#Filipino Cultural Romance

[cosybookclub]

Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries

When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. She's tasked with saving her Tita Rosie's failing restaurant, and she has to deal with a group of matchmaking aunties who shower her with love and judgement. But when a notoriously nasty food critic (who happens to be her ex-boyfriend) drops dead moments after a confrontation with Lila, her life quickly swerves from a Nora Ephron romp to an Agatha Christie case.

With the cops treating her like she's the one and only suspect, and the shady landlord looking to finally kick the Macapagal family out and resell the store front, Lila's left with no choice but to conduct her own investigation. Armed with the nosy auntie network, her barista best bud, and her trusted Dachshund, Longanisa, Lila takes on this tasty, twisted case and soon finds her own neck on the chopping block…

[zvezdacito]

Diasomnia sexuality (and some gender) headcanons I just wanted to yap about for no reason:

Malleus: Demiromantic Bisexual

-> There's that joke that he doesn't gaf about gender as long as it's Yuu, but (for the demiromantic part) I also like the idea that he's ride-or-die, sentimental and clingy for anyone he gets close to. So generally the only difference for how he cares about people is the type of attraction + specific boundaries (can be slightly possessive in a different way for a romantic interest? Idk)

-> Also not really sexuality but I see his gender as that "I'm probably nonbinary but I have a job so idrc about that rn" tweet but for being the next king In general I think being acespec & nonbinary would be extra perplexing for bro since he never stopped to think about personal identity stuff like that for too long (too duty-pilled🥀)

-> Being dense about regular emotional experiences + actual difference in the norms of attraction and gender add to the gap of understanding between him and others

Lilia: Bisexual (not really a sexuality but he's also polyamorous)

-> This isn't sexuality again but I also think transfeminine Lilia is cool, I genuinely believed that Lilia was just a woman with a really deep voice the first time I saw him (I was watching him vs Leona in Book 2 out of context). There's no way to easily explain this in English but by this the specific identity i see him as is basically 'bakla' in the Philippines. It is really its own gender identity in our culture and isn't a "direct equivalent" of any one anglophone label, but for the sake of non-filipinos i guess you can just understand this to mean i see Lilia as "nonbinary transfem in the Filipino way"👍

-> I think it would align with his story in a good way with how she's maligned by the senate and such, how even as a soldier Lilia was coloring her hair for style. It's also like that thing where a guy who was already considered obviously effeminate and "one of the girls" atp (I see Meleanor as kids playing with Lilia in typically "girly" ways and encouraging his cuteness/hair styling) comes out later on as actually a girl/fem nonbinary

-> General Lilia is this is that type of situation where a transfem person can't really go all out with their expression because current life-threatening circumstances require "masculinity" or their focus to be exclusively on external matters (in this case its Lilia being a lowly bat soldier in an active war. Similar to Malleus, an idea of patriotic obligation stops him from really questioning or exploring since the country needs "strength" and "unity" in these times, there was also just really little time to wonder when you're fighting for your life everyday). But after retiring Lilia is able to realize she likes being perceived as cute and begins going all out in her appearance👍

Lilia edit with the article this headcanon reminds me of:

Silver: Aroace

-> Thought it would be a kind of cool subversion of the usual fairytale prince archetype Silver is made to emulate, where romance is the greatest and purest love and marriage is THE happy end. I think it aligns with Silver wanting to spend his life "repaying" the kindness of Malleus and Lilia; if they asked him to think about gertting a family of his own in the future, I think he'd just say the true love he's found in life is already them. A knight who dedicates his lifetime devotion to familial love instead

Sebek: Gaylm

-> One of bro's most notable character gags is glazing another man at every opportunity so yeah /j. Also fsr I just can't see him as a man romantically with a woman no matter what lol

(THIS ISN'T OBJECTIVE THOUGH this is just how I personally sense his vibes. Go crazy fellow fem yumes and OC artists. You are the pillars of this earth)

⚠️ My only disclaimer is that I am cisgender so the gender headcanons are only me relating the characters to scholarly articles on transfem experiences/from personal accounts of transfem and nonbinary people online and irl.

Another reminder that these are all headcanons made by viewing canon in a specific way, not me saying they're definitively any of these identities. You can still have cis or male malleus and lilia if you prefer that😭

That is all. Thank you for reading👊🔥

[squeakygeeky]

Calling all BL academics! You should check out Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific Issue 49, June 2023. It's devoted to Thai BL and it's Thai scholars, publishing in English, and available free. So basically everything I ever wanted.

Thai Boys Love (BL)/Y(aoi) in Literary and Media Industries: Political and Transnational Practices - This is the introductory article. One interesting takeaway is that there's a market for western M/M romance in Thailand and I'm dying to know what sort of titles have gotten Thai releases.

Chinese Historical BL by Thai Writers: The Thai BL Polysystem in the Age of Media Convergence - I didn't read this one. It's about the phenomenon of Thai writers writing danmei set in ancient China.

Authorial Revisions of Boys Love/Y Novels: The Dialogue between Activism and the Literary Industry in Thailand - This one was super intersting. It was about how the backlash to certain problematic tropes affected both revisions to Y novels and their tv adaptations. It uses Jittirain as a case study and includes passages from 2gether that were rewritten.

Boys Love (Yaoi) Fandom and Political Activism in Thailand - This article has a lot about Not Me, both about the backlash to the novle due to it being originally a GOT7 fanfic (allegedly) and the political context for the series. It also discusses a few other series related to the youth movement and marriage equality.

Heterosexual Reading vs. Queering Thai Boys' Love Dramas among Chinese and Filipino Audiences -This really only covers up to 2019 and as we all know everything is changing fast. I'll be interested in future scholarship that covers the current period. Basically expands on some of Baudinette's work.

Provincialising Thai Boys Love: Queer Desire and the Aesthetics of Rural Cosmopolitanism -I just skimmed this since I'm not familiar with either series mentioned or the rural culture of Isan.

[mashup-writing]

Bela Dimitrescu (Resident Lover) Headcanons:

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Requested? ❌

"Pero bakit ba, ang layo mo?"

"But why is it, that you're so far away?"

Summary: Headcanons about Bela Dimitrescu (+ With MC Romance route, this post contains Filipino Pop Culture snippets and Tagalog words but translations are provided at the Author's Notes section at the end of the fic!)

Warnings: Minor Angst, Miranda (Need I say more?)

Genre: Fluff, Headcanons, Minor Angst

Resident Lover Masterlist

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Newly Cursed:

Felt so lost when Miranda first cursed her.

Couldn't figure out if she was scared or angry that there was no longer love or interest for the things and people she used to feel deeply for.

It turned into obsession instead.

Sometimes she'd catch herself zoning out, how could she not just stop functioning every now and then when she no longer feels?

Overtime she stopped zoning out, functioning on full autopilot instead.

Cut off her sisters due to not knowing how she'd look them in the eye and have them catch her not feeling anything for them anymore.

She may no longer be able to feel, but she still doesn't want to hurt her sisters.

Ends up obsessed with taking down Miranda because she sees it as a way to make up to her family for cutting them off.

Curse Lifted:

The first thing she does on her own is to sit underneath a tree's shade to just feel the gentle breeze.

She cries silently, not knowing how it was possible to miss such a common experience in human life.

She goes for a jog on a day when it's sunny and she's free. Pushing herself to her limits until her vision swims due to exertion.

She lies down on the grass for a moment and laughs, carefree as the sun shines down on her. Letting the heat draw out more sweat from her and simply just basking in how she's able to feel it now.

Bela stands under light rains, never once passing up the chance to feel the small pitter patters of water on her skin. She smiles with glee every single time.

MC Romance:

While cursed, she definitely gives off "Rhodessa - Kisame" vibes.

Bela started to theorise that she was falling for MC when she brought them chicken soup.

It didn't slip her notice that MC tried to steer the conversation towards her mundane life.

Not her accomplishments, not her riches, not her connections- Just her and what's in her mind.

Looks like she takes the lead in their relationship, but actually discreetly let's MC make the decisions.

Bela is a sucker for MC's chicken tinola.

MC taught her a bit about Filipino pop culture.

She may not have perfected the language yet, but she definitely nailed the:

"Science tells us that our genetic imprint predetermines your life, your fate, your choices. Pinanganak kang bobo, lalaki kang bobo, mamamatay kang bobo." (Translation is in the author's notes below.)

Bela also adopted the habit of saying "Bwisit" whenever she gets mildly frustrated;

And "Putangina" whenever she gets very frustrated.

She loves how those words just sound satisfyingly crunchy.

Likes "Cup of Joe"

Learned Tagalog to understand what the lyrics say.

