#12 days of solstice

[slytherhys]

12 Days of Christmas - ACOTAR Edition

In the spirit of the Holidays, I will be writing & posting short stories about the ACOTAR characters for the next 12 days. Please note that some will be shorter than others and that this is simply meant to be a fun time for everyone that loves these characters as much as I do!

PS. I'm open to requests.

You can also find this series on AO3 - as well as all my other stories.

8th day of christmas - gingerbread house

CW: Explicit Sexual Content

No Crying Over Spilled Icing (Elriel NSFW)

Elain eyed the gingerbread house in front of her with something akin to misery. Only twenty minutes ago, when she had first taken the dough out of the oven, she had been immensely proud of herself – it had been baked to perfection, neither too dry nor too moist, with a beautiful golden-brown colouring and a smell so sweet Elain had fought herself not to eat the whole thing in one go.

Buttercream had been used to make intricate, delicate patterns on what would be the walls, as well as cute little tiles for the rooftop. Candies, too, had been used aplenty. It had looked promising. Beautiful even.

But that had been before she had realised one of the walls was cut too short – something Elain hadn’t noticed until she started setting everything together – giving the house a sort of crooked, haunted look that made it resemble more a Halloween decoration than a Solstice treat. The icing, of course, hadn’t helped either. The walls barely stuck together, and the rooftop was slowly falling to its demise. Elain watched it all unfold, unblinking.

A great architect Elain did not make.

When she had first told Feyre she’d be bringing her own gingerbread house – and not one of those sets the bakery sold every Solstice – she hadn’t been expecting a building made of dessert to be so damn infuriating. She was set to leave in an hour and a half, and she doubted she had the needed time to try it all over again. She doubted she could find the will to do it in the first place.

“What are you doing?” A deep voice startled her, her eyes finally turning away from the baked mess in front of her.

“A gingerbread house.” If it could be called that. It definitely didn’t look like one.

Azriel tilted his head, eyeing the house with a stoical expression. “Are those the ones from the bakery downtown?” His eyes flickered to hers. “Cassian had mentioned how he wanted to try and build one.”

Elain huffed, suddenly affronted. “Of course not.” Maybe she should have though.

He gave her a sheepish smile. “Right. Dumb question.” He narrowed his eyes, eyeing the eyesore with curiosity. “Why is it…slanted, though?”

“Well, first the icing melted,” She explained, hating the way her voice wavered. “And then the wall on the left was too short.” Azriel nodded along as if she was making perfect sense.  “And it smelled really good, so I might’ve eaten one of the windows and now it looks weird.” She dropped her eyes again. “By the cauldron, it’s barely salvageable.”

“Why not just take the side of the roof that’s slipping away? It could probably stand, even if it’d be a little crooked.”

She bristled. “Then it’ll be a gingerbread box.” He gave no indication whatsoever that this information alarmed him. “Az, no one wants to eat a gingerbread box.”

Azriel smirked. As if it were funny. “Calm down, princess.” He looked at the mess in front of them, going around the counter so he could stand by her side. “We can fix this.” He said, and Elain watched from the corner of her eyes as he came to stand right behind her instead, his arms going around her as he reached for the gingerbread in front of her.

“What are you doing?” She gasped.

“Why, helping you, of course.”

She highly doubted he was that innocent. His scent surrounded her, the heat from his body resting upon her skin as a gentle caress. It was all Elain could do to keep her eyes open, to follow his hands as he gently studied her creation. She could hear his steady breathing, quickly realising just how close he was to her. His lips were by her ear, his front pressing against her back every so often.

“Maybe we could do a tent instead?”

Elain frowned at the suggestion. It could work, even if it felt lazy to do so. She felt his hands on her hips, caressing her as she mumbled, “I suppose so.”

He seemed pleased by her quick acceptance, the feeling of his lips so faint against her skin, it was nearly unnoticeable. “Or just accept the defeat and do something else instead.”

 Elain hadn’t realized she had closed her eyes, but at the sound of his lewd proposal, she snapped them open, promptly stepping closer to the counter and stepping away from him. “You’re distracting me.”

“Am I?” He stepped closer once again, pressing his nose against her neck, his lips a breath away from touching her fevered skin. “You smell good.”

Elain nearly whimpered “That’s just the gingerbread.”

He pressed his mouth against her shoulder, nibbling softly as if he couldn’t help but taste her. “I’m pretty sure it’s you.”

She turned around, ignoring her erratic breathing. “I still need to bake another batch-” She gasped as she felt his hands on her waist, raising her so she was sitting on the counter before she could finish her sentence. “Azriel, we don’t have enough time for that.” Truth be told, she was doing very little to push him away.

Azriel, of course, noticed that as well.

“I think we have more than enough time, princess.” He said, voice raspy as he stepped even closer. Elain wasn’t sure where her body ended and where his began, but as he kissed her jaw, the corner of her mouth, it felt like the most urgent thing that he stepped even closer.

Elain nearly whimpered as he pulled away, panting as he grabbed the hem of her skirts, pulling them up at an agonising speed.

Elain, however, wasn’t to be deterred. “Someone’s cocky.” She said, far too breathy for it to mean much.

He raised an eyebrow, scarred hands trailing up her legs. “Is that a challenge princess?”

