#twilightadvent23

Masterpost/Prompts

Dec. 10 - Pick one of the witnesses in Breaking Dawn. What was it like for them to stay at the Cullens' home for those two weeks? Who did they spend time with?

"Revolutionaries"

(~1300 words)

There was no question about it.

Carlisle’s family was weird.

He’d met them before, but in passing. Now, surrounded, Garrett understood that the meetings had been in the woods, on street corners, at night, not because that was normal for Carlisle’s coven, but for his benefit. He had heard Carlisle say the words “home” and call the rangy redhead his son, but it just hadn’t registered. He thought it was just language, that his old friend was making himself feel better about the state of affairs he lived in. But it wasn’t.

They had a goddamn Christmas tree. When it had been suggested that he go to the Cullen home, Garrett had assumed he’d find a coven playacting. Staying out of the way of the Volturi. Hiding from humankind. And surely, surely there couldn’t be seven of them as perfect in their records as Carlisle.

But, no, here they were. Half a dozen bedrooms, closets with clothes that weren’t purloined from victims. Carlisle, nerd that he was, had a whole fucking library on the second floor, with books he’d been toting for two centuries. Five bathrooms—for what? And a kitchen. Well, that was, oddly, going to use.

Garrett could hear her, humming to herself as she buzzed around, again making some sort of something for the werewolves who were sleeping on the doorstep, and realized he recognized the tune. Penny Lane.

Yep, he needed air.

There was a figure already on the porch when he exited, and even if the scent hadn’t registered before his eyes did, he’d have recognized the silhouette anywhere. The shoulders were slumped in a way that reminded Garrett of two hundred twenty years ago. The body of a man trying to convince himself he was happy, when he wasn’t.

“This is some endeavor, English,” he said, and the head whipped around. Garrett laughed. “Did I startle you?” Absurd.

A long sigh. “Oh, perhaps I was somewhat aware.” The face broke into a tired smile. “I’m just out here cogitating.”

Garrett cocked his head. “You do you know you sound like the most horrible snob when you use words like that.”

This, thankfully, elicited a smile. “Noted. What brings you outdoors?”

“Your woman was singing the Beatles; I had to escape.”

A questioning frown.

“I didn’t care for the first British invasion. I like the second even less.”

His friend’s bark of a laugh was familiar. Garrett grinned in return, and then joined Carlisle at his side, leaning against the thick railing.

“I will say, however, that her taste in music aside, Esme is quite the—”

“Garrett.”

“—lovely woman is what I was going to say,” he finished sweetly, flashing Carlisle a wide smile. His friend shook his head, rolling his eyes, but then they met gazes and Carlisle smirked. Both of them began laughing.

“I am a lucky man; I won’t deny it.”

“Hell yes you are, you bastard.” He punched Carlisle in the shoulder, and Carlisle looked down shyly, a wry smile playing on his face. “And here I thought you were going to go all eternity without ever doing the deed.”

Another laugh. “Truthfully? So did I.”

The moonlight glinted off Carlisle’s hair as they both fell into companionable silence again. They looked enough alike to pass as brothers; it had been something Garrett had liked all those centuries ago. Even though Carlisle was his elder by a century and then some, he had always struck Garrett as naïve. His hope, his steadfast confidence that if he just did things his way, it would all turn out right and well. It was as admirable as it was ridiculous.

And yet it was working.

Garrett didn’t have to work hard to make out the individual conversations going on in the expansive living room as he and Carlisle stared together out into the forest. The sisters—also gorgeous, talking with the Spanish woman. Her mate, locked in a quiet talk with Carlisle’s son. The weird kid, with her even weirder name, reading to her mother while Carlisle’s blonde daughter interjected every now and again. The lawn behind the house twinkled in color from the tree and the lights that went up the banister in the big room; the shadows cast by the roaring fire danced playfully across the porch.

“You succeeded,” he said finally.

“Mmm?”

He gestured widely at the house behind them. “You succeeded. At this. I thought you were bereft of your senses, with that diet and the doctor thing and everything but…you did it.” He turned, leaning against the rail. “Family life suits you. I don’t know why I am surprised.”

Carlisle made a noise somewhere between a snort and a laugh. “It’s not easy. At times, I envy your freedom.” He turned back to Garrett. “I wasn’t out here merely cogi—thinking. I was worrying, while Edward isn’t paying attention. I’m worried about Alice and Jasper, and I’m worried about Renesmee, and I’m worried what that will do to Bella, and what any of this will do to Edward. And then all of you…”

Garrett clapped a hand on Carlisle’s shoulder. “We chose to come. You can’t take that on.”

The brow furrowed again. “I feel responsible.”

“That’s your problem, not anyone else’s. No one is going to hold you responsible for”—he gestured widely in the direction of the field where the clairvoyant had indicated they would need to be—“whatever goes on out there. You’re responsible for this. This gathering. These friends. This…family. This is what you worry about. This is what you can control.”