Once the loop is broken and she remembers all of the things her and MC had done across all past loops, she coins "Cup of Joe - Ikaw Pa Rin" as her favorite song.

MC is thankful that Bela doesn't remember the times in the loops when she turned into a Zombie. They have sworn to take those memories to the grave, unwilling to subject to Bela to it.

Whenever Bela gets flustered by MC doing little romantic things for her, she'd try to downplay her swooning by raising an eyebrow and telling MC "Bading, bading- Bakla, bakla!"

Bela is able to sing Tagalog songs she loves without an English accent but whenever she speaks Tagalog normally, the English accent always bleeds in.

MC always smiles, finding it absolutely adorable.

MC taught Bela how to eat a chicken wing by removing the lower joint so that it's easier to take the meat off.

On her first attempt, she somehow choked on one of the wing bones.

Bela has forbidden MC from letting literally anyone other than the two of them know.

Daniela knows this though, and she's waiting for the right time to use the story as blackmail.

(Y'all CANNOT convince me na hindi chismosa si MC sa mga tamang tao.)

Once saw someone flirt with MC on Christmas season.

Went right up to MC, placed her arm around their shoulder and told them in the sweetest tone she could muster that if the person doesn't back off, she'll ensure that "Sasama siya sa kwitis papuntang langit."

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01-11 wished for more instances of the game reinforcing the canonical fact that MC is a Filipino, but understands why the Game Devs didn't because it can break immersion in gameplay for non-Filipino players. But if any non-Filos are interested then 01-11 encourages you to look up Gen Z Filipino culture because rest assured- 01-11's people are hilariously unhinged on a different level.

01-11 wishes everyone a Happy New Year. This is a gift to every fellow Resident Lover players like 01-11, and for every Bela simp as well! 01-11 encourages everyone to download Resident Lover. It is completely free, and the game devs have an account here on Tumblr (@resident-lover) with complete lore guides. The way each story line is written in 01-11's correct opinion: Will not ever disappoint.

Filipino Phrases - Translations:

Pinanganak kang bobo, lalaki kang bobo, mamamatay kang bobo. - You were born stupid, you'll grow up stupid, and you'll die stupid.

Bwisit, Putangina - Tagalog Curse words.

Sasama siya sa kwitis papuntang langit - I'll send them up the sky alongside the fireworks.

Bading, bading, bakla, bakla! - Gay, gay, gay, you're gay! (Common teasing mechanic for gay friends amongst Filipinos.)

Y'all cannot convince me na hindi chismosa si MC sa tamang tao. - Y'all cannot convince me that MC isn't a gossip with the right people.

[agendabymooner]

jollibee, madrid and all that romance fiasco ! oscar p. x ofc (filipino!gen z!ofc)

summary: carlos sainz and his wife, magda, were heading back to spain after taking her and her cousins to the final race before the summer break. they hoped to have a decent break but their wishes were long gone as soon as the mclaren drivers told them about their plans to spend their week in madrid - where the couple conveniently lived.

OR oscar piastri had the fattest crush on magda's cousin, paloma 'lomi' san pedro, and needless to say, he wasn't even making it less obvious as he purchased a ticket to madrid just so he could spend his time with her. was he only looking for that summer romance or did he just fall in love with carlos' in-law?

content warning: use of explicit language, oscar and ofc shitting on each other, tagalog dialogues and translation ahead (i'm not as good as i used to be at speaking it, sorry lads), carlos sainz x ofc, mentions of alcohol use, fictional brother character (niño san pedro), carlos has a close relationship with his in-laws, A LOT OF JOLLIBEE, lando norris and oscar piastri being cultured (filipino), filo humour, lowkey protective!carlos

note: melody is in progress and i gotta let this out because i've been looking at too much unhinged filipino memes today. enjoy xx

masterlist

tagged carlossainzjr, charles_leclerc, landonorris, monamagdalena, ninojames

liked by oscarpiastri, landonorris, charles_leclerc

monamagdalena "rich in-law" 😭 liked by lomisanpedro

carlossainzjr you weren't "forced" to wear my number 🙄 get it right hermana liked by lomisanpedro

lomisanpedro ur right. i asked for charles' number and they just conveniently "ran out" of my size 🤔

landonorris look at that handsome man in papaya and black tho 🥵 liked by lomisanpedro

lomisanpedro i'm gonna pretend i haven't seen this comment 😕

landonorris guys i think she's a charles leclerc fan liked and pinned by lomisanpedro

oscarpiastri i have a lot of oscar piastri shirts in your size 😊 liked by lomisanpedro

ninojames what 😄

lomisanpedro how do u know my size 🧐

oscarpiastri i've been looking, observing and mentally measuring

carlossainzjr oscarpiastri compadre do you wanna repeat what you just said?

landonorris don't mind me i'm just watching 🍿🥤

logansargeant so you're the girl he's ogling throughout the week??? liked by lomisanpedro

lomisanpedro and you're the florida boy? 🤓

logansargeant fair enough. nice to meet you though 🤠

lomisanpedro likewise sarge 🤠

carlossainzjr posted a new story !!!

tagged ninojames, lomisanpedro, landonorris, oscarpiastri, carlossainzjr

liked by logansargeant, alex_albon, georgerussell63

user1 i just know it hits different spending your vacation in a filipino-spanish household 😭 liked by monamagdalena

monamagdalena there's a lot of "ordinary" volume arguments that's for sure 😅

user2 rip oscar's vocal chords. i know it's barely there but it must've abandoned him the moment the sainz-san pedros pulled up the karaoke liked by monamagdalena

monamagdalena landonorris might have slipped some tequila to get the party going for oscar 🙃

mclarenf1 lando we taught you better than this

landonorris mclarenf1 what happened to "one more shot lando!"

mclarenf1 i don't like these accusations, lando.

user3 i can just imagine lando, carlos and oscar yelling "THAT'S NOT HOW DRS WORKS" at your cousins lmfaooo 🤣 liked by monamagdalena

monamagdalena yeah my cousins live to give carlitos a headache every once in a while - seeing as they live in philippines and all

carlossainzjr we should have a daycare, mi corazon, because we don't get paid enough for this liked by monamagdalena

monamagdalena i agree bebe, if anything we lose more than we earn money 🥲

ninojames stop lying to me carlossainzjr you literally helped me get my tourist visa because you said "you wanted to see your favourite cousin"

lomisanpedro oop- lemme just send this to caco rq 🤭

carlossainzjr ay lomisanpedro you do that, i'm not gonna set up the ac in your room 😒 see how long you'll withstand the heat in spain

lomisanpedro i live in ph but yes po master 😇

lomisanpedro if i have to go golfing one more time, i'm gonna hit you with the club landonorris carlossainzjr ninojames

ninojames speak for urself lmfao

landonorris it's ok i can take it paloma 🤪

carlossainzjr watch your words landonorris

landonorris that's not what i meant ??? 🤬

oscarpiastri barca did good last night no? liked by monamagdalena

monamagdalena heheheh carlossainzjr what do you think?

lomisanpedro carlossainzjr you should've shot him in the foot with the paintball when you had the chance 🤡

carlossainzjr i really should have.

landonorris that's tactical and against the fia rules carlos know better.

mclarenf1 yeah what landonorris said ^^

oscarpiastri that is incredibly mean of you, lomisanpedro 🥲

lomisanpedro show me how you cry rq??

tagged landonorris, oscarpiastri, lomisanpedro

liked by carlossainzjr and monamagdalena

monamagdalena putang ina pati pa naman sa spain, y'an pa din kinakain niyo? what the fuck, that's (jollibee) what you guys are still eating even in spain? liked by ninojames

ninojames patingin nga kung pa'no yung galit na mukha ate hahahaha ate, show me how you make an angry face

lomisanpedro ba't ka inggit lmaooooo why are you jealous

monamagdalena hoy lomi at niño, nagluto ako kanina di niyo ba kinain 'yon? i cooked earlier today, didn't you guys eat it?

lomisanpedro maarte yung mga bisita mo madam bertud. your guests are picky, madam bertud.

oscarpiastri monamagdalena I AM NOT picky, do not listen to what that gremlin is telling you

landonorris we ate and even washed the pot of sinigang so that gremlin is lying

lomisanpedro this gremlin is her cousin and how tf do y'all know what we're saying-

landonorris we're very smart men

oscarpiastri i'm a diplomat on the side

carlossainzjr NIÑO YOU AND LANDO JUST RACKED UP OUR BILL FOR DOING THAT TO OUR OVEN 🤬 liked by ninojames

ninojames lando was teaching me his dj skills 😕

carlossainzjr DONT MESS WITH THE OVEN LANDOOOO

landonorris we were trying to get lit 😭 you literally had nothing in there but uno and monopoly wtf were we supposed to do???

