear yulnear and the secret Santa and I said Fabian got a gift that can summon rats and my friend deadass said "from the rubber room..." thoughtfully

[oatmeal-stans-the-trash-rat]

So About the New Asides... (Christmas)

Here's just a random list of my thoughts. Just finished the video (What Makes the Perfect Gift?). And oh boy, do I have some THOUGHTS to share.

[I was gonna finish a Intruloceit Crime Boss AU fic thingie as a surprise for a mutual bc why not, but this has me in its grip]

[beware Drunk Character, btw]

Longest post ever, jfc.

Also, I know exactly which people to ask which pairings about. I know who to ask to talk about Dukexiety (@where-are-the-spooky-gays-2), about Intruality (@rataticaisdreaming), about analogince (@disneybrandautism), about Roman in general (@prodigal-explorer and @disneybrandautism), about Prinxiety (@logan-the-artist), etc. etc. etc.

I know people and what they love and their favoured characters. I encourage everyone to infodump and geek out in the comments bc this episode fed us all.

Spoilers below

the lil present animation for the title thingie? cute

Logan waking everyone up and hosting the Secret Santa this time, yusss

Logan is responsible and it shows

"11th hour of beauty rest" -> I love Roman, he's one of my favs

^not this specific line, but can I just say with all of the angst and insecurity and such Roman has, I think I have to add him to my Kin List of Sides that I relate to at some ungodly level (which also includes Remus, Virgil, and Logan. and maybe also Janus)

the pipline to being a Roman kinnie/stan has been WILD okay idk what to tell ya lmao

"master of all kinds of rhythm, except circadian-" yep relating to Roman yet again

Logan's lil pacing in his spot, I call that him stimming and no I don't take criticism on that

^new headcanon unlocked: Logan (like Roman) cannot keep still to a certain degree

Logan and Roman aren't as different as you'd think btw

Virgil being woken up/summoned only by the sudden burst of adrenaline is so canon that I cannot. I CANNOT.

Patton's and Roman's excitement for Secret Santa is everything to me <3

autistic Roman autistic Roman autistic Roman-

"things are a little different this year" -> yeah about that

Serious Grinch Moment(tm)

Logan knowing a lot of medical knowledge makes me think he could have a special interest about it, but that may just be my "autistic Logan go brrr" headcanon nonsense

^...did Patton just indirectly call Logan the Grinch?

^^heart grow in size, he says to Logan... hhhh, I feel the slightest bit of angst vibes from that

"I just stress" -> me core

Roman checking on Thomas, awwww <3

The way Logan sounded when he said Remus' and Janus' names + Virgil's and Roman's reactions to them coming LMAO

"You may all have your feelings about them" -> the way Logan said 'feelings' like it's a plague, mm yeah heheh

Logan is such a f*cking mom, never stop pls

Janus pops like already drunk and Remus pops up all excited, dear frickin god do I love these two specifically

Drunk Janus is my fav thing ever btw

"what's up bro" // "hey..." -> siblings siblings this is my sibling (/ref)

omg Remus just being excited to be there and be included and to hang with his bro, he is so happy to see Roman cause BROTHERS, oh lord creativitwins slfjalkfskafaalkf

"they were right where I left them... in a vat of human excrement" -> I stan him for a reason, don't judge me

^he speaks and I either laugh or relate to it. usually both (no I will not elaborate on what this implies about me lmao)

"courteous laughter" mm yeah

Logan stops Virgil's escape HA

"That everyone will be secretly trying to win at" -> Roman is right and he should say it

"I'm not sharing it with anyone, I'm just showing it off" -> Janus says about his largest wine bottle that he definitely already started drinking from

Patton gets so excited he gets lightheaded

Janus got Patton? heheh moceit nation RISE

^you'll see what I mean when ya watch the episode

^^not just because he got Pat but because of the actual thought and effort he put into the gift

"I thought it was the corpse of a sea lion, but Janus wouldn't let me shake it." // "No, I don't think so. It's too light."

^...h- how does Patton know how much a dead sea lion weighs??

also Roman's reaction is basically "wut the f-"

"I might be mistaken, but I'm not." -> reason 39539 why I love Logan

"A BOX :D" -> Pat. Pat that's not everything.

