#Is it like????? The proclamation of the beginning of Christmas??????

[sandinthepipes]

As a European I still don't know what the fuck goes on on thanksgiving besides the turkey

[earlgreytea68]

Writing Patterns

I was tagged by @shark-myths

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

My stories often start with the first line in my head. Like, once I get a line stuck in my head, I know there's a story connected to it, and I can write it down, and everything goes from there. Not always, but often. So I'm really curious to look back at them.

On the morning that Megan Stump was scheduled to arrive at Wentz House, Peter, Marquis of Highleyton, could not get himself out of bed. --I Prefer Our Love (Watch You Work the Room) -- Part Two okay, believe it or not, I had this line written as the first line of the sequel and then realized that I couldn't start there, more had to happen, so I backed up, and then.......more did happen, an entire other fic more lol

Patrick is in over his head before he even meets Pete Wentz. --Like Christmas Morning (alliwantforchristmasisyou) I knew I wanted to do a they're-already-married story, and this felt like the perfect line to get across exactly how long this has been going on.

Patrick doesn’t feel like it’s a conscious decision on his part. --Longer. Schrodingerverse fics, you may have noticed, alternate POV, so I knew this one had to be a Patrick POV, so I had to start somewhere in Patrick's head.

Patrick doesn’t think witches should be showy. --The Witching Hour okay, I wasn't going to write a story about witches but this line sprang into my head and I was like, I WANT THE STORY THAT GOES WITH, and I'm so happy I wrote it lol

This is the kind of thing that only happens to Pete.--Complicated honestly didn't entirely know where this story was going when I started it, but this seemed like a solid line to start literally any FOB story with

Tennyson turns thirteen in the middle of the tour. --Perfect summer. I want this to be some kind of suave and purposeful line but this was me reminding myself of when Tennyson's birthday is and how old he is lol

Patrick is very aware – because Pete tells him constantly, he couldn’t miss this – that Pete thinks Patrick is perfect. --Two Guys, One Spotlight unusually, this fic started with the title first, so I had to figure out what story would go with that title...

“I can do it,” Patrick says. --So Good at Rhythm my original idea for this story was going to be Pete convincing Patrick to play the drums, and then I sat down and this was the first line I typed sooooo yeah, it turned out to be a different story

Pete finds the Magic 8 Ball at a farmers’ market. --Magic 8 Ball whatever, I think this sentence is just Truth lol

Pete Wentz has a problem. --Riff with Patrick another universally applicable beginning to any FOB story

I genuinely wasn't sure I would uncover any patterns but look at that! I really love starting with a one-sentence paragraph. BAM. Hopefully it makes you want to read the punchline that follows in the next paragraph. I didn't realize how often I do this and now it seems so obvious, SORRY I DO IT ALL THE TIME, GUYS. I think I like the in media res feel of starting like that, like we're already smack-dab in the middle of the story so I'm going to give you a second to absorb the proclamation before we move on. I also personally prefer to start writing right in the middle of the story, so I can figure out quicker what's going on with everything, so that's probably why I do start there a lot. The scene-setting, if I do it, tends to happen a few paragraphs in, when the POV character rewinds to catch you up on What's Happened So Far. Interesting, I literally never noticed how often I do this lololol

(Also I literally forgot how many fics I wrote over that Tourdust summer, wow...)

Anyway! I tag whoever wants to do this! It was really interesting!

[prettycdds]

{{ Gabriel Headcanons while I wait for family to arrive for christmas--

Gabriel's helmet can come off! There's a whole vacuum tight mechanism to undo it, but once it even cracks open slightly a ton of blinding light will come out, because his face is Unknowable and hurts to look at !

( yeah, in case you don't know the character, he is not a robot, that's just armor, and it can be taken off! His skin is ashen black like stone with gold cracks in it! )

He is very much the " incredibly confident as long as he is doing the one thing he knows how to do but immediately becomes a malfunctioning dummy when asked to do normal things " sort of character. His default way of speaking is to perpetually sound like he is making a proclamation from god or he will begin to just stutter. He knows how to Kill Things, recite Heaven's will, and... play the harp or a church organ... and not much else.

The reason he can talk in such a funny way sometimes is that he is Ancient and he is combining the slang of eons of humanity and that is how the phrase " you insignificant fuck " came to be lmao

[ardra-astrology]

Happy Saturnalia!

Saturnalia 2023:December 17-23

The elitist holiday - while they got you celebrating Christmas. This marks the beginning of the Saturn time of year : Capricorn and Aquarius. A 180 degree from the warmth of Father Sun. Truthfully we might as well celebrate Saturn - none of us can escape his harsh lessons on this living plane. This same seemingly inescapable Saturnian dynamic has also been duplicated here on this Earthly plane by a few setting themselves up under titles of government & parliament, and goes on to include those working for these entities under titles of law enforcement & military. It’s a very important area of the zodiac to study to understand those who attempt to control you on this plane. It’s government, it’s cops, it’s control freaks, it’s propaganda for control. (Interesting side note: I literally learned everything about narcissistic sociopaths after knowing 2 people. One was a Capricorn & the other an Aquarius. Not to say other signs can’t be of this spirit - because I do believe it is an entity - but this was my personal experience. And at these zodiacal degrees is the penchant for narcissistic sociopaths & their flying monkeys - manybe even a portal - a channel - Dahnishta?? )

The season is cold & it’s natives cold hearted. Elitists are even prideful of their chrome hearts. Its for the greater good - and/or the agendas behind those proclamations. But the real question is for whose greater good?

Capricorn - Earth sign. The goats : Also a title elitists give to their members to proclaim superiority & used in their satanic symbolism. Often limited in personality but always the workplace climbers. Cold and Uptight Saturn : Men in Black / Cops. (Shani /Saturn rides a black crow.) Uniforms & Hive mind.

Aquarius - Air sign - big egos & eccentrics. The bigger picture - for the good of the community. Cold personality like Saturn, but a seemingly more relaxed Saturn : Hippies / Social engineering. Mind games & gaslighting experts / large scale gaslighting: The Mandela Effect. Don’t worry kiddos, it’s just a “conspiracy theory” ;)

[sparkling-ariaria]

Winter spirit & dazzling lights (BTS, HP & Stranger Things fic rec)

Stories for that excited and soft feeling you get by looking at the bright lights, snuggling up in a cozy blanket and all the memories that come with it~

*Complete fem or non-specific reader insert fics* Updated: 05.01.2024

HARRY POTTER

She's so sweet by magicchai - Harry x gf!Reader Harry returns to the Gryffindor common room to see y/n has gotten everyone to help decorate the living space.

You're my secret santa? by perpetuallydaydreaming - Remus x gf!Reader You give Remus a gift he thought he’ll never have.

Meant to be by proserpina-magnus - Regulus x gf!Reader Regulus and Y/N jumping into the black lake while it's snowing.

Baking gone wrong by justmyheart - Sirius x gf!Reader

Blue Christmas by findmeinasunshower - Sirius x gf!Reader Sirius comes to spend Christmas with you and your family, but you notice the Holiday blues hanging over him.

Snow by roxetteblack - Sirius x gf!Reader Sirius decided to take you on a small weekend getaway in a cabin during winter.

Winter Blurb: Picking a Christmas Tree by of-many-fandomss - James x gf!Reader

Winter Blurb: Gingerbread Houses by of-many-fandomss - Sirius x gf!Reader

BTS

Dreaming of a Christmas with you by myplaceforstories - Taehyung x Reader Just a quick Christmas romance inspired by Tae’s recent Pride and Prejudice photos and the It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas vid.

