#Qiaoguo

[gpstudios]

Celebrating Qixi Festival: The Chinese Valentine's Day

Celebrate Qixi Festival on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month! Also known as the Chinese Valentine's Day, this special occasion honors the enduring love between the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. #QixiFestival #ChineseValentinesDay #Love

Qixi Festival, also known as the Double Seventh Festival, is one of China’s most romantic and cherished traditional holidays. Celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, Qixi is often referred to as the Chinese Valentine’s Day, as it honors the legendary love story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. This ancient festival is steeped in mythology, cultural traditions, and romantic…

[yinjiyang]

Happy QiXi Festival, friends.

Aside from a bit of stargazing later, I should be around for most of the evening and throughout the night. If you would like a starter/meme from Yin, even if we have never interacted before, please feel free to leave a like or comment and I will get on that.

Have a lovely time zone,

Song

[sunsage]

@spurioussun

He rechecks the date twice before letting out a sound between a groan and a sigh. It's Qixi Festival already? When did the months change?

(Earlier this year he was almost excited for this date, which just makes it sting more.)

At least there are no big celebrations in the city or he'd regret coming out of his house at all. Still, Monkey King finds himself a small stall on the Star Trail that sells him some qiaoguo and tosses one in his mouth right away (just because he's lonely doesn't mean he wouldn't want the happy couple in the sky to meet again and all (even if he doesn't care enough to make the treat himself)). He browses the other stalls casually as he eats, trying to not attract attention to himself. Not that it helps, given how this one girl's been watching him veeeery intently for a while now.

She looks vaguely familiar. He must have seen her around before which, given how small the city can be sometimes, wasn't that surprising.

"Do you want some or are you just being a creep towards me right now?" A bit harsh, maybe, but he doesn't like to be stared at.

[royal-diaries-podcast]

We know her as "Lady of Ch'iao Kuo: Warrior of the South" or Lady Xian, but she also received a lot of additional titles and honours during and after her death.

In the Sui dynasty (589), she got the honoured name of "Furen of Songkang County" (宋康郡夫人). In 601, she was granted the name of "Lady of Qiaoguo" (谯国夫人). When she died, she was honoured with the posthumous name of "Lady of Chengjing" (诚敬夫人). 

In the Chen dynasty (570), she was given the title of "Shi-Long Taifuren" (石龙太夫人). But in the book of the History of the Northern Dynasties, she was given the title of "Taifuren of Gaoliang County" (高凉郡太夫人).

In the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, she was honoured as the "Qingfu Furen" (清福夫人). 

In the Southern Song dynasty, the emperor granted her the name of "Xianying Furen" (显应夫人) and "Youfui Furen" (柔惠夫人). 

In the Qing dynasty (1864), the Tongzhi Emperor granted her the name of "Ciyou" (慈佑).

Former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai called her "the First Heroine of China", and Chinese Communist Party general secretary Jiang Zemin praised her as "the role model that the later generations should learn forever".

[traincarsandstars]

Dan Heng presents Stelle with small box tied with a pink ribbon. Inside are some fruit pastries in cute shapes. ❝I picked up some qiaoguo from the Luofu. Today is a Xianzhou holiday for couples and these are tradition.❞ Rather quickly a data bank link is sent from his phone to hers on the Qixi Festival before returning said phone to his pocket.

❝From what I've read, the festivities honor a couple who defy the heavens every year for the sake of love.❞ A soft smile as a hand comes up to gently brush aside some of her hair, tail shimmering into existence to attempt curling around her waist. ❝I found it somewhat inspirational.❞

~Starlighttrain

Stelle's eyes sparkled when she saw the little cakes. A little-known fact about the golden-eyed Nameless was that she loved it when food came in un-food-like shapes like flowers or hearts. It was like eating something out of a fairy tale or something she wasn't supposed to eat, like glass or jewelry. But instead of growing tall, shrinking, or needing stitches, it was a delicious treat—unless the treat came from Ruan Mei. "Another love festival?" Momentarily distracted by Dan Heng's text, Stelle had placed the lid back on the little box of cakes and tucked it under her arm, freeing up a hand for her phone. She was about to comment on the frequency of love festivals throughout the year when she felt Dan Heng's hand brush aside some of her hair. Stelle smiled and blushed, closing her eyes at the contact and leaning into it as she tried to chase the feeling of his fingers against her hair and skin. She gave a small snort once she saw his tail.

