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Pens Write A Holiday Story - Discussion Thread This is the accompanying thread to the Pens Write A Holiday Story Thread. Think of this as the Talking Dead, to your Walking Dead. An Extra Slice, to your Bake Off After Sun, to your Love Island. The Sonny to your Cher Think I've covered a wide range of demographics there for at least one person to understand. To keep the story thread clean and easy for writers to painlessly follow the story, this thread has been made for feedback and collaboration. It is important that everyone here knows the feedbackers are just as vital in Pens as the writers and you can contribute to the story here if you don't feel comfortable making an addition. Pens is writers, feedbackers and lurkers. Like the combustion triangle, taking one element away just isn't Pens and as this holiday event is for Pens to collaborate, its only right it involves all of Pens. What do you want to see? what holiday ideas do you have, should it be Christmas or Hanukkah? Maybe you liked a section and you want it expanded on and referred back to? you can help aid and direct this story by giving ideas for writers to play off of. The prompt is vague so why not try and embellish, saving Willow and Tara from spending their holidays describing the setting around them. Maybe you want a whole section retconned. Writers, please feel free to try and collaborate here for what story you are trying to go for. What tone you are trying for, what event are you building up to, what's the punchline of that joke you were getting them to share but hit the character limit before you could finish it. Was it even a joke? Will it be PG13 or straight to NC-17? Whatever is said here does not set it in stone. What the writer adds in their section is completely up to them. You might have to plan around curveballs. As always, feedback is encouraged and welcomed. The story will be put in full here, colour coded to writer. (If there is grammar or paragraph issues please let me know and I'll adjust.) Writers - DubLaraghShirreytaranwillow4everThe story so far - Cinnamon and pine scented the air as seasoned oak logs crackled in the fire place. The orange of the flame dancing on the whites of blue eyes. Eyes wide with awe and dismay.
“There’s no way that’s going to fit.”"It will," Willow replied, her eyes bright and eager as she twirled a candy cane between her fingers, "I promise."
Tara let out a soft, trusting breath.
"Okay," she nodded once, "Show me."Tara wanted a less is more approach but couldn’t deny Willows enthusiasm to expand their boundaries.
They’d been at it for days. Sweat, tears and ecstasy. Hands sore from repetitive movement with required delicacy.
They were determined to win this gingerbread house competition."Willow, um, why are we doing this again? Especially considering neither of us is, you know...Christian?"
Willow's eyes flashed with anger.
"He took the science fair from me, I won't let him take this too!"Allowing the anger to give the final push needed, Willow proceeded to attach the candy cane to the intricate roof.
“Plus that’s also why we’ve gone for a pagoda design, to honor the Jewish tradition of ordering Chinese takeout for Christmas dinner.”Tara's lips lifted on one side as she looked across at Willow through a lidded gaze.
"Do you remember the first time we ordered Chinese take-out together?"Willow glared at their creation. She knew they needed more, unlike the 10 slices of shrimp toast she ordered. A special offer that almost sent them to the emergency room.
“You made us tomato soup.” The red head looked up and gave a wide grin. Best Chinese take-out she ever had.Tara blushed.
"And you made your Yummy Face."
She picked up a headless gingerbread man from the plate between them.
"I think Miss Kitty has been exploring decapitation again."
"She's young," Willow reassured, "She's just going through a phase."“Hmm that well known phase of chopping off ginger heads.”
“I’m a survivor” Willow snapped off a gingerbread arm and gave Tara a little salute before popping it in her mouth.
Tara withheld her sigh as her baking passed the yummy face test.
There was no way they’d lose the taste test."So," Tara said as she replaced the last gingerbread man on the snow frosting lawn, "I think it's ready."
"You sure?" Willow worried, "maybe it needs more gumdrops, everybody loves gumdrops, you know with the colors, and and the sugar sparkles and the, um, gumminess."Her body groaned as Tara got to her feet. Extending out a hand for her perfectionist.
“Sweetie, it’s finished. You’ve made an amazing home. All the Gingerbread families will dream to live there.”
Willow took the hand but one thing still remained.
“How are we getting it there?”Tara arched one eyebrow softly.
"How do we ever get things anywhere?"
Willow grinned.
"Teeny Tinkerbelle ant colony?" she asked, blushing lightly at the smile it produced from Tara, "Right, I know."
She pulled up the phone and dialed a number.
"Hey, Xander?"After a few minutes of heated exchange, Willow hung up the phone in grievance.