^Janus being like "keeping opening the boxes" while pretending not to care, hehehe

^^"...you want me to destroy my new box?" -> all I can do is sigh, suddenly understanding why I may relate to Janus

REMUS CANONICALLY CALLED PATTON "DADDY", I-

^Roman's and Virgil's reactions, lmao

can I just say how much Ro and Vi are being the best of buds? like mm, platonic prinxiety is off the charts this episode

Remus' f*cking "whaaaaaaaa-" kills me

Janus just pouring wine into what's supposed to be a tea mug is funny to me

"but for Remus?" -> hey at least Roman knows his brother well enough to know an air fryer isn't exactly a Remus-typical gift idea

"someone they don't really know" but then Patton admitting he should get to know Remus better? hhhhhhh-

^intruality nation, we got fed, god damn

tbh a lot of pairings/ships were shown in some way or another, so I guess we ALL got fed today huh

"chicken fingers?" // "yeah!" // "human fingers" // "yea- hh, wha- wait-"

so many intruality interaction omg (my intruality moot is gonna be so excited, I can't wait to talk about this episode with him)

Remus is gonna experiment with the air fryer, ayyy

"I had Virgil" // "Ah f*ck-"

"with me own hands" -> I will never stop loving Remus

also Remus making Virgil a handmade gift? relatable and also aww, I imagine them as besties but in the dynamic where Virgil is kinda reluctant and Remus will never stop teasing whenever he can

^new headcanon: one of Remus' main love languages is 'i made this weird creative thing for you' and I only relate to him even more (essentially gift-giving but make it BETTER)

Mr. Fuzzy <3

Virgil knowing the inside joke between dork Sides- I mean dark Sides

^okay but just all the dukexiety and creativitwins and anxceitmus moments within seconds of each other in that scene is just aww

Virgil knowing what Remus calls his shower drain alfkjafksk

"I hate that I know that" -> reluctant bestie vibes

all of the analogical moments SENDS me because of how it plays out and how Logan felt hurt before realizing what his gift actually was, mm yeah aksfklsdfskfd

Virgil trying to hint subtly that maybe Logan should read it to see something, but Logan not picking up on the hints

^ngl took me the second watch-through to realize "oh he was trying to hint at him but he didn't pick up on it, like me haha"

^^do I kin Logan, you ask as if there isn't an obvious answer of YES

no wait bc the LOOK Remus gives Logan as he becomes more upset and literally encourages him to get angry and let his feelings out

^okay but why did Remus have to say it like that

Pat this whole episode says someone's name as if he's about to intervene/try to help the situation but then IMMEDIATELY says something about his box(es)

Virgil's sigh, lmao

Logan's passive aggressive sass sends me omg

Logan feeling like he needs to 'reevaluate' himself... hhhhh, the angst fics I could write from this moment alone dear lord

"I had Roman" // "Oh- oh, no-"

^idk why but Roman's reaction hurt me

^^like he doesn't have faith in Logan's gift-giving abilities? and how it seems most of everyone specifically has little-to-no faith in Logan's capacity for compassion/general emotions (except for maybe Janus and Remus, and Thomas bc he's been praising Logan for doing well during it all)

Okay but Thomas praising Logan? oh gawd, my heart-

^working on his relationship with the logical part of him, sfksalfkhskadf

LOGAN'S SIDE EYE TO VIRGIL-

^(he's so petty lmao)

Roman liking his present from him <3

^this reminds of the last Secret Santa they had when Ro made Lo a full-on fanfic of him replacing Watson and working with Sherlock and etc (headcanon: both the twins have their love languages involving their creative merits/talents because they're Creativity)

just generally speaking, gift-giving seems to be pretty high up there on everyone's love language list (in their own ways)

why is Patton not the greatest at gifts

^I take that back because he is putting thought into his gift-giving (though not a lot when it comes to Remus cause he doesn't know him well), though he tends to misread/misunderstand what they'd really like? ...is that a neurodivergent thing? cause like that's a little relatable actually

^^also lmao, I just realized the only people Pat's got as far as the series goes is literally the twins (so maybe he's just not sure how to go about the twins? cause like, he seems to know Logan and Janus and kinda Virgil pretty well, but he seems to struggle with the twins? or is that just me)

"because f*ck that asshole" -> love it when Logan cusses <3

then Remus' reaction, omggg (his lil "for christmas")

The genuine joy on Roman's face when sees Logan put Roman on the dollar bill is EVERYTHING, do ya know how much he gets to be happy? (not a lot, if we backtrack to the last canon episode in which Roman's entire worldview broke, but some of ya aren't ready for that convo yet)

sorry but seeing the now-rare joy on Roman's face, awwww

JANUS SHUT. S H U T.

