#Chinese New Year Feast

[razberryyum]

Happy Chinese New Year everyone!! Our eyes and hearts have been blessed!

from SVSSS donghua Bluray release in Japan (via Twt @/jinzixuans)

From official MDZS weibo for CNY

From official TGCF Weibo for CNY

🎉🎉🎉❤️❤️❤️🎉🎉🎉

[theknightlywolfe]

Got in early enough to the new Chinese BBQ place to get a half duck and char siu.

The flavour on the duck is right but the texture is all wrong and the cut is bad. The char siu is inconsistent.

I cannot wait for the old place's new location to be done, the other places in town are so bad.

[ungrapeful]

I'm starting to see the sanitization of chinese new year here in the west, where this beautifully rich cultural practice gets stripped of all meaning and churned through the capitalist holiday machine and appropriated by white people.

it's the same thing that happened to pride to make it palatable for corporations, heavily commercialized, and appropriated by straight people. like no!! that's not who pride is for!!! you're stripping away everything that makes pride, pride and pushing out the people who made it what it is.

I'm remembering this one time my homeroom teacher made all the chinese kids stand up and had the other students say 'gong hei fat choy' to us because "that's what chinese people say to each other!" like we were circus animals. i don't even speak cantonese.

and this year when my building manager (white lady) sent out a 'happy year of the dragon' email with a very sterilized message that avoided mentioning anything specific to cny or to other lny celebrations. it was also addressed to everyone, instead of to those who actually observe the holiday, as if this wasn't a specific cultural practice.

I'm just angry and scared that something so precious to me is being taken away by the very people who made me feel ashamed to be chinese growing up. i kinda liked it better when y'all didn't pretend to care thanks.

[rebeccaofficial]

Chinese New Year Feast

[ocinstar]

Heart and soul

Spencer reid x reader

Summary: slow dancing in your living room turns into an unexpected proposal.

Cw: fluffy fluff, established relationship, use of y/n, use of "mrs" and "girl" (but other than that theres not much fem pronouns)

Wc: 1877

A/n: first time writing a slow dancing scene guys!

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I wasn't having the best day. I had been called in earlier for work since they were understaffed and had to do the majority of the work. I didn't have any more coffee left at home and didn't have time go get some from the coffee shop, so I were tired all day with no aid. On top of all of that, my boyfriend had been gone for almost 3 days and I didn't know when he'd be back.

Of course I knew Spencers job was important, he was saving lives and catching killers. But it would be nice to have him all to yourself for a week before he was swept to a different state. Spencer and I talked on the phone every night and texted each other throughout the day, but it wasn't the same. Not having him next to me in bed every night has severely messed with my sleep schedule, missing the warmth of him next to me. You'd think after 2 years of this that it'd get easier, but it really hasn't.

I felt so much lighter as you walked up to your apartment door, feeling relieved to know the day was over and you could relax. You thought about the warm shower and nap you were going to take as you unlocked the door. As you opened the door, you were pleasantly surprised to see spencer sitting on the couch with a book in his hand. He looked up as you shut the door behind you.

"Hi, love." He smiled, getting up to greet me. He kissed me on the cheek and took the purse off my shoulder and onto the table beside the door.

"Hey, I thought you weren't gonna be back till tomorrow?" I wrapped my arms around his torso and smiled up at him, happy for him to be home so early.

"Case ending sooner than I expected, thought I'd surprise you." He gestured behind him with his head. I looked over to the coffee table to see a spread of food from our favorite Chinese restaurant and my favorite a bottle of wine. I got excited just at the sight of the feast he had bought for the both of you.

"Oh thank god, I'm starving." I unwrapped my arms from him, hurrying over to the food. He laughed as I wasted no time in filling up my plate and shoveling food into my mouth.

"How was your day?" Spencer asked as he sat down beside me, filling up his own plate much slower than I had.

"Better now." I said, words muffled by the food in my mouth. Before eating, he opened the bottle of wine and poured me a glass.

"Thank you, honey." I said once I had swallowed my food. He smiled at me and began to eat the noodles on his plate. Once I wasn't feeling so ravenous, I slowed my pace of eating, now taking normal sized bites.

"How was your case? Did you catch all the bad guys? Save the city?" I asked as U took another bite of chicken.

"I'm not batman." He laughed. With his work hours he mine as well be. "But yes, we did catch the "bad guy" and actually saved another victim."

I always felt proud of him when he tells me about his work. I mean, you're always proud of him. But there's something about the way he talks about the cases he works, the people he helps that just makes me extra proud.

"Gothem is saved once more!" We both shared a short laugh. We quickly fall into comfortable conversation as we finish our meal, him telling me as much from his case as he could without spoiling my appetite and me telling him about the day I had at work.

After eating as much as we could, we cuddled up on the couch. My head rested on his chest as his hand rubs my back. I listened to the steady sound of his heartbeat, sighing contently as he talked about a new book he had just finished.

"I should probably clean this up." He said after a few minutes of us cuddling.

"No, no, I'll clean up." I pushed myself up and crawled over him to get up.

"It's ok, I'll clean up. You relax." He stood up and began to stack our plates. I grabbed them from him before he could take them to the kitchen.

"No. I'm cleaning. It's the least I could do after you bought all this." He sighed in defeat and say back down. I kissed his forehead before grabbing as much containers as I could and heading to the kitchen.

As I tossed out plates into the sink and the empty food containers into the trash. I heard spencer shuffling around in the living room, then I heard the scratching of the record player and then the opening to "every time we say goodbye" by Ella Fitzgerald begin to play. I smiled to myself and walked out from the kitchen to see spencer standing nervously. He had dimmed the lights and lit a few candles.

"Dance with me?" He asked as he held his hand out to me.

"Always the romantic." I walked over to him and took hid hand. He pulled me into close to him, putting his other hand on my waist. We quickly fell into a steady rythme, swaying along to the music. I wasn't much of a dancer, so I let spencer lead me through step. We smiled at each other, never breaking eye contact as we danced.

He took the hand I had on his shoulder in his, pulling me in and pushing me out. I giggled as he pulled me back to him, wrapped his arm around my waist and holding me as close as humanly possible. I nuzzle my face into the crook of his neck and he rested his head on mine. I closed my eyes, relishing in the feeling of having him close. The world seemed to disappear completely, leaving just us in its wake. Any memories of that day had been completely erased from my mind and all i felt was peace.

"One last spin." I heard him say when the song was nearly over. I laughed and put some distance between us so he could spin me. He lifted his arm slightly, twirling me under it. He released my hand when I was turned towards him again.

I was confused for a moment, until I saw him reach into his pocket and pull out a box. My eyes widened and my heart skipped a beat when I saw him drop to one knee, opening the box to reveal a beautiful ring. I put my hand over my mouth to stop myself from screaming.

"I, uh, I had this whole speech planned out, but I forgot everything. I, um, I've never done this before- obviously. But, um-" he cleared his throat, trying to fight off the shakiness in his voice.

"Ok-" -he took a deep breath- "I love you. I love you more than everything in existence. I love how you make me better, I love waking up to you, I love how you push me to try new things even if it's out of my confort zone. You've taught me so much. You're my biggest supporter and my bestest friend. Every time I imagine my future, you are always in it. I couldn't imagine my life without you and I want to stay by your side forever. So, y/n l/n, will you marry me?" Happy tears ran down my cheeks as I listened to him.

"Yes! Yes!" I shouted loudly, practically jumping up and down from joy. I leap towards him ad he stood, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him into a hard kiss. He stumbled back a little at the sudden force, but he quickly found his footing and wrapped his arms around my waist. My hands moved to cup his face and I pull him in closer. I pulled back, resting my forehead on his as we both smiled widely. We laughed when we saw the other, both of us with tear stained cheeks and goofy smiles.

"Oh right!" He sniffled and held up the ring box. He took my left hand in his, taking the ring from the box and slipping it on my ring finger. I marveled at the jewelry, a beautiful silver band with my birth stone on it. It was absolutely perfect.

