Winterfest Rules
Tanthamore Winterfest is a two month long event full of writing and art prompts based around the pairing Kit Tanthalos/Jade Claymore from Willow, brought to you by the makers of @tanthamoretober. The goal is to have some chill, flexible reasons to write during the months of December and January. This challenge also encompasses other characters and pairings within the Willow universe.
How does it work?
You create fan content inspired by one of the prompts and post it during the challenge period, which starts December 1, 2023 and ends January 31, 2024. You can do one shots or string the prompts together for a multi-chapter fic, and all types of fan content are welcome: art, fic, vids, fan mixes, rec lists, meta, memes.
What prompts?
We have multiple types of prompts, and you can choose what inspires you best. There are four lists of text-based tables, and three moodboards in case visual prompts speak to you more. You can pick and choose from any of these and interpret them any way you like.
Text prompts: Masterlist
Text-based: Out in the Cold
Text-based: In From The Cold
Text-based: Summer Edition
Text-based: Dialogue
Moodboards: Masterlist
Why are there summer prompts in a winter fic challenge?
Because some people live in New Zealand, okay? Or other places. Apparently there's a whole hemisphere where December and January are summer months, and if you're not feeling wintery at this time of year we don't want that to hold you back from participating!
How do I share my cool stuff?
Add it to the Winterfest collection on AO3!
(Use the ‘Post to collection’ button, or see How do I add work to a collection for more info.)
On tumblr, use the tag 'tanthamorewinterfest’ so others can find it (as well as any relevant content/pairing/prompt tags.) You can also tag this blog, and we’ll reblog things throughout the month.
Does it have to be Tanthamore?
It doesn’t! You can create things for any prompt with any character or characters from Willow, you can write different pairings, you can do whatever you want forever. Just make sure that your fics are tagged appropriately!
Can it be any rating?
Yes absolutely! Write the most E-rated thing your little heart desires, just tag it as such so readers can decide for themselves.
Can it be any length?
Sure! There is no minimum or maximum word limit.
Does it have to be canon?
Nope - it can be canon, canon-divergent, or any kind of AU you would like to write!
Does it have to be finished?
Nope, not at all. If one of the prompts inspires you to start a long fic, you are still totally welcome to add it to the collection during December-January and carry on working on it after the challenge is over. We will close the collection after the challenge is complete (probably sometime in the first week of February) but you can continue adding chapters to anything you have already added.
If you have any other questions, just send us a message :)
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so kiss me
tanthamore /
# inspired by kiss me - sixpence none the richer 💋 occurs before the events of the show!! no beta we die like ballantine, cross posted on ao3, gave them a more dramatic height difference because I Can
"I can't stand these things," Kit declared, defiantly slamming her cup down on the table and earning a glare from Sorsha a few meters away. Not that she'd notice her mother's disapproval, anyway.
Jade set her own cup down slowly, as if the delicateness of her own actions would make up for the roughness of Kit's. It was another beautiful night spent in the stuffy confines of the banquet hall. Jade longed to leave the party - maybe even a little more than Kit did - but it was not her job to entertain the rebellious tendencies of the princess, as much as she wanted to.
"Would you like to dance?" Jade asked lightly, noting the restlessness of Kit's hands. The band was playing well tonight, and the dance floor was crowded. Those who weren't dancing were drinking and eating and chatting noisily away. She knew that the last thing Kit wanted right now was to be around other people, but it didn't hurt to try, right?
And Jade was right. "Have you seen the amount of people on the floor? I haven't seen it this crowded ever. And Mom will get me to dance with some stupid suitor from god-knows-where and maybe even talk to him." Kit shuddered at the thought, earning a laugh from Jade. Always the optimist.
"I wouldn't mind dancing, though," Kit admitted a moment later. "But only with you."
"I have to say the same, Your Highness," she replied. For a second, all Kit could see was Jade and her eyes that got so bright when they were under the light and her beautiful red hair and the freckles dotted across her face. I could count them, she thought. I could stare at her for hours and then tell her how many freckles she has.
When Jade finally looked away, Kit hadn't even noticed what had drawn her attention away in the first place. She followed her gaze to where the commotion seemed to be coming from. A barrel of wine had been knocked over and was leaking red all over the floor.
