#corporate holiday event planning

[goeliteevents]

Holiday Party Location Tips Rental

Discover how to choose the perfect location for your company holiday party. Get tips on guest size, themes, catering, and logistics for a memorable celebration.

[thespacenextdoor]

Event space, private dining and catering - in the heart of Ridgewood

Address- 53-23 Metropolitan Ave, Ridgewood, NY, USA 11385

Phone- +1 718-418-6041

Business Email- info@thespacenextdoor.com

Website- https://thespacenextdoor.com

Welcome to The Space Next Door, a premier event venue located in the heart of Ridgewood, Queens. Specializing in private parties, weddings, and communions, our elegant space offers bespoke catering and open bar options to make your event truly memorable. Whether you're planning an intimate gathering or a grand celebration, our dedicated team ensures every detail is perfect. With state-of-the-art AV equipment and a cozy, stylish atmosphere, The Space Next Door is your go-to destination for unforgettable events. #RidgewoodEvents #ElegantVenues

[hom3landr]

Homelander has a very merry Christmas

18+

Homelander shakes his head in disbelief as he lounges in his chair at the head of the Seven table. It’s been a year…a whole year since the day you entered his life. He still has the ribbon from that first package, tucked discreetly into his waistband. It’s frayed now and soft from running it through his fingers. He’ll touch his hip softly sometimes, right where he knows it rests, when his ears ring and his eyes begin to burn. Countless lives have been saved just from a little piece of fabric. It was the first gift he’d ever truly been given that didn’t have dozens of corporate strings attached. He wonders if you’ll bring him more candy, now that Christmas is right around the corner. He can still perfectly remember the taste a year later.

But your hands are empty when he sees you, and there’s a nervous stiffness to your shoulders that he’s not sure he enjoys. You’re fiddling with your fingers as you approach. He’s disappointed, he really was looking forward to some candy. But you give him a shy smile and he pushes down the sullenness rising in his chest. You hop up on the table in front of him, a bad habit you’ve picked up ever since that day you brought him the cake. He supposes that’s on him for encouraging you. He ignores the urge to tug you into his lap instead.

“Sooooooo…I don’t have anything for you today but I did want to ask you something.” You look down at your hands before pausing, trying to spark the courage to continue. He tilts his head and waits, somewhat impatient and still annoyed at being denied. He doesn’t like the way you don’t meet his eyes. Surely your fingers can’t be more interesting than him. You take a deep breath.

“IwaswonderingifmaybeyouwantedtocometomyplaceforChristmas?” The words come spilling out uncontrollably and you stiffen up a bit once they’re out, bracing yourself for a denial.

Homelander’s heart stops.

“I know you’re probably really busy and you have plans and other people you’d rather be with.” He doesn’t. “But I was going to make gingerbread and watch some Christmas movies. I don’t have any family close by or…or friends really, so I usually spend Christmas on my own. It won’t be anything fancy but I’ll let you lick the spoon.” You let out an awkward laugh, obviously insecure about the simplicity of your plans. After all, how can your humble apartment compare to Vought’s glitz and finery? How could Homelander be content spending Christmas with a nobody like you?

If you only knew how much the offer wiped away any of the disappointment he felt about the candy. If only you knew how much he’s been longing to join you in the sugar-sweetness of your kitchen. He wants to leap up and take you in his arms. He wants to agree and whisk you away to start the holidays early…and privately. He’s never had a proper Christmas before. Just Vought’s pretty, sterile, fake, holiday bullshit. He found it cruel the way they’d let him watch movies on Christmas when he was in the lab. He still can’t watch A Christmas Story without feeling sick with want. But maybe…maybe this year will finally be different.

But reality sets in. He has the Vought Christmas party. He can’t skip it, as much as he’d love to. He’s been dreading it honestly. She’d always been there before, guiding him, leading him, making sure he got through the event with his shiny grin firmly in place. But that was gone, ended by his own hand. The last fucking bit of Christmas cheer he could have possibly had. He clenches his fist and he watches you shrink back, mistaking his grief for anger at your boldness. He wants to say yes…but he can’t

“We have the company Christmas party, remember? Surely you wouldn’t want to miss that. I get the honor of lighting up the tree” He beams, hoping it assures you that you are not the target of his ire. Sure he’d prefer to be tucked away with you but the party won’t be too bad if you’re there. If you’re there then her absence won’t matter.

But his hopes are quickly dashed.

“Oh I’m not high enough up on the totem pole to be invited, for business or pleasure.” You shrug, clearly not bothered by the corporate snub.

Oh

“Well…I can’t exactly miss it.” Your face falls at his reply and the words tumble out before he can stop them.

“But if you don’t mind staying up a little later, then maybe I can swing by real quick after to grab a cookie or two.” He reaches out to lay a hand warmly on your knee

You return his grin despite the disappointment in your eyes.