"Oh my god, spencer. I love it!" I looked up at his beaming face. He chuckled.

"I'm glad you like it. Penelope helped me pick it out." I had talked to Penelope about my dream ring before, so of course she'd know exactly which one I'd want.

"It's perfect." I smiled at the ring on my finger. I felt like I was dreaming, like I'd wake up any second in an empty bed. But this was real. Spencer, my best friend and love of my life was now my fiance. I couldn't explain how i felt, it was far beyond happiness or any other emotion. I felt complete.

"I love you so much." I peppered kisses all over his face as I murmured 'I love you' over and over. His cheeks turned pink and his smile grew. I settled into his embrace, feeling the warmth of his body. We stayed like that for a long time. Just taking in the feeling of each other, feeling the connection of our souls.

~~~

Later that night, we sat together in bed and disgusted what our wedding would be like. We searched for venues online and talked about dates. Of course we weren't deciding anything right away, but we could barely contain our excitement for our day. In the middle of looking at decoration ideas, Spencer's phone rang. We both smiled at each other when we saw the name on the screen. He hit answer and put it on speaker.

"Did she say yes?!" Penelope asked from the other line.

"I did." I laughed and she squealed loudly.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" We heard her shuffling around and opening doors.

"Our genius is getting married!" She yelled out and we heard a bunch of people cheering.

"Wait Garcia, who's there?" Spencer asked.

"The whole team." Spencer and I shared a short laugh.

"Hi guys!" I yelled over the phone, hoping she had us on speaker. She did and everyone yelled hi back to me.

"Way to go, pretty boy!" We heard Derek say from the background. Spencer smiled.

"And congrats to you, Mrs. Pretty girl." He followed up with a cheer.

"I knew she'd say yes! Oh my god, this is so exciting! I'm so happy for you guys!" Penelope yelped. We got more congratulations from the team before hanging up and falling into conversation about their reactions.

We talked about our wedding for a while longer before we started to get sleepy. We cuddled up in bed, wrapped up in each other's arms. Sleep was fast to come as the memories of today replayed in my head. I felt full as I drifed off to sleep in the arms of my love. My fiance.

~~~

A/n: thank you to the person who requested this! I loved this idea so much.

[curestardust]

Reverse: 1999 - Chinese New Year Animation: A Feast in a Box

[uwmspeccoll]

Chinese Ceremonial Papers

Many hundreds of varieties of prayer sheets used to be produced by specialist ma-chang printers all over China. Many of the limited range made today are the cheapest offset-litho jobs on the cheapest machine-made papers, but the designs still imitate the original woodblock prints.

Modern Taiwanese sheets of cash, made from recycled paper, sold very cheaply by weight in Taipei.

Mock money and other ceremonial papers for religious ceremonies will be gathered in "bowls" of crude papers, usually made of a mixture of rice-straw and bamboo fibers.

The simplest form of mock money is made traditionally with thin layers of tinfoil affixed to the center of a small piece of bamboo paper, although in contemporary production the cheapest grades of machine-made paper will be used instead, and in Taiwan and Malaysia metallic inks may be used instead of tinfoil.

Here's a piece of mock money in traditional colors with auspicious designs, and tinfoil brushed over with a dye from the pagoda tree to make it resemble gold.

Contemporary Taiwanese ceremonial paper.

Another variety of gold mock money, with inscriptions and symbols for good fortune building up the design, usually still quite well printed from woodblocks on fairly good quality paper, but sometimes now mass-produced by offset lithography.

Contemporary ceremonial paper printed letterpress on a stout machine-made paper in Hong Kong. The yellow coloring might have been brushed on by hand, but otherwise production of these attractive sheets has been mechanized completely.

At the Feast of Hungry Ghosts many large sheets of paper with pictures of all the clothes one's ancestor could need are burned. Although images of the paraphernalia of modern life like cell phones and computers might be printed on these papers, the clothing is always of traditional style.

Red paper envelopes with good luck symbols have been used for many years to enclose gifts of money made at New Year. They may be found wherever any ceremonial papers are sold; today usually with elaborate and eye-catching gold-stamping.

Decorative Sunday

The examples shown here are original paper samples included in Roderick Cave's (1935-2019) two-part article on "Ceremonial Papers of the Chinese" published in Matrix 12 (Winter 1992, pp. 51-66) and Matrix 13 (Winter 1993, pp. 161-177), printed at the John and Rosalind Randle’s Whittington Press in Risbury, Herefordshire, England.

In these articles, Cave, a noted print historian, librarian, and educator, discusses the history, manufacturing, printing, distribution, and uses of Chinese ceremonial papers used in rituals, celebrations, and festivals associated with the gods and the ancestors.

Our copies of Matrix are a donation from our friend Jerry Buff.

View more posts on Chinese papers.

View other posts associated with Roderick Cave.

View more Decorative Sunday posts.

[msfantasy]

Red String Witch

Embry Call x Witch!Reader

Summary: Tired of waiting on meeting your soulmate. You use your witch powers to speed up the meeting.

The red string theory is an old Chinese theory where every person is born with an invisible red string tied to their pinky finger.

Over time the string will tighten making the journey to their soulmate more difficult, the string might get tangled and tied but never severed.

Once the string draws you both together, the red string will remain short, keeping you two together and never apart for long.

Patience was not a trait that you possessed.

Since honing your witchcraft as a teenager, your patience slowly dwindled, often opting for witchcraft to quickly resolve any obstacles in your way.

Your discipline to not use magic in your every waking moment became an extremely abstract concept. If there was one rule that you set yourself, it was to let your relationships grow and develop naturally without any magical intervention.

It would only make the adventure of life boring.

So it was then that your teenage self promised to not use magic to conjure your soulmate. It would only ruin the organic meet-cute you were destined to experience.

But your teen years have long since passed and now you sit in your cottage home as a grown adult, alone and yearning for a partner to share a life with, looking down at yet another wedding invitation. ‘Plus ones are welcomed’ the letter reads. Sighing to yourself, knowing you have no one.

It was that very moment you had forsaken your childish promise to not intervene with the natural order and just speed up the meeting already.

What’s the point in having magic if you don’t make use of it? If others could, they would too.

It’s not like you were going to use magic to manipulate your soulmate. You were just going to use magic to locate and meet your soulmate and woo them, so you can finally be together and live happily ever after.

It’s not technically cheating … right ?

Any hesitation was snuffed out when a notification rung out, your phone screen displaying pictures of a new engagement ring from another friend.

A stabbing reminder that seemingly everyone in the world had someone, and you yet remain lonesome.

Moral values be damned.

You tried doing it the right way, but your soulmate is taking his sweet ass time meeting you.

Since he took too long, you’re just going to have to take matters into your own hands.

Sitting in your safe space, you preformed a viel ceremony to enable you to visualise and see the red string tied around your pinky finger. Immediately, you see the taut red string pointing towards the west. Indicating that your soulmate is currently in a western direction.

“The worst part of having imprinted is having to convince them of the bond.” Paul states, taking a hulking bite from is plate, as the others murmur in agreement.

The roaring bondfire sizzle and crackles in the crisp night air as the Uley pack discuss the worst parts of imprinting as they feast on the evening’s barbecue.

“No the worst part of imprinting is meeting them young.” Quil argues as Jacob pats his back empathetically.

“No, the worst part has to be explaining that the supernatural is real.” Sam says, as the others murmur in agreement. “Burdening your imprint with a new and dangerous reality is heart breaking, but keeping them in the dark is a betrayal and a greater danger to their safety.”

“Please, at least all of you whiny babies have an imprint.” Leah broods.

Embry nods along in solidarity. “Can’t say I’m looking forward to any of that.” Embry agrees, stabbing his fork aimlessly at his plate. “But I agree with Leah, I’ll gladly do all of that if it means I finally get to meet my imprint.”