"'Inspirational';" she hummed, "didn't know we were defying the heavens so we could date." A joke. However, it was also something she could see happening too.

@starlighttrain @tellescope

[youmissedone]

“Hm,” Ada said. She’d made a few appearances in Carlos’ apartment over the years, and she’d contacted him on a secure burner phone over the years, but for their safety, she kept it to a minimum. When they did meet outside of missions, though… well, what happened stayed between them. Ada didn’t kiss and tell. She looked around his apartment, slinking into the kitchen like a cat. She’d gifted him more than a few luxury pieces of furniture and clothing, and though Ada’s only signature was her initials and a lipstick stain, she recognized some of the items here. “Fraternizing with the enemy?” Ada shook her head and made a tsk noise. “Your handler must be going wild somewhere.”

Ada kept her expression neutral as she teased Carlos with her kisses and soft touches. He made this so easy for her, and she knew that he must’ve been feeling all sorts of things. Ada pulled away from him, and she studied his expression. This game of cat and mouse had always been fun to her, and she enjoyed the thrill of the chase, so when she pulled away, she smiled at him.

“Sorry,” she said, yet her tone and sly grin made it clear that she was anything but. “If you think I’m going to make things that easy for you, then you’re mistaken. And if you have gotten an… in your words, an upgrade? Would that be such a bad thing, handsome?” Ada knew he loved her. He’d fallen for her in Raccoon City, but things hadn’t really changed between them until after the Spain incident. They were still on opposite sides, and they likely always would be, but when had fate stopped them before? “Me? Ada Wong? A good luck charm?” She rolled her eyes. “Please. Just because a woman wears almost exclusively red doesn’t mean she can’t be a bad omen.”

Ada always wore red for a reason, but it was something she’d never disclosed. Her mother and her cousin were doing research on her sister’s behalf when they were killed, for her sister had a very rare disease, and the doctors said she wouldn’t live long. Any extra luck they could get was needed. Ada hadn’t grown up in the “kingdom of money”, as her mother called it, and despite the way she flaunted her wealth now, it had taken her a long time to get used to. Even after her sister died, she’d never broken the habit. Red was her color now; it was something she’d always be associated with, like it or not. The bitch in the red dress, as Krauser had so excellently put it.

“You shouldn’t get into the habit of leaving your window open.” A smirk crossed her face. She folded her arms neatly as she looked around the kitchen. “You never know what the cat might drag in. Maybe it’ll be public enemy number one and the BSAA’s most wanted criminal. I don’t think lock-picking is an issue for her.”

Ada hoisted herself up onto the countertop. She crossed her ankles, but she didn’t remove her stilettos. Her red sweater dress and matching shade of lipstick highlighted her features well, and she was as enigmatic as ever. Ada wondered if he’d been waiting for her in particular, or if he’d had other plans tonight. Rumor had it he’d allied himself with the BSAA, but she knew better than to put all her faith in a rumor. She titled her head and examined Carlos. She asked him where he kept his plates and silverware, and then she set the table. She pried open her containers and served the two of them evenly.

Even in an apocalypse, Ada managed to have fresh food. The items in the containers included dumplings, soup with Qi Xi noodles, chicken, and carrots in it, and qiaoguo crackers that she’d seasoned with with sugar and vanilla extract. She may not have been the best cook, but she certainly tried her best to replicate the dishes she’d had growing up.

“This might not be the best traditional food; I had to make do with what I could find. As I mentioned earlier, today is the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar: the Qixi Festival. The date varies each year, but this year it falls on August 10th. It’s the Chinese equivalent of Valentine’s Day.” Ada interrupted him before he could say anything more, but throughout the rest of her story, she watched him attentively. If he had any questions, she’d listen to him and answer to the best of her ability. “And no, you didn’t have to get me anything. I’d prefer that you didn’t, actually. It’s based on a mythological story, the tale of the cow herd, Niulang, and the weaver girl, Zhinǚ. The stories vary, but I’ll tell you the version I know best.”

