#ashley book of knots

[redundare]

"2423. This is Knot #2418 tied with gold wires. Formerly this was a very characteristic gift from a sailor to his sweetheart. The two rings could move independently but could not be separated, which undoubtedly carried a meaning to the young couple that made the long separation entailed by a sea voyage more tolerable."2423. This is Knot #2418 tied with gold wires. Formerly this was a very characteristic gift from a sailor to his sweetheart. The two rings could move independently but could not be separated, which undoubtedly carried a meaning to the young couple that made the long separation entailed by a sea voyage more tolerable.

2424. Jewelers not conversant with the symbolism of the previous knot were apt to make the True-Lover's Knot in this form, which, while it superficially seemed about the same, consisted of but one wire and held the two rings rigidly together.

2425. A True-Lover's Knot tied in the bights of four short strands symbolizes the four clasped hands of two lovers arranged in the manner called a "hand chair." The knot was shown to me by Mrs. Osborn W. Bright.

2426. A True-Lover's Knot in ring form, based on the Carrick Bend. This, like #2424, is made of a single wire, and I cannot but feel that it was less popular than the one to follow, which does not submerge all individuality. One reason that I believe that this knot is held in lower esteem by the sailor is that the only two specimens I have ever seen were both of silver. Certainly the baser metal must bear some significance. Moreover one of them was exposed for sale in a pawnshop window.

2427. A Carrick Bend in two separate rings which interlock harmoniously, perhaps the handsomest of the four rings shown."

text from Ashley Book of Knots

[harpygon]

netmaking? I have no reason to learn it, I dont need nets of any kind and if i did i could crochet a net (probably a lot slower than netmaking but like i said i dont really need nets) however….. i just made an oc thats a netmakers apprentice and now I want to learn it bc it looks fun.

[kchasm]

Ryu Number: Jack Jackson

In 1120, the son—and anticipated heir—of King Henry I of England died in a maritime accident. In a time and place where a succession crisis popped off every time a monarch bit it even with preparation beforehand, this was Kind Of Bad.

The only legitimate child Henry I had left was Matilda (also called Maud), who'd been married to the Holy Roman Empire for a while, but was now married to the Count of Anjou, who was Not Popular, especially among the sort of people you wanted to be popular among if you wanted them to be alright with you ruling the kingdom. Henry I tried to go to bat for Matilda, but time ran out, and in 1135, he died. And that's just about when the Anarchy began.

...No, really, that's what the civil war was called: "The Anarchy." I would rather not have a civil war, but you've got to admit that that's a pretty hardcore name for one. Also actually it actually took a few years for Matilda to set up and get to civil-warring, but "and after a few years the Anarchy began" doesn't sound nearly as cool, right?

Matilda's main opponent in this game of thrones was Henry I's nephew, Stephen of Blois, who, having the good fortune to actually be in the area, wasted no time taking the reins. An awful lot of stuff happened after, but eventually everyone got real sick of fighting and in 1153 the big names hammered out the Treaty of Wallingford, that agreed that Stephen would be king, actually, but once he shuffled off Matilda's son—also named Henry, because history isn't hard enough to keep track of already—would take the throne.

...This isn't really about any of these guys, though.

The Pillars of the Earth is a 1989 historical fiction novel by Welsh author Ken Follett. Using the Anarchy and related events as a backdrop, it tells the story of a lot of folks from the priory and village of Kingsbridge, England having a Real Subpar Time. Secrets and Politics happen, a lot of it churchish, and it trickles down to the little people in the worst of ways.

Also there's a bunch about building cathedrals; some folks in the book are Really Deep Into That, especially Jack Jackson, one of the more important characters from the book who gets dealt a rotten hand and makes do nonetheless.

It's not the sort of media you'd expect to get a video game adaptation out of, but it got one anyway.

And I'm definitely not complaining, 'cause that means Jack Jackson has a Ryu Number of at most 3.

...Guess who finally finished studying the newest Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition DLC? Victors and Vanquished features a numbers of historical scenarios, including one where you play as Henry's nephew, Stephen, Stephen's brother, Henry, and Stephen's wife, Matilda, against the armies of Henry's daughter, Matilda, and Matilda's son, Henry.

This is giving me flashbacks back to elementary school when every third girl was named either Ashley or Jessica. I cut the knot by simply remembering no one's name, which worked badly.

Anyway, as a bonus, have this list of characters who—taking into account only the games I have gone through myself—appear only in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.

[libraryinthecountry]

★ Hi bookworms! The night owl in me has struck again, and it feels like a time for a midnight shelfie 🤭 What are you currently reading, what did you last read, and what do you hope to read next? I am currently listening to Final Girls by Riley Sager! I’ve been itching for some thrillers lately and it seemed like a good time to pick up my first Sager book! Oh, and I am also reading the eARC of Katee Robert’s Cruel Seduction! It releases in August and is the latest in the Dark Olympus series. It’s a spicy, twisted poly knot between Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Pandora, and Adonis. 😏 My June reads so far have been Fold by Ashley Jade (4⭐️), What Moves the Dead (4.25⭐️), Terms and Conditions by Lauren Asher(4.25⭐️), This Is How You Lose the Time War (4⭐️), as well as The Devil (4.5⭐️) and The Devil’s Playground (4.5⭐️) also by Ashley Jade. It’s been a good reading month so far! Next, I plan to knock out a few more books for #BookReadHappyHour! I’ll be reading A Lady for a Duke for the Queer Has Always Been Here prompt, The Book Eaters for Genrequeer, and Last Night at the Telegraph Club for the Stonewall prompt! I’m also reading Fourth Wing in a few days, and intend to read a few more Ice Planet Barbarians books (I’ve finished the first four so far!). Hope June is a great reading month for all of you! ★ HASHTAGS // #shelfie #bookshelf #homelibrary #bookworm #booknerd #bookphotography #booklover #bookaddict #instareads #bookblogger #bookish #beautifulbooks #booktag #prettybooks #goodreads #bookdragon#stencilededges #bibliophile #bookhoarder #bookcart #currentlyreading #bookstack #booknook #bücherliebe — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/JSWeMh5

[mermaidsirennikita]

Do you have any recs for someone looking for an escapist Scottish hist. Romance? I just got asked out for coffee by a Republican finance bro and for ridiculous reasons I kinda have to go, and I'm dreading it.

Well, I would definitely NOT go if you can avoid it, and if you can't never go again! Trust me when I say that any time spent around a Republican man is just not worth it and frankly increasingly unsafe for many.

But that being said, the ultimate escapist fun romcom Scottish historical would be When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare, because Tessa Dare is really everything fun and escapist while maintaining a heart and an eye for the complications of life (in this case, loss and anxiety).

Elisa Braden's Midnight in Scotland series is a great route, as is her Scottish historical in a separate series, When A Girl Loves an Earl.

My favorite Scottish romances of all time are Jennifer Ashley's first four Mackenzie Brothers books, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (hero's on the spectrum, heroine is a widow, they begin a casual affair but things get complicated), Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage (marriage in trouble as separated couple is brought back together by circumstances), The Many Sins of Lord Cameron (rakish single dad gets entwined in a mystery with a quiet widow), and The Duke's Perfect Wife (my favorite, second chance romance between a growly alpha duke and his ex-fiancee who doesn't give a fuck about his whole Deal). Rules for a Proper Governess, The Stolen Mackenzie Bride, and Alec Mackenzie's Art of Seduction are also good.

One Season with the Duke by Addy Du Lac. An heiress runs away to Scotland with her childhood best friend (a Scottish duke) so that they can marry before an asshole can force a marriage with her. Love ensues! Very fun and fluffy and sweet.

Scandal's Bride by Stephanie Laurens. An English hero (with a Scottish mother he never knew) ends up in an insane situation after the Scottish heroine drugs him into impregnating her because her goddess told her he was meant to father her children... but she also wants him to just knock her up and not know about it so she doesn't have to talk to him ever again.... Obvious dubcon, but if you can handle that (the hero... profoundly doesn't care about the consent issue, he just cares that she wasn't gonna call him basically lol) it's the ultimate escapist insanity and I laughed approx. 60 times reading it.

Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks. A classic medieval arranged marriage between warring clans book, with a deaf heroine.

Monica McCarty's Highland Guard series, in which a bunch of medieval Scottish heroes do various swashbuckling things in the name of Robert the Bruce, with their wild and wacky heroines in tow.

[taggsvansen]

Ty @glimmermann !

Tagging @lazer-exe @punk-asskid and @selkiesmile let me see your trinkets!