“He says we have to try Buffy with Joyce’s Jeep. Seems Anya has entered the contest”
Tara gulped as her knuckles turned white anticipating the bumpy ride. “Oh.”"It will be fine," Willow smiled warily, then went pale as a truck driving by outside made a mini-marshmallow fall off of the gingerbread roof, "Oh god, my sweet creation! I can't subject you to Buffy's driving! She gets into more accidents than all the Kardashians combined!"Tara assessed the confectionary structure. Her arms folded in contemplation. Buffy wasn't that bad a driver. They occasionally trusted their lives with Buffy behind the wheel but was their creation more important than their lives?
"Think it will fit in a pull-along cart?""We could put it in a box with some of those plastic popping things, hold it between us in the back seat", suggested Tara.
"I think it would still bounce around too much if we did that," replied Willow. "Why don't either of us know how to drive!"Begrudgingly Willow made the call, expressing repeatedly the need for a careful drive due to precious cargo.
Tara would have smiled but noticed every time she said precious cargo, Willow's hand instinctively pointed to the gingerbread house.
With a little help, Tara boxed it up."Tara..." Willow said in a hushed tone as she looked out the window below as Joyce's jeep turned the corner and slid onto the curb, narrowly missing a woman walking along.
Though on second look, Willow realized she was one of those Wanna-Blessed-Be's and didn't feel so bad.Together they carefully carried the box down the stairs, to accompanying yells of “PIVOT!” by wonkily wandering students, bleary eyed, hoping this time, this hall was their dorm.They got to the street where Buffy was waiting with a helpful smile on her face.
"Got here in five!" she said as she came out of the driver's seat and opened the back door of the Jeep for them.
Willow glanced at Tara. Pale.
"It's a ten-minute drive!"
"Just go," Tara whispered.“Let’s load up the trunk and get this thing to Mom ASAP. She’s barely eaten this week, prep for the whole judge deal. Don’t expect it back in one piece.”
Buffy clasped the box in both hands. Willow did not release.
“Getting there in one piece would be fine and dandy. Right Buff.”Tara put her hands on the box between them.
"Why don't I hold this thing in the front?"
Buffy glanced between them slowly.
"Does this have your...fun time things in it or something? What's the sitch with the overprotectiveness?"“Ew, you think Mom wants to eat those?”
“Dawn get back in the car.”
“I am in the car!” screeched Dawn as her upper body popped out of the sunroof like a whack-a-mole.
“I let you com-“
“Like those fun time things in the box?”
“It’s a gingerbread house.” Tara meekly responded."Enough!"
Willow's voice rose an octave too high to be comfortable and her eyes flashed darkly.
Tara's eyes crinkled in the corners. Buffy raised an eyebrow just a tad.
"Okay then."
Willow marched around the car and sat in with a rough pull of the belt across her and the boxDawn sunk down into her seat and buckled up. “Guess we’re going then. Hey, can I choose the station?”
“No. You gave me mental images of Mom I so do not want.” Buffy unconsciously shut the driver’s door with too much force causing the car to shake.
Tara slid in beside Willow and squeezed her hand.
The Jeep lurched forward as Buffy hit the gas, knocking Tara against the back seat.
"Seatbelt," Willow reminded, softening with concern for her girl. "I can't let him win Tar."
"Sweetie, whatever happens, you did your best,” Tara soothed.“Did my best at the science fair. Didn’t stop their scrutiny.”
Tara kept her voice low. “It wasn’t all science though, was it?”
“It’s a different kind of science.”
Tara took in a deeper breath “He was-“
BEEEEEP!!!Tara instinctively put her arm across Willow, accidentally pummeling it right through where the box was.
Or at least, where the box had been.Buffy slammed on the brakes as a Santa clad drunk belting out a slurred rendition of, I’ll be home for Christmas, cut across the road on a kid’s scooter.
“Is everyone okay?”
Dawn nodded.
Tara looked at Willow whose face was scrunched tight and hands still positioned to hold the box.Tara's nose crinkled.
"W-what...where's it gone?"
"Uh...guys...?"
Dawn lifted her arm slowly to point out the windscreen.Which was positioned on the edge of Willow’s kneecaps, still upright and hopefully safe.Willow opened her eyes "I was aiming for the trunk. Guess I don't know cars well."
“You did that?” Dawn lowered her arm. “Neat.”
“Aww, you gave the marshmallow snowmen mini marshmallow snow-babies.” Buffy’s stomach grumbled. “I’ll go get the box off the hood.”