“There were seven princesses, and they each lived in the celestial court of the Jade Emperor. Zhinǚ’s craft was beautiful, but banal. Her art was the same, day after day, and Zhinǚ wished for new inspiration. Her mother, Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother, allowed her to visit Earth with her sisters for a day. Zhinǚ and her sisters swam in a riverbank, and Niulang approached. The location was familiar to him because he swept his parents’ graves and spoke with his sole friend, an ox. It was a place of peace for him. When Niulang saw Zhinǚ, he approached her after some encouragement from the ox. They explored the countryside They fell deeply in love, got married, and had two children. The ox was growing older, however, but before he passed, he told the young couple to save his hide and use its magic when it was needed. Zhinǚ returned to the heavens, but no one was surprised to see her because a year on Earth is only a day in heaven. Her family was enraged when they found out about her relationship with Niulang, and she tried to escape to earth, but the Queen Mother took her hairpin out and stabbed it into the sky. A chasm opened. Niulang used the ox’s hide to float him up to the sky, but it was no use.”

“As punishment, they were placed on opposite sides of the Milky Way, only allowed to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. The Queen Mother watched her daughter’s agony for months, and the only one left to encourage the weaver and the cow herd were the magpies. Finally, their love moved the Queen Mother, and one day each summer the magpies form a bridge allowing the lovers to meet. A warm summer rain is common on days like this, and it is said to be their happy tears. That’s what the Qixi Festival celebrates each year — their reunion.”

If Ada recognized the parallels between that story and their own love story, she stayed quiet. Zhinǚ got to see Niulang every day, but he had to wait once a year to see her. Ada often was at many of the same events Carlos was at, and she kept tabs on him, but if she didn’t make herself known, he would never know she was there. There wasn’t any magical forces tearing them apart, but their differing alliances and bosses would never approve of their relationship. Thankfully, they got to see each other more than once a year, but that was a recent development. They hadn’t met at all after Raccoon City, and he must’ve known she was alive, but it wasn’t until Spain that they met again after all that time.

“Before we eat, I should say something. To Niulang and Zhinǚ.” Ada cleared her throat. What she was about to say was a declaration of love, one he wouldn’t understand, but what was a white lie between friends? “Zái zhège chōng mǎn ài de jié rì lǐ, wǒ de měi yī cì xīn tiào dōu xiàng zài qīng shēng niàn nǐ de míng zì, zhǐ yǒu nǐ ràng wǒ de shēng mìng dé yǐ wán zhěng,” Ada whispered. The phrase translated to ‘on this love-filled festival, my every heartbeat whispers your name; only you make my life complete’. She kissed him on the cheek. “A reward for listening earlier.”

{I realized we haven’t fleshed out their relationship post-RE4 but pre-RE6 very much, so I left some stuff kinda vague since I didn’t want to godmod. Also, don’t worry about matching length because this got SO long}

___________

{Below the cut because LONG heh.}

{ Well just FYI, I haven’t played anything past RE5, and I never finished that, heh. I don’t think I ever fully finished RE4 either. I’ve only played RE1, RE2, RE3, the RE3 remake, I have the RE2 remake but I haven’t had time to play it yet (I know, my life is a mess), Code Veronica, and I have RE7/8 but haven’t played them either. So that’s where I’m at. I’m fairly familiar with RE3, but really rusty on RE1, 2, 4, and 5. I’m more familiar with the Anderson movies, I’ve seen each of them many times, so that’s why I more comfortable with the plots and characters from those movies, I just know them better. I saw Degeneration years ago but don’t really remember it, and I’ve seen Welcome to Raccoon City but... that was a hot mess in my opinion, heh. So that’s where I’m at with what I know/understand. I’m just kindof faking it ‘til I make it with a lot of the stuff in our threads that deals with the games, lol. }

It truly was a rare occasion when Ada visited him in his apartment. Carlos didn’t talk much about Ada, didn’t share whatever happened when she would come to visit. Given how elusive, secretive, and otherwise guarded the woman was, he didn’t want to scare her away by having her hear from others that he was talking about her. And so, although he was happy about her and wanted to share that happiness, he kept mum about his relationship with her. He’d been so appreciative of the gifts she’d given him, even if he’d rather have time with her instead of luxuries, but if anyone asked, he was rather evasive about where the items had come from. “I’m past the point of caring what anybody thinks. If they don’t like it, there’s the door,” Carlos said with a shrug and a smirk.

Was she teasing him? Yes. Did she know she was barely giving him enough only to pull away again? He’d bet any amount of money that she did. Did Carlos mind? Nah, not really. In addition to being a pretty easygoing person, Carlos also knew when to be flexible, and when to pick his battles. On the subject of Ada being physically affectionate with him, he knew he had to wait for her to come to him... or it’d never happen again. So he enjoyed the kissed and then gave her a big grin and a shake of his head as she pulled away yet again.