Elain ignored the goosebumps raising all over her skin, ignored the craving that seemed to throb with her every heartbeat. “If you’re up for it.”

“Let’s find out, shall we?” A smirk was all the warning she got before Azriel pressed his face between her legs. Elain cried out, mindless with want. Her legs quickly wrapped around his shoulders, pressing him closer to her at the first touch of his tongue against her center. She was vaguely aware of leaning back on her hands, accidentally spilling what remained of the icing on the counter.

She couldn’t bring herself to care – she reached for his hair with her other hand, moaning as he devoured her. He moaned her name against her core as if he couldn’t get enough of her. He was a man starved, licking her, and fucking her with his tongue as if this was both the first and the last time he ever got to do this. The feeling of his large, scarred hands pulling her thighs apart, the scratch of his beard against her sensitive skin, it was all too much. Azriel had barely pushed a finger inside her before Elain was tumbling over the edge, his name on her lips as she bucked against his mouth over and over and over again.

“Sweetest fucking thing in the world.” He growled, more to himself than to her. He was panting, eyes dark as he took her in. She probably looked like a mess, panting, hands covered in icing, legs opened in a lewd display of her arousal. Elain felt herself blush under his scrutiny, but any embarrassment quickly faded as he took her mouth, his tongue seeking hers. “Turn around, princess.” He mumbled against her lips, helping her get down from the counter before lightly slapping her ass. “We’re on a schedule.”

Funnily enough, that was the furthest thing from her mind. Nothing mattered – not the party, not the spilled icing, not even the gingerbread house that had somehow ended up splattered on the kitchen floor. There was nothing but him. Not as he pushed inside her, his length stretching her as if it were their very first time together. Her every nerve-ending was on fire, her body craving him even as he filled her again and again. There were only the sounds he made as he rutted into her, the gentleness in his hands as he pulled her by her hair, the wantonness in the way he kissed her.

“You’re making such a mess, princess.” He panted against her ear, pulling down her corset, his hands quickly grabbing into her bare tits.

“Please.”

“Are you close?” Elain could do nothing but nod. He had barely pulled out of her when she was being turned around, her eyes quickly finding his as he pushed back inside in one swift move, as if he had never left. “I need to see you when you come.” And then he was wrapping her leg over his hip, filling her even deeper.

He wrapped his lips around her nipple, nibbling on the sensitive skin as his cock kept pounding into her. The feel of his mouth, of his cock… All Elain could do was scream out his name as she crashed, coming around his cock just as he spilled into her.

“Fuck.” He panted, hips still bucking against her.

Elain giggled, high on his touch. “Think I still have time to bake something?” She asked, shamelessly pressing her lips to his chest, his throat, his lips, taking them between her teeth and pulling gently. He hissed.

“Not if you keep doing that.” His gaze roved over her before finally settling on her eyes with a mischievous glint. “And I don’t think that gingerbread cake is salvageable anymore.”

Elain supposed not, but she wasn’t a quitter.

In no time – and with a lot of effort – Elain was kicking Azriel out of the kitchen, scrubbing every nook and cranny of the counter and busying herself with something else. Something quick that wouldn’t raise any eyebrows.

Or so she had hoped.  

“Where’s the gingerbread house?” Feyre asked only a few minutes later, eyeing the plain gingerbread cookies Elain had managed to bake in the measly thirty minutes she had been left with. Azriel, at Feyre’s question, gave Elain a heated stare, a smirk blooming on his lips as he casually strolled into the living room without a care in the world. Elain felt her cheeks heat up, pointedly ignoring her sister’s knowing smile. “Had a change of heart?”

Elain cleared her throat, squaring her shoulders as she made her way to the kitchen. “Sure,” she said. “let’s call it that.”

[karniss-bg3]

A BG3 Christmas Carol

🎶On the twelfth day of Christmas my True Soul gave to me:

Twelve Karlachs Swinging

Eleven Shovels Swearing

Ten Tadpoles Squirming

Nine Volos Screaming

Eight Scratchs Fetching

Seven Gales a’casting

Six Wylls a'dancing

Five Owlbear Cuuuubs

Four Vamp Bites

Three Netherstones

Two Bhaal Spawns

And a Kar’niss preaching at meeeee! 🎶

[abwatt]

Sunwait

Ten peerless lordlings, leaping before the throne; Eleven are the pipers, calling spirits home. Twelve are the drummers, making magic real; Nine are the ladies, dancing how they feel. Eight milking maidens, gathering up the cream; Seven swans all swimming, circling in the stream. Listen to the twittering wrens, singing four-fold tunes; Two are the turtle-doves, who write the dust like runes. Now see the partridge, wings fanned out and free, All shall find the fruit at last — the pear upon the tree.

[lesbiangummybearmafia]

Happy Winter Solstice

[msfeyredarling]

Seven days of Solstice

Merry Christmas everyone!

Summary: On Feyre’s fiftieth, Rhys decides to celebrate Feyre following the seven days of the winter solstice.

My @acotargiftexchange present for @charliespringsleftconverse. I hope you enjoy <3

Read on Ao3

Masterlist

The city beyond the frosted glass was bustling with life. Buildings were decorated with crystal lights, banners wrapped in tinsel and shop windows filled with solstice ornaments. The streets were teeming with citizens, everyone preparing for the start of the Solstice holiday. The citizens of Velaris began the celebrations seven days before the holiday. It was said the ancient night gods awoke for seven days before slumbering again when the sun began to rise the day after the longest night.

