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fictionallystable · 2 months

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Rating: Mature

Fandom: Call of Duty (Video Games)

Relationship: Phillip Graves (Call of Duty)/Reader

Characters: Reader, Phillip Graves (Call of Duty), Original Male Character(s)

Additional Tags: Author Has Played Call of Duty, Childhood Friends, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, slight age gap, Civilian!Reader, Pre-Canon, Jealousy, Angst, Kissing, Time Skips, Slight OOC Graves, Brother's Best Friend.

Words: 1,990 | Chapters: 3/5

Authors: @orphancains & @collinnmckinley

Chapter 3: Happy Birthday.

Chapter Summary: Your parents invite Phil and his new pretty girlfriend to dinner, and things take a turn but not for the better.

A/N: Sorry for the late update. But here is Chapter 3, finally! We'll try to post Chapter 4 sooner than this one. Again, thanks for hanging in with us! :) (likes and reblogs are appreciated <3)

the fic can also be found on AO3

tags will be updated!!

In front of you a cake with light purple frosting and exactly thirteen candles sat on it . Your mom had ordered it and it was a special order for your birthday. You were excited to finally get into your teen years , and you were grateful your mom didn’t force you to invite your old classmates from school to your home, despite your father’s initial ideas. Instead, you sat at the table outside in your backyard, the same oak tree you always played under as a kid provided your family shade as you sat by the cake, whose candles you blew out just minutes before. You were content to just be with your brother, mom, dad, and a few cousins for the afternoon, rather than surrounded by strangers masquerading as friends. And now, you were excited to dig into the cake.

“ Wait wait wait- Before we eat,” Your brother spoke up, while your mom removed the candles with smoke still spiraling off their tips. “I wanted to give you my present.”

You gave him a confused chuckle. “Matty, you already gave me the present this morning, remember?”

“I have something else,” he said with a sly grin before jogging off back into the house.

You looked up at your parents, as if silently asking them if they knew what he was up to. Your mom shrugged while your dad only huffed.

When your brother came back, your jaw dropped and you gasped. In his hand was a bundle of fur , but most importantly, the said bundle was moving and when you looked closely you recognized it as a small German Shepherd puppy. He couldn’t have been older than 2 months. In typical puppy fashion, he wiggled out of your brother’s arms to scamper toward you.

“I just picked him up from the humane society an hour ago.” He let out a breathy laugh.

When he let go of the puppy, immediately the fur bundle tried to leap onto your lap, sniffing your face and giving small kisses near your nose as you bent down to carry him. You giggled at the tickling of his whiskers against your skin. You cooed lovingly and caressed his head and felt his soft fur between your fingers. Purposefully, you sang the dog praises loud enough to drown out the sound of your parents trying to reprimand Matty for this ‘expensive’ gift and the “ Matty, we’re going to talk about this later ”.

You beckoned your brother to come over to you, and when he did you hugged him tightly.

Your brother knelt down in front of you. “ So? You gonna give him a name? ”

You furrowed your brow, still petting the dog. “Oh shoot ! Now I have to think about that don’t I… ”, your brother shook his head amused at your conflict.

Before you could begin brainstorming, you heard the door from the house open and looked up. You saw Phillip there, closing the door behind him holding a gift box. When he glanced at you, he gave a small wave and one of his soft smiles. You stiffened, but you waved back hesitantly. You didn’t expect him to come. Suddenly, you felt nervous, embarrassed. Scenes from the night of that disastrous dinner flashing in your mind, him kissing Marisa by the pool also invading your thoughts. But you tried to brush them aside. And when you did you felt a hint of the same joy you always felt when Phil appeared. As if feeling your emotions too, the new puppy sitting on your lap yapped and barked happily at the sight of the new human.

Your brother glared briefly at Phil. “Dude, you’re late.”

Phil ignored his comment, focusing instead on you and the dog on your lap. “Holy shit, Matty—” Phil’s cursing prompted a low grumble from your dad “—I thought you were joking when you said you were getting her a puppy ,” he said as he approached you. “And you actually got her a German Shepherd. Jesus, he’s gonna be as big as a bear when he’s fully grown.”

The puppy then lept back off your lap and landed on the floor, clambering up Phillip’s leg trying with his front paws. He knelt down and gave the dog a few pets as well. “Man, I don’t know if my gift can top this,” he said with a small laugh as the dog also l icked his face. You felt your heartbeat quicken a bit at the mention of him getting you a present. You were surprised he even kept your birthday in mind, let alone wanting to give you something after what had happened.

He stood back up and dusted the grass off his knees. “Sorry, I’m late. Had to meet up with someone real quick on the way , it took longer than I thought.”

“Don’t worry, Phillip, we were going to save you a slice of cake just in case,” your mother warmly added, to which Phillip thanked her.

He handed you the box gently and said, “I made sure to bring you something though.”

You felt your throat tighten and you felt your eyes wanted to water from the emotions flooding you. Regret, from the dinner. But also adoration for this boy who felt like a second older brother to you, but even more than that. You couldn’t find the words to describe it. Instead, you held the present, unwrapping the lilac and silver wrapping paper slowly.

When you opened it, you felt your heart soar in your chest.

“Oh, my god…” you exclaimed, looking up at him in surprise. Phil had gotten you the artist kit that you had been dreaming about for months, but you could never afford with what little money you had saved. Your eyes shined with joy as you held the gift in disbelief. “I can’t believe you got this! You—you actually remembered!”

He furrowed his brows for a split second, but he continued to smile and tenderly placed a hand on your shoulder. “Of course I did.”

Standing much shorter than Phillip, you had to crane your neck to look at him, but your heart fluttered when you saw the warmth with which he looked at you. Without a word, you jumped forward and wrapped your arms around his chest, hugging him tightly. With the hug, you could feel all the shame and hurt from the past couple of weeks melt away. He hugged you back, his larger arms making you feel safe.

“ Oh, god! The dog is trying to eat the cake!,” your mom was panicking.

You pulled away from the hug and found that, yes, the puppy had its two paws on the edge of the table, his nose dangerously close to the slices of cake that your mom had put aside while she cut the rest.

“ So , what’s his name?” Phillip asked you gingerly but also choked back a laugh at seeing your dad scratching his graying head of hair in annoyance.

“I’m not sure…” you frowned at the thought, grabbing the dog and carrying him, you held him to your chest while he panted happily at Phil beside you.

He hummed in return.

“Why not name him Bear then ?”

He blinked and mulled over this for a few seconds, but gave you a playful smirk. “Bear… Yeah, I like it.”

The start of the school year was quickly approaching. You sat in your brother’s room as he was packing his bags for college and with a now slightly larger Bear chewing on a toy beside you. The next day, he was going to drive with your dad to College Station, where he was going to start his first year. You watched as he begrudgingly packed his clothes into bags, asking him questions about it. “Are you nervous?” “What classes are you taking?” and most importantly “How often are you coming back to visit?” You couldn’t deny you were going to painfully miss him. You were glad he had gotten you Bear to keep you company in his absence, but it wasn’t the same.

“I’ll try to drive back home every few weeks, okay?. And I’ll definitely be back for Thanksgiving.”

When he started packing his video game discs, you froze for a few moments, before asking him. “Hey, is Phil going with you too?” You now wondered why your dad didn’t mention also driving him to College Station with Matty.

Matty stopped packing and looked at you with a small frown, puzzled. “No, of course not. He shipped out last week.”

It was your turn to frown now. “Shipped out? What does that mean?”

He grimaced . “ Oh, he never told you…” He paused and ran his hand through his hair in frustration now. “What the fuck, Phil,” he mumbled under his breath. With a heavy sigh he looked up at you with regretful eyes. “What I mean is… he left to start boot camp with the Marines a few days ago, Y/N.”

You leaned away and stared in confusion “Wait, w-why would he…” you stammered, unable to finish the question. “He… left?” You felt your heart shatter but you were still so confused. A thousand thoughts ran through your mind. Since when did Phil want to join the military? He never did mention college to you, you suddenly realized. But when did he decide to just get up and leave? And why did he never tell you?

Your brother sighed again, “Yeah, that’s why he got here late as fuck on your birthday. ” Annoyance flashed in his eyes for a brief second. “He was at the Marines’ recruiting office, getting the paperwork done, setting up dates and… finalizing his decision to join, I guess.”

Your eyes were watering. You fought so the tears that were gathering behind your eyes . “Why… wouldn’t he tell me ?”

Matty opened his mouth to answer but he couldn’t find the words. “I don’t know, to be honest. I told him he should, but he didn’t say anything .”

You stood up from his bed and headed towards the door. Your heart ached at knowing Phil didn’t trust you with this information, or worse, you fear that he didn’t care about you anymore to tell you anything . “ Why did you keep this from me…?” you asked as you gripped at the door frame. You felt betrayed, ignored, small once again. You felt like the dumb little sister once more.

Your brother stood up and gently held onto your shoulders. “Listen, if I know Phil like I think I know him, he’d surely have a reason.” ‘What reason would have been big enough for him to hide about his enlistment?’ “Don’t forget, he cares a lot about you.” ‘Does he?’

You felt like your knees would give up , you leaned into his chest slightly as you tried holding back your cries, but ending up staining his shirt with your silent tears . “I didn’t think… I didn’t think he would actually hide this from you . He said something about not wanting you to worry about it. ”

On the bed, Bear nervously whined seeing you in tears. Matty wanted to guide you back to his bed to sit you down, but you removed his hands from your shoulders as you started to leave the room. Bear trailing behind you.

In your room, you sat on the bed as it became gloomy all of a sudden. Whenever something plagued your mind with concern or a wave of depression hit you, the atmosphere changes drastically in your room. Bear’s cold, wet nose poked your hand. You slowly raised it to gently caress the dog, feeling your cries grow into quiet sobs . Sniffling and your vision blurred from more tears gathering in your eyes, as you slowly laid down on the bed . Curling up on your side you cried into your pillow. You breathed deeply as you realized now: Phil could in a matter of months be in a warzone tens of thousands of miles away from home. The heartbreak and sense of betrayal that had stunned your senses were now inundated and replaced with fear. You didn’t know if you’d ever hear back from him. Knowing him, he maybe didn’t even have plans to come back to your town because his parents were never home. His house was never really his home.

“Oh, god, please ,” you thought to yourself, “please stay safe Phil. ”

#cod x reader #phillip graves x reader #cod fanfic #phillip graves fanfic #phillip graves x you #phil graves x you #phil graves x reader #graves x reader #Authors Has Played Call of Duty

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eboyloser · 3 months

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my TTS/VAT7K headcanons part I | Varian

- He/Him transmasc

- Tangled universe equivalent to Indian and German. (Ulla is German, Quirin is Indian and Italian)

- He can speak Coronan (German), The in-universe equivalent to Hindi, Saporian, Ingvarrian (Russian), and short bits of other languages like Latin. Despite his Grandma being Italian (look at my Quirin Headcanon’s) he never learned it fluently since his dad never spoke it to him but he did try and pick it up. One day when V was like 12 he just decided he wanted to learn as many languages as possible.

- Invented most modern cleaning supplies (hoover/vacuum, hand held hoover/vacuum, those special mops, etc) after the science expo to help Cass out

- Quirin taught him how to use a bow and throwing daggers, whenever Varian isn’t reading or doing experiments he is probably practicing his aim. (this is why he’s so good w throwing goo bombs and hitting on target).