carlossainzjr i don't know? not play with fire and not rack up our house bill?

oscarpiastri are we having a filipino language session tomorrow then? liked by ninojames

ninojames with tequila?

oscarpiastri i found their stash so yeah with tequila- we should get some bucket of chickens for the session too :)

landonorris wag puro pulutan, dapat inom din. don't just eat, you have to drink too. liked and pinned by ninojames

lomisanpedro I HAVE TAUGHT YOU WELL, YOUNG PADAWAN 🤩

ninojames monamagdalena rate my teaching skills ate magda

monamagdalena what are you guys teaching these two??? 😭

oscarpiastri the basics magda 😊

INCOMING: dog show 😎 (oscar) SENDER: my pal(oma) 🐝 (paloma)

tagged jollibee, lomisanpedro

liked by carlossainzjr, logansargeant, landonorris

user1 BRO HARD LAUNCHED HIS CRUSH WTF 😭 what god did you pray to?

user2 puro jollibee si bro edi sana nag pinas ka na lang 😭 bro eats a lot of jollibee like you should've just gone to philippines instead

user3 madrid is paloma san pedro, in case you guys didn't know 🤭

landonorris god you are so whipped

mclarenf1 jollibee x mclaren when? 👀

jollibee when there's a philippine grand prix 🐝

ninojames oh so you ditched our session for this? for this ugly ass? liked by oscarpiastri

oscarpiastri we got some palabok and two buckets of chicken joy and we're otw home 😅

ninojames ok maybe i can let you slip for once

lomisanpedro you are so annoying liked by oscarpiastri

oscarpiastri annoyingly considerate when it comes to you because you wanted jollibee this morning 🤭😊

user4 there is too much filipino rizz within pastry guys i think he wins this one

logansargeant was this why you've been rejecting my facetimes today?

oscarpiastri you can wait. jollibee can't.

user5 i'm sorry logan but i agree with him this time

user6 him tagging jollibee 😭 this man is clearly obsessed

bonus !!!

PS the fictional san pedro people

ramona magdalena 'magda' (ibañez) san pedro sainz (carlos' wife)

niño james (balagtas) san pedro (carlos' cousin-in-law)

paloma 'lomi' (balagtas) san pedro (also carlos' in-law)

[theaguanzon]

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. Novellas, poetry, fanfiction—you name it. There was always a burning desire to express what was in my heart, to tell the stories that lived in my head. However, because I’m located in the Global South, because I’m the product of several generations of law and medicine, l never let myself think that it could be anything more than a hobby only for my spare time. It wasn’t until 2020 that I took a leap of faith, quitting my office job and deferring my master’s program abroad in order to write a fantasy romance epic rooted in Southeast Asian culture, tradition, and mythology.

And now, flash forward three years, my debut novel THE HURRICANE WARS is a USA Today, Indie, and New York Times bestseller in its first week of release! This would never have been possible without: my communities, fandom and Filipino, and all the book bloggers who really showed up for this novel, who tirelessly spread the word; my brilliant agent Thao Le who’s had my back since day one; my Harper Voyager US team, who poured so much time and creative energy into THW’s publishing and campaign; and the booksellers and librarians throughout the US who advocated for an unknown brown author’s debut to have a place on their shelves. I owe it all to you!

I kind of want to cry for the girl I used to be, battling mental health issues and flitting from one degree program to the next, hoping to find the one that was fulfilling and “acceptable” at the same time, even though deep down writing was all there ever was or could be. I kind of want that girl to see into her future and say “Kaya naman pala” and wallow a bit. But I prefer to embrace this moment, in awe at the knowledge that my past has informed the voice that I now share with the world, and it is this same past that has gotten me here.

I’m proud to represent my motherland the Philippines in this achievement. I hope that in some small way this can be a step toward encouraging Southeast Asian policymakers to address the gaps in support and infrastructure for our talented local writing scenes, as well as motivating the global publishing industry to seek out more Southeast Asian writers and give our stories a platform. Onward! 💖🌩️

[motziedapul]

🌺 19 DAYS TO GO! 🌺

The Pinoy Monster Lover Anthology: After Dark, a queer, 18+ comic anthology by Filipino creators is 50% funded on Kickstarter.

Motzie explains why she started this project, and how it's a celebration of Filipino queerness, sexuality, and culture:

We've got the work of 8 amazing artists on display, and I've been hard at work on the pages while running the marketing campaign for this project - the fourth installment in our Pinoy Monster Anthology series, and the first adults only entry. There are a few reasons we wanted to go with an 18+ anthology. For one thing, we've always had a primarily adult audience, but more importantly; most Filipinos know, especially queer Filipinos, how restrictive and sex negative certain parts of the culture can be, and celebrations of sexuality are, in a way, a joyful re-invigoration of a part of our culture that's been labeled dirty or unholy, by the very same institutions that erased so much of our history. Sexuality was such a big part of precolonial Filipino culture that we still have records of such from that era - up to and including our anito, or pre-colonial gods and spirits (look up Lakambakod! His only physical traits are… very interesting). Along with reclaiming our expressions of sexuality, there's been a renewed appreciation for Filipino folklore and monsters, and just like Guillermo Del Toro (but perhaps, in a very different direction - though not that different, considering The Shape of Water), I wanted to celebrate the beauty in the monstrous, the romance in the horror, alongside other amazing Filipino artists, whose efforts I want to be rewarded in full. Please do check out the Pinoy Monster Lover Anthology! The main title is 18+ but the previous titles (which are included as add-ons) are all ages or PG-13 at most. We have a few weeks to go, and lots of amazing art to share.

🌺Back it on Kickstarter HERE🌺

[fadingreveries]

The Royal Romance, Bk1 Ch2: Welcome to Cordonia (Pt. 3)

Click here for the TRR retelling series masterlist for more chapters! 🏰

Story Summary: In this novel-style retelling of TRR, beloved scenes with original commentary from the Choices stories including your favourite group of royals and friends will be expanded upon. Contains extended commentary and scenes from the original story, in-depth descriptions of bonus scenes, and premium choices and outfits.

Chapter Synopsis: Riley travels to Cordonia, but what will await her there?

Word Count: 2.2k

Disclaimer: All rights to original commentary, scenes, and characters from The Royal Romance series reserved to Choices and Pixelberry Studios. No copyright infringement intended.

~ ~ ~

Pulling along her suitcase, Riley followed Maxwell to the front doors of the palace. Maxwell nodded in acknowledgement to the officers of the King’s Guard dressed in their black uniforms as they opened the doors for them.

The coffered ceilings of the castle were much higher than she imagined they could be with beams laid in a grid which created a pattern of recessed squares. There were rooms leading to sitting areas that had furniture and objects fancier than she had ever seen with plush velvet couches, dainty bouquets in vases, intricate gold and glass centrepieces, and sparkling crystal chandeliers.

“I thought the outside was amazing on its own, but being inside…” Riley wondered aloud, her head swivelling around as she lost her trail of thought.

It was only until she entered the palace where she realized how different her world was from Liam’s. He had grown up here, learned to follow his father’s footsteps as a prince, met all kinds of nobles, and possibly brought fancy socialites home after dates. This was his childhood home; his whole world seemed to embody glamour and prestige.

She, on the other hand, had grown up in a cramped but cozy apartment with her mother and father. It wasn’t much, but the love her parents had for her and each other was more than what most people were lucky to have. With her American upbringing, her Korean mother’s roots, and her father’s Filipino culture, she was grateful for the homes she would forever have in the U.S., the Philippines, and South Korea.

They showered her with love and reassurance, frequently reminding her that family was the most important thing to cherish that motivates and grounds you at the same time. She never felt like she had lacked anything in her life, not when she had the most loving, supportive parents anyone could have.

At least that’s what it felt like before she lost the two people she loved the most in her life. But that was a story for another time, one for where there was less pressure and anticipation facing some of the most important people in Codonia.

A small piece of doubt began to spring up once again in her mind. Based on her appearance alone, it was clear that she was not from Cordonia, much less part of the country’s nobility or highly-respected citizens. She didn’t want to let Maxwell and his brother down from her upcoming representation of their house.

But in a split second, as she’d done everyday since they were no longer in her life, she heard her parents’ words in her mind saying, One day at a time.

“It’s like a whole other world, huh? Don’t worry, you have tons of time to roam and explore and get used to it,” Maxwell reassured her, as he followed her gaze landing on all lighting and fixtures. “After all, you’ll be here for the next few months of the social season.”