“You never have made it easy on me. Why start now? Besides, that’s half the fun, right?” he said, trying to meet her halfway on that subject. “It definitely would not be a bad thing. Upgrades tend to come with certain perks, so you’ll forgive a guy for having some hopes,” he said playfully. Carlos then laughed out loud at her next comment. “You could be dressed in rainbow colors, for all I care, you’d still be my good luck charm, Ada. You can pry that belief from me at your own risk,” he said.

As she moved to sit on the counter, Carlos leaned against it, leaving a comfortable distance between them. Comfortable for her, that is. “Why make her pick locks when I could be a gentleman and leave the window open?” he asked. “I’m not too worried about anything else. I don’t have a cat, so... there won’t be any dragging of things into my apartment,” he joked. 

Looking at all the food, Carlos was amazed at how much Ada brought and how good it looked, only for her to put it - and herself - down about it. “It’s better than I could make. I don’t know anything about traditional Chinese food, that’s for sure. But I’m also willing to bet it’s better than anything you’d get from restaurants, too.” He then fell quiet as she began to explain to him the meaning of the Qixi Festival, and the origin story behind it. Carlos listened attentively, his arms folding as he loved both the story and the sound of Ada’s voice. 

“I can see why you like that story,” he said quite seriously when she’d finished. “It’s tragic, but it’s not all bad. There’s happiness to be found amidst the heartache. The lovers can’t be together all the time, but that only makes the time they do spend together more valuable.” His gaze lingered on hers for a moment, before a more subdued smile than his usual fare graced his lips and his gaze fell a little. He didn’t come out and fully say there were parallels there between the couple in the story and their own relationship either, but he was certain Ada already knew, and that was good enough for him. “Thank you for sharing the story with me, Ada. And for wanting to celebrate the holiday with me.”

It hadn’t been much of a secret to those who knew Carlos that he was a giant flirt. He loved to flirt, joke, and be playful with ladies. But all that stopped after he’d gotten seriously involved with Ada. In her observations of him at various events here and there, Ada would never have seen Carlos behave with other women the way he did with her. That level of flirtation, affection, and care was only reserved for her.

As she announced that she had to make some kind of statement, and then spoke it entirely in Chinese, Carlos smiled and listened. When she was finished, his smile grew into a grin. “I have no idea what you just said, but you sounded really sexy saying it,” he said. Accepting the kiss on the cheek as if it were gold, Carlos’ gaze still lingered on hers. “Thank you, Ada,” he whispered.

[sins-of-the-sea]

"Hey, Qixi was last Saturday and we totally missed it!!"

"Not everyone is inclined to celebrate your holidays, Ruixiong."

"It's still my most favorite holiday!"

"You have Helen."

"Not in this timeline!!

"Perhaps we will meet again across the streams of time and space across our own magpie bridge!"

"Ruixiong..."

"Well, it shouldn't be too late! We gotta celebrate! And you're coming with me!"

"Ruixiong, I don't think-"

"I mean, you guys have those special someones Immy may ship you with, so this is to increase your luck with them."

"WHAT?!!?"

"You speak too soon, Ruixiong!"

"But Guy and I don't have anyone we can honor this holiday for...."

"You can make qiaoguo, that's good enough! Maybe if you make enough, we'll get some ships finally happening on this blog!"

"That's it, you're a dead man, Ruixiong!"

"After him!!"

"YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT!!" He flees!.

[writerkatsblog]

I'm technically a day late but Happy Qixi festival! Does Shambhala have the Qixi festival? It's connected to the cowherd and weaver girl so I'd imagine yes?

If so, what would Fei/Hai do to celebrate? Something super cheesy and sweet? How about the other couples from Omi's family? Can we get some cute happy funny stories/headcanons from back when they were still, uh... alive and being cute and happy and funny?

Oh! I didn't even realize til you pointed it out, anon! Happy belated Qixi Festival! And yeah, I definitely think that they have their own version of the festival!