They both glanced back in the doors. Someone had turned on Christmas music. The Spanish woman was slow dancing with her mate. One of the sisters—the prettier one—had accepted the offer of a a Santa hat. Muffled laughter. The sound of crackling, and the earthen scent of a fresh log beginning to burn.

“And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit,” Carlisle muttered.

“Huh?”

This elicited another chuckle. “The twelfth chapter of Luke, you heathen.” He grinned. “But it’s a welcome reminder. Thank you.”

The Bible. Of course. That hadn’t changed, either. Garrett stared. Carlisle’s expression seemed to have softened; the strange, amber eyes glowed differently. The two of them stared out into the blackness of the night, the moon glinting off the river so close to the house. They listened to this; the way the water pounded against what must have been much larger rocks further north, where the elevation was even higher, before coming whooshing through the woods behind the stately home.

It was a long while before Garrett got the eerie feeling of being watched. He turned back toward the hulking French doors. Esme standing there, her head cocked, her arms crossed over her chest.

“There’s a beautiful woman looking for you, English,” Garrett said, nudging Carlisle in the ribs.

Carlisle turned. “So there is.” He beckoned, and the door opened a crack as Esme leaned out.

“Your granddaughter wants to say goodnight,” she called. “They’re going back over to the cottage in a few minutes.”

Your granddaughter, Garrett mouthed. The words still felt strange on his lips.

Carlisle didn’t miss this. “It is amazing, isn’t it?”

Garrett stared back at the door. “Like I said. It suits you.” He nodded in the direction of Carlisle’s wife. “Go. Stop worrying. At least for the night.”

In the same instant that Carlisle nodded, he was at his wife’s side. He put his arm around her waist, and she tipped her chin up so that their lips met. It looked…familiar. Garrett watched the way their gazes followed each other’s, the way a hand around the waist slipped slowly over hips to become a hand in another hand. The way she smiled up at him. The blur of knee-high blue that was the little girl streaking across the living room for his knees. The way he lifted her into the air and how she giggled and squeaked as he tossed her before settling her, one-armed, onto his hip. That even amidst the worry, his face lit up as he pressed his nose to hers and she put her palm to his cheek.

He had thought Carlisle boring. Naïve. Even deluded. I envy your freedom, he heard his friend’s voice echo in his head.