Daisy by run2yoongi - Yoongi x vet!Reader A late, winter night at the vet clinic brings you closer to your regular client, a cat-loving Min Yoongi and his feline companion, Daisy. When he was unable to stand seeing another stray cat spend the holidays on the cold streets, he agrees to take her in. You didn't anticipate that helping the new cat-dad would help you feel a little less alone these holidays, too.

My Home by purpleyoon - dragon!Yoongi x human healer!Reader It was close to winter, and your medicine was nearly complete for you to use. But when it came to, you helped another whose wounds were life threatening. Now, random items kept showing up on your porch, with each item bringing you closer to the creature you healed.

November by alpacaparkaseok - A small drabble about Namjoon embodying the month November.

December by alpacaparkaseok - A small drabble about Seokjin embodying the month December.

January by alpacaparkaseok - A small drabble about Yoongi embodying the month January.

STRANGER THINGS

Season of giving by rosygaze - Eddie x gf!Reader Exchanging gifts with him.

“Something you wanted.” by rainylana - Eddie x gf!Reader You show up to Eddie and Wayne’s with gifts.

Blurbcember prompt by lovebugism - Steve x shy!Reader Steve finds out the cute girl at the record store likes him and decides to bring her ice cream as a proclamation of love.

Kiss me underneath the mistletoe by eddiesxangel - mechanic!Eddie x Reader Eddie and you share your first kiss.

Under the mistletoe by eiightysixbaby - modern!Eddie x Reader A holiday party, a sweet gift exchange, and an even sweeter kiss.

Sweet dreams of holly and ribbon by forevermoreharrington - Steve x gf!Reader Steve gets his sweet girl an early Christmas gift and she’s dizzy over it.

Maybe this christmas time by headkiss - Steve x sunshine!Reader Working as an elf during the holidays (which he isn’t a fan of) is not how Steve would choose to spend his time, neither is doing a bucket list of your creation. You end up changing his mind.

Merry & Meddling by munson-blurbs - Eddie x shy!Reader Max and Lucas are tired of their friends silently pining over each other but never making a move, so when the Winter Formal rolls around, they take matters into their own hands.

[abellinthecupboard]

38

Here, the sentence will be respected. I will compose each sentence with care by minding what the rules of writing dictate. For example, all sentences will begin with capital letters. Likewise, the history of the sentence will be honored by ending each one with appropriate punctuation such as a period or a question mark, thus bringing the idea to (momentary) completion. You may like to know, I do not consider this a “creative piece.” I do not regard this as a poem of great imagination or a work of fiction. Also, historical events will not be dramatized for an interesting read. Therefore, I feel most responsible to the orderly sentence; conveyor of thought. That said, I will begin. You may or may not have heard about the Dakota 38. If this is the first time you've heard of it, you might wonder, “What is the Dakota 38?” “The Dakota 38” refers to the thirty-eight Dakota men who were executed by hanging, under orders from President Abraham Lincoln. To date, this is the largest “legal” mass execution in U.S. history. The hanging took place on December 26th, 1862—the day after Christmas. This was the same week that President Lincoln signed The Emancipation Proclamation. In the preceding sentence, I italicize “same week” for emphasis. There was a movie titled Lincoln about the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. The signing of The Emancipation Proclamation was included in the film Lincoln; the hanging of the Dakota 38 was not. In any case, you might be asking, “Why were thirty-eight Dakota men hung?” As a side note, the past tense of hang is hung, but when referring to the capital punishment of hanging, the correct tense is hanged. So it's possible that you're asking, “Why were thirty-eight Dakota men hanged?” They were hanged for The Sioux Uprising. I want to tell you about The Sioux Uprising, but I don't know where to begin. I may jump around and details will not unfold in chronological order. Keep in mind, I am not a historian. So I will recount facts as best I can, given limited resources and understanding. Before Minnesota was a state, the Minnesota region, generally speaking, was the traditional homeland for Dakota, Anishinaabeg and Ho-Chunk people. During the 1800s, when the U.S. expanded territory, they “purchased” land from the Dakota people as well as the other tribes. But another way to understand the sort of “purchase” is: Dakota leaders ceded land to the U.S. Government in exchange for money and goods, but most importantly, the safety of their people. Some say that Dakota leaders did not understand the terms they were entering, or they never would have agreed. Even others call the entire negotiation, “trickery.” But to make whatever-it-was official and binding the U.S. Government drew up an initial treaty. This treaty was later replaced by another (more convenient) treaty, and then another. I've had difficulty unraveling the terms of these treaties, given the legal speak and congressional language. As treaties were abrogated (broken) and new treaties were drafted, one after another, the new treaties often referenced old defunct treaties and it is a muddy, switchback trail to follow. Although I often feel lost on this trail, I know I am not alone. However, as best as I can put the facts together, in 1851, Dakota territory was contained to a twelve-mile by one-hundred-fifty-mile-long strip along the Minnesota river. But just seven years later, in 1858, the northern portion was ceded (taken) and the southern portion was (conveniently) allotted, which reduced Dakota land to a stark ten-mile tract. These amended and broken treaties are often referred to as The Minnesota Treaties. The word Minnesota comes from mni which means water; sota which means turbid. Synonyms for turbid include muddy, unclear, cloudy, confused and smoky. Everything is in the language we use. For example, a treaty is, essentially, a contract between two sovereign nations. The U.S. treaties with the Dakota Nation were legal contracts that promised money. It could be said, this money was payment for the land the Dakota ceded; for living within assigned boundaries (a reservation); and for relinquishing rights to their vast hunting territory which, in turn, made Dakota people dependent on other means to survive; money. The previous sentence is circular, which is akin to so many aspects of history. As you may have guessed by now, the money promised in the turbid treaties did not make it into the hands of the Dakota people. In addition, local government traders would not offer credit to “Indians” to purchase food or goods. Without money, store credit or rights to hunt beyond their ten-mile tract of land, Dakota people began to starve. The Dakota people were starving. The Dakota people starved. In the preceding sentence, the word “starved” does not need italics for emphasis. One should read, “The Dakota people starved,” as a straightforward and plainly stated fact. As a result—and without other options but to continue to starve—Dakota people retaliated. Dakota warriors organized, struck out and killed settlers and traders. This revolt is called The Sioux Uprising. Eventually, the U.S. Cavalry came to Mnisota to confront the Uprising. More than one thousand Dakota people were sent to prison. As already mentioned, thirty-eight Dakota men were subsequently hanged. After the hanging, those one thousand Dakota prisoners were released. However, as further consequence, what remained of Dakota territory in Mnisota was dissolved (stolen). The Dakota people had no land to return to. This means they were exiled. Homeless, the Dakota people of Mnisota were relocated (forced) onto reservations in South Dakota and Nebraska. Now, every year, a group called The Dakota 38 + 2 Riders conduct a memorial horse ride from Lower Brule, South Dakota to Mankato, Mnisota. The Memorial Riders travel 325 miles on horseback for eighteen days, sometimes through sub-zero blizzards. They conclude their journey on December 26, the day of the hanging. Memorials help focus our memory on particular people or events. Often, memorials come in the forms of plaques, statues or gravestones. The memorial for the Dakota 38 is not an object inscribed with words, but an act. Yet, I started this piece because I was interested in writing about grasses. So, there is one other event to include, although it's not in chronological order and we must backtrack a little. When the Dakota people were starving, as you may remember, government traders would not extend store credit to “Indians.” One trader named Andrew Myrick is famous for his refusal to provide credit to Dakotas by saying, “If they are hungry, let them eat grass.” There are variations on Myrick's words, but they are all something to that effect. When settlers and traders were killed during the Sioux Uprising, one of the first to be executed by the Dakota was Andrew Myrick. When Myrick's body was found, his mouth was stuffed with grass. I am inclined to call this act by the Dakota warriors a poem. There's irony in their poem. There was no text. “Real” poems do not “really” require words. I have italicized the previous sentence to indicate inner dialogue, a revealing moment. But, on second thought, the particular words "Let them eat grass" click the gears of the poem into place. So, we could also say, language and word choice are crucial to the poem's work. Things are circling back again. Sometimes, when in a circle, if I wish to exit, I must leap. And let the body　　　　　　　swing. From the platform. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Out 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　to the grasses.