They made their way to the grand staircase with gold handrails decorated with artistic panel inserts of flowing swirls. A large velvet red carpet regally covered the steps leading up to the top platform where it separated into two staircases that led to the left and left wings of the castle.

“So, what’s the deal with Drake? Why is he… so jaded?” Riley questioned, fixating on the elegant staircase she had only ever really seen replicas of in movies. Seeing all the luxury decorations and furniture reminded her of Drake's annoyance with her fascination with all the new sights she was seeing. “Is he always like that?”

“I can get that for you,” Maxwell offered, implying Riley’s suitcase as she willingly handed it to him. He lifted it up as they climbed the staircase together, before answering her question, “Oh, don’t mind him. Drake’s never really… fit in. He doesn’t like court as much as others love being part of it.”

“Not used to courtly life?” Riley suggested, glancing at Maxwell for confirmation.

“Definitely not. Technically, he’s a commoner. He grew up here at court with us, but he’s… always been an outsider here in a way. Even if he is Liam’s best friend,” Maxwell responded, even though it was something he wondered himself as well.

With a nod, Riley pondered his answer. It made sense why he seemed to stick out like a sore thumb compared to Liam and the others, although it didn’t seem plausible that someone would choose to stay in a place where they would only be somewhat excluded.

She questioned, “But if he’s not fond of spending time with royals and nobles, is there a reason why he tries to tolerate it so much? Besides being there for Liam, I’m guessing.”

“Beats me,” Maxwell responded, shrugging his shoulders. “Sometimes it’s hard to know what he’s thinking. He’s pretty much known for being mysterious and antisocial to almost everyone, so I wouldn’t take it personally.”

At the top of the stairs, Maxwell and Riley turned down one of the many elegant corridors of the castle. The ivory marble floors were decorated with intricate designs of mosaic art and sophisticated medallions. A gleaming chandelier glistened from the sunlight peering into the hall through the arched glass windows. The gold accents on the walls brought out the pastel blue that brightened up the space.

“Your room’s here in the west wing. In case you need anything from me or my brother, our rooms are just a couple rooms away,” Maxwell informed her, as the two of them walked past several large wooden arched doors.

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. For some reason, Maxwell struck her more as an only child with his keenness for adventure and love for the spotlight. She wondered if his brother was as easy-going and laid-back as he was. Riley curiously commented, “I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“Yeah, an older brother. His official title is Duke Bertrand Beaumont. As the eldest son, he’s the heir and I’m the spare. You’ll see him tonight. He’ll be excited to meet you,” Maxwell answered with a smile, although his last sentence had a hint of uncertainty that Riley hadn’t noticed. He already had a slight idea on how his brother would react, and well... let’s just say they would have to brace themselves.

Maxwell stopped short in front of a magnificently ornate door with the dark wood accentuating the designs. As Riley stood beside him, he turned the doorknob. Oh, boy. If this didn’t get her even more excited than he was about solving House Beaumont’s problem of not having a suitor, he would run down the corridor and do three cartwheels in a row.

“This is it… Here’s your room!” Maxwell revealed, with a giddy edge to his voice.

Riley entered a lavish guest room with a gold and dark magenta palette accompanying full-length paintings and gilded ceilings. Two end tables with beige and gold accents to the solid wood foundation were placed on both sides of the queen bed with understated white lamps on top of them. A shiny gold candle chandelier hung daintily above Maxwell and Riley, where they stood underneath it beside the bed with silky cream sheets and dark fuchsia pillows matching the ottoman nearby.

“Wow…” was all Riley could muster, as her neck craned high and low to take in the simple, regal style of the bedroom.

It was official; she had fallen asleep and dreamt of being in an alternate universe where she was treated as if she were royalty. Even if it was only temporary, she could only imagine what her younger self would do if she knew how lucky she was to be where she was now.

“As a royal guest, you’re spared no luxury,” Maxwell said, matter-of-factly as he observed her walking out the balcony where the cool, fresh air blew in peacefully.

Looking over her shoulder back at him with a hint of mischief to her smile which he recognized as resembling one of his own, Riley asked, “So nothing’s stopping me from jumping on the bed?”

“There’s not much anyone can take away from you by doing that. Maybe only your dignity.” Maxwell guffawed, watching as her shoulders rose up in anticipation.

As her smile turned up even more in delight, Riley clasped her hands together and simply said, “Perfect.”

With a running start, Riley rushed over from the balcony and leaped on to the bed with a soft plop. As she sunk into the mattress and felt the smooth silk sheets over her, she sighed happily. When was the last time she had ever been able to let out a true peaceful sigh in a very rare calm moment? Due to school and work, it seemed she hadn’t been able to rest easy in years.

“Ah… this is so much better than memory foam,” Riley complimented, snuggling with a fluffy pillow and allowing herself to close her eyes to cherish the peace and quiet. “I feel like I could sleep here forever.”

“Just one of the perks you have as one of the Crown Prince’s suitors,” Maxwell remarked, laughing in goodhearted nature. He walked away from the bed towards the door. “I’ll let you settle in before your big debut tonight.”

Immediately, Riley’s eyes opened in shock at his words. What did he mean? She sat up in surprise, calling after him, “My what?”Maxwell stopped at the door, before turning back to Riley with a nervous smile. Whoops. He knew he was forgetting something, but he couldn’t figure out what.

“I’m sorry, I keep forgetting that you’re not used to all this. Things are always complicated around here when it comes to special events like this, but we’ll take it one step at a time,” Maxwell reassured her. Riley’s shoulders relaxed a bit, so he continued to clarify, “The first event of the social season is tonight… The Masquerade.”

“Oh… it sounds important,” Riley commented, fiddling with her fingers. Her knowledge of fitting in with socialites and moguls was limited. She couldn’t help but think about how out of place she might look in front of the finest nobles of Cordonia. She thought she would have had a little bit more time to prepare. “I’ve never been to an event like that before. Are there scheduled activities I need to prepare for in advance?”

“Compared to the balls held to welcome nearby countries, not really. Sometimes, they go full-out with the masquerade theme where everyone takes off their masks at midnight. Then, networking goes on for hours,” Maxwell explained. “This ball, though, is where all the suitors will be presented to the Prince, as well as to the King. Most people at court already know each other really well, so it’s less uptight in a way. Just good music, dancing, and food.”

“Does that mean the guests have to be in specific costumes with masks prepared tonight?” Riley questioned, finding the idea of attending a masquerade for the first time interesting.

Shrugging his shoulders, Maxwell replied, “Not everyone dresses in costume, but some people plan months finding one to wear for it. You can be sure that the ladies competing for Liam’s attention will be pulling out all the stops.”

For a split second, Maxwell glanced doubtfully at Riley’s modestly-looking suitcase. When they were at her apartment back in New York, he watched as she hurriedly packed her most essential belongings. Among her things in her suitcase were keepsakes and books as well as her quintessential New York attire.

“I’m guessing it’s too much to ask if you’ve got a costume or fancy ballgown in there,” Maxwell joked, although he was seriously racking his brain trying to remember if she stuffed one or two in there as a backup.

With a sheepish smile, Riley lifted her suitcase on the bed. She unzipped the main compartment where she pulled out a flowy, floor-length dress as blue as the calm Cordonian sky. “I packed a dress.”

“Well, I wasn’t sure, so I’ve made an appointment for you at the palace boutique. Maybe you’ll find something you like better there!” Maxwell cheerfully informed her.

For once, he wasn’t scrambling to fix things; he was actually preparing in advance. Bertrand would be so proud of his initiative. Maxwell just knew it.

Tucking her dress back into her suitcase for the meantime, Riley replied, “I’ll check it out. There’s nothing wrong with another option or two.”

“Remember, tonight is very important. It’s your chance to make a first impression on all the influential people at court and to stand apart from everyone else. If you’re going to leave a lasting impact, you might as well stun them with some style,” Maxwell responded, with a hint of cool confidence in his last sentence.