“I’ll wait up for you then”

~~~~~~~

It’s late by the time he’s finally released from his shiny decorated prison. He’s sick to death of Frank Sinatra and mistletoe. He barely resisted crushing the hand of every asshole who felt entitled to his attention purely due to the holiday festivities. He gritted his teeth while he was forced to kiss the asses of board members and politicians. He barely avoided lasering A-Train’s head clean off his body when he wrapped his arm around him for a photo op. He’s so overloaded that he’s halfway to his penthouse for some much needed rest when he remembers your offer.

He pulls aside some tipsy asshole for the time, annoyed that no one seems to have remained sober. It’s not long until midnight and he worries that maybe you’ll already have given up waiting. He worries that he’ll get to your apartment to find you already snug and sleeping in your bed. He reminds himself that he can always wake you up. After all, he’s seen you bake until the wee hours of the morning. He remembers when he’d watch you bake till not long before you’d be needing to rise for work. Surely…surely, you haven’t forgotten to wait for him.

The night is frigid as he flies towards your apartment. The cold doesn’t hinder him but it isn’t exactly pleasant as the sharp wind stings his cheeks. He’d always wave away Maeve’s complaints but he reluctantly admits to himself that she had a point about freezing over the Atlantic. Luckily it’s a far shorter path to your apartment building. So he ignores it. The thought of you keeps him warm anyway.

What he can’t ignore is the distinctly human shaped figure waiting on the roof. He knows your form intimately and he’s clocked you the moment he sees you. You’re shivering, wrapped only in an old threadbare bathrobe over some red pajamas. It’s far too cold to be loitering without winter wear and an exasperated concern grows in his chest. Couldn’t you at least have grabbed a jacket? It wouldn’t do for you to catch hyperthermia before he even gets to celebrate Christmas with you. You haven’t seen him yet and he makes sure to land behind you as quietly as he can, lip twitching mischievously.

“Are you cold? You look like you’re freezing” He calls out from the other side of the roof. You leap into the air and stumble a bit too close to the edge for his liking so he rushes to steady you. Even through his gloves he can feel how chilled you are. You look back at him, disbelief on your face but surprised delight in your eyes. You shake in his arms and before his brain consciously makes the decision to, he swiftly detaches his cape to wrap it warmly around your shoulders. Your cheeks heat despite the chill and he’s deeply pleased by the way you look and the way his scent mixes with yours.

“I’m alright. I was waiting for you! I was worried that you wouldn’t be able to make it.” You clasp his cape tighter around you, teeth chattering. He pulls you closer so some of his heat can seep into you. He realizes that you may have been too focused watching for him to realize how chilled you are. He tuts at you, both flattered by your devotion and annoyed that you were so careless with your health.

“Would it have killed you to grab a coat?” He rubs your frozen hands between his gloved ones. Your answering smile is sweet and he’d blush if he could (He can. He did.)

“Are you worried about me?” You tease him lightly, eyes soft.

“I was promised gingerbread. If I’m promised something then I expect it to be delivered” He gives you a stern glare that’s tempered by the slight twitch of his lip as he fights a smile.

“Well, I can’t possibly deny you, can I?” Your lips quirk into a cheeky smirk. Your lighthearted words settle warm and heavy in the pit of his stomach. Suddenly, you feel so beautifully fragile in his grip, a small precious light that he keeps warm between his palms. You’re his. You’re so wonderfully his in this moment and deep within him, so deep he doesn’t even realize it yet, he’s become inescapably, completely, ineffably, yours.

You gesture for him to follow you down the fire escape to your floor. He follows behind as though he doesn’t have the way to your apartment imprinted in his mind. But your legs are stiff from the cold and after you slip slightly on the slick metal of the fire escape, he scoops you into his arms. You cling to him, stunned at the quickness and ease at which he gathered you up against his chest. You’re disoriented and wrap an arm around his neck to steady yourself.

“Don’t drop me!” you squeak and he laughs in response. You’re light as a feather to him and he’s not hindered by you at all. He would never, could never drop you.

“I won’t let you go, ever.” He reassures you and you relax against him, trusting him. You tuck yourself into the crook of his neck, and all of a sudden he has a sharp regret that his collar rises so high on his neck. He longs to feel your softness and your eyelashes brushing against the sensitive skin of his throat. He can’t resist leaning his head against yours as he climbs effortlessly down the thin and rickety steps.

When he reaches your apartment, he assists you in finding your footing and guides you inside. You don’t question how he’s able to navigate your apartment with ease. Stepping into your kitchen is like getting reborn into another life, a life that he had been cruelly denied. You’ve decorated every inch. False snow lines the top of your cabinets and it charms him to see tiny figures and miniature buildings tucked into the fuzzy winter wonderland. Mismatched bowls of ingredients line the counter, and deep red liquid smelling strongly of spice is steaming on the stove. It smells heavenly. It’s the same scent he normally loathes, the artificial scent burning his nose and giving him headaches, one of the few pains that he can experience. But there is nothing faked or imitated here and the rich smell makes his head swim pleasantly. His mouth waters and his jaw aches at the sweet spicy deliciousness in the air. It’s lovely and warm and you immediately shake off the shiver as you enter.

He blinks back sudden tears at the sight of a brightly lit tree twinkling merrily in the corner of the living room, a yule log crackling on the television. It’s perfect. Your tiny crumbling apartment that he would have scoffed at in any other time, is suddenly finer than any palace. His chest tightens almost painfully.

“It’s not much but I did my best to make it festive! The cookie dough is chilling in the fridge and there is as much eggnog and mulled wine as you could want. Help yourself.” You nod at the pot on the stove, hands on your hips, looking as confident as he’s ever seen you now that you’re in your domain. It’s not normally the response he gets when someone sees him in their home. He takes a brief scan of your fridge.

“Just milk for me, thank you.” He responds and you shrug and take a glass out of the cabinet. You fill it up full and hand it over. He takes a big chug. 2%

Perfect

“Well, I’m gonna have myself some mulled wine.” You grab another glass and fill yourself up a healthy serving. A tiny sip has you sighing deeply in pleasure and he wants nothing more than to lick the remnants off your lips. Your temperature is rising by the second and when he’s satisfied that you’re sufficiently warmed he relaxes a bit, wandering around your kitchen to look at everything.

You busy yourself taking a large bowl of dough out of the fridge and lining the counter and a baking sheet with parchment paper and a light dusting of flour. He’s distracted looking through all your cabinets. Nothing of yours is very fancy and it’s all a bit mismatched which he finds charming in a quaint kind of way. He rifles through your dish towels, smelling them to see if your scent still lingers. Then you tap him on the shoulder. He turns to find you with your head cocked and your arms wrapped around a large bowl, eyes shining and bright

“I promised gingerbread but first you have to help.” You wink at his baffled expression before turning around to begin scooping out the dough onto the parchment paper. “And take off your gloves! This stuff can get sticky.”

He’s still standing there frozen when you hand him a rolling pin. He frowns at it disdainfully before raising a skeptical eyebrow. This is so…beneath him.

“C’mon, let your inner kid out a little. I promise it tastes better when you’ve helped make it.” You shake the rolling pin at him.

Inner kid

You don’t have a single fucking clue.

He grumpily removes his gloves. He feels naked without them. He feels so raw, the Christmas cheer welcome but also a painful reminder of everything he was denied. He wants to be here but he feels unsure how to exist in a space when there are no expectations, no predetermined role he can play. Shedding the gloves feels like shedding a layer of skin but he can’t deny you when you look at him like that. You’re still wearing his cape around his shoulders and a sharp possessive pang runs through him.

His

He reaches out to grab the rolling pin.

“Normally people avoid giving me heavy blunt objects” He remarks dryly, although he quickly regrets it. It doesn’t seem to phase you though. You’ve heard the stories.

“You are a heavy blunt object capable of plenty of damage so I don’t think handing you a rolling pin is going to make much difference. Now get to work while I preheat the oven” You reach out to gently push him towards the dough.

He stares at it, frozen.

The dings from the oven ring in his ears.

It’s not that he doesn’t know what to do. The mechanics of a rolling pin are not difficult to fucking grasp. It’s just…none of this feels real. It feels like he’s still back in this lab and this is some cruel dream that will fade away into empty white. It’s like making one wrong move will shatter everything

He can’t lose this.

“Here! The recipe says ⅛ of an inch so you’ll need to roll it like this.” Your breath is hot on his ear as you lean in behind him.

Your hands rest tenderly on top of his as you gently guide him.

fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck

Your touch burns and a ravenous monster wakes in his chest. It howls and wails against the prison of his ribcage. He can smell you, hear your heart racing, practically taste the heavy scent of your soaking cunt into the air. The wood creaks under his grip as your thumb brushes against his. His cock is hard and leaking into the tight spandex of his pants. The ribbon on his hip is like a brand; like your hands are on him there too.

Fuck the cookies

The throb of his cock urges him to devour your brown sugar pussy instead.

But as strong as the sudden rush of his arousal, it pales in comparison to the prickling sting of tears at such a kind touch. The last person to touch him like this was…

Fake

Just like everything else

Except you

Except this.

A quiet sob escapes him but if you notice then you don’t acknowledge it. You just keep pushing your palms against his hands in a steady rhythm, the dough easily giving way. Your body rocks against his and the softness of you warms him to the core. He sees the flutter of his own cape out of the corner of his eye.

His

You’re his.

The whole world narrows down to only the two of you.

He could stay here forever with you. Life with you could be like Christmas for eternity. He’d never be alone. You’d never be alone. Just gingerbread scented air and mulled wine, and your body pressed to his forever.

“Alrighty! That just about does it. We just need to get out the cookie cutters and we’ll be good to go.” You pull back.

Something inside him snaps and he turns and grabs your shoulder, tugging you into him. You blink owlishly at him. He opens his mouth but nothing comes out. He reaches out to caress your cheek, relishing the warmth against his bare hand. You lay your hand over his although you make no move to pull away.

“I…” His breath catches.

“Can I kiss you?” You ask breathlessly

You don’t wait for an answer before shyly pressing your lips to his. It lasts barely a second before you're pulling back with a smug little smile. You point up and he barks out an incredulous laugh.

Mistletoe

A sprig of fucking mistletoe is attached to the ceiling.

“I thought you always spent Christmas alone.” He remarks, lips still burning. He’s dreaming. He’s…this can’t be real.

You chuckle.

“I’m not alone this year.” You respond before giving him another sweet kiss that he eagerly returns.

You taste exactly like brown sugar.

He giggles into the press of your lips

Merry fucking Christmas.

[aureatchi]

⛇₊˚ .࿐₊˚✧ BUBBLES IN MY CHAMPAGNE, LET IT BE SOME JAZZ PLAYIN’ . . .OSAMU DAZAI

⟢ SYNOPSIS. the port-mafia was infamous for throwing glamorous holiday parties every year. not only were you attending this time, but you were also finally going to be introduced as the port-mafia boss’ pretty girlfriend! or…that was the plan.

of course, things never go according to plan.

a/n. merry christmas !! adding onto the xmas dazai fics jdjsjwn <3 this one’s vv chaotic.

info. fem!reader. pm boss!dazai. pm exec!reader. fluff, angst, pinch of sugg. there’s DRAMA. mentions of drinking. lil jealousy. dazai is a 💩. the pm is filthy rich lmao. pazenia is a made up country. wc. 3.4k

“Oh my.”

“How do you like it?”

“It’s beautiful.”

The brunette chuckled as he waltzed towards you. You saw him appear behind you through the sizeable full-body mirror, wrapping his arms around your waist as you finished applying your lipstick.

“It looks even better on you.” Dazai’s fingers wandered playfully, tracing the curves the red dress he gifted you hugged so well. The tailoring was so impressive—the dress could fit noone else but you. And indeed, it was made exclusively for you, for the largest and most luxe corporate event of the year.

It was the Port Mafia Christmas party. Everyone was required to attend, and plus-ones were allowed too, stirring even more chaos into the affair. You were a Port Mafia executive—of course you were going, but the night was going to be unique for another reason.

Tonight, the Port Mafia boss would confirm all the rumors…all the gossip circulating the past few months. He was finally making your relationship with him official in front of everyone.

As if everyone still doesn’t know.

Yet you were nervous. Keeping things an enigma actually worked in your favor—besides suspicious stares with muffled voices and jealous women, you didn’t have to worry about much. Dazai would take care of any problem. After all, you trusted him completely.