Willow unbuckled and leapt from the car as the Gingerbread House disappeared.
“What the?” Buffy yelled. Willow saw her back away.
The house was back in the box- the 4 Gingerbread people scowling icing eyebrows at the Slayer, candy canes raised like swords."This cos of the whole grumbly tummy deal?”
Cars blared their horns along with drivers offering expletives.
“Let’s get it back in the car.” Willow slid back in the car as Buffy restarted the engine. “Tara, the design might have slightly, definitely, kinda, moved in transit.”Tara frowned.
"D-Did you put an enchantment on it, Willow?"“No. I just willed it not to be in the car.”
A candy cane stabbed through the side of the cardboard box.
“You didn’t did you?”
Tara lowered her head allowing her hair to shroud her face. “M-maybe a little Hellebore powder in the baking.”Willow’s eyes widened in shock, “Hellebore is highly toxic! This isn’t what is meant by knock em dead”
Tara shook her head, “I only added a pinch. Not enough to- I w-wouldn’t do that! It was just to protect it Make sure it got there safe.” Tara bit her lip. “There’s a protection charm etched on the baseboard.”
Another candy cane burst through the box, too close for comfort near Willow’s hand.
“Why?”
“Air holes?”
“Not what I meant.”
“You care so much about it. I didn’t want. It doesn’t matter.”"Well whatever witch-fu you two put on this thing, it looks like I'm going to have to slay it!"
Buffy swatted a candy cane.
Dawn gasped.
"Buffy! Don't hurt the little gingerbread man! He has a gingerbread family!"
Buffy's face set.
"He's about to have a gingerbread coffin."The car swerved.
“Drive! No slay. We’ll deal with this, you focus on the road.” Willow pushed the box away from her abdomen, she didn’t need a candy cane insert straight to the guts. She looked to Tara in a panic “Got milk?”Tara's eyes widened.
"Willow, you can't! What about the competition?"
"Kinda more worried about my organs right now," Willow retorted right as a candy cane launched itself at Tara.
Willow relied on every Karate Kid memory she had to reach out and snap it with her hand.As her hand made contact the world slowed. Her mind pure, picturing sitting up late with Buffy and Xander.
“That’s an illegal move!” Buffy exclaimed
“Yeah but good guy win. yay.” Xander chimed in.
Willow’s focus came back into the real world. “We can still win the competition.”Tara's heart was beating fast as the shards of sticky red and white fell into their laps.
"How?"
Willow reached across and placed her palm on Tara's.
As their fingers entwined, Tara knew exactly what WIllow meant.Rule 1 – Karate for defence only.
Wax on, wax off.
Sand the floors.
Paint the fence.
Paint the house.
It was all house maintenance. All they had to do was show that they were not a threat. The gingerbread only wanted to protect the house.
Apart from the one braiding Dawn’s hair.Dawn giggled at the little creature on her shoulder.
"Did you learn to french braid from a macaron?"Her new hair stylist gave a wink.
Buffy gave the rear view mirror a glance to see two witches holding hands while seasonal confectionary curiously prodded them.
“Freaky.” Buffy decided it was best to keep her eyes on the road. “Dawn you have frosting in your hair.”Dawn rolled her eyes.
"God, Buffy, you don't understand fashion."
"I-It's a built-in snack for later," Tara smiled softly and Willow giggled.
"I have my built-in snack sitting right here," Willow whispered to Tara and waggled her eyebrows.Frosted eyes thinned to narrow slits and sharpened candy canes pointed towards the red head.
“Oh err, not you. I was talking about, er. Tara?”
Tara’s eyes widened as words failed to form. “W-w-w”
“Slayer hearing!” Buffy announced as she pulled the car over at their destination."Oh thank the goddess," Tara whispered under her breath
"Gingerbread men, er, assemble," Willow tried an authoritative tone, but no one moved, "Oh and, um, gingerbread women."
Tara glanced between her girlfriend and the figures
"I-I think technically they're all...non-binary?"“Gingerbread people. Get in the box.”
Begrudgingly Dawn’s hairdresser let the locks fall from its grasp. They knew the frosted tip look was in.
Others huddled up in the foot well contemplating their next move.
“There’s a ginger ale in it for you.”
They marched back into the box.Tara giggled.
"Willow, I think you're their ginger boss."
"You made them a ginger wonderland," Dawn added with a grin.
"Ha, ha," Willow replied, rolling her eyes.
"Ooh, ginger snap," Buffy snapped her fingers.
