#belated happy birthday to nicola!

[araiz-zaria]

Barbie Selfie: Davout — Extended Edition

I knew Davout has his birthday on May but I am late yet again 🙃🥴😩, but oh well...here you go!

.

Bonus: this↓ is what the selfie generator spewed out when I chose "Ken" for the description and I WAS SIMPLY. WHEEZING 😂🤣🤣 (HOW DID IT KNOW??? LMAO 🤣🤣🤣)

#birthday post #happy belated birthday #not art #nothing of significance ofc 😅 #napoleonic #napoleonic era #napoleonic wars #louis-nicolas davout #marshal davout #yeah it was all based on his life anecdotes 🤣💀 #barbie selfie meme #barbie selfie generator #it's crack o'clock folks

[bebepac]

Garden Party Photo Op

I am participating in @choicesflashfics prompt “ Say that again.... I don’t think I heard you right the first time which will appear in bold

I am also participating in @choiceschallenge-may2023  prompt for vacation.

Without further Ado and it’s been a long time coming since the last update on this series The Life of Riley Book 2:  This is chapter 8 in this series.   

This chapter also contains a companion chapter in Heroes and Villians  called Arch Nemesis

The Book: TRR

The Pairings: Liam x Riley

Rating:  PG

Warnings:  Adult Language

Word Count: 2428

Mood Music Monday Submisson: "When You Believe"  by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey

Summary:  Riley  attends a garden party with a challenge involved to see who will be crowned Cordonia’s Most Photogenic Couple, the prize a weekend vacation to Greece.

Original Post: 05/14/23  at 7:14PM EST. 

A/N: As mentioned any chapter of Life of Riley carrying this callsign 

will have a companion chapter in Heroes and Villains.  The chapters will be similar in plot, but different subjects and perpectives will be focused on, the two chapters together tell a complete story from different vantage points. 

AN2:  I hadn’t planned on updating LOR yet, but I did get a request from the lovely @queenwalton​ as she is a fan of this story line, and it’s a late birthday gift.  So happy belated birthday friend, late but I made it. LOL. 

She smiled when she woke up, stretching out her body while still nestled in the soft plush covers and mattress that felt like she was sleeping on clouds.   Opening her eyes, she glanced around the ornately decorated room. Waking up there every morning, always felt like she was in a dream.  She jumped up, from her bed running  over to the balcony, throwing open the doors, as if she expected the gardens below not to be visible.

  But it was, every single morning.  She had been in Cordonia a little more than three weeks; the ending of the second week at the palace where she was participating in Prince Liam’s social season.  She was living her own Cinderella story thanks to the crown prince of Cordonia Liam Rys, who after spending the night with her in New York, asked her to come visit him in Cordonia for a week, and then asked her to stay. Now this was her life. 

Balls and garden parties, and vying for the hand of a Prince that honestly had already made her life different, and she hadn’t even said the words “I do” yet.

Riley Brooks was not the only one living their own Cinderella story that had Liam to thank.  A young Nicolas Karahalios had everything he owned packed in a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and was standing at the palace gates waiting for entry to live at the palace for the duration of his training. This was different. Previously he was only visiting the palace for training,  now he would be actually staying on site.

“State your full name, and what your business is at the palace.”  

“Karahalios, Nicolas A. I’m beginning level two training for the Kingsguard.”  

The sentry took out a clip board and scrolled through the names.  Nico sighed in relief when the guard picked up a pen and checked his name off the list.

“You're early. Head through those double doors there to take your photo for your level two identification, and from there, you’ll go to uniforms for your cadet training attire.”

“Thank you.”

“Good luck, kid.”  The guard nodded to him, opening the gate.  

“Thank you, Sir!”  Nico slid the strap of his bag up higher on his shoulder and stood in amazement as the palace gates opened for him. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.

Nico was officially one step closer to becoming a part of the KingsGuard.  Nico stood tall in front of the wall with the Cordonian Crest

 to take his photograph for his badge.

“Look straight ahead.”  The person instructed him.  Nico smiled.

“Don’t smile in this photo.”

“Oh, sorry.”    

Nico quickly made his face serious and level once more.

“Your badge will be ready in a few minutes.  Since you were the first one here, it won’t be so long,  you can go to uniforms and get settled in, in the cadet dorm, and  don’t look so shell shocked.  You made it this far.”  

“Thank you sir.”  

When Nico finally made it to the cadet dorms, he finally decided to call his mother.

“I made it mama! I’m the first one here.”  

He panned his phone around the room. The first side of the room housed the bunks for sleeping,  the other side  had furniture,  desks, and a huge wide screen television.  

“This is nicer than where you were previously sharing an apartment.”

“And Mama, when I become a guard, I’ll have my own quarters here, in the palace.”

“You can do it Nico.  I know you can.  Thank you for the money you’ve been sending us.  I was able to get Athena a beautiful dress for graduation.”  

“You don’t have to thank me for that, Mama.  It’s what I’m supposed to do.  I’ll be able to take care of you someday.”

“You already do that Nico.  I’m proud of you.”  

“Thank you Mama.  I’ve got to go now , some of the other cadets are here now.”

“And you can't be on the phone with your mother, I understand.”  She chuckled softly.

“It's not that. I love you mama.”  

“Go make friends. I love you too, my sweet little Dianooúmenos." (Egghead)

Nico laughed,

 "Goodbye Mama." disconnecting the call.

His mother didn’t realize this was serious, that no one would really be making friends.   People wanted positions in the guard, and everyone had legacy advantages but him.  He was considered to be the outsider that didn’t belong;

 the only one who didn’t treat him that way was Demitri who preferred to be called Dima for short. Dima was the closest person to a friend he had of the cadets.  Nico had already claimed a top bunk for himself. Dima decided on the one next to him. Nico worked twice as hard as the others, and Dima was at his heels.

After Nico had unpacked, he changed into his workout clothes.

“What are you about to do?”  

“Take a run around the wall.”  (The Palace perimeter)

“Want company?”  

“Sure.”  

As they walked out of the dormitory room, Dima looked at him.  

“You know, you’re not the only one with something to prove, Nico.”

“Say that again... I don’t think I heard you right the first time.”

“It’s easy to ride on someone’s coattails, but making your own path is a lot more difficult.  More people should try it.  You and I are really more alike than we are different, you know.”

“Good to know.”  

Riley

“Come in Maxwell!”  Riley said when she heard his knock.  

Maxwell smiled as he walked through the door.

“You know, we have to stop meeting this way.”  

Maxwell laughed  but the door remained open for Bertrand to walk through.   Riley tried to hide her annoyance.

“Yes Bertrand, what did I do wrong now?”  

He looked her over.  

“Nothing that I can tell as of yet, but you did just wake up, which already means you have a late start.”  

“Still getting used to the time difference.”  

“That didn’t matter last night when you were at the dive bar drinking with Drake Walker acting like you’re still a college student.”  

“You’re acting like Maxwell wasn’t there too.”

“Little Blossom! Way to throw me under the bus!”

“I feel like I'm the only one taking this whole arrangement seriously, keeping you two in check is like herding cats.”  

“Meow.”  

Maxwell chuckled.  

“Do not encourage her Maxwell.”  

“Don’t encourage me Maxwell. You know how that antagonizes him.”  Riley imitated Bertrand’s voice.   Bertrand eyed her, shaking his head.  

“Today’s itinerary is simple.  You will be having lunch in the garden.   All suitors must wear white dresses for the suitor photo shoot.”

“Good thing I’m not surfing the crimson wave this week.”

“The crimson what?  Lady Riley if you are referring to feminine concerns…”  

“Or the monthly monster.”  

“RAWR!!!!!!”  Maxwell yelled, causing the both of them to break out into fits of giggles.

“You two!!! Stop it! I mean it.”  

Maxwell cleared his throat.

“We are very sensitive to those types of things, right Bertrand?  It’s a part of life women must deal with.”    

“This is true Lady Riley, if there is anything you need in that department,  I’m sure Maxwell can handle that for you.”

Bertrand straightened his tie taking  a deep breath to continue his conversation.

“Getting back on task, the purpose of the suitor photo shoot is to upload your candid photo with Prince Liam to the Crown’s social media website so the people can be part of the voting for Most Photogenic Couple.  You need to head to your appointment in the boutique.”

“It’s not needed, I have a  dress for the event, Bertrand.”

Betrand laughed out loud.  

“With all due respect Lady Riley, I’ve looked at your social media, and I seriously doubt anything you brought from New York with you, when you were and I quote ‘living my best life YOLO club hopping with my bae’  would hardly suffice for a upscale luncheon with His Royal Highness and the King and Queen. Maxwell, talk some sense into her.”  

Once Bertrand had left, Maxwell peered at Riley.

“Little Blossom….”  

“Trust me Maxwell, I have the perfect dress for the garden party.  I just need to get a steamer, and I can steam it myself to remove any wrinkles it has. I promise, I will look amazing.”