Feyre stood by the windows in the river house, snow falling outside the warmth of her home as she watched her people begin the festivities for the first day of the solstice holiday. Her pointed ears picked up a whoosh behind her and as she turned she noticed a crisp white envelope with her name. Inside was a letter filled with beautiful and delicate scrawl, she recognised all too well.

To my dearest Feyre, 

Solstice is upon us once again which means your birthday is not far. This birthday happens to be a very special one. To celebrate fifty years of my Feyre Darling, we will follow the traditional seven days of solstice partaken by lovers. To start, on the first day of solstice you’re true gave to you a riddle. When you solve the riddle, the answer will appear. 

‘You made me perfect but eventually I’ll be destroyed. You hide me but you will give me away forever. When we depart, you'll be happy that I'm gone.’ 

I wish you luck. With all my love,

Rhys x

Feyre chuckled at her mates extravagance. She should have expected it, her mate did have a flair for the dramatic. It was typical of him to make her work for it, he made everything a challenge so it should be no surprise she would have to use her mind to figure out the riddle to receive her gift. Feyre paused, then gasped aloud. A gift was made perfect, a gift was hidden, a gift was given away forever. A gift was the answer to the riddle. 

As if the magic could hear her thoughts, in a blink, a black box with a red bow appeared. She slowed pulled the red ribbon and inside was a piece of card. 

Today is the day of riddles, my love. 

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

After unsuccessfully interrogating her mate through the bond, she sighed as she sat down at the kitchen bend. Her head turned as a new letter fluttered towards her. 

To my brilliant mate, 

On the first day of solstice your true love gave to you another riddle, just to keep you on your toes. 

‘I am every colour but I can be just one. I am wet but I can be dry. You can change me on a whim or keep me forever. You can probably see me right now. What am I?’

Sending my love,

Rhys xx

Feyre glanced up, brows drawn together in confusion. She couldn’t see anything that matched her clues. The riddle asked for something that was a rainbow but a single colour, something dry and wet. Water? Towels? Trees? Flowers? She thought about the last one, flowers came in an array of colours, could be wet or dry but didn’t match the last two parts. 

She searched her brain for anything, her hand tangling in her wild curls. Feyre huffed in frustration as she began to pace the halls. Whatcouldbewhatcouldbewhatcouldbe raced through her mind. Her mate was certainly a trickster and he knew exactly how to leave her a confused and desperate mess. She glanced at the letter again, re-reading for any hidden meanings. Below the riddle began to sparkle as words appeared. 

Need a hint, darling?

She snarled down the bond, a laugh echoed in the back of her mind. If he was going to toy with her and make it a game, she would make damn sure she was going to win. 

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

The sun had begun to set, the horizon sparkling as the light glinted of the snow. She still had not a clue what the answer was. Feyre was sitting on the floor, back resting against the wall. She looked around again, all she could see was the kitchen, chairs, walls and walls. Mats on the floor, art hung up, even chipped paint. 

She sighed, ready to give in but she paused, the answer may be simpler than she thought, maybe she was looking too hard when the answer might be simple. The next time her eyes scanned the room, she really looked. Door handles, stained glass, a marble bench, six cabinets painted a dark blue. Her eyed glanced around, her mind trying to figure out the connections. Everything had a colour that was painted on. Her face lit up as the dots in the mind connected. Paint. The answer was paint. 

A slip of paper appeared before her eyes. 

Meet me where you decided to be mine. 

Feyre smiled, she knew exactly where her mate was. 

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

She trudged through the snow to the place that was like a second home. She didn't feel the cold, her excitement filling her with adrenaline. The door to the cabin opened, inviting her inside. 

As she stepped over the threshold, she was startled by what she saw. The inside of the cabin had been decorated in fairy lights and candles which casted a soft glow for the dark room. As she walked futhur in, she saw an area littered in many canvas on stands and surrounded by paints of beautiful colours. In the centre of it all was a dark blue couch in which Rhys laid, his head resting on his fist. He was completely nude and as she took him in, he smirked. 

“You found me Feyre darling,” he purred, adjusting his position so the light fully illuminated every glorious inch of him. “Happy first day of solstice.” 

“My first gift is you nude?” 

“Feyre darling, if you wish to see me clothless more often you only have to ask,” his eyes glittered with a devilish glint. “I do remember your thoughts drifting to how I’d look on a canva, especially if I was naked,” Feyre blushed at his words. So he did her artistic rambling. 

She approached the first canvas, a brush already in hand. Her eyes drifted to the many paints. Each was different from the last but all shimmered with the light. She had never seen anything like them in Velaris, her mate must have searched far for these. 

Feyre dipped her brush in the unique paint and she began to sketch a ruff outline before she truely began the art. 

As the night dragged along, Feyre filled many canvas and Rhys experimented with different positions. Many times Feyre laughed at the absurdity of it. When she finished, she began to paint on a different surface, one of hard muscle and golden brown skin. Their painting session lasted for hours and wouldn’t be close to ending until the sun began to rise. 