— Layli Long Soldier (1973–)

When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through: A Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry (2020)

[besidesitstoowarm]

"Partners in Crime" thoughts

bf decided wilf is the best. he is not wrong

the adipose are literally one of the creatures of all time. amongus babies + porg + autism creature. i love them sooooo so much i also kind of want to eat them. it's fine

donna and ten have i think the best chemistry of any doctor-companion pairing in all of new who, possibly ever? in new who at least the only other pairing that comes close is eleven and river and that's bc he wants her strap so bad it makes him sick. they are just so fucking funny and iconic "you're not mating with me sunshine" he is truly in his sad wet era

i don't care about the plot cause the plot's not important. i love how sylvia says donna is the only unemployed person "not like the 80s" what the fuck are you talking about. jesus christ i know jackie can be a bit grating but rose was also 19, of course jackie is protective. donna's like 30! sylvia can eat my shorts. wilf is so supportive and sweet tho, i love their convo by the telescope

do we ever fucking find out what the shadow proclamation is? does chibnall explain it cause it seems like a very chibnall era thing to do. it seems like space nato but idk how much power they could have given that ten basically said the loss of the time lords was the loss of a governing body for space law. maybe he just meant in relation to timey wimey? and the shadow proclamation handles everything else? the whole "breeding planet" stuff felt very futurama to me. popplers

i appreciate that ten acknowledged he "destroyed half of [martha's] life" now can you tell HER that. of course now that she's gone he's all sadboy ohhh i didn't appreciate her enough and i fucked her up. it feels like a retroactive apology from davies. davies i forgive you. ten you're on thin fucking ice.

and then we see the ghost of rose! kind of. not ghost. but her appearance and the music that plays (i think it might be "vale decem"?) echoes the end of the season. we get the hint at the ending right at the beginning. "it was always going to happen, she's been dead since the beginning" kinda vibe. obviously it's meant as just a little tease for the rest of the season but it really felt like a death omen, esp w peter capaldi in the next ep. you're on borrowed time!!

the last thing i want to call back to is when the doctor gives foster one chance to make it right or else he'll fuck her up. it very much echoed "no second chances" from "christmas invasion", i think the only one who ever gets a second chance from ten (not even rose, who gets her second chance with his clone) is the master, who basically never expends his chances. no second chances unless it's my gay best friend that i have a dubiously homoerotic/malicious situationship with. many such cases

[late-to-the-magnus-archives]

Corrupted WIP: TMA x Malevolent

Sorry, Tim. Having Hastur in your brain means his worshipers are GONNA come looking for you. You can't girlboss your way out of this one.

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

This is so uncomfortable.

This is so uncomfortable.

They’re all staring at him, waiting for proclamations.

“You guys stay here,” he says, vaguely panicked.

“My lord,” says one.

“Oui,” says one.

“Yes!” says the last as though Tim got him off.

Tim retreats to the bedroom. He closes that door.

Then he gets into the closet and closes that door.

Yellow keeps chuckling.

“You do know we’re still fucked, right?” Tim says.

Yes, of course. But I…

“Lemme hazard a guess,” says Tim. “You feel better because they’re familiar, and make you feel grounded.”

Silence.

“It’s natural. I get it. I just don’t know what the fuck I’m supposed to do with these whackos.”

I believe their resources will help you refine your magical talents. Once you’ve done that, you can protect yourself better, and we can pursue a solution more seriously.

“So you do have an idea.”

I do - but I’d rather discuss it with my followers present.

“Why?” says Tim, suspicious.

Because… fine. You’re right. I find them comforting. I feel less alone against what we face. And because they have resources; and, most importantly, I want them used to you. You’re mine, Tim. The way you speak and act is… at odds with what they’re used to, and I need them to understand I approve.

“What would they do if they didn’t think you did?” Tim says slowly.

Kill you to send me back to the book in search of a better sacrifice.

“So… are they going to sacrifice me?”

No. I will tell them not to.

“You better make that fucking clear,” says Tim.

I will.

Tim pauses,  hand on the closet door. “You’re sure these aren’t the guys who killed Danny.”

That hesitation.

It’s bad.

It is a gap, a vacuum, in which a strange, invisible seed of rage is trying to take root.

I’ll be honest, Tim. I don’t know. I don’t know who had my book. They weren’t… respectful about it, whoever they were, so I don’t believe it was these men.

“All right.” Tim licks his lips and is surprised to find he feels… warm.

Slightly turned on.

Angry.

Scared.

It’s a heady mix. 

Tim?

Yellow knows. Tim’s not sure how he knows, but he knows.

“I’m fine.”

Do you need a minute?

“Why would I need a minute?”

Because your soul just lit up like Christmas. The mark - it’s red through you, as if you’re filled with searing hot filaments.

Tim takes a minute.

He feels…

Well. He feels good.

The hurt is less. The grief is hidden under a strangely shaped brand of warmth and weird.

He likes it.

“That’s probably bad,” he says out loud.

That depends. Do you want to burn the world?

“Do you think I want to? Come on, man. You know me by now.”

I am beginning to think so. No, you don’t want to burn the world.

“There you go. Um. Thanks for telling me it was happening. I can pull away from it, since you pointed it out.” He thinks.

He’s going to.

He will.

You can’t, Tim.

“Fuck you, yes I can.” Tim pauses. “I mean, thank you very much, tea cups and pinkies, whatever.”

Yellow makes that sound he does whenever Tim surprises him. Tea cups and pinkies are the opposite of rage?

“Yep. Right, I’m heading back in.”

Whatever you wish.

Right. Because that response totally didn’t say that Tim’s decision mattered not a whit. Nope.

They’re all still crouching out there.

“What are your names?” Tim says.

They stare at him like he asked them to strip naked and dance in the street.

“Okay,” says Tim, slowly. “Don’t tell me this is how you act all the time in your own homes, because I know that’s shit. Get up.”

They stare at him.

He might as well be speaking Martian. “I mean it,” he says.

Do as he says. I am amused, beloved ones. I enjoy his whimsies. Do as he tells you to do.

So they do.

Awkward.

“So,” says Tim. “Never had, uh. Underlings before.”

Yellow laughs.

Fuck that guy. “Why don’t you guys tell me what you think you’re doing, and I’ll… adjust the sails from there?”

They all look spooked.

“Nobody asks for your opinions much, huh,” says Tim.

“We,” says the French guy. “We. We live to serve him.”

“Sure, but that’s about as vague as it can get? I mean… what does that mean, you make him sandwiches? You conquer nations? What?”