Paul snorts are Embry’s claim. “Sure kid, just wait and see. In fact, when you meet your imprint, and you have to convince and explain to her the bond and the supernatural, I’m gonna be sitting their and laughing my ass off.”

The window blows the tree branches unceremoniously, as if hearing Paul’s taunting challenge.

Seth stands from his comfy seat to point out a mysterious figure emerging from the tree line. “Uh, guys, who’s that?”

Your quick strides soon draw you near the group, your eyes locked onto Embry as he feels gravity moving as you become the centre of reality that holds him down and nothing else. You become his sole focus as the world fades away before he feels reality shift back to normal.

It didn’t take a single word for everyone to know the mysterious figure approaching their group was Embry’s imprint.

Paul begins to grin, his taunts playing out before his eyes.

You continue to stride silently past the others, eyes unmoving from Embry until you are just at an arms length.

“This may sound crazy, but you are my soulmate.” You utter, expecting shock, resistance, mockery or denial. But instead Embry smirks with an airy laugh.

“Funny. I was going to say the same to you.” He says, rocking on his feet excitedly. Glancing down with a cheeky grin to Paul whose mouth is left agape.

“Really? Just like that, you accept my outrageous claim?” You ask relieved but also sceptical.

Embry shrugs his shoulders. “It’s a wolf thing, you?”

“It’s a witch thing.” You begin to giggle at Embry’s widening eyes. “Come for a walk with me, we have much to discuss.” You grab his hand and begin to drag him away from the pack who remains in stunned silence.

“That’s so unfair.” Paul whines as the other grimace in the ease of Embry meeting and bypassing all of the difficult rites of imprinting.

[otakusparkle]

Identity V Chinese 6th Anniversary Character Congratulations Messages (Part 3)

Part 1

Part 2

Little Girl : Thank you for your hospitality. The truffle cake here is delicious! Hmm, can I have another piece?

Nightmare : It's another grand banquet, but don't get too absorbed in it, or you might fall into a beautiful dream from which you won't wake up.

Novelist : I can find new inspiration every time I come here, it's a very good experience.

Weeping Clown : Wh-what? You asked me to come here for a performance? Are these delicious foods for me... Thank you very much and I wish you a happy 6th anniversary!

Clerk : Ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to be entrusted with the important task of delivering a speech in front of this long table. On the occasion of the 6th anniversary of Oletus Manor, let us raise a toast and celebrate!

Professor : Hello, happy 6th birthday. Thanks for the invitation. A birthday is a year of time. We have crossed new boundaries and we will also transform into new ones.

Antiquarian : Happy anniversary, and hope you are well. What a great feast! I may be able to find out about her by taking this opportunity.

Hermit : Happy Birthday, thank you for your invitation. On the way here, I saw a lot of old machineries, the electrical circuit doesn’t seem too safe, to avoid accidents from happening, I’ve asked them to finish repairing. Oh? It’s what should be done, no need to thank me.

Composer : I’m honored to be participating in this grand celebratory. For everyone I have sent my newest works, I also welcome you to exchange words of your thoughts with me.

Night Watch : The moonlight is beautiful today. It seems a bit of a waste to hold a party in a closed building. Do you want to go out and have a look? Come with me.

Journalist : Thank you for the invitation. I have heard that the Oletus Manor holds a grand anniversary party every year. I have to record it in detail this time. I have work to do later, so I will not drink this cup. Please allow me to take this camera around and take some souvenirs.

Opera Singer : Thank you for the invitation. This is my first time to attend such a banquet. Piano, violin, and... Hehe, is the solo position reserved for me?

Aeroplanist : Thank you for the treat. Such a feast is really an eye-opener. Hey? Whose balloon is hanging on the ceiling? There is a cat on it... I'll be back soon.

Cheerleader : I'm Lily, hello! I heard there's a BIG party going to be held here, is it a sports meeting!? Can I join in!?

Fool's Gold : Thank you for your invitation. What a bounty, a room full of white bread, pastries, beverages. How good-natured..

Puppeteer : Thanks for having me, and happy 6th Anniversary! This puppet? Um...

The Shadow : Nice to meet you, happy 6th anniversary! It's surprising that there are so many people here already.

[wearethekat]

Anticipated New Releases of 2024

**As anticipated by Me. Mostly SFF. Links are to goodreads because that's what I use, sorry. Anything marked "new to me" I haven't read anything by that author before and therefore can't vouch for the quality. I just think the premise is neat.**

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands, Heather Fawcett (16 January)

Sequel to the charming novel about the fairy anthropologist.

Exordia, Seth Dickinson (23 January)

Well, it isn't a new Baru Cormorant, but this modern SF about first contact may be the next best thing.

City of Stardust, Georgia Summers (30 January)

New to me. A young woman descends into the underworld in order to break her family's fatal curse.

The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett (6 February)

New to me. A sherlock holmes flavored duo solves the mystery of the murder of an imperial official in a labyrinthine fantasy realm.

What Feasts at Night, T Kingfisher (13 February)

The sequel to the mushroom horror book What Moves the Dead.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts, Katherine Arden (13 February)

A ghost story set in WW1 about a woman searching for her missing brother.

The Fox Wife, Yangsze Choo (13 February)

New to me. A detective in 1908 Manchuria investigates a young woman's death in an area full of mythical foxes.

Redsight, Meredith Mooring (27 February)

New to me. Unpowered priestess and Imperial pawn is set on a collision path with a pirate with a grudge for the Imperium (Gay romance).

Sunbringer, Hannah Kaner (12 March)

Sequel about the professional godkiller Kissen.

Jumpnauts, Hao Jingfang (12 March)

New to me. A SF novel in translation from Chinese, with three scientists joining forces to deal peacefully with a first contact situation.

The Woods All Black, Lee Mandelo (19 March)

I liked Mandelo's debut novel very much so I'm excited to read this queer horror novella set in 1920s Appalachia.

Floating Hotel, Grace Curtis (19 March)

New to me. A series of cozy character vignettes on a space cruise ship after a murder has occurred. One of the four (!) space hotel murder crimes books coming out this year.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace, Justinian Huang (26 March)

New to me. Reincarnation gay romance set in 4 BCE China, the 1740s, and modern-day LA.

Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky (28 March)

Far future space xenoarchaeology by a man trapped on a prison planet.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In, John Wiswell (2 April)

New to me. Bizarre lesbian cannibalism monster romance from the point of view of the monster.

The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo (9 April)

Glad to see Bardugo writing more adult fantasy, and this one is especially exciting because it's a fantasy set in early modern Spain with a Jewish main character. Fun to see a more original historical period.

A Sweet Sting of Salt, Rose Sutherland (9 April)

New to me. Lesbian selkie romance.

Death in the Spires, KJ Charles (11 April)

Charles branching out from romance into historical Oxford murder mystery about a group of friends with dark secrets.

Audrey Lane Stirs The Pot, Alexis Hall (22 April)

The new Hall thinly veiled british baking show romcom. Libby says it's releasing in April but I've heard nothing from the author so I think it may be Alecto'd (shifted to next year)

Necrobane, Daniel M Ford (23 April)

Sequel to the dungeons and dragons-esque low fantasy lesbian necromancy book.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep, Sylvie Cathrall (25 April)

New to me. Sweet underwater epistolary academic romance.

How To Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, Django Wexler (21 May)

New to me. A young hero caught in a fantasy time loop gives up and tries being the villain in an attempt to escape.

Goddess of the River, Vaishnavi Patel (21 May)

Another woman-centered retelling of Hindu mythology, this time based on the river goddess Ganga.

Escape Velocity, Victor Manibo (21 May)

New to me. Evil and toxic private school alumni jockey for position in a space hotel event in an attempt to escape a dying Earth.

The Fireborne Blade, Charlotte Bond (28 May)

New to me. Gay dragon slaying knight novella.

Evocation, ST Gibson (28 May)

New to me but looks very cool. Attorney and medium David attempts to escape his deal with the devil with the help of his ex boyfriend and his ex boyfriend's wife (Poly romance).