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

The next morning, Feyre awoke blissfully happy. She rolled over, seeking the warmth of her mate as her arm reached out. All she meet was cold sheets. 

Blinking the eyes open, she saw that Rhys was nowhere to be found. The only thing left was another letter. She groaned as she read its contents. 

To my true love,

Our fun has only just begun. Today is a new day which means a new hunt. 

On the second day of solstice, your true love gave to you all of his heart. All of his love. All the air he needs to breathe. 

Find me where you first captured the air from my lungs. 

With all of my heart, 

Rhys

P.S. I love you

A sleepy smile bloomed on her face. She rubbed her eyes as she stretched. She trudged out of the comforting warmth of her bed and put on whatever she could find. Wings bloomed from her back and she launched into the sky. 

The flight was short and as she approached the house of wind, she dropped out of the sky. Feyre followed the tug in the chest, the bond that would forever lead her to Rhys. 

She found her mate on the balcony, the place she first realised she was falling in love. As she neared, Rhys turned. His eyes twinkled with stars as he smiled at her.

“My love,” he held out his hand to her. She placed her hand in his, entwining their fingers. 

“My darling Feyre. You are the sunshine of my day, my shining star of my night. You guide my path and bring light to my soul. You are the minutes in my hour, the hours in my life. You are the wings upon which I fly, the ground upon which I tread, the air in which I breathe. You are the one that lights my fire, the light within my eyes, within my heart. You are the love that's taken hold of my heart forever. You are my everything. As your birthday fast approaches, I want to share my love with you in every possible way. I want you to know of the love that has continued to deepen all this years,” she wiped out the tears that had fallen. Rhys let go of her hands and suddenly a box from his pocket world appeared. The box was black and wrapped in a red bow. 

Her hands shook as she pulled the string on the bow. She lifted the lid of the box and inside were dozens of letters. Each one addressed her in perfect scrawl and was dated. “Over the years, on every one of your birthday’s, I wrote you a letter, saving them to give you now. Each explains how my love for you has and will always be eternal,” his hand copped her cheek, she leaned into it. She took the box from his hand and began going through letters, starting from the most recent.

Feyre hadn’t even made it halfway before she was a complete and utter mess. Her chest hurt with how much she loved her mate. Nothing in the continent or beyond could  fully express her love for him. 

It took her many hours before she could make it through the letters. Once her tears had faded, she lounged on the couch, Rhys behind her and a fire in-front, warming her toes. 

“Today was beautiful,” Feyre said as she rested her head on Rhys’ chest. “Thank you.”

Her mate placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. “Just wait until tomorrow.”

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

“Rhysand, it’s too much,” she said as she pushed it back towards her mate.

“No it’s not, you deserve everything. On the third day of solstice I am giving you everything you deserve.” 

Feyre sighed, she knew her efforts would be fruitless. She glanced down to her newest gift. Shinning studs and sparkling jewels greeted her eyes. Her mate had gifted her the most beautiful piece of jewellery. 

At the centre of the necklace was a crescent moon with bordering stars. It was set with the most beautiful diamonds and would sit just above her clavicle. It had already become her favourite piece. 

“Thank you Rhys, it’s gorgeous,” he grinned, pulling her in for a kiss. 

“That’s not all.”

“There’s more?” She whispered. She didn’t understand what she did to deserve her mate. Her feet were quiet as she trailed after him. He led a path into their room, then the wardrobe. 

At the centre of the room was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. A long black dress hung on the model. Glittering black fabric started at the bodice and cascaded down, slowly changing back into plain black satin. Black silk hung as the sleeves and lined the neckline. Feyre simply stood and stared. This dress was as beautiful as her starfall gown and it was almost the total opposite. 

Her mate placed his hand on her back, guiding her forward. “My mother made this dress, for you,” he whispered, his breath fanning over the shell of her ear. 

A lump formed in her throat. His mother had made these dresses before Feyre even existed, yet somehow through the dresses, it was like she knew Feyre all along. 

“I would be honoured if you wore it tonight, along with the necklace.” 

Feyre sharply turned to Rhys. “I would be honoured to wear anything of hers.” 

“Good because we have dinner at six. I look forward to seeing you in it.”

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

The person who stared back in the mirror was almost unrecognisable. The dress fit her perfectly, hugging her curves to pool at her feet. It sparkled and shimmered with each movement. What she hadn’t realised was the slit that travelled up very far. She still loved the dress all the same.

Her hair had been swept to one side in a single curl. Her eyelids has been darkened and her lips were painted red. She wore the necklace her mate gifted her. 

Feyre walked down the stairs, heels clicking against the floor with each step. As she reached the bottom, he came into sight. Rhys had his usual form fitting black attire. Feyre stopped, just to take him in, he seemed to do the same. 

She finally broke their reverie as she walked up to him, he offered his arm. They walked the streets of Velaris, arm in arm, occasionally stopping to take in the sights of their beloved city. They finally arrived at a familiar location. 

“Sevenda’s place?”

“The first restaurant you visited in Velaris,” he confirmed. 

Over the years, they became regulars at her restaurant, dining there whenever they could. As they entered, Sevenda showed them to a table in the corner that overlooked the sidra. Wine was poured into both of their glasses. They talked about everything, every now and then stopping to listen to the band. The food began to be brought out as they dined under the stars. 