“Whatever he desires,” says the one on the left, whom Tim decides to call Happy on account of the tiny birthmark on the side of his eye that makes him look a little like he’s smiling. 

“Right,” says Tim. “So what’s that normally?”

They stare at him.

Yes, says Yellow. He grants me great amusement. Answer his questions.

“Uh,” says the one on the right, whom Tim dubs Tiny because he’s smaller than the other two. “Whatever he… wants?”

“First time?” says Tim. “Can be confusing, I know.”

The middle guy (Frenchy, because what else) frowns. “My lord…”

Yes, beloved?

Frenchy shudders. “Lord Stoker, we don’t know what you want from us.”

“I want… people?” says Tim. “Not… weird robots, or zombies, or something? No lobotomies, please?”

Yellow thinks that’s hilarious.

Tim is no longer sure whom he’s laughing at.

Neither, it seems, are they.At least disgruntled is a better expression than vapid and worshipful.

[strawberrystepmom]

Hi hello sweet Kendy 🩷🩷🩷🩷

I would like to let you know that he is doing that to u rn. And he’s been yearning to do it for MONTHS.

In the summer months, tho he loves seeing your swimsuit body and hair in a messy bun, sweating like only Aphrodite would and bringing him to half mast, he craves those colder months where y’all get to snuggle up and be close quarters uwu.

He can’t help the twinkle in his pretty eyes when he sees his the first crunchy leaf of the season fall before him. At the sights of cold frost beginning to gather on windshields, his little heart is pitter pattering and the corners of his eyes crinkle. The first time he’s able to see his breath in the morning he busts out into a giddy giggle, already thinking of you playfully frowning and whining about how chilly it is.

He’s been waiting for this moment where he gets to cloak you in a halo of warmth, picking and choosing from his collection of scarves he’s garnered for you each day, depending on your fit. He’s got an off white one with strawberries and vines on it, one that looks kind of like a water colored brown (reminds him of spilled tea in a pretty way), another with little angels on it, a simple powder pink one and so on and so forth. He always wears them under the guise of trying to coordinate with you, and waits for that precious moment where you have your “Brrr, it’s cold” proclamation. He’s is all too ready to swoop in and give you that romantic tender moment, truly. He is just bouncing in place BEGGING for u to do it.

The first one of the season is also so special to him and he is DYING of anticipation. Each day you don’t give him that chance he is pouting when he is alone; hands on his head and whining quietly in a corner the voices, the voices—

And when you are out and about and he is alone to sulk? Full on falling to his knees, tears running down his cheeks, throwing his arms in the air as he leans back and yells to the skies (the ceiling), rueing the day, cursing whatever forces above that keep him from kissing that sweet little nose with the perfect mood lighting provided by Mother Nature herself.

And it is on today, when he chooses a pink, brown, and white plaid like patterned scarf that he gets to have that moment with u :3, swaddling you with a tenderness only he could as he leans in to kiss your precious face just right, like he were living a Lifetime Christmas special. He is the happiest he’s ever been in this moment as he watches you giggle and smile with the new warmth flowing through you.

You are his special one, you are his joy, you are the essence of this moment, and he will never let you go uwu 💖💖💖.

Kith 😘💋💋💋

twy why why why why are you so good to me? what did i ever do to deserve this??? thank you so much bc im absolutely squealing even picturing him in soft little handmade scarves…pink and strawberry and angel printed….and then he gives it to ME??????

[2n2n]

Do you think Nene will die? I feel like yes personally, because I feel like despite everything it would be Hanako’s true wish to live with her and his brother forever as supernaturals, plus all the references to the Little mermaid… I feel like this, what about you?

SHORT ANSWER: no! She already tried to do that, for one thing. Amane also has already tried the 'we both die' solution in the first place, with Tsukasa. The solution is probably more convoluted!

LONG ANSWER: You know! Thinking about the ending, I try to think about Iro-sensei and the sorts of endings they have written, and also what's changed about their previous stories tenor/attitude compared to now….

I think deep down, Iro is weak and a softie, and 'true' endings tend to only be bittersweet at worst (its not like love is ever unrequited ... people love each other, even if their circumstances are sad). In Their VN … many of the alternate endings are MISERABLE (like, they make me imagine if only Tsukasa died, and if neither Nene nor Amane ever got to learn what his feelings truly were, and everyone lived in the misery of never knowing how much he wanted to be a part of their lives.... and maybe most importantly, if Tsukasa never really learned that Amane loved him, and continued the Red House belief that he is better off dead) … and I think JSHK's multiple timelines, kind of conveys this sort of 'bad end'/VN aspect diegetically in the structure of the story itself. Effectively, we already know about two 'endings' to JSHK (one where Amane grows up to be a teacher at Kamome, and one where he and Tsukasa die together at age 13).

The shinjuu of the Yugi as it is already feels like a previous iteration of Iro's style of 'ending', to me... A consummation/proclamation/act of love, but ultimately the lovers cannot persist or flourish. But the shinjuu is literally the beginning of our story, this time ... to me JSHK is trying to explore 'what next?'...

I get the impression Tsukasa is seeking to find other endings, and he personally is trying to open up channels and possibilities using every ounce of power he has, as the Red House enabled him to peer into the operation of the human heart, desire, exchange, alternate existences. The 'Nowhere' space and the 'Red House' both feature all these infinite doors to different points in time, and of course, Tsukasa sends Nene-chan there during the tea party, so he is familiar with it, even now.

I kinda think that … if I can just get like, conjecture-y … Iro was a more hopeless and morose person, in the past. At least, they're more pessimistic, they insult themselves in journal entries (calling themselves obaka-chan, reporting struggling or erroring in unnecessary roundabout ways while coding due to a refusal to just do things conventionally), they be bitter and fussy at times (resentfully talking about couples at Christmas ... lol), and even Aida writing an entry for them will be like, "Iro is fighting their demons right now" lol. Or report them breaking a glass and crying while cleaning it up. Lol. After serialization Iro would use like 3 different words for shaking/trembling/shuddering with anxiety, while praying the manga would be received well and they'd get to continue …

Narisokonai Snow White kindof contains that sense of hopelessness, or pessimism, to me ... While the 'true ending' is positive enough to feature both twins living alongside the princess they both love … it is limited and platonic by design. They are still trapped in an unpleasant system which will not allow either of them to actually be with her. Fans of the story would beg Iro to let the twins kiss the princess, wishing everyone could be together, and Iro would also want that to happen, basically like, "that would be nice", but also, "it can't happen, because of their place in society", "If Estelio were a stranger, he could marry the princess, but he's a servant from the Ambrose family, so it's not permitted." The story invents barriers and even by the best ending, those barriers cannot be crossed.

Estelio CANNOT marry Neige, ever, Rasphard will never be free from his lifelong task of becoming a scholar. He will work until he dies. They were born to be in these roles ... born to serve. Iro is eeeeeven grim enough to only talk about inventing a new 'prince' character to pursue Neige (in your MIND imagine an entirely new, different boy showing up to marry Nene in JSHK while Hanako has to watch and accept that he can never, ever be with Nene due to the systems in power keeping them apart). Iro lamented in the past, that they cannot write romance, that their game isn't really a romance or Otome game, that it contains no dating and no making out, no BL either, as they just can't write this sort of thing. But it doesn't seem as if they don't LIKE that kind of thing … It kinda looks like their, outlook, on life ? wouldn't let these kinds of narratives come to pass ?