[practicecourts]

last one of a month of micros!!

@jilymicrofics

todays microfic is the last of Moody March Microfics for the word gloomy

read Tied Down on ao3 or under the cut

In the old days a love-sick sailor might give the object of his affections a length of fishline loosely tied in a true-lover's knot. If the knot was sent back as it came the relationship was static. If the knot returned home snugly tied up the passion was reciprocated. But if the knot was capsized - tacit advise to ship out. 

The Shipping news (E.A. Proulx) / Ashley's book of Knots

Tied Down

She's naked and so is he. She didn't listen to her sister, or not all of what she had warned her for. She hasn't accepted his hand, not yet anyway. 

He's awake, she can tell. When he watches her, she feels it, as if he physically touches her. 

"I don't want to go," he says. 

She nods. "You could stay." 

He draws figures on her bare arm, she shivers, not from cold but his touch leaves her tingling all over. Again. 

"I can't. I wish you would say yes."

"I can't" she parrots, then she turns to face him and kisses him, slow and thorough.

continue reading

[fleckcmscott]

Hearth and Home

Summary: During Christmas in Missouri, Arthur learns - and Y/N relearns - how to celebrate with family.

Words: 6,525

Warnings: None

A/N: This little piece is based on a request from @jokerownsmysoul, as well as a continuation of Haunted Heart. Please enjoy this very tardy holiday story! 😂 Thank you to @jokerownsmysoulfor not only making the request, but also beta-ing the first draft. Much appreciation to @sweet-nothings04and @forever-fleck for helping with the intro pic! 💜

If you have any thoughts or questions, please comment, feel free to message me, or send me an ask. Requests for Arthur and WWH are open!

Christmastide hadn't yet crept into Gobler Mall, but it'd slid halfway through the door and propped it open.

A cardboard sleigh advertised Santa's imminent arrival. Kiosks selling Dead Sea Salt body scrubs and smoked cheeses were buried in unopened boxes of merchandise. A man in a green janitor's uniform hung honeycomb snowflakes from the center atrium, his ladder buttressed against the second story's balcony wall. 

The anchor store in the east wing had outraced its competitors to win the gold. A twenty-foot tree stood in the center of Hecht's Fineries, plastic branches reaching out to entice customers past cosmetics to a world of sporting goods, toys, and electronics.

Y/N pushed a shopping cart through Today's Woman, the fashion department situated between cookware and shoes. Right on her heels, Arthur browsed with the exuberance of a boy who knew exactly what to write on his Christmas list. Adorable, yes. Contagious and delightful? Certainly. The magic of the season permeated the air whenever he was near.

But if he didn't lose her trail soon, surprising him would be impossible.

They'd brought a small selection of gifts from Gotham. Curry pastes from Siam Market and a Glob's Gourmet Pickles sampler (which had, thankfully, remained intact during their flight). But with limited luggage space, they'd settled on buying most here. A quilted jewelry box appeared a good fit for Ruthie, and with Jason pretending he'd grown out of comic books, they'd chosen a leather baseball glove for him. That left a Mr. Wizard Ecology Kit for Brian and a set of Read-A-Long books on tape for Ashley.

Now they had to settle on what to get Mabel and Ed. And each other.

"I dunno what she likes," Arthur told Y/N, flipping through a circular rack of blouses. Hangers squealed along a metal rod, an atonal chorus. "She dresses more casually than you, but she still looks nice." A one shoulder shrug concluded the observation.

Y/N leaned onto the cart's handle. "A good rule to go by is, if I'd hate it, she'd love it. Wait, that might work." She raised her hand to stop the search. He held out a horizontally striped pullover, black and confident pink illuminated by metallic threads.

A sharp nod answered his knotted brow. "It's definitely her."

As they made their way to the register, a row of mannequin busts caught his gaze. Decked out in festive finery, they wore sweaters thick enough to warm the skinniest soul. He strolled the length of the display, hands clasped at the small of his back, mocha curls brushing his shoulders. He stopped at a crewneck two-thirds of the way down.

Flocked plus signs spanned the shoulders and chest, like a blanket of light snow. Alternating patterns of stars and deer came next, followed by a swathe of rich maroon, the same color as his suit. An odd design, to be sure, but fashionable. The trendiest thing ever to have a chance at moving into Arthur's closet.

When his thin lips pursed, she sidled next to him. Shopping for others didn't mean he couldn't consider himself. "You'd look gorgeous in that," she said.

A smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. "Really?"

"Really." She reached for it with a seductive slowness. "Should we get it now or wait for Santa?"

On a hitched laugh, he stole it from her fingertips and got in line.

~~~~~

Carrying a tray of Morrison's Cafeteria broiled chicken, yellow rice, and two diet cokes, Mabel zigzagged through grey tables to a four-top on the periphery of the food court, where Y/N guarded Radio Shack and Sears bags with the promise not to peek. Though not much of a splurger, she was surprisingly fun to shop with. Admiring window displays, suggesting gifts for Ed and Arthur. Mabel had needed that quality time, another chance to be Big and Little Sis. 

Ever a rocket about to lift off, Ashley bounced on a stack chair beside Y/N. The other three children were in school, busy learning their ABCs. Sun cascaded through skylights, brought out honey blonde streaks in the toddler's hair. Y/N took a blue crayon from a RoseArt three-pack and pointed to a spot on a paper placement, an instruction to make the first move in a tic-tac-toe game. In a fit of giggles, the girl clapped and drew an X over the entire grid. 

A mix of joy and pensiveness twisted Mabel's heart.

Fed by losing her mom at twenty-four, she braced against the possibility of not being there. New milestones brought happiness - but they also reminded her she'd be fifty when her youngest was a freshman in high school. Nights of four-hour naps and days filled with play and homework took a lot more out of her than motherhood had a decade ago. There were moments exhaustion seeped so deeply into her bones she could've slept standing up.

Once Ashley was sent to a coin-operated carousel ride a couple yards away, Mabel confided to Y/N. "Don't get me wrong. I'd do anything for them. I just thought they'd all be in school by now." She rolled straw paper between thumb and forefinger. "Mom never seemed to get tired. But chasing Ashley around, I feel like I'm ready for the retirement home."

"She has parents who are older and wiser. Who know when they were too strict with the others and not strict enough. Isn't that a good thing?" Y/N tore a final piece of chicken off the bone and touched her toes to Mabel's. "You want to be mom. But you can't be. No one could. Just be yourself. You've always been more than enough, Able Mabel."

Blinking moisture from her eyes, Mabel dipped her chin. Was it middle-aged that'd mellowed Y/N, made her better at comfort rather than immediate investigation? Or had Arthur nurtured her heart by giving it a place to rest? Whatever the cause, it was a welcome change.

With the success of her second marriage, however, maybe she could solve a little, too. 

Mabel pushed abandoned grains of rice with her spoon. "I had been looking forward to having more time with Ed."

"Has he gone back to working around the clock?"

"No, no. He's home for dinner every night. But with school projects and potty training and story hour and baseball practice and scouting... Sometimes I forget what it's like to be a wife." A sip of coke as she checked on Ashley. The girl continued to ride in circles. "You love being a wife," Mabel continued. "What's the longest you and Arthur have gone without...you know."

Y/N dabbed at her mouth with the corner of her napkin. After a moment, she gave a small shrug. "A month or two?"

Mabel's jaw hung open. "That's it?" It'd been nearly six for she and Ed. Their last attempt had been cut short by Ruthie's knock on their bedroom door to ask for water - just as her underwire had been unhooked. They'd left a glass on her nightstand every night thereafter. But the spark continued to elude.

"Our lives are quieter," Y/N said, waving the unspoken comparison away. "And you've been married, what, eighteen years? That's much longer than four. Have you talked about this at all with Ed?"

A resigned sigh heaved out of Mabel. "Whenever I start, something comes up."

"It doesn't have to be a long, drawn-out trial. Maybe you can suggest listening to Dr. Sally. Have you heard of her? She's from Gotham and Arthur swears by her. He says she taught him everything he knows. Well, everything he knew before we..." Crimson colored her cheeks, her lips pressed together in a pensive grin. "I don't know if I should tell you, but- Can you keep a secret?"

Mabel grasped the bottom of her chair and hopped it forward. "I love secrets."

"When he and I met, he hadn't been with a woman before. Not like that, anyway."

Nose wrinkled, Mabel tilted her head, her entire face squinting. No, Arthur wasn't her type. But she knew a good man when she met one. And a good looking man when she saw one. "How is that possible?"

Y/N snorted, loud enough to muffle it with the back of her hand. "That was my reaction. It was a lot of pressure; I don't think Arthur realizes that. But I wanted him and loved him and that won out.

"I asked him once if he felt like he'd missed out on anything, having only been with me. He said no, because he's comfortable with me and knows I care about him. Anyway, he gave Dr. Sally full credit for being wonderful. I'm sure the show is syndicated down here."

The twinkle of romance and true love in her sister's eye left Mabel fully convinced. She picked up a crayon and folded the placemat in half. "I'll call the local radio stations."