Rhys lifted his glass in the air, Feyre followed suit. “To my beautiful mate, happy birthday,” he clinked his glass against hers. He was truely making this the best birthday and solstice. 

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

The snow had begin to fall, blanketing the city in a white wonderland. The sleepily citizens had yet to awake for the Winter Solstice. 

Feyre stood in her studio, adding the finishing touches to her Solstice gift for Rhys. She glanced out the window again, a smile forming on her face recounting the last week. Rhys had shown his love for her through the seven days of solstice. 

On the fourth solstice day he gave her one of the best gifts she could ask for. A surprise visit from her son. She rarely saw him and missed him dearly. They spent the day sledding down the steeps just outside the city. 

The fifth day consisted of a trip down memory lane. They recreated all their precious moments and at the end of the day he gave her a wrapped gift. Inside was a small canvas filled with a mirage of colours. She remembered how the painting sparkled with the light as she opened the wrapping. She remembered gasping as she stared at the artwork of starfall, Feyre’s first one. It was the first time she ever smiled at Rhys, the painting capturing their happiness of the moment. 

Her eyes burned with unshed tears. She placed the picture on her desk where she could see it daily, a reminder of the journey and sacrifice she made to have what she did now. 

On the six day of solstice, Feyre had complete control of Rhys. She throughly enjoyed it, especially when she got him to wear an ugly solstice sweater. It was the most hideous thing and looked ridiculous on him since he never wore anything but black. She had laughed herself horse as he pouted. That was until she brought out her own sweater, to match his. He spontaneously decided he quite liked the sweater, for the most part with how it looked on her. 

Feyre chuckled, her mate had made this solstice the most memorable. She lifted her brush back to the canvas and became enthralled in her work. 

That’s where Rhys found her when the sun was shining high in the sky. His arms encircled her waist as he rested his chin on her shoulder. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek as he watched her. He couldn’t see what she was painting, she made sure to cloak it in darkness. 

“Happy fiftieth Birthday, darling,” he whispered into her ear. 

“Don’t remind me,” she grumbled. “You make me feel old.”

Rhys chuckled. “Well if you don’t want to talk about your birthday let’s talk about solstice,” Feyre turned around, her mouth parted. “Happy Solstice my love,” he grinned, knowing he beat her to it. “Come with me.” 

She took his offered hand as he lead her out of the studio. “On the seventh day of solstice, your true love gave to you the best birthday party.” 

The area has been over decorated in balloons and streamers, how she hadn’t noticed, she wasn’t sure. All her friends and family stood in the room. “Happy birthday Feyre!” They said in unison. 

And she would have a happy birthday. With her friends and family she could enjoy celebrating her fifty years of life. And when the day progressed on, they could begin the festivities of the winter solstice. This holiday season would be the most memorable for many years to come, all because her mate loved her enough to celebrate her for the seven days of solstice. These memories, this time, the love shared, was a gift. All of it. 

[astaldis]

@smubbles-etc  @theamazingdevildiscord

Chapters: 1/1    Words: 120 Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Maria Barring | Milva/Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach Additional Tags: Shakespearean Sonnets, Sonnets, Iambic Pentameter, Hot Sex, Erotic Poetry, Title from a The Amazing Devil Song, theamazingdevildiscord's TADvent 2023 Prompt Challenge, wild, Love

Summary: Milva and Cahir are having wild, hot sex - in iambic pentameter.

[mykyttykat]

I don't know who needs to hear this, but:

An ADVENT CALENDAR is an object typically designed for children that features small containers counting the days from December 1st to Christmas Day, and contains a small treat or toy for each day. My very Catholic mother put a little Bible verse telling the Christmas story as well as candy in ours, but there are a lot of of secular Santa-focused ones out there (not to mention boozy or naughty adult versions).

Why "Advent"? Advent is the season in the Catholic church calendar anticipating/celebrating the Advent (aka the coming) of the birth of Jesus. It begins the first Sunday of December and continues until Christmas. Advent calendars are basically the children's daily version of the adult's Advent Wreath - a tabletop wreath containing four candles (three purple, one pink, and sometimes an additional white one for Christmas Day) lit weekly, one at a time, through the four Sundays of Advent.

The TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS are the twelve days from December 25th to January 5th, continuing the celebration of the Christmas Season from Christmas Day to the Feast of Epiphany on January 6th - the day designated as when the Three Wise Men/Magi arrived at Bethlehem. (Despite their frequent inclusion in Nativity Scenes, canonically they arrive a bit after Jesus' birth.)

Corporations mix and match these two concepts with abandon when making their holiday products. Like, fuck capitalism ofc, but BY ALL MEANS, IF YOU LIKE THEM, BUY AND ENJOY THEM. Mislabeled and maladapted by our corporate overlords though they may be, you are absolutely still allowed to make Advent Calendars part of your holiday season, regardless of if you're Christian or not! And who doesn't love a Medieval-style Twelfth Night bacchanal!

Happy holidays!

[halluprism]

𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟗: 𝐒𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞 ❄️

[🇬🇧] To the start of Yuletide. || [🇵🇹] Feliz Solstício de Inverno!