Fox-Masked Guardian Spirit is an even older work, and the first collab with Aida at all (2009…) and it is honestly even more helpless. The two in that story are trapped in an endless loop that always ends badly. Essentially a timeline reset that brings them back to the beginning, each time, and resets when the living kid turns 8. Like Narisokonai Snow White, a future for these two is fundamentally impossible. The spirit is destined to leave their charge when they turn 8, and that's just the way it is. Their charge faces misfortune on the horizon the moment they leave the stewardship of their guardian spirit, who uses their powers to reset things. It's a tragic story, though the figures in it deeply love each other, just like Narisokonai Snow White. It's the world itself that won't let them be together happily. Like Narisokonai Snow White, it can't come up with a solution at all. It just presents to you their situation.

Of course, My Dear Living Dead ends with the two protags together, but they are still entrapped by the systems in power, and cannot escape them. But up 'til then I would call it the happiest ending (just not including the comedy or short one-offs … Godbless Nica Killey, THEY SEEM PERFECTLY HAPPY AND JUST LIKE A COUPLE IN NEED OF REASSURANCE THAT THEY ARE USEFUL TO THE OTHER. but frankly I wouldn't be surprised if there was secret hidden misery in the fact of one being a 'familiar' to the other, and some kind of worldly paradigms keeping them from love or romance lol)

Something JSHK has that no other story has though is hope, and wishes … Tsukasa has some Godly power, to see into potential. To imagine new potential? To give others the ability to imagine and harness a new potential? I do not feel JSHK is as strict … because even if the world is cruel, even if the structures in power say 'no', maybe we can break the world itself.

Given the restrictions of other stories-- just how much the Snow White, Fox-Masked, or MDLD cast cannot do anything about the structures in power-- or the hand of fate-- that's a crazy huge new element. What if someone could break the church's continuity of power in MDLD, what if Fox-Masked spirit could break the timeline, what if the Ambrose twins could take apart the kingdom of Angelland and dismantle the traditions that label them servants?

In Snow White … nothing can end too ideally, canonically. However…! Aida HERSELF happily invites the reader to "imagine" if the Ambrose twins were close as children, and she draws them amicably together, even if the story's canon never allowed that.

random sidebar, Aida has a funny relationship to Iro's narratives in general, like this? For Iro's birthday, she also drew the protag of their next (unreleased....) VN game, Lent, about to kiss the girl in that game, Rudolph ... which again, Iro responded to kind of morosely, like, "I hope he can actually manage to do this..." (Lent is a rather pathetic sort of boy it seems, lacking that kind of bravery, ... while Rudolph has a crush on a different boy-- but in a Nene-on-Teru sort of way, just some rich hot boy or something)... Aida would just draw the things Iro can't imagine, lol.

Aida also simply drew the two Ambrose twins happily with Neige as children, and it's an after-credits bonus you can unlock with effort.

THIS GOD DAMN IMAGE!!! This image that CANNOT BE, this image that is an impossible reality, this image that tears all your bones apart after the entirety of Snow White, of BOTH AMBROSE TWINS, AS CHILDREN, WITH PRINCESS NEIGE!!!!

I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT JSHK IS A STORY THAT COULD ACTUALLY ENABLE THISSSSSSS TO COME TO PASS!!!!! This ideal!

So I think that any ending that tries to work with the system as we know it, isn't the ideal ending we are after! Amane's wish so far is, "to live a real life (with Nene)". I think all 3 being kaii doesn't really work-- still all of that pain, agony, restriction …

If we can' break the world', we can acquire a new ending, one which breaks all of this world's rules-- one that operates outside of them!

MAYBE NENE AND THE TWINS COULD ALL GROW UP TOGETHER AND PLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that's what I … WANT *shaking the bars of my cage*

I'm sure Tsukasa is just after Amane's happiness though, and I'm not sure Tsukasa understands himself as essential to that happiness (after all … Amane has only wished for a normal life with Nene. We need him to wish for a better life with Tsukasa, something of which he is still hopeless about, it looks like. I think admitting what he wishes for himself and Tsukasa is the most tooth-pulling thing to get through …. in all his life with Tsukasa, to now ... I mean, as much as you have to SLOG through everything in Snow White before you can find out how badly Estelio pined for his twin brother to be a part of his life... understanding Estelio loves the princess comes first. Even by the end of that game, Estelio is still internally begging for his twin to figure out what he wants.... )

[ausetkmt]

Have we decided what the problem with Thanksgiving is going to be this year?

We could start with the base-level perennials — the godawful travel, the risk to one’s diet, the cousin who is loudly certain that someone has slipped gluten into the gluten-free stuffing. There’s typically a grievance against the potatoes: the format, mashed or casserole, whether or not to marshmallow, why is there never enough. Someone has canceled at the last minute; someone nobody invited shows up anyway. At least one child refuses to sit at the kiddie table, the teenagers refuse to put their phones down at whichever table, an uncle insists on watching the football game at the table. The table itself looks nothing like tables on Instagram.

But in recent years, we’ve had particular reason to squabble over the holiday.

For four unforgiving years, from 2016 to 2020, the problem was breaking bread with your political nemeses. Advice columns bristled with agita. How do you handle your Trump-loving father-in-law or the out-of-towners who show up in MAGA gear? “No baseball caps at the table” was USA Today’s Rule No. 7 for avoiding political food fights in 2019. In some other neck of the woods, aggrieved citizens despaired about their Occupy nephew storming in unshaven from his sophomore year at some college “back East.”

No sooner was Trump voted out than we had a new thing — the threat of death — to antagonize the proceedings. With the government urging Americans to stay home, Thanksgiving 2020 was a potential superspreader event extraordinaire — and one reserved exclusively for family members. Were you inviting that great-aunt because you enjoyed her company or because you wanted her dead? Into 2021, the challenge persisted as the vaccinated squared off against the anti-vaxxers, with divided families worried about the full immunological spectrum of their extended entourage.

Also last year and just in time for its 400th anniversary — though one could hardly suggest the issue was new — some raised the pesky question of Thanksgiving’s celebration of genocide. This forced people intent on their pumpkin pie to confront the fact that Thanksgiving is, at root, a commemoration of conquest and subjugation. It is, after all, a day that the United American Indians of New England observe as a day of mourning. The original Native American “helpers,” the Wampanoags, have expressed regret for helping the Pilgrims out in the first place.

Or maybe it all just makes you angry and resentful! What has happened to your cherished American tradition, you wonder? Must everything be problematic?

Nearly every holiday — with the possible exception of April Fools’ Day, but just you wait — has become some kind of political football. The Republican right has been catastrophizing about an alleged war on Christmas for over a decade, though nobody has alerted the pharmacy chains whose aisles are already laden with red-and-green candy. Meanwhile, one poorly chosen wig on Halloween, fraught with potential cultural offenses, can result in social disaster. Please, let it not be your kid who winds up the wrong kind of Disney character! Also in autumn, Diwali, a major occasion for Indians at home and abroad, has lately become a huge celebration across America. But who, some wonder, is allowed to put on a sari?

Ye olden holidays, they are a-changin’. For the past two years, President Biden has issued a proclamation naming the second Monday in October, also known as Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples Day in order to “celebrate indigenous history and our new beginning together, honoring Native Americans for shaping the contours of this country since time immemorial.” The obvious question there is, what took so long?