~~~~~

Meanwhile, Ed and Arthur rode the escalator to the mall's second story. For Ed, it was the only escalator in the county. For Arthur, it was simply a way to get upstairs. 

He trailed his brother-in-law past a soap and scented candle shop, an avalanche of perfume pouring out of the place. A silver engraving shop stood to their left, hawking the likes of picture frames, wedding cake serving sets, and doorknobs. They dodged a group of teenagers who should've been in school to arrive at a glass storefront tucked into the corner.

City Drawers' cursive sign was a thrill in pink neon. Muzak masquerading as jazz sounded through the open entrance. Two mannequins stood in the shop's windows, illuminated by spotlights at their feet. One wore a lace bra and panty set, the other a diaphanous camisole with a cowl neck. A hanging sign announced a sale on Maidenform: Buy one, Get one half off.

Arthur chewed his thumbnail.

Donahue's and L. Ballinger carried styles both he and Y/N liked, without intimidating buckles or oddly placed straps. Specialty shops were expensive. Though he'd happily picture her in every display, going to a boutique bordering on Adults Only made shopping an event he had the wrong ticket to, purchased for a week-old show. 

With a casualness Arthur envied, Ed crossed the black tile threshold, stealing Arthur's chance to back away and backtrack to Hecht's.

Forcing out a breath, he shoved his hands in his pockets. Made the decision to get over himself and stepped into the welcoming peach interior.

Low lighting gave the shop an air of intrigue, flattered the stitching, the promised silhouette of each item. A woman and high school student discussed the finer points of choosing a first bra. ("You don't want it to stick out too much under your sweaters." "Mom!") Cheeks on fire, he turned away from the conversation meant for mothers and daughters to see a husband and wife modeling satin robes. A cashier dressed like a consummate professional, as if she belonged in Y/N's office, told a woman in a puffy coat that underwear was returnable only if unopened.

Ed closed in on a Christmas display to the left, where a scantily clad mannequin wore a Mrs. Claus mob hat. He grabbed a Santa red negligee and gave it a once over. "Think Mabel'd like this?" he asked, thrusting it towards Arthur.

One glance at the faux fur trimmed neckline and it was clear Y/N would hate it. "She'd love it."

Relief palpable in his easy smile, Ed nodded his thanks and headed to the Famous Fragrances cabinet at the rear of the shop.

Arthur slinked along the wall, passing feather boas and garter belts. (The black one with pale pink roses on the hips was an omen to follow when they returned to Gotham City.) A man on the hunt for a gift that wouldn't be embarrassing to give his wife in front of her family. In front of her nephews and nieces.

Forgotten on a bottom shelf under dust and elbow length gloves, he found his trophy.

Knee high wool socks, lilac and knit in a pointelle pattern akin to lace. He took the pair in his grasp, ran his fingertips from cuff to toe. Every past piece of thrift store wool had been a scouring pad on his skin. These were smooth, buttery. He could imagine her calves wrapped up in these subtle cousins to stockings, a long-awaited present under the tree.

A lyric came to mind, an old song he'd gone too long without hearing. Humming a few bars, he sang in his head. You're the starch in my collar, you're the lace in my shoe...

Arthur hurried to the register, but turned back at the last second and stuck the garter belt under his arm.

He placed the socks on the counter, indicated them with his chin. "Can you put those in a box? With a ribbon on it?" He slid the garter across the surface and leaned forward. "And could you please wrap this separately?"

~~~~~

Snug in the tub, Y/N's eyelids fell shut as she massaged almond shampoo into her scalp. The circling slowed as she exhaled contentment. After cramming two major holidays and the preparations for a third into a mere nine days, she'd savor this second to relax. 

The notion twisted the corner of her mouth, a crescent of irony. 

That she'd be able to relax here at all would've been laughable before, when shadows had lurked in every corner and out in the open to confront her with what she'd lost. Arthur's compassion and Mabel's letting the subject of their parents alone now allowed Y/N to cope on her own terms. 

The adjoining guestroom wasn't simply her father's former office, where she'd been forced to accept the gravity of Henry's diagnosis. It was also a bedroom where she could rest at the end of the day. The bathroom was more than an old examination room, forest green and warm, where her father had crowned his four-year-old daughter with a head mirror and tested her reflexes. It was a place unwind. To cleanse her skin and her heart. Twin threads of past and present that entwined themselves into a semblance of peace.

Locks rinsed and detangled, she swiped her hair back and reached for her wet-dry electric razor.

A light tap tap rapped at the door.

She'd recognize her husband's Excuse Me knock anywhere. But with a full house, doublechecking was safer. "Who is it?"

"It's Arthur."

At her instant invitation, he slid through the door. He'd donned his maroon sweater - as he had every day since she'd told him he'd look gorgeous in it.

She'd been right.

He tucked a stray curl behind his ear and turned towards the toilet. "Sorry, the other bathroom's busy. I'll be quick." He lifted the cover and seat and unzipped his trousers. 

Razor perpendicular to her shin, she started to drag it in a straight line to her knee. 

It sputtered like an old engine, gaining and losing speed in an attempt to complete its mission. She hit the bottom with the heel of her hand. Flipped the switch off and back on. A pathetic whirr, which slowed to a worrying grind. Then a final, sad stop.

With a huff, she set it on the tub's corner shelf. "I should've charged this before we left."

He shook himself off, cocked his head her way. "Maybe Mabel has one? I can go check."

"You don't have to bother."

Arthur waved her off, insisted it wasn't one at all. He rinsed his hands and stepped out. Grin tight enough to pinch, she scrubbed at her armpits and breasts. Noted a hair by her aerola she'd have to pluck later. The washcloth slid across her stomach, the feminine swell of her abdomen. A quick dip between her legs.

The door swung ajar. Extending his palm with a flourish, Arthur beamed down at her.

Eyes wide, the entirety of her attention shot to the Pink Daisy Gillette.

She hadn't used a wet razor for five years, had banished them from the apartment as soon as he'd agreed to move in. Since he'd asked her to keep them away from him. Sure, if a matter was important, she was a risk taker. Being stubble free for one extra day didn't make the cut.

Y/N reached to take it from him. A bit too fast. "Thank you."

"Actually, I-" He held the forbidden object in front of his chest, twirled it between anxious fingers. "I'd like to do it."

She drew her feet inward. Concern felt silly, an unwelcome heckler. A true intrusion on their intimacy. But given Arthur's history, it made sense. And Dr. Ludlow had agreed keeping razor blades out of the apartment was a good idea.

As if able to read her thoughts, he winced at the floor, a move that felt too close to shame. He spoke with the wounded dignity of the earnest yet disbelieved. "I've been okay for a long time now."

An ache pressed her sternum, for she did indeed believe him. He'd trusted her two years ago, had taken the good with the very, very bad. Shouldn't she be able to trust him? Refrain from making a normal activity - a loving gesture he'd asked for - a crossroads to crisis? 

She pushed the worries from her throat with an ahem. "You're right. I'm sorry."

His handsome visage instantly brightened. 

Loosening her legs, she wrung out her washcloth. "You're going to get all wet."

"I'll dry."

"What about your pants?"

"They come off."

It was said without guile, but she chuckled, anyway. She retrieved the soap. Worked up a good lather. Smoothed suds down her left leg.

His teeth pressed his lower lip in an eager grin. Perching on the rim of the tub, he pushed his sleeves to his elbows. Bent to pluck her towel from the floor and cover his lap. A secure hold on her heel as he pulled her into position.

Gently, he laid the blade a centimeter below her knee and drew it towards him. A glance of a touch.

"A little harder," she said. "Leg hair is stubborn."

"I don't wanna hurt you."

"You won't." She lay in the curved end of the tub. "How old were you when you started to shave?"

"Fourteen, I think." A soft, closed-mouth laugh. "One night, when Penny and her boyfriend were gone? I stole his razor and shaving cream. I must've used half the can." Short scrapes at the front of Y/N's ankle. "I pressed so hard to get through all the foam, I got a burn. It hurt so bad. My mother asked what was wrong with my face. I told her I'd been out in the sun too long - in February."

Giggling, Y/N tossed her head back. "I'm sure you were very convincing. Speaking of which: I have to convince Mabel to tone it down for Christmas."

"Isn't that why she invited us down here?"

"Yes, but she's going to cook herself to death." At Thanksgiving, Y/N hadn't been able to see the table for all the food. What with their household being too small for a full spread, she and Arthur stuck to a chicken or a couple of turkey breasts. "She likes to make a big dinner for Christmas Eve and a breakfast buffet in the morning."

The tip of his tongue darted out to wet his lips. "We could make dinner and breakfast."

Y/N gulped against unbidden images floating to the surface. She hadn't cooked a holiday meal here for eight years, and the last had been an exercise in heartbreak. Mashed up food, saliva on cotton, fear pretending to be revulsion on the faces of her family. Benji's Very Own Christmas Story on TV to tide keep her father calm and an entire bottle of Sanatogen to calm herself. 

Yet, the idea was lovely, a reflection of her husband's generosity and kindness. Putting her baggage on him would be ungenerous and unkind. And, just maybe, it could be an opportunity she wouldn't have taken on her own.

She studied the ripples in the water. Concentrated on the pressure of his fingertips on her skin. Glides of metal and aloe. "Stroganoff?"

"That's special for us." Arthur squeezed the subtle half-moon of her calf.

Fuzzy fluttering fleeted through her, at the squeeze and the us. They decided on glazed ham, a dish her mother had made every year. Y/N made a mental note to peruse the oldBetter Homes & Gardens cookbook, the checkered one with the side pocket. "We can make garlic mashed potatoes, too. If we double the recipe, it'll be enough for eight." Broccoli and cheese casserole would serve as a second side, of which Arthur would claim all the crispy corners. Stuffing out of three boxes. All that was left was dessert.

He shook the razor in the bathwater. "Gingerbread's good."

"I'll add a can of whipped cream to the grocery list."

Pecking the arch of her foot, he scooted along the tub's rim. Angled her leg so that her thigh rested on his. The razor whispered a line within an inch of her groin. Puffs of her breath skimmed her flesh. Her tendons tightened. Her knee jerked against his touch.

He knelt beside the tub to gather water in his hands. Slipped them down her legs. He rinsed her again, his expression melting into satisfaction. "You're beautiful," he said, palm sliding to her hip. His green gaze dropped to her mouth, his caress now a firm grip.

Then his lips seized hers.

A startled gasp jolted her. 

What Arthur had just done was romantic. Wonderful. An act out of a shared fantasy. If they'd been anywhere else, a delicious weight would've warmed her belly. But that old forest green seeped in at the edges of her mind's eye, pulled the thread of past askew. Now that weight felt like a bowling ball.

She broke off the kiss. Embarrassed whispers between bottled breaths. "Arthur, I-" Her fingers curled, a loose fist by his cheek. "I can't. Not here."

Drops fell from his wrist to her sternum. Charted paths to the notch at the base of her throat. Silence weighed down on her, a whole league's worth of bowling balls.

Swallowing, she raised her eyes to meet his. 

When they did, understanding softened his brow. His voice was low, soft. A comfort as powerful as present thread. "It's okay." He retreated to sit on his heels and dry his hands, chestnut waves falling to frame his sculpted cheeks. He stood and bent to peck the top of her head. "You better do that other leg yourself." With that, he turned to leave.

She scrambled to sit up. "Arthur?"

Hand on the doorknob, he looked back at her.

"I love you," she said.

Dimples deepening, he bestowed a shy, radiant smile. "I know."