But now, everyone would know. You and Dazai had gone through all the downsides—you could become a potential target for any enemies, your name would rise even higher on the wanted list, and you could be stalked by frustrated, jealous men…honestly, you two were almost too hot for your own wellbeing.

Just almost, because “I’ll take care of it all. I’ll make sure nothing ever hurts you, darling.”

He whispered those words into your ear, sensing your anxiousness as you continued to look at your reflections.

“Please don’t worry.”

He did not speak in his usual teasing, playfully amorous voice. The brunette’s face matched the seriousness of the topic you had both gone over multiple times, making sure that the other wanted to still go through with it. You both didn’t want to force the decision of your relationship upon the other—though it was Dazai who had suggested the idea, the choice rested entirely on you. He ensured you knew you could change your mind anytime you wanted.

And Dazai wished you could see that he truly, would go to the ends of universes to make sure you were safe.

You gave him a reassuring smile. “I won’t,” you replied. “I’m only worried about you. I need to be by your side at all times to fight any bad guys that come for you.”

And girls. If you were being honest, you always felt a bit sick thinking about other women wanting him. Maybe this is why your nerves hadn’t backed you out yet…you wanted everyone to know their leader was indeed taken.

Dazai laughed more heartily than he intended to at the comment. He, the now Port Mafia superior commander, known even before as the Demon Prodigy, was being talked to in concern that he needed a sidekick to help him.

Though, he was also the same man whose mind was full of fervor for one girl. You giggled, seeing the apparent blush on Dazai’s face when you fixed his black tie. He was matching with you, of course—his red attire was the ruby scarf.

“Perfect,” you mused when you were done. “Wow, you’re handsome.“

“And you’re ethereal,” Dazai responded, putting on your coat. “Ready to go shock everyone?”

“As if half of the mafia doesn’t already suspect anything between us, Osamu,” you smiled.

“Hmm…you’re right.

“Of course they’d think I’d sought after the prettiest woman in the world.” A coy grin snuck back onto his lips.

…

It was evident your lover had good taste, not only in outfits. He chose to rent out one of the big hotels as the venue for the party—very fitting for the filthy-rich organization.

The first thing you noticed when you stepped out of the limo was the massive Christmas tree in the center of the hall.

“Woah.” There were at least fifty gifts under it already.

You noticed Dazai’s brows suddenly furrow as he, too, inspected the presents.

“Osamu?”

“Bella, remind me who this person is again.”

He picked up a present, showing you a familiar name.

“Oh!” He was the assistant under your wing. You two had worked together for years—you had built up a lot of trust and a friendship to have him in charge of some of your responsibilities.

“I see. Don’t mind that; I forget some of my men sometimes.”

You nodded, though you felt a bit unsure about his response. Regardless, you cast the thought aside.

What you didn’t notice was the way Dazai showed you the package. The present was from your assistant, but the name it was for was entirely covered by the brunette’s hand.

“Well, are you ready to go in?” Dazai asked, holding out a hand towards you.

“Yeah, I’m-”

“Dazai!”

It was Kouyou, another executive. She saw you and greeted you, too.

“My, you’re looking lovely today,” she chirped. “So you and the boss are dating.”

You smiled. “Yes.”

“Well, better tell everyone soon,” she told the both of you. “Dazai, a daughter of a very infamous organization in Europe, is at this party as a plus-one. She wants to discuss a business proposal…‘as soon as possible,’ she said. It’s confidential, too; she only wants you. Do you have a few moments to spare?”

Dazai immediately turned toward you, to which you nodded at him. “It seems important, especially if she’s from Europe.”

“You’re sure?” Dazai asked. You were supposed to walk into the dining hall together to introduce yourselves as the power couple of the evening. “What about…”

“Yeah, the mafia is the priority. I’ll find you soon.” You were an executive, after all. The mafia existed to protect Yokohama City, so work should be an urgency.

“Alright,” he replied. He took another look at you—a singular, amber eye softened once he met your gaze. The other was hidden behind bandages, and so were the emotions of his heart. You couldn’t tell what he was feeling at the moment.

“Let’s go, big sis.” He turned towards Kouyou, who led him out of the room.

Now alone, not counting the guards, you glanced at the presents again, picking up the one Dazai had previously questioned you about.

Oh! Your assistant gave you a present. You found it sweet; your assistant hadn’t gifted you anything until this year. Now Dazai’s reaction made sense—perhaps he had thought you had a secret admirer or something. You giggled at his assumed jealousy.

…

You walked inside the dining hall by yourself, a large crowd already entertaining themselves inside. Everyone who saw you stopped to greet you—their executive, and you wished them a merry Christmas back with a friendly smile.

“Huh? So she’s not dating him?”

You turned your head the slightest, pretending to grab a drink while you instead eavesdropped on two employees you hardly knew. Thank goodness they weren’t the ones going out on missions to spy—they were terrible at not being obvious.

“I’m not sure. But that underground aristocrat from Europe that everyone knows has a crush on the boss showed up to meet him. That huge Christmas tree by the staircases is actually a gift from her.”

“Really?! So…maybe she was the boss’ plus-one? Now that’s wild. Everyone really had me believing he was seeing the executive.”

“Yo!” Your attention was suddenly pulled from their conversation.

“You good? You’re overflowing your cup.” You had poured too much drink, so liquid was running all over the floor.

“Shoot, I think she heard us!” you faintly heard behind you as the employees moved away.

“Oh, yeah. I’m so sorry,” you responded to your assistant who had found you. He handed you a few napkins to clean your hands and dropped a few more to mop the floor with his shoe.

“You didn’t need to help, and thank you,” you said as you cleaned up, too, feeling bad.

“All good! Merry Christmas, by the way. How’s your evening going so far?”

“Good, thank you,” you responded, half-truthful. You needed to find somewhere to process what you had just heard. Even if they were only rumors…they bothered you.

“I saw you got me a gift in the lobby,” you added, recalling earlier. “I was surprised! You haven’t done that before, so I found it so sweet.”

“Oh yeah!” he replied, and you didn’t miss the pink that tinted his cheeks. “Who knows…I may have had a change of heart this year.”

You chuckled innocently. “Well, whatever the reason, thank you! I’m excited to see what you got.”

“Of course. I do hope you like it! Also, your dress. It looks good on you.” His voice sped up at his last comment.

“Oh, uh, thanks-”

That was really awkward. You gave him mercy, though…you hadn’t even told him you were in a relationship. So, you tried to say to him that it was your boyfriend, Dazai, who had the dress made for you, but you were cut off.

Dazai had finally entered the room, but he was accompanied by that noblewoman everyone was speaking about.

Wow, she was gorgeous. Her hair was in a perfect blowout, and she wore an emerald green dress that fit her like a glove.

And with each step Dazai and this new woman took into the hall to be regarded by everyone, your heart sank a bit more into your stomach.

What??

“You don’t look so well. Are you okay?” Your assistant paid no mind to the mafia boss’ new commotion. He was wholly concerned for you.

“Yeah. This drink tastes weird, but I can’t put my finger on what.” Yet, you took another sip. What was going on? You had never doubted Dazai’s love or loyalty toward you. Had you been so blind by your own to miss this?

Dazai didn’t even bother trying to search for you. And the way the lady’s arm touchingly clung around his infuriated you.

“He was seeing some foreign princess all along?”

“The boss always has to cause a scene with something new.”

“They’re kind of hot together, though.”

Now you really wanted to puke. You stared until the noblewoman’s eyes finally caught yours and dwelt on your figure briefly before turning toward Dazai and asking him something.

Dazai’s lips read, “Okay!” before a guard approached you.

“The boss is summoning all the executives to him,” he whispered in your ear, and you nodded, strolling over to him.

Fuck. You wanted to cry. Your heart was beating out of your chest.

You felt a bit better when the other executives—Kouyou and Chuuya showed up before you.

“Miss, these are the Port Mafia’s three executives.” He introduced you individually, not meeting your eye when he went to you.

You wanted to leave. There was no point in being here anymore. What you thought would be a cheery Christmas Eve turned out to be the worst night ever. It couldn’t have gotten any worse…

“And this is the Lady of Pazenia,” Dazai said, introducing the woman. “Our most important foreign guest tonight.”

“So, uh? I’m kinda confused,” Chuuya commented. “Mackerel boss, ya dating her or something?” He glanced at Dazai, the girl on him, and then you.

She responded for him. “We’re getting acquainted tonight, that’s all,” she replied smugly. Dazai chuckled. “Yes…we’ve communicated online a few times, but this is the first time we’re meeting face to face.”

What the fuck.

“Oh, uh, okay.” For once, Chuuya didn’t pester, didn’t tease anymore. Because he was just as startled as you. He, too, suspected that you were dating the boss.

“I’m sorry, will you please excuse me? It was nice meeting you, m’lady; I hope you enjoy your Christmas with the boss.” You didn’t even wait for a reply. You stormed off in the direction of your assistant. You were going to ask him to drive you home, and then you’d pack your things and then stay at a friend’s house for a few days to figure out what to do next.

Everything was crashing down like an avalanche.

But before you could get to him, the bastard’s subordinate stopped you.

“Akutagawa? Hi, Merry Christmas. Sorry, I’m in a rush-”

“Merry Christmas, miss,” he responded, moving in front of you again when you tried to shift over. “Aren’t you going to rescue the boss? Has your emotion clouded your rationality so much you can’t see things clearly anymore?”

“I’m sorry, what?”

You turned back towards the scene, and yeah—what you saw was your final straw. Akutagawa misjudged. Not even a glimmer of hope remained in you.

Somehow, they had ended up at the corner of the room. And lo and behold, Dazai and the Lady of Pazenia had ended up under the mistletoe, and many of the upper ranks surrounded them. There was even a Paparazzi.

You tried to push past Akutagawa, but he stopped you.

“Watch.”

Why? Did Dazai place him there to make sure you suffered through it all? This was so cruel. Tears welled up in your eyes as the room went quiet to watch.

“Oh! Silly me…how did I manage to get here?”

“I’m not sure…” the woman replied flirtatiously. “But you can’t break a tradition, boss of the Port Mafia.”

“I guess I can’t,” Dazai replied, leaning in. “But, can we make a deal, Miss?

“You can kiss me, but tell me where the real Lady of Pazenia is. The exact coordinates where you’re keeping her hostage. If there’s anyone kept in place to secure or torture her.”

And the crowd suddenly gasped. She did, too, and a hand flew to her mouth.

“Shit!”

About ten guards ran towards her, restraining her before she could do anything. Dazai calmly backed away, continuing to explain.

“The business proposal was crafty and would’ve led to our doom quite quickly. You’re trying to overthrow your own government. So, you devised a cover-up to get the mafia to help you, with a deal to help us on our end, but just like your original goal, you want our city’s government to fall into anarchy, too.

“An underground noblewoman. You are exactly that—quite literally.” Dazai sighed. “No, I’m not in a relationship with her, I…”

Dazai finally met your eye, and his heart immediately sunk seeing you cry.

“Oh my gosh,” he whispered, and he ran towards you, tightly embracing you.

You wanted to punch him, throw him away—something, but you were surrounded by half the corporate. There was already enough scandal tonight, you didn’t need to add any more.

“Hah, it’s okay,” you responded audibly, hastily wiping tears. “You’re a great actor, Osamu, really got me believing you were cheating on me for a second.” Words spurred out of your mouth—you hoped you wouldn’t regret it later.

Dazai’s grip on you tightened to silently show you gratitude before he turned to your audience. “Now that the problem is out of the way—Merry Christmas to you all.” A waiter handed him a glass of champagne, who had also gone around with multiple others to hand out drinks to everyone.

“And a special Merry Christmas to my girlfriend, right here.” He gave you a kind smile, and you tried your best to reciprocate your own. There were “awe”’s and “that’s so cute”’s about.

Dazai held his glass up towards everyone else’s before toasting with yours.

…

You stayed away from Dazai for the next hour. He respected your space for that long—in the meantime, you acted fine. You conversed with others, you laughed. Your assistant apologized for his comment on you earlier—“I was completely oblivious to you and the boss! I’m so sorry; I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable.” You laughed it off, telling him it was okay.

“Hey, bella.”

Dazai had finally found you alone. You looked at him, facing the inevitable.

“I’m getting tired. Wanna sneak away with me?”

You hesitated. “Where would we go?”

“The drinks suck here, besides that champagne. I know Chuuya was definitely not in charge of this part.”

You had to agree with that one. You couldn’t even finish the glass you overfilled earlier.

…

Bar Lupin was surprisingly empty that night. The bar was Dazai’s safe place, his getaway. You were constantly reminded of his genuine, complete trust in you whenever he took you here.

“I’m sorry,” Dazai apologized as you waited for your drinks. “What I did was brutal.”