- Quirin didn’t speak about the brotherhood but he did raise Varian with some of its culture, (bedtime stories, recipes, superstitions)

- Varian and Quirin speak mostly Coronan at home but will sometimes speak in Hindi (the in-universe equivalent)

- When Varian is frustrated he will sometimes exclaim in Hindi since no one else knows what he’s saying and he can curse all he wants. also he shit talks people in Hindi (he gets in trouble if Quirin hears him).

- Came out as trans at like 7 after cutting all his hair off in the bathroom sink. Quirin has better things to worry about than his kids gender so he is fine with Varian being himself

- although he hates Andrew and the Saporians, he still keeps the bandana with him. He mostly uses it to keep his hair tied back when doing experiments.

Part II

#tangled the series #varian #tts varian #varian tts #vat7k

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junglxqueen · 2 years

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The Verstappen Devil [03]

In which you get the most important people in her life. A/N: Imagine this whole conversation in the whole chapter is in german.

When I met Mick I just was a little kid (Somewhere around 8 or 10). It was a wednesday, I think, and my father had a driver’s meeting. He dropped me off at the building’s daycare and who was there? An annoying blonde kid (at the time I considered him annoying because he wouldn’t leave me alone but now that I think about it, he was just a sweet kid that wanted to make friends).

I have to admit, I didn’t start with a good foot. Instead I fought him for every little thing that he did. I even made him cry telling him that he was adopted (I had a really bad day and I took it out with him, I still feel bad about it). At the end, after what seemed like 5 minutes of him crying non-stop I felt guilty and I went to apologize to him. Quickly we made up and when we started talking we realized we both had a lot in common: We both had parents that drove super fast cars for a living, we both liked cars and we really enjoyed watching scooby-doo. We were like twin siblings separated at birth!

Since that moment we didn’t stop talking, we went everywhere together, we called each other on the land lines and talked for hours, we did everything together, we were like attached to the hips. His father welcomed me to his home with open arms, I considered his family like mine and my family? Well, I’ll say they liked him more than me.

Ten years pass by and our friendship is still going strong. We even moved in together last summer when I found out that I was going to be racing in F1.

Why keep separated apartments if we aren’t going to be home most of the time? It’s just a waste of money and we could get a better place if we unified our funds. Also, even before we moved in together we spent most of our free time with each other, so it seemed like a no-brainer for us.

His family didn’t have a problem but I think Seb was a little annoyed with the idea of me moving out. Hanna (God bless her) ended up convincing him that I was old enough and it was time for him to let go and for me to “open my wings”.

So he gave in to the idea, not without making us promise that we would keep a day of the week to have a meal all together. “To keep the family alive, and for the old times” he said (I think he just was scared of losing us).

And that day was today, Monday. Normally we would have dinner together and maybe play some games or watch movies. Today we had a little competition of who had the best pizza. It was Hanna and Seb against us. Theirs was excellent, maybe Seb’s was missing a little bit of salt but Hanna’s was great. Ours on the other hand… not so good. Mick’s was sweet (he confused the salt with the sugar), and I forgot mine in the oven so it was a little bit… crispy let’s say. We definitely used much more cutlery than what we had to. So Mick and I stayed cleaning the dishes while they put the kids to sleep.

After a while we all went to the living room and sat on the sofa as Mick brought a bottle of champagne with glasses.

“Champagne?” I asked surprised as he sat next to me on the sofa for two. He smiled at me excitedly as he opened the bottle.

“Yes Schatz, because today we are celebrating!” Mick answered as he poured the liquids into the cups. Hanna let out an excited cheer and applauded. He gave us the glasses and Seb stood up with the cup in hand. Mick placed his arm on my shoulders and I curled on his side with my head on his shoulder and cup on my hand, ready to listen to my dad’s words.

He kept quiet for a second, thinking, before clearing his throat and placing his eyes on mine.

“Yesterday was an extremely important day for you Y/N. Not only was your first race in Formula 1, which alone is already a huge accomplishment, but also you made your first points for your team. And that is amazing! I still maintain my word that that was too risky tho” He narrowed his eyes, to which I rolled my eyes with a smile and Hanna slapped his side as a ‘not now’. “Moving from that, I have to admit that it wasn’t a surprise. I don’t think it was a surprise for any of us” He looked at Hanna and Mick and they denied with their heads. I look at them feeling my eyes get glossy and the warmth in my heart. “You see?” He looked back at me as I fought to keep my tears in place. “What you did yesterday was incredible and we all knew that you could do it. And you have no idea how much I screamed when I saw you cross that line”

I had, I had an idea actually. He doesn't know but had his radio on and the whole world could hear his excited screams of “That’s my little girl” or "I knew it! I knew that she could do it!" and I'm not planning on telling him neither. When I heard his voice I cried so much and I saved those audios to be able to hear them later on.

“You are my little girl Y/N and you are growing so much, it kinda makes me sad and scared but at the same time it makes me so proud to see the woman that you are becoming.”

When I see the tears on his face I decide that there’s no point fighting mine anymore so I just let them be. Mick looks down at me and kisses the top of my head as he caresses my arm.

“I wanted to tell you that I’m proud of you, and even if you leave this all behind to become a teacher, or do anything else, or do nothing, no matter what. I’m proud of you Y/N and I’ll always be.” His voice cracks at that last phrase, so he takes a minute and clears his throat before continuing. “So, here’s a toast for yesterday, for what you’ve done. For today, for who you are, and for tomorrow, for what is to come.”

I smile as they click their cups. I place mine on the table and I raise to hug my dad in the tightest and warmest hug that I can give him.

“I love you so much dad.” I murmur against his chest. “I wouldn’t be who I am today If it weren’t for you. Thank you for being here, for all that you gave me, thank you.”

He answers the hug in the same way, leaves a kiss on the top of my head and rests there for a minute. “I love you more than you do, little wiver. Who you are now is your own merit. I was just there in case you needed me and I still am.” He grabs me by my shoulders and separates me a little to be able to look at me. “Just remember…”

“Take care of your heart” we say at the same time and I chuckle.

“I know dad, will do” I give him a kiss on the cheek and move on to hug Hanna, hear her words and then come back to Mick and go back to the position we were before as I drink my champagne and we spend hours talking about racing and stories from the past.

At one point I fell asleep in Mick's arms (or half-sleep, half-awake, because I could still hear their voices whispering).

“I think I’ll have to say goodbye because I'm pretty sure that Hanna has already fallen asleep,” Seb said and Mick chuckled.

“Hanna and Y/N both, she’s been out for 30 minutes now.” He answers and Dad laughs. I hear Seb wake his wife up and they both say their goodbyes.

“You need help with her?” Seb asks as he is leaving.

“Nah, don’t worry, I’ll take her to bed.” Mick says.

“Where would you sleep?” Oh, good question. Seb and his whole family settled at Mick’s room for the night.

“I’ll sleep on the sofa, I’ve done it before so there’s no problem, It's really comfortable” If I was awake I’ll call him out for his lie. He hates sleeping on the sofa, he says that they are uncomfortable so he’s never done it, not in these ones at least. I hear them say goodbye and I feel him lifting me up and walking upstairs towards my room.

“Hmm” I complain when he places me on my bed and I stop feeling his warmth.

“Shh.. Shh..” He says, covering me with the blanket. “It’s okay, you can sleep comfortably now. Goodnight Schatz.” He whispers leaving me a kiss on the forehead.

“You ain’t sleeping on the sofa” I murmured without opening my eyes as I grabbed him by his shirt . He makes a noise, surprised that I’m awake.

“But…“ He starts and I cut him off.

“But nothing, I won't let you sleep on the sofa. Go change and come back, you are sleeping with me“ I state as firmly as I can with my voice coated with sleep. He agrees and gets out only to come back a few minutes later, I imagine, ready to sleep. I feel the bed sink next to me and I turn around to face him.

He smiles nervously and takes something from the nightstand next to him. I look at him curiously.

“I.. brought you something for your birthday but I thought that it would be a good idea to give it to you now.” He says with his voice also coated in sleep and several tones lower (don't tell anyone I said this, but I adore that voice). He gives me a little box and I look at him surprised.

“Mickie, you didn't have to, what for?“ I ask as I open the box and see the content under the warm dim light of the lamp on the nightstand. It’s a black braided bracelet with a circle thing in the middle. On it there’s a drawing of a sun. I smile and look at him excited.

“Umm.. so you know that you are the sun, right? or at least that's how I see you and I’m the moon. Like, those are our roles and I thought that it would be cute to have those designs on it.“ He talks nervously and fast. He shows me the identical bracelet on his wrist, just that his’ has a moon design. “You know that the moon without the sun will be nothing, like just a giant thing in the sky with no grace. Also if you touch here“ He reaches to touch my bracelet. I look at his beautiful eyes, still processing his words.

Yeah, move past that as if you didn’t just say the most heartwarming thing ever.

“My bracelet vibrates. Look.“ He shows me and indeed, his bracelet shines and vibrates. “It works the other way around too. Let me.“ He takes the gift in his hands and puts it carefully on my wrist. Then he presses his´ and mine vibrates and shines too. I look at it amazed and I look back at him when he starts to talk again.

“I thought that it would be a good idea to give it to you now because you started racing so kinda like a congratulatory gift. Like the necklace that you gave me.” He touches the necklace on his neck and I smile remembering the day that I gave it to him. “Racing is scary, and dangerous, and we know that and we accept it." He says quiet for a second. "But the thought that something can happen to you and I'll have to wait and depend on someone else to tell me that you are okay... it scares me to the bone. So I saw this and it seemed like the perfect gift for the occasion. Now we just have to press it…“ He presses mine and his’ vibrates, he repeats the action on his. “to know that we are okay. I can even double tap it and it means that I love you.“ He presses his’ two times. He smiles sweetly, looking into my eyes and silence sets between us. “Say something, you are scaring me.”

I can't do more than smile bright and bring him in, hugging him tightly by the neck as he hugs me from the waist. I was never good at words and his' just left me speechless. I laugh as I leave a kiss on his shoulders, feeling my heart melt from how amazing this guy is.

“You dork, you just made me cry. I love it, I love it, I love it.” I lay back to look at his eyes and he smiles, delicately wiping my tears away with his thumb.

“It wasn't my intention. I'm sorry Schatz, I´m just relieved that you like it and don't find it creepy.”

“No! No, at all. This is perfect. You have to know that I´ll be annoying you all day with this tho.“ He laughs as he goes back to hugging me tightly. “I’m so lucky to have you Mickie. Thank you for this, thank you for your friendship. You are amazing“ I whisper. "And you are right, this is the perfect gift."

A few minutes later and still into each other's arms, and with his words still warming my heart, the sleep starts to take in. The last thing I remember is the feeling of his lips kissing my forehead and staying there for a minute. He says something in a whisper that I can’t understand and I make a mental note (that I’ll forget) to ask tomorrow.

Tagglist: @iamasimpingh0e @celinehdr @memeorydotcom @multifamdomfan12 @idkiwantchocolatee @isasv @marelovesf1 @teamspideyman @fictional-l0v3r @capela-miranda

#F1 #aston martin f1 #f1 x reader #max verstappen #sebastian vettel #mick schumacher #sebastian vettel x reader #max verstappen x reader #f1 fic #mick schumacher x reader #fanfic #charles leclerc #carlos sainz #charles leclerc x reader #carlos sainz x reader #f1 imagine

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wowbright · 4 months

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Fic: Home for Christmas

Fandom/pairing: Glee, Kurt/Blaine

Event: December Klaine Fanworks Challenge 2023

Prompt: I'll Be Home For Christmas

Words: ~650 words

Rating: Teen and up

Summary: On Blaine’s second Christmas as a missionary, he calls the Anderson clan. But first, he calls Kurt.