Service Model, Adrian Tchaikovsky (4 June)

In an SF future, a robot kills its human owners and ventures out into a world where human supremacy is beginning to crumble.

Lady Eve's Last Con, Rebecca Fraimow (4 June)

New to me. A con artist seeks revenge on the man who hurt her sister, who's coincidentally also on a space cruise ship (Sapphic romance subplot).

Triple Sec, TJ Alexander (4 June)

An actual mainstream published poly romance (!!) by trans author Alexander.

Running Close to the Wind, Alexandra Rowland (11 June)

Gay! Pirates! Scheming! Alt fantasy world! Monks! I liked Taste of Gold and Iron a lot and I'm very excited for this one.

The Knife and the Serpent, Tim Pratt (11 June)

New to me. Space opera about an interdimensional organization. Also, there's a sentient starship.

The Witchstone, Henry Neff (18 June)

A childhood favorite of mine's adult debut, featuring a demon who suddenly has to shape up at his curse keeper job after eight hundred years of slacking.

Rakesfall, Vajra Chandrasekera (18 June)

VERY excited to read more weird queer sff from this author after a fantastic debut. Looks weird. I'm in.

Foul Days, Genoveva Dimova (25 June)

New to me. A witch in a Slavic fantasy inspired world flees her evil ex, the Tsar of Monsters. There's also a plague and a detective.

Saints of Storm and Sorrow, Gabriella Buba (25 June)

New to me. Filipino inspired anticolonialist fantasy novel about a nun who is secretly practicing the religion of her goddess.

The Duke at Hazard, KJ Charles (18 July)

A queer regency with an incognito duke by one of my particular favorite romance authors.

Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan (30 July)

!!! Very excited to see a new adult fantasy by Brennan. A reader is dragged into a fictional world and finds herself the villain.

A Sorceress Comes to Call, T Kingfisher (20 August)

A retelling of The Goose Girl from reliably good fairy tale stalwart Kingfisher.

Buried Deep and Other Stories, Naomi Novik (17 September)

Collection of Novik's short stories.

Swordcrossed, Freya Marske (8 October)

VERY excited to see a new book by talented writer Marske. A man falls in love with the duelist hired for his arranged wedding. MEANWHILE. details of the fantasy world wool industry.

Feast While You Can, Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta (29 October)

New to me. Small town queer cave horror.

The Last Hour Between Worlds, Melissa Caruso (19 November)

Multiple reality murder mystery spy vs spy type antics, with lesbians.

[tessa-liam]

Turning the Page  

Home is Where the Heart Is -8-

Choices, The Royal Romance, AU 

Series Premise: As Riley Brooks journeys through life as a single parent in New York City, an epiphany strikes as she contemplates the future for herself and her two-year-old son. 

Turning the Page Series Masterlist 

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Riley Brooks 

All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except William Brooks (Rys) and Matteo Magro, who belongs to this series. 

Category: On-going series, contains angst/fluff/depression. Cross-over fic with Choices, Perfect Match. 

Rating: M🔞Warnings - Series will contain crude language, NSFW material – not Beta’d - please excuse all errors. 

Words: 2501 

Home is Where the Heart Is – 8 

Chapter Summary: Madeleine reveals her threat to the Royal council, while Liam makes initial preparations to bring Riley and William home to Cordonia. William, with Riley’s help, decorates a gingerbread house for his father. Liam arrives in New York on Christmas Eve. 

Music Inspiration:

Bless the Broken Road, Selah, Melodie Crittenden 

All I Want for Christmas is You, Mariah Carey 

A/N1: In this alternate universe, after King Constantine orchestrates two individual scandals to humiliate and entrap Riley Brooks and Olivia Nevrakis in shame, Madeleine Amaranth secures her position as the Queen of Cordonia. Riley, as the King’s mistress and Olivia, in self-imposed exile. Tariq is never found.  

A/N2: My submission for @choicesflashfics, Week#64, prompt #2 - “I’m not in the mood for a lecture.” 

A/N3: My submission for @choicesflashfics, Holiday Prompt #82 - “The only thing I want for Christmas is you.” 

A/N4: My submission for @choicesdecember2023, prompt, Food and Feasts - ‘Gingerbread House.’ #choices monthly challenge 

A/N5: My submission for @choicesholidays, Winter Holidays 2023 prompt event, Week5 – This is the best Christmas ever! @angelascribbles  

Brooklyn Heights, New York City 

As Riley carefully placed the gumdrops on the roof of the gingerbread house, William stood nearby, watching her intently. “Mama, put red one there,” pointing to the chimney top. William was serious about the details of the house. For him, everything had to be ‘just right’. 

Riley softly smiled. William wanted everything perfect for his Christmas gift to his father. 

"Mama, can I help?" 

"Of course, honey." Riley handed him the bag of candy, and William began to place them on the house, giggling as he did so. 

"You're doing a great job, LiLi. Your Daddy will be so proud of you.”  

"Look, Mama! It's finished." 

"Yes, it is ... almost. We just need a few more pieces of candy and we should put more ‘snow’ on the roof." 

William squealed with delight as Riley handed him the piping tube of frosting to hold, as they began to finish the roof together. 

Just as they were finishing up, Riley heard the front door open, and she turned to see Matteo coming into the brownstone, a large bag of Chinese take-out food in his arms. 

"Surprise! We thought we'd bring dinner." Daniel announced while Matteo nodded his head to the royal guard standing next to the entrance. Daniel followed, stomping the snow from his boots. 

"Thanks, guys. You're the best." Riley carefully moved the house to the counter to set, to make room for dinner.

"Unca Dan Dan! Unca Matty! Look what Mama and I made." William tugged at Daniel’s coat. 

"Wow, that looks so cool, LiLi." Daniel squatted down for a mini fist bump. 

William beamed, "It's a gingerbread house for Daddy. He's going to be surprised." 

"He will. I'm sure he'll love it." Matteo placed the bag of food on the table and pulled out his phone. "We should take a picture." 

Riley nodded, "Good idea. Come on, everyone." 

They all gathered around the gingerbread house, smiling as Matteo snapped a few photos. 

"Perfect. Thanks, guys.” 

"We got your favorites, Ri. Orange chicken, vegetable lo mein, and fried rice." 

"You know me so well." Riley smiled appreciatively. 

“Ummmm ... Ri?” 

Riley looked at Daniel, noticing he was moving his head toward the Royal guard. “Do we need to feed ‘Lurch’ over there?” he whispered. 

Smirking, Riley shook her head ‘no’ and asked, "What's the special occasion?" 

"Just a quiet night in. It's been a long week of travelling." Matteo sighed. “I am beat.” 

"Well, we have three days here before we leave for Greece," Daniel shimmied over to kiss Matt on the lips as William climbed into his toddler seat. 

"What's happening in Greece?" Riley asked, puzzled. 

"Matty’s corporate New Year's Eve party is being held at a private estate this year in Athens," Daniel answered. 

"Wow. Sounds fancy." Riley grinned, setting plates on the table. 

"It will be.” Matteo winked at Daniel. 

“Speaking of fancy ... and what about you, Riley?  What has Liam planned for you and William this Christmas?” 

Riley glanced at the royal guards standing near the entrance. She knew Liam would be returning in a few days, knowing that the guards received the King’s itinerary this morning. "Actually, I'm not entirely sure, yet." 

"Maybe a romantic dinner up in the Hampton’s," Daniel suggested, waggling his brows at Matteo. "The man owns a private jet, Dan. The sky’s the limit." Matteo added. 

Riley giggled, "Who knows? I am just thrilled he will be here with us," mussing William’s hair as he returned her smile. 

"So, how are things with you two?" Riley asked, changing the subject. 

"Good. Great, actually" Daniel replied with twinkling eyes. 

"Couldn't be better, Daniel is right. The change of scenery has been fantastic," Matteo agreed, giving Riley a wink. 