“It really fucking hurt,” you said, finally able to release your true feelings now that nobody else was around.

“I had to keep up the act to expose her. Her vulnerability was that…she had a crush on me? So, the most rapid way to gain her trust was to make her believe she had a chance. She didn’t know I was seeing someone.”

“You take acting too seriously. You’re the Port Mafia boss, not some goddamn movie actor. You couldn’t even…make eye contact with me? Give me a reassuring look or something?”

“You’re right. That’s no excuse.” He took a breath. He had actually messed something up. He could predict and do everything else flawlessly until it came to the people he loved.

He always screwed it up.

“I set aside our relationship for a mission. I’m really sorry, love. And I understand if it takes awhile for you to think through it all. The only thing I ask is for forgiveness.”

“I dunno…it kind of seems like you enjoyed it…”

That was a lie. You were just saying things out of spite now. You had rethought the previous events after recalling what Akutagawa had harshly told you without context—rescue the boss? Yeah, Dazai clearly didn’t enjoy it. He never touched the woman back in any way, and his word choice was very cautious. Except one line.

“Us communicating online? Yeah, I knew she’d just go along with it. I had to say that so Chuuya would stop pushing and blow my cover. Besides, you literally have my email login, darling. You see everything.”

“I really hate you sometimes, Osamu, you know?” you muttered as the bartender finally handed you two your drinks. You took a thirsty sip out of yours. You couldn’t even stay mad anymore.

“Is that your way of saying you forgive me?” he chuckled, knowing the mood was lightening.

“No. You’re just too…attractive. Like, why are you so hot? All the girls want you…I was actually quite relieved when you asked me if we should make things official so everyone could finally know that we belong to each other…”

Hah, if only you knew.

“You don’t assume I think the same? You almost pissed me off by hanging around your little assistant, too, belladonna. He clearly fancies you.”

You gulped, remembering his earlier compliment. “Don’t do anything to him—he didn’t know. He does now.”

“He better,” he simply replied. “And everyone else. There’s no excuse now—you’re the Port Mafia boss’ girlfriend.”

You felt like there were butterflies in your stomach. The protectiveness was attractive. You pulled on Dazai’s tie, reeling the rest of him towards you.

“And you’re my boyfriend,” you smiled.

To everyone else, Dazai was known as evil, suicidal, murderer, demon, saint. But to you, he was simply Osamu. Your boyfriend. And perhaps that’s what he loved most of all. Across universes, you would not fail him—not even Odasaku succeeded so highly.

“Are you going to kiss me, bella?” Dazai asked, the signature smile back on his face.

“No,” you teased, pushing him back. “I’m still mad at you. Nothing went according to plan.”

“Nothing did,” the brunette replied. “But isn’t that what’s so exciting about life? Life is unexpected, yet some good things can come out of it, such as…”

He revealed a piece of mistletoe in his hand, holding it above you two.

“Even if you’re mad, you can’t break a tradition,” Dazai spoke, swinging the plant back and forth.

You sighed before you both leaned in to kiss each other. Dazai pulled you onto his lap, and you kissed him even more feverishly. Your hands ran through his hair until the bandage around his head finally came undone, unveiling the rest of his pretty face.

You focused on his dilated, honey-colored eyes. Finally, they revealed what he was feeling. Comfort in having you in his arms again. In your warmth.

Everything felt too intense after that. He had started making out with you again, his hands were wandering you curiously, the dim lighting, the jazz instrumental, how tipsy you felt from the drinks…

“Let’s just go home.”

…

You were swaddled in Dazai’s arms under the bed's covers at home. So sleepy. Dazai promised that the next day would treat the both of you better—a peaceful Christmas gift.

“Let’s stop doing such large parties,” you said, looking up at the ceiling. “It just calls for trouble, to be honest.”

“Yeah…we’ll have a small houseparty next time. Everyone else can do what they want.”

You were gently kissed on the forehead before the brunette softly whispered to you. “Merry Christmas, belladonna. I love you.”

“I love you too, Osamu.”

dazai told me he’d kiss u if u rb this. rbs are cherished; they are ur christmas gift to me! <3

tags: @kissesmellow21 @osaemu @ruanais + @lovedazai @chuuyrr @anqelically (i think u guys would like this <3)

© AUREATCHI 2023. no reposts or translations. do not steal. support banner + animated divider by cafekitsune. heart lights divider by benkeibear. manga header made by me - DO NOT save/use.

[sweetlikehoneystingslikeabee]

The Holidays In Gotham (Rogues Party)

It's that time of year. I didn't do anything last year but I wanted to get it done this time- at least before New Years. Hope all of you are warm, safe and healthy this year. Personally, I'm hoping for a much happier year with good health all around.

And as a baseline, all the rogues would respect your beliefs and celebrations and partake in them with you.

Tw: Mentions of family abuse/neglect, religion, depression, ableism, mentions of character death

The Riddler

For some reason people assume Jonathan is going to be the scrooge given how much he loves Halloween- no it's Edward. Edward is the biggest Christmas holiday hater. Thanksgiving ends and he's ready to plan some heists because the idea of Christmas cheer is far from sacred! Will he still wear a Santa suit for a Christmas Crime? Yes, because it's thematic and he's still a sucker for a theme.

Much of this comes from his childhood of systematic abuse by his father. As soon as his mother left, the holidays became a distant memory and his father wasted no time in telling the small child that Santa wasn't real and that all of it was a corporate sham. Edward has already had an idea even at such a young age due to how bright he already was- Yet it still stung. What stung more was being surrounded by other children whose families celebrated, further isolating him from his peers.

If he celebrates anything winter-holiday now, it's most likely at the behest of his friends or for the sake of a partner. He'll be grumpy, still, to an extent. Yet he wouldn't deny his loved one if that was something they really enjoyed. He'd make his own gift, a technological marvel suited to their personal interests that he made with his own two hands. Whatever they give him he'll hold at high sentimental value. It means a lot.

Side Note: Show him "A Muppets Christmas Carol" and he WILL get misty at the end.

Penguin

So many memories of holidays where he was isolated away from others due to his appearance. His mother had a soft spot for him, it was true, but even she wouldn't stand up to the expectations held for the Cobblepot name. So alone he would sit in a locked bedroom, eavesdropping onto the grand party being held on the floor below him. Fantasizing about the fun times he would have if only he could be down there.

Nowadays it's one big celebration, all leading up to the culminating New Years Eve bash. Loud music, lots of drinks and a line of suckers he can milk all their money in illicit activities. Girls, gambling and a touch of blackmail never hurt anyone. And he's the star of the show. The ringmaster guiding the events, so to speak! If anyone has anything to say about him being so front and center, he'll shoot them in the goddamn eyes so they don't have to see!

And if there if someone in his life, they are right next to him getting spoiled. They are getting everything on their wish list and more. He'll insist he doesn't need anything but their presence, and still... if they get him a gift, he'll be grateful. Hopefully they like the spotlight he's in! It could easily get overwhelming, however and there's no shame in needing to step out of it for your own sake.

Mad Hatter

Loves this time of year. There's a genuine whimsy and wonder surrounding the holidays. Stories of warmth and love and belonging- Oh he eats that up. As a child, he was never outright abused, but he was very much ignored and neglected emotionally. Christmas would come and he would get a book or a science kit while his parents worked. Instead of it making him bitter, however, he seeks out that kind of warmth of found family.

On that note, if he happens to be in Arkham without his usual companions this time of year, he gets... a little more morose and deeper into his delusions than usual. It's a defense mechanism to try and protect himself from severe depression feeling alone and trapped.

There is a caution to be placed on an s/o for the holidays. Jervis can be a lot in a relationship generally due to his issues. This on top of it, the pressure of him making it perfect and warm and like you're a happy family unit (you are but are you happy ENOUGH)... He can malfunction a bit and go overboard. Anxiety city for the two of you. At least he's not hypnotizing a fake family for the holidays (again), right? Just reassure him. He's going to give you a gift he made himself, hours of work all for you.

Scarecrow

This time of year was one of the few that granny would be warm and almost... almost kind. She was still religious and certainly strict. Yet, she took some of the lessons of Christ being born, of the gifts of the three wise men and giving shelter to those who needed it, to heart. Did it mean more services? Yes. Did it mean the woman was just a fraction more forgiving and pleasant to be around? Jonathan would take it.

Nowadays, while religion is something Jonathan has a complicated relationship with, he does celebrate. The way he celebrates is by cooking and baking until his home is bursting with flavorful scents. Everyone is getting something in the form of food that he absolutely did not lace with fear toxin. The fear toxin laced goodies are for the Mayor. Just don't expect him to put an inflatable Santa anywhere near his property.

He has a huge dislike of what he considers overly bright and gaudy decorations. If his s/o brings anything like that in, you'll see him blink at it for a few moments before going "...what is that?" Otherwise, he'll welcome a bit of "cheer" into his home, and even a bit into his work. As long as they don't mind him trapping them underneath a mistletoe every once in a while.

Music Meister

Clarence has a schedule lined up for several theatrical winter productions. The Nutcracker, a Christmas carol, and there's someone even doing a production of It's a Wonderful Life! This is the perfect thing to do when it gets cold in his opinion. Get into warm but elegant dress clothes, get the best seat in the house, and watch the magic unfold on stage. This was pretty much what he's being doing from the time he was a kid. In comparison to pretty much every other rogue on this list, he's got 0 christmas/winter holiday trauma.

Every once in a blue moon, he'll make sure he's actually in one of these productions as the star. He can play a delightful Scrooge if put on the spot. Of course it needs to be a musical version where there's singing- there's plenty of those about! Then he's giving all of his friends tickets so that they'll appear. And, if no one gave him the role, he'll set up a crime based upon the original stage play, choreographed by him :)

With a partner, he's the one who has a "one gift on christmas eve" rule (because of course he has several for them). That, and matching winter pajamas. Bonus if they're one pieces and incredibly cheesy! He'll have them all warmed up with hot chocolate he made himself to get ready for a movie marathon.

Victor Zsasz

Grew up in a vapid rich family where nothing was ever enough. Accomplishments, gifts, parties, they were all... empty. It wasn't particular to the holidays, really. That was just his life in general. It was what led him to gambling, to small time crookery, to eventually becoming the assassin and serial killer everyone knew and feared loved. Something about the holidays just tended to exacerbate that need, the capitalistic want and greed.

He tends to charge this need by taking a lot more jobs. For some STRANGE reason, the happy holiday cheer just doesn't extend to everyone, does it? Nah, some people are always unhappy, always asking for a hit or a maiming. He's just glad to fulfill these little wishes for everyone! Ho ho ho, call him Sandy Claws! And New Years there's always some party to crash and cause problems until he has a reason to start some violence.

He loves "Home Alone" and thinks he should be allowed to do that but with people who made him bored or upset. Really, it's just creative ways to torture people. He will tell his partner this as they watch it for the third time this season as well as the physical damage each of these stunts would actually cause in detail. Hope you like spooky shit for presents all year long because that's what he loves giving!

Killer Croc

Waylon is... getting back into it now. There was a long time where any of the winter holidays would pass by without phasing him. Just another fucking day of being him, either running from the law or struggling to make it looking the way he does. Yeah, his family celebrated, but he wasn't exactly welcome anywhere but his grandparents home. Then he left and there wasn't anyone he thought would want to celebrate with him.

It wasn't until later when he not only gained real friends among the rogues party but reconnected with his mother that the idea of the holidays started to appeal to him again. Colored string lights outside of a home. Putting up a tree or other decorations inside of a house. Making a family meal and making an event of it, maybe even a potluck with all his friends.

If he has a partner whose been doing the holidays their whole life, he's going to follow their lead. Support their idea of what they personally celebrate while also incorporating his own new traditions. Maybe at some point they can go back to his home for the holidays? Have something with his family that he didn't get to have when he was younger.

Harley Quinn