Notes: This is part of my Mormon!Klaine universe. It takes place after Out of Eden, which I am still in the process of posting to AO3. It’s among the likely possibilities for their future.

* * *

Christmas was as perfect as it could get on a mission. Blaine spent the day at the refugee center, playing with kids and chatting with the adults who didn't know German, but knew English. He and his companion came here at least twice a week now; President Steele had increased their service hours to ten a week so they could help out with the church’s refugee efforts. And because it was Christmas, they were allowed to spend even more time volunteering.

This was the kind of missionary work Blaine loved—sharing Christ's love not by preaching, but by helping to put smiles on the faces of people who had every reason to frown.

Unfortunately, they couldn't spend forever there. In the evening, they returned to their apartment to make their twice-a-year phone calls home. Blaine’s companion went into the bedroom for his call, shutting the door behind him. Blaine stayed in the kitchen and removed his contraband phone from its hiding place in his bag. He would call Arizona in a few minutes, but first he had someone else to talk to.

“Blaine! I'm so glad you got a chance to call! Merry Christmas!” Kurt’s voice was effervescent. It made Blaine feel light and bubbly inside. He was so grateful to Elder Nixon for convincing him to buy this phone.

“Me too. My companion is in the bedroom now calling his folks, and the door is closed. I love Christmas!” Blaine was already smiling so hard, he could feel a pleasant ache in his cheeks.

"Have you already called your folks?”

“No, he thinks that's what I'm doing now. And I will call them, but I had to hear your voice first. So tell me all about your Christmas!”

“Well—” Kurt launched into a warm and funny story about a candy cane incident involving his dad and aunt. “And yesterday’s caroling at the senior center with the old members of the glee club was fun. Most of our audience really seemed to enjoy it, but my favorite was the old lady who hated us. They had a big table of craft supplies for making decorations, and she kept taking the pipe cleaners and folding them up in suggestive designs and then throwing them at us. And she had the most creative insults! Really spunky! I can only aspire to be so charismatic in my old age.”

Blaine chuckled. Kurt was one of a kind.

“Now, tell me about your day,” Kurt said. “What did you do? I hope you didn't have to sit through an uncomfortable Christmas dinner with a family you hardly know. I hated those. I always felt like I was imposing.”

"It was great!” Blaine told Kurt all about it. They texted regularly, so Kurt was familiar with many of the names and personalities. But talking was special. Blaine didn't get many chances where he was alone enough that he could carry on a conversation out loud on his verboten phone.

“I'm so glad you're getting to volunteer more,” Kurt said. “You sound really happy.”

“I am, when I'm working with them. Some of the other stuff is still hard, but whenever I can help people, everything gets better,” Blaine said. “I still miss you, though. A lot.”

“I know. I miss you, too. I don't say it much, because I don't want to do anything that would pull you back home before you’re ready. But I’ll be really, really happy to see you and hold you and kiss you and … Well, my dad’s in the next room. I can't get too graphic. But I'm looking forward to all that when you get back, Blaine.”

Blaine felt himself blushing—out of delight more than modesty. “Me, too. And I can't wait to be home with you next Christmas.”

“Oh?” Kurt’s tone was flirtatious. “Whose home? Yours or mine?”

“It doesn't matter. Anywhere you are is home to me, Kurt.”

#december klaine challenge 2023 #prompt: I'll Be Home For Christmas #mormon!klaine #wowbright writes fic #klaine fic #klaine fanfic #klaine fanfiction

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lennies-blog · 8 months

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youtube

Sky Sport Interview Special - "Hardenacke meets.. Episode 3" with Mick Schumacher

English Translation below the cut 😊

Peter Hardenacke: „‘Hardenacke meets…‘ Episode 3 and from a very special place at that! We are in Kerpen, at the Michael Schumacher Kart Centre, and are meeting his son, Mick Schumacher. We’re excited!”

PH: “Mick! I’m glad we found the time to talk! A very special place, Kerpen, hometown of your dad, Michael. I think the name ‘Kerpen’ is immediately connected to the Schumacher family! What does it mean to you?”

Mick: “Ehm.. childhood is the best word I believe I can use. Because I was here very often as a child, I drove karts here – well not here exclusively, also at the track in Kerpen-Manheim – and it was a very lovely time, a time where you didn’t think too much and just had fun.”

PH: “So Kerpen is a piece of home for you in a way? You’re on the road a lot with Formula 1, the US is a location for you, Switzerland.. Where would you say is home for you?”

Mick: “Switzerland, really. Just because I grew up there and we have our house there. Therefore, it’s home. But I definitely see this as my second home and have my friends here, so I love to be in this part of Germany.”

PH: “What were you like as a child? As a student in particular?”

Mick: “What I was like as a child? Well, someone who has been very distracted, because he had something really nice and that was karting. That’s where my thoughts have always been, even in school. And I always went here or to another kart track near straight away and was allowed to drive races and I knew from a very young age that I only wanted to race and luckily it went in that direction.”

PH: “We’re going to come back to that later – but staying at that, your time at school..”

Mick: *laughs* “I’d rather forget about that!”

PH: “I’d love to see that in front of me! How was Mick as a student?”

Mick: “Ah! How was I as a student? Well, I really liked German and English, because I was better at that than most of the others, ehm, but my absolute favourite subject was sports! It was always quite nice, school, of course, but my favourite was being at the racetrack or at home.”

PH: “And karting, when did that start?”

Mick: “Well, I had my first kart at 2 ½ years old, 2 years old and drove around the yard with it and a bit later at 4 years old it got cross tyres, a chain saw engine (I have no clue if it’s the right translation, never heard of it) and I got a quad on top of that, the motorbike at 5 years old.. I then had a nice arsenal to choose from, but always used the kart. At home we had a little hill, where I always came at with verve and jumped over it with the kart! I loved that! And a bit later the kart grew and with it the urge to drive. I started my first race at 8 in Spain, if I’m not mistaken and.. yeah, I never stopped racing since.”

PH: “And when have you known ‘That’s going to be it!’ regarding the direction you want to go to.. Because I think Michael never really wanted that for you both? I watched the documentary about you in the intro he said, ‘Oh well, if possible, it would be great if they would do something else!’, right?”

Mick: “Yeah, but I never wanted to do anything else! *grins* My dad asked me when I was 11 years old if I’d rather come here to play football, to hang out with friends and my answer was very clear that I wanted to do it, to do it properly, and decided the following year to drive international or to start at bigger national races and then also race internationally, Europe Championship, World Championship, ESK and what else they had back then. And that was basically the start to ‘professional racing’.”

PH: “And the decision was made here, right? Where you discussed it?”

Mick: “In Kerpen, in the KS Imbus.“

PH: „And what were the changes for you then? You already said it all got a bit bigger, also with all journeys, but regarding what you invested or were allowed to invest yourself, was that a big change?”

Mick: “Yeah, along the lines of not taking your helmet off and going off to play again, but rather think about it, what you can change to get faster, think about the driving itself, what I can do better – of course, at that time I was around 11, 12 and you don’t really think about (physical) training as it is way too early for such a small body – but just simple thoughts afterward and not running off, talking to the mechanic about what to do with the kart to get faster.”

PH: “How big was the influence of Michael at that time already? Could you learn something about how he works, which approach he had to some things?”

Mick: “I think at that age you don’t really perceive what happens around you. Of course, I knew that Papa was a racing driver, but what all that entailed wasn’t that clear, yet. And.. I always knew that I wanted to do it, but I didn’t know how hard it was actually going to be. So, I know what Papa meant by saying ‘Rather do something else!’, but in the end, I am incredibly proud to have taken this path and seen it through until the end. And without his support, his tips, and everything I wouldn’t have ended up where I did.”

PH: “What kind of feedback was it? You know about the dads who are always there at football practice, cheering and talking at them during the matches.. Was there a kind of exchange.. when you drove..?”

Mick: “Not at all. The exchange was always that he tried different tactics. Sometimes he tried to be very strict, sometimes not at all, always tried to see ‘what does Mick react to?’ and there were always a few moments where I actually had to think about ‘Okay, what did I do wrong now?’, but those were always moments that brought me forward, so I really liked this up and down, this inconsistency in a way, because it’s not that different in motorsport. You meet people who are giving you everything, who support you 100%, and some you are not behind you 100% and you still must deliver the performance.”

PH: “So he had a really good feeling about you-“

Mick: “Very good”

PH: “-what you need at that time, if you need a bit more pressure, or a hand steadying you.. so that was mainly where he had a good feeling about you.”

Mick: “Exactly”

PH: “So not like with Max Verstappen, where he - do you know that story? (*Mick nods*) - Where he (Jos) left him (Max) at a gas station?”

Mick: “And he had to walk.”

PH: “And he had him collected by the mum an hour later because the result wasn’t good?” *laughs*

Mick: *With a very neutral voice and expression* “No, we didn’t have that, no.”

PH: “How was it for you in general with the pressure? I mean it’s always there anyway and you also put it on yourself, to win races, to get better, but also to get a foot in with that name in the karting scene? Was there ever someone, or didn’t everyone say, ‘Now here comes the son of Michael’ and was that a special burden?”

Mick: “No, not at all, because Papa never gave me that pressure. So it was super easy to just do what I wanted to do, in a sense of how hard I wanted to push myself or not, and as I said Papa had an amazing feeling for it ‘Don’t think about it too hard, we’ll do the best that we can’ and it was clear from the very beginning of what Papa said and also Mama that if I don’t want to do it then I don’t have to. And that has taken a lot of pressure off me.”

PH: “What was your biggest talent?”

Mick: “The first lap. These one-on-one battles, the first laps, let’s say when I didn’t start from pole to always fight my way up to the front when the field was very compact, making the right decisions, which line to take, or when I started from the front to have a kind of calmness and to not take on the pressure but to start the race relaxed.”

PH: “Timo is also saying that about you, Timo Glock (former F1 pilot and current fellow Sky Germany host) because I talked to him about you before I talked to you. He said what had always been impressive about Mick was his racing intelligence. To know when to do what, he said that is really distinctive with you. Would you agree?”

Mick: “Yeah, I would agree. It’s a lot of fun for me, so it might be a bit easier for me.”

PH: “You started your Formula career via karting, with Van Amersfoort, which memories do you have of that time?”

Mick: “My first year in Formula 4… (I remember) That those were the first 2 weekends that I had, so the first 6 races in my career and they were an absolute rollercoaster. From an average race to win to a crash to a broken thumb, it was all within those first 6 races that I had, but it was still a very nice time. I learned a lot from Van Amersfoort and definitely took it with me to my second season that I then did with Prema and yeah, where it went relatively well.”

PH: “Fritz van Amersfoort said that you above all always tried to improve, looked at where those possibilities were, such a meticulousness that you have taken with you from how you learned it.”

Mick: “Yes, I think so, too. I had it in me then and it guided me throughout my whole career, this ‘always try to improve and always trying to get the best out of the package that you had’.”