Triple S’s and alliteration? Man, was he on a roll with smooth words. Maxwell could definitely shimmy his way into being a reality TV show host. Maybe The Bachelorette or The Bachelor could use a new host in the near future…

An eager grin made its way on her face, as Riley reassured him, “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”

~ ~ ~

Click here for the TRR retelling series masterlist for more chapters! 🏰

Tag list: @kingliam2019 @princess-geek @karahalloway @twinkleallnight @tinkie1973 @tessa-liam

[boba-beom]

ᥫ᭡⋆｡˚⊹  I Like U (sorry, I never meant to) | part 1 — 'don't drop her!'

pairing: beomgyu x gn!reader

genre: fluff, romance | non-idol au, strangers to friends to ???

synopsis: after meeting one of your best friend’s friends, you initially found him attractive and thought he’d be a careless crush that would soon dissipate into nothing. that is, until a series of events proved you wrong and perhaps those feelings lingered longer than they should have. would something become of it?

warning(s): slice of life, slow burn(ish), mentions of food, physical affection, bickering, more mentions of star signs, I will try my best to make it as gender neutral as possible as some parts are based off from my perspective. if there's anything I've missed, let me know!

wc: 3.2k

a/n: this celebration I am referring to is very big in the filipino culture. it's called a philippine 'debut' (deh-boo). it's to celebrate one who is coming of age, entering adulthood as a young woman.

prev || masterlist || next

5 months have passed since your first interaction with Beomgyu. however, it was not the last time you had interacted. after you accepted his follow request and followed him back on instagram, you've been going back and forth liking each other's stories, recommending songs and sharing playlists with each other after you found out he also listens to the same niche artist as you. you may have overreacted, but none of your friends knew the artist until you saw his story with your favourite song posted to it.

to think that this happened over the course of the summer vacation, you were almost unfazed that you would be meeting him again for Tara's birthday. almost. you were extremely excited to visit the island again, after discussing Tara's 18th birthday celebrations, along with receiving her invitations through the post. you told yourself that all thoughts unrelated to Tara's birthday were to be pushed to the back of your head, making sure that this was going to be unforgettable and you wanted to prioritise that.

Tara has always been one to be interested in star-gazing, knowing things about star signs; whether she can guess people's star signs based off of their personality traits, or even upon first or second meeting.

you recall the facetime call you had with your best friend just a couple of days before your trip to the island. she had asked a huge favour from you — which was to help with the decorations. after knowing Tara for more than half of your life you know that they will go above and beyond when it comes to celebrations. be it weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, seasonal holidays; her and her family will do the most and it's their branding at this point.

now that you're back on the island again, you've missed everything about it. the greenery of the fields, trees arching over roads creating beautiful tunnels by nature, the fact that your best friend lives by the beach and how beautiful it would be to watch the sunrise and set with the sound of the waves rolling over the shell beach.

"hey, we've got guests coming over just after lunch. we can decorate later this evening, is that okay with you?" Tara wraps her arms around your shoulders, interrupting your gaze on your phone from the pictures of the sunrise you took earlier that morning.

"yeah that's no problem, need me to help you with anything?" you tilt your head to nudge her temple, responding to her affectionate gesture.

"actually, could you just finish the rest of those centre pieces, please?" you hum in response, "oh, and I heard Beomgyu's going to be on his way soon." she shrugs, walking out of the living room to call her other friends to discuss the time for cotillion practice.

Beomgyu. it's been a while since you've seen the name, let alone hear it. you wonder if it'll be a little awkward seeming as the last time you spoke was mid summer. there's not a lot you know about this guy, really, other than the fact that his texts are completely opposite to how he is in person; pretty dry.

pushing those thoughts aside, you pick up the glue gun and start gluing a small assortment of three to four blue and yellow roses in the small glass, cylindrical centre pieces. each centre piece had table numbers handwritten in pretty cursive handwriting, remembering that it must have been by one of Tara's friends.

each cylinder had mini battery-operated fairy lights, pulling the vision together. though there were several elements left for the remaining decorations. the completed ones were starting to look really pretty altogether.

you gather the completed centre pieces and place them in a brown cardboard box, ready for the next batch until you hear the familiar tone of Tara's voice greeting someone by the front door.

"hey Beomgyu, you're super early." you hear her laugh, "y/n's inside, you remember them, right?"

"of course." he says, walking in and making brief eye contact with you sitting on the carpeted floor.

your eyes widen slightly, brows raised and unexpected to meet him again. his hair has started to grow a little longer compared to the last time you saw him. the front pieces of his hair just about grazing his brows, and the back just touching the bottom of his nape.

"y/n?" he calls out, snapping you out of whatever it was that you were stuck in momentarily, "I asked if you need any help?" now he's sitting in the armchair by the window.

"oh. no I'm good, almost done anyway. Thank you though." you politely smile up at him, watching him take his phone out of his pocket and turning it on.

"suit it yourself." he shrugs nonchalantly, his eyes leaving yours and onto his phone's screen. you scoff a little, ignoring his response.

it was silent in the living room for almost an hour, just the occasional mini conversations between you and Tara, or Tara and Beomgyu talking about certain points of the cotillion. they were partners after all.

once you've finished with the remaining smaller decorations, you stand up to stretch before walking over to start the final decoration — Tara's name decor — which was to be placed by the display near the front inside the venue. it was her first name along with her middle name, and although they weren't long, you were aware that the process would be. having to sketch out her name in cursive, then to paint it in gold and to glue gold glitter all over it.

Beomgyu, on the other hand, started the large '18' cardboard cutout with collage photos of Tara from the photoshoot that she took a couple of months back. the pictures were beautiful, especially the few from the beach. she was standing where the mini waves were just touching her feet while she was wearing a long, black chiffon-layered dress with a spaghetti-strap. the sunset in the background created a pretty silhouette with the layers of the chiffon dress blown in the wind, and you were then starting to realise that your best friend is about to be a young woman. the thought of that was almost enough to make you emotional. almost. there's still two more days until the big day.

you start on the sketching, outlining the letters on the A1 styrofoam board, until you hear Beomgyu playing some songs from what you thought was the playlist he recommended to you. you pause for a second or two, trying to figure out which song it was and it was one of the first songs that you recommended to him months ago. smiling to yourself, you assume he compiled songs from both playlists and created a new one after listening further in the playlist.

"Beomgyu, y/n, I need you here." Tara calls after you both, her brows are scrunched up and eyes narrowed at the screen of her laptop as she watches a cotillion choreography that she's inspired from.

the sandy, blonde-haired male looks over at you, his head tilting towards Tara, essentially letting you get up and go to her first. he follows after, trailing a little behind you as you take the seat beside Tara while Beomgyu stays standing behind the both of you, just about leaning over your head.

"okay so," she starts, "I'm thinking of adding an extra move, but it's just at the very end." you watch the video as she presses play and observe the way the debutant's partner gave her a few twirls before preparing to lift her by the hip, then doing half a turn while the debutant was lifted.

you notice the way Tara pouts as she pauses the video and looks over to you and Beomgyu. your brows almost knit together, thinking that it would add a nice touch to the end of the cotillion, but realistically this was all in Beomgyu's hands. literally.

"personally, I think it would look really nice. and I know for a fact that your dress is going to look beautiful during that turn." you replay the video as the three of you rewatch it and notice the way the debutant's dress flows slightly in the air, almost in slow motion. it also reminds you of that one picture from the photoshoot and you were so sure that they'd regret it if they don't try it out.

"I don't know. the debut is in two days and tomorrow we're literally going to be spending the day to decorate the venue, and then—"

"Beomgyu, calm down, you haven't even tried it yet." you turn around and look up at him rolling his eyes at you. "try it out before the rest arrives for practice."

"y/n, are you being for real right now?" his lips twist, he's not convinced just yet, you think.

"come onnnn, Beomgyu try it out~" you sing song, "for Tara." you put your arm over your best friend's shoulders, bringing her in closer while she pouts at him.

it's always hard for Beomgyu to turn Tara down for anything. you'd think their relationship is pretty tight, but as they grew up together and being only two years apart they have that sibling energy about them. Tara is Beomgyu's weak spot, and this is the first time you've witnessed it.

"okay, fine." he sighs, defeated, but you see him smile over to Tara while ruffling the top of her head. you had no clue that you had been staring at the interaction between them for a second too long until Beomgyu calls out your name again. "you need to make sure I do it properly, I'm doing this for Tara." his voice was a little stern towards you, but it didn't bother you too much. he sounded quite defensive over the fact that he isn't doing this because you convinced him to, but you knew that that was exactly the reason why.

Tara makes her way out the back door into the garden, it was big enough to fit six pairings for the cotillion. to your surprise, she's only just told you that they have been practicing for three weeks and they only managed to remember everything the week that had just passed.

you sit on the stool by the door, facing the garden as you wait for the two to get into position for the ending of the cotillion. the pair face each other for a couple of seconds before Beomgyu twirls Tara twice, preparing for the lift. he lifts her hip onto the side of his leg, attempting to pivot in place for the turn with the other leg, but they stumble a little and Beomgyu lets go of Tara. you stand up as quick as you can to catch Tara from tripping forward and falling over.

"don't drop her!" you shout at Beomgyu. he looks at you with bland eyes, deadpan towards you.

"well, this was your idea, right?" he huffs. "I'd like to see you try."

"am I her partner?" you retort, your hands still holding onto Tara's forearm while she stands properly.