Tara gave a half smile.
"That's the way the cookie crumbles."Frantic banging at the window offered a small relief to the newly appointed ginger boss.
“Is that it? A cube with holes in? Oh, is it one of those orgy cubes from the star walk?”
Breathy condensation was wiped from the window, followed by Anya’s face pressing against it.
No relief."Her, you can attack," Willow said, pointing furiously a the window.
"Willow," Tara clicked her tongue, "D-Don't command your minions like that."
She picked up a ginger-person running at speed for the window.
"Fine," Willow agreed flatly, "But I make no promises about...him."Willow tried to open the door to no avail “Do you have the child safety on?”
“Oh yeah.” Buffy released the lock. “Had to make sure those cute marshmallow babies got here safe.”
“What about the human passengers?”
“I’m not asking for gas money.”
“Thanks for the ride.” Tara chimed in."Can I come with you guys?" Dawn asked with an eager grin.
"Sure, Dawnie," Tara smiled.
"Have her back by sundown!" Buffy called after them before turning the engine back on and jerking forward, "Whoops. Always forget which one is the accelerator."They watched as the jeep joined the road to the chorus of car horns.
“Ever think if she didn’t need a stake, she’d drive at night?” Questioned Dawn.
All of them murmured in agreement.
“You have frosting in your hair. Is that why their house looks dry?”
“It’s in the box, Anya.”"Well excuse me for not getting your ludicrous expression of art! Do you really think you're going to beat Epps with this thing? He made flashing lights out of fondant and lemon power!"
An angry flush rose up Willow's neck and right through her face.“Yeah well, we’ve got animatronics. Completely edible.”
Tara took Willow by the shoulder and turned them away from their company.
“We can’t enter them, we have to fix it first.” Tara kept her voice low.
“We will. They can do a little show and we’ll swap them out for others.”Tara frowned.
"I-I don't know. It doesn't seem ethical."
"Ethics-schmethics," Willow scoffed but quickly cleared her throat, "I mean it's fine...as long as they consent, right?"
A little ginger-person popped out of Willow's pocket and waved. Willow grinned smugly.
"See?"Tara gently nudged them back into the pocket.
“They seem to protect the house. How’s that going to work when Ms Summers has to taste it?”
Willow furrowed her eyebrows.
“We’ll work it out before then.”
“They won’t consent.”
“You don’t know that.” Willow shrugged Tara’s hand away.Tara folded her arms across her chest and looked down at the floor.
One little cookie popped its head back out, looked at Tara, and then at Willow.
Eyes turning to slits again, it lifted its arm and turned it into a machine gun, pumping gumdrop artillery at Willow's face.Willow tried in vain to deflect the gumdrops but alas the candy sniper was highly skilled, executing the perfect two shot of a gumdrop up each nostril.
Satisfied with its aim their arm returned to normal.
“Is there a way to get these out and still be sexy to you?”“Honey, I watched you use a neti pot. You made me hold your nostril closed when the saline went down your throat the first time. Then the snot—”
“I get it!” Willow interrupted with her cheeks the color of the bright red gumdrops in her nose, “This still isn’t going to be pretty.”Willow took in a gulp of air and propelled out the gumdrops.
An action each Gingerbread person took as well.
“Cute.” Giggled Dawn
“Err guys,” said Anya as she watched their little icing snot rockets transform into eight more Gingerbread people.“Oh great, cookie mitosis!” Willow threw her hands up.
“I-I think it’s transmogrification,” Tara replied quietly.
“God, Willow, pick up a science book,” Dawn teased.
“As much as I want to make fun of Willow for being wrong about science, they have peanut brittle!” Anya screamed.“Ooh cookies!” In one fell swoop Xander picked up a Gingerbread person from the street and chomped off its head. “Peanut brittle, nice.”
All eyes turned to the man.
“Five second rule.” The words accompanied with the spattering of crumbs.
Then came the hysteria.Like a swarm of bees, gingerbread men leaped on Xander, turning his body into a sweet-smelling flail of beige.
Anya got a distressed look in her eye.
“Oh, watch his penis!" she said with a gasp, “They don’t have cookie penises, they don’t know how important it is!”The penis was not their target as one team yanked at Xander’s hair to pull his head back.
Another team pulled at his chin.
The remaining Gingerbread people proceeded to snot rocket into Xander’s gaping non-consenting mouth.
After all Christmas is the time for giving, and gluttony.Anya's demeanor changed as she watched, into something that could only be described as indignant amusement.