PH: “Then you went on to Prema, Formula 3, Formula 2, and particularly in the second seasons always taking the big leaps. Why was that do you think? That you always needed the first year to settle in? Was that normal?”

Mick: “No, we had some difficulties in the first year with technical problems that you can’t really see. We were always well off regarding the speed, ehm.. so we could’ve been further up in the championship, but that’s all history in the end. We won in the second year and that’s what counts.”

PH: “When was it clear to you that the step up to Formula 1 was happening?”

Mick: “With the Formula 3 victory.”

PH: “In Spa?” (Referring to Mick’s first race win in F3)

Mick: “No, with the championship”

PH: “Ah okay, I thought. But the first race win was in Spa?”

Mick: “Yes, the first win was in Spa, with the first pole position and the first win. But to win the championship was the first moment for me when I thought ‘I can do it’ and that I do have a little talent to be able to make it.”

PH: “When you said ‘Phew, I can do it!’ – were there doubts along the way?”

Mick: “Doubts? I think if you don’t drive without any then you would never try to achieve the 100%. And I think it’s very important as a racing driver but also a person to doubt yourself – of course to a certain degree – but, to always try to get better, and to get the best out of yourself. If you’re too self-assured, then you’ll say ‘Oh well, I achieved everything’ and you lean back and then.. it starts going backward.”

PH: “How was the transition then? I remember when we met in 2019 at Nürburgring when you were supposed to drive for Alfa (Romeo), the first free practice, and it rained too hard that it didn’t work out. Many believed back then it could work out with Alfa and in the end it was Haas, take us with you again on this journey.”

Mick: “Ehm.. I mean the Formula 2 season was that you had the last race in Europe in Monza and then you had this big break before the last race in Abu Dhabi. Ehh, Bahrain, sorry. And in between was (F1) Nürburgring, for example, where we were supposed to drive the FP1, but didn’t due to the weather. And then it was clear that for the last race of Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi I was supposed to drive the last FP1 for Haas. What went quite well for me. I was feeling well very quickly and yeah, it became clear pretty quickly that that would be the next step for me for the next year. And I then won the championship, which was my first goal before getting into Formula 1, the first goal I then reached, the second goal still being open, which is to become World Champion, so.. I’m still working on that.”

PH: “Which I’m sure is going to work out. Mick, regarding the decision, when that happened, how was it to reach this milestone for you?”

Mick: “You can only be 100% sure when it’s signed by both parties. And when that was the case I was really happy, that I got this chance. But when I was really, really happy was when I drove the first race.”

PH: “How was that first meeting with Günther Steiner, do you still remember it?”

Mick: “Pfft.. Ehh.. In Bahrain when I did the seat fit. That was the first time when I met Günther.”

PH: “What was your first impression back then?”

Mick: “Well, back then ‘Drive to Survive’ was already out, so I had an impression of Günther, already, but yeah, it was like you would imagine.”

PH: “That first year in Formula 1 was under hard circumstances anyway, I believe, with Haas practically knocked off, basically driving the race for oneself. And what you had to do, to beat your teammate Nikita Mazepin at the time, you did. What did you take with you in this first year?”

Mick: “Yeah, we had our highs two or three times, with a Q2 appearance, which wasn’t thinkable at that time, but we did it and that was really nice. The first one was in Turkey, the second one was in Paul Ricard. But if you drive a car that is soo inferior, I mean our highest downforce setup, the Monaco downforce, was even higher than the downforce setup for Ferrari. So that’s how you can imagine that it had nothing to do with it (the 2021 Haas). And even if I drive the cars now, from Mercedes for example, the 2021 car that I drove at Goodwood, which I was allowed to test prior at Silverstone, that has nothing to do with it (the 2021 Haas). So it makes sense why Lewis and Valterri were able to drive those times when we really had to fight for, but I personally think that it’s good that I also achieved something with the car that I had at that time. Of course, it was a bit different in the season after that, but you couldn’t really learn a lot when you’ve only ever taken a look at your own data and didn’t really have a comparison and the team expects you to develop the car but we didn’t have any experience from Formula 2 how to develop a car, so those are all processes that you learn from a teammate of course, who might have some experience, or needs the time to learn it himself. In that case, I sadly didn’t have the time to really learn that myself.”

PH: “And in the second year, Nikita Mazepin had to leave after testing, Kevin Magnussen came – who came back from pre-retirement in a way – as your teammate. How was the dynamic within the team before the season started in Bahrain?”

Mick: “The dynamic was positive, of course everyone was happy that Kevin was back, and had placed their bets on him in that case. It was the first time for me to be able to collect experience from a teammate. Sadly, because we had such difficulties within the first year, we adopted some habits, that fit that (2021) car really well, but not to the new one. Which we then tried to change with new setups and whatnot and Kevin simply drove, which we probably should’ve done, too. Because those are such minor details, which when you have too few people who are looking after two cars will of course get difficult. But yeah, we made the best out of what we got and still had some few successes throughout that whole year that were positive.”

PH: “You have pressured yourself a bit too, then, with the crash that you had in Saudi Arabia, in Monaco was another one, the situation with Sebastian Vettel, where you had the duel where you could’ve driven into the points where it didn’t work out in the end – how did you experience it back then for yourself? Also what came then, from your team principle, from Günther Steiner, from your team principle? Would you have needed something different to be able to show the bets you’ve got?”

Mick: “I mean I don’t want to justify myself there, but there is more about the crash and the situations than meets the eye. Because there were things there that were depicted way worse – about the crashes and about me – than they actually were. And of course, if you then have a person that is very active in the media who is taking this thing with them and is building this thing up in a way that it didn’t have to be built up in. Of course, it wasn’t ideal, it was not ideal. Because everyone crashes. And in that situation in Saudi Arabia, I was relatively happy that I was okay and certain people then started talking about something else that was unnecessary and.. just tried to.. to make a complicated situation out of a situation. Didn’t really like that, and yeah, I’m with you there, I could’ve needed something different, especially when I’m looking at how it’s actually supposed to be when I’m at my new role at Mercedes with Toto Wolff, but also with different team principles, for example at McLaren or Williams, then the two 2 years had nothing to do with it. You can’t expect your drivers to be able to show their best when they’re not supported in the right kind of way. So much about that. But I learned a lot, I learned a lot as a person and in the end, no one will ever give you flowers, you have to pick them yourself, I know that now. And I feel ready to fight again and to show what I can actually do because I think a lot of people don’t actually know what I can do.”

PH: “Mick, what I have always found very admirably, which I think I’ve always told you, is the calmness that you had. You were never rattled by anyone, were always in balance, and were able to free yourself from that pressured situation, by driving into the points, in Austria, in Silverstone, the curve went upwards, and that despite the little experience that you have. When you now look back at that situation, would you still say that you would’ve done something differently, that you should’ve stepped back at one point and said ‘Until here and no further’? Or are you at peace with yourself and would say everything was okay the way it went for myself and for my part?”

Mick: “In the end, you are always wiser. I always say ‘Woulda shoulda coulda’, it is how it is, I experienced the situation how I did and handled it how I did, and looking back, sure, you can always do something differently. Would you want to do something differently? Maybe. But all in all, I am the person I am today because of those experiences. If I tried to undo all my mistakes retrospectively or to improve them, I would not have the desire now to improve myself. I am the person I am today because of the experience I have had, and I know what I am able to do and what I am worth and can, hopefully when I get the next chance, do it better accordingly.”

PH: “You have already described it a bit how it is with Toto Wolff, for example, who is looking after you – how would assess the next year? All of the German Formula and motorsport community is hoping for you for you to drive in Formula 1 again. What do you think is happening now? Which options do you have?”

Mick: “Well there is not a lot moving at the moment, a lot of the drivers are set, a lot of the drivers have a set long term contract, of which many end at the end of next year, so we have to see. The season is still long. I am in touch with Toto a lot, we think about what we can do daily. But in the end the decision is not mine to make, sadly. I can only present myself and say ‘This is what you can get, this is what you can expect’. I know that I have yet a lot to give, that I want to show a lot more, can show more, and that’s what I fight for now.”

PH: “What you can also see with Alex Albon, who also made it back to Formula 1 with a little detour. Is there a Plan B for next year, in case it’s not working out with Formula 1?”

Mick: “Sadly, I have to say yes, there is a Plan B, but I have to talk about that a little later on. Yes, there is a Plan B.”

PH: “What do you wish for, for the future?”

Mick: “Well hopefully another chance in Formula 1, that is my goal, that is what I want to do, where I see myself. That is my life. I have worked 15 years of my life towards it and won’t settle for being out after 2 years. Therefore, that’s my goal, that’s what I want to do, that’s what I fight for now and will do my best.”

PH: “Our fingers are crossed! Mick, thank you!”

#mick schumacher #mick translations #oh wow a lot to unpack here!😶#this felt like i was watching mick attending a therapy session #but loved the way he slandered in a perfect media trained way #the 'you can only be 100% sure when it’s signed by both parties.' sounded a lot like what went down at the end of 2022 tbh and i hate it!#and someone give that man a self picked bouqet of flowers!! 😭😭#some strong miley cyrus quotation happening here #and it sadly also sounds like mick knows he prob has to and will go through with a plan b next season #as he said there are just not enough seats this year #pls enjoy my fingers definitnely need a break now 🥲#(posting this again cause it didnt appear in the tags)

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aoicheri · 2 years

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Lazy Mornings & Cuddly Boyfriends - Liu Yangyang

Pairing: Liu Yangyang x gender neutral!reader.

Genre: Fluff, humor, and a lot of cheesiness.

Warnings: Mentions of food.

Word count: 700, give or take.

Requested?: Nope, but this idea has been swirling around in my noggin for a while now.

A/N: Repost from my old account. I did not steal my own work.

Please reblog my fics. Tumblr is based on a system of reblogs and so it pushes my work out astronomically more.

⁎⁺˳✧༚⁎⁺˳✧༚⁎⁺˳✧༚⁎⁺˳✧༚⁎⁺˳✧༚⁎⁺˳✧༚⁎⁺˳✧༚⁎⁺˳✧༚⁎⁺˳✧༚⁎⁺˳✧༚⁎⁺˳✧༚⁎⁺˳✧༚⁎⁺˳✧༚⁎⁺˳

[7:19 a.m.]

You woke up to the sound of YangYang’s soft snores and soothing heartbeat, his arm wrapped protectively around your shoulders and leg strewn across your waist with his head above yours. The sunlight shining in from the window was harsh to your still sleepy eyes, making you snuggle closer to his chest. He stirred a bit, pulling you closer and burying his head into the top of your own.

“G’morning baobei,” he hums, not yet opening his eyes. The remaining sleepiness was evident in his gravelly voice.

“Good morning, Yangie. How’d you sleep?” you somewhat slurred, the sleep not quite leaving you either. You pulled away from his chest slightly to look up at him, and he looked down at you with eyes filled with a mixture of sleepiness and love.

“I slept alright, though you in my arms definitely made it better.” Normally, you’d tease him for being so cheesy, but right in this moment, seeing him give you such a sincerely loving look and his eyes glittering with adoration, you couldn’t help but smile a little. You loved moments like these with Yangyang. The times where, despite your rather playful relationship, you two would talk openly with each other, whether it be about what’s been stressing you out that week, how he can’t quite get the choreography for their upcoming comeback down, or even times like right now, where all you do is talk about how much you really do love one another.