~~~~~

Mabel placed the Santa mug with the candy cane handle on the windowsill to finish trimming the tree. It was situated by the front window, about a yard from the guestroom. Ed and Jason had disappeared to the basement to search for decorations. One of Ruthie's favorite records played, John Denver and the Muppets' A Christmas Together. 

Arthur knelt beside Mabel. On the opposite side of the living room, Y/N and the three youngest children worked on paper snowflakes in the play corner. Few words had passed between them, but the quiet was the kind that belonged to old marrieds who were confident in their choice of each other. Irritated, in love, invested. There'd be no running to the watering hole today.

Nevertheless, Mabel sought to gladden the place. Trimming the tree was one of her favorite rituals, right up there with reading The Night Before Christmas and stuffing stockings. There was no way she'd allow grumpiness to gel into gloom.

Digging through a popcorn tin overflowing with ornaments, each wrapped carefully in a sandwich bag, she said, "Don't be surprised if the munchkins are knocking on your door at five tomorrow." 

"That's okay. I don't let Y/N sleep in on Christmas." He hung a stained-glass rocking horse on a middle branch of the artificial tree. "You know, she still has the cookie you made her when you were kids. In the toy oven."

"Does she really?" 

"She hangs it up every year."

Mabel retrieved another satin bauble, this one from the Keepsake series of ornaments. "Holidays are happy when friends are together" it declared. The phrase brought a pleasant smile to her face and a quickening to her heart. 

Y/N's offer to give her a break by preparing Christmas dinner had been a surprise, a true act of affection Mabel had to accept. But when Y/N had said she was going to prepare everything herself, Arthur's brow furrowed into one thick caterpillar. It was an obvious deviation from how this conversation was supposed to go. 

Familiar with how hard it was on him to feel shut out, Mabel rescued Arthur from his skepticism with an invitation to make dessert. Dessert wasn't technically a part of dinner and therefore fair game. Though she'd planned on chocolate and pecan pinwheels, they settled on gingerbread cookies and spent the morning rolling dough and downing coffee. 

During their third round of cookie cutting, she'd said, "These are perfect. Have you made them before?" 

"Penny had a gingerbread recipe on the wall in the kitchen," he'd said. Another drummer boy emerged from the brown dough. "I can't remember making it, but I know I dropped a bag of flour. She smeared it on our faces and told me, 'Every real cook has flour on his cheeks.'"

Mabel's laugh had dissolved into a wistful sigh. From what Y/N had shared, discussions about his childhood were rare and memories that made him smile even rarer. With a sprinkle of flour on both their noses, they'd put the cookie sheet on the middle oven rack and set the timer.

Miss Piggy's shrill plea for five golden rings cut through the recollection. Eyelid twitching, Mabel straightened the hanger of a Baby's First Christmas ceramic bootie and called to her sister. "Remember when we were kids, and we'd sing along to the radio?"

With a nod, Y/N folded white construction paper into a triangle. "And at the Silver Spur." She sang softly, a relief from the record's caterwauling. "Country road, take me home to the place I belong-"

"Gotham City," Mabel joined in. "Jersey highway."

The twitch teasing Arthur's chin defied the set of his jaw.

"When you put it like that, you almost make it sound romantic," Y/N said. 

Just then, Ed thudded into the room, lugging a box of plastic garland. Haphazard leaves and berries sprouted from the cardboard box. Nose buried in an LCD hockey game, Jason followed close behind. Ed asked, "Hey, do you do any Christmas standup shows?"

"One or two at the usual clubs." Arthur stood to toss handfuls of Brite Star tinsel at the tree. "How did the wife get her husband to go to the office party?"

"Jason, put that away and help me with this." Ed plunked the box to the carpet with a groan. "I don't know. How?"

"By telling him, 'yule love it.'" An elongated u for pun's sake.

Stifling a giggle, Mabel shook her head. His jokes hadn't gotten much better, but his ability to make her smile won her over. 

"And it always works."Y/N extricated herself from scraps of paper, then checked her watch. "I better start dinner," she said, and excused herself from the room.

In her peripheral vision, Mabel caught Arthur's rapid blink. His posture threatened to deflate like an old tire. "I thought she was doing better this time," he mumbled.