Harley grew up in a Jewish household with her well-meaning but overbearing and psychologically abusive parents. She celebrated every passing year, the whole thing treated as yet another event to rein in her personality and spirit that was so disapproved of. She was not to be part of the planning. Gifts were only practical and usually consisted of neutral tones. At some point she wasn't even allowed chocolate coins because they would make her fat (as so decreed by her mother).

There was a time period between meeting Joker and The Breakup where she tried to erase all of that. It was easier than processing the emotional turmoil while also dealing with the current abusive and toxic relationship at hand. After the breakup, she went back to her roots, trying to find the blend of herself and her background. So now she celebrates Hanukkah her way. She picks passages of the Torah she resonates with to read off her phone as she lights the menorah. She'll even try her hand at fried latkes- They may not be the best but... they still taste good!

With a partner in the mix, it's just one more person to celebrate with! She'll really enjoy finding a gift to blow their socks off to open that first night. If they don't know about Hanukkah, she'll guide them through all of it! If they celebrate something else, she'll do the work to combine the two. Whatever it takes, she's going to have a fun time making it a fun time.

Poison Ivy

Her holidays used to be filled with gifts of makeup, body wash and frilly feminine clothing when all she'd wanted was children's chemistry sets and botanical supplies. It was always her Aunt Gigi that would get her exactly what she wanted. It left a bittersweet impression of the season on Pamela, even before her transformation. Then Aunt Gigi came out (as herself), was kicked out, and yet took Pamela in when she was at her sickest, all in the cold season.

Now her seasons are mostly celebrated with Harleen, observing the nights of Hanukkah. For her, she'd never had a specific religious attachment to any of it, so she weaves through it all with attachment to the people rather than the event itself. She always makes sure to have dinner with her Aunt Gigi at least once during the holidays. She's the only family she considers as "hers" at this point.

In respect to a partner, she will be hyper-vigilant about getting them something they actually want for the holiday. It won't be something she mentions, but she distinctly remembers opening up gifts, feeling that excitement- for it to fall to the pit of your stomach. Not for her love. If nothing else, she'll get them something she knows they'll enjoy like a treat while cultivating a plant or flower for them.

Two-Face

For some reason, the holidays make Harv tense. Perhaps it's a psychological thing Harvey has had lying in wait inside his mind. Maybe it's something Harv came up with on his own. Whatever it is, it makes him snippy while Harvey just wants to get through the holidays without killing someone. There's a large cognitive dissonance that ruptures through not only them, but on their "workers" as well.

There are not decorations and if there are decorations, they better not have some jolly fat fuck saying "ho-ho-ho" at Two-Face or he's going to actually flip a goddamn table. The mirrored-symmetrical rule applies to anything. Or rather... There's a wreath on the door that's been cut in half. One side for cheer, the other for... Not. Apparently Harv had done it in a rage after a bad deal.

A person seeing them in the middle of that can disrupt the balance... With Harv begrudgingly celebrating if they really can't miss it. If not, sorry Harvey, just be glad no one is dying. They may be able to at least ease the rage behind it- Harv having the fractured memories of when Pops was still around. The anger around ruined events and having their mother tossed into the snow with a black eye. It's something if actually talked about, he might be able to move past it.

Black Mask

The holiday season for Roman was much like most of his interactions with family- Showy, expensive and hollow. More presents than he could count, almost all of them expendable and easily forgotten within ten minutes of playing with them. Gifts from "friends of the family" he'd never even met so they could try and curry favor with the Sionis empire. All of it feeding further into his role as the heir apparent. It never really struck him until the fall out of everything.

Now he typically celebrates with a cigar and a bourbon, staring out into the icy landscape of Gotham. No one seems to want to work this time of year and he can't help but utter a "bah, humbug" under his breath when people complain. If people don't want something from you, they want to be lazy. If anyone on this list needed a ghostly visit, it would probably be Roman if we're being honest. He's not expecting shit from anyone otherwise.

Things will vastly shift if he gets a partner that celebrates. He's not quite in the spirit of things as one may hope, but he'll at least put the effort in. If nothing else, he'll spoil the shit out of his s/o with a gift or two. Something very nice and probably useless. But fuck practical- it's a gift. Should be pretty, he says.

Mr. Freeze

His memories of his childhood at this time are rather... unremarkable. They were neither good nor bad. His family was loving, they gave him things he wanted along with siblings. Nothing in particular stands out. What he remembers was his first New Years Day with Nora, the heat barely working and the two of them huddled under a blanket with cups of coffee. Neither of them religious or seeing the need for a gift giving holiday when they were barely making it by. Yet they were still some of his best memories.

This time of year is spent depending upon if Nora is still in cryo-stasis. If she is, he's working. Constantly working- Maybe this year he'll get it all done before things heat up outside and there's more stress on her already fragile casing. He doesn't recognize holidays or even dates anymore. If Nora has passed, he will either be alone in a dark room still not paying attention to dates or sitting at a party he's been invited to, cup in hand staring into the distance. Hopefully there is a companion animal here.

If another person is in the mix he's going to be SO awkward about it. Do they... do things for this? Are they like him about it? He will partake in whatever they wish for him to do. Just don't expect him to do it well.

Ra's Al Ghul

Doesn't celebrate anything specific lol. He's been around so long and in so many different places, he's been part of many types of rituals and events. Something about the cold when everything has died for the season makes people want to come together. Many cultures and religions have a variation of a winter solstice celebration which then extends to a new calendar year celebration. He's seen it all before. Nothing is particularly inventive at this point.

He'll spend this time as he would any other day. Nothing special about it.

If he had a partner that celebrated a holiday in this time, he would ultimately respect them. He would allow them the space to decorate and do what they liked, but he wouldn't add to much of it himself. If he gets a gift, he will reciprocate. Yet, it doesn't seem to be as big of a deal for him. As if it's all just passing by his eyes.

Bane

Christmas and other holidays were a mere concept to Bane. He would see other prisoners trying to celebrate in their cells. Watch it get torn down by guards or other inmates out of rage and anger. Sometimes he would hear stories, likely twisted versions of parables long since told at times such at this. He never received a present or much of a kind word in this time over any other time. One time someone even told him about snow, although as a child he didn't believe it until he learned the scientific processes behind it.

In truth as an adult, he was curious about being part of events like this. He'd first experienced snow in Gotham, a snowflake falling on his open hand- and he understood a want to celebrate it. The... feeling it gave him. He doesn't know the first thing about it. Yes, he does the research so logically he's aware. That's different from a feeling of knowing it naturally, to him.

No matter how his s/o may partake, he wants to be part of that. It's likely already more than he's done in most of his years of living. Is it truly a joyous time for them? Do they exchange gifts? Do they fast- he will fast with them! There's something about that sharing and blending of cultures that makes him feel... welcome in your life.

[flowercrowngods]

lmao look what i just found in my drafts. marvey christmas stuff

If there’s one thing overrated and over-romanticised, it’s New York City at Christmas. Harvey’s seen it, he’s been there, he’s done that. It loses its magic pretty quickly — and not just because every goddamn corporation decides to stir up trouble in November and December, keeping him sleep deprived and busy night and day for almost two whole months on top of his usual schedule.

Christmas comes with working overtime, galas and charity events, and, granted, a couple of fat bonus cheques that make all this worthwhile; at least on paper.

What Christmas does not come with, however, is magic. Maybe in every other city on this planet, but not here. It’s not like Harvey misses it particularly, or finds himself yearning for the childish joy he used to feel when he was a small-town kid untouched by corporate greed or cheating mothers alike.

He doesn’t really care. He doesn’t even mention it. Which is getting increasingly harder as Mike sits beside him in absolute silence, sparing him the yearly rambles about Christmas magic and instead electing to just stare out the window as Ray fights his way through late morning traffic, the city around them hustling and bustling with people who are way too late to do their Christmas shopping.

Mike doesn’t even comment on the snow that’s starting. Not on the way the flakes catch on the windows or the way they will break the headlights and taillights and storefronts and Christmas lights, casting his face in a pretty kaleidoscope of ever-changing colours before melting and forging trails down the windows, momentarily smudging the outside world.

Mike is completely still beside him.

Weird.

They haven’t had a lot of time together lately, with their cases stacked against them and the usual end-of-year craze having the entire firm in a chokehold from 12 a.m. til midnight. Maybe their little venture into the Plaza will give them a little time to catch up, so he can find out what on Earth got into Mike for him to ignore the Christmas snow.

A quick glance at his watch tells him that they’re still on schedule and should make it to the hotel on time. It’s a pompous affair and entirely needless, they could have just as well met with the guy at the firm. But the man insisted on meeting them at the Plaza Hotel on the morning of Christmas Eve like some kind of Santastic herald, sending both him and Mike on one last journey before releasing them to their family’s for the holidays.

Or, in Mike’s case, Rachel’s family.

That still doesn’t sit right with Harvey, and he wishes there was some way of telling him I don’t think your girlfriend is good for you without sounding entirely infatuated and wrecked with yearning, flavoured and spiced with a little over a year of unrequited feelings. There’s no way of saying I want you to break up with your fiancée and our moment at last year’s Christmas party has nothing to do with it.

Because it doesn’t. Really, it doesn’t.

That was last year and this is this year, and Mike looks as unhappy as ever and that’s just something Harvey can’t stand.

“Why are we doing this again?” Mike grumbles, the words muffled against his hand where it’s supporting his head as he’s watching the world pass by in short, stagnant instances.

Harvey sighs, flipping through the file once more where it rests on his lap. He knows its contents very well and he knows that there’s no explanation for Fitzgerald meeting them at the Plaza of all places to talk nothing but potential strategies that wouldn’t come into play for another two years if he still plans on following the proposed ten-year expansion plans. Maybe it’s a Christmas thing that makes rich men wonder where to put their money and then decide to put it in the pockets of other rich men at the most Rich Man place in the state.

Okay, maybe he should have added a splash of vanilla to his coffee this morning after all.

“To humour the firm’s newest client,” he tells Mike with false cheer.

He gets a sour look for his troubles and rolls his eyes in Mike’s face because honestly, what kind of answer did he expect.

“He’s not even the newest client. Also, isn’t he Jessica’s conquest?”

Harvey makes a face at the insinuation, trying to shove the image out of his head.

“First of all, yes he is, but she’s busy and you could do with some billables, kid. Second of all, why are you still asking these kinds of questions? Next you’ll ask why we’re making you wear suits, Jesus, Mike. It’s Christmas, and that means there are two rules,“ Harvey says and holds up two fingers, pointing at them one after the other. “We do not question our clients’ wishes, whims and whatnots. And we make them pay double for our troubles. Passing up on that kind of business would be insane, even if it’s all for show and good looks. The client is happy and the firm gets to have a very merry Christmas. And that is why we’re doing this again.”

Okay, maybe two splashes of vanilla, and a hint of cinnamon would have actually been great. And possibly another double shot of espresso. Here’s to hoping that the service at the Plaza is still absolutely otherworldly and that Mike will totally not listen in on his coffee order.

Mike scowls at him, taking the file from his lap and reading its contents for himself — right, like he even needs to read it twice. The kid’s a bad bluffer. Harvey almost feels bad for snapping at him. He just really doesn’t like Christmas in the city.

“For the record,” Mike perks up again, his voice nonchalant and passive, like he doesn’t really care. “Do you prefer the name Scrooge or Mister Grinch?”

Harvey kicks his ankle and doesn’t deign that with any response. He doesn’t miss the tiny smile tugging at Mike’s lips, though. Small win.

[cartoonybus]

Love Händel Headcanons

cw for allusions to drugs, sex, disordered eating, homo & transphobia, sexism

|All Three|

• they were all born around 1960

• they all met in high school