"guys, it's fine. Beomgyu, let's try again." Tara looks directly into your eyes and then Beomgyu after, her way of getting the both of you to stop arguing.

after a few attempts of the ending routine, it eventually got better to the point Tara wanted to try it out along with the music to make sure they get the timing right. you also suggest to take a video so they can review it after and they both agree. your index finger hovers over the space bar, patiently waiting for Tara to indicate when to press play.

you watch them do the routine once more until the crucial part came about, "okay, and now!" you shout as soon as the music reaches the part where the lift starts.

you watch beomgyu lift Tara steadily with a clean landing — no stumbling over or minor trips in sight. the music fades as it ends and you end the video before applauding them while you make your way toward them.

"see, I knew you could do it." you nudge Beomgyu, passing him the phone and notice the corners of his lips twitch upwards as he watches the successful move.

Tara's pleased to say the least, looking over at the phone at the same time and giving you the biggest smile.

"I know I'm terrible at thinking of things and adding things last minute, but I think that was one of my best ideas." she crosses her arms, proud of the decision she made regardless of the trouble it caused, especially between you and Beomgyu.

"yeah, you're lucky your partner was eventually convinced to do it." you tease.

"okay, okay. I get it. at least we've got that sorted out now." Beomgyu sighs, not amused with you repeating how you were right.

after heading back inside the house, you check the time and it's still early for the rest of Tara's friends to arrive for the practice. thinking of getting food before they arrive was the best idea, but Tara was called to have a dress rehearsal in case of any more altering. so it was down to you and Beomgyu to go and get food.

༺ ༻

you were grateful that the weather was good for a nice walk; the air was mildly warm with the smallest bit of breeze blown through your hair every now and then.

following Beomgyu in silence wasn't as bad as you thought. he walks in front of you, and you notice the wire of his white earphones dangling out of his pocket while he had the other in his ear.

"what song are you listening to?" you spoke up a little quieter than you expected. luckily you were just around the corner to the pizza shop, so you both stop once you cross the narrow, one way road.

"over eighty-five." he glances at you, holding eye contact for what felt like a minute to you and turns around to walk into the pizza shop.

he left you dumbfounded, remembering that that was the song that started the whole exchanging songs ordeal. you mindlessly blink at the shop front a couple of times before following suit, waiting behind him as he orders four boxes of pizzas for the group later on.

his voice is gentle when he talks to the owner of the shop. there's a lot of people in this part of the island, and everyone knows each other, if not, know of each other.

the way they exchange in conversation seems like he comes here often, the middle-aged man laughs at a bit and you see how endearing it was to see the interaction.

nevertheless, you had to set aside that it could potentially be the fact that the leo in Beomgyu is loving the attention, or it could even just be the big heart in him. either way, quietly observing them kept you entertained until he walked toward you, waiting beside you.

"Beomgyu?" your voice a little louder this time compared to earlier. he turns his head towards you, raising his brow with a hum. he isn't as firm as he was earlier, and he could physically see your shoulders relax in the smallest way possible. "can we go see that coffee shop that we walked past on the way here?"

to his surprise, that was not what he was expecting. he can sense that you've been tip-toeing around him since he arrived at Tara's house, but that doesn't mean he doesn't like you.

"yeah, we can do. we'll take the shortcut there, it'll be quicker on the way back too." he flashes you the same gentle smile he gave you the first time you met, and you notice a small dimple that disappeared not even in a fraction of a second. kinda cute.

༺ ༻

as soon as the pizzas were ready, the shop owner bids the both of you goodbye with a polite smile. you and Beomgyu split the pizza boxes to carry them back while you take up a different route, again, leaving it up to the island boy.

"how long are you staying this time anyway?" he asks you, half turning his head to face you but also making sure he watches where he's walking.

"oh, we're leaving the day after Tara's birthday. so not long, really." you reply with a shrug that he wasn't able to see anyway. you had hoped to stay longer than last time, but it was just about the same amount of days.

"I see." you almost miss his response with his quiet voice, along with a car that had driven past the both of you. but you wonder why he asked, though you knew he was probably curious like the others.

"is Soobin coming for the cotillion practice?" you remembered Soobin abruptly, he was more approachable compared to Beomgyu from the first time you met, and you remember everything clearly.

"yeah." there he is with the short responses again. you almost thought you had somewhat managed to get through to him, but it's going to be tricky with someone like him. you can't read him just yet and you're curious whether it's the same for everyone or it's just a 'you thing'.

after walking for a few more silent minutes, you see the cute, rustic coffee shop that caught your eye from earlier. this time, you were able to scan through the menu that's hung up outside on a brown clip board, reading out the set menu and the coffee of the day.

you balance the piled pizza boxes on your hip as you take your phone out to take a quick photo. Beomgyu doesn't hesitate to take the boxes from your hold and pile it on top of his.

your brows raise from the action, looking up at him with a smile followed after. "oh, thanks."

"just so the pizza won't fall. we have people to feed." his response was blunt but you still thanked him for the gesture. he faces to the side while he waits for you to finish taking your pictures, but you couldn't ignore the way the sun shines over him and some shadows from the lamppost lay over him.

you love taking photos in general. some say you're talented and you should be a photographer, but you just find it as a hobby and you don't want to take that fun aspect away.

finding a photogenic subject with a beautiful background was not easy to find, until you turn around to see exactly that. you had no second thoughts to take a picture or two of Beomgyu's side profile — to which you were extremely fascinated by — only capturing from his shoulders and up.

"let's go? I think they'll be there soon." Beomgyu speaks up, eyes meeting the sight of you holding your phone up and facing him, causing you to swiftly tuck your phone back into your pocket and reach out for the two boxes that Beomgyu took from you.

he turns quickly, so you miss and briefly grab nothing but the air where you were initially reaching out for.

"it's okay. I got it." is all he says before he continues walking in the direction of a different shortcut. a smile is twitching upon his lips as he senses you trailing behind him in confusion. if there's something you didn't know about him, it's that he's extremely observant, and his peripheral vision never fails him.

taglist: @bb-eilish @iggynor4 @ericyjun @bluejin0812 @luvsoobs @yeonyeonyeonjun @junniieesbby @kyrkitten @hyuntaena @day6andetcetera @amethysts-1620 @gorechoi-backup @dainsleif-when-playable @choiwrld @yjusei @feyregels @ahnneyong @potaeto-writes-on-wp @wccycc @lizdevorak @fairybin @laylasbunbunny @acaiasahi @ttyunz @cha0thicpisces @fairybinie @vatterie @yunkiwii @aprilisque @baekberrie @ashxxkook (let me know if you want to be added to this series taglist or fill this form to be part of the general taglist!)

© boba-beom ; all rights reserved. do not repost, copy, alter or translate in any way or platform.

[inkcurlsandknives]

"Saints of Storm and Sorrow is a vicious examination of the struggles a colonized culture must endure to survive, bundled in a devastating storm of rage, grief, and lost love. Love, betrayal, incredible worldbuilding, and righteous female rage… hell yeah!" Rebecca Thorne, author of Can't Spell Treason Without Tea

Biggest of thank yous to @rebeccathornewrites bestselling author of Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, I’m still so tickled by your book title I need so many more tea pun books from you!

Head to gabriellabuba.com to find more fun pride events coming up on the #SaintsOfStormAndSorrowPrideAdventCalendar to celebrate the Launch of my debut novel Saints of Storm and Sorrow coming out June 25th with @titanbooks

Preorder your copy today! Buy link: https://linktr.ee/gabriellabuba

In this an enthralling Filipino-inspired queer epic fantasy, a nun concealing a goddess-given gift is unwillingly transformed into a lightning rod for her people's struggle against colonization. For fans of R.F. Kuang, Tasha Suri, and The Hurricane War.

#saintsofstormandsorrow #bookstagram #books #fantasy #epicfantasy #asianfantasy #filipinoauthor #filipinofantasy #filtheshelves #queerbookstagram #bipocfantasy #bipocbookstagram #queerfantasy #asianbooks #2024debuts #debut2024 #debutauthor #booksale #bookhaul#booktok #romance #spicy #bookreccomendations #booklover #reading #bookstagrammer #bookish #booksofinstagram

[champmorado]

chick hicks headcanons because i so badly want to discuss my hcs about him 😭😭

his dad is white and his mom is japanese

(humanized) hes mostly perceived as white

(humanized) when he was a kid he looked a lot more like his mom/"more" japanese (fun fact: i have a wasian cousin that had the reverse happen. when they were a teen they looked "more" white but now as an adult they look "more" filipino)

after retiring he reconciled with his mom and was able to learn more about his mom's side of the family and his culture

he cant speak japanese but he can understand it pretty well

hes romance averse

he gets really annoyed at romantic stuff

his attraction leans towards women and fems

it took him sooo long to accept he was bi because of internalized homophobia

he mostly either feels hypermasc or feminine in a way thats connected to manhood

he has experienced "do i want to be this person or do i want to fuck them" so many times

him going from a theater kid/drama club member to a racer to a tv show host kinda perfectly reflects his gender experience. when he was a kid he was kinda able to experiment with his gender and freely express it in a way he liked. then when he became a racer he felt pressure to be more masculine but he still remained theatrical and dramatic. and now that hes the host of his own show he can do whatever the hell he wants ‼️‼️‼️‼️

[woneuntonzz]

.☘︎ ݁˖ 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚛𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝...