“I trust you.”  

Even though Liam had offered the Beaumonts funding for Riley’s social season expenses, she always felt if she could avoid spending Liam’s money, she would.  She did have the perfect dress.  It  was snow white and ethereal, gently clung to her curves in the right places, and flowy in all the others. Once steamed and after she had straightened her hair but used her curling iron to create loose waves.  Since it was almost time for her next batch of white roses from Liam to be delivered, she decided to use the current ones to make a garland of roses for her hair, making sure she saved one for something special for Liam. She wanted the whole world to know that she belonged there too.

Liam was absolutely awestruck when he saw her walking towards the party, heading in her direction, him stopping her at  the garden archway.  

The way he stared at her made her feel special and desired.  Liam never gazed at anyone with the level of intention in his eyes.  

After speaking for a few minutes, and the Prince pulling her close to him for a few moments, she continued on to the gardens,  meeting up with Hana first.  

“I’m so glad you’re here Lady Riley.”

“You know me,  fashionably late but always in fashion.”  Riley giggled. “I really like your dress.”

“Yours too! Where did you get it?  There was nothing like it in the boutique.”  

“It’s actually a dress I brought here from home.”

“It’s really pretty, I would have never known. You’ll have a really pretty picture with Prince Liam, with your dress and hair blowing in the wind.”  

“That’s the plan!”  

“Shall we go and grab a seat?”  

“Lets, my dogs are barking!”

“Okay Penelope.” Hana commented with a giggle.

As they turned  to take the first steps to start heading towards the suitor’s table, Olivia passed in front of Riley stepping on her foot.

Riley could not contain the curse words that tumbled from her mouth.  She was afterall A New Yorker through and through.  She was able to use curse words just as fragrant as a painter could make a picture on canvas come to life.  

“And that’s why you should be wearing heels and not dollar store sandals.”  

Riley decided not to engage the Scarlet Diva anymore at that moment, but the reckoning was coming.  She had to wait a bit for the crowd to calm down and It was time for lunch, and time for a little payback.  

She decided to survey the serving tables before she enacted her revenge, and let’s be for real, Olivia had it coming.  Riley strategically started heaping food on her plate in a haphazard fashion.  Anything soupy with a sauce made it to her plate, and to drink? The biggest glass she could find was filled to the brim with red wine.  

Target acquired.  Riley made her way back to her seat with her plate that was heaping with food and her larger than life glass of red wine, when she passed by Olivia, she feigned slipping dropping the glass of wine over her head.  

Direct Hit!

“Whoops!”  Riley exclaimed.

Olivia gasped, jumping up, grabbing her arm.  Riley again slipped as if the ground where the wine had fallen off of Olivia had made the grass slippery and her plate of food somehow left her hands, landing all over Olivia’s dress.  

Flawless Victory!

“My apologies, Duchess Olivia!!!!  It looks like I got your whole dress there. Clumsy me!!!”

She leaned into  Olivia with a smirk.  “Must be those cheap dollar store sandals not providing much traction on the grass.”

The Scarlet Duchess’s face was in fact scarlet and she left the garden party humiliated.  

Riley went back in line and got her actual plate of food, finally making it to her place next to Hana once more.

Hana’s eyes were wide and unblinking.  “I really wasn’t expecting you to do that. But I’m glad you did.  She gets away with so much, I’m glad you stand up to her and for yourself.”

“Don’t let her.  All of you guys could stand up for yourselves too, and not let her get away with the things she does.”  

“That’s just not how it’s done here.”  

“Well, it is now.”

Riley glanced across the way, Liam was smiling, shaking his head at her.  Riley smiled back, shrugging her shoulders resulting in Liam’s smile to widen even more.  

Photo Op Time

As Liam posed and took pictures with the other suitors, there were some nice photos in the bunch but they all lacked something special.  Riley went last, and as she walked in the Prince’s direction 

his smile brightened and his eyes twinkled. His world stopped.

“Natural chemistry has  finally entered the chat.”  

Riley fell into a deep curtsy looking up at Liam as she held out one of the roses she had clipped. 

“A matching rose for you Your Highness for your lapel, for our picture together.”  

“That’s a lovely gesture Lady Riley.”  

After placing the rose, Riley straightened it.  “Perfect.”

Riley faced the Prince for her photo as all the suitors before had done.  But once their eyes met, there was no denying the electric sexually charged energy of the two together.  Neither heard the snap of the camera until Ana De Luca spoke.

“Wow, that was a great picture, but I don’t think the people are ready for a photo with this much raw heat to it.”  

“I request a copy of that one Ana.”

She nodded.  “You two don’t even need to face each other to create chemistry, it happens on its own.”  

Before Ana could actually direct them Liam and Riley fell into a pose different from all the suitors before.  

“There it is.   Perfect.  This picture displays " The Royal Romance.”  

All the suitors' pictures with Liam were touched up and uploaded to the Crown’s social media website for voting.  

Riley’s picture with Liam won by a landslide, meaning she would be going to Greece with Liam; the man she loves. The girl that had come from lowly beginnings being adopted, and losing everything she had to  meeting a kind attractive stranger was now around the world getting stamps on a passport she never thought she would fill, living her best life.

Cinder - fucking - rella  in the house or should we say castle?

Just Breathe....

#bebepac writes #the life of riley #riley goes to cordonia #liam x riley forever #choices fanfiction #play choices #trr liam #trr riley brooks #trr nico

[graygiantess]

Our Conversation

Happy extremely belated birthday, Lestat de Lioncourt! 😅

Out now on Ao3!

Rating: E

Pairing: Lestat de Lioncourt/Nicolas de Lenfent

Prompts: "My Lord, the Wolfkiller", "First Love" & "Lust for Life"

Written for the @vampirefest Lestat Birthday Bingo

#vflestatbirthdaybingo #square 1 #square 2 #square 7 #iwtv fanfic #iwtv fic #lestat de lioncourt #nicolas de lenfent #lestat/nicki #I'm finishing off some of my WIPs okay don’t @ me

[artmusichistory]

Happy Belated Birthday Nicolas Cage! Was January 7th!

#nicolas cage

[kooks71]

POLIN WEEK DAY 5 PENELOPE'S BIRTHDAY.

Happy birthday 🎂 to the wonderful woman of the week, whistling 🎶Happy birthday to you🎶

I think given Portia's lack of maternal behaviour toward Pen, she certainly wouldn't celebrate it.

So fast forward to her 30th birthday. She & Colin have been married 2 years. What present would he give his bookloving author wife....why a book room of her own.

Plus as its a special day, he'd also give her a belated engagement ring as their wedding was a quiet rushed affair.

Rubies to match her hair. I'd also like to think Colin would follow his father's example and wear a wedding ring to show how proud he is to be married to Pen

Bit twee I know, but hey that's the romantic in me.

As for favourite Luke/Nicola pic...oh so many. So I've chosen these as its great to see the actors supporting Polin week.

Thanks @polinweek for the pics.

I'm not on twitter/Instagram so if anyone can wish Nicola a happy birthday to her character from Kooks71, I would appreciate it.

Hope I haven't rambled too much.

Enjoy Pen's birthday and cheers 🍾🥂

@polinweek @polinedits @pavl-atreides @bridgertonian @bridgertonbabe @bridgerton-brothers @bridgertonheadcanons @bridgertonf

Happy birthday 🎂 Penelope Featherington/Bridgerton/Lady Whistledown

#polin week #polin week 2022 #polin week day 5 #bridgerton #luke newton #polin #nicola coughlan #colin bridgerton #penelope bridgerton #penelope featherington #penelope featherington birthday #shondaland #bridgerton spoilers #romancing mr bridgerton #chris van dusen #bridgerton netflix #polin fandom #polin fans #lady whistledown

[lovelylogans]

the danes family christmas

or: the danes-sanders-prince-tamura-cabrera-key-bowes christmas. but danes family christmas flows a bit easier, doesn’t it?

part of the wyliwf verse.

warnings: food mentions, mentions of divorce, mentions of sickness, alcohol consumption, please let me know if i’ve missed any!

pairings: patton/virgil, logan/roman

word count: 5,876

notes: hi! this is just a quick little fic. happy christmas, a belated happy hanukkah, and a happy early kwanzaa! if you don’t celebrate any of those, then happy friday! this is essentially a “where are they now” snapshot of the danes family, who were all introduced in last year’s christmas fic. i hope you enjoy!

⁂

it starts when virgil hangs up the phone at the diner—the landline against the wall right by the entry to the kitchen, not his cellphone—looking strangely happy. and, considering there were only ever two kinds of phone calls that phone received, one of which being business calls—

“mom or dad?” patton asks, as he sits at the counter.

“my mom,” virgil says. “freddie finally got the flights finalized, they’re coming for christmas.”

patton claps in excitement. “that’s great!”