○ Danny met Swampy when he was running late one day. he went to lock up his bike while Swampy was smoking in the bike shed. Danny bummed a cigarette off him and they started chatting

○ Bobbi and Swampy had been aware of each other (they'd both been in band in middle school) but didn't properly meet until they got kicked out of class on the same day

○ at some point, both Dan and Bob sat with Swamps at lunch on the same day. then the next. and then the next. and then--

• They all had interest in hard rock before meeting but Bobbi was actually the one to introduce them to metal music and the metal scene

• they held regular but informal jam sessions for years, using the dilapidated shed in Danny's backyard before ever forming a band

• the decision to start a band came during an early 80s blunt sesh. they were having a deep conversation about what they wanted out of life. none of them wanted to go to college or join the corporate world or start a family. danny always dreamed of being a rock star. and since they were all musicans, yeah, why not!

• 'Music Makes Us Better' is what their typical repertoire sounded like back in the day, and 'Snuck Your Way' was their odd ball. though when they reformed they experimented more and became less strictly metal

• they never had a manager; they always split their earnings three-ways. in the early years they took turns organizing gigs and venues

• they grew a small, dedicated fanbase in their early years, being big fish in a small pond in the Tri-State Area music scene. by the mid-80s they were popular enough to be featured in independent subculture magazines and college radio shows, and eventually started touring the country by '84

• however, they didn't sell out many venues until they blew up in popularity with 'You Snuck Your Way into My Heart'

• overall Love Händel was started in '81, and their career lasted from '82 until '97

• Sherman was the first to leave the band. since he was the Heart™, Love Händel folded days later (the concert Linda and Lawrence went to wasn't a planned farewell concert, it was just the last show before they broke up. it just became colloquially known as The Farewell Concert)

• they are dudes from the 80s; they're all emotionally constipated. gave each other a lot of the classic "dude are being vulnerable rn? what are you, a girl?" type of shit. so a LOT of their conflicts are caused by suppressed emotions finally blowing up and their inability to communicate with each other

• honestly they could be pretty vicious with their banter at times; if you overheard them then you'd think they despised each other.

• though tbh if anyone outside of their trio ever gave one of them even 10% the attitude they have each other, the other two would flip their shit ("fuck you YOU can't talk to him like that! only we can!")

• and that said, after the events of DWGTBBT when they decide to try being friends again, they elect to go to group therapy (affectionately referred to as 'couples therapy' and 'our rock'n'roll guidance counselor'). that, plus their "old age", has softened them up a bit

• they explored each other's bodies--*armed guards tackle me to the ground*

• back in the day their favorite movies to rent together are 'Buckaroo Banzai', 'Rock: Its Your Decision' (esp while stoned), and 'This Is Spin̈al Tap'. For the holidays, they like to throw on the 'Black Christmas' and 'Muppets Christmas Carol'

• they're all snobby in their own ways; Danny with music esp rock, Bobbi with fashion and art, and Sherman with literature and classic comedy (though he's the least likely to be a dick about it)

• they all have poor self-esteem in their own, though similar, ways; at various points in their lives, they've all been made to feel like they were obnoxious and "too much". they found solace in music and in each other. playing together makes them feel special, accepted, or useful

• they informally reformed after DWGTBBT, usually playing at local events while Sherman was on his lunch break (technically Bob and Danny were on break too but they're their own bosses so their breaks could be whenever). they officially reformed full-time before the events of Across the 2nd Dimension. they were setting off for their reunion tour when the Normbots attacked

|Danny|

• his full name is Daniel Alexander Makriyannis

• was an only child, but grew up close with several cousins who were basically siblings

• Greek American; his dad's parents immigrated in the 1920s, his mom was born in Greece but moved to the US as a kid to live with an aunt

• grew up in Peoria Illinois where his upbringing was painfully average

• got his first guitar for his 10th birthday

• before then, he started spending a lot of his free time just hanging out at the local music store, and eventually became a pseudo-son figure to the store owner, Mac

• when he was 12 he was actually hired (under the table) at the store as his first job. he mainly did small jobs like cleaning and moving stock in the backroom. he was promoted to cashier around 14

• his dad worked as a desk jockey at a toy factory and was transferred when Danny was 16, forcing the family to move to Danville

• naturally, Danny was devastated about leaving behind his friends, family, and city to move to the suburbs

• for years he was the only member of the band who has ever had a driver license

• cis bi man; it didn't click until he was 30. he'd always been aware of his attraction to men but subconsciously repressed/downplayed it ("its totally normal to get horny looking at dudes and for your heart to hurt when you see queer shit it doesn't make me gay im straight iM STRAIGHT")

• hasn't been with a man before, but dated several women over the years

• a couple of years after the band broke up, he met and was briefly married to a woman named Trish, but that started and fizzled out in <3 years.

• as a young man, his main flirting tactic was to flex his knowledge of and opinions on music. he usually came across as a dick so it never really worked

• not really an athlete but definitely the most active and physically fit of the band. he weight trains and goes for runs at least once week

|Bobbi|

• his full name is Robert Eric Gaitán

• an only child

• naturally brunette. naturally hairy too but shaves his body

• whenever he has a cold, he sounds like Candace-on-parsnips

• grew up Catholic. neither he nor his parents were very religious, they just went to church on Sundays and for big holidays because, well, "that's what you do"

• he was only in the church choir for a couple of years, but it really helped him develop his vocal range. it also taught him how to read sheet music

• his parents are from Mexico. his father was a tailor and his mother was seamstress, and they met when they started working in the same shop in Monterrey

• they later eloped to america, where they moved around a lot (Bobbi was born in Chicago) before settling in Danville when he was little

• his parents never taught him Spanish while he was growing up. it was not out of shame, just studies at the time thought speaking Spanish at home would make it harder for kids to learn English, and they wanted to give him a headstart (in fact, they were ecstatic when he chose Spanish as his language class in high school)

• his parents didn't pressure him into joining the family business, but they insisted on teaching him the basics of mending clothes. as a tween he asked to be taught how to read patterns and how to use the sewing machine

• he's a cis(ish) gay man; he's known since was 11 or 12

• when he realized he was gay he broke down and was despondent for several days. he felt like he HAD to tell his parents and it took him weeks to build up the courage to do so

• his parents, for their part, were surprisingly okay with it (if in a fearful "don't tell anyone, this stays within the family, don't act gay in public, this is your cross to bear. love you <3" kinda way)

• honestly they were way more distraught when he dropped out of college to be in Love Händel

• he's been naturally fey his whole life but starting in middle school he did his best to hide it, mostly by keeping quiet. when he spoke he tried to keep his voice low, giving short clipped responses, and he'd sit on his hands or cross his arms to keep from being expressive. during interviews with the band, it made him come across as rude and cold, so he was the least popular among fans

• however, he let himself relax and be himself around his closest friends (including Danny and Sherman ofc). and when the band broke up he had a "fuck it" moment and stopped masking all together, letting his genuine personality shine through all the time.

• he hasn't officially come out of the closet to the public, though his sexuality has been an open secret in the industry for years

• has had a poor relationship with food most of his life. he's never been officially diagnosed with an ED, but his eating habits are definitely disordered and unhealthy. he passed out from hunger multiple times in the 80s and 90s.

• in high school he had a deep connection with an exchange student from Montreal named Wendel Ngo that definitely would've turned romantic if either of them acted on it

• a hopeless romantic but has the worst luck dating. like, murphy's law levels of bad luck. the men he dated weren't awful, it just seemed that something crazy would happen early in the relationship that'd end it. like, a-boulder-crashing-through-the-café-they're-in-and-running-his-date-over levels of crazy

• simultaneously touch-starved and avoidant as hell

• is genuinely a talented hairdresser, just his signature 'do is, well, his signature! plus one of the most popular styles requested at his salon

• went bald due to the stress of the band dissolving, malnutrition, and because hair bleach in the 80s was straight up corrosive

• he has a French bulldog named Basquiat whom he spoils rotten. she's not allowed on the couch though (she gets her own)

|Swampy|

• his full name is Sherman Lee Lundy (his birth name was Marcia Anne)

• has a sister named Glenda who's 2.5 years younger than him, plus half-siblings he's never met

• his parents never married. his father left when his mom was pregnant with his sister

• since said mother had to work A LOT to keep her kids fed, they were basically raised by their Nana

• he got the nickname 'Swampy' from his Nana--his mother called him 'Marshy' as a baby and because his Nana is a real Wise Guy™ started calling him Swampy, and it stuck.

• trans & bi; he's known he was a boy since he was little but didn't realize he was into men until high school

• similar to Ringo, he was "The Weird One" but got the most fan mail

• also got laid the most, though didn't date very much (it was easier to stay stealth while making out in a car at night than while going out to dinner)

• slouches so much because 1) drummer 2) he didn't get top surgery until his 40s so he tried to make his chest smaller that way 3) tbh when you read you have to slouch majority of the time

• his Nana was pretty supportive, if clueless. like she never really "got" what "transgender" was, but if little Swampy hated his name and wanted to he referred to as a boy, that was fine by her ("I used to be in vaudeville, I've known plenty of inverts").

• when he hit puberty and his boobs started coming in, she dug through their attic and found an old sewing pattern for a Symington Side Lacer--a proto-binder from the '20s, meant to achieve flat silhouettes. she made Swampy a few lacers of his own, including the mesh one he wore on tour

• though he didn't get his name legally changed until he was an adult, he picked out the name Sherman for himself as a little kid; he named himself after Herman Munster but "didn't want to make it too obvious"

• his mom was too busy with work to really react or intervene with his transition. one time she came home early and walked in on him chopping all his hair off. she just sighed, pinched her nose, and told him to sweep up when he was done

• since he's been openly a boy pretty much her whole life, his sister didn't know he was trans until they were adults; when she was little, she saw baby photos of a girl who wasn't her and heard mentions of a 'Marcia'. when she asked Nana and Swampy about "her" they hastily said things like "no one, don't worry about it" so. she became convinced she had an older sister who died that no one brought up because it was too painful

• as a tween, Glenda had a short crocheting phase (it was the 70s after all), and Sherm picked it up after she dropped it. It's something he still does to this day

• he was a classic hyper 'he's not dumb he's just bored' ADHD kid when he was little

• always had an interest in learning music, but was directed towards the drums to get his energy out. fortunately it became his passion

• he's best at drums, but he knows how to play A LOT of instruments; guitar, piano, trumpet, marimbas/xylophone, the theramin

• i know 'chaotic gremlin energy' is considered cringy tumblr speak or whatever, but there's no other way for me to describe him as a young man. weed REALLY mellowed him out

• always loved reading and read through all the books in his house multiple times. even the dictionary

• honestly because of he's so well read he has info/trivia/quotes for almost any situation

• refuses to elaborate on what he was doing in a metronome factory in the first place

• he loves most genres of literature and fiction, though never really got into poetry

• just one of those people who's naturally good with kids. at family gatherings and stuff the kids just gravitate towards him

• because of that and working in the library for so long, he's the most up to date with what's cool with the kids these days. he's still considered Uncool though

• keeps in regular contact with his sister and Nana, calling them at least once a week but often more. not as close with his mom but they're friendly and talk when they run into each other.

[kwanzaa-wakanda]

Why you don't know anyone who celebrates Kwanzaa

"Because no one cares"

"Because it's a sham holiday made by a con artist"

"Because it's dumb"

"Because no True African would ever celebrate Kwanzaa."

These are all bad faith arguments. They aren't meant to actually explain why, and do more to devalue the holiday as well as people who celebrate it or at least respect it.

So, why don't you know people who celebrate Kwanzaa? After all, you have so many Black friends, or maybe even you are Black yourself, shouldn't Kwanzaa be everywhere?