"Uh, ha," Riley chuckled, suspiciously. "Okay ... what is it?” Riley laughed, knowing her best friend all too well. 

"We might have some news." 

"Daniel ..." Matteo shook his head, "Not until after we formally announce it." 

"Spill. You can't just say something like that and not give details." Riley demanded., chuckling.

"Okay, okay. I cannot keep it a secret any longer. We're getting married!" 

Riley gasped, "Oh my god, Daniel! Oh! You guys! Congratulations!” 

"Thank you, Ri.” Riley stood up and gave Daniel a huge hug. Matteo smirked, knowing all too well that Daniel could not wait to tell his best friend the good news. 

"I can't believe you're getting married. That is amazing.” Riley gushed hugging Matteo.

"We're really, really happy, Ri. And we could not have done this without you. If you hadn't encouraged us to take a chance, we would have never realized how perfect we are together." Matteo gazed lovingly at Daniel. 

"It was all you two,” Riley countered. “You both just needed a push in the right direction.” 

"We're so glad you were the one to push us. This is the best Christmas ever!”, Matteo grinned. 

"So, when's the big day?" 

"We haven't decided yet. But we're thinking sometime in the spring," Daniel squeezed Matt's hand.

"That sounds lovely. I can't wait." Riley paused ... “Oh, I mean ...” 

"Neither can we. Riley, would you do me the honor of being my maid of Honor?” 

"Oh, yes! I'm really, really happy for you guys. You deserve all the happiness in the world. Yes! I would be honored.” 

"Thanks, Ri. That means so much to me." 

As they sat down and began to eat, Riley could not help but feel a tinge of sadness. She knew that the wedding would be beautiful in Greece, and she was happy for her friends, but ... she could not help but wish that she and Liam were engaged, too, and planning a future. 

"Mama, can I have some chicken?" William asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. 

"Of course, honey." Riley placed a piece of chicken on his plate, cutting the piece into bite size portions. William dug in, grinning. 

Standing up from the table, Riley's eyes were filling with unshed tears as she excused herself from the table, turning towards her bedroom. Needing a chance to breathe and have some space, she walked into her room and clicked the door closed behind her. Riley bowed her head, wiping the tears now flowing freely down her cheeks, and slid down to the floor. 

It was hard not to think about all the ‘what-ifs’.

What would have happened if they could have found Tariq in time to stop the wedding?

What if Liam had chosen her the night of his coronation instead of Madeleine?

What if Liam had chosen her, scandal be damned? As she sat on the floor, more memories surfaced.  

A memory of her and Liam together in the blue grotto in Italy, when Liam mentioned abdicating the throne as a way of moving forward. 

'There's this thought I can't shake off ... what our life could look like together. You and I. Without the court and the Crown.' 

'What does it look like?' 

'The parts I know? We elope and get married in a small, private ceremony...' 

Riley wiped her tears. knowing that this was in the future for Daniel and Matteo, but not for her. 

‘But you can't abdicate, Liam. You wouldn't be happy if you gave up the throne and... you wouldnt be you. In your heart, you know that.’ 

’If I do marry Madeleine, can you go on like this? Stealing moments, meeting in secret?’ 

"Mama?" William’s little voice sounded outside her door, interrupting her thoughts. 

"Yes, LiLi?" Riley softly spoke, standing up and wiping her tears away. She opened her door to see William looking up at her. 

"Are you sad, mama?" William pointed to her eyes. 

"No, honey. I'm just happy for Uncle Dan and Uncle Matty." 

"They marry?"  

"Yes, they are. Isn't that exciting?" 

"Mama, are you and Daddy marry, too?" 

Riley took a deep breath and put her arm around William, "someday, maybe." 

“We can be a real family." 

"We're already a real family, William. No matter what happens, you and I will always be together." 

"Promise?" 

"...and Daddy too?" 

Riley closed her eyes, her hands trembling as she tried not to break down. She was unable to speak and was trying to catch her breath. 

"Mama? Why crying?" 

"I-I'm sorry, William. I'm just feeling a little sad. It has been a long day.” 

Overhearing William, Daniel pushed open the bedroom door.  

"Hey buddy, go see Uncle Matt and finish your dinner." 

“Okay, Dan Dan.” As William went back into the kitchen, Daniel sat down beside Riley and hugged her tightly. 

“Riley?" Daniel questioned his friend. 

"Y-Yes. Everything's fine." 

"Doesn't look like it." 

"I'm just...it's hard, you know? To watch my best friend, get married when..." 

"I know, Riley. It is difficult. But remember, you and Liam are in a good place, now. And who knows? Maybe someday, you will be the ones getting married." 

Riley’s breath shuddered as she looked at Daniel, searching his eyes, staying silent. 

"I understand this is hard, but you can't let the past hold you back. You and Liam have come so far. You just have to take things one step at a time." 

Riley's cell pinged with a message. Picking up her phone, ‘Liam’ appeared on the screen.  

Cordonian Royal Palace 

Olivia, standing in for Liam, and standing for the Royal council, sat at the King's desk. Rashad and his father, the Crown’s personal legal counsel, sat on the sofa next to Liam’s large ornate desk. Madeleine's heels could be heard clicking down the hallway, stopping outside of the study door. Madeleine cleared her throat before Bastien opened the door and allowed her to enter. 

Entering the King’s study, her face was impassive. 

"Where is Liam?" 

"The King is occupied with important matters. He's asked me to represent him in this meeting." Olivia coldly, but politely answered the ex-queen of Cordonia. 

Madeleine’s glare turned nasty as she looked at Olivia in disdain. 

"Keep it up Madeleine. As the King’s representative, you will deal with me and answer all the questions I am looking for. Is that understood, Madeleine? I am not your subject.” Olivia sat back confidently. 

"I am not in the mood for a lecture," Madeleine scoffed.

"Very well. I am here to discuss the matter of the succession of the Crown. I trust the council has brought you up to speed?" 

"Indeed, they have." Olivia responded. 

"Good. Then there is no need to waste time. Let's get down to business." Madeleine said with a smirk. "As you know, the King has yet to select a queen, and secure an heir to his throne. Given his indecisiveness, I propose that the council appoint an heir, should Liam not produce an heir by his thirtieth birthday." 

"We're well aware of the succession laws, and I assure you, the council will make the necessary decisions, should the time come." Olivia rebutted. 

"The King's appointment must meet the established criteria. Should the King choose an heir that does not meet the qualifications, the council is authorized to remove the heir from the line of succession." 

"Your point being, Madeleine? I am sure that you understand that you no longer have any sovereignty in Cordonia." Olivia confidently countered. 

"My point is, is that if he fails to produce an heir, then the council has the authority to choose an alternate. I propose that the council select my unborn child to be named as the heir, since the child was conceived while our marriage was valid. My child meets the requirements, and should the King fail to produce an heir, the council would have no choice but to appoint my child." 

Rashad's eyes narrowed. "I'm afraid you're mistaken, Madeleine. The law is quite clear. A child cannot be appointed as an heir, unless said child is adopted by the monarch first." 

"...and Liam could adopt my child,” Madeleine seethed. 

Rashad continued, “that would require the child to live under the guardianship of the monarch, which is not possible, given the circumstances. Your residence is in Morocco, not Cordonia. as per the marriage dissolution filed legally." 

Olivia nodded, "The council will consider your proposal. In the meantime, Liam's position is still unchanged. He is free to choose his own heir, should the need arise.” 

Madeleine stood up from her armchair and turned toward the bay window overlooking the gardens, contemplating her retort her arms crossed.

"Madeleine, you cannot expect the King to simply appoint your child, when he has another option." Olivia rebutted, knowing that Madeleine was aware of William. 

Rashad added, “again the law is quite clear. A child who is conceived by the monarch while married or not, has the right to a place in the line of succession, even if the parents are not together." 

"Even if the child is a bastard? He was conceived outside our marriage.” Madeleine spat, frothed with resentment. 

"Yes. As was your child," Rashad reminded her. 