“so that’s everyone,” virgil says brightly. “all five of us, plus spouses and partners and kids, ‘cept—”

and then he stops himself, tilts his head, and asks, “hey, what are your christmas plans?”

⁂

and so it begins—patton negotiates them out of attending any sanders’ christmas celebrations, in exchange promising to bring himself and logan and the new beaus (as his mother had called them) to a cocktail get-together on new year’s eve. 

and then virgil had caught on to the fact them all leaving would leave roman and isadora as the only ones in their little cobbled-together family in sideshire for christmas, and freddie had, too, and immediately gotten on the phone to beg isadora to come along, so that meant crafting an elaborate plan for a road trip on christmas after the matinee christmas morning performance of the nutcracker, which is where they are now: all five of them in virgil’s car, suitcases packed away in the trunk, on their way down to the elder danes’ family home.

oh, and in the middle of all these preparations, not one but two romantic unions were formed, so. it’s been a bit of a busy couple of months.

“okay,” roman says, from where he’s stuffed in the middle seat between logan and his mom, virgil driving and patton attempting to play at navigator, “run me through the entire family tree again, it’s been a minute since i’ve seen everyone.”

so logan opens his phone, scrolls for a little bit, then clicks on a photo they must have taken the last time they were all together in a big group, and zooms in before he hands the phone over to roman to hold. roman’s mom peers over his shoulder.

“so, we’ll start with the danes’,” logan says, and taps each of their faces as he goes—”meredith, mark, wyatt, esther, silas, winifred, and of course, virgil.”

“right.”

he then proceeds to tap the woman and man flanking wyatt. “adam bowes and alexandria cabrera, but she goes by lexa—”

isadora tilts her head at lexa. “i remember her. isn’t she colombian?”

“her parents immigrated from ecuador,” virgil corrects, “but she studied abroad for a bit in colombia, so you’re probably remembering that.”

“—they’re wyatt’s partners,” logan continues, and points to the children in front of them. “nicola’s oldest, she’s fourteen. then there’s wesley, who goes by wes, he’s twelve. is their dad going to be there?” he asks virgil.

“no, he’s off with his girlfriend,” virgil says, and scowls a little. patton thinks he's clearly about to say good riddance—he isn’t particularly a fan of lexa’s first husband. none of the adults are, really, but none of them ever breathed a word about it in front of the kids.

“all right, so i don’t have to find a picture of him,” logan says. “then there’s elizabeth who goes by ellie, eight, and abigail who goes by abby, five.”

roman mumbles names under his breath, tapping each of their photos, before he adjusts the picture. “right. so, essie.”

“you know annabelle, her wife,” logan says, pointing to the black woman with her arm slung over essie’s shoulders. “they were foster parents for a time, so they adopted michael who goes by mike or mikey, he’s twelve, and his sister sophia. she’s seven. and they also adopted theodore who goes by teddy, he’s eight—”

“—nine,” virgil corrects, “his birthday was last month—”

“right, he’s nine, they adopted him three years ago.”

more repetition of names to himself, and then roman adjusts the photo.

“silas,” he prompts.

“his wife, moira,” logan says, pointing to the redhead beside him. “and the twins, emma and devon, they’re ten.”

“they just had a baby in august, too,” virgil says. “meredith junior, but they’re calling her red, for now, so that no one confuses her and my mom. you can guess why, it’s pretty obvious she’s taking after moira already. it’ll be easy to spot her, she’s the only baby.”

“and freddie,” isadora says, craning her neck to look at the photo. “how long has it been since she’s come back for christmas?”

“at least a couple years just for christmas, but she’s visited a couple times,” virgil says. “still, it’ll be nice to see her and ryu and the kids.”

“akira who goes by kira, and nikko,” logan provides for roman. “they’re twins, age six. and sayuri, but she goes by lily sometimes—”

“how’d that happen?” roman says, looking to virgil for help.

“sayuri means ‘lily,’” virgil says. “‘little lily,’ i think, but i can’t remember the exact translation. she’s three.”

“and—where do they live?” roman says.

“tokyo,” patton says, twisting to look at virgil. “they moved last year, didn’t they?”

“that’s right,” virgil confirms. “they lived in kyoto for a while, but freddie got a pretty good job offer, so. tokyo it is.”

“and then there’s us,” logan says. “i assume you don’t need a photo, name, or age breakdown for any of us.”

roman snorts, and says, “no, i guess i not.” he blows out a breath, before he scrolls back over, and says, “right, okay. remind me what everyone’s jobs are?”

and so the rest of the car ride passes, recalling the last times they’ve all seen various members of the danes family and passing on stories of visits past.

it’s about to be a marathon of a christmas.

⁂

by the time they’re pulling up to the danes’ house—windows down, because the elder danes’ live in a much warmer state and everyone seemed to have a simultaneous, unspoken agreement on the need to thaw from the brutally cold and snowy winter they’d been having so far—virgil’s leg is bouncing in excitement, and patton reaches across to put a hand on virgil’s, smiling at him.

“are we the last ones getting here?” he asks.

virgil nods his head. “miraculously, even wyatt and adam’s weird hours have lucked out, but adam’s exact words were don’t hold your breath—”

“of course, of course,” patton murmurs, because he probably should have guessed the orthopedic surgeon and the spinal surgeon would have some funky hours.

“—but i think everyone should be here? at least i didn’t hear that they got delayed, so.”

“please tell me we’re almost there,” roman groans.

“we’ll get there when we get there!” virgil and patton say simultaneously, and they both laugh at each other quoting the incredibles as roman groans louder.

patton’s glad to have the brief distraction of a pixar reference; as they’ve gotten nearer and nearer to the danes’ house, he’s felt a knot in his stomach grow bigger and bigger.

he’s been spending holidays with the danes’ since logan was born, usually seeing at least one of them once a year—christmases, easters, family get togethers, he and logan have tagged along for years and years. 

he has a feeling that virgil and his parents would argue with the phrasing of tagged along, but he can’t help it—even if he knows he’s uncle patton to all the kids, and he knows logan refers to all the various danes progeny as his cousins, and he knows he and logan have long since received the food-based nicknames everyone in the family receives upon being born in and growing up in the family and at marriage, but—

well. he can’t help it, sometimes.

but now, he isn’t just tagging along. he’s the latest romantic partner in the family. he has started dating their youngest son, their baby brother, their beloved bachelor uncle. 

he can’t help but wonder if it’ll be like an entirely new dynamic. because he’s seen the way the latest romantic partners are introduced—he’s long since gotten used to the danes’ fond squabbling with each other, but it turns into a whole new level of teasing when they bring along a date.

“we are,” logan says, and points. “there it is.”

virgil examines the number of cars—he probably should have expected the full driveway—and pulls over to park on the side of the road, roman immediately demanding that either logan or his mother get out of the car right now or else he will crawl over them—

virgil and patton’s eyes meet, and patton smiles at him before they both turn to open their own car doors, roman getting out of the car hot on logan’s heels.

and then the danes’ front door opens, light spilling onto the lawn, and children barrel out of the house, almost all of them yelling at the top of their lungs, and virgil says “oof!” as he’s plowed into by three little girls, clinging at his legs, and virgil immediately swings the nearest up into his arms.

“oh, hello, everyone!” virgil says, beaming, looking years younger as ellie clings to his neck, and patton grins at him even as abby notices he has a free set of arms and immediately demands a hug, and patton can’t help but oblige, lifting her up onto his hip, distantly pleased that he still can carry her, because goodness, she’s gotten so tall!

“girls!” someone at the door calls, and patton looks up at lexa in the doorway with a grin. “let your uncles get inside before you tackle them, please!”

“aw, mom!” ellie grumbles, even as virgil’s setting her down and grinning apologetically at lexa, a hand resting on sophia’s hair.

“sorry, lex!” virgil calls, and pats ellie on the shoulder, murmuring something quietly to ellie and sophia ear that makes them both grin, brown eyes sparkling; patton follows his lead, setting abby down.

“uncle patty—” she begins to whine.

“i know, i know,” he says, crouching down to tug lightly at her braided dirty blonde hair, to make her giggle. “but, tell you what. if you listen to your mom, how about you and me sneak some cookies from your grandma, huh?”

abby brightens, and immediately rushes off, right on her sister’s and cousin’s heels. 

“do you need any help?” adam says, his head popping out from behind lexa.

“no, we’re all right, thanks!” roman calls, isadora already shutting the trunk, all of their bags unloaded and just waiting to be carried inside—patton doubles back for his, but virgil’s already swinging his bag over his shoulder before patton can do anything about it.

“i could—” patton begins, but virgil leans down and kisses him before he can say anything about it. virgil grins even wider when patton just blinks at him, half-forgetting what he was saying.

“i got it,” virgil says reassuringly, “honestly, we’re gonna need someone to open the door, so,” and patton huffs.