"How did that even happen?" Jade muttered, almost in awe. The crowd was split and running to avoid the mess, the commotion deafening, and without the melodic tunes previously playing in the background, it was chaos. Sorsha was dancing around the puddles on the ground, calling for someone to get up and do something to stop the leak!
Jade averted her eyes, the thought of seeing the queen in such a state feeling somewhat wrong. Kit, on the other hand, was absolutely thrilled, her face lit up and a laugh lodged in her throat.
"Let's go!" she hissed excitedly, and without another thought, Kit had swung her legs over the bench and jumped to her feet. Jade followed suit, not even realizing what she was doing until she was standing.
"Wait, what? Are you actually going to help?" she asked in disbelief, eyes flickering between the mess in the middle of the hall and the wild look on Kit's face. Why was she even asking that? She knew Kit. She was not going to dive headfirst into saving her mother from embarrassment out of pure goodwill.
Right again. "Jade, as much as I'm dying to get drenched in wine, I have other plans. Now come on, please?" Kit's hand was outstretched, tempting.
"Where are we going?" Although Kit did often refer to these parties as 'so boring it'll make you kill yourself', she'd hardly ever actually left one halfway. Sorsha had her ways of coercing her daughter into 'royal duties', and they worked.
Mostly.
"You'll know. It's not like the grounds are that big," Kit teased, waiting for Jade to take her hand. Just waiting, not hoping - somehow, she didn't have a doubt in her head that she'd refuse.
Their hands collided together, Kit wasting no time in grabbing the other's the moment she reached out. She always liked the way Jade's hands felt. Warm and slightly bigger than hers - calloused and scarred but still gentle. Kit's were cold and unscathed, so it was a nice change.
The pair stole out of the hall and into the cobblestone courtyard, heavy skirts hitched up to reveal their scruffy matching boots underneath. Jade couldn't help but grin when she saw Kit wearing them too. Sure, they would wear troublesome gowns and pin their hair back into place for a night, but world be damned if they had to force their feet into those suffocating heels.
"What she doesn't know won't hurt her," Kit said, 'her' being Sorsha. She broke into a run, still pulling Jade along with her. There was no need to rush, but the adrenaline rush from their escape (and Jade's hand in hers') was nothing short of exhilarating.
They ran all the way around the castle to one of the gardens, next to a huge floor to ceiling window that looked into the hall that they'd just left. The surroundings were weakly illuminated by the light coming from indoors, a light breeze rustling the trees and bushes. Clearly the situation had finally been resolved, because the din was relatively softer now. The barrel had been run dry, and the servants were now dutifully mopping up the mess.
If someone inside the hall had looked at the floor near where the window ended, they would have seen two pairs of eyes peering into the room. Jade and Kit stood and watched beneath the window, the latter on tiptoes and thoroughly enjoying watching the aftermath of the disorder.
"Looks like nobody managed to stop the leak in time," Jade commented. "What a waste of wine."
"It was probably diluted to hell," Kit scoffed, dropping back onto her heels and dusting off her hands.
Jade turned away from the window. "What are you going to do when your mother notices you're missing?"
"That's for future me to deal with."
"You know, with the amount of trouble you get into, one would have assumed that by now you'd have a way to get out of it."
"Thinking ahead is… is not something I'm familiar with. You should know that about me."
"With all due respect, Your Highness, I know. Because you usually drag me into it too."
The band inside the hall started up again. The music was low at first, uncertain, but after a few cheers from the crowd the music came back in full force.
Jade took a deep breath of the sweet night air, glad to finally be outside and able to enjoy the wonderful weather. A radiant full moon hung above them, accompanied by a swarm of stars.
While she watched the sky, Kit physically could not take her eyes off Jade. If the flickering candlelight lit up Jade's eyes, the milky moonlight practically made them glow. Despite their mutual hatred for party gowns, Kit couldn't help admiring Jade and the way her dark green dress draped so prettily no matter the way she moved.
"Jade Claymore, will you dance with me?" The words left her mouth before she let herself overthink it. Jade's gaze shifted to the girl standing in front of her. The music played softly behind them, filling the silence as Jade shuffled across the lawn to Kit. Her dress dragged across the ground and rustled the grass, but she stepped carefully so as to not trample the wildflowers. She smiled again when she stopped, and Kit thought she'd never see anything more beautiful.