📋 i write for: 𝙧𝙞𝙞𝙯𝙚 ☆ 📌

𝙥1𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙮 ☪︎ 📌(coming soon)

𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙯 ✧ 📌

📗 what i write / haven't and will write .ᐟ

💭 fluff (honestly most of my work is fluff)

💭 angst (some content might include mentions/indications of abuse, neglect, emotional neglect, self-harm, self-exiting, addiction, anxiety —none will be explicitly detailed, however.)

💭 humor / light-hearted fics

💭 texts (-) / reactions (-) / scenarios

💭 idol as _____ / reader as _____

💭 long fics / series (averages 3k words per part)

💭 songfics (stories inspired by songs)

💭 pairings: riize x reader

🕯️ genres:

⚘ contemporary romance

⚘ coming of age

⚘ fantasy (high / urban / maybe fairytales)

⚘ dystopian (coming soon 🙈)

⚘ contemporary

⚘ cozy mystery

⚘ slice of life (i suck at it tho)

🕯️ tropes list:

⚘ enemies to lovers

⚘ forbidden love

⚘ friends to lovers

⚘ love triangle

⚘ opposites attract

⚘ slow burn

⚘ unrequited love

⚘ soulmates (leaning towards fantasy plots)

⚘ tragic love (personal fav ackk)

💽 other specifications ;

i write for afab!reader / amab!reader / gn!reader, mostly afab!reader

(!!) some of my content contain suggestive parts, however they are very tame

open to more specified requests ; (please do), more specified tropes or roles/tags (ex.: unhinged gamer!eunseok —just an example don't at me), & will do requests with specified timelines/plots, will definitely hear you out if you want it shorter / longer :>

📕 what i don't write and will never write .ᐟ

if you are into any of these, unfortunately i am just not comfortable or willing to write any of them ://

🚫 smut (and anything else related)

🚫 polyamorous relationships

🚫 age gap romance

🚫 riize x other idol

🚫 stories involving sensitive medical conditions (mental disorders/disabilites/development disabilities)

🚫 stories heavily involving religion (i am not quite familiar with any religion —but I was once catholic— since i am an atheist, however, i respect all religions)

🚫 incest / stepcest (am not built like that)

🚫 stories with heavy involvement of certain cultures (i am filipino, not that much familiar with cultures outside of mine/south-east asian culture, though, i am quite familiar with american culture and east asian culture, but that's about it.)

🚫 exploiting others' trauma

💽 other specifications ;

regarding the last one, while i do write violently angsty stuff, unless i get the go ahead or i can be assured you are fine with me using a personal piece of your life, i will not write it :((

though suggestive content is implied, i will not write any graphic and detailed sexual encounters .ᐟ

[glubandeepspace]

psa you can dislike or like something without perpetuating misinformation about real people things like families and the nuances of other languages and cultures

this is about non-chinese speakers who are like "but gege means older brother" and fans who nod along frantically without their own basic research. gege is a term of endearment/respect that is often casually used for slightly older males in general. and even eventual love interests (go read tiān guān cì fú or something). im not chinese but it reminds me of how i am filipino which has several similar terms.

i dont know which terms caleb & mc use towards grandma josephine in the original language (which the game is still mainly written for and from) (cn fans pls tell me lol i cant make it out from the cn audio or read cn alphabet) and idk what it's like living in china but also i doubt it's coincidence that ive encountered multiple fans who do or know people from there who say it's not uncommon for explicitly nonfamilial non-blood-related friends there to grow up in the same house.

do correct me with actual evidence if im wrong. but even in the english translation, mc does only refer to caleb as "childhood friend"

(also why would such a popular and money-loving game intentionally casually incorporate a taboo)

i think this can be respected without dismissing that step- and adopted family is still real family, as many fans also wildly do.

i have step siblings ive never met who id still automatically (likely mutually) be unable to view in a nonfamilial sense because that's 'our' proper norm as americans. it makes it challenging to understand very different foreign mindsets but imo it's not too hard. to accept.

(people who commit incest can also defend themselves by claiming they dont view each other as siblings also btw so when i say "mc and caleb dont view each other as siblings" it isnt even all about romance—if he were an LI they won't even become romantic unless you choose that route—it's just about how they were always plain friends, raised to be that way. headcanons aside.)

and this is all without getting into the whole other can of worms that's how some fans simply enjoy media with incest kinks. that's just unchangeable and not my business, i never wanna see it, and i won't bc i'll simply block.

i'll also still have my own instinctual aversions to dwelling on caleb as a romantic possibility for all he's been associated with (by others & my own past misinformed assumptions, and how i personally still have remaining contrary 'vibes'/headcanons/preferences) and i dont know which fans are portraying him with the heavy fanon mindsets argued against above—but that is just me rn. and i never really get bias wrecked anyway.

[locketslover]

my fav dress to impress fits by me

theme: angel (i was angel devil)

theme: 2010s tv show (marceline and bubblegum)

theme: gothic romance

theme: my culture (filipino; i tried to emulate the traditional shoulder pads)

theme: yellow (i was lemon meringue)

theme: barbie (i was inspired by the first ever barbie)

[mashup-writing]

Daniela Dimitrescu (Resident Lover) Headcanons:

------------------------------------------------------

Requested? ❌

"Naiintindihan ko naman, iniiwasan mo lang masaktan."

"I understand, that you're just avoiding being hurt."

Summary: Headcanons about Daniela Dimitrescu (+ MC Romance Route so this contains Filipino Pop Culture references and Tagalog words. Translations will be provided in the Author's Note section at the end of the work.)

Warnings: Minor Angst (Bela's cameos), Suggestive themes, SPOILERS FOR DANIELA'S ROUTE!

Genre: RomCom, Fluff, Slice of Life, Minor Angst

Resident Lover Masterlist

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Regular Headcanons:

Secretly a fan of "Mama Mia".

Listens to Taylor Swift's calmer songs when she's cruising on her skateboard.

Daniela is the kind of girlfriend to go all out every day. Even in just the little ways.

She always has a family picture of her sisters and her mother in her jacket pocket.

Never fails to put on perfume.

Has boards specifically for cruising at night.

Those boards have wheels that light up.

Has scars on her knees, chin, shoulders, and elbows from flying off her board countless of times.

Doesn't tap her skateboard against the ground to clap for her skating bros.

Opting instead to clap normally with her back in perfect posture, like she was clapping for a theatre play instead of a skateboarding competition.

The Dimitrescu sisters were brought up to be classy after all.

MC Romance Headcanons:

MC asked her to teach them how to take care of a board once.

Daniela cried when MC gifted her a custom skateboard put together by their own hands, the bottom painted with a scenery of the local skate park.

She hangs it up on the wall, never taking it out for rides.

Simply thinking of the masterpiece sustaining scrapes sends Daniela to tears.

Whenever she wakes up before MC, she wakes them up with gentle kisses.

Most times her kisses will litter MC's face with fleeting speed. MC wakes up with laughter on these days.

Sometimes her kisses are placed on MC's neck, and on their collarbone.

On days like these, MC wakes up pinned to the mattress.

Their eyes would open to Daniela hovering over them with something in her eyes. As if the beastly nature she got rid of left pieces of itself within her.

She also tries to make them breakfast or dinner at least twice a week, it never goes well.

The food of choice either ends up undercooked, or overcooked (Burnt)

MC once woke up at night to singing, and to a steady thumping on her room's table.

They opened their eyes to find Daniela singing them a love song, using their study table as a cajun box.

"Bro, I love you but... What the hell is happening right now?" Dani beams at the question, halting her singing and drumming to place her hands on her hips.

"Glad you asked babe-bro! I was bored, couldn't sleep, and had the internet at my full disposal, so found this little thing from your culture called 'Harana'!"

"... Bro, I- Appreciate the sentiment but I'm pretty sure that Harana is done by singing from outside the house, facing the window?"

Dani smiles, bright and sheepish and unapologetic and MC finds herself falling in love again. "Yeah true, but the thing is: We live on the 4th floor of this building and I'm honestly not sure if my voice could carry that far.."