So let’s consider the nominees for this year’s chief Thanksgiving gripe: We could make a big deal out of the turkey shortage, for example. Both bird and side dishes have gotten notably more expensive, and with an impending recession, now really isn’t the time. After a summer of exorbitant and overbooked flights that got canceled just as its passengers straggled out of security, travel this year looks to be particularly crowded and unpleasant. And there’s always contagion to fall back upon. With Covid, R.S.V. and the flu all going around, a full-fledged gathering should provide ample opportunity to spread ill health.

But would it be a problem to suggest that maybe Thanksgiving not be a problem this year?

Boiled down to its essentials, Thanksgiving is a holiday about shared gratitude. We could just think about the “thanks” in Thanksgiving for a change. That gratitude may have originally been intended toward God and those Native Americans who helped the newly arrived colonists survive — and for whom atonement may have been more appropriate. But even for us secular humanists, Thanksgiving offers a moment to appreciate whatever good this year wrought, even if by accident or chance.

I can think of a few things to feel thankful for. As vexing as this country can be, the midterms ended with a semblance of democracy still intact. The Democrats retained the Senate, striking a necessary blow against insanity. And while Sarah Huckabee Sanders was somehow considered a suitable person to run an entire state, Wes Moore, the accomplished author of five books and a promising leader, was elected to lead another. Elon Musk has sent Twitter twisting and shrieking toward the hellish oblivion where it belongs. Every year, more people seem to recognize the wisdom of spatchcocking their turkeys. And the Little Pie Company, whose sour cream apple walnut pie I’ve been worshiping since high school, now ships nationwide. If nothing else, for many Americans, it’s a four-day weekend. I’ll spend mine grateful for any leftovers.

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Meghans offensive charm I mean charm offensive by u/Mickleborough

Meghan’s offensive charm, I mean charm offensive According to Closer rag, here’s what Meghan’s going to do for Christmas:https://ift.tt/Gqa8Inb Flogging the dead American River ‘Orse.https://ift.tt/Bif3e6y How to make friends and influence people, Meghan style: buy them. (Isn’t Hollywood on a permanent diet? If so, what’s the point of something sweet (jam) which needs to be spread on carbs?)https://ift.tt/Kxf4GAt Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses (although I don’t believe this next bit)https://ift.tt/eUoOKP9 Manifest much?https://ift.tt/X8gR37G Closer article does scrupulously go into her failures as well - I’ve not extracted all of it. There’s also an entertaining fantasy about how the Portugal plot of land, I mean house, will work.The Christmas 2024 Charm Offensive is an interesting form of PR. A positive spin’s put out when things are bad. Where have we seen this type of headline before?To answer my own question: At the end of 2023, we had The Year of Redemption:https://ift.tt/UbwzLcW piece in Us rag was picked up by mainstream media in the U.K.This very positive spin followed hot on the heels of the termination of the Spotify contract (surprise!). From the Us exclusibe, it really looks like someone was on crack cocaine:https://ift.tt/RjmcTKQ following the delulu of The Year of Redemption was The Summer of Lurve: https://ift.tt/rHp26cZ Summer of Lurve looks like it was a major push to launch American Rubber Orchid - certainly more major than subsequent events have led us to believe, viz failed trademark registrations: really quite sloppy when you’re wanting to put your brand out there.https://preview.redd.it/2yzqg0i69x0e1.jpg?width=843&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1dac567f4e65b971e8f64d00c9dbb92befd08898Didn’t see much media blitzing other than a few tacky Instagram posts.This pattern of positive announcements sounds like the beginning of the end. Megxit was in 2020 - there was nothing like this in the high after they left the Royal Family, what with signing million-dollar contracts with Netflix and Spotify. The Year of Redemption proclamation in 2023 was the first such declaration. Niw we’ve got 2 in close-ish succession. How do you rebuilt bridges when they never existed! Closer archived / unarchived - on the charm offensiveUs Weekly archived / unarchived - for the year of redemptionExpress archived / unarchived - for the summer of love post link: https://ift.tt/Rr8plq7 author: Mickleborough submitted: November 14, 2024 at 09:00PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[alyssalikestoreadbooks]

Warrior Cats: The Darkest Hour - Erin Hunter

"ThunderClan's darkest hour is upon them, as Tigerstar's quest for power plunges all the Clans into the most terrible danger any cat has ever faced. In order to save his Clan and his friends, Fireheart must uncover the meaning of an ominous proclamation from StarClan:

"Four will become two. Lion and tiger will meet in battle, and blood will rule the forest."

The time has come for prophecies to unfold, and for heroes to rise ..."

Read Date - July 2024

Length - 315 pages

Genre - Adventure, Fantasy, Animal Fiction

Rating - 9/10

Stars - ★★★★★

Notes -  The reveal that Mistyfoot and Stonefur are Bluestar’s kits was well needed and took long enough, though I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t believe it. That’s just be as an adult reader of Warriors, lol! Fireheart becoming Firestar was a cool process. It’s like the ghosts of Christmas past, but the lives of eight cats. Firestar finally admitting that his dreams are prophetic was cathartic. Like yesss bitch get it. I think it’s VERY very fucking ironic that they address the “how did ‘Rusty’ s family feel when he left isn’t addressed until the last book in the series, when that was the reason I couldn’t read the first book to begin with. Just very very silly all around for me. I should’ve said this a lot sooner but i love the way they speak about cars as if theyre other animals, because it goes to show how cats and other animals of the sort may view our every day activities and lifestyles. The situation with the death berries and SorrelKit was unsuspecting, and I didn’t.. expect it. I say this a lot but i mean it every single time. It’s kinda crazy how Tigerstar is basically trump except this happened nearly a decade before Trump even became a politician which is like... wow politics really just always was like this wasn’t it? Tigerstar’s decision to combine forces is crazy and i can’t believe it’s finally happening after being offered multiple times throughout the series. The Fighting between Stonefur and everyone was insane. I can’t believe that Tigerstar has resorted to senseless fighting in this manner. Ravenpaw joining then was sweet, and I’ve missed him. The rescue mission was exciting, and i like the way it happened. Everyone getting together, and having another mission like old times. Mistyfoot joining Thunderclan was exciting, and Windclan joining with Thunderclan was smart. Tigerstar’s death was also shocking and I never expected this to happen. It was so quick and by such a new clan-- Bloodclan. Having to fight them is insane. Tawnypaw leaving to join Tigerclan was also crazy. The reveal that Barley was apart of Bloodclan is also smart as hell, because he’s not just a random loner anymore. The loner’s joining Thunderclan is also really cool, because i like Barley and Ravenpaw. The fight between Bloodclan and Lionclan was really entertaining and action packed. Darkstripe attacking Firestar shows how different the dynamic is between the start of the series and now. Bringing call the moves from the beginning of the series was also really interesting because you forget it exists! They win, and I’m happy with the ending of the first series!! Mistyfoot becomes deputy and Firestar is leader and there’s a whole new set of adventures set up in the next series!! I loved this so much. 