This post is a bit long, and some points are explored more deeper than others, but I think this will provide an explanation that's actually pretty fair and common sense. The short version:

Kwanzaa is a newer, anti-consumerist holiday that does not appeal to every single Black person. And that's okay!

1. Kwanzaa is a newer holiday.

Kwanzaa is only about 60 years old. It's not going to be as popular as Christmas. Other holidays, say Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, or Martin Luther King Jr. Day are about as old or even younger than Kwanzaa, so why are they celebrated more widely? Well, it helps that they're all federal holidays with a state structure to back them up. Individual people can celebrate those holidays, but they don't have to, institutions celebrate them for us by giving us time off work and making a public statement (maybe a donation or two). Other than that, those holidays are largely upheld by community events, just like Kwanzaa (more on this later).

The types of family traditions we associate with Christmas take generations to build. Even other older holidays like Mother's Day don't have any real traditions inherently associated with them--we all give our moms a gift but beyond that, everyone engages with it differently.

New holidays need time to catch on. Institutional structures help speed that process along, but Kwanzaa doesn't really have that. So it's going to be slower than others in terms of attracting people.

2. Kwanzaa is anti-consumerist inherently.

In America, consumerism makes up a very large part of how people engage in holidays. Note that I'm not saying "people only celebrate other holidays for consumerist reasons", I am saying that a lot of the driving forces that 'remind' us to take holidays seriously in the US are market forces. We're inundated with advertisements, sales, and decorations that help create a 'feeling' of the holiday (be it Christmas, Valentine's Day, Halloween, etc) which also make it easier to engage with the holiday. We can get the supplies we need at the store. If we don't have plans then there's probably a business throwing a party around that time to keep us entertained. Gift-giving and feast preparation is expressed through buying products en masse so we prepare financially. Holiday specific media sculpts our collective understanding of the holiday's themes even if we don't engage directly.

Kwanzaa, as an explicitlyanti-consumerist holiday, doesn't lend itself to that level of cultural zeitgeist in the US. People exchange gifts and decorate places for Kwanzaa, but commerce during Kwanzaa is typically kept within Black communities through dealing directly with (small) Black Owned businesses. Given that most corporations in the US are white owned, there's very little reason for the market structure to incentive our continued engagement in Kwanzaa. The passive acknowledgement that it's a holiday that exists is the most we can really hope for.

Imagine Halloween without candy sales, Spirit Halloween stores, Halloween parties or costume nights at our favorite restaurants and bars. Imagine no horror movies coming out in October! In a world like that, I and many other people would still celebrate Halloween, but it wouldn't be as easy, and a lot of people probably wouldn't acknowledge it at all, because it isn't as easy.

Kwanzaa explicitly resists the market forces that help holidays stay in our daily lives. We all value our holidays beyond those forces, but we can't deny the very heavy role they play. We can argue that such market forces are morally neutral or even good, but not in this post--whatever your view of holiday consumerism, it's critical to understand that Kwanzaa was organized specifically for people who don't appreciate such consumerism.

3. Kwanzaa does not appeal to all Black people equally.

I think this is one of the hardest points for people both within and outside the community to grasp. The holiday is for Black people, and is meant to appeal to as broad a sampling of Black people as possible. That doesn't mean it will appeal to everyone, though.

The target audience for Kwanzaa is Black people, regardless of nationality, who believe in a shared political unity, heritage, and cultural engagement of all Black people regardless of nationality.

Thing is, not all Black people believe in or value those things. Not all Black people are Pan-Africanist, Afrocentrist, or Black Nationalist, or any other Negritude philosophy. These philosophies are widespread in politics and scholarship, but outside of those dimensions of life engagement with them gets complicated.

You may have heard that "no Africans celebrate Kwanzaa" this is largely true because Africans live in families and communities where their African heritage is already affirmed through other means, including other holidays. Kwanzaa therefore doesn't appeal to them, even if they do believe in all it's themes. Such people may go to Kwanzaa events if invited, but they likely wouldn't hold them for themselves.

Many in the African Diaspora understand their identity most immediately by the region they settled in, and only have a distant sense of African identity. They don't deny being African or having African heritage, but they see being Caribbean, or Brazilian, or American as more relevant. Kwanzaa therefore doesn't appeal to them as it's not specific enough.

Kwanzaa is not closed to any Black demographic and actively encourages all of us to celebrate it. But not all of us will find it appealing.

I would compare Kwanzaa to a holiday like Easter--its a Christian holiday meant to appeal to all Christians equally. But if you aren't church-going and have no children in the family, you probably don't celebrate Easter to any meaningful extent, or your engagement is so personal that it isn't considered very mainstream or traditional.

The point I'm trying to make is: holidays aren't guaranteed to appeal to everyone in their target demographic. Though the reasons why diverge, not every Christian celebrates Easter, not every Black person celebrates Kwanzaa.

4. Communal Kwanzaa celebration is more popular than in-home, but that also carries some drawbacks to it.

Whenever people interested in celebrating Kwanzaa ask me how to get started, I often tell them to look into community celebrations. They're usually put on by churches (perhaps even mosques), community centers, cultural activity groups, or political groups. And therein lies the problem--if you don't live in close proximity to that type of Black community, or the community is invisiblized, then even if there are communal Kwanzaa celebrations to check out you probably won't know about them.

You can't just ask a random Black person about a Kwanzaa event, typically. My advice is to tell people to check out a Black bookstore (and, if available, an African cultural store or an Afro spiritual store). The types of people organizing Kwanzaa events are usually those deeply enmeshed in cultural and political Black discourses, particularly those that affirm an African heritage. But such people aren't found everywhere. In my experience, you can find such people and spaces in most major cities, and so a Kwanzaa celebration probably isn't too far away either. Everywhere else, though...

The only other option to find Kwanzaa celebrations, in my experience, are through Black student clubs in colleges. Not all of them do Kwanzaa activities due to many factors (cost, timing, interest, etc), but my undergrad college did and I know that others throughout the country do. However, such activities may not be open to the public (again, for varying reasons -- cost, timing, interest, college policy...).

When people ask about personal celebration, they usually ask about in-home celebration, treating community celebrations or celebrations in schools as less serious or legitimate. Kwanzaa in general is itself rare, but the idyllic in-home celebration is even rarer -- I myself was raised engaging in Kwanzaa almost entirely through community rather than in-home celebrations (though I started doing in-home for myself in recent years).

---

How, then, should we treat people who celebrate Kwanzaa, or even the non-Black people who don't celebrate it but acknowledge it as a valid holiday?

Honestly, I don't get why that has to be a question. Sure, it's a very marginal holiday, but it's also harmless to treat it respectfully and try and make room in your life in case you ever come across someone who does celebrate it.

I made this post because I often see this idea that people were "tricked" about Kwanzaa. I fail to see what harm has transpired. I don't get why people use their lack of awareness of Kwanzaa or Black communities that celebrate it as a "gotcha" that proves Kwanzaa is a scheme. When I do try to understand the logic underlying this, I come back to this idea that holidays and cultures have to earn respect and validation, that being included in our American idea of "Holiday Time" requires that holidays have a certain number of people we already respect, whom would be offended otherwise.

But that isn't a perspective that I share. I can't say how many people need to celebrate a holiday in America before I stop thinking it an insult or a lie that said holiday be included next to Christmas in a holiday greeting; the number doesn't exist because I don't hold Christmas or Hannukah in so high esteem. I value Christmas in as much as I recognize other people value it, the same is true of Hannukah and Yule (and even the pagan witches I've known didn't celebrate Yule). To me, the only thing one needs to be worthy of consideration as one of The Holidays is to simply be celebrated by people around this time of year.

[basedhighsenberg]

I promised y'all a rant about some of my employees the other day- after sitting on it for a few days I decided that it's worth mentioning but also "it is what it is".

I have a really really really good boss, probably one of the better people I've ever worked for. He's a year older than me and not a corporate drone which is nice. But he's also just a really good human and is very understanding when it comes to scheduling and work-life balance, such that if you give him notice about something and, especially if it's family related, he's going to find coverage for you and make it work so you can get time off.

I have three coworkers between the age of 22-24, all three are LDS. Two are girls, one is a guy who is in college. The sociopathy comes into play because all three of them take advantage of my boss SO fucking hard and it's getting to the point that I'm having trouble respecting them as people.

For context- the two girls have essentially abused my bosses good nature and now have "family events" and requests for time off 2-3 times a month for 2-3 days at a time.

Two weeks ago my boss was taking us out for dinner, on his own dime, because we made max sale quota in August. 30 minutes before we're supposed to go to dinner, the two girls were ranting in the store about how they want to make Tik Toks on company time about the "dos and dont's of going to a jewelry store". I tried to give them a heads up about our company policies involving that shit- not that I actually care, but if they plan on trying to monetize their videos and they have the store logo/brand visible, they're going to get sued. They responded by laughing and acting like children saying "who gives a fuck I don't care if I get fired by [company] it doesn't matter".

If it were up to me, I probably would have fired them on the spot for that. But it's not, so I let my boss know that this is how they were acting IMMEDIATELY BEFORE HE TOOK THEM OUT TO DINNER ON HIS DIME and he has yet to confront them about it. I can tell he is extremely hurt by how they were acting but he is trying to pretend like everything is fine.

Onto the guy. The guy in college is supposed to be our 3rd full time manager/keyholder, but since September he has been all "sorry school bye" and now will not work more than 24-26 hours a week, despite promising to make his school schedule work in exchange for us giving him the manager position. He is also now a complete finance bro and it's getting insufferable, most notably because of his endless prattling on about his "prestigious marketing program" at BYU that he will launch into 3-4 times a shift. Moreover, the other week we were discussing an issue in the store over a group chat and he interrupts the conversation, which was a little heated, to bug all of us about taking a survey for him for school. With his complete lack of awareness of all things going on around him, he's non-functional as a manager but refuses to step down because he wants the pay.

We're about to go into the busiest time of year, and my boss is beside himself some days because he's realized that none of these people are reliable employees anymore, inspite of him bending over backwards to try and accommodate them. The girl moving to Florida promised she'd stay through the holidays but I don't see her making it through November. The other girl is very impressionable and would actually be a model employee if not for the first girl, but the longer they're together at work the more likely it is we're gonna lose her too. College boy openly talks about leaving Utah as soon as he graduates so he's a problem with a expiration date.

I do not have the same managerial tact that my boss does, I would be less accommodating and much less forgiving of this behavior. But I am not my boss and don't have the ability to do anything about it- expect show up each day and be polite, but also act like God send me as a punishment to these sociopathic idiots to protect my bosses good nature.

Or, I can clock in, abide, and clock out. We'll see.

[thgfanfictionlibrary]

Teen and Up Rated Fics Masterlist (46)

Part 1- Part 38 /  Part 39 / Part 40 / Part 41 / Part 42 / Part 43 / Part 44 / Part 45 /

Created: March 24th, 2024

Last Checked:—-