“fine,” he grumbles, pretending to be put out, as the part of him that was raised with things like gentlemen should open the door for you, and carry things that are heavy, and care for you in general is sending butterflies fluttering in his tummy. because, one, virgil is being a gentleman, but also, patton has an opportunity to be a gentleman.

the things that give him gender euphoria are so weird, honestly.

but patton trots ahead and opens the door for virgil (and his son, and isadora, and roman) and is nearly bowled over by a wave of noise.

the sound of about twenty-four people all calling hello to their brother slash in-law and his weird little accrued pool of family all calling their hellos back tends to do that, patton guesses.

but once everyone’s funneled their way through the door, patton tries to close it; before he’s even fully shut the door behind them, though, abby’s clinging to his leg, grinning up at him.

“cookies now?” she asks.

patton tousles her hair. “gotta set up our alibi, squirt. we’re doing this secretly. it’s a mission.”

abby’s eyes brighten. “like spies?”

“exactly like spies,” patton says, in a hushed tone as if he’s being very quiet and secretive, as if he isn’t fully aware that her mother is keeping an eye on them and folding her lip under her teeth to keep from laughing, even as she’s hugging virgil hello.

abby scuttles off, though, as one of her other parents approaches to give patton a friendly, one-armed hug, seeming to fear the potential of revealing their secret mission.

“hey, patton,” adam says easily. “good to see you’re recovered from the pneumonia, congrats on romancing virgil,” patton blinks rapidly and attempts to come up with a response to that, but adam’s already continuing, “and try to keep her from taking too many, yeah? she’s already been spoiled rotten by her gramps today.”

“can do,” patton says, and so begins the shuffle around the room of saying hello to everyone; the kids are all in one section, already, seemingly preoccupied by various board games, but nicola’s unfolded herself from the group to go up to logan already; the pair of them are closest in age, and they’re also quite the pair of brainiacs, so they’ve been close ever since lexa and the kids came to the first family gathering years ago.

“i despise operator algebra,” she’s telling him.

“well, good thing you aren’t planning on going into quantum field theory, then,” logan responds, and patton loses the plot of that conversation because he’s nearly bumped off his feet.

“sorry!” freddie squeaks, red high in her pale cheeks and a glass of meredith’s near-lethal spiked eggnog in her hand; he suspects it to be the culprit for any uncharacteristic clumsiness and he pulls her into a hug even as he’s laughing out forgiveness.

“heard about you and virgil,” freddie says, “finally.”

“oh—um,” patton stammers, trying his hardest not to blush.

“thrilled to have you, really,” freddie says, bumping into him again, this time purposefully. “and, hey! heard you got sick, you’re all better now, right?”

“right,” he says, then, curiously, “um, how was the trip?” 

“have you ever had to handle six-year-old twins on a trans-pacific trip?” she says, and patton winces in sympathy; as polite as the twins are, being raised with the japanese code of etiquette, they are still freddie’s kids, and therefore also incredibly rambunctious.

“my condolences,” patton tells her, then, to her husband who’s hovering silently over her shoulder, he attempts to get his way through saying long time no see in japanese to ryu, who’s been trying to teach them all conversational bits of japanese for years (mostly because they’d all insisted; they did the same to lexa, too. meredith’s parents had learned to greet mark’s family in their native italian, so it had become something of a family tradition to learn at least a little of the language of their spouse.)

“ohisashiburi desu,” ryu enunciates for him, and patton groans. 

“i thought i had it this time!”

“you were close,” ryu says, which patton thinks is mostly out of politeness, but he’ll accept it anyways. “sayuri, say hello!”

he glances down, then, in time to notice a three-year-old clinging to ryu’s pantleg, just barely peeking out from behind him, the most visible thing being her near-black eyes, shiny and wide.

sayuri ducks out from behind ryu to bow to patton.

“and hello to you too!” patton says, keeping his voice as soft and friendly as he can.

sayuri looks up at ryu, who nods in approval, murmuring something to her in japanese, and she scampers back behind him, clinging once again to his pant leg.

“sorry,” freddie says, not sounding very sorry at all. “lily’s the shy one.”

“oh, it’s all right,” patton says. “it must have been a big day for her, traveling and seeing everyone again and all.”

“that it is,” freddie says, then, to ryu, “d’you think she needs a nap?”

patton takes that as his cue to resume greeting everyone else; he ducks briefly into the kitchen (where abby is, very unsubtly, eyeing the platter of cookies on the counter) and can’t help but coo at the sight that greets him.

“aw, hello,” he murmurs. 

moira, her red hair pulled back into a ponytail and a smidge frizzy, looking haggard in a way that only parents to babies ever seem to look, smiles up at him. “hi, patton.”

“hi, patton,” silas echoes awkwardly, from where he’s washing dishes at the sink.

“hi, silas, hi moira,” he says; usually, he’d be all caught up in the amount of fondness he has for moira, distinctly unbalanced in comparison to his relationship with silas, which is still a touch thorny, even after all this time, but, well. there’s a new member of the family to introduce himself to. 

“this must be meredith junior!”

meredith junior is preoccupied with drinking from a bottle, and does not respond to him, her eyes half-lidded and sleepy.

“that she is,” moira says proudly. 

“oh, she’s beautiful,” patton says warmly, looking at her and feeling all warm and happy because Baby Feelings, and it reminds him of logan when he was at that age; meredith junior (red, he remembers virgil saying) is also a small baby, like logan was, her hair downy and just as red as her mother’s. 

moira smiles at her. “yeah, she is. you wanna hold her later?”

“later,” patton repeats, putting up his hands. “i know how important feeding time is. i was just ducking in to say hi, get a drink,” he directs a wink at abby, who attempts to wink back at him, but she hasn’t really gotten the hang of that yet and so she just blinks at him with extra emphasis.

“eggnog’s in the fridge,” silas mutters. “solo cups should have a sharpie next to it, for names.”

“thanks, silas,” patton says, and ducks around him; he ends up pouring himself a bit of cranberry punch, instead, and obligingly writes PATTON on his cup in large letters. then, with a level of slightly overexaggerated sneakiness that goes unnoticed by moira, preoccupied with the baby, and silas, preoccupied with the dishes, patton snatches a stack of ginger snaps, which are just as good now as they were sixteen years ago. abby jumps up and down, pressing her hands over her mouth to keep from making any noise. 

“well, i’m out of your hair.”

“we’re talking later!” moira calls after him, “i’m thrilled, i want to hear all about you and virgil!”

patton tries his very hardest not to blush, and ducks out of the kitchen instead. he splits the cookies in half, handing the other half to abby.

“thanks, uncle patty!”

“you’re welcome,” patton says. “hey, go give one to your sister, okay?”

“okay!” she says, and speeds off across the room. patton spies her handing a cookie to ellie and briefly tugging at nicola’s jeans to get her attention, giving her one too, and patton smiles after her, before he turns to scan the rest of the room for people he hasn’t said hi to yet.

he is immediately face-to-face with essie and annabelle, who beam at him in unison.

“patton!”

“annabelle, essie!” patton says, hugging the pair of them. “it’s great to see you!”

“great to see you too!” essie says. “we’ll have to get together sometime soon, you and virgil and us—”

“—we can do a double-date!” annabelle adds excitedly.

“—we can come to you, or you can catch the train down to us,” essie continues. 

“oh—” patton says, a little flustered. “um—good! that’s good! that sounds—”

“good?” annabelle says, grinning, clearly very close to laughing at him.

looking for something in the room to change the subject, he glances around and notices, for the first time, two missing members of the family.

“where’s mark and meredith?”

“oh, mom ran out to the corner store for something, i think dad’s on the porch showing off the grill he got for the neighbors,” essie says dismissively, before she reaches over to squeeze his arm. “seriously. so thrilled for the pair of you, we have to do dinner soon.”

“sounds good,” patton says honestly, because it does; getting together with the pair of them, plus mikey, teddy, and sophia, sounds really good.

“i’m gonna go say hi to the kids,” he adds.

“okay!” essie says.

“we’ll catch up later,” annabelle says. it only sounds a little bit like a threat.

he doesn’t even really need to step too far to encounter the kids corner.

“hi, kids!” he says.

“hi, uncle patton,” the kids all drone, not tearing their eyes away; it seems the other board games have fallen to the wayside, the lot of them watching what seems to be the main event with bated breath.

“hello, patton,” wyatt echoes serenely, a pair of tweezers in hand as he observes the operation board. “i congratulate your immune system on its strength in overcoming the pneumococcal pneumonia, and i congratulate you on entering courtship with my brother.”

patton fails, this time, in trying not to blush, which probably wouldn’t be seen by any of the kids, anyways—“c’mon, uncle wyatt!” teddy urges from the sidelines—and wyatt flawlessly maneuvers the tweezers, and very slowly, very carefully, removes the wishbone without bumping any of the walls, and half the kids groan.