[christian-perspectives]

The Joy Of The Lord

What is our source of joy? We read about it, and we talk and sing about it. The Bible tells us the joy of the Lord is our strength. We also find joy listed as one of the Fruit of the Spirit. The night Mary gave birth to Jesus, angels visited shepherds as they kept watch over their flocks. They came announcing the Lord's birth and revealed the source of our joy. (The angel) said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! Luke 2:10  After talking to Herod, the wise men continued their journey to see the newborn King of the Jews. Filled with joy, they continued to follow the star. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Matthew 2:10-11 Jesus not only brought joy to the world but to His Father as well. We can read about this at the Lord's baptism and at the top of the Mount of Transfiguration. - After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.  And a voice from heaven said, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy." Matthew 3:16-17 - But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him." Matthew 17:5

Joy at the Tomb of Jesus

We can't forget about the joy the women experienced at the empty tomb of Jesus. An angel declared to them that our Lord had risen. The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel's message. Matthew 28:8 The Lord Jesus made this same joy available to us today. At the beginning of 1 John, we can read about how to experience the full and complete joy of the Lord.    We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy. 1 John 1:4  You can sense John's joy because, in this chapter's beginning verses, he made three proclamations. - We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, v.1 - Now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. v.2 - We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard. v.3 Then, in verse 5, John made a declaration. This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.1 John 1:5 So, John declared that God is light. Why did the apostle go from talking about life to the subject of light? I think we'll see why in verse 7. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

Experiencing Complete Joy In The Lord

In verse 9, John tied the qualities of the Christian life together: fellowship, life, light, and forgiveness of sin. Look what he said.  If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9

When we look back to verse 4, John told us these things so we could experience complete joy in the Lord. Not to hoard it for ourselves, though, but to share it. In other words, we must take the joy the Lord gives us outside of ourselves. Too many Christians exhibit anything but joy, which turns non-Christians off. Years ago, we used to do a children's song with puppets called J-O-Y. The words went like this: J is for Jesus, O is for others, Y is for you. What a great pattern for our lives. During the Christmas season, and for that matter, any season, we can enjoy the joy of the Lord. Why? Because it doesn't depend on the time of year or the circumstances around us. The Lord fills us from the inside out with His joy. Our circumstances shouldn't change us. We should change them. And we can because of another verse John gave us later in this epistle. But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 1 John 4:4 Our original question was, "What is our source of joy?" It started when the angels lit up the sky and told the shepherds, "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, and remember, because of the birth of Christ, your joy can be complete. In fact, there is only one type of joy. According to the Word, it only comes as "great joy." Lord, help us to complete our joy by putting Jesus first, others second, and ourselves last. Check out these related posts on Joy the Lord Provides. - What Is the Cause Of Our Great Joy? - Angels Announced Good News Of Great Joy To The World - That Your Joy May Be Full In The Lord Read the full article

[danishmuseuminterns]

Celebrating An American Tradition: Happy Thanksgiving from Iowa!

By Anders Tornsø Jørgensen

It’s a great milestone of my American odyssey to finally announce that I have celebrated Thanksgiving. I would like to thank Marilyn and Bill for inviting Kelsey, the American intern, and I, into their home to celebrate Thanksgiving with their lovely family, but also for introducing me to this great American tradition. Thanksgiving provides a great opportunity to share a delicious meal with your family, friends or loved ones, and give thanks for our blessings. It is unquestionably my favorite American holiday so far and my first Thanksgiving lived up to every expectation. It’s fair to say that I have been super excited to celebrate this holiday.

But before I get started with the festivities, let’s begin with a short and simplified history of Thanksgiving in the United States. The tradition of Thanksgiving originated with the English colonists, also known as the Pilgrims, who in the fall of 1621, a year after their arrival in America, organized a three-day feast in gratitude for the abundance of the harvest. The Wampanoag people, who had helped the Pilgrims survive, took part in the feast. This all happened in the Plymouth Colony, the first permanent English colony in New England and the second permanent English colony in North America. However, since the late 20th century, the event celebrated as the first Thanksgiving has been debated in the United States. Some Native Americans and historians argue against the romanticized story of the Wampanoag people celebrating together with the colonists. Some argues that there is no documentation of such an event while other highlights that ceremonies of thanks among European settlers in North America actually predates the Pilgrims’ celebration. Not long after the 1621 feast, tension, conflict, and war between the colonist and Wampanoag people would eventually result in a shift in the balance of power in favor of the colonists and devastate the Wampanoags in the process. Wampanoags today remember the Pilgrims’ entry to their homeland as a day of sorrow, rather than a moment of giving thanks. Also, in the years after the first Thanksgiving, foreign-born diseases arriving from Europe killed many Native Americans.

In 1789 President George Washington issued his Thanksgiving proclamation, designating for “the People of the United States a day of public thanks-giving” to be held. He chose Thursday, November 26, 1789. This marked the first national celebration of a holiday that since became an American tradition. However, Thanksgiving declarations were left to the states; some objected to the national government’s involvement in a mostly religious observance and Southerners were slow to adopt a New England practice. However, during the Civil War this would change because of President Abraham Lincoln. Influenced by Sarah Josepha Hale, who had advocated for an official Thanksgiving holiday, Lincoln set a national Thanksgiving by proclamation for the final Thursday in November. It would probably never have been a national holiday without the stubbornness of Sarah Josepha Hale. Concerned about the increased divisions taking place in American society, Hale saw Thanksgiving as a day to unite Americans.

But Thanksgiving was not yet a fixed holiday. It was up to the U.S. President to issue a Thanksgiving Proclamation each year to announce what date the holiday would fall on. So, the holiday was annually proclaimed by every president after Lincoln, and the date chosen, with few exceptions, was the last Thursday in November. However, in 1939, during the Great Depression and by the urging of retailers, President Franklin D. Roosevelt attempted to extend the Christmas shopping season by moving the date back a week, to the third Thursday in November. Christmas shopping usually begins with the Thanksgiving holiday, so this was seen as a way to help improve the economy. However, the move by

Roosevelt backfired and was considered controversial; some governors rebelled and instead declared the last Thursday for Thanksgiving. For the next two years, Roosevelt repeated the unpopular proclamation, but on November 26, 1941, he eventually gave up and signed a bill from Congress into law, thus officially making the fourth Thursday in November the national holiday of Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving is filled with different traditions. Since the first march in 1924, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has become synonymous with the start of the holiday season, and many American household enjoys watching the iconic parade. Another interesting tradition is the official "pardoning" of White House turkeys. This year President Biden pardoned Chocolate, a 46-pound turkey, and Chip, a 47-pound turkey. According to the White House’s website, U.S. Presidents John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan, along with First Ladies Pat Nixon and Rosalynn Carter, pardoned Thanksgiving turkeys, but the modern turkey pardon did not become an annual tradition until the George H.W. Bush administration. Furthermore, many U.S. governors also pardons turkeys. Other traditions include breaking the wishbone for good luck, watching American football on the television and go shopping on Black Friday. A more recent tradition is Friendsgiving, which is a blend of friend and Thanksgiving. It refers to a large meal eaten with friends either on or near Thanksgiving.

Food is of course an important part of Thanksgiving. The dinner traditionally consists of foods and dishes indigenous to the Americas, namely turkey, potatoes (usually mashed or sweet), stuffing, squash, corn, cranberries (typically in sauce form), and pies. Green bean casserole has become a popular dish, especially in the Midwest, and was one of my favorites along with the stuffing. Marilyn had even prepared Danish-style red cabbage, which was very nice. In most homes, the meal is centered on the turkey. Nearly 90 percent of Americans have turkey on Thanksgiving, according to the National Turkey Federation. Achieving the perfect mix of crispy and juicy meat is an art form, which Marilyn sure knows how to do perfectly. Before you can put the turkey in the oven, it is usually stuffed with cornbread, onions, celery, and dried cranberries. Once it’s been in the oven for several hours, you can take it out: juicy, flavorful and with sweet undertones. When it came out of the oven, I was offered to cut the turkey. I felt so honored, and it meant the world to me. Luckily, I had a kind mentor, who showed me how to do it, so it didn’t end in chaos. It was one of those all-American moments which I will probably never forget. Furthermore, Marilyn and Bill had decorated the tables beautifully with a wonderful Thanksgiving theme.