“Good,” you reply, snapping yourself out of your thoughts. “I’m glad.” you smile a bit wider, looking him in the eyes before kissing the tip of his nose. You giggled slightly at the way he smiles and scrunches up his nose as his eyes turn into the most beautiful crescents.

“How about you?” he asks, bringing a hand up to tuck your hair behind your ear. The eye contact he sustains is enough to make your heart flutter, him still looking at you with nothing but pure adoration in his eyes. “Oh, YangYang,” you thought to yourself, “The things you do to me without even realizing it.”

“I slept okay too, I guess, but I had this weird dream you turned into a German shepherd and everyone just went on like it was normal.” He let out an incredulous laugh at that, making you grin. You loved seeing YangYang happy.

Smile still wide on your face, you begin moving to get up and make breakfast for the two of you. You gasped a bit when you felt YangYang grab your wrist and pull you back down, attaching himself to you like a koala and nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck. “No.”

“No? Yangie I’m trying to make us breakfast.” you said as a chuckle slipped passed your lips.

“No,” YangYang whined, lifting his head to place his forehead against yours and kissing your nose. “Stay in bed with me for a while longer, please? I’m not hungry yet.”

Nodding, you kiss his nose back, smiling softly at how cute your boyfriend can really be behind closed doors.

This time, it’s your turn to bury your head in his neck. You leave a kiss to his collarbone, erupting a small giggle from him. He can feel you smiling against his neck at this, making him grin, himself. He would never admit it to you, but the things he did to your heart were the exact things you did to his. He loves you more than he even knows how to express.

For the next few hours or so, you two stay like that. Some times you just sit in a peaceful silence, just enjoying each other’s presence. Others, you’re talking about random things or laughing at a cheesy dad joke or pickup line the other made. Either way, you were both completely entranced in one another, one wrapped around the other’s finger. You wouldn’t give up YangYang for the world, nor would he you.

#yangyang #liu yangyang #nct nct u #wayv #nct fluff #wayv fluff #yangyang fluff #nct x male reader #wayv x male reader #nct x gn reader #wayv x gn reader #yangyang scenarios #yangyang timestamps

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raenavolante · 2 years

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Some Antfrost facts:

Starting simple:

-he has a twin. Yes. (Ant is younger and shorter)

-his birthday is in August, not November

Okay. Now that that’s out of the way:

-dream taught him minecraft parkour years ago

-he enjoys hiking

-his dad and brother(craftclan) watch his mcc pov live

-he and craft, as toddlers, tried to shove a cat down a laundry shute

-he prefers online classes to in person, but also says he ‘doesn’t have to do anything’ during in person classes

-he tends to leave things in his office for long periods of time (this is about the hot sauce, yes)

-velvet was his first crush, and subsequently his first boyfriend

-he grew up Christian

-he played like… every sport as a child

-he started developing allergies around 8-10 years old

-he wasn’t much of a dog person until he met velvet

-when he’s drunk he’s either very nsfw or extremely romantic (wedding talk vs simping for league characters)

-he moved around a lot as a young kid, he lived in Maine for a few years before moving to Virginia and then eventually California last year

-he’s very close with his mother

-he loves velvets parents and can’t wait for them to be his official in-laws

-on top of his gluten and lactose allergies, he also has a mild peanut allergy

-speaking of allergies, he’s never been tested for celiac, but his doctor told him to live like he does due to the severity

-he would love to try Taco Bell because of how passionate velvet is about it

-his cat Floof used to have a sister

-Frannie is his favourite over Finley

-he lurks in quackity’s chat fairly often despite not speaking Spanish

-he has 2 monitors and wants a third but hasn’t gotten around to it yet

-he’s terrible at remembering ages. He couldn’t even remember his own

-apparently the only way to tell him and craft apart as kids was his mole on his lip

-he’s embarrassed to admit he and velvet technically e-dated for three months before becoming long distance

-he is not, in fact, a furry [allegedly]

-he would prefer a simple gold ring to a fancy one

-also he would like a smaller wedding

-and to propose to velvet after velvet proposes to him

-he’s in no rush to get married but will say yes no matter what

-he’s talked a lot about wedding stuff if you couldn’t tell

-promised he would kiss Scott Smajor. Unless something happened at twitchcon, he has not done so yet

-velvet has changed his political views a lot, for the better (his words)

-he shoved some stuffed animals in a bag 10 years ago. This bag remains unopened and sits in the background of his streams.

-his facecam is a few pixels too far left to fit fully in frame. I hate this.

-he would wear one of gumis outfits if given the chance

-he doesn’t understand why people care so much about height (hes 5”7)

-he recognizes most regular chatters by name and talks to us in his discord

-he’s expressed discomfort with people shipping him with people other than red, but when it comes to bbh x ant he is extremely vocal about finding it weird. (Valid)

-one of his friends pushed him to confess to velvet

-he did in fact make the first move in their relationship

-his response to “you make the same face in every photo” is “yeah, I’ve been told.”

-Frannie[the dog] shoves him to the edge of the bed

-he absentmindedly plays with velvets hair a lot

-thinks velvet is ‘hot as fuck’ with a beard

-he used to go to the gym regularly before the pandemic

-he’s read fanfic about him and velvet (hey mello)

-his grandma is German, and her accent comes out when she yells

-that fact came up when telling the story of nanafrost walking in on her grandson and his ‘bestie’ sharing a bed

-he uses pet names more than velvets actual name irl

-they both use ‘cutie’ because velvet didn’t like ‘babe’

There’s more I could add but. I’ll stop for now. Friends feel free to add more ant facts

#antfrost #velvetiscake #fun facts #rae’s writings

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occult-roommates · 9 months

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When a daddy's boy ends up with only a mother

A few days after breaking up, Dawud was at work, cause life goes on even when a relationship ends. Anyway, he wasn't feeling that sad about it. Still, when he came across Ralf at the end of his shift, he just had to start bitching.

Dawud: And like, he always dyed his hair black and he looked awful. Red hair suits him way better but no. Also I know he meant it as a joke but I hate how he called me stupid because I didn't know panini means sandwich in Italian. Like, languages are hard man. Ralf: I'd agree with you, but I speak like three so... Dawud: German, English, what's the third one? Ralf: Spanish. Dawud: Why the fuck do you speak Spanish?? Ralf: Mi esposa esta Latina y viví en América del Sur durante unos años. Dawud: How come everyone but me knows Spanish! Also I have no idea what you just said.

Then, as if they were not in one of the busiest airport in the world, out of the thousand of people who take off and land there every single day, Dawud just had to run into...her.

Dawud: Um...hi. What are you doing in San Myshuno? Farida: I've been invited to see a conference on how spellcasters kept a matriarchal tradition in spite of living in a world dominated by human male. Dawud: Oh uh, ok. Have fun.

As awkwardly as that conversation went, Farida left to catch her taxi, and Dawud just went back to Ralf.

Ralf: Ooooh, rebound with a cougar maybe? Dawud: Ew dude, that's my mom. Ralf: ...Sometime I wish that crash had killed me. Dawud: What? Ralf: By the way, that was awkward as hell. Do you like your mom?

Dawud pulled Ralf aside, and then they went to sit down in an employees room. Nobody was there at that time, he could explain it to him without anyone hearing.

Dawud: Well, I mean, I like my mom obviously, I love her. But...it's always been hard between us. Like, growing up I've always been a daddy boy, even though to be honest, my parents were very busy with their jobs so I spent most time living with my friend Audrey. Then, they divorced and they got shared custody and I remember hating going at my mom's house, even if I was still young enough to need to be babysat by Audrey's parents. I remember seeing my dad as the fun cool parent and my mom as the boring strict one always busy working on some academic paper. Ralf: Ok, but that was just you being a kid right? Weren't you like, eight when your parents divorce? Dawud: You're right, but then...You know, my dad died suddenly a few years after. Which like, it's already hard for a kid, but I was the one who found him, an aneurysm suddenly burst during the night basically. Anyway, shortly after the funerals, I got into an argument with my mom and I snapped and said I wish she was the one who died. Ralf: Oh that's...bad... Dawud: Of course, I made her cry and I felt so guilty I just...I promised I will never disappoint her again. It kinda succeeded, but then you know my life story so needless to say, I did ended up disappointing her massively, and since then we can barely talk to each other. Though like, she wanted to have a girl instead of a boy, so I've been a disappointment since the moment I was born. I don't know why I even tried.

Ralf didn't know what to say, he could sympathize with wanting to make his mother happy, but other than say "it sucks man", he had nothing useful to add.

Dawud: So now that I've explained this, you gonna elaborate on that plane crash thing? Ralf: Uh...I mean, you've just bared your heart to me, so guess I got no choice but to explain then...

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#ts4 #sims 4 #the sims 4 #simblr #ts4 simblr #sims 4 story #sims story #ts4 story #occult roommates #dawud sahan #ralf montag #farida alwan #OcRo s2 #long post

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mothmans-cumrag · 9 months

Text

Rewatching The Apple be like

finally! I took a break of about a year but I'm back!

I feel like I'm always saying this but how many people, especially high ranking people does it take for them to go on a mission? because of "strange sensor readings"??

I forgot how hot Bones is, fuck (<- this is also Jim's and Spock's internal monologue whenever they see him, btw)

"Husbandry would be quite efficacious" Spock I had to google that word before I was sure but I think you just proposed

Ah, the garden of Eden was just outside Moscow scene, we've all seen it

So he just used kilometres which I am happy about but before they were talking about the planet having an average of 76° which must mean Fahrenheit. I am confusion

killer flowers over here lol

Scotty fishing for shore leave <3 love him

Pavel using this situation to flirt as if he did't just see a colleague die like two metres in front of him

no matter how often I rewatch it, the explosive rock scene is one of the funniest things ever to me

Spock diving in front of a deadly plant for his boyfriends is the best thing ever to me, sorry not sorry <3<3<3<3<3<3

Oh wow, the transporters don't work, that's something I've never seen before in my life.

Spock calling the hypospray "potion" <3

Jim is so fucking right every time someone jumps in front of someone they could just fucking yell for them to get out of the way. This way it's much more romantic tho so...

These lighting bolts are so... realistic

Three redshirts down, and one of their dads apparently helped Jim get into the academy? But why did the redshirt not get a better job than redshirt if his dad apparently had some sort of influence?

ah, the survivor's guilt mixed with the guilt of being in charge... getting real Hans Kammerlander vibes rn... (google his name and the Manaslu if you don't know what I mean)

"what do you want, Violins?" will now be my answer every time someone comments on my tone of voice

ohhhhh, this was the planet of the Aryans! (not sure if my being German makes it more or less ok for me to say that, but there isn't another word I know for blonde ppl with blue eyes who are conventionally attractive)

Spock just touched this man's chin. With his hand. Is that cheating?

"If you don't get those Warp engine's working you're fired" mate if he doesn't fix them he'll literally die. WHat are you, Hermione?

Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me no more

"It makes me uncomfortable" bitch I bet, those things look scratchy as fuck

I like how half of them immediately got rid of these flower things <3 literally me

you tell him Spock! Humans literally are the minority!!!

"stawp fighting!!!! They've got the Enterprise!!!!" Jim I hear you but philosophical arguments are literally my only life source

sex. the word you're looking for is sex.

goddamnit they are all so uncomfortable talking about one of the most natural things in the world, idk if I should be amused or sad for them

awwwww, she calls him Pav!!! they are actually pretty cute

i feel gross watching the natives kiss and idk why

how to kill someone 101

oh really Spock. you telling me James Tiddies out Kirk wants to ignore the prime directive? wow. what a shocker. I am shocked.