[slytherhys]

12 Days of Christmas - ACOTAR Edition

In the spirit of the Holidays, I will be writing & posting short stories about the ACOTAR characters for the next 12 days. Please note that some will be shorter than others and that this is simply meant to be a fun time for everyone that loves these characters as much as I do!

PS. I'm open to requests.

AO3

2nd day of Christmas - Hot Chocolate

Sweet & Spice (Short Nessian Fluff)

Nesta blinked. Then she blinked again, eyes flickering to the male towering over her. Cassian stared at her in bewilderment, his arm still hovering between them, a mug in his hand.

“You made hot chocolate for me?” She asked, voice incredulous as she eyed the mug again. Cassian tried not to yelp as his fingers burned against the ceramic.

“You like it, don’t you?” He frowned. “I wanted to surprise you.” But maybe eggnog would’ve been a better idea. Or just tea – you couldn’t really go wrong with tea, could you? Cassian stepped back, regret coursing through his body at an alarming speed. How could he not know if his mate liked hot chocolate or not? What kind of-

“Cassian,” Nesta called softly, standing on her knees as she took the mug from his hand – thank god – and took a sip. “Sit down.”

Cassian did, albeit warily as he watched her set the mug down on the coffee table. “Why?”

Nesta smiled, his heart fluttering in his chest at the sight of it. hot cocoa long forgotten as her cold hands reached for his shirt, sending shivers down his body. Specially as she whispered, “Because now it’s my turn to surprise you.”

[aelfhild-astraedottir]

Thora and Sleipnir's Sleigh: Part 7

by Ælfhild Astrædottir

For part 1: follow this convenient link

Yule Day in the Yule Father's Village

The sun that rose in far off lands

Stirred not the Yule Father’s folk

Who slept the sleep of contentment

Their year’s work done and done well

The Sleigh team and the Yule Father

Slept soundest of all in the dark

Grateful for the long polar night

That grants ease of dreaming and rest.

Joy followed Thora into dreams

As she relaxed to her bones

Reveling in the wondrous peace

Of comfort in her own body

Dozing in the way of her folk

Until the gathering bell rang

And the village by ones and twos

Began their Yule Celebration.

Twas a laid back affair Yule Day

Comfort was the byword for all

The Sleigh’s barn held the party

On the floor relieved of gifts

Soft multicolored lights were lit

A baking oven kept it warm

Everywhere were cushions and quilts

And bowls of sweet water and mead.

Presents were exchanged with love

Material gifts of textiles

Spiritual gifts of song and poem

All treasured by the Yule folk

Sweet rolls came out of the oven

To be dipped in berry jam

Exotic nuts were toasted hot

Their shells used in mancala games.

Merrily Yule Day lingered

As warm clouds blocked the moon light

Naps were taken and songs were sung

As the whole village settled in

For their annual sleepover

Within the gleam of the Yule Sleigh

A joyous time of love and warmth

Brought together by Sleipnir’s gift.

© Ælfhild Astrædottir 2023

[breelandwalker]

2024 Witches' Calendar

For all my witches out there, here's a handy list of the 2024 dates for the solstices, quarter days, full and new moons, and special events. I've listed my sources at the bottom.

Dates and times for all events are calculated for Eastern Standard Time, USA, Northern Hemisphere. Adjust for your location as needed and check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what special events will be visible in your area. Enjoy!

Solstices, Harvests, and Quarter Days

February 1-2 - Imbolc / Candlemas

March 19 - Spring Equinox / Ostara

April 30-May 1 - Beltane / May Day

June 20 - Summer Solstice / Midsummer / Litha

August 1 - Lughnasadh / Lammas / Summer Harvest

September 22 - Autumn Equinox / Mabon / Fall Harvest

October 31 - Samhain / Halloween / Final Harvest

December 21 - Winter Solstice / Yule

Full Moons

January 25 - Wolf Moon ♌

February 24 - Snow Moon ♍

March 25 - Worm Moon ♎

April 23 - Pink Moon ♏

May 23 - Flower Moon ♐

June 21 - Strawberry Moon ♑

July 21 - Thunder Moon (aka Buck Moon) ♑

August 19 - Sturgeon Moon* ♒

September 17 - Harvest Moon* ♓

October 17 - Hunter's Moon (aka Blood Moon)* ♈

November 15 - Frost Moon (or Beaver Moon)* ♉

December 15 - Cold Moon ♊

*- Supermoon

Fun Fact: The title of Harvest Moon is given to either the September or October full moon, whichever falls closest to the autumn equinox. Once again this year, that month will be September.

New Moons

January 11 ♑

February 9 ♒

March 10 ♓

April 8 ♈

May 7 ♉

June 6 ♊

July 5 ♋

August 4 ♌

September 2 ♍

October 2 ♎

November 1 ♏

December 1 ♐

December 30 (black moon) ♑

Special Celestial Events

January 3-4 - Quadrantids meteor shower peak

March 25 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

April 8 - Total solar eclipse

April 22-23 - Lyrids meteor shower peak

May 6-7 - Eta Aquarids meteor shower peak

August 11-13 - Perseids meteor shower peak

August 19 - Sturgeon Supermoon / Seasonal Blue Moon

September 17 - Harvest Supermoon / Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

October 2 - "Ring of Fire" solar eclipse

October 17 - Hunter's Supermoon

October 21-22 - Orionids meteor shower peak

November 15 - Frost Supermoon

November 16-17 - Leonids meteor shower peak

December 13-14 - Geminids meteor shower peak

December 30 - Black Moon

(Check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what will be visible in your area!)