"She is, Arthur. She is." In the manner of a mother assigning a sullen son the most important task - as her own mother had done for her after Y/N had moved out - Mabel patted his shoulder. "If you could find the tree topper, that'd be a big help."

~~~~~

Arms folded across his chest, Arthur braced himself on the doorframe, careful to keep his toes on the foyer side of the floor's transition strip and off the kitchen linoleum.

The side of Y/N's hand smoothed a crimson tablecloth over the oblong dining table. She laid a plastic wreath in the middle, completed the centerpiece with three ivory candles inside the ring. She retrieved eight quilted placemats featuring Christmas geese from the drawer to the left of the stove and pulled cloth napkins from the cupboard to the right. She knew where everything was without asking. As if she'd left here yesterday.

When he'd suggested making dinner, bumming around while Y/N roleplayed 1978 wasn't what he'd had in mind. Standing by like an extra as she measured brown sugar and honey. Loitering while she shoved broccoli in Corning Ware and sprinkled it with cheese.

Given that it didn't quite fit her bustline, the velveteen, emerald halter dress she wore must've been borrowed from Mabel. Y/N's hair was feathered in the usual manner, but with extra body that meant she'd used mousse and a curling iron. Earth tone makeup highlighted her natural prettiness, save for the red stain on her lips. Poinsettias dangled from her ears, a Beauty Boutique original. 

She opened a panel cabinet over the sink, then grabbed a stepstool to peek inside. Kitten-heeled foot extended behind her, she retrieved a stack of plates. Her shoe threatened to fall to the floor. When she teetered, he offered to steady her. But she declined. Descended backwards step by step. Put the plates on the counter with a soft but unwavering "I've got it."

His cheek ached from gnawing. Out of respect for her, he hadn't argued in front of her sister. But doing this as a couple - as a family - had been what he'd craved.

So he slid across the linoleum to inspect the plates. Trace his thumb over the cheery holly motif along the edges.

She whisked the dishes away. "I'll light the candles when the food is done," she said, a hitch in her voice she failed to hide.

He half-turned to her. Noted the upward draw of her shoulders, elbows tight at her sides. She set matching tumblers at the two o'clock positions by each plate. He longed to fold the cloth napkins. He longed to take out the cutlery.

He longed to pry.

Lips pressed to a sore line, he recalled their fight when he'd cornered her in the shower, one of the worst arguments they'd ever had. He was loathe to follow that road again. Instead, he grabbed a cooking spoon, stirred the mashed potatoes, and searched for compromise. 

Before he could err, she crossed to stand two feet from him. Leaning back against the counter, she gripped the Formica edge with both hands. Her fingers went white.

"When I lived here," she started. "I did all the Christmas decorating and cooking. I loved it. It was a day I could pretend my life was normal, just for an hour or two. Mabel and Ed would bring the kids. We'd drink cocoa and open gifts and have a little fun. Except that last year."

Arthur's stirring slowed, every fiber waiting with want for all of it. All of her.

"I wanted to keep my spirit up or touch my dad in some way." A familiar, familial word she never used. It was always father. "But the harder I tried, the worse it was. He wouldn't eat and wouldn't stop crying. When I washed him, he tried to push me away, but he was too weak - his arms were matchsticks. He must've been scared - he wasn't really with it by then. And he scared Mabel and the kids and..."

Lashing fluttering, she sucked her teeth. "The man who'd nurtured me, who'd loved me, wasn't there anymore. He was possessed by a stranger I didn't want to know. And being here - having to stay in this house - was like trying to live inside a ghost."

In spite of the watery tenor of her voice, she offered Arthur a tremulous smile. "Tonight it doesn't feel so haunted." 

An anxious dam gave way, crumbling to flood love through his frame. He understood, then. Doing all this by herself standing here alone, was a ritual to exorcise her past. He reached for her wrist, pulled her to his side with one arm. When she put her head on his shoulder, he dropped the cooking spoon into the goopy mass. 

Her palms pressed his back. "I'm happy to be able to share this part of me now." 

"Me, too. I mean, I'm happy you shared it with me, too." He buried his face in her hair, let out a huff equal parts support and relief. "I want you to share everything."

Seconds of silence before her lips made a smacking sound on her teeth, and he knew she was grinning.

Ever the woman to push down her feelings a tad too quickly (except for love; thank whatever was listening there was always love), she stepped out his arms, wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand. The crockpot let out an air raid warning of a beep.

She took a box of matches from the corner of the windowsill above the sink and pressed it into his palm. Offered a luminous look and invited him into her past. "You light the candles and I'll serve."

~~~~~

Blue wrapping paper with silver bells and holly. Little bears wishing little ones Merry Christmas on pine green. Gold and red foil interweaving in an intricate scroll. The four-by-four space under the tree contained enough color and excitement to fill a North Pole workshop.

Hair tugged into a haphazard ponytail and replete in fuzzy slippers, Mabel dropped onto a chair next to Ed and attempted to squint away her dull headache. The adults had stayed up until 1:00 AM last night, wrapping boxes, drinking cocoa, and carrying on. After dinner, Arthur had nibbled at the gingerbread cookies until he'd had to take two Tums - then surprised everyone by claiming the last slice of Thanksgiving's pumpkin pie.

Clad in their lazy morning best, Arthur and Y/N sat hip to hip in front of the tree. She'd yanked on the lavender socks with the enthusiasm of having found a long-lost treasure. He munched on the macadamia nuts Mabel had thought would make a lame gift, but Y/N had insisted he'd love. The cowhide wallet she'd given him lay open on his lap, the card slot's gold leaf letters reading "A + S" followed by a heart on display. Cheesy. Seemingly out of character for Big Sis. But she glowed whenever she talked about him. She'd gotten starry eyed about Jeff but never glowed. 

Once she'd unwrapped Mabel's present to her, she held it in both hands but hesitated to open it. The photo album risked melancholy, but Mabel hoped Y/N would be able to find joy, too. 

"Those are photos of us," Mabel assured her. At that, Y/N lifted the front cover. The first was a black and white featuring four year old Y/N cross-legged on the floor, the new baby in her arms, a big grin on her face. "I took the best pictures from all of mom and dad's photo albums. They start from when we were little and go until our visit last year. And there are blank pages for more." 

Hugging the album to her chest, Y/N made a promise. "There'll be more. A lot more."

Ruthie helped Ashley put one of her Wuzzles reading cassettes in her Fisher Price tape player, while Ashley patted Ruthie's jewelry box's quilted surface as if it were a cat. Jason let Brian try out his new baseball mitt, and Brian put his feet on the coffee table and flipped through his Experiments in Ecology book. 

Ed's morning breath stank of garlic from gourmet pickles. Already wearing his new Casio calculator watch, he flipped through the manual of the AT&T cordless phone, a gift Mabel hoped meant Y/N wanted more phone calls. The Thai script on the curry pastes was something Mabel had never seen before, but Y/N promised that if she could cook with them, anyone could figure it out. ("Just add vegetables and chicken and you're good.")

When Mabel unwrapped the present from her hubby, she recognized the logo as soon as she glimpsed the outline of a petal. She'd kept the box shut. Warmth enveloped her. He'd made her feel beautiful again, in that special way she'd reminisced. In the way that belonged to them. 

No matter what she'd confided in the mall, the moments she struggled were worth it. Still there, still hard. But she'd do her best to follow her sister's advice. Make sure to enjoy herself as a mother, a wife, and herself. 

And Dr. Sally would remain on-call.

Mabel called Ruthie to her side and spoke in her ear. Loud enough for all to hear but quiet enough to make the girl feel special. "Can you and your brothers set the table?" 

Ruthie nodded and skipped her way to the foyer. When the boys remained glued to the sofa, Ed rose with a Come On, Sons gesture. Arthur plucked a candy cane from tree, then plucked Ashley from the carpet and carried her to the kitchen.

Mabel grabbed a purple bow from the carpet, winced as she straightened, a barbel rolling from her forehead to her neck. "The next time you suggest spiking a drink, remind me to say no."

Anchoring herself on the coffee table, Y/N moved to stand. "I'll put on an extra pot of coffee." She gathered strewn wrapping paper and ribbon and crumpled them into a ball. "Make sure you take it easy when Thanksgiving and Christmas roll around."

"Ed's parents are hosting," Mabel said, and waved off her concern. With his sister stuck in Michigan this year, it'd be a smaller gathering. With his big brother around, Ed would regress to being the youngest as soon as he smelled a pie in the oven.

Arms overflowing, they padded towards the kitchen. But they lingered halfway there to bask in the magic of Not Quite Christmas. 

Ed worked around the kids, handing them plates, directing where to put them. Arthur retrieved a mixing bowl and frying pan in preparation for cinnamon French Toast, a tradition he'd brought from the Fleck household. While Ed searched the cupboards, Arthur crouched beside Ashley, who laughed at her uncle between rounds of peek-a-boo.

"You made this visit beautiful, Mabel. Mom would be proud of you." Y/N freed up an arm and hugged her at the waist. Spoke the words Mabel had longed to hear for the better part of a decade. The words that made the wheels of self-forgiveness run ten times faster. "After all these years, I think we both found what we've been looking for."