Bones stepped on the belt of his tricoder when getting up and for some reason this is endearing to me

This is the third time Spock injured himself this episode and yet he is still capable of more sass than any squatch I know (get it? sasquatch. haha.

Damn, Martha can fight! Oh, and the last redshirt has died

awww hell nah, Scotty lost his job :(

awww hell yea, Scotty got his job back :)

They should give them actual sex ed wtf

the bickering at the end is always my favourite thing <3<3<3<3<3<3 10/10 will watch again (and again and again and again)

#st #star trek #tos #star trek tos #mcspirk #bc i talk about them as if they were canon

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herbalsingularitea · 1 year

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Holly Jolly (Chapter 4)

Summary - “Whaaat? That��s bull. I bet they’re discriminating cause you’re young. I know that game and it’s so stupid. Just cause we’re younger doesn’t mean we don’t know what we’re doing, am I right?”

For some reason, this really tickled Bernard.

Pairing - Bernard/OC

Word Count - 6985

Previous Chapter -- Next Chapter

Chapter 4 - Once Bitten, Twice Shy

(December 27th, morning)

Holly sank into her fold out chair with a thermos full of steaming hot chocolate. Powder packets weren’t as good as the real thing her dad used to make with dark chocolate, cinnamon, and their own homegrown chiles, but it was better than nothing.

She had made it back to camp yesterday no problem and gave herself a thorough rub with a wet rag before passing out on her bed roll. She was glad to be able to use her portable stove again, heating snow over an open fire with a single pot she'd had to hold up the whole time was entirely too inconvenient. She sort of wished Bernard had left that wooden rack behind. It could have come in handy.

She had radio’d in to her research station and spoke with Dr. Branson about Bernard. He had been thrilled that Holly had managed to secure a partnership with the Morozko Company, even if it was temporary. Their funding had suddenly doubled and she was given the option to stay for six months instead of the initial 8 weeks she had planned for. She’d still need to return to the station at the end of the 8 weeks for a supply run, but she had full permissions to stay in the North Pole for the better part of the year with a possible extension if she did good work.

She studied the map that Bernard had marked for her and started planning her next steps tracking Catheri—XJ-17. The bear had gone north according to Bernard. She’d taken her cub up near some mountains, which was what Holly had initially guessed was the case when XJ-17 first disappeared. There were plenty of places to hide a baby bear and most likely, she wouldn’t be coming out of the mountains for another couple months when her cub was better able to defend herself if need be. But still, she was hoping she’d catch a glimpse of the new mother and cub, just to know they were okay out there.

Holly had set up several cameras within a 30 mile radius of her camp when she first arrived, but with Bernard’s info on the other bears her team had marked missing, she knew exactly where to move them. She’d have to spend the next few days going around and disassembling the previous set ups, but that was okay. She had all the time in the world now.

She had worked all morning reorganizing her supplies, performing some maintenance on her snowmobile, cleaning her sheepskin rug, and answering emails about the partnership. She should get a jump start on those cameras, but what was the rush? She decided a nice day bundled up, drinking hot chocolate and listening to Christmas songs was well deserved after a solid week stuck in a snowstorm. And yes, she knew Christmas had passed already, but she had spent the actual day shivering alone in the cold, so she wanted to make up for it now.

She was still alone, of course, but at least she wasn’t shivering in the cold. Well, not as much.

If only there was someone there to cuddle up to. Someone with big brown eyes and nice hands and a warm smile. Someone who she could talk to, laugh with, maybe even sing songs together.

She wondered if Bernard liked Christmas songs. Most people she knew were split, either they loved Christmas music or they hated it. She couldn’t be sure, but he just seemed like the type who would get really into the holiday spirit. His outfit was pretty festive in green and red with his jingle bell necklace. Looking back, it made sense why he had been dressed that way. He was probably celebrating the season himself. She wasn’t sure what Christmas was like in Russia, but it must be part of their tradition, like German lederhosen or Scottish kilts. Either way, he looked very handsome in his fancy tunic and hat.

Okay, so she had a crush. No big deal, right? It was normal after being so isolated and then suddenly meeting a handsome, intelligent guy who shared her interest in arctic ecology. She was just so curious about him. He was pretty tight lipped about himself, and she never could resist a good mystery.

Next time she saw him, she would ask him more about himself. If she was going to be working with him for the next few months, she’d like to get a better idea of who Bernard was as a person, where he came from, what he liked to do for fun.

Only in the spirit of camaraderie, of course. She couldn't help her attraction, but that didn't mean she had to be obvious about it. The last thing she wanted was to make him uncomfortable.

Holly sipped her hot chocolate and turned up ‘Silver Bells’ as she settled back into her chair, oblivious to the streak of sparkling blue light that shot across the flatlands and towards the center of the North Pole.

Bernard frantically skidded around the corner of a narrow hallway and slid in behind a crowd of elves at the entrance to the Elfcon headquarters.

“Well, well! If it isn’t the Arch Elf himself!”

Jack Frost stood proud and pristine in the middle of the Elfcon observatory, every elf in the room staring in apprehension at the icy figure. Tamika, Head of Elfcon, looked to Bernard for direction. Jack was leagues ahead of them all in importance, but the Head Elf had more authority here in the North Pole.

“Jack Frost, welcome to our humble Workshop. We weren’t expecting a visit.” He kept his tone carefully neutral. No need to antagonize the mercurial legend just yet.

“Well, I was in the neighborhood and I thought it would be good manners to check in after that little snow storm you all requested to get rid of that pesky human.”

Great, Jack was in a nosy mood. Plenty of magical creatures and mythical figures relied on Jack for his wintery touch, be it to aid in their own projects or as a convenient distraction for wayward humans. The North Pole wasn’t the only place to take advantage of his unique skills, but he rarely took a closer look at these requests. Bernard could appreciate his power and how much it had helped them over the years, but with Holly still out there and Jack’s record of less than tender affections towards humans, Bernard worried for the safety of the mortal girl.

“Yeah, thanks, we’re all good now. No more problems.”

Time to redirect and get Jack out of here as quickly as possible. He’d need to do this carefully. If Jack thought he was hiding something, they’d never get rid of him. Tamika shot a questioning look at the dark haired elf, and Bernard silently willed her to play along.

“Yep, no worries here, Mr. Frost.” Tamika was sharp. “We sure do appreciate your help, though!”

And just like that, the entire Elfcon team was chiming in with thanks and words of praise. Jack soaked it up with a wolfish grin, arms spread dramatically like he was receiving an encore for a top performance.

“Of course, of course, anything for my favorite little elves!” Bernard cringed at Jack’s patronizing response. “After all, you little cuties need all the help you can get without a Santa.”

A telling silence descended on the room. Jack knew. He knew that their Santa was not at the North Pole. That’s why he’d come.

Bernard assumed they would have more time. Of course the Council of Legendary Figures were informed about the new Santa, however, Jack never seemed interested in Council affairs. But of course he’d take note of this particular piece of news, everyone knew Jack was intensely jealous of Christmas. Bernard wasn’t too worried, though. Having Scott down south was actually a blessing in this case. The last thing he needed was a messy human who couldn’t accept his fate yet mucking up relations with the spirit of winter. Jack might cause them some mischief without Santa supervision but he’d never make a move to seriously disrupt Christmas while Bernard was there. He would deal with Jack’s pranks and posturing for now until he got bored and left. Spring was just around the corner, after all, and Jack wouldn’t miss the opportunity to hit the northern hemisphere with one last blast of icy wind before the year started warming up.

“We’re handling it just fine, Jack.”

“Oh, I’m sure you are, Bernie!” His blue face was twisted in mock sympathy. “I’m sure you’re doing a fantastic job. But you’re no Santa, are you?”

Bernard felt his face twitch, his facade of calm wavering. “No. But we do have a Santa who will be ready to go by Thanksgiving, so it’s not a problem.”

“Thanksgiving? That’s awfully late in the year, isn’t it? Why, you must be scrambling to pick up the slack.” Jack was pushing it. Bernard needed to keep his head here.

“We’re working out some new ideas to get ahead of it as we speak, actually. I’m confident that this year’s Christmas will be grander than ever, but we appreciate the concern. I’ll be sure to mention to the new Santa how gracious you’ve been to come all the way up here to check on us.” If Jack wanted to pontificate and pretend, then Bernard would toss it right back at him.

Jack’s frozen grin cracked just slightly as he stared down the Head Elf. For a long tense minute, neither spoke or faltered in their gaze. Tamika shuffled her feet a bit impatiently, and Jack snapped his eyes to her.

“Poor little elves! I must be holding you all up from your very important work. I know how much you hate being idle, please, forgive me!”

Tamika gave him a tight lipped smile. “All good, Mr. Frost. It’s always a pleasure to have you visit.”

“Well, I’ll just be on my way then.” He moved closer in a rigid walk, limbs swinging as if they were half frozen—which they were. “But Bernie,” he scanned the tall elf’s eyes, looking for weakness, “do let me know if there’s anything I can do to help out.”

Bernard’s glare was unrelenting. “Will do. Thanks again, Jack.”

And with one last grin, half twisted into a snarl, Jack was gone, a streak of blue left in his wake.

“This might be a problem.” Tamika said turning to him, arms folded over her round belly. “We should get that human out of the North Pole as quickly as possible. It’ll be hard enough with Jack poking his pointy nose into Workshop business without having to look out for her too.”

“She’s just been approved for an extension. There’d be too many questions if we tried to backtrack now. We’ll just have to monitor her movements more closely.”

Tamika looked unimpressed. “Sir, that’s insane. The Elfcon team has enough work as it is. We can’t afford to babysit some human.”

“Don’t worry about it, Tamika. I’m the only one tall enough to keep in contact with her anyways. I’ll take care of it.” He sounded more sure than he felt. “I’ll just… delegate some of my other duties.”

She raised a brow in disbelief. “You? Delegate? This should be good.”

“Yeah, alright, enough of the insubordination, okay? C’mon, we gotta get going. This whole ordeal’s made us late for the production meeting.”

This was one of Bernard’s favorite parts about his job—planning out production for the year. It was also one of the most difficult parts. He thrived on organization and efficiency. Hearing everyone’s needs and making a plan that would ensure all were happy and supported could be very rewarding. It was like solving a puzzle. He was good at it.

But ten lords a leaping, these department heads could be whiny.

“I’m telling you, plaid is out! It was on its way out last year, and it’s completely out the door and halfway to Bermuda by now!”

“And I’m telling you, we got what we got! I’m not going to tell my elves to throw out a hundred yards of fabric just because you snoots in doll dresses think plaid is suddenly ugly!”

Judy gave him a sympathetic shrug from where she sat across the conference table. He could tell his forehead was red from how hard he’d been rubbing it the past hour.

“Look, let’s all just take a breather and table this topic for now. I’m sure we can all come to an agreement once we’ve had time to cool off.” He said as diplomatically as he could.

“Fine.”

“Okay, great. Judy, what do you have for me?”

Judy gave the room a serene smile as she took the floor. “The Spirit Department is ready to start this year’s spirit surveillance and we’re confident that this year will be topping charts. This past Christmas was a huge success. Christmas spirit has never been higher.”