Mercury Retrogrades (in case you need them)

April 1 - April 24

August 4 - August 27

November 25 - December 15

Happy Witching!

SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

Bree's Lunar Calendar Series

Bree's Secular Celebrations Series

Moon Info - Full Moon Dates for 2024

Calendar-12 - 2024 Moon Phases

Full Moonology - 2024 Full Moon Calendar

AstroStyle - All the 2024 Full Moons

Your Zodiac Sign - Astrology Calendar 2024

Old Farmer's Almanac - Mercury Retrograde Dates 2023-2024

Lonely Planet - Best Star-gazing Events of 2024

Sea and Sky - Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events 2024

DarkSky International - Dark Sky Placefinder for Stargazing

Pagan Grimoire - Wheel of the Year: The 8 Festivals in the Wiccan Calendar (2024 Edition)

=

If you're enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊

EDIT: Mercury is stationed direct on Jan 1st, 2024. The source I used which stated it was in retrograde until the 18th had a typo.

EDIT: Fixed the zodiac signs for the full moons using a new source.

[florencemtrash]

The Shadowsinger & The Inkbird: Masterlist

Azriel x Day Court Librarian Reader

Summary: Y/n's clairvoyance is a gift from the Mother, but it feels more like a curse. With the power to gain knowledge through touch alone, Y/n holes herself up in The Alcove and hopes her powers and parentage will remain a secret. But things will change after the Summer Solstice ball and a chance encounter with a certain Shadowsinger.

Started: 12/12/2023

Ended: 08/04/2024

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

EPILOGUE

If you'd like to be added to the taglist, please comment below or message me!

[thaoworra]

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association recently released the poems that made it to the finalist stage for consideration for the 2024 Rhysling Awards for Short and Long Speculative Poems of the year. Congratulations to all of the nominees! This will be the 46th year these awards have been conferred!

Short Poems (50 finalists)

Attn: Prime Real Estate Opportunity!, Emily Ruth Verona, Under Her Eye: A Women in Horror Poetry Collection Volume II

The Beauty of Monsters, Angela Liu, Small Wonders 1

The Blight of Kezia, Patricia Gomes, HWA Poetry Showcase X

The Day We All Died, A Little, Lisa Timpf, Radon 5

Deadweight, Jack Cooper, Propel 7

Dear Mars, Susan L. Lin, The Sprawl Mag 1.2

Dispatches from the Dragon's Den, Mary Soon Lee, Star*Line 46.2

Dr. Jekyll, West Ambrose, Thin Veil Press December

First Eclipse: Chang-O and the Jade Hare, Emily Jiang, Uncanny 53

Five of Cups Considers Forgiveness, Ali Trotta, The Deadlands 31

Gods of the Garden, Steven Withrow, Spectral Realms 19

The Goth Girls' Gun Gang, Marisca Pichette, The Dread Machine 3.2

Guiding Star, Tim Jones, Remains to be Told: Dark Tales of Aotearoa, ed. Lee Murray (Clan Destine Press)

Hallucinations Gifted to Me by Heatstroke, Morgan L. Ventura, Banshee 15

hemiplegic migraine as willing human sacrifice, Ennis Rook Bashe, Eternal Haunted Summer Winter Solstice

Hi! I am your Cortical Update!, Mahaila Smith, Star*Line 46.3

How to Make the Animal Perfect?, Linda D. Addison, Weird Tales 100

I Dreamt They Cast a Trans Girl to Give Birth to the Demon, Jennessa Hester, HAD October

Invasive, Marcie Lynn Tentchoff, Polar Starlight 9

kan-da-ka, Nadaa Hussein, Apparition Lit 23

Language as a Form of Breath, Angel Leal, Apparition Lit October

The Lantern of September, Scott Couturier, Spectral Realms 19

Let Us Dream, Myna Chang, Small Wonders 3

The Magician's Foundling, Angel Leal, Heartlines Spec 2

The Man with the Stone Flute, Joshua St. Claire, Abyss & Apex 87

Mass-Market Affair, Casey Aimer, Star*Line 46.4

Mom's Surprise, Francis W. Alexander, Tales from the Moonlit Path June

A Murder of Crows, Alicia Hilton, Ice Queen 11

No One Now Remembers, Geoffrey Landis, Fantasy and Science Fiction Nov./Dec.

orion conquers the sky, Maria Zoccula, On Spec 33.2

Pines in the Wind, Karen Greenbaum-Maya, The Beautiful Leaves (Bamboo Dart Press)

The Poet Responds to an Invitation from the AI on the Moon, T.D. Walker, Radon Journal 5

A Prayer for the Surviving, Marisca Pichette, Haven Speculative 9

Pre-Nuptial, F. J. Bergmann, The Vampiricon (Mind's Eye Publications)

The Problem of Pain, Anna Cates, Eye on the Telescope 49

The Return of the Sauceress, F. J. Bergmann, The Flying Saucer Poetry Review February