“i should have known better than to start this,” wes mutters under his breath, accepting the tweezers from his stepfather. “hi, uncle patton.”

“hiya, wes,” patton says, amused; at least once a year, someone challenged either of the surgeons in the family to a game of operation, and it always ended up with a crowd gathered around like this. “doing okay so far?”

“i’ve buzzed twice,” wes sighs, and squints at the card. “oh, great. i’ve got the funny bone. okay—”

he readjusts his grip, and patton takes a few steps back, so as to not distract him any more than he needs to be distracted, taking a second to look in on nicola and logan—who are deep into conversation about something called hermitian adjoint with excited expressions on their faces, and roman looks as confused as patton feels—before someone taps him on the shoulder.

“doing okay?”

patton turns to smile up at virgil.

“doing fine,” he promises, and sets his cup down on the nearest surface so he can reach out to correct virgil’s collar. “have you said hi to everyone?”

“yeah, just about,” virgil says, then, “um, they haven’t said anything to you about—?”

“oh, y’know,” patton says with a jerk of his head. “moira says she’s thrilled, essie wants to get all together for dinner, freddie said finally, wyatt congratulated the strength of my immune system and my success in courting you, et cetera, et cetera.”

virgil snorts, ducking his head and rubbing sheepishly at the nape of his neck. “guess i probably should’ve warned you ‘bout that, huh?”

“nah, i knew it’d probably happen,” he teases. “you’re forgetting i was at dinner when freddie brought the news of her elopement and the brand-new husband none of us had ever heard of before.”

“still can’t believe she did that,” virgil says with a disbelieving shake of his head.

patton laughs a little, too, before he says, “i was expecting it a little, i guess—i mean, you’ve got four older siblings, i was a little nervous there’d probably be a bit of hazing to go through, now that i’m a boyfriend.”

“you didn’t mention that,” virgil says with a frown. “i can tell them to lay off, if you—”

patton waves him off, even as he still feels the tight knot in his stomach.

“it’s okay,” he says, and it is okay, it’s just nerve-wracking, “i’ve gotten through the first of it, it’s okay. just, y’know. i’m a little nervous to talk to your parents, i guess.”

“they love you,” virgil says immediately. “they’re delighted about this, i promise, they told me so.”

“virge?”

“yeah?” he asks, a protective expression still on his face. patton takes both his hands in his own, looking up at him with a very serious expression on his face.

“remember your siblings teasing me when you have to sit through an emily-and-richard dinner,” he says, “and then we can say we’re nearly even.”

virgil’s lip quirks up. “nearly?”

“well,” patton says, “you’re probably gonna have to go to a few friday night dinners, so i’m definitely gonna owe you for that more than you owe me for this.”

virgil grimaces at the mention of friday night dinners looming in his future like the ghost of christmas yet to come.

“think happy thoughts?” patton offers, with an apologetic grin on his face.

“what thought is happy enough to get me through that?”

patton pretends to think about it, tilting his head back and forth, before he offers in a faux-innocent tone, “egging their car on easter?”

a slightly goofy grin breaks out on virgil’s face, and patton laughs at the sight of it. 

“well, if i must,” virgil says. “might even have to refresh that memory with a repeat performance.”

“don’t you dare,” patton says, in a tone entirely too sappy for what he’s saying.

“or what?” virgil says, grinning down at him, and he’s so stinkin’ cute that patton can’t help but rise onto his tippy toes to kiss the grin right off his face.

their lips barely brush before the hollering starts—there’s a wolf-whistle in there somewhere, but mostly things along the line of “EW, uncle VIRGIL, kissing is GROSS,” and “hey, hey, hands off my baby brother!”—and patton breaks away from virgil with a nervous giggle, blushing, fully aware that if most of the people in the room weren’t looking at him before, they certainly were now. patton finds himself unable to meet anyone’s eyes.

“oh, c’mon,” freddie says, grinning, sayuri in her arms and looking quite close to nodding off to sleep, “it’s about time, now that they’re dating.”

“finally,” essie adds, not quite under her breath, then—

“wait.”

patton turns, then, to where the kids have gathered in the corner; mikey, essie and annabelle’s oldest son, is staring at them with large brown eyes.

“wait,” mikey repeats, “what do you mean, now they’re dating?”

“you weren’t dating before?” his brother teddy says, sounding equal parts confused and indignant.

“no, we weren’t dating before,” virgil says. “but we—we are. now. so.”

teddy still looks puzzled.

“well, we loved each other for a very long time,” patton explains, because for as smart as all the kids are, teddy is nine years old, and therefore not quite fully aware of the complexities of adult relationships, “and we told each other that recently. so. now we’re dating, but we’ve loved each other for much longer.”

“well, that’s okay then,” teddy decides, and patton can’t help but snort.

anyone still staring at the pair of them gets distracted by the sound of a door stuck in its lock, before it suddenly bursts open, bringing with it a rush of warm outdoor air and the clunking of a cane hitting the hardwood.

“damn door keeps sticking,” mark grumbles under his breath, looking up and taking a moment to scan the room before his eyes brighten. “virgil! when did you sneak in, bunny?”

meredith pokes her head around his shoulder, eyes bright; she's carrying a shopping bag in one arm that emma and devon, silas' girls, scuttle up and take off her hands, ferrying it to the kitchen for her.

"ten or so minutes ago," virgil says, crossing the room, grinning; unspoken, both patton and logan fall into step behind virgil, approaching the danes family patriarch and matriarch together.

mark is already pulling his youngest son into a hug, squeezing virgil tight, and patton can't help but smile at the way virgil grips his father just as tightly; mark's had a bit of trouble with his health over the past couple years—primarily struggling with his knee, which had been replaced a month before thanksgiving this year—and patton knows it had scared him, at the time, and it made him all the more appreciative of the time he gets to spend with his father. 

"good to see you, son," mark says warmly, patting virgil's back roughly a couple times for emphasis.

"snap," meredith says warmly, and patton grins—the ginger snaps he ate his weight in at the first danes christmas celebrations he'd ever attended have become his nickname namesake—before he approaches and pulls her into a hug.

"welcome," meredith says, pulling away, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief. "and congratulations are in order, aren't they?"

patton flushes, but before she can tease him anymore, mark's eyes land on logan.

"god, look at you!" mark says. "you're tall! how much have you grown? a foot? more? what on earth are you feeding him, virgil?" mark asks, turning to him, and virgil puts his hands up, smirking.

"i think i've grown four and a half inches, since the last time i saw you," logan says, before he steps forward and hugs mark, adding quietly, "it's good to see you, nonno."

patton's smile widens at that. emily and richard have always been grandma and grandpa, to logan, and maria, the previous manager at the inn who had taken in patton and logan, has been nana, but mark and meredith have always been nonno and nonna; grandpa and grandma in italian, where mark's family had emigrated from before mark was born.

"and it's good to see you, jammy," mark says, equally warmly, before he draws back, making eye contact with logan, and not having to tilt his head downwards anymore; they're almost on the same level now. "goodness. it'll take some time to get used to that. hit your growth spurt with a vengeance then, just like your dad—"

and then mark's eyes fall to patton, and patton smiles a little nervously, twisting his fingers together.

"hi, mark."

something in mark's eyes go soft, and he steps forward to hug patton just as tightly as he had hugged virgil and logan, to hold patton just as close, and patton isn't sure why his eyes are suddenly stinging, but they are, and he squeezes them shut and takes in a deep breath as he hugs mark back.

"we're overjoyed," mark says quietly, and draws back to look at patton, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes growing more pronounced with his smile. "oh, patton, we're so thrilled for the pair of you, truly we are. you've always been part of the family, but now—well," he says, and looks between virgil and patton.

"the pair of you, making each other happy," meredith says. "it's everything a mother could want for her boys."

patton struggles to swallow, and he can only smile guilelessly at them both as he waits for the lump in his throat to pass.

"now, we heard about your health scare after thanksgiving," mark says, frowning. "you're too young for such things. you're all better now, aren't you? all fixed up?"

"doctor says i am a-okay," patton manages to croak out.

"wonderful," meredith says, "and no more of any of that."

"you should remain hale and hearty, or else," mark adds, finishing her sentence; they've been married for so long, it's almost like they've become symbiotic.

"or else what?" patton says, achieving something close to his normal tone and not sounding like he's about to cry tears of happiness anymore.

"or else i'll set my wife on you," he says, before he claps logan on the back. "now, i hear that you have brought your boyfriend to meet the family!"

"you've met," logan says, beginning to blush, but he goes to get roman anyways; nicola coos "oooh," after the pair of them with all the teasing in her tone that one would expect from a younger cousin.

roman holds logan's hand as they approach.

"sir, ma'am," roman says respectfully, the picture of a proper young man; isadora looks on approvingly from where she's holed up in a corner with ryu, freddie, and a now-sleeping sayuri.