Yes, MC and Daniela call each other "Bro" as an ode to their friends-to-lovers journey.

Daniela tries to sneakily pick out flowers for MC from the Campus bushes ever since going to her Aunt Donna's Flower shop was rendered impossible.

Bela caught her once, and dragged her sister to her council room office for an earful of a lecture.

"Just what do you think you're doing, desecrating University property like that?"

"Picking out flowers for MC, what of it?"

"You're just going to hand it over to them with it looking like that?"

Daniela bristles at the punctuation, her temper flaring. But just as she opens her mouth to defend her relationship, Bela walks over to her work table and whips around to face Daniela with a pair of stationary scissors.

"You've got to remove the thorns first, along with some of the leaves at the bottom of the stem. I've got to some spare colored paper in one of my desk drawers, we'll wrap it up in those once we're done pruning these. We may not be Aunt Donna but we can atleast do our best to make this presentable."

Daniela stops asking her eldest sister for favors using blackmail after that.

Bela smiles and Daniela can't quite place why her sister's smile sort of looks forced and bittersweet (She remembers still.)

The youngest Dimitrescu chalks it up to her sister helping her out despite being uninterested in romance. (She wants them, always will. But in this loop MC's with her sister so she keeps herself away.)

(Bela may be heartless but her nature is always selfless.)

----------------------٩(◕‿◕｡)۶-----------------------

01-11's debated heart loves this particular skaterbro with an undocumented softness.

Tagalog Words - Translations:

Harana - a courtship act of singing to your intended from outside of their house to ask for permission and for their hand.

[agendabymooner]

DIRECTORY: F1 Drivers x Filipino OFCs by AGENDABYMOONER (UPDATED)

AHHH !!! Apparently I made too much Filo OCs (there’s never too much but for some it maybe a lot?). So why not make a little character directory based on the Formula One drivers I’ve written about?

(I am not Filipino baiting I promise 🥲 I make a lot of Filipino OCs because I too am a Filipino)

This is done alphabetically btw. By surnames :) enjoy xx

CHARLES LECLERC (CL16)

LOUELLA LOURDES VILLAR: A Filipino celebrity who met Charles when she moved to Monaco to pursue her masters. Arthur, Charles' brother, calls the two of them "homie hoppers."

"slut", smau: charles' ex trashed his new girlfriend a while ago, but too bad he wasn't really into the thought of making music with anyone but lou villar.

PATO O'WARD (PO29)

DIWA J. ARELLANO: McLaren F1 team's admin who works to constantly slander and support Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Also a bit besotted.

caught 'em lacking, smau: diwa arellano is mclaren f1's social media admin. so what if her constant teasing of oscar bites her in the ass and accidentally posts something that could potentially compromise her job? meanwhile, lando and oscar laugh at her demise while pato finds it endearing.

SERGIO PEREZ (SP11)

CARMELLA AYALA PEREZ: Checo’s Miss Universe wife who represented the Philippines!

she's beauty, she's grace, smau: in which carmella ayala perez, the miss universe 2018 winner, tied the knot with checo after their five years of relationship and the birth of their second child.

DANIEL RICCIARDO

TALA MORAN: Daniel Ricciardo's partner that he accidentally exposed as his to the public.

leaked, smau: daniel ricciardo is a borderline blabbermouth.

OSCAR PIASTRI (OP81)

PALOMA SAN PEDRO: Oscar was a victim of Jollibee obsession introduction because he’s so in love with her. She’s also Carlos Sainz’s cousin-in-law.

jollibee, madrid and all that romantic fiasco, smau: paloma san pedro is carlos sainz's cousin-in-law who also introduced oscar to his newly found filipino fast food chain addiction. safe to say that he bought a ticket last minute just so he can obsess over her, too.

live tweets, japan and all that romance fiasco, smau: how oscar's podium win in the japanese gp led to the revelation of his relationship with carlos sainz's in-law, paloma. lesson learned: just call her "pal" then she'll spill the tea for the both of you easily (f, h)

lucky charms, qatar and all that romance fiasco, smau: oscar is quite a forgetful guy, he forgot to mention to carlos, his future in-law, that paloma was his sprint lucky charm. (f)

long distance, england and all that romance fiasco, smau: paloma moved to england a year after enduring a long distance relationship with oscar.

CARLOS SAINZ (CS55)

MAGDALENA SAN PEDRO SAINZ: Married to a Ferrari driver. A bit unhinged and as equally millennial as Carlos. Apparently her marriage with him calls for reparations lol.

ride home, smau: the ferrari driver accidentally outed himself as a married man, so mona magdalena sainz stepped in to say hi to his loyal fans. (f, g, h) (extra)

dear, smau: nobody loved each other more than magda and carlos sainz. OR a series of tweets in which magda and carlos never took each other seriously. (h)

pag-ibig, traducido (love, translated), fic: no matter what cultural context and backstories, magda and carlos' souls were entwined into one all thanks to the languages of love that they shared. OR times when the spanish and filipino defined their love in many languages. (f) ♡

MICK SCHUMACHER (MS47)

BARBIE BLANCO: Sebastian Vettel’s adoptive daughter that Mick practically grew up with.

she's everything... and he's just mick, smau: barbara 'barbie' blanco is the vettel family's foster child that gradually turned to kimi vettel's nanny and mick's crush? (f, g)

"besties", smau: everyone swore that mick and barbie are more than "babysitting pardners" (f)

who is kenough, smau: mick nearly took the piss from arthur leclerc after the posts that the monegasque had of barbie. too bad, mick was already hers before arthur could even try. (feat. arthur leclerc)

kenergy unfolded, fic: written version of who is kenough OR arthur leclerc was only scheming just so mick could do something about revealing his relationship with barbie. ♡

the vibing allan and the reluctant ken, smau: for mick, there are only two words to describe his girlfriend's best friend arthur: a headache. OR arthur leclerc is a third wheel that mick always get on a fight with. thankfully, barbie had fair experiences with boys who are petulant and childish at times (kimi and seb)

extra - barbie and the schuminis

mick multiplied, socmed snapshot: girl dad!mick that's all

the little schuminis, fic: 4 times when mick showed his devotion + 1 time his devotion paid off

YUKI TSUNODA (YT22)

PIA ELLIS: An indie singer who also happens to be Yuki’s much shorter girlfriend.

line without a hook, smau: pia ellis misses her mystery bf that everyone thought to be her delusions. it turns out he's a formula one driver who definitely misses her too.

chaos family, socmed snapshot: yuki is a dad to the little mini yukis known as hana and shin.

SEBASTIAN VETTEL (SV5)

BEL VETTEL: A socialite from Philippines who’s married to the kindest human to have ever existed. Also a mother to Seb’s kids (including Barbie Blanco).

crazy rich wife, smau: everyone (some twitter account) wonders where the recently retired german driver had gone to after the 2022 season. thank god for bel vettel, his fans now know that he’s still alive and is being spoiled and pampered by his wife. (f, g)

sweet spoiled husband (+ son), smau: mick schumacher is a grown man that both bel and seb treat like their own child. (f, g)

sweet spoiled schatzi, smau: bel and seb introduce the newest addition to their little family, and mick seems to love kimi vettel as much as a godfather loves his godchild. (f)

sweet little similarities, smau: bel and everyone could tell that kimi vettel was becoming more like his father, sebastian's, carbon copy as days went on. (f, g, h)

sebastian and sons (and soufflés), fic: day in the life of a retired sebastian vettel, featuring his kids kimi and barbie (and a nervous mick). (f)

sweetest spoiled sons, smau: sebastian was a father to not only two- but THREE kids. OR stefan vettel is the newest addition in the vettel household after years of trying and it's safe to say that everyone welcomed this news with open arms. (f)

crazy rich and famous, smau: the vettel couple stepped up to address the scrutiny that their children faced OR sebastian activated his instagram account just so he could show his masterpiece: photographs that he took of his wife for their anniversary.

seb's best girl, scenarios (x daughter!ofc)

Summary: Sebastian Vettel understood the downfalls of infertility just by being there for his wife. What he didn’t know, however, was that his life would drastically change when their foster daughter, Barbie Blanco, was put into their care. OR, what made Sebastian the best father figure to a teenager who had nobody but herself. 

one, enter barbie: fifteen-year-old barbie blanco thought that meeting new people was intimidating, and sebastian learned that making her comfortable in her new home was a responsibility he should uphold as her father figure.

two, meeting mick in malaysia: barbie was brought to her first race ever and had met her newest best friends there. it was obvious that she and mick schumacher would get stuck to the hips after their first meeting.