But as he listened to the laughter on the other side of the door, and watched the way the colored lights played off the planes of his friend’s face, Garrett wondered if freedom was really all Carlisle imagined it was cracked up to be.

~~~~

Here is your Twilight Advent Calendar for 2023!

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Instead of candy, here are some bite-sized headcanon prompts for each day throughout December 1–25. Each one is simple enough to answer with a quick headcanon post, but your ficlets, fan art, and moodboards will add some extra sparkle!

You can answer each prompt on its day or schedule your posts ahead of time. The tag is #twilightadvent23.

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Dec. 1 - Who is Rosalie's favorite vampire friend outside of the Cullens? What does she like to do with them?

Dec. 2 - What is Emmett's favorite board game or card game? How has he modified it to be more challenging?

Dec. 3 - Pick one deceased Twilight character to draw or tell us more about. How would the Twilight universe be different if they were still alive?

Dec. 4 - What does Sam like about being the alpha? What's difficult about it? And how does he feel post-BD1 about Jacob's new role?

Dec. 5 - What is each Cullen's favorite college major so far? What new major should they try someday?

Dec. 6 - What was it like for Eleazar to see the Volturi/his fellow guards again in Breaking Dawn?

Dec. 7 - Choose one Twilight couple (or an AU ship) and tell us about an argument they've had. How did they resolve it in the end?

Dec. 8 - What was it like for Jasper to train and fight in the Eclipse battle after so many years of peace?

Dec. 9 - What is it like for Carlisle to work as a doctor now versus back when he was alone?

Dec. 10 - Pick one of the witnesses in Breaking Dawn. What was it like for them to stay at the Cullens' home for those two weeks? Who did they spend time with?

Dec. 11 - Besides painting, what art forms does Esme enjoy? How do you imagine her art room/setup looks? (Fan artists, want to show us?)

Dec. 12 - What changes did the rest of the family see in Edward as he began to fall in love with Bella?

Dec 13 - What were Maria's thoughts when she heard about the gathering in Breaking Dawn?

Dec 14 - Tell us about an OC you like, either your own or someone else's. Include a drawing, moodboard, or playlist if you'd like to!

Dec 15 - Tell us about a point in the canon timeline where things could have easily gone in a different direction. How differently would things turn out in this AU?

Dec. 16 - How close do you think Charlie and Renée will come to knowing the whole story eventually?

Dec. 17 - What do your favorite Volturi guards do for fun/hobbies?

Dec. 18 - What are some things the Cullens do every time they move? Does anyone have any rituals re: leaving a location or starting at a new one?

Dec. 19 - Tell us some headcanons about a Twilight character you don't usually post about. Write a ficlet or include a sketch, moodboard, etc. if you like!

Dec. 20 - Headcanons for the summer between Twilight and New Moon (Bella/Edward or other characters)?

Dec. 21 - Pick any five characters. What's something they always carry with them?

Dec. 22 - What did Alice do to pass the time pre-1948?

Dec. 23 - What's one of your favorite scenes in Twilight (books or films) and why?

Dec. 24 - What Christmas/holiday gifts are your favorite characters exchanging this year?

Dec. 25 - For one of the Twilight vampires, tell us about a Christmas or winter memory from their human days.

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Bonus for new year's eve - What resolutions are your favorite Twilight characters making for the new year?

Jasper: Sorts out all the financial/ legal stuff, contacting Jenks and getting new IDs, sorting out bank accounts, new school/work stuff maybe contacting the Volturi and Denali Coven about their address change.

Carlisle: Oversees everything, aids in packing and makes sure their house is sorted.

Esme: Helps packing, makes sure house is up to scratch design wise.

Alice: Main packer, organises everything, everyone has their place

Rosalie: Deals with the Garage and any storage areas since a fair bit of it is hers and her car parts.

Emmett: Carries a lot of it (especially if humans are around), is in charge of his gaming systems

Edward: Deals with all the music stuff across the house and all the art around the house as well, except for the Volturi portrait.

What is each Cullen's favorite college major so far? What new major should they should try someday?

Carlisle - all his favorite college fields have something to do with medicine and healthcare. His favorite fields so far have been general surgery and trauma medicine. He knows he has a gift of staying calm and collected in the middle of panicky chaos, and uses it to its full advantage to help people.

Esme - her favorite field is architecture, which she has incorporated some of her other skills into (like art). She has used her skills and money to design a beautiful house as a shelter for women in abusive relationships where they can get the support and help they need. She prefers to not directly interact with humans, but has thought about becoming a therapist some day.

Edward - he enjoys molecular biology and philosophy most of all the fields he's studied. He studied at the theatre one year in an attempt to become an opera singer. No one lets him forget it.

Rosalie - her favorite field is astrophysics, which she has multiple degrees in, loving the look on people's faces when they realize she's a blonde supermodel who's an actual rocket scientist. She's also worked as an OBGYN in a hospital with Carlisle, which she loved but eventually, it got too painful for her to be around babies and pregnant women every day.

Emmett - he's mostly studied fields related to fitness and his favorite is kinesiology, and he usually uses that degree to go on to become a personal trainer. He's also a professional chef and has worked in high end restaurants.

Alice - she's an expert on business and economics and has multiple degrees in it, but her favorite will always be fashion design. She's also worked as a party planner and a professional dancer/gymnast.

Jasper - world history and American history, but usually chooses to study in a military academy and his favorite job is air force pilot. He sometimes works summers at amusement parks or water parks to bask in the happy emotions of humans.

In terms of canonical relationships, Rosalie is closest to Kate. They align a lot in personality: they both find it hard to trust, but, when they do, they are fiercely loyal, willing to kill or be killed for that person/ people; they have both suffered great loneliness in their lives (Kate first when she became a vampire as, whilst she now had Sasha and Tanya, they were strangers, and her tribe was slaughtered and then again when Sasha died. And Rosalie when she became a vampire.) and in turn can emphasise with and relate to each other over it.

Dec. 8 - What was it like for Jasper to train and fight in the Eclipse battle after so many years of peace?

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His body remembered training and fighting well. It was like riding a bicycle, as humans say. But it was harder to get his mind back into it. Training Maria's army was easy - the newborns meant nothing to him. This time it was Alice, his whole world (he could not think of her in danger). Boisterous Emmett with his good humor and a tendency to not look before leaping (he came to training with the same enthusiastic energy as when they would wrestle and Jasper snapped at him multiple times to take it seriously). Prickly Rosalie who understood him (he missed having a twin and she was the closest to having his sister back). Warm Esme who was always willing to let him help with her projects (she introduced him to creating something instead of always destroying). Steadfast Carlisle, whose generally calm emotional demeanor was a comfort after years of turbulence (what would he do without that?).