"this is roman prince, nonna, nonno," logan says, squeezing roman's hand tight and leaning into his side. "i love him very much."

mark's smile goes even softer at that; patton leans his head on virgil's shoulder, his cheeks aching.

"aw, shucks, specs," roman says, grinning at logan, "i love you very much too."

"well," mark says gently. "what grandparent doesn't like to hear that? we are very happy to have you and your mother, roman."

"come and sit," meredith says eagerly. "indulge two old crones in some conversation; i hear you want to take after your mother and go into ballet?"

and so mark, meredith, logan, and roman settle on the couch, logan still clinging to roman's hand and looking the most outwardly fond that patton has ever seen him look. it's enough to have the lump in his throat come roaring back with a vengeance.

virgil touches his shoulder, a silent question—you all right?

patton smiles at him and nods, before someone taps him on the arm, and he looks up.

"spouses club meeting," annabelle says, hooking her arm through his.

"what?" patton says.

"spouses club meeting," lexa repeats.

"i'm—i'm not a," patton says, blushing. he isn't the only one—he sees virgil going red, too. they've been dating for barely a couple weeks, that's very far off from—well—

"i'm not a spouse either, technically," lexa points out, "but that's what we're calling it anyways. virgil, we're stealing your boyfriend."

"do i have a choice in the matter?"

"nope!" lexa says cheerfully. "you, patton sanders, have gossip for us."

"goss—" patton repeats, frowning, before he looks to virgil. "oh—oh! lex, it isn't gossip, really—"

"not gossip, sure," annabelle scoffs. "it's only been ten years, we're getting the story—"

"steal him," virgil says immediately.

"traitor," patton cries out, softly enough so that it doesn't attract the attention of anyone else in the room; he'd gotten enough of that when he'd tried to kiss virgil.

"you aren't automatically immune, you've got siblings to deal with," annabelle tells virgil sweetly, and laughs when virgil pulls a face, suddenly looking younger, like the man in his early twenties that he had been their first christmas all together like this.

and so patton is tugged off into the kitchen, where adam, lexa, annabelle, moira, and ryu all sit, ready to hear the story of how they got together, and patton knows that the rest of their trip will be spent like this—being pulled off into subgroups, whether it be spouses, or kids, or siblings, or other arbitrary combinations that would happen on the fly. patton knows he'll spend the rest of the trip eating his weight in ginger snaps, and coming up with fun activities for the kids, and having a million different conversations with everyone, trying to organize how they'll be able to gather in smaller groups during the new year, and— 

—and patton knows he's in for a very chaotic, very merry christmas.

#my post #text #my fic #sanders sides fanfiction #the sideshire files

[scrapyardboyfriends]

Jenny’s Belated Live Blogging - 6th January 2020

- Happy Birthday Aaron...again?! That was weird. Haha. But hey...at least he’s so important that he needs birthday plot even when his birthday is on a weekend so they shift it a day? I guess? 

- Anyway...that was super sad and bittersweet. He wanted Seb there for his birthday and that’s the only thing he cared about. And then he was denied and then he’s going to be denied again and I’m so sad for him. 

- And him holding Harry was really sweet but also he looked so sad at the end and there’s everyone just sitting there grinning at him like “Oh! Now he’s held the baby, he’ll be fine!” Perhaps Chas (and the rest) if you actually paid attention to Aaron’s real feelings, you might realize that none of this is solving anything, you absolute idiots (and the not the endearing kind like when Robert calls Aaron an idiot). Sigh...someone help him. Where’s Diane when you need her? Who’d have thought I’d be saying that. 

- At least he has noise canceling headphones to block out his useless family. 

- Also...Paddy with the headphones on being oblivious to literally everything including the very obvious pain that Aaron is in...is everything I hate about his character these days. 

- I’m glad Chas is going to Scotland. Maybe she can come back with a personality transplant. 

- Anyway...I still adore Liam. This Leyla stuff is still super rushed, but I’m glad it’s not quite so cut and dry from Bernice. I love getting to see more of Gabby and Leanna. I loved the scene of Liam in the car listening to music and everything being Bernice/Australia related. Brilliant. I completely support any and all scenes with him and Cain being weirdly friends. I need more.

- I’m glad Matty is out of that house. Now if only he could find a story of his own. 

- Wow all of the church stuff is dull. Other than Nicola and the protesters. 

#belated live blogging #emmerdale

[hannahvancouver]

Dangerous duo here 😏🤪 happy belated birthday Nicola here’s to another year of being a beautiful butterfly ❤️🦋 (at Shambhala Music Festival)

[benediktsebastian]

Happy belated birthday Nicolas ✈️ (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/benediktsebastian/p/CYgP8x5sDho/?utm_medium=tumblr

[livingmybestfictionallife]

Belated Birthday

Anon Request: reader freaking out bc she doesn't know what give to Seb in his birthday (late I know)

Tags: @bubblyanarocks3, @broken-pieces, @yessy2012, @panic-to-thepilots

A/N: just a little reminder that I do tags for specific stories, BUT I also have a tag list for everything that I write :) If you want to be specific you can ask me to tag you in everything; everything seb; everything tom, etc.

(Y/N) rushed through the line at the coffee stand just outside of the studio Sebastian was filming at. Hurriedly, she handed the drink to his assistant before scurrying away.

“Don’t you want to see him?” Seb’s assistant asked.

“In a rush, just tell him I love him,” she called back while pacing along the sidewalk and placing more distance between herself and her boyfriend of two and a half years. How could she forget?! After two and a half years, how could she forget his birthday?

With a huge smirk on her face, (Y/N) ducked behind Sebastian’s car and pulled a slip of paper from her bag as well as his spare key. Popping open the door, she rolled down the window just enough to slide the paper into the cracked window. As she closed and locked the door, she smiled while examining her work: a cut out of Nick Cage’s head peering through the window at eye level.

Four more pictures she thought while ducking away from the parking lot and hurrying toward their shared apartment. (Y/N) had placed one of the Nick Cage slips on the side of Sebastian’s coffee this morning, stuck one in the lunch she had made him, taped another to his trailer door so that the eyes were peeping through the side, and now she was planning to put some in their home.

Each photo had a hand written clue on the back leading Sebastian to figuring out his birthday surprise. (Y/N) didn't have the money to get Sebastian an extravagant gift and she knew he wasn't one for flash, so she had devised this plan to help ease the blow of having forgotten his birthday in the first place.

At their apartment, (Y/N) had just finished stashing the rest of the clues: one poked out of the blinds to be seen through the window as he pulled up to the house, one peered around the corner on the way to their room, another poked out of a pair of basketball shorts intended for him to change into, and the last one was placed delicately on a plastic bag filled with water balloons that (Y/N) was hiding with until after Sebastian’s arrival. Five minutes before he normally arrived at home, (Y/N) hurried out of their apartment and crouched in the stairwell opposite of their end of the building. She watched the clueless man as he read fumbled with his key while laughing at the Nick Cage head poking out at him through the window. Once inside, (Y/N) dashed across the hall of their apartment, dropped a plastic sack filled with fifteen well filled water balloons on the welcome mat, and then hurried down the stairs and to the grass lawn behind their building where she was prepared to ambush her competitive, anticipating boyfriend.

(Y/N) kept her distance from the building’s exits, sure she would have the first hit of the pair, only to jump right out of her skin when a balloon exploded three feet from where she stood and its contents sprayed her ankles. Looking up, she noticed their living room window being hurriedly shut and she huffed and made her way closer toward the door Sebastian would be coming out of. After a good three minutes, (Y/N) noticed a figure coming from the building and, judging her throw based on the shadow of the figure, she hurled the balloon right at the middle of the person’s back only to have an angry neighbor turn around and glare at her.

“Sorry,” she tried to call out to him; “I thought you were--” her loud gasp as the chilling water flowed from her neck down her back echoed through the chaos as Sebastian’s laugh curled in her ears. “Sebastian!” she yelled while arming herself with another water balloon.

“(Y/N)!” he mimicked.

“You’re going down!” she yelled again while throwing a lopsided balloon at his bare feet and succeeding in making him lose traction on the grass. Running toward him, (Y/N) planned to peg him with one or two balloons before hiding again, but she ended up showering him in a hail of ammunition and soaking his bare torso. His hair hung in stringy wet curls as he tried to stand up again and his light grey shorts were now a shade so dark they almost looked black.

As (Y/N) made her escape after pummeling him with water balloons, Sebastian was quick to keep her from going far. He tackled her into the grass and pinned her down with his body, positioning one leg on either side of her torso. Immediately, a wicked grin of revenge took over his expressions and he squeezed his balloon ammunition until it exploded and sent a small waterfall over (Y/N)’s face, chest, and stomach. She shivered against the cold water and writhed against his hold on her, but laughed along with him, nonetheless. Standing up, Sebastian hurried to grab his last balloon and throw it, but ended up slipping and, in an effort to catch himself, popped the balloon in his hand as he braced himself for the fall. Laughing at his mistake, (Y/N) hurried over to see if he was okay, only to have Sebastian jump up and pull her into a sopping wet hug.