“That’s great news!”

“Yes, it is. However, we have noticed something slightly worrisome. While Christmas spirit is high, magic pockets in the human world have never been smaller.” She pulled up a world map on the projector with several large fields of blue overlaid in various places. “This is from 20 years ago. Magic thrived in all these areas marked in blue.” She changed the slide to another world map, but on this one, the totally blue areas from before were now thousands of blue dots instead. “This is from this past year. The areas of magic now don’t extend further than the immediate area around a child who believes. Take New York for instance. The entire city used to be a hot spot for magic and belief. But now it’s mostly a dead zone with magic only existing around individual children. Some neighborhoods have more magic if there’s more children concentrated there, but for the most part, the magic is gone from the streets.”

Bernard chewed his lip as he listened. “Do you know why?”

“No, sir. The children’s belief isn’t any less than it was before, it just isn’t spreading into the world like it used to. It’s a conundrum, for sure.”

“That’s… concerning. This is gonna significantly limit where we can send elves out into the human world. Keep an eye on it, Judy, and let me know if there’s any changes. For now, we’ll just have to work with it.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Anything else?”

Judy’s smile was back in full force. “Yes, actually. As you all know I’ve recently taken on an assistant, Abby. She’s a sweet girl, very hard working. Abby has come to me and requested permission to plan a New Year’s Eve party for everyone.”

The Heads seated around the table seemed interested, hums of delight punctuating her words.

The Head Elf looked a bit unsure, however. “I don’t know, Judy, y’know, this is going to be a pretty busy year—we could use that extra time to jumpstart production. And isn’t Abby a bit too inexperienced for something like that? She should probably think smaller, maybe just a party for the Spirit team to start?”

Judy blinked at him, a challenging look on her face. “I seem to recall someone else giving an inexperienced elf a chance pretty recently and might I say,” she looked at Quintin sitting further down the table, Peewee nervously fidgeting at his side, “I think he’s doing a fantastic job!”

Tamika snorted at Judy’s sassy retort. Curtis shot an annoyed look towards a beaming Quintin who sat up straighter at the attention.

“Why, thank you, Judy!”

Bernard rolled his eyes with a huff. “Point taken. Alright, how about this. Curtis and I will do everything within our power to get production ahead of schedule in the next few days so that Abby can throw her party. But tell her it needs to be in the Village. If a department isn’t ahead in time, then those elves can’t go, so don’t expect the whole Workshop to be there.”

“Understood, sir. I’ll tell Abby to start preparations.”

“Great, moving on.”

(December 31st, early afternoon)

Curtis loaded the last doll house roof onto the crate with a definitive grunt and turned to Bernard and Muffin. The Head Elf nodded his head in acknowledgment at the blonde elf. “Nice work, Curtis. I think that about does it for the doll and doll house assembly teams. Muffin, feel free to tell your elves they can head out for the day.”

Muffin squeaked in excitement and twirled on the spot, dancing away to let her girlfriend, Ishaan, know that they’d be able to go to the party tonight. At her pronouncement, the other elves on the teams let out a cheer and started packing up their work space for the day.

Bernard faced his assistant. “Who’s left?”

“Just the Woodworking Department and a few general assembly teams, sir. They didn’t quite make quota.”

“Doug‘s probably kicking himself right about now for wasting all that time pushing oak on the truck assembly teams. He should have known they wouldn’t go for it.”

“He shouldn’t have ordered so much oak to begin with, we never use that much heavy wood.”

“Yeah, true. Well, it is what it is. What’s next?"

A sour expression appeared on the smaller elf’s face. “Quintin was wondering if R&D would be allowed to attend the party since he wasn’t given an actual quota for his elf-shelf thing.”

“Elf on the Shelf. And sure, they can go. We’ve already got over 2k dolls and books ready to ship, I’d say that’s plenty of progress to start.”

“Fine. I’ll let him know.” Curtis grumbled.

Bernard looked amused at his assistant’s disgruntled expression. “What’s with the face? You don’t like Quintin?”

“He’s okay, I just think he’s a bit arrogant.”

“You’re one to talk, Number Two.”

Curtis stiffened at the nickname. “Number Two—I, I, I’m your Number Two?”

Bernard seemed to realize what he let slip and coughed a bit to cover his sudden embarrassment. “Yeah, uh, well y’know, sure! Not officially yet, of course. But you’re doing a great job lately Curtis so, uh, y’know, once Santa gets back—we’ll see.”

Curtis’ eyes sparkled at the praise, his hands grasped together in front of him. “Yes, sir! Of course, sir! I’ll be sure to keep working hard until then!”

“And after, I hope.” Bernard chuckled.

“Right, of course.”

Bernard coughed again, his cheeks still a bit pink. “Well, uh, listen Curtis. How about you go ahead and take off for the party? I’ll wrap things up here.”

“Are you sure? There’s still a lot to do, isn’t there?”

“Yeah, but it’s fine, I got it all under control. I need to take care of a few other things anyways. No use in both of us missing out on the party.”

“What, you mean you aren’t going? Didn’t you miss the Spirit Festival too, though?” Curtis cried.

“It’s no big deal, hey, I’m the Head Elf, remember? Comes with the job sometimes. Keep that in mind.”

Curtis scrutinized his boss, noting the deep dark smudges under his eyes and the tense lines framing his mouth. Bernard had never looked more exhausted.

“Yeah, I guess it’s a taxing position. Maybe you should sit down, sir—you seem pretty tired.”

The Head Elf pushed past him with hardly any reaction to his concern, just a brusque “I’m fine.” and away he went to do whatever it was he needed to do. Curtis stared after him with open worry. Bernard was obviously not doing well, but if he wouldn’t listen then there wasn’t much the younger elf could do about it. He took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh before heading towards the Workshop exit.

Bernard hadn’t felt this drained since his dishwashing days. He stopped by the Woodworking Department to inform them they’d have to keep working til the end of the day, Doug arguing with him a bit about whether or not the quota was actually met. Normally he’d have the patience to explain things more diplomatically, but he found he just didn’t have the energy for it today. He growled at Doug to get back to work and marched out in a rage. He was still mad by the time he got to R&D, but managed to push down his bad mood to inform Quintin and his workers that they were clear to go to the party. The elves were all aglow as they rushed out in groups, chatting about what they’d wear and who they wanted to dance with once the clock struck midnight. Quintin gave him a concerned look, but didn’t say anything about his haggard appearance.

The Head Elf stopped into his office and grabbed his cloak and scarf before heading to the stables. Dancer nudged his shoulder with a worried grunt and he patted her on her velvet nose. “I’m alright, my lovely. I just have one last thing to do tonight and then I can finally take a break.” He climbed aboard and they started weaving through the Village streets towards the exit. He could hear music and laughter several streets over, but he was too fatigued to feel sad that he was missing out again. All he could do was focus on what was in front of him, his vision tunneling on the arctic flats beyond the magic barrier.

He just needed to check in with Holly, that’s it. That’s the last thing on his task list. After days and days, he had finally gotten caught up with all his Head Elf duties and his newly acquired Santa duties. He had to cut some of Curtis’ assignments and take them on himself, but everything was now in order. He could actually afford to get a good night’s sleep tonight before heading back to work in the morning. And man, did he need it. He swayed a little and Dancer grunted at him again, this time more insistently. He patted her neck. “Really, I’m fine. Come on, it’s the home stretch. Let’s just get this over with so we can get back home.”

Dancer took off into the snowy landscape, taking big leaps into the air and gliding back down over and over again as she ran. The elf on her back started waking up a little more as the cold air blew into his face. He felt the nausea he’d been fighting all day recede as well, and in its place, a gnawing hunger. He’d forgotten to eat today. They jumped into flight and soared over the icy cliffs that separated the huge expanse of flatlands and landed without incident on the other side. After another few minutes of running, Dancer slowed as they rounded a snowy mountain. Holly’s camp was in the distance, maybe a good 10 minute walk from there. Bernard dismounted and told Dancer to stick near the mountain so she wouldn’t be spotted too easily. He pulled his hood over his head and started the long trek to the human campsite.

Holly was absolutely bushed. Every camera, all 12 of them, had been taken from their old locations and brought back to home camp. It had taken several days of riding around and long hours dismantling the frames she’d mounted them on, but here they all were. She’d spent the better part of the day cleaning them up and organizing the parts to pack into the snowmobile, but she was finally ready to head back out and set everything up in their new locations where Bernard had suggested. It was later in the day, but she was eager to get the first few up and live. She had just grabbed her backpack from the tent and zipped the flap back up when she noticed the figure heading towards her camp.

Bernard!

He’d finally come back.

She waved at him in greeting, a smile lighting up her face. He waved back and soon was close enough to call out to her. “Hey there, Holly Jolly!”

“Well, well, if it isn’t Saint Bernard! Back again already?”

“What can I say, I was a tad worried I’d find a Holly-popsicle when I came back so I thought the sooner the better.”

“Ha, ha, funny guy, I told you I’m no amateur! Who could freeze with this sweet set up?” She gestured proudly to the tent and equipment around them.

“Yeah, not bad. I’ve definitely seen worse.”

“Hey, not all of us get to work with hot shot mysterious Russian super scientists, y’know!”

He held up his hand placatingly, a wry smile on his lips. “Alright, fine, it’s a good—no wait, the best camp site I’ve ever seen. Happy?”

She giggled. “Let’s say ‘satisfied.’”

“Sheesh, you’re a pain.”

“If I’m such a pain, then you can go. There’s the door.” She waved her hand out to the open snow drifts all around them. They both looked out into the wasteland for a beat before cracking up. His laugh was as musical as ever.

“So what are you doing here? Just checking in?” She asked when she’d calmed.

“Sorta. I figured you might need help gathering the cameras.” He pulled his hood off, that same green beret he’d worn before pulled low over his ears again.

“Oh, thanks, but I already got them. I was actually about to head out and set up the first three in their new spots. Wanna come with?”

“Uh, sure, why not? I got time.”

“Awesome! Where’s your snowmobile, by the way? You don’t have to leave it behind when you come to check in, y’know. I’ll know it’s you if you ride up.”

“Ah, uh, no. See, about that. I didn’t ride here, I just walked.”

“You… walked? From where? There isn’t a research station anywhere near here, I’d have seen it.”

“Yeah, well, it’s hidden and uh, look, don’t worry about it. Can I just ride with you for now?”

A rush of annoyed breath left her at his obvious deflection. “Sure, it’s not a problem. Let’s head out.” She pushed past him and he seemed to sway for a moment before regaining his balance. Oops. Maybe she was being too eager. It was later in the day after all, no need to be so energetic when he’s probably tired. Honestly, she was just grateful for the extra set of hands. Set up shouldn't take long at all with Bernard's help.

She slung her backpack on the already loaded snowmobile and climbed on top. “All aboard!”

He hesitated for a moment before throwing his leg over and climbing in behind her. “Hold on tight.” She said and kicked it on. The snowmobile lurched forward and suddenly his hands were on her hips. A tingle simmered on her skin where his fingers pressed against her. They picked up speed and started heading to the first set up spot. As they glided across the snow, Holly felt him readjust in his seat. She’d ridden passenger in a snowmobile before, so she knew he was probably struggling with how much bounce there was. She grabbed his wrist and tugged it across her abdomen. “It’s a much smoother ride if you scooch up more!” She called over the rushing wind. She fought a blush and told herself she was just doing this so he wouldn’t go flying if they hit a bump.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then he was sliding closer to her, pushing his chest flush with her back. His arms locked around her and they both simultaneously breathed a shaky gasp which turned into nervous giggles. She turned bright red as that soft musical laugh was now right beside her ear.