"This is absurd. We are done here....guards!” Olivia summoned, as Madeleine was escorted out of the study by the Royal guard. 

*** 

Liam, Leo, Drake and Bastien watched the entire exchange virtually from Liam’s personal quarters. 

"Do you think she's capable of harming Riley?” Drake wondered aloud. 

"Yes, I am sure of that. If not herself ... her father. Liam sat back in his chair, his hands steepled in front of his mouth, annoyance etched on his face.

"I think that she is desperate and will do whatever she can to get what she wants.” Leo added supporting his brother. 

“Bastien, begin the surveillance protocol on the countess and her father, Liam commanded. 

“Consider it done, your Majesty.” Bastien confirmed, standing to leave the room. 

"Do you think it’s wise to bring Riley and your son back to Cordonia?” Drake questioned. 

"It's the only way, Drake.” 

"What if Riley doesn't want to come back to Cordonia?" 

"Then I will support her decision, but I have to at least try.” 

Liam stood, walking to his private chambers, with phone in hand.

‘Hello Riley!’ 

‘Liam, hi! How are you?'

‘I'm well. How are you and William keeping?’ 

‘We're doing great. We miss you, though.’ 

‘I miss you both, too.’ 

‘I have a proposition for you...’ 

‘Oh?’ 

‘How would you and William like to come to Cordonia and stay with me at the palace after Christmas?’ 

Riley blinked, not sure how to respond.

‘When I go home after spending Christmas week with you...come back to Cordonia with me.'

'Liam, you can't be serious.'

'I'm quite serious, love.'

'You want me and William to come to Cordonia and stay with you in the palace?'

'Yes, I want you both here with me.'

'Li, I don't know. That seems like a big step.'

'I understand your hesitation. But please, just consider it.'

'I will see you in a couple of days, love. We can talk more then.'

'OK, I am looking forward to seeing you, Li. William made something special just for you.'

Liam smiled, 'I look forward to seeing it, but love, the only thing I want for Christmas is you.'

Thanks for reading!

📌All fics & edits: @ao719 @txemrn @queenmiarys @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @alj4890 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @harleybeaumont @busywoman @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @lovingchoices14 @kyra75 @tinkie1973 @emkay512 @malblk21 @kristinamae093 @charlotteg234

📌Liam x Riley, MC/ OTP: @jared2612 @irisk12 @thesvnsins @walkerdrakewalker

📌Liam x Riley, OC: @emersyn-in-cordonia @mainstreetreader @belencha77 @walkerdrakewalker @iluaaa @mysticalfangirl @queenwalton @bascmve01 @umccall71 @choicesfrog @amandablink

📌Liam x Sophie: @charlotteg234

📌Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @choicesflashfics @choicesdecember2023 @choicesholidays

[dingochef]

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x OFC (Reader)Word Count: 1.8k

Warnings: Swearing

Written for @sailor-aviator writing challenge. Scrooge was my prompt.

Masterlist

Have a cup of cheer!

You don't hate Christmas exactly, more a high dislike layered over forced tolerance. No appreciation for the holiday. When you think of Christmas, your memory isn't filled with cinnamon scented Hallmark moments like baking cookies or decorating fresh pine trees.

Christmas was the ultimate swap holiday between your not amicably divorced parents. An only child shuffled from coast to coast, neither parent really wanting to invest wholesale for an occasional holiday. Half assed fake trees and takeout Chinese for Christmas dinner was more the norm than big family feasts. Eventually your parents gave up the motions of holiday celebrations and would bring you on a vacation they wanted to go on as a way to supposedly celebrate. You went skiing, a lot.

Which is how you find yourself waiting in line at your favorite coffee shop, grinding your teeth as everyone in front of you orders the most elaborate Christmas flavored mega-multi- gingerbread-peppermint-mocha-latte with almond milk and real whipped cream and all you want is an iced coffee, black. You live in San Diego for Christ's sake, it's 78 degrees outside.

You snort to yourself, you like your coffee black, like your soul. You feel like black cloud on a sunny day, a Scrooge at a Christmas pageant,a turd in the punch bowl as you wait in this excruciatingly slow line as Mariah Carey warbles in the background and you're surrounded by tinsel and fake pine garland.

You have five days left till Christmas, five days till your life goes back to normal and there is no more Santa, no more cinnamon scented gag-inducing pine cones hanging out in the entry of your local grocery store, and blissfully, no more Christmas music.

"Five more days," you breathe in and out, a calming mantra in this melee of forced cheer and commercialism.

"Five more days," breathe in, breathe out.

Finally, you're next in line, so close to getting your caffeine fix and getting out of here.

Finally, you order and wave off the barista's efforts for you to try a holiday themed drink and muffin and scone and bagel bites. Is everything peppermint flavored?

"I'm good, just a large black iced coffee. Thank you," you say through a forced smile. She shrugs and gets your order ready. You tip well and turn to quickly exit.

A blond man in a Navy, you think, uniform is behind you and instantly reads your resting bitch face. He smiles a dazzling grin, so beautiful that if you weren't trying to remember breathing exercises from yoga to keep from losing your shit, it might make you a little weak in the knees at any other time of year. And then he opens his mouth, a Southern lilt wrapped around his words,

"Cheer up, Doll. Christmas is almost here. Have you been a good girl this year for Santa to bring you a nice present?"

This is it, this is the moment you do something that will either get you arrested and on the news or a become a regrettable viral video on the Internet with the title, "ChriSTtmAs FreeK-OUT SouNd on!"

You really don't find it in yourself to care about the results of what's about to happen, this poor unsuspecting schmuck is about to have all your shiny, gift wrapped emotional baggage labeled "Christmas!" unloaded on him while he's probably waiting to get a mega-multi- gingerbread-peppermint-mocha-latte with almond milk and real whipped cream.

"Don't call me doll, dick. And I really don't give a flying fuck about Santa or whatever shitty pick up line you're trying to use. This whole fucking time of year is bullshit and I don't need you telling me to cheer up. I haven't been happy at Christmas for the last 32 years, doubt it's going to change now. So leave me alone and you can enjoy your Christmas sugar bomb and spread your fake cheer somewhere else!"

The rage flows through you making you tremble as you hold back tears.

The man in front of you has lost the smile and is reaching out his hands in what you realize is a feeble attempt to comfort you. Pure concern blankets his face, making your rage fizzle, like a match thrown in water.

"I'm sorry. I was just trying to get you to smile…" he pauses as he retreats hands and runs one through his hair,

"I'm really sorry I caused you pain. Sorry this isn't a good time of year for you."

His sincerity deflates you entirely and the tears you're holding back flood out and flow down your cheeks.

"It's fine, it's fine," you mumble as you frantically search for the exit. Now you're noticing that the entire coffee shop is silent and watching you. You flee out the door, cringing as you hear the jingle bells on the door ring. You walk just far enough to get out of the view of anyone in the coffee shop.

Apparently, this weird moment in time is when you decide to unpack your shitty childhood. Slumping down against the brick wall behind you, you sit down and take a long sip of your iced coffee, your hands shaking as you wipe away the tears.

"You look like you could use something stronger," a now familiar voice says softly.

Looking up you see your unwitting emotional punching bag holding out his hand,

"I know a place close by if you want to take me up on the offer."

"Why are you being nice to me? I called you a dick in front of 50 people," you say, sniffing to keep the snot at bay.

"Call it the Christmas spirit. You seem like you could use someone to talk to and I do feel like a dick for making you cry in a coffee shop. I'm Jake, by the way."

You ponder his offer for a second,

"This isn't one of those self aggrandizing things you're going to brag about on social media later, is it?"

He laughs, a deep and true laugh.

"Nope, I was trying to talk to you to get your number because I think you're beautiful. Plus, who drinks iced coffee black? You're obviously a complex character or a serial killer. Call me curious."

You laugh a small sniffling laugh and take his hand, and say as he helps you up,

"Well, Jake by the way, I'm Y/n, but you can call me Scrooge, I guess, because I feel like I've ruined Christmas."