Second Hand News-flyingcarpet (ao3) Summary: How did people know? Madge barely even knew what they were doing, and now it was the talk of the school? Semper Fidelis: Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum-Falafel_Waffel (ao3) Summary: Prequel to Semper Fidelis. The events of September 11th 2001 seen through the eyes of Corporal Katniss Everdeen. Set Yourself on Fire-Forthegenuine (ao3) Summary: AU. My name is Katniss Everdeen. I'm a double agent for the CIA. My mission is to destroy a criminal organization called Directorate 13, where my partner is another double agent for the Agency––a man named Peeta Mellark. Inspired by J.J. Abrams's, Alias. Shooting Stars and Comets-FanficAllergy, RoseFyre (ao3) Summary: Peeta Mellark hates his life. He hates his parents. His brothers. His friends. He especially hates the students at Juilliard for being able to pursue their dreams. Of course, fate might have something to say about that last one. Single but Peared-Hutchabelle (ao3) Summary: Katniss isn't looking forward to a Valentine's Day by herself, but her roommate Peeta has other plans. Skin and Bones-hotpielookedlikehotpie (ao3) Summary: post-rebellion/pre-epilogue of Mockingjay that explores Peeta and Katniss growing back together. There are a lot of these kinds of katniss/peeta fics, but I wanted to write one that didn't use the canon symbolic items (memory book, pearl, etc) to define their relationship Small Changes-endlessnightlock (ao3) Summary: Peeta and Katniss through the years as friends on the verge of something more.  Someone Worth Melting For-ellembee (ao3) Summary: These past few months have been hell. Not only has Peeta been in and out of court battling his ex-wife for sole custody of his daughter, his new boss Ms. Everdeen won’t cut him any slack. So far, this holiday season sucks. So Really Good-hutchabelle (ao3) Summary: Peeta’s tipsy, and his wife is hot. So Wrong, So Fast-Hutchabelle (ao3) Summary: Peeta meets Murphy's Law on the night he plans to propose to his girlfriend. If it can go wrong, it does. It's a good thing Katniss loves him.

[goeliteevents]

Holiday Party Location Tips Rental

How to Choose the Right Location for Your Company Holiday Party

Holidays and the end of the year are near. Now is the time to get your employees together for a company holiday party. This allows everyone to appreciate and acknowledge company achievements, moving the organization forward, and let off some steam! There are many decisions to make when planning an office holiday party.

When choosing a site, consider the size of your guest list, any activities, and whether it will be held in the afternoon or evening. An evening party is best suited outside the workplace at a convenient location such as a restaurant or a hotel with an event space, while an afternoon celebration is perfect for the work place – with some alterations. When considering an off property site, keep in mind logistical items like catering, setup needs, and cleanup.

However, keep in mind a party that employees will be excited for! Choosing a theme for your party is sure to keep things fresh and exciting for years to come. You don’t want this to feel like just another day at the office.

[fostersffff]

Many of you are already aware that Right Stuf was acquired by Crunchyroll late last year in August of 2022 in order to expand the latter's eCommerce services. Since then, we've all been wroking hard towards integrating our collective websites into a one-stop shop for everything anime and manga. And now that time has come... On October 10, 2023 Right Stuf will sunset and all listed products at https://www.rightstufanime.com will migrate over to their new home at the Crunchyroll Store at https://store.crunchyroll.com. It's the end of an era, to be sure, but all of us at Crunchyroll want to assure you that this is also the beginning of a bright (orange) future! So, what does Right Stuf's sunset mean going forward? First off, and most importantly, anime and manga fans will still be able to find all r (sp?) products, which were previously listed at Right Stuf, now at the Crunchyroll Store! Our Buyers will continue to place purchase orders and we have a goal to reach even more fans who love owning the physical products you offer. We also want to continue to pursue and partnership opportunities with you; from exclusive items and mutually beneficial promotions just to name a few. With the integration we've practically acquired a new superpower, piggybacking on Crunchyroll's already expansive reach into anime fandom via its streaming services, and, with that in mind, we're aiming to grow our eCommerce offerings as well. Looking to the immediate future we are still planning for a 2023 Holiday Sale similar to what Right Stuf has been known for, but there will be some changes to how the sale operates. We'll be reaching out to you soon with details to follow and hope to have you onboard for the Crunchyroll Holiday Sale in 2023! We're fans, just like you, and we want to see anime and manga continue to thrive and grow! We appreciate your support but if you have any questions or concerns please reach out to any member of the buying/merchandising team.

I have said it so many times before but I need to urge everyone now, when it's on the precipice of being too late, if you have any internationally (primarily Japanese) licensed media you want to own forever, now is the time to do it. Sony, via Crunchyroll, owns a worryingly large share of the anime and manga distribution market, both digital and physical, and the more they own, the worse it's going to be for consumers. It's going to be even more worse in the event Crunchyroll fucks something up, like how The Embracer Group bought up all those video game developers, then a single deal fell through and now they and everything they bought might be on death's door. When it comes to corporate consolidation and monopolies, consumers will lose one way or another.

If you can support official releases of things you love, please do so to ensure that you will always have access to it. And- failing that- never forget that piracy is always a valid option.

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

One of the earliest looks at THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, back when it was going to be released as a mainline Walt Disney Pictures films, appears on the 1993 VHS release of PINOCCHIO...

The PINOCCHIO VHS in question streeted in late March of that year, and copies were printed as early as January. Maybe even earlier, so this was early on in the film's road to release.

Close to release, it was decided to have NIGHTMARE be a Touchstone Pictures title instead, as Disney higher-ups had concerns over the film's "macabre" content. 13 years later, in 2006, it was rebranded as a "Walt Disney Pictures" film and all current copies and versions open with that CGI castle logo.

Today, Animation Compendia uploaded an international trailer from the year after its North American release...

Built around the PINOCCHIO VHS trailer, and adding THE LION KING now that that film had already been out in most of Europe before this movie debuted across the Atlantic, it's fascinating to see it open with a Touchstone logo but still hype up how it's part of the Disney legacy of innovation, along with WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT... Even though Disney tried to distance it and that movie from the Disney name...

ROGER RABBIT is its own breed, though. Disney had BIG theme park plans for the movie, with only a few of them materializing (like ToonTown in Anaheim), and Disney Feature Animation did three shorts w/ Roger, Jessica, and Baby Herman, two of which that ran before mainline Disney movies. (The first of them, TUMMY TROUBLE, was attached to HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS. The third, TRAIL MIX-UP, was with A FAR OFF PLACE.)

It's also kinda weird seeing LION KING before this movie, but yeah, in Europe... LION KING was out first, then NIGHTMARE.

Here in North America, NIGHTMARE came out in October 1993, and THE LION KING was a June 1994 release.

THE LION KING was originally meant to be a Thanksgiving 1993 release, following the Thanksgiving debuts of OLIVER & COMPANY, LITTLE MERMAID, RESCUERS DOWN UNDER, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and ALADDIN... All in a row...

But when LION KING's story issues proved to be a larger problem than anticipated, it broke the new "Disney animated event every Thanksgiving/holiday season" tradition and moved to the summer. So that meant NIGHTMARE had that space to itself, albeit, opening wide two days before Halloween and playing throughout the season. As long as it could, anyways. NIGHTMARE was only a moderate success, grossing a still impressive $50m domestically. Many clicks above Disney's competition (it was even a little bit higher than what Don Bluth's '80s hits AN AMERICAN TAIL and THE LAND BEFORE TIME took in), but quite a few clicks below BEAUTY and ALADDIN.

In Europe, however, THE LION KING was released first. The UK, for example, got it in October 1994. NIGHTMARE was closer to Thanksgiving that year. This was during a weird time where not only did Disney's newest animated movies open waaaay after, theatrically, in Europe... But also, Warner Bros. (!) distributed some of the movies!

Weird, huh?

A practice not uncommon way before these corporations all began to firmly say "All of this stuff is under ONE roof", believe it or not! Disney was no stranger.

For example, in Italy throughout the 1970s, Cinema International Corporation handled distribution of Disney's films. Here's an opening to a 1979 re-release of PETER PAN - sourced from a Super 8 reel - that has their logo following a blanked-out Buena Vista title card...

Disney joined w/ Warner Bros. to distribute their movies in the UK and a few other European territories in 1988, but then ended things in 1992 after BEAUTY AND THE BEAST came out in Europe, later creating a new version of Buena Vista International. That logo, you can see at the beginning of the NIGHTMARE trailer Animation Compendia just uploaded, showed up towards the end of 1993.

They became so big by that point in time, they could now handle more theatrical distribution overseas. Video was still an exception, though. In a country like, say, Brazil, Disney's video releases were put out by a regional company called Abril Video. That's one example of many. You get the idea, right?

Disney minutiae.

[trulybetty]

dec' 10 x sleigh ride

Prompt: sleigh ride Pairing: dieter x reader Word Count: 690 Warnings: corporate parties, obnoxious yachts, seasickness, butchering of the bubble dialogue & a brief mention of alcohol Summary: parties on yachts, whose big idea was that? AO3: Linked

x. masterlist

“Dieter!” you cried, “Hold my hair!”

The cool sea breeze did little to ease your churning stomach as you leaned over the rail of the yacht, now festively adorned as 'Santa's Sleigh' for the industry party you’d found yourself at.

The yacht, a vessel of opulence, was adorned with twinkling lights draped on every available surface. Garlands of holly and mistletoe hung from the rails, and a gigantic, inflatable Rudolph with a glowing red nose bobbed at the bow. Even the captain of the boat had gotten in on the act fully dressed as Santa as he guided the ‘sleigh’ off the waters around Marina del Rey. 

Dieter, ever the dramatic presence, stood by your side, his hands gently holding your hair back at your request.

The party around you was in full swing. Executives, actors, and various luminaries of the film industry mingled on the deck, drinks garnished with candy canes and holly, their laughter and chatter a stark contrast to your current predicament.

Dieter gently rubbed your back and the irony wasn't lost on you; Dieter Bravo, the man known for his theatrics, especially when hungover or sick, was now in the role of caretaker. Of that, the caretaker of you, the film producer and his girlfriend, who usually had everything under control.

“You know,” Dieter said, a small smile playing on his lips, “I always thought my hands were destined for holding Oscars, not hair.”

You chuckled, grateful for the distraction. “Well, consider this a new role for you,” you quipped as you tried to take in a deep breath.

As the waves calmed somewhat, so did your stomach, and you managed to straighten up, feeling a bit more like yourself. Dieter handed you a bottle of water, his gaze lingering with genuine concern.

“Thank you,” you took a long sip, “trust me to find out I have seasickness on the one major industry event of the holidays,” you mumbled, trying to find humour in your misery.

Dieter chuckled softly, his deep voice warm against the slight chill of the ocean air. “Well, it's not like you’re hanging out on boats every day, is it?”

His words brought a small smile to your lips. Despite his on-screen persona, Dieter could be surprisingly grounded at times. 

You laughed, “Well, there goes my retirement plans.”

“You okay now?” Dieter asked, concern lacing his words.

“Yeah, I think so,” you replied, taking another sip of water. 

You glanced back at the party, where the festive atmosphere continued unabated.

“You know, I think I make a good nurse.” He mused as you turned and raised an eyebrow at him, “What? Who wouldn't want to be nursed back to health by me?” he asked in mock offence at your wordless response.

"Maybe someone who wants actual medical attention," you replied teasingly.

“Oh, I don't know,” his voice lowered as he stepped closer to you, and you instinctively leaned into him, “I have ways of making people feel better that medicine can't touch, some might say I have a healing touch.”

Your laughter, light and genuine, cut through the cool air, a sound that seemed to bring relief to Dieter's expression. It was a welcome change from your earlier nausea, and his smile broadened, glad to see you feeling better.

He pulled you against his chest, dropping a kiss to the top of your head, “I'll have you know I have impeccable bedside manners.”

A mischievous glint danced in his eyes as he leaned down to whisper in your ear, “In fact, I could show you just how good my bedside manners are if you'd like.”

Before you could respond the moment was interrupted by a burst of laughter from the party, a reminder of the festivities happening just a few steps away. 

You patted his chest with a sigh, “Maybe once we dock Nurse Bravo, we should head back.”

Dieter offered his arm, a gentlemanly gesture. “Shall we? Do a few laps and feign interest in the name of schmoozing?”

You nodded, smiling in appreciation as you hooked your arm through his and allowed him to lead you back to the party.

[nirgundecorators]

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[bestresortinsakleshpur]

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