Sea Change, David C. Kopaska-Merkel and Ann K. Schwader, Scifaikuest May

Seed of Power, Linda D. Addison, The Book of Witches ed. Jonathan Strahan (Harper Collins)

Sleeping Beauties, Carina Bissett, HWA Poetry Showcase X

Solar Punks, J. D. Harlock, The Dread Machine 3.1

Song of the Last Hour, Samuel A. Betiku, The Deadlands 22

Sphinx, Mary Soon Lee, Asimov's September/October

Storm Watchers (a drabbun), Terrie Leigh Relf, Space & Time

Sunflower Astronaut, Charlie Espinosa, Strange Horizons July

Three Hearts as One, G. O. Clark, Asimov's May/June

Troy, Carolyn Clink, Polar Starlight 12

Twenty-Fifth Wedding Anniversary, John Grey, Medusa's Kitchen September

Under World, Jacqueline West, Carmina Magazine September

Walking in the Starry World, John Philip Johnson, Orion's Belt May

Whispers in Ink, Angela Yuriko Smith, Whispers from Beyond (Crystal Lake Publishing)

Long Poems (25 finalists)

Archivist of a Lost World, Gerri Leen, Eccentric Orbits 4

As the witch burns, Marisca Pichette, Fantasy 87

Brigid the Poet, Adele Gardner, Eternal Haunted Summer Summer Solstice

Coding a Demi-griot (An Olivian Measure), Armoni “Monihymn” Boone, Fiyah 26

Cradling Fish, Laura Ma, Strange Horizons May

Dream Visions, Melissa Ridley Elmes, Eccentric Orbits 4

Eight Dwarfs on Planet X, Avra Margariti, Radon Journal 3

The Giants of Kandahar, Anna Cates, Abyss & Apex 88

How to Haunt a Northern Lake, Lora Gray, Uncanny 55

Impostor Syndrome, Robert Borski, Dreams and Nightmares 124

The Incessant Rain, Rhiannon Owens, Evermore 3

Interrogation About A Monster During Sleep Paralysis, Angela Liu, Strange Horizons November

Little Brown Changeling, Lauren Scharhag, Aphelion 283

A Mere Million Miles from Earth, John C. Mannone, Altered Reality April

Pilot, Akua Lezli Hope, Black Joy Unbound eds. Stephanie Andrea Allen & Lauren Cherelle (BLF Press)

Protocol, Jamie Simpher, Small Wonders 5

Sleep Dragon, Herb Kauderer, The Book of Sleep (Written Image Press)

Slow Dreaming, Herb Kauderer, The Book of Sleep (Written Image Press)

St. Sebastian Goes To Confession, West Ambrose, Mouthfeel 1

Value Measure, Joseph Halden and Rhonda Parrish, Dreams and Nightmares 125

A Weather of My Own Making, Nnadi Samuel, Silver Blade 56

Welcoming the New Girl, Beth Cato, Penumbric October

What You Find at the Center, Elizabeth R McClellan, Haven Spec Magazine 12

The Witch Makes Her To-Do List, Theodora Goss, Uncanny 50

The Year It Changed, David C. Kopaska-Merkel, Star*Line 46.4

Voting for the Rhysling Award begins July 1; a link to the ballot will be sent with the Rhysling Anthology, as well as with the July issue of Star*Line. More information on the Rhysling Award can be found here.

[astolat]

The Pack Survives (4193 words) by astolat Chapters: 1/23 Fandom: Game of Thrones (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence Additional Tags: Tags Coming When Complete Series: Part 20 of Game of Thrones works Summary:

There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival. —Thornton Wilder

This mad story (which is complete at 173k words long) has taken me a year to wrangle to the end. As I got close, I was going to advent calendar it, and then it was going to be for Hanukkah, but I was still fighting my way out of it with much help from @cesperanza and lim, and now it's DONE and I'm too impatient to wait for the 12 days of Christmas so it's going to be *waves hands vaguely* the solstice to the new year!

As I've done before, I'm posting untagged and will add tags when the whole monster is up. Speculation and conversation welcome in comments!

I'll update here a few times along the way, but I confess that I do not have the spoons to update tumblr 23 times, so if you want notifications as each of the chapters go up, please subscribe on AO3!

Happy holidays and I hope this is a season of light for you all! <3

[bloomingdarkgarden]

Happy December, here’s every male from ACOTAR showing up at your door on Solstice.

Rhysand keeping it regal || Cassian keeping it slutty

Azriel is ready to be helpful || Lucien Vanserra is ready to be cheeky

Eris classy af Vanserra || Beron Vanserra stops scheming for the night because presents

Kallias bout to next level snowball fight || Tamlin obviously being emo on the holidays

Tarquin side eyeing the tomfoolery || Thesan drinking 12 artisan espressos a day by the fire

Helion ready to make akward sex jokes at family dinner || Papa Archeron finally in his helpful era

Jurian shows up extra as always || Varian dressing in solidarity with Amren

Keir ready for his eggnog

Hybern why show up evil when you can show up fabulous || The Bone Carver judging you for not eating his homemade peppermint bark

Koschei, the big bad daddy himself, shocks everyone not only by showing up but by being a solstice fanatic. He makes everyone sit by the fire while he reads holiday fables and does all the voices.

sorry not sorry, happy holidays you filthy animals.