"Don't give yourself that much credit. There's still five days to make it better. How about that drink? Scroogey?"

"Sure, let's go. But if you try to make me drink a peppermint martini I will lose it….again."

"I wouldn't dream of it. It's the Hard Deck, just down the block. I don't think that's the type of drink that Penny would be any good at it."

Jake leads the way towards the bar. You've seen it as you live in the area, but didn't really think it was your scene.

As you sit in a cozy booth and talk with Jake, you enjoy the atmosphere, simple and unpretentious and blissfully lacking Christmas music you realize it is exactly the kind of place you like to hang out at. You and Jake talk so long about your lives that you eventually order food. One drink turns into several.

You learn he is a fighter pilot for the Navy and is stationed out of North Island, he grew up in Texas, and he absolutely loves Christmas. He learns that you are in marketing, grew up in Connecticut, and why Christmas sucks for you.

When you finally notice the time you realize you've been talking to Jake for three hours.

"Oh crap, I've got to get going. I've got an early morning," you chuckle to yourself thinking about your sunrise yoga class and how you used some of the techniques trying to stay calm in the coffee shop.

Jake stands up with you and waves you off as you try to pull some cash from your wallet for the tab.

"My treat, call it a Christmas gift,' he says, absolutely pushing his luck. For some reason it comes across as charming and makes you laugh.

"Would it be okay if I got your number? I'd like to see you again, Y/N."

You hold yourself together to not let out a girlish giggle of glee,

"I'd like to see you again too, Jake," you readily agree, trying to sound breezy. You quickly exchange phones and send a text to each other. Jake walks you out of the Hard Deck and gives you a chaste peck on the cheek as he hugs you goodbye.

You're getting ready for bed, a giant smile plastered on your face when your phone dings, a new message popping up.

Jake Seresin: 🎄 Merry Christmas, I'm thankful for the gift of meeting you today. I must have a good boy this year for Santa to bring us together. Owe the old man one.

You: Merry Christmas, Jake. 🎅

"Merry Christmas, y/n," Jake hums into your ear curling himself around your back.

One Year and Five Days Later

"Merry? This early? What time is it?" you croak back.

"5 am, my nieces and nephews are going to wake up shortly. "

"Thought I'd let you see what's in Santa's package," he says, trying not to laugh, as he lightly thrusts at you.

"Jacob Thomas Seresin, you got me, the ultimate Scrooge, to come to Texas for Christmas with you, bake cookies, cut down a tree, sing carols, and I'm even wearing Christmas pajamas with fucking elves on them that match your whole family, but I have to, have to draw the line at Christmas themed dirty talk."

You feel Jake's smile on your temple as you talk.

"I think you enjoy it, maybe even love Christmas a little now," Jake teases.

You roll over,

"I love you and you love Christmas, so therefore by transitive properties I should love Christmas."

He laughs,

"I'm glad this Christmas has been your best one yet."

"You're confident, maybe a little cocky, that this is my best Christmas ever," you tease.

"I mean, the bar was so low that I think I've knocked out of the park."

"You have, Jake. Thank you for doing all this for me, I might even be starting to like Christmas," you hold up your fingers, "A little bit."

Jake grins and kisses you as the door bursts open,

"Uncle Jake! Uncle Jake! Santa came last night," his five year old niece, Sophia, screams, knocking the last vestiges of sleep off your brain with her volume. You and Jake sit up as she bolts out the door to wake up the rest of the house.

Jake is looking at you, his heart warm, and it gets even warmer when he thinks of a small velvet box sitting under the tree with your name on it.

@kmc1989

@starswholistenanddreamsanswered

@mayhemmanaged

@callmemana

@dempy

@hangmanscoming

@lanie-k

@callsign-viper

@senjoritanana

@djs8891

@atarmychick007

@memoriesat30

@midnightmagpiemama

@mygyn

[pansy-picnics]

winter solstice today. i wish i could’ve made a tts drawing bc i think they celebrate yule/the winter solstice in corona instead of christmas or anything but alas 🫡

oh well. hc time. they all kinda spend the holidays like kids of divorced parents tbh LOLL….. the royal family are very involved in corona’s holiday traditions and rapunzel really just loves Being with people so shes busy with her family and partners all day….like they always host a big feast at the castle where everyone is welcome and raps makes sure nobody leaves without presents. she picks out gifts especially for all the castle staff too!!! so all in all shes SUPER busy on the actual day of the solstice. rapunzels the kind of person who already started planning for the holidays in october. shes probably been making presents since like july. girl is PREPARED

varian and hugo usually stay with quirin for the holidays because they dont like all the big crowds at the capital, but later in the day they always try to make it for the party. lance and the girls go ALL OUT like theyre dressing up and hes making a huge breakfast and everything. their house always has the most decorations on it. also bc they live nearby quirin and the boys usually end up joining them for breakfast and they collectively have SOOO many sweets the girls make themselves sick

but the whole family always gathers at the castle at the end of the day to have a little sleepover and exchange gifts the next day teehee :3

its very based on ancient germanic paganism and how people celebrated the solstice before christianity took over. so there are a few traditions i like to pull from that, like hanging dried oranges on evergreen trees as a symbol of the sun, representing the return of light and warmth during the winter season!! since they follow the solar/lunar cycles very closely, the long night and the sunrise that follows is like a “rebirth” of the sun and its honestly very akin to a new years celebration for them even though its. Not the new year LOL.

they all exchange gifts both bc. yk. love and friendship and stuff and because it represents the “gift” of life given to them from the heavens. the whole celebration is very engrained in coronan culture so most people will celebrate regardless of whether they follow the sun or another celestial power….i think maybe the dark kingdom has different traditions but i havent fully fleshed that out yet.

nuru and yong both have different celebrations in their own kingdoms (like bayangor definitely has something akin to chinese new year) so they usually cant make it for yule, but team radical always try to get together early in the year. if not after the holidays, they always make it in time for varian’s birthday in march ^_^

[autisticlenaluthor]

Desk + Spice

“Lena?” 

Lena lifts her head at the sound of her wife’s voice, smiling when she sees her poking her head through the door. 

“Kara… what are you doing here?”

“You didn’t come home,” Kara says as she enters the office. “I know you said you were gonna be late but I felt bad thinking about you being here all night.” 

Lena blushes and tilts her head.

With everyone else gone, the floor is nice and quiet. The hall lights are off, as well as the ones in Lena's space-- save for the planet lamp on her desk. It's easier to focus when it's like this. Easier to think.

“Darling, I’m always here all night.” 

“I know. But now, you can be here all night with Chinese food!” 

Kara sets down the bags of takeout she’s carrying onto Lena’s desk and takes a seat on the other side.

“Do you want to eat here or on the couch?” 

From years of knowing her, she’s learned to never ask ‘do you want to take a dinner break’. Asking implies choice— and given the choice, Lena will always pick work. So she offers desk or couch. They’ll eat wherever Lena wants, as long as it means Lena’s taking a break and getting some real food in her. 

“Desk,” Lena responds. 

She clears out some of her papers and sets them on the floor, then moves her tablet and laptop aside to make room for Karas feast.

“How was your day?” Lena asks as they unpack. “Give the new interns hell?”

There’s potstickers, rice, and dumplings for Kara in one bag. Then soup with noodles and spring rolls in set aside for Lena. 

"Only a little."

Lena raises an eyebrow.

“Okay, but I tried not to. They’re just so— they don’t listen! They make me feel like I’m turning into Cat.” 

“What does that mean?” Lena asks, smiling. 

“I said chop chop like three times today,” Kara explains with an embarrassed sigh. She flushes bright red at the way Lena struggles to withhold her laughter. “Look— if you were there, you would’ve said it too. I was drowning!”

“Oh- be careful with that one,” Lena adds as Kara reaches for a spring roll. “It’s spicy.” 

“I like spice.” 

Questioningly, Lena's brow lowers.