“Nicolas Cage, really?” he laughed against her stringy hair as it dripped along his forearms.

“Don’t judge,” she replied with a smirk.

“It was hilarious,” he smiled. “Putting it on the bottom of that coffee you gave me was genius! I had not idea why people were staring at me.”

“I try,” she replied with a smirk as Sebastian kissed her forehead gently.

“I love you, (Y/N),” he said he her favorite tone--half laughingly but with a smile so large it was impossible to hide the genuine truth behind his words.

“And I love you, Seb,” she smiled back at him. “Happy Belated Birthday.”

“The surprise was definitely worth the wait,” he laughed at her as they made their way toward the entrance of their building, prepared to go back upstairs, change, and continue on with their day as though it was like any other.

With a wink and a coy grin on her face, (Y/N) replied, “you haven’t even gotten to the good part yet.” At her words, Sebastian’s eyebrows rose and the smile playing on his lips turned into a devilishly handsome smirk as he attacked her with a passionate kiss and slammed their front door shut behind them.

#sebastian stan #sebastian stan fanfiction #sebastian stan fluff #sebastian stan fandom #sebastian x reader #anon request #seb stan #seb stan fanfiction

[lolalvarez]

[Salted caramel cheesecake bites, dropped off at Lola, Kitty, and Nicola’s apartment Sunday morning]

I thought they’d taste better made fresh today than if I’d given them to you last night. Happy belated birthday! Here’s to a year of joy, good fortune, and plenty of happiness.

— Lacey

#lola's bday #presents #present from: lacey #lacey #// HOW SWEET :') #submission

[carolinealexandra]

Happy Belated Birthday to the beautiful, badass Mama Lightwood @nicolasummer love you Nicola! Much love from Norway! #NicolaCorreiaDamude #MaryseLightwood #Shadowhunters #ShadowhuntersFamily #HappyBirthdayNicolaCorreiaDamude 🎉💋🌸🎆➰💕💖

#nicolacorreiadamude #maryselightwood #shadowhunters #happybirthdaynicolacorreiadamude #shadowhuntersfamily

[daily-snitch]

The Daily Snitch - Weekend Edition, October 8, 2017

Happy Belated Birthday, Professor McGonagall (born 4 October 1935) Joanne K. Rowling – Life and Books: • Prisoner of Azkaban Illustrated Edition Release Day Previews. (video) • A closer look at the new illustrations by Jim Kay. (MuggleNet) Harry Potter – Actors and Movies: • Rupert Grint (Ronald Weasley) hates running but loves his role in 'Snatch'. • Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) talks about getting out of Ron Weasley mindset. • Ian Hart (Quirinus Quirrell) celebrates 53rd birthday. • David Yates (HP director) celebrates his 54th birthday today. • HP and Cursed Child actresses and actors nominated for the 2017 BroadwayWorld UK Awards. • The Music of Harry Potter takes over an upstate New York theater. (MuggleNet) • Actor Weekly Roundup: Emma Thompson, Jim Broadbent, Ezra Miller & others. Fantastic Beasts – Actors and Movies: • Fantastic Beasts 2: Ministry of Magic will appear, Newt Scamander's address and birthday revealed. • New Fantastic Beasts characters announced: Nicolas Flamel and others. More news on new FB characters. • Carmen Ejogo (Seraphina Picquery) confirms to return to Fantastic Beasts 2 as MACUSA president. Prompt Challenges: • hogwarts365 posted Prompt #213 (due on or before October 14): “Home's where you go when you run out of homes.” ― John le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy, Wasted Hours and Overeducated. • @introvert-club posted Wolfstar Prompt #22. • themasque posted info about their A Discovery of Witches Erotica Contest. (all fandoms and original fic) Communities: • Sign-ups end today at hp_halloween! Sign-up for a 200 words Halloween double drabble now! • dramione_remix posted: Time to Vote on the Round 8 Awards. • one_bad_man posted their weekly Sign-ups for the upcoming week. (The Monday spot is still free.) • themasque posted News from the Masque, WKITT and the Garden Archives, and a call for help to cover hosting costs. • rs_small_gifts are moving to Dreamwidth as small_gifts. • Sign-ups for the 12th Annual Remus/Sirius Small Gifts Exchange are open at small_gifts. Masterlists and Weekly Round-ups: • hogwarts365 posted the Prompt #212 Masterlist. Fandom Recs: • madeleone recced a Hermione Granger/Severus Snape fic (NC-17). • madeleone recced Hermione Grange/Severus Snape fic (NC-17). • capitu recced a Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter fic (NC-17). • capitu recced another Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter fic (NC-17). • rosevalleynb recced a Katie Bell/Marcus Flint fic (R). • kellychambliss recced Severus Snape art (G). • rzzmg recced a Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy fic (NC-17). • themightyflynn recced a Lucius and young Draco Malfoy gen fic (G). • toblass recced a Severus Snape art (G) • reynardo recced Hermione Granger/Severus Snape craft . • lijahlover recced a Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter fic (PG-13). • nearlyconscious recced a Daphne Greengrass/Ginny Weasley fic (NC-17). • nearlyconscious recced a Katie Bell/Marcus Flint fic (NC-17). • nearlyconscious recced a Lavender Brown/Padma Patil fic (NC-17). • nearlyconscious recced a Ginny Weasley/Pansy Parkinson fic (NC-17). • nearlyconscious recced a Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter fic (NC-17). • nearlyconscious recced a Draco/your choice fic (PG). • smirkingcat recced Severus Snape art (G). • gracerene recced five fics: 2 x Drarry, 2 x Draco/Severus, 1 x Harry/Remus (R to NC-17). Resources: • Schedule of Upcoming Events from October 8 to 14 at potterfests. • hd_prophet: October 7, 2017 edition. Archive News: • The Organization for Transformative Works (OTW) is recruiting Graphic Designers and Translators. • OTW Guest Post: Betsy Craig, the founder of the FannibalFest Toronto. (not HP obviously ;)) • OTW Q&A: Five Things SoyAlex Said. SoyAlex is a volunteer at Fanlore. • OTW Newsletter: September 2017, volume 117 Discussions: • hpboy13 wrote The Dying of the Red Moon, discussing Luna Lovegood, Ron Weasley and Luna/Ron as a ship (that never sailed). (MuggleNet) General Fandom News: • The memoir of the supposed 'My Immortal' author was canceled amid accusations of falsehoods. (HP fandom, Drarry ;)) Have a Laugh: • bella collected Six Reasons Why the Halloween Feast is the Best Feast. (MuggleNet) Nifty: • Survive this ridikulusly hard Halloween Potter Quiz. (MuggleNet) Searches: • A search for a specific Hermione Granger/Remus Weasley was posted at remus_hermione. • @daily-snitch is looking for your recs (fic, art, podfic, meta ...) for the Special Edition: Newt Scamander. Please send your fandom news to the Daily Snitch.

#daily snitch #hp fandom #harry potter fandom newsletter #hp fandom news #fanfiction rec #fanfiction recommendation #hp fanfiction #rectober2017

[scrapyardboyfriends]

Jenny’s Belated Live Blogging - 22nd April 2019

- Good things about the Kerry and Dan story: More Eric, More Amy, Amy telling Amelia that her dad sucks too, the return of Counsellor Bernice and best of all Amelia basically wanting to run away to Croyden probably and never return! Let her go! Take Dan with you! Give Kerry the house. 

- I like that Jai and Rishi continue to be adamant about not voting for Nicola. Haha. This campaign is fun. 

- The Billy/Ellis stuff was actually somewhat interesting today to me for the first time in a while. I think it’s because this Max guy is clearly from their past and I can at least start to see more of why Ellis hated him at the start because they’re actually addressing some of his criminal activity that always gets glossed over. So that’s good. 

- The birthday stuff was great. Curse Diane for interrupting that kiss (we are starved and so are they. haha). 

- In general though, I love that we got the Sugdens back for the occasion. I love that their scuppered plans were basically sex all day. I love that we got Diane joking about them spending the day horizontal. Amazing. I loved Robert’s face when she said it. I loved that they planned a whole little party for him at the pub and everyone was there. We got Vic and Bernice and Paddy and Chas. I love that Diane was doing shots. And Vic telling him the cake took forever. 

- I loved that we finally got the Sugdens mentioning the surrogacy and being encouraging. This is all I wanted. Just an acknowledgement. So this made me very happy. 

- I also kind of loved that both Aaron and Robert were kind of miserable during the whole party because all they really wanted to be doing was being back at the Mill, alone and horizontal. Haha. 

- Aaron blowing out the candles first was adorable and so was Robert grabbing his face and trying to kiss him. 