"NOW you know what it feels like," she intoned cheerily as she watched Xander's face go red.
Xander coughed and spluttered some unintelligible words.The first splutters brought up more Gingerbread people. Then came bulks of cookie dough.
The others could only watch on as Xander choked out material for these creatures new creation.
They sculpted a slobbered dough humanoid.
“Hello,” was the first word from the sickly sweet Willow.Red twizzlers flowed from her cookie dough head and apple jelly beans were fixed as eyes. Strawberry laces formed an eerie smile and a single candy corn shaped her nose.
But all anyone could look at were the two Hersey's Kisses sitting on her cookie-dough breasts as nipples.Promptly, Tara removed her sweater. A blush forming as she pulled the sweater over the new Willow, covering some twizzlers down under.
Xander groaned on the floor, his finger pulling out an errant twizzler. “Will.”
Both Willows looked.
“Fleshy Will. Why am I a candy cement mixer?”"Um..."
Willow tried to provide an answer but was distracted by how intensely Tara was 'attending' to the candy version of her.
Tara did up the buttons of her sweater on candy Willow slowly, who smiled both creepily and adoringly back.
"You're very sweet."
Tara blushed."Well I don’t think this is animatronics.” Anya threw up her arms and walked over to help her boyfriend up. “We will talk about Willow in your mouth later.”
“Yeah really had a choice about this sweetie.” Xander retorted.
“He’s right,” answered candy Willow. “They chose.”"'They'?" Flesh Willow asked, pointing down at the gingerbread men, "Can you tell them I'm...we're...gay?"
Candy Willow's jelly bean eyes slowly moved up and down Tara alluringly.
"They're aware," she said with a soft smile at Tara, "We're a hive mind."“I did use honey in the mix.” Tara offered unhelpfully.
Willow’s eyes narrowed on her new counterpart. “Baked with love too, huh?”
“Take the opportunity Tara!”
The Gingerbread people looked towards Anya and collectively shrugged.
“Hey, I didn’t get to try it but I’m not knocking it.”Willow suddenly snapped her fingers.
"Oh, I get it. I get it. I'm in some kind of demonic-induced nightmare where Hershey McBen'n'Jerry here is actually a threat to my relationship. Okay, dream demon, I've figured out your ruse! Show yourself!"
Nothing happened.Indignantly Willow turned and headed towards the gallery.
“Let’s sign in. All this will go poof.”
The Gingerbread people followed behind her like little ducklings.
Tara dolefully looked at candy Willow.
“I made you didn’t I?”
Candy Willow gave a soft nod in return."Why?" Tara asked softly, "I know if my subconscious conjured you, it's for a reason."
"Definitely for a threesome," Anya advised sagely as she marched past them, purposefully pushing Xander away from Willow.
Candy Willow raised a gummy snake eyebrow.
"Not...for that."“They aren’t poofing,” Willow had circled back, her cookie tail still firmly attached.
“You’re snake,” accused Dawn.
“I’ll walk into a wall, get this over with.”
Tara reached out to Willow. “Please don’t.”
“We have to do something. I don’t want to high score this. Low score.”"Wait," Tara suddenly said, turning back to Candy Willow "That's it. *You're* it*
Flesh Willow started to pout.
"Tara..."
"No, baby," Tara quickly reassured with a smile to her Willow, "She's it. She's our competition entry."Willow lifted the box in her arms. “But the house?”
“She can be building the house.” Tara nodded to the Ginger masses, “with her little helpers.”
Willow planted an awkward around the box kiss on the brilliant witch.
“Mom's got to eat these and your sweater has Miss Kitty fur.”
This story will need a title. Please put forward suggestions throughout the month and when the story is closed, a poll with the 15 most liked title suggestions will go live, the winner of the poll will be the story's title.
The discussion thread is now open, please feel free to plan and bounce around ideas. also remember you can post ideas, suggestions, feedback and title options to the official KB twitter account.
_________________ One Shots - Basement Grotto - Door 25 - "You're My Always" - "Do You Like Cats?"You don't have to write to contribute to the board, feedback can be its own event - Dubs Festive Advent Challenge - Fic Club - Pens Write A Holiday StoryExisting at some point, maybe - The Justice for Tara series. *Rides in on a tricycle* Wanna play a game? - Five Minutes of Artistic Integrity - Those Three Little Words - Sassy Synonyms - Aradia's Antonyms
Last edited by Dub on Tue Dec 12, 2023 2:16 am, edited 43 times in total.
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