“I do!” Kara insists. She takes a bite, immediately making a face when it hits her. It goes from zero to a hundred in seconds-- feels like her mouth is actually being lit on fire.

She swallows, then chases it by chugging her entire bottle of water, and letting out a long exhale when she's done.

"You were right," she says. "I don't like spice."

[queerasfact]

Queer Calendar 2023

We put together a calendar of key (mostly queer) dates at the start of the year to help us with scheduling - so I thought I’d share it around! Including pride and visibility days, some queer birthdays and anniversaries, and a few other bits and bobs. Click the links for more info - I dream one day of having a queer story for every day of the year!

This is obviously not an exhaustive list - if I’ve overlooked something important to you, feel free to add it in the reblogs!

January

3 - Bisexual American jazz-age heiress Henrietta Bingham born 1901

8 - Queer Australian bushranger Captain Moonlite born 1845; gay American art collector Ned Warren born 1860

11 - Pennsylvania celebrates Rosetta Tharpe Day in honour of bisexual musician Rosetta Tharpe

12 - Japanese lesbian author Nobuko Yoshiya born 1896

22 - Lunar New Year (Year of the Rabbit)

24 - Roman emperor Hadrian, famous for his relationship with Antinous, born 76CE; gay Prussian King Frederick the Great born 1712

27 - International Holocaust Remembrance Day

February

LGBT+ History Month (UK, Hungary)

Black History Month (USA and Canada)

1 - Feast of St Brigid, a saint especially important to Irish queer women

5 - Operation Soap, a police raid on gay bathhouses in Toronto, Canada, spurs massive protests, 1981

7 - National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (USA)

18 - US Black lesbian writer and activist Audre Lorde born 1934

12 - National Freedom to Marry Day (USA)

19-25 - Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week

March

Women’s History Month

1 - Black Women in Jazz and the Arts Day

8 - International Women’s Day

9 - Bi British writer David Garnett born 1892

12 - Bi Polish-Russian ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky born 1889 or 1890

13 March-15 April - Deaf History Month

14 - American lesbian bookseller and publisher Sylvia Beach born 1887

16 - French lesbian artist Rosa Bonheur born 1822

20 - Bi US musician Rosetta Tharpe born 1915

21 - World Poetry Day

24 - The Wachowski sisters’ cyberpunk trans allegory The Matrix premiers 1999

April

Jazz Appreciation Month

Black Women’s History Month

National Poetry Month (USA)

3 - British lesbian diarist Anne Lister born 1791

8 - Trans British racing driver and fighter pilot Roberta Cowell born 1918

9 -  Bi Australia poet Lesbia Harford born 1891; Easter Sunday

10 - National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day (USA)

14 - Day of Silence

15 - Queer Norwegian photographer and suffragist Marie Høeg born 1866

17 - Costa-Rican-Mexican lesbian singer Chavela Vargas born 1919

21-22 - Eid al-Fitr

25 - Gay English King Edward II born 1284

26 - Lesbian Day of Visibility; bi American blues singer Ma Rainey born 1886

29 - International Dance Day

30 - International Jazz Day

May

1 - Trans British doctor and Buddhist monk Michael Dillon born 1915

7 - International Family Equality Day

7 - Gay Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky born 1840

15 - Australian drag road-trip comedy The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert premiers in 1994

 17 - IDAHOBIT (International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia)

18 - International Museum Day

19 - Agender Pride Day

22 - US lesbian tailor and poet Charity Bryant born 1777

22 - Harvey Milk Day marks the birth of gay US politician Harvey Milk 1930

23 - Premier of Pride, telling the story of the 1980s British activist group Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners

24 - Pansexual and Panromantic Awareness and Visibility Day; Queer Chinese-Japanese spy Kawashima Yoshiko born 1907

26 - queer American astronaut Sally Ride born 1951

29 - Taiwanese lesbian writer Qiu Miaojin born 1969

June

Pride Month

Indigenous History Month (Canada)

3 - Bisexual American-French performer, activist and WWII spy Josephine Baker born 1906

5 - Queer Spanish playwright and poet Federico García Lorca born 1898; bi English economic John Maynard Keynes born 1883

8 - Mechanic and founder of Australia’s first all-female garage, Alice Anderson, born 1897

10 - Bisexual Israeli poet Yona Wallach born 1944

12 - Pulse Night of Remembrance, commemorating the 2012 shooting at the Pulse nightclub, Orlando

14 - Australian activists found the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands in 2004

18 - Sally Ride becomes the first know queer woman in space

24 - The first Sydney Mardi Gras 1978

25 - The rainbow flag first flown as a queer symbol in 1978

28 - Stonewall Riots, 1969

28 June-2 July - Eid al-Adha

30 - Gay German-Israeli activist, WWII resistance member and Holocaust survivor Gad Beck born 1923

July

1 - Gay Dutch WWII resistance fighter Willem Arondeus killed - his last words were “Tell the people homosexuals are no cowards”

2-9 - NAIDOC Week (Australia) celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture

6 - Bi Mexican artist Frida Kahlo born 1907

12 or 13 - Roman emperor Julius Caesar born c.100BCE

14 - International Non-Binary People’s Day

23 - Shelly Bauman, owner of Seattle gay club Shelly’s Leg, born 1947; American lesbian cetenarian Ruth Ellis born 1899; gay American professor, tattooist and sex researcher Sam Steward born 1909

25 - Italian-Australian trans man Harry Crawford born 1875

August

8 - International Cat Day

9 - Queer Finnish artist, author and creator of Moomins Tove Jansson born 1914

9 - International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

11 - Russian lesbian poet Sofya Parnok born 1885

12 - Queer American blues musician Gladys Bentley born 1907

13 - International Left-Handers Day

22 - Gay WWII Dutch resistance fight Willem Arondeus born 1894

24 - Trans American drag queen and activist Marsha P Johnson born 1945

26 - National Dog Day

30 - Bi British author Mary Shelley 1797

31 - Wear it Purple Day (Australia - queer youth awareness)

September

5 - Frontman of Queen Freddie Mercury born 1946

6 - Trans Scottish doctor and farmer Ewan Forbes born 1912

13 - 1990 documentary on New York’s ball culture Paris is Burning premiers

15-17 - Rosh Hashanah

16-23 - Bisexual Awareness Week

17 - Gay Prussian-American Inspector General of the US Army Baron von Steuben born 1730

23 - Celebrate Bisexuality Day

24 - Gay Australian artist William Dobell born 1889

30 - International Podcast Day

October

Black History Month (Europe)

4 - World Animal Day

5 - National Poetry Day (UK)

5 - Queer French diplomat and spy the Chevalière d’Éon born 1728

8 - International Lesbian Day

9 - Indigenous Peoples’ Day (USA)

11 - National Coming Out Day

16 - Irish writer Oscar Wilde born 1854

18 - International Pronouns Day

22-28 - Asexual Awareness Week

26 - Intersex Awareness Day

31 - American lesbian tailor Sylvia Drake born 1784

November

8 - Intersex Day of Remembrance

12 - Diwali; Queer Mexican nun Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz born c.1648

13-19 - Transgender Awareness Week

20 - Trans American writer, lawyer, activist and priest Pauli Murray born 1910; Transgender Day of Remembrance

27 - Antinous, lover of the Roman emperor Hadrian, born c.111; German lesbian drama Mädchen in Uniform premiers, 1931

29 - Queer American writer Louisa May Alcott born 1832

December

AIDS Awareness Month

1 - World AIDS Day

2 - International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

3 - International Day of Persons with Disabilities

8 - Pansexual Pride Day; queer Swedish monarch Christina of Sweden born 1626

10 - Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners host Pits and Perverts concern to raise mining for striking Welsh miners, 1984

14 - World Monkey Day

15 - Roman emperor Nero born 37CE

24 - American drag king and bouncer Stormé DeLarverie born 1920

25 - Christmas

29 - Trans American jazz musician Billy Tipton born 1914