God, he was warm. And he smelled really, really good. Like nutmeg and something piney. It was a comforting, earthy scent that made her toes curl in her boots.

Too soon, they reached their destination and started setting things up. Bernard wasn’t sure how her cameras worked, but he was a quick learner and took her direction without question.

The next cameras went up much the same, the pair riding from site to site and making swift work of the set up. She had just finished testing the last one when she noticed something seemed off about Bernard. He was drooping where he stood between her and the snowmobile. Holly took several steps forward until she reached him, grabbing his arm with a baffled “Hey, you alright there?”

He swallowed thickly and blinked his eyes a few times in quick succession. Bernard was obviously much more tired than she had thought. Maybe he was even sick? She couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed earlier. The dark circles under his bloodshot eyes were stark against his pale face. His cheeks, so rosy and plump before, were sunken and tense around his mouth. They were still sparkly, though, maybe he wore makeup? Nothing wrong with that, but if he was this tired why would he bother putting on face glitter? He started to sway and her other hand came up to help steady him.

“Woah, you don’t look so good. Maybe you should sit down.”

“No, no. Why does everyone keep saying that? Im fine.” He didn’t sound fine. He sounded like he was going to faint.

She pulled him back to the snowmobile and was alarmed to find no resistance whatsoever from him. “Hey, hey, stay with me here.” He slid down into the snow beside the vehicle, his back propped up against it. “Bernard? Bernard! Hey, c’mon man, don’t do this to me right now. Hey! Can you hear me?”

He was passed out cold. Holly swore under her breath and pulled his arm up and over her shoulders. He wasn’t a very big guy, maybe 3 or 4 inches taller than her, but he was heavy. She managed to get him on the seat and slid in behind him. “Hold on, bud, I’ll get us back to camp.”

His head lolled back against her shoulder, his eyes twitching restlessly behind closed lids. She drove as swiftly as she dared with him limp like he was and made it back to camp in good time.

He grumbled a bit as she hoisted him up out of the seat. “I don’t need help. I’m fine.”

“Humor me, okay? Let’s sit.” She led him over to a fold out chair beside the fire and pushed him down until he fell back into it. His breathing had gone ragged and he was starting to shiver.

“Woah, okay, hold on there. I’ll be right back.”

Bernard wasn’t sure what was going on. His body was failing him, he couldn’t catch his breath, he didn’t know where he was. His eyes cracked open and he realized he was sitting by a fire. Was he home? How did he get there?

“Here.”

A fluffy blanket was suddenly swaddling his body and a vaguely familiar face swam in front of him.

The human girl, Holly. That’s right. He must have passed out for a minute or two.

This was bad. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down here.

Holly put her hand on his cheek and he found himself leaning into her touch without thinking. She lifted a thermos to his lips with her other hand and encouraged him to drink. “It’s water. I’m just covering my bases here. Are you with me, Bernard?” He tried to speak but his voice was too weak. He nodded instead. “Okay, good. Have you eaten today?” He shook his head ‘no’.

“Okay, that’s a place to start then. I’ll get some food going.”

He tried to call out to her, tell her not to bother, but his voice was still gone. He dozed off within seconds.

“It’s not the tastiest, but it should have everything you need for your daily nutrition.”

He came back to himself with a start, Holly holding a spoonful of… something, near his face. “Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He shook his head at her apology. “Come on, let’s get some chow in you.” He wasn’t exactly thrilled to be eating the tasteless lumps of what she claimed was food, but he wasn’t exactly in a position to decline. His color started coming back to his face as she spooned him bite after bite. Eventually he was able to sit up and take the spoon to finish feeding himself.

“So that was terrifying.”

He looked up at her, now seated across the fire in another fold out chair she’d dragged out at some point while he was out of it. He swallowed the bite in his mouth and answered. “Sorry. Don’t know what happened.”

“Well you didn’t eat today, so that’s probably what happened.”

“I’ve skipped meals plenty of times before.”

“You said you hadn’t eaten at all today. When was the last time you ate something?”

He thought for a moment and realized he didn’t remember eating anything yesterday either. His stomach had been turning then too, so he decided to not bother. His thoughts must have showed on his face.

“Dude, you can’t just not eat! Of course you passed out!”

“I know, I know, I’ve just had a ton of work to do lately so I didn’t think about it.” He sighed in frustration. “It was careless of me.”

“Yeah, it was. Geez. You can’t just show up here and pass out, man. What the hell was I gonna do with your dead body if you’d keeled over?”

“Use me for firewood, I guess. Least I’d still be useful in death.”

She snorted at his dry remark. “Okay, funny, but dark. Let’s not seriously think about that one.”

They fell into silence for awhile, Bernard finishing his food while Holly tended the fire.

“So I’m guessing it wasn’t just the not eating that made you roll up here looking like a zombie. You said you’ve had a lot of work to do lately?”

“Yeah… my, uh, boss is away right now. He won’t be back til later in the year, so I have to take over his duties.”

“Dang, you should get a raise for that. Why’d he just dip?”

“He’s sort of a new hire. He’s gotta go through some, um, mandatory training away from the station. It’s complicated.”

“Sounds like it. Why don’t they just hire you for that position then if you’re already practically doing it?”

“I’m not quite the right fit for that role.”

“Whaaat? That’s bull. I bet they’re discriminating cause you’re young. I know that game and it’s so stupid. Just cause we’re younger doesn’t mean we don’t know what we’re doing, am I right?”

For some reason, this really tickled Bernard.

“What’s so funny? Its true, isn’t it? I bet you know how to run that station front to back. You’re obviously hardworking! I know your type, Saint Bernard. I bet you worked your ass off and earned your place there, right?”

He had a silly smile on his face, his eyes half lidded as he watched her rant and throw her arms around dramatically. “Yeah, I did, actually. I started as a dishwasher.”

“A dishwasher!” She exclaimed, pointing at him forcefully. “See! And now look where you are, you’re, uh, you’re—wait, what are you again?”

“I’m the Head E—uhm, hmm.” He coughed a bit into his fist. “The Head of Operations.”

“Wow, yeah, see now that sounds like a pretty important role right there!”

“It is, yeah. I’m basically in charge until the boss gets back. It’s a lot of pressure, though. Sometimes I miss when I worked in the kitchens.”

“You miss dishwashing?”

“Well, not that. But I was Head Chef for a while and that was pretty rewarding work.”

“You must really know your way around a kitchen then! I wish I had more than ration packs, or I’d ask you to prove it.”

He chuckled. “Maybe someday.”

“That’s a pretty strange leap though, from Head Chef to Head of Operations. What’s the story there?”

“Well, it honestly was just chance. I was good with my hands—“

Of course he was. She felt her ears turn pink.

“—and the old Head, Raj, had been watching me work in the kitchens all day. I’m not sure why I even caught his eye, to be honest. But at the end of the day, we got to talking. He asked if I thought I’d be able to make something for him. A music box for his wife. It had a lot of small delicate parts. There were others who were actual tinkerers that would have been better choices, but maybe Raj saw something in me? I’m not sure. Normally someone from my background wouldn’t have done that kind of work, not in those days at least. It was kind of unheard of. But I did it, I made it. It was silver and gold painted with a decorative wood frame I carved myself. His wife loved it. He gave me a few other minor projects to do and was impressed enough to make me his assistant.”

What kind of research station had chefs and tinkerers? Curiouser and curiouser, but now wasn't the time for interrogation.

“He sounds like a great guy.”

“He… was.” He lost himself in his thoughts. “We were quite close.”

“…I’m sorry. What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?” Bernard looked over at Holly and saw the sweetest, gentlest look on her face. Something in his chest unclenched at the sight of it.

“He traveled a lot. It used to be part of the job. But that aged him and he just got more and more worn down. By the time we realized, it was too late.” He stopped speaking abruptly, seeming unsure.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to say anymore. I’m so sorry, Bernard. That must have been so painful.”

“No, I’m sorry, Holly. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. I don’t mean to dump all this on you.”

“Hey, I’m the one who asked, remember? I don’t mind at all.” She smiled gently at him. “Thanks for telling me, Bernard.”

His stomach flipped but it was a pleasant sensation this time. “You didn’t ask for me to pass out on you, though. I should get out of your hair.”

“Yeah, right, like I’m letting you walk all the way back to your station when you still look like that.” He opened his mouth to refute her, but a big yawn escaped him instead. She snorted. “Look, I’ll give you a lift.”

“No, you can’t. Don’t worry about it, okay, I’ll be—“

“—if you say ‘fine’ one more time, I’m stealing your stupid hat.”

He gaped at her. “It’s not—you can’t, just—you think my hat is stupid?”

She giggled at his shocked face and shook her head. “It’s a beret, dummy. Why wear it pulled down like that? It looks sort of silly, y’know.”

He turned pink and averted his eyes. “Nevermind that. You still can’t drive me to my station. It’s against the rules.”

She blinked at him, unexpressed. “Okay, then you’re staying here and getting some rest.” He started to protest, but she cut him off. “I don’t wanna hear it! You can walk tomorrow if you want, but tonight you’re sleeping here with me.”

Both pairs of eyes widened when they realized what she’d said. “Uhh, wait no, not like that. Sorry, I mean, uh—”

“Nope, yep, I got it. Anyways. So your tent is big enough for us both?”

“Y-yeah! Should be.”

She arose and walked around the fire to reach him. “Up and at ‘em, Saint Bernard.” She said, pulling him by the hands into a standing position. He was still unsteady on his feet so she ducked under his arm and wrapped a firm hand on his waist, letting him lean into her. Together, they shuffled into the warm tent. Holly laid down an extra mat on her sheepskin rug and retrieved the blanket from the fireside, making up an impromptu bed for him. She helped him out of his cloak and scarf, noting the deep royal blue tunic he now wore. Apparently this was just his style. It suited him.

He insisted on keeping the hat on.

“Your ears will be sore in the morning!”

“Yeah, and your nose will be sore from sticking it in my business.”

A surprised giggled flew out of her at his snarky reply. “Alright, wise guy, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He settled down on the mat and pulled the blanket over his body.

“You aren’t going to disappear again, are you? If you’re gone when I wake up, I’m just gonna assume you’re face down in the snow out there somewhere.”

“I’ll be here.” His eyes were already slits. She smiled at his sleepy face fighting the inevitable. Her chest warmed at the way he’d curled up on his side, hands tucked under his chin. He looked incredibly cozy.

“I’ll be right back.” She whispered, just in case he could still hear her and grabbed her sleep clothes. She headed out to the sanitation tent she had set up a little ways from the main camp to change and do her business.

Bernard was fading fast, but he knew he should send a message to Curtis before he fell asleep. He looked at his snow globe watch and tried typing out his location, when he expected to be back at work, and instructions for Core production should he be delayed. He got about half way through when his vision suddenly went blurry. He tried spelling ‘Curtis’ but it kept coming out as ‘Cuties’. His hand dropped as he gave up and told himself he’d message first thing tomorrow.

By the time Holly came back, he was out like a light.

#bernard the elf #bernard x oc #tsc #the santa clause #my writing

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