I think the festival is something celebrated village-wide. Basically a big old party celebration where newlyweds and longtime couples alike celebrated their love. Because of their unique version of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl story, I think they have some traditions unique to the village. One of which being sort of a couples walk. Two volunteers stand on either side of Mazu River, holding a rope between them. Then one of the couple will cross through the river to the other side, where their partner is waiting with a towel to dry them off. Sort of symbolic of the journey the Cowherd took every year to meet the Weaver Girl, and how the Weaver Girl took care to greet and thank her husband for making the journey to see her. Another common game done for fun in Shambhala is that married women will set out pieces of their embroidery work and see if their husbands can discern which ones their wives made. It's not an especially serious competition, and it's not uncommon for the wives to play jokes on their husbands by copying the embroidery styles of their friends to dupe them into picking the wrong ones on purpose just to razz them.

Pretty common in the village for people to give the women and girls of their families hair accessories and combs, or toys for the younger girls. For the men it's common for them to be given alcohol (for the adults) or toys (for the boys), though it's also not uncommon for some of the older end of the boys on the scale to be snuck a sip or two of the alcohol for the occasion. Unmarried couples will usually give each other black chicken feathers (natural or dyed) as gifts, representing magpie feathers.

Qiaoguo is a common treat. A lot of fish shapes, but birds are another common image for the treats because of the magpie part of the story. Lots of fresh fruits are shared on the occasion, a regular unofficial festival game ends up being a competition where people see how far they can spit the fruit seeds (Omi's great grandma Lien is the longest running unbeaten record holder in the village).

One year when they were teenagers, two of the rope holders were Fei's friends, and he concocted a plan to impress Hai by having them hold the rope taut so he could tightrope walk across the river. He got halfway across before he stumbled headfirst into the river, splashing Hai in the process. But instead of getting mad when he made his way sheepishly to shore, she just tackled him into the river and splashed at him playfully. That year the tradition turned into a water fight, but no one was particularly mad about it.

Back when they were younger, Boqin and Lien would end the night's festivities by slipping away so they could watch the stars together up on the mountain. Instead of the usual gifts, Lien would make him scarves and hats so he wouldn't be too cold when he went up in the colder months to stargaze. Boqin, who's a dab hand at whittling, would carve wooden combs and hair accessories for her that looked like snowflakes.

No matter how hard she tried to trick him, Zhenwu has never once failed to recognize which needlework was Shui's in that particular festival game.

The first time Xi and Dasao tested out the wheelchair they made for him in public was at one of the festivals. One of the wheels ended up cracking due to a miscalculation on its construction, but they still had a good time together, with Dasao helping him around by carrying him. And they were right back to working on it again the next day to make sure that didn't repeat itself.

Shancai and Longnu kept the last gifts Dandan and Niu ever gave each other during the Qixi festival. They made sure to put them onto their shrine every year so the two can join them in spirit.

Erniang's first ever gift to Qing during a Qixi festival was a flower crown, because her original gift idea ended up not working out. It ended up being a tradition between them in the end, with him picking her a bouquet of flower and her making a crown to give him when he gave her the bouquet.

[leeleerambles]

me at zl: youre just going to give sylvie some qiaoguo right? zl: me: RIGHT? 

[adversitybloomed]

          she glanced over at her female companion, a small smile spreading across her lips as she gave a slight tilt of her head. Mulan loved festivals, no matter which kind, the food always seemed to taste good and the ambulance inspiring her. she loved watching people move around, the excitement in the air slightly intoxicating, especially when it came to the stalls.     ❝  each festival has something different. depending on where you are, there are certain traditions, though it depends on what you prefer.  ❞

          she paused for a moment for she was unsure of how to answer considering she did not know her taste,     ❝  here they have Qiaoguo, which is a fried thin pastry. there is also dumplings, various fruits, including honey pears. oh and if you look over there, they have Cloud Noodles as well as Sprouts Noodles… of course there is Rice Sticks and Fried Bean Tea.  ❞  smiling, she shifted so that she could face the other,    ❝  all of it is really good, but i am craving a bit of Cloud Noodles followed by Song Qiao, which is usually given to friends as it represents, ingenuity and intelligence.  ❞

Curiosity lit up her eyes as she took in the array of booths lining the paths throughout the lively festival. Hands clasped together in excitement in front of her, Alena pulled her gaze away from the colorful wind chimes she gave the woman a smile.

" Do you have a favorite festival treat? I want to try a few, but I'm not sure where to begin. "

@adversitybloomed

[goldenorder]

"I heard today was ... Valentine's Day? The day for lovers to spend together? A little silly considering love for one's significant other should be something you do all day, but a day just for spoiling you without you being able to say no...? I think I'd be up for that if you'll allow me to do so." Of course, it's their first Valentine's Day, how could they not? Prepare to be peppered with smoochies, you old rock. This is a threat.