After eating our way through this delicious meal with all of its mouthwatering sides, we went outside to play with frisbees and enjoy the mild weather. It was a good way to wake up from my food coma after trying all the different dishes. Last week was seriously cold, but this week has been really kind, which made being outside so enjoyable and refreshing. Bill offered me a tour on his four-wheeler, which I gladly accepted, so I drove down to a nearby beautiful creek. Surprisingly, these four-wheelers are really easy to use, but also really funny to drive. After spending some time outside, making room for the dessert, we went back to the table to enjoy slices of pie and ice cream. I fell in love with the homemade apple pie, which is one of my favorite pies. And then we sat and enjoyed each other’s company, talking for the rest of the evening – about future plans, old memories, and great stories. Indeed, it was a great time.

While I did love all the food, it's important to remember the meaning of Thanksgiving: to say thank you. By gathering in gratitude with family and friends, Thanksgiving is intended to bring us closer together. I

enjoyed my time with Bill and Marilyn and their lovely family, who welcomed me and Kelsey into their home, making us feel like a part of their family.

I have a lot to grateful for this year. I have seen more of the United States than most people do in a lifetime and learned more about this amazing country and its small pockets of Danish America. I have met so many wonderful persons along my way, who have trusted me and opened the world to me in so many ways. The staff at the museum has supported me in every move that I have made, and I have enjoyed having so much freedom to define my internship. I had never imagined that I would learn so much during my internship, both professionally, academically, and personally. I am so grateful for friends writing letters to me, for my family coming to visit, and recently, I even had a visit from a very special lady friend from back home. Finally, a wholehearted thanks to the amazing people of the Scan Design Foundation for funding this internship.

[awalkoflife-arc]

He eats quietly and glances over at her as she speaks, making sure to keep his eye on the road. Her proclamation of nineteen, forever! causes him to smile and he's reminded of the fact that she's no longer living in that liminal space between teenhood and adulthood. "You need to be mature now, no excuses." Harrison teases, finishing off his sandwich. It's not nearly enough to sate his own hunger from the weed high and he makes a mental note to eat more when they get to the beach. "Oh, yeah?" He asks, intrigued by her admission; something that was intimate and personal yet a confession that she managed to keep vague for the purpose of their conversation. "I honestly don't think anyone ever feels ready to take on responsibility." Har and Ruby both had to grow up a lot faster than most kids their age --- living life with one parent had been challenging in ways that he couldn't really express to anyone else, or to other kids who were fortunate enough to be raised by both parents. Part of what made her such a big deal to him, beyond how much of a hottie she was, was the fact that they shared a deep and profound understanding of what they missed out on. Arguably, the latter part could also be applied to Theresa, but Ruby was different --- she dealt with the pain by yearning for pleasure (in all of its formats) just like he did. Now isn't the time or the place to mention any of this though, that much he knows, and when she reaches over to take his hand, he bites down on his lip and smiles over at her, enjoying the intimacy.

It's new, something that's arisen fairly naturally and he gently traces his thumb across the back of her own to let her know how much he likes it. Harrison's not like this with anyone else --- he doesn't tend to get all touchy-feely unless it's with a girlfriend or a sexual partner. In the past, he's managed to keep a safe distance, touching Ruby only through subtle hugs at any sort of social gathering, giving her a kiss on the cheek at Christmas, allowing his hand to trace the small of her back at parties during the times he met her in passing. What's happening now is different, he can feel it, no matter how much of a cliché he considers it to be. He's older, significantly better looking and she's holding his hand, letting him drive her to a beach on the eve of her birthday. Surely whatever is transpiring between them is mutual; the way that they both insist on stealing glances at each other, how she keeps a hold of his hand for the rest of the trip, the flow of conversation that's natural and the laughter that accompanies it. Pier 23's lot is almost full, but he manages to find a spot to park his jeep. There's music coming from the beach where students have been partying all day long. An invigorating breeze finds its way to them, perfect ocean air that greets them as they exit the car. Grabbing their cooler and his hold all, he reminds Ruby to bring her voodoo box before they set out together. It's been a while since he attended a beach party --- senior year, maybe? --- and already, college beach parties are hitting differently. "Coke suppresses your appetite, right?" He asks, setting down their things when he finds them a spot not too far from the pier. "I'm still fuckin' hungry." He begins to strip off, purposefully taking his time pulling his t-shirt up over his torso. If there's one thing he hopes she'll appreciate, it's how much he's grown into himself, how he's no longer the lanky, awkward, shy teenage boy who hung out with her little sister. They've only just arrived, but he's aware that they're both playing catch-up considering 80% of the students in attendance are already half way to being hammered. "You mind if I take some?"

She's tossed all their snacks into the cooler and left it open for him to add the ice when he comes back out, and has reclaimed her spot in the passenger seat, shoes kicked off in the floorboard again. "Ooo I want the chicken!" she exclaims making grabby hands for the warm sandwich and taking the bag with their drinks in it to put them in the cup holders between them. She's into her second bite when his question comes, and for a moment Ruby doesn't understand, until the music he turns on suddenly makes sense and she rolls her eyes. She's never been a big fan of T.Swift but she listens to the whole song anyway, even dancing in her seat a little bit because she has to admit the whole thing is a kinda catchy and fun. She does her best to follow along to the lyrics which really just leaves her mumbling her way through the song but no one in any passing cars could tell she didn't know it. When it comes to her birthday, Ruby hasn't actually celebrated it in years. Halloween has overshadowed the day for everyone fort practically her entire life, so she just stopped mentioning it and went out trick or treating with her little sister and their friends and got to eat loads of free candy. It felt like a win even if it wasn't special to her.

By the end of the song her sandwich is gone, the munchies she'd acquired had been sated and she's halfway through her soda. Harrison has guided them back onto the roadway and closer to the beach, and for once Ruby isn't feeling too bad about turning a year older in a few hours. She might not have mentioned what day it was about to be, but it seems that Harrison didn't forget (or it popped up on his Facebook reminders or something at least) and that warms a piece of her heart that he even took the time to mention it. "Twenty-two isn't that big of a deal, you know. It just means I'm way more of an adult than I feel like I am and I just don't think I'm ready for that kind of responsibility. Nineteen forever!" she laughed, throwing a fist in the air. "Except if I need cigarettes or alcohol... then I'm totally 21 and nobody can take that away from me." A girl's gotta have her vices, right? And Ruby had many, some dangerous and likely really stupid, but she didn't care. She felt invincible sometimes and that was a high all on its own. They made it through one more Taylor song before she took command of the music and turned on something with a little more of an island vibe to get them in the beach mood. At some point she reached over and threaded her fingers with Harrison's again and rested their hands together in his lap, content with the personal contact to go along with the happy feeling she got from her high, as well as the euphoric feeling that accompanied being in his presence more and more often. It wasn't that she hadn't acknowledged the feeling to herself, she just didn't want to examine it too closely for fear that if she did her natural inclination to run from anything resembling a relationship would kick in and running the good time they seemed to have when they were together. "There's a lot we can park in right near Pier 23 up here somewhere. That's where I heard all the good parties were gonna be tonight," she told him, pointing in the direction they should go. That's also where they could claim a spot on the beach near the fire pits to leave their things while they swam and socialized.