Elated, Mabel dropped the paper to the floor. "I know I have." She seized Y/N about the middle, hard enough to lift her to her toes. "I know we have."

~~~~~

Tag list (Let me know if you want to be added!): @harmonioussolve​​​​​ @ithinkimaperson​​​​​ @sweet-nothings04​​​​​ @stephieraptorr​​​​ @rommies​​​​​ @fallenstarsabyss @gruffle1 @another-day-in-chuckletown​ @hhandley80​​​​​ @jokerownsmysoul​​​​​ @rafaelbottom @ralugraphics​​​​​ @iartsometimes​​​​​ @fleckficgirl

[imogenkol]

— OCS AS HISTORICAL ROMANCE HERO ARCHETYPES

tagged by @corvosattano @jackiesarch @inafieldofdaisies to do this uquiz and I found it way too entertaining to do it for my she/her fuckbois (+ a token Boy boy) thank you lovelies 💕💕💕

tagging: @jillvalentinesday @marivenah @kyber-infinitygems @chuckhansen @adelaidedrubman @voidika @queennymeria @shegetsburned @risingsh0t @shellibisshe @indorilnerevarine @socially-awkward-skeleton @florbelles @aceghosts @simonxriley @v0idbuggy @unholymilf @roofgeese @shallow-gravy

GENTLEMAN IN THE STREETS, FREAK IN THE SHEETS

He's a GENTLEMAN. He has STANDARDS. He will not abide by a single WRINKLE in his trousers. But he willlllll fuck you from behind while fish-hooking your mouth and leaving bruises. That's just how he rolls. A coveted type, this gentleman puts on a stern facade and doesn't have a lot of patience for nonsense--but he's also solicitous, polite, and seemingly respectful. Until you give him a bit of lip in the garden. Never go with him to the garden. Or DEFINITELY go with him to the garden, if you want to get defiled. Which, let's be real, you absolutely do. This hero will wipe cum off your tits with the most expensive handkerchief known to man, fold it and place it in his pocket, and be like, "I apologize; I was quite overwhelmed by your charms. Gentleman recs: "The Duke Gets Even" by Joanna Shupe, "The Duke Who Knew Too Much" by Grace Callaway, "Waking Up with the Duke" by Lorraine Heath, "The Earl I Ruined" by Scarlett Peckham, "The Truth About Cads and Dukes" by Elisa Braden

THE SCOT

"Get on your (yer) hands and knees lass" is something you have a 60% chance of reading in a Scottish historical, and honestly? Bless. These heroes are from Scotland, which is in historical romances, "England but with an autumnal vibe" or "England but they do manual labor while also being rich and titled". They're usually (always) FUCKIN' GIGANTIC, a bit rougher around the edges, and more down to earth. Is this all stereotyping? Yes. Are they probably going to deliver a baby animal, go "look at its wee legs" and then fuck you in a stable? Yeah for sure. Scot recs: "When A Scot Ties the Knot" by Tessa Dare, "When A Girl Loves an Earl" by Elisa Braden ("put yer filthy Scot inside ye"), "The Taming a Highlander" by Elisa Braden, the entire Highland Guard series by Monica McCarty, "The Madness of Lord lan Mackenzie" by Jennifer Ashley, "When A Girl Loves an Earl" by Stacy Reid

THE TORTURED HERO

Look--he just doesn't wanna talk about it. The tortured hero has a dark past, which probably involves his childhood, may involve one or both of his parents dying (or a dead wife), and will be withheld from you for at least the first half of the book. He fucks like an absolute demon (usually to make you forget about the questions you asked regarding his scars; it's effective), he may have nightmares where he says what you think is his old lover's name so you steam about it for 20-50 pages and he's like "no, that's my childhood dog, which I had to eat when food became scarce", maybe his dad didn't love him, and he is more likely to be self made than some other heroes. Though he may also be a duke whose actions had consequences. There's a *distinct* possibility that he's mentally unwell, but everyone needs love. Your one big issue is that he... may not think he's worthy of touching you with his filthy hands. Somehow, you must overcome this. Tortured recs: "My Darling Duke" by Stacy Reid, "Dreaming of You" by Lisa Kleypas, "A Lady for a Duke" by Alexis Hall, "Pippa and the Prince of Secrets" by Grace Callaway, "Duke of Midnight" by Elizabeth Hoyt, "The Duke I Tempted" by Scarlett Peckham, "A Rogue by Any Other Name" by Sarah MacLean

THE GOOD GUY

Isn't that great for you? The good guy isn't a NICE guy. He doesn't expect sexual favors because he's nice to you; and he's so charming, he can probably get laid elsewhere. He may have a tragic backstory and a fatal flaw, but that's not going to get him down. He doesn't play at alpha male bullshit, and he may not be a duke, or a lord, or the owner of the world's first department store. But he's a Solid Guy. He will love, honor, and obey, and he will NOT! Do a nonsense. He will, however, eat pussy. He's a good guy. Good guy recs: "Unclaimed" by Courtney Milan, "Scandal in Spring" by Lisa Kleypas, "My Fake Rake" by Eva Leigh, "Unmasked by the Marquess" by Cat Sebastian

[oceanflowerbird]

Hi, I hope you're enjoying your little vacation :) you always seem to give great book recommendations and I was wondering if you know of any good 'romantic' type novels?

Thanks, I definitely am! These are some of the best romances I’ve read this year (including historical and fantasy). Bit of a trigger warning for lots of spice and kink and controversy: Overall spice:

Credence - Penelope Douglas (already read her new book too and I was not impressed)

The Wild One - Daisy Jane 

All My Love - Daisy Jane 

Give Me More - Sara Cate

Overall plot:

Out on a Limb - Hannah Bonam-Young 

The Seven Year Slip - Ashley Poston

When A Scot Ties The Knot - Tessa Dare

Worthy mentions:

His Darkest Desire - Tiffany Roberts 

Tied - Carian Cole

Black Wings and Stolen Things - Kayleigh King

Lights Out - Navessa Allen

Sustained - Emma Chase

In A Jam - Kate Canterbary

Ignite - Melanie Harlow

Bride - Ali Hazelwood

Series I read and LOVED:

The Ravenels - Lisa Kleypas

The Hathaways - Lisa Kleypas

Mackenzies & McBrides - Jennifer Ashley

Deep Waters - Emma Hamm 

Fire & Desire - Chloe Chastaine

Castles Ever After - Tessa Dare

Second Sons - Emily Rath

Frozen Fate - Pam Godwin (the last book came out this past Monday!) 

Of Flesh & Bone - Harper L. Woods

The Alliance - S.J. Tilly

Authors I read multiple books of:

Daisy Jane

S.J. Tilly

Emma Hamm

Kate Canterbary

Tiffany Roberts

Sara Cate

Laurelin Paige

Elsie Silver

Melanie Harlow

C.M. Nascosta

Ashley Poston

Kathryn Moon

Lisa Kleypas

Lillian Lark

Lilith Vincent 

Katee Robert

Emily Rath

Kate Stewart

Sorcha Black

Tessa Dare

Jennifer Ashley

Kerrigan Byrne

[accirax]

Oh yeah, I should tell you someone put up a playlist of double greetings that get purchased and posted to youtube. Be sure to check it regularly for updates!

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-zCAWYLWAhgP-oVAOQY-CeJ8MdAbxhiO&si=mnWMd_ixvWkLVdit

Here's my fav from it - https://youtu.be/bRpx5sUooAw?si=r6IWBBMEfnRPghG2 <- THESE are the kinds of greetings I wanna see! Where All-Stars contestants, or contestants from separate seasons who have *never* met or talked much finally get the chance to.

Oh yeah, here's some more individual ones:

https://youtu.be/GLIf8WwvlIg?si=worrOiB4soqjl0ZO (according to one comment this is a Rui Kamishiro costume? Correct me on this-)

https://youtu.be/oRAq93UIEQk?si=5UY5hHKOBg3XuP83 (still waiting for someone to quit beating around the bush & ask either of them what their situation is)

https://youtu.be/poFh1LiG5wA?si=JCG1oX9V8MIcK8ax (Damn, poor Jake was getting ghosted by everybody! 😂 (also what's a stem major-) Perfect opportunity here to fulfill Dan's wish and buy a double greeting~! (*cough* with Alec or Drew or even Gabby) )

https://youtu.be/RYsrkVeoT88?si=Ao9dkCk3d-UHUe4f (Glad someone brought this back~! It was deleted for a while)

https://youtu.be/nLkks-hMht4?si=ohA1dTZUpdGTWaQZ (This was pretty much already explained in the recent episode of Nick Reacts but I'm happy it was confirmed here too (BTW you should totally start watching Nick Reacts if you haven't already, it does sprinkle some additional lore here and there on top of being entertaining)

oh, nice!

aww, that was really sweet! honestly, it makes me wish that one of the spinoff series was dedicated to showing life at the Loser's Motel instead of either the staff or tomjake. (although, both of those served their purposes decently as well.) it makes sense that some of these characters who spent a good portion of their DCAS time in the Motel together would be friends-- especially two as kind as Tess and Ashley-- but since we didn't see it, it's still kind of a "wait, what?"

also, does Tess know Will? or is Ashley just saying she should introduce them? and how good is Ashley at gaming...?

that is a Rui-inspired costume! it's from the mixed event Never Give Up Cooking, and his card A Sudden Trial-- a card which I have B) (i actually pulled on that gacha wanting to get Toya or Kaito, but i won't complain...) of course they had to dress Alec in a Rui costume before asking about his hypothetical feelings about other men. as i always say, "you can't spell fruity without Rui." (/j)