"Who am I to deny my royal Highness?" This time, Jade took Kit's hand first, to the princess' surprise, gently pulling her in close before letting her hands settle on Kit's waist. Her grip was loose, almost hovering. Kit put her arms around Jade's shoulders, hoping that she would take the damn hint and hold her properly.
There was barely an inch between them now, the slight height difference doing nothing to stop the fervent eye contact. Kit couldn't suppress her smile as they danced. It was nothing complicated like the tedious routines her mother forced her to learn years ago - this was simple. It was perfect.
"Why do they overcomplicate dancing so much?" Kit whispered. "All those stupid steps and unnecessary twirling. This is much nicer… just getting to hold the other person and move to the music, you know?" Jade's hands relaxed little by little as she talked, the tension melting as their usual banter returned.
"I think I like this more too. But maybe I shouldn't judge - I never had professional lessons like you did, after all."
"You know, I used to pretend the instructor was… someone else. It made it feel a bit less like torture."
Jade wasn't one to jump to conclusions, especially when it came to Kit - but the way she looked away when she had mentioned the 'someone else' was telling, needless to say. "Was it me?"
She'd meant to make it sound teasing, unserious. But once again her unwavering loyalty betrayed her, and the words had sounded a lot more genuine than she'd wanted them to. Kit's eyes widened at the response, expecting a change of topic instead of the boldest question Jade has ever challenged her with.
"What if it was?"
"…I'd be flattered, I suppose." Jade's mind raced to find the words, still caught up on the fact that she'd even said that. "And surprised?"
The music stopped, replaced by distant claps and cheers. It was like the noises in the vicinity had doubled in volume - the chirping of crickets, the whispering wind, and the quick beating of two hearts. None of them could remember when Jade pulled Kit in so close that their bodies were now pressed against each other, or when Kit's hands came to rest on the nape of Jade's neck.
Neither of them pulled apart, even though everywhere they were touching seemed to burn, even though their faces were so, so close.
For the first time tonight, Kit deliberated the words on her tongue. She didn't dare imagine what Jade would say or do in response, but she held onto that little spark of hope. The spark of hope she felt whenever she noticed Jade staring at her from the corner of her eye.
"Can I kiss you?"
Oh, was all Jade could think. Oh, oh, oh. The princess' bright blue eyes were filled with what Jade could only describe as longing, and she wondered if they mirrored her own. Wondered if all those years spent trying to convince herself that her heart beat for the kingdom of Tir Asleen and not the heir to the throne were for naught. Wondered if she loved her back.
Jade nodded tentatively, exhaling shakily. She hated false hopes. She waited for Kit to pull away, or laugh that she was joking, but it didn't come.
Kit leaned forward and her lips brushed against Jade's, more carefully and tenderly than anything else she had ever handled in her life. When Jade didn't reciprocate, Kit's eyes fluttered open, her heart dropping. Had she somehow misunderstood? And now her friendship was ru-
Jade crashed her lips into hers, banishing any other thought from Kit's mind as the taller girl pulled her in even closer and craned her neck to meet Kit halfway. Kissing Jade was beyond anything Kit could have ever imagined, her arms tightening around Jade's neck and for a beautiful moment she wasn't Princess Kit of Tir Asleen, she was just Kit and Jade was just Jade and this was all she'd ever needed. Both relief and want flooded her veins, so impossibly glad that the redhead had wanted this just as much as she did.
The loud thumping of two pairs of footsteps approaching, accompanied by a familiar voice shouting Kit's name, forced Jade to pull back, breaking the kiss. Kit made a whine of disdain.
"I think that's the Queen, Princess," Jade whispered, looking wistfully to the side. Her hands were still shaking, heart rate jumping off the charts from the kiss, but she fell to her first instinct - to protect the princess. Kissing her was nice, of course, but she couldn't do that when Kit's mother was angrily lecturing her.
"Imagine her face when she finds her daughter sneaking off to swap spit with her best friend," Kit deadpanned, unraveling herself from Jade's grasp. She missed feeling Kit against her already. Their hands remained tightly entwined as Kit hitched up her skirt, as if she was getting ready to make a break for it. "Don't worry, I have a plan."
"Which is to run from your mother and rile her up even more?"
"You know me so well."
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