- It was all lovely and made up for the fact that he hasn’t gotten a birthday celebration in years. I’m sure it was much better than the last time he had a pub birthday with the Whites and expensive champagne. 

- I’m glad they did find a few hours before the party to sneak in some time for sex though. I loved Robert’s little smile when he was all ‘back to bed?’ before Diane showed up. 

#belated live blogging #emmerdale #robron

[scrapyardboyfriends]

Jenny’s Belated Live Blogging - 9th November 2018 

- I quite enjoyed this episode. This has been a good week overall. 

- I love Rishi being so excited about being called ‘Dishy Rishi’ and that he’s not embarrassed by the video. I also love that Manpreet isn’t horrified by the video either, she’s just worried about him reading any less than flattering comments. It’s sweet. And I love how much Jai and Priya have embraced her and how she’s fitting into their family. It’s lovely and I’m an advocate of the Sharma’s getting any kind of story so this has been really nice. 

- I also loved getting to see the factory again today. It’s been so long since we’ve really seen people working there. And I loved Nicola telling Laurel that she’d put Kerry on toilet duty if she stepped out of line with Laurel. 

- I love that we’re finally getting back to Laurel and Nicola’s friendship too. Nicola makes her so much more interesting and fun. 

- The Bobel fallout is good. I do think that aside from the start which was pretty random and for the sake the the ‘Who Killed Emma’ Plot, that, whether I enjoyed watching it or not, they have done a good job of showing the realities of having affairs with families involved and how it’s messy and doesn’t always work out. They did well with that back in the Laurel/Marlon days too. Maybe next time, Laurel can not break up a family when she finds a love interest. Haha. 

- But today it gave us a lovely sibling moment between Gabby and Arthur that I loved. It’s been too long since we’ve seen them together. And I like that Gabby fully understands how grownups can make mistakes considering Bernice is her mum. She’s had loads of experience with that. Haha. And Laurel as well to be honest since she was old enough to really get what was happening during the Laurel/Marlon affair. 

- I also really enjoyed the Bob and Brenda scene at the bus stop. I’m still in the Bob and Brenda hey day in 2013 so I really can get behind these scenes with them. Haha. I’m glad she’s still pissed off at him and letting him know it but that she also feels sorry for him since she did/does love him. I kind of hope they at least become friends again if not more because they do work well together. 

- Debbie Debbie Debbie...blah...haha. I just don’t care about anything to do with Joe at all and I’m tired of listening to her whine about stuff. I did enjoy her and Charity burning the wedding dress though. That needed to happen. Haha. I think I enjoy Debbie best when she’s being snarky with her parents. I can leave the rest. 

- I’m glad she knows about Graham having Joe’s phone though...perhaps that can move this story along now a bit. The sooner it moves on, the better. 

- ELLIS WORKING AT THE SCRAPYARD IS MY DREAM AND I’VE WANTED IT FOR SO LONG...ever since I realized Ellis was in their age bracket and not like a five year old or a teenager. I’m so happy it seems like it’s actually going ahead. I loved him interrupting them and just asking for a job and pointing out that Aaron does no work. I loved him being confused about what he needed for the job and then going out and buying all new stuff like he’s preparing for the first day of school. It’s adorable. I also feel like Aaron totally has spares of all of that stuff too so I feel like he just wanted to see if Ellis was committed. More than you Aaron...more than you. Haha. And I loved his bit with Brenda. I’m so glad he’s fitting into the village like he is and interacting with everyone. It’s great. I love him. I want to make an Ellis pop toy. haha. 

- Although I’m curious to see if Ellis really does start next week when Aaron’s not even around??? Haha. Maybe Robert will supervise him???

- And then there’s Robron. Haha. I’m happy they’ve sort of resolved things for the moment in that it’s not going to be actively angsty and tension filled...only simmering beneath the surface. I guess. Haha. I really am curious how long this will continue on and where it will go. I like that they haven’t crushed the ‘more kids’ dream just yet and that it’s more on the back burner until they’re both ready. I just hope that Aaron will come to realize that he is maybe more the one that’s not ready because having another kid won’t solve his problems. 

- I’m glad Seb got to see at least one of his dads on his birthday. That’s nice. I also liked that Robert gave Aaron every opportunity to come with because he clearly doesn’t really agree with Aaron’s new ‘hands off completely’ stance. It makes me feel better that even though Aaron is sitting there crying on the sofa while Robert goes off to see Seb, it’s not because Robert doesn’t want him there or he’s being purposely excluded or anything. Or that the show just doesn’t value the relationship enough and just didn’t bother having Aaron go. It was clearly a thing and a thing that made both of them sad and I appreciate that even if it makes me sad too. 

 - But anyway...please give me Ellis in a hi-vis vest over his bright yellow puffy jacket, rocking his safety goggles now please!

#belated live blogging #emmerdale #robron

[scrapyardboyfriends]

Jenny’s Belated Live Blogging - 29th December 2018

- I...miss Diane in the pub. I’m kind of already tired of Vanessa just hanging out at the bar 24/7 and standing over Charity’s shoulder. When does her suspension end? I want her back at the vet’s surgery interacting with that crew again. And all of the Ryan birthday stuff and Matty just seemed really contrived. I don’t know. Blah. 

- Sad Matty’s date didn’t work out though. I am proud of him for just putting trans on his profile though. Good for him. 

- Vic’s new hair is cute. And I enjoyed her quietly telling Ellis about Tracy’s party and did enjoy that banter with Charity for the most part. Charity just seems to be a bit too much right now. I mean I get that it’s because it’s for Ryan and she’s like...trying too hard and stuff but I don’t find it that fun. *shrug*

- The Bernice birthday stuff was great though. Her popping all of the balloons and shouting at the stripper and coming back for the handbag at the end. All amazing. I’m still laughing because Liam must have already known how old she was since he was her doctor though. But I’m glad she and Nicola are on better terms again right now. We’ll see how long that lasts. 

- Also, Jimmy swaying to the music the stripper put on and looking like he was genuinely going to enjoy the show? Is the reason I love Jimmy. That and his ‘No one listens to me!’ 

- And Liam’s face after hearing about Misty was priceless. A strong drink indeed. 

- The Robron stuff was....underwhelming. I did like Robert’s quip about Billy not bringing his mom this time and Aaron’s little teary eyed face when Robert told him the charges were dropped was nice but...as much as I wanted this to be a Billy/Ellis/etc story anyway, I was enjoying the thought of Aaron and Robert being properly involved and having a real role in it that lasted more than two and a half episodes. It’s just...disappointing. It’s not a reflection on either of their characters...it’s a reflection on the fact that I still just want them to have a damn story!!! It’s been so long and they keep having little starts to stories and then it never pans out. I always get all excited for something starting and then it’s like..oh...it’s over in two episodes and was barely anything. Sigh.  Can they just give them their surrogacy story just so I know they’re going to have a real long running thing already?! I have needs. And those needs require them to have legitimate screen time again. 

- I’m also still just thoroughly confused as to whether Robert actually did beat him up?? Are we supposed to really believe that he just went out and roughed him up for Aaron and Billy dropped the charges and that’s it? Is there more to it?? It was all written very weirdly and clearly to set up all of the Billy and family drama but...underwhelmed really is the word.

- That said, I’m thoroughly enjoying the Billy/Ellis/Jessie/Marlon/April side of things. That morning scene was so tense with Ellis being sarky and Jessie just barreling in with Billy and banging around the first aid kit and poor April getting caught in the crossfire. That was way out of line of Jessie to bring her into that fight. I was glad Marlon called her out on that and left. 

- I was glad to see Billy at least try and go talk to Aaron even though Aaron wasn’t having it. It shows some willing perhaps. That and dropping the charges. It makes me a bit more sympathetic towards him. Like he’s trying. 

- His conversation with Marlon in the pub kitchen was also fantastic. Again, I liked seeing Marlon stick up for Aaron and push Billy into admitting the truth. And I liked that Billy did own up to it, that even though he was sort of trying to talk his way out of it that it wasn’t really him, that it wasn’t that bad, when Marlon made him point blank answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’, he had to admit that ‘yes’ he did hurt/torture Aaron. And I liked that he did sort of admit to Jessie that he had done some bad things, even if he didn’t tell her everything. 

- It’s also very interesting to watch Jessie struggle with this. It’s clearly very hard for her and seeing her there crying on the sofa not wanting to believe that Billy was capable was tough to watch. 

- Ellis is still the wild card. Are we supposed to believe that maybe it was him that beat Billy up? I really have no clue. But that last scene with them was a nice preview of what may be to come with them. There’s clearly a lot to unpack there. Ellis is such a happy guy with everyone else and it’s clear that Billy just immediately sets him on edge and there has to be a reason for that so I look forward to getting into that more. I hope they don’t mess it up. 

#belated live blogging #emmerdale