definitely a shipper bait greeting on the whole, but i appreciate getting the timeline on his and Cheryll's relationship as well. if only we knew for sure how old Daniel was. then we could figure out how old Alec was when he and Cheryll tied the knot...

so, i guess it was math that Alec was teaching Fiore in the DCAS finale! i sort of assumed it was English-- y'know... because of Alec's whole deal...-- but i guess we already know that Fiore is capable of reading some pretty intense literature for her age, so she probably doesn't need much help in that department.

and, the comic collection comeback! i wonder if Alec being a fan of comic books was always in the cards, or if all of this has just snowballed from Alec saying "quirk" in the superhero episode. either way, the more we learn about Alec liking superhero media, the funnier it is that he had no powers in the superhero episode. buddy, you missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

felt on the "bad at texting" part-- i always want to send messages to my friends, but i can never come up with anything to say. RIP Jake, though. at least he had Miriam?

apparently, in a spanish greeting, Dan said he was studying physics engineering. i bring this up because i was trying to figure out if "just living with my parents and watching DC" was literal, or if he's also being a student at the same time. he would be 21 as of DCAS, so if we assume that he started college at the average time (~18 years old), he'd only be 3 years into his degree. probably still a student, then. no shade if he wasn't, i was just trying to figure out if he was a victim of the current job market.

a STEM major is someone whose (college) major falls within the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics. in the US, at least, these majors are generally considered more favorably than others by authority figures, due to being "of actual importance," "guaranteed to get you a job," and other mantras along those lines. if Dan is studying physics engineering, then he's also a STEM major in his parents' footsteps.

for some reason, when he said "love triangle," i assumed it was going to be between Jake, Tom, and Aiden or something. too many love triangles to keep track of in this show. anyways, confirmation that Nick isn't into gamer girls.

Believer is a pretty vocally demanding song (dude is basically just screaming), but i think Nick did a pretty good job with it! i'm sure Deric was struggling trying to pull it off while keeping up his British accent, lol.

ah, thanks for the reminder to go back and watch NickReacts! i watched the first (and maybe second?) episodes when they came out, but i forgot to go back and check for more. i'll probably put that on next time i need something to listen to while drawing :)

... that being said, i, uh. don't think you're going to make more than an investment broker through your youtube channel, buddy. maybe if you placed better in DC1 😅

[betterbooksandthings]

Romance Book Recommendations

Here is a complete guide to books I would recommend without question to anyone looking to read romance. This was, in fact, the shortest I could get it so have fun!

Straight Sci/Fi Fantasy romance The A.I. Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole that time i got drunk and saved a demon by kimberly lemming Mating the Huntress by Talia Hibbert

Straight Historical Wild Rain by Beverly Jenkins The Duke who didn't by courtney Milan Unclaimed by Courtney Milan

Trans Historical A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall M/F (transfemme) Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian M/N Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall N/N

Sapphic Historical

The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley The Lady’s Guide To Celestial Machanics by Olivia Waite That Could be Enough By Alyssa Cole

Gay Historical The Gentleman's Book of Vices by Jess Everlee The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian Tommy Cabot Was Here by Cat Sebastian Slippery Creatures by K.J. Charles Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall It Takes Two to Tumble by Cat sebastian Two Rogues Make a Right by Cat Sebastian

Sapphic Fantasy Romance Walk Between Worlds by Samara Breger The Rogue Crown by A. K. Mulford (third book in a series first two have m/f pairings) A Song of Silver and Gold by Melissa Karibian Can’t spell treason without tea by Rebecca Thorne A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

Trans Fantasy Romance The Demon's Bargain by Katee Robert F/N The Evergreen Heir by A. K. Mulford N/M

Gay Fantasy Romance Socially Orcward by Lisa Henry & Sarah Honey Red Heir by Lisa Henry & Sarah Honey a marvellous light by Freya Marske wolfsong by t.j. klune (series) A Veil of Gods and Kings by Nicole Bailey (series) A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows (read TW) Witchmark by C. L. Polk (series) Reforged by Seth Haddon Frostbite by J Emery A Rival Most Vial by R. K. Ashwick The Magpie Lord by K.J. Charles Bisclavret by K L Noone Human Enough by E.S. Yu From The Dark We Came and Help Wanted by J. Emery

Poly Fantasy Romance Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert Elf Defence by Lisa Henry & Sarah Honey

Sapphic Contemporary Romance D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail by Ashley Herring Blake Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole

M/F Contemporary Romance (Some Bi and Ace) A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone Scandalized by Ivy Owens A Thorn in the Saddle by Rebekah Weatherspoon The Comeback by Lily Chu Forget Me Not by Julie Soto Knot My Type by Evie Mitchell Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert Take a hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert Haven by Rebekah Weatherspoon Rafe by Rebekah Weatherspoon Xeni by by Rebekah Weatherspoon Trade Me by Courtney Milan The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann

Gay Contemporary Romance A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson The Missing Page by Cat Sebastian Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun The Hate Project by Kris Ripper Counterpoint by Anna Zabo Just Like That by Cole Mccade Syncopation by Anna Zabo

Poly Contemporary Romance The Life Revamp by Kris Ripper

[princessofbookaholics]

TWENTY BOOKS CHALLENGE

Hypothetically, you are only able to keep 20 of your books. Only one book per author/series. So what books are you keeping?

thanks for the tag: @livinginsideabookshelf ✨

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

Well Met by Jen Deluca

You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

The Chaos of Standing Still by Jessica Brody

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata

Untying the Knot by Meghan Quinn

Would You Rather by Allison Ashley

Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel

tagging (no pressure!): @tatithetinybooktuber @myownlittlebookcorner @persephonelovesbooks

[mermaidsirennikita]

Do you know characters from historical fiction who have unusal jobs?

I'm gonna go with this under a historical romance lens as I don't really read historical fiction much anymore :)

Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller has a heroine who runs a hotel in Vienna! This book is so different and interesting in so many ways

Lady Charlotte in Grace Callaway's Lady Charlotte's Society of Angels series (Victorian Charlie's Angels) runs a detective agency lol

In Want of a Viscount by Lorraine Heath features an entrepreneur heroine! I don't know that it's like, her JOB JOB, but it's still there. The Notorious Lord Knightly, my favorite book in that same series, has a heroine who secretly writes an erotic memoir about her experiences with the hero, lol. It's like... Lady Whistledown if she slayed, and was less "DEAREST READER" and more "that fucking asshole Lord K touched my nipples in a garden and I think you all should know that"

(Lord K: OH MY GOD. I ONLY TOUCHED ONE PERSON'S NIPPLES IN A GARDEN.)

Prince of Broadway by Joanna Shupe features a heroine who wishes to be a casino owner. She's not there yet, but the book is about her getting there with the hero's help. Baron, an earlier Shupe book, has a heroine who's a fake psychic lmao

The heroines of Julie Anne Long's Lady Derring Takes a Lover and Angel in a Devil's Arms run a boarding house together--which in itself isn't a crazy job, but it's definitely not super common for ladies of their day and status (the titular Lady Derring was a countess before her husband died, and the other heroine was that husband's mistress). After Dark with the Duke, another book in that series, has an opera singer heroine.