as soon as Janus speaks, Roman's smile drops and is replaced by upset, hhhhhh

^so the amount of angst fics I can make on that scene alone is very much a high number

Janus is so drunk, jfc (he keeps laughing and the filter is basically gone at this point)

"massive ego" -> see Jannie Boi, I think ya missing the part of him being The Ego and how f*cked up he already is but you keep making it worse & a part of me thinks you know you're making it worse because one of your Big Jobs is to actually protect and nuture the Ego but ya ain't doing ya f*ckin job and Roman's self-esteem and self-confidence seem to be dwindling every time you speak bc he knows ya gonna hurt him again for the millionth f*cking time

^I have a lot of Feels, okay?

"quite the unhinged jaw" -> I see what ya did there (literal snake man)

Jan pours more wine, oh lord here we go

this episode has both made very happy but also hurt me deeply all in one go

Why does Patton sound like he was about to actually defend Roman only to yet again comment on his boxes?

^why do I get the feeling this has something to do with the finale coming soon and also the angst arc that royality is currently going through?

I just realized the twins' spots are next to each other <3

^loving all the twins content this episode, exploring their brother relationship yusss

"yessss, full circle at last" -> He's so f*ckin drunk, oh my god

^he's literally holding onto the wall

also ayy, canonical that Janus hisses in his speech cause ya know. snake.

^the snake traits coming alive this episode

"such a sweetie going through all that effort" -> wait for it

AY HE GOT B*TCHSLAPPED, THAT'S RIGHT MF

he deserved it

Remus' amused "oh" as he enjoys the drama and Roman's passionate "YA GET A B*TCHSLAP, JANUS" is so f*cking delcious

Thomas being like 'what just happened-' as Jan gets slapped is funny to me

"it really is Christmas" -> H A

"won't even share the wine" -> Logan sounds so sad tho

I love how Janus was so impressed with the b*tchslap and how it was executed that he can't even be that upset about it

JANUS GOT PAT A GAG GIFT -> moceit moceit moceit-

^see told ya; Jan was thoughtful with it

"I was getting a bit too catty" -> being self-aware

Pat making a cat pun because of Virgil's hissing <3

Remus being like "nooo, the drama!" lmao

omg omg omg THE ANALOGICAL ENDING skfksfksjdfs

^I make it sound like it's one of many endings to a video game lmao

but srsly, Logan finally ready the newspaper to realize it's actual a puzzle for more puzzles and him being very happy <3

Virgil's evil laughter is legit just him being him, I love this character

okay but Vi knows Lo so well?? they're besties.

"Mr. Detective" from Virgil + Roman's lil smile as he watches Logan be happy with his puzzle(s) cause he knows how much Lo likes mystery (see when he made Lo that Sherlock fanfic) = prinxiety knows Logan very well and now I imagine analogince being a bestie trio of comfort and caring for their nerd

^Analogince has become something I didn't know I wanted until now lmao

"Oh Virgil" -> gay

"and you thought I'd just get you a newspaper" -> alfkjslafskfdslkfs I will never recover

aww Logan's happy smile! he's getting to be happy!!

"Mr. Fuzzy doesn't like being dropped" -> Remus, never stop being you

all the dukexiety content this episode feels my heart with joy because they're Brainrot to me

"how did you know-" // "we're you and also you're kinda easy to read"

^Janus taking offense to Thomas being easy to read bc he's Deceit and Self-Preservation, aka: the combo for Masking

"that's rude" -> idk why but the way Jan said that, it made me go aww

^he's so f*cking drunk at this point (props to Thomas (irl) for all the acting as a drunk character cause it was amazing and realistic as hell)

aww logince moment when Lo asks Ro to help him cause Creativity and Ro's smile

^(to be fair, there's a considerable amount of logince moments but this is the only one I pointed out as specifically logince)

can we talk about Nico's gift to Thomas? a necklace with a Ying-Yang charm and what looks like a rainbow charm?? symbolism heheheh

^many thoughts about the Ying-Yang cause balance and black-and-white mindset changing and etc.; but also the rainbow(?) charm cause GAY

Also, Nico Flores content!!

wait, is the endcard the moment when Nico and Thomas become serious? OMG GUYS Y'ALL, WAIT A SEC-

Janus End Card -> I laughed so hard

This episode was basically Growth, Angst, and Tumblr's Headcanons Get Confirmed.