It was harder to find what he liked about Edward in this moment. Selfish Edward who first refused to kill Bella and get it over with, then refused to change her (she desperately wanted to be one of them and frankly Jasper didn't understand what the problem was). Edward, who has put everyone in danger multiple times over her.

Dec. 5 - What is each Cullen's favorite college major so far? What new major should they try someday?

Carlisle's favorite: Neurology. I think that Carlisle is someone who connects his faith and his medical practice together, and learning about the brain from a medical standpoint would have fascinated him. I see him studying this in Europe in the late 1700s/early 1800s, and then again in the very early 1980s.

Try someday: I'm going to say Pediatric Oncology. He's never specialized in children's medicine before, and the oncology specialty is particularly difficult because of the amount of loss associated with the department. But if he can use his abilities and lifetime of skills to get one child diagnosis or treatment a little bit sooner, then it's worth it. But the emotional toll would affect his family, so he hasn't tried yet.

Oh, or something revolving around English History, with a specific focuses on religion's role. He'd like to examine that part of his past from an analytical and academic perspective.

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Esme's favorite: Interior Architecture. It's one thing to decorate a room, which Esme enjoys, but it's a totally different thing to build the room from scratch to capture a specific kind of light, and be a specific shape, accentuate the sound of Edward's piano, and work with the movements and behaviours of her family. She just loves how she gets to create this sanctuary from nothing. And getting to explore that across residential and commercial spaces was magical to her. It's also one of those degrees she gets to use regularly.

Try someday: Languages. Like the rest of the family, she can speak quite a few, but she'd love to go back and get a formal qualification so that she could do translation work professionally. Esme always seeks out her favourite books in foreign editions to compare the translations, and would love to work on book translations.

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Edward's favorite: Music. It's his passion, and he loves to be able to study it so in depth, and get feedback from an academic and practical perspective from someone with a similar interest and passion. Carlisle insists he can only study music once every two decades to encourage diverse interests and prevent a connection being made between identities, so he really savors it when he gets to study it again.

Try someday: Family Law. As as a way to honour his biological father, but Edward has no use for more money or fighting for the prestige in law school, so he likes Family Law the best. It would also come in handy for the Cullens' cover story, and with his gift he believes he could make sure children are protected. Realistically, though, he would only get away with practicing for a year or two, so he keeps putting it off. With the rise in video conferencing and online consultations, though, there's potential for the future.

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Rosalie's favorite: Nothing will ever take away the joy and pride Rosalie felt graduating from her very first Engineering degree. It's the one degree she prizes over the others because she was one of the first girls allowed in the program, and she graduated with honours (second place in the class because the school didn't want controversy, but Rose knows they fudged the grades.)

Try someday: Either Social Work or Early Childhood. Rosalie would love to advocate for women, especially those struggling, but she also recognises her bad temper would probably make a mess of the situation. Maybe one day. Early Childhood is more likely; it sounds wonderful but it's still hard - a little easier after Renesmee, but something she's working towards in the future.

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Emmett's favorite: Video game design - he loved every aspect of that because it was such a great mix of hardcore coding and computer work combined with more creative aspects. He also loved the diverse applications of it, and explaining how it was valuable for medicine and engineering. His final project was technically a failure because it ran too fast and the controllers were buggy according to his professors, but it was also the first vampire-speed video game to be made and he still adds levels to it every so often.

Try someday: Emmett puts a bunch of degrees that sound mildly interesting or really weird in a hat and draws one out each time. He claims that this creates diverse interests and keeps him on his toes. He just loves the looks at his family's faces when he announces that he'll be tackling a degree in Turfgrass Science or Amusement Park Engineering. Gunsmithing and Surf Science have both caught his eye, though.

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Alice's favorite: The very first fashion design degree she ever took. She went from being a girl that stole most of her clothing and wore them until they were destroyed, to learning how to choose fabric, how to draw patterns, cut and sew her own clothes. She learnt about designers, about how fashion shaped society, and it allowed Alice to build herself up from nothing - clothing is such a comfort to her, and being able to make it from scratch is just another level of security.

Try someday: Finance Law. It would be useful for her own wheelings and dealings, since most of her education in finance is from the 50s and 60s night school, playing the stock market, and what she gets from her visions. Having a formal degree in that area would also streamline a lot of stuff for the family. It's just so dry, Alice keeps putting it off. And yes, there would be major Elle Woods vibes if she gets around to it.

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Jasper's favorite: Philosophy. The boy does love a little bit of navel gazing and contemplation about humanity as a concept. It's helped him deal with a lot of things that happened in his past, and the choices that he made, as well as how to move forward. He loves getting out the old books and sinking into them for days; it's the only study area where he's actually worked as an online professor.

Try someday: Forensic Psychology. Jasper would love to understand what makes people tick, especially abnormal ones. He would love to understand how he became such a monster, and if it was inevitable or if there was a trigger. And he would really enjoy figuring out the motivations behind crimes. Everything about Forensic Psychology appeals to the strategic side of him.

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Bella's favorite: English literature. Bella loves it. She loves classic novels, and getting to study them is a dream. She loves discussing them in depth with other people who are just as passionate about them, and examining the difference in language and media portrayals, as well as the reflections from the author's real lives. She gets to shut herself up with a stack of her favourites, write about them, and get graded on her thoughts. It's perfect.