“Mh. That it is.” Amused at their light criticism towards the holiday, he also expresses a certain fondness reserved only for them. It is often that the two spent time together, so today really is no more different than most. But as said, it does lend an excuse to spoil and pamper one another, a sentiment no doubt shared by both. “Of course. I could never think to turn away your affections, but only if you allow me to return the same in kind.” His arm, which had been behind his back, gravitated towards them—revealing to hold a generously sized box.

“Inside is a sweet custom to Liyue called qiaoguo, miniature fruit cakes often given as an expression of love—and on occasion, given between those who are newly wedded. I...” He clears his throat, brushing aside the blush that pooling in his cheeks. “ ...believed it was only fitting for us. Although it is no chocolate, I hope it will be to your tastes all the same.” 

[sylvctica]

@goldenorder​​  ➤ unprompted

“As you may already know, today marks the Qixi Festival. It is customary to express love through food, so I thought this would be an opportune time for us to indulge a little.” Though ‘a little’ may be understating it with the numerous snacks he has laid out: an assortment of fruits and nuts, confections including fried bean tea and rice sticks—all to be enjoyed with tea on the side, soaked in fresh honeysuckle. And of course, there is no Qixi without Qiaoguo, which is already packaged in his hands to be personally handed off.

Now that he actually thinks on it—yes, he may have gotten a tad carried away. And while both do not need to eat, to share food is to share a part of yourself. To eat is to trust and accept. So it became only natural to pull out all the stops for his preparations.

That, and he simply saw the chance to spoil them.

“If we trace back to the origins of the festival, the legend speaks of two lovers stripped of one another by forces out of their control. It is only through their perseverance and devotion do the two find each other again despite the odds…I believe that should we ever find a time where we are apart, we will meet again—as proven twice before already." As cliche as that may sound. Cupping the handmade treat into their hands with care, he gives them a chaste kiss to their lips.

"A happy Qixi Festival to you, my jade."

      Oh, they were already more than aware, bearing their own gift( s ) for the other god which were tucked away, but their thought of handing those over was shelved once his work was shown off ... that being quite a hefty banquet with an assortment of snacks that were tickling all the good spots in their eyes, making them unintentionally lick their lips as green eyes swept over each item to take it in.

      “Is this then a sign of an overflow of love through food?” The words were accented with a soft laugh, but they didn’t linger longer on offering any additional commentary when he began to speak again; the corners of their eyes crinkled alongside their smile, only widening near the latter half of his sentence. 

      ‘We will meet again,’ indeed.

      Fingers closed around the offered gift as the kiss was returned just as chastely, knowing that it was his own hands that put the work into making it ... and his love, and himself. A handwritten love letter to be consumed.

      “I think all we’re missing the magpies then to really make it fit for us as well, and maybe an old and wise cow somewhere. A happy Qixi Festival to you too, my mountain.” Just as he had offered his own gift, it was their turn to hand him what they’ve gotten in his free hand.

      Their time in Inazuma helped inspired them to create a little something that was right in their skill-range: a lacquered bento box, made by their own two hands. Although they cannot say they were the most artistic person, subtle carvings were made into the wood in patterns of woven vines and leaves.

      “... it’s no feast, but I thought it might be nice for days you do take meals to work, having everything in either small compartments or a big one is quite nice. Has some treats inside too, for you ... which would go with the tea you made too.”

      Inside the box was a small assortment of gifts: hand-made baslogh, covered with coconut shavings, and a small satchel of black dragon pearls, perfect for a rich, black tea later down the line ( considering he already made tea in the first place ). “I thought I’d try my hand at a Sumeru recipe ... quite a small quantity compared to what you made here, huhu, but I hope you will enjoy it. I suppose now we have a full course of snacks to choose from—and a very special one for me—so ... shall we indulge then?”

[youmissedone]

{the festival technically isn’t until August 10th, but I know he isn’t scheduled that day, and Ada wants to celebrate with him, so here’s a starter}

“Today would’ve been the Qixi Festival,” Ada mused. Not that I’ve ever celebrated it before. She sat on the sill of Carlos’ open window, ankles crossed. Her red dress was every bit as tight-fitting as usual, and it hugged her curves in all the right places, but she’d dressed a touch more formally than usual. This wasn’t their first encounter since the disaster of a mission in Spain, and it wouldn’t be their last. She flashed him a seductive grin. “I don’t expect you to know what that is, but I’m going to celebrate it. Care to join me?”