The Postilion by S.M. LaViolette has a heroine who's disguised as a young man and does in fact work as a postilion (fancy horse helper). LaViolette has some other leads with interesting jobs... His Valet features a valet lead, which isn't THAT crazy (though I've never read a valet hero) but the character was assigned female at birth and is disguised as a man (she uses she/her pronouns by and large in private, but is clearly nonbinary). Aurelia features a heroine who draws nature sketches for a naturalist hero. If it counts because it's kinda under the table but still, Hyacinth has a heroine who disguises herself as a man and racks up cash by playing cards. The titular Melissa of Melissa and the Vicar runs a high class brothel.

Actually, When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare ALSO features a heroine with that same job.

S.M. LaViolette writes as Minerva Spencer as well, and she has a series about a string of heroines who are in a ladies' circuses. The Boxing Baroness features a lady boxer; The Dueling Duchess features a gunslinging duchess; and The Cutthroat Countess has a heroine who throws knives for a living.

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera has a heroine who runs her family's rum business, and An Island Princess Starts a Scandal has an artist heroine and a business bitch heroine.

The Duke's Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley has a lady reporter heroine, which is why she feels perfectly comfortable jumping into her ex-fiance's carriage and going "SOMEONE SENT ME PICTURES OF YOU NAKED".

The Lord I Left by Scarlett Peckham features a dominatrix heroine, and the recently released The Mistress Experience (excellent) has a famous courtesan heroine. The heroine of The Rakess is a famous writer and lady about town.

Lisa Kleypas has a couple of author heroines--Sara Fielding in Dreaming of You and Amanda in Suddenly You.

[notsotrashyromancebooks]

Also i’ve read like a lot of books this year , like ALOT

I have a list , and I want to share.

Also , any suggestions? Prefer books where main character gets hurt and makes your stomach drop.

Makes you feel squishy inside type of shit

Anyways , here’s the list

My favourites were : AAGTM series , Cruel Prince series, Blue eyed devil ,Blood Oath (Morgan B Lee) and Shadow heart , Shifter series ( Jasmine Mas) , Blood of Hercules , Meet me halfway

Meet me Halfway and the shifter series were actually a re read from last year , I also really loved One percent of you

Id love book recommendations 💜

Books 2024

- Burned dreams By Neva Altaj

- Good Girl Bad blood By Holly Jackson

- Bariloche sector by Lexi C Fox

- The wicked king by Holly Black

- The queen of nothing by Holly Black

- Broken Whispers By Neva Altaj

- Hidden Truths By Neva Altaj

- Recipe for love By Anne Malcom

- One Moment Please By Amy Daws

- Knot a trace by Liliana Carlisle

- Black and White Ties by Kay Singleton

- Bride to the Fiend Prince By Rebecca F Kennedy

- Percy Jackson and the Lightning Theif By Rick Riordan

Feb 2024

- A hunt so wild and cruel by Rebecca F Kennedy

- The maleficent faerie by Rebecca F Kennedy

- Baby Llama Drama by Kate Watson

- Healer to the Ash King by Rebecca F Kennedy

March 2024

- Jailer to the Death god by Rebecca F Kennedy

- Prize of the warlord By Rebecca F Kennedy

- The warlord’s treasure By Rebecca F Kennedy

- Captive of the pirate king by Rebecca F Kennedy

- Pawn of the cruel princess by Rebecca F Kennedy

- Silent Lies by Neva Altaj

- The Bounty By Lillian’s Carlisle

- His Darkest Desire by Tiffany Roberts

- Forbidden by Lilliana Carlisle

- Midnight fae book 1 by Lexi C Fox

- Midnight fae book 2 by Lexi C Fox

- Twisted Heart By Lora Reilly

- Defying the odds By Kele Moon

- Washed in Blood by Ashley Lane

- Craving constellations By Nicole Jacquelyn

April 2024

- Painted scars by Neva Altaj

- Blue eyed devil by Lisa Kleypas

- Angry god By L.J Shein

- Lie to Me by Molly McAdams

- When she loves by Gabrielle Sands

- Exile in the water kingdom By Cassandra Gannon

- White horse , Black Nights By Evie Marceau

- Shallow River By H.D Carlton

- Black Knight by Rina Kent

- Dead Devils Night by Maree Rose

- Darkest sins by Neva Altaj

- Wed to the wolf man Cara Wilde

May 2024

- Knot a trace : Part 2 By Lilliana Carlisle

- Make you wish i was dead by Macy T Rios’s

- The predator by RuNyx

- The experiment Lexi C Fox

- Ghost by A.Zaverelli

- Blood oath by Kelly St.Clare

- Still beating by Jeniffer Heartmann

- Shadow wings by Kelly St.Clare

- Heavy by Cate C Wells

- Black Crown by Kelly St.Clare - DNF

- The nameless trickster By Rebecca F Kennedy

- Viciously yours by Jamie Applegate Hunter

- Denied by Evelyn Flood

- Devoted by Evelyn Flood

- Brutalise me by Michelle Heard

- Blood oath by Morgan B Lee

- Wait for it by Mariana Zapata

June

- Omega found by Evelyn Flood

- Psycho shifter by Jasmine Mas

- Psycho fae by Jasmine Mas

- Psycho Beasts by Jasmine Mas

- Filthy Rich by Serena Akeroyd

- Glass by Evelyn Flood

- Psycho Academy By Jasmine Mas

- Psycho Devils By Jasmine Mas

- Canary by Tijan -DNF

- The mafia and his angel I by Lylah James

- The mafia and his angel II by Lylah James

- The mafia and his angel III by Lylah James

- Runaway Omega By Ember L Nicole

- Nero By S J Tilly

- Shadow Heart By Morgan B Lee

- King Of Wrath by Ana Huang

July

- Bitten by death by Holly Roberds

- Kissed by death by Holly Roberds

- Preferential treatment by Heather Guerre

- Hunted (Feral souls trilogy) By Erica Woods

- Assembly by Erica woods

- Tempted by the devil by Michelle Heard

- Unbreak me by Reese Rivers

- Race to me By H.L Swan

- Crash into me By H.L Swan

- Fall onto me By H.L Swan

- Jack frost By Rebecca F Kennedy - DNF

- I fucking dare you by Emm Darcy

- Lola and the Millionares by Kathryn Moon

- Lola and the Millionares 2 by Kathryn Moon

- Twisted Vows By Candice Wright

- Triple Threat By K Webster

- Death Wish By K Webster

- Rock Hard By Nalini Singh

- Beauty in the broken by Charmaine Pauls

August

- Blood of Hercules by Jasmine J Mas

- When Hero’s Fall by Giana Darling

- The Night Thief By Beena Khan

- Meet me halfway By Lillian T James

[urnoflilliesandroses]

Light lies

[ Notice: this isn't conon to the Tcoaal game at all. I plan to write more of these cause why not. ]

Angel turned a page in her book. She was reading a book she managed to pawn off a man in robes. Her interest in Demonology had grown sense Mors came into her life making her feelings twist in a pleasant knot she didn't want to end. With Ashley and Andrew being codependent on each other gave her ample time to read.

Silence would make this all better. Unfortunately, her siblings won't give her this time to completely unwind. It was normal for arguments, fights, and dysfunction. Today Angel had it and went out to a place where she could be at peace for a minute. Only a minute.

She found Mors's form following her. He can sense her emotions. Her intentions; ever sense he chose her, they became more than Mors could had intended.

"Oleander? May I ask what's gotten to you so deep?"

"Ashley and Andrew are fighting over some shit. I couldn't take it anymore. I just wanted silence. I need silence to calm down or else I'll fucking loose it!"

"Now now," a hand rubbed Angel's back, "there's no need to have violent impulsive thoughts. Remember, we have to wait until your older. For now, we can runaway from them. All of them."

"I'm still questioning if I should. I got everything I need and then some. I just-"

"Want to bring them." Mors finished Angle's sentence. Killing her thoughts, "they wouldn't listen to you. Ashley would just use Andrew to get to you. Andrew would be picking at every decision you make. Why would you want to uproot them when they've only came to you to take? Would it be worth dealing with Ashley's fits? You wouldn't be able to reclaim what was yours."

"Percy...."

Her cat friend was killed. Ashley's dismissal echoed through her head. 'It was just a cat. Why are you so sensitive?' Ashley has always been cruel though Angel chalked it up from how she's been treated by their parents, specifically their mom.

"She didn't mean for it to hurt me. She didn't ever get love from mother or father. I just got ignored."

"Oleander. You've turned out different than her. What's her excuse?"

"mother and father don't love her. I at least have outside people. She has no one. Andrew is complicated in this. I'm not saying I don't love her but..," Angel curled into a ball, "I don't know how much I can take. I can't take care of them. I try so Andrew isn't doing everything."

"What do you choose?"

Angel thought in silence, "I choose me, Oleander."

"Very well then, let's go to our foundation. They'll be willing to help you. You're too young to be alone."

"Right!"

Angel didn't leave without a trace. A green for Andrew and pink rabbit for Ashley where left behind.