Ada stood up and walked slowly over to him, placing one hand on his chest and the other on his cheek. She knew exactly what his weaknesses were, and she was positive that she was one of them. Ada was different things to different people, and she played on Carlos’ vices. This game they played had almost gotten too easy for her, except… it wasn’t a game anymore. Not really. Ada wouldn’t admit it aloud, but she truly did love Carlos. She would never share her culture with just any man. Ada pressed a few kisses along his jawline before pulling away.

“The festival for lovers,” she purred. She raised an eyebrow at him, already expecting his response. Is that what we are?, he would probably ask her. Their relationship had never been clearly defined, but she was okay with that. Ada smirked. Every time she showed up, the tides changed for the worse. He was aware of that, too. “Am I your bad omen, Carlos? Is that what you want me to be?”

She proffered a Tupperware container with qiaoguo and dumplings stored inside. She’d always been in touch with her culture as a child, and these traditions and festivals were a large part of who she was. The food was her favorite part of the celebrations, and although she knew where Carlos’ kitchen was, she wanted him to invite her in.

“I brought food and a few stories to share,” she offered. Ada broke contact with him and turned away. The moonlight cast shadows throughout the apartment, and there was a serenity to the whole thing. Her striking silhouette looked beautiful, and she wanted to lean into him once more. “But if I’m not welcome here, then… we both know what happens next.”

__________

{ Awwww, this is so cute! ^_^ }

“I don’t know what it is, unfortunately,” Carlos said, confirming her assumption, “but if it involves celebrating with you, I like it already.” He smiled at her, her unexpected dropping-by having lifted his spirits. Ada was hard to handle, difficult to pin down, so whenever she came to him, he considered that something special.

Carlos’ expression turned downright soft and warm as she came and touch him so tenderly. He closed his eyes as she kissed his jawline, leaning in just a little, but then letting her pull away when she wanted to. Why did he let her tease him like this? Because she was worth it to him, that’s why. Carlos liked a challenge, and Ada was certainly as hard to win over as they come. He wasn’t even sure half the time if she was serious about him or if she just enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, but either way, it was a game he was willing to play with her.

When she mentioned that this Qixi Festival was a holiday for lovers, Carlos grinned and one of his eyebrows rose. “Oh, really? And you want to celebrate a festival for lovers... with me? What an interesting development,” he said playfully. “Have I been given an upgrade recently, because... I think I missed a memo somewhere...?” he asked, but he wasn’t frustrated or annoyed. He knew that he was to Ada... whatever she wanted him to be at any given moment. And their relationship was as far or as much as she wanted to make it. If Carlos wanted her, he knew it would have to be on her terms. All of it.

“Bad omen?” he asked. “I hate to break it to you, but I’ve been having bad luck my whole life. Crazy, dangerous, terrible situations have followed me around long before you showed up. You didn’t cause any of it. If anything, you’re like a bright spot in all the darkness. Maybe you’re my good luck charm, because I survived all those bad things, didn’t I? The shit hits the fan, you show up, and somehow I’m golden. I survive, I make it through, and I get to be with you while I do it. Where’s the bad omen in all of that?” That Carlos tended to look on the bright side of things, even when there was little to no bright side to be had, was an understatement.

Seeing that she had in her hand a container of what looked like food, it appeared to Carlos as though she was serious in wanting to spend some quality time with him. The official offer of the food along with stories to tell confirmed it, which made his heart flutter with happy excitement in his chest. “Sure, that sounds good to me.” He motioned with his arms towards the room. “Please, come in. No need to perch on my windowsill all night,” he said with a chuckle. “You’re always welcome here, Ada. Why do you think I left the window open? Maybe I didn’t expect you to actually ever use it, but... can you blame a man for having hope?”

[draconiclotus]

❝ Thank you, ❞ he told her, taking the Qiaoguo from her. She looked pretty in her Xianzhou attired that was appropriate for the festival and it was only right for him to be in his true for this, since his High Elder clothing was far more... formal.

❝ Happy Qixi Festival Aeyanira, ❞ he said softly.

@draconiclotus

"Happy Qixi festival Dan Heng." she said as she offered him Qiao Guo. "I found this recipe and had my friend make some of it for us." she had dressed the part for the festival small bells, flowing clothing, it was nothing like what she normally wore.

At least it was pretty.