#KTAW Day 1: Festivals

[kiaratheronappreciationweek]

Welcome to our third edition of the Kiara Theron Appreciation Week!!

We have received some amazing pieces during our last two editions - works that explored Kiara in all her complexity and appreciated her gifts. We can't wait to see what our Kiara fans have in store for us this year!

Tomorrow will be Day 1 of KTAW, and we have two themes you can choose from (or even combine - anything goes!)

Our first theme is Culture. As many of you who remember our first venture into Castelserraillan will remember, the duchy is known for its cultural heritage and diversity, for loving and revering culture and art. Kiara embodies this in her knowledge about different places, in her love for languages, in her work as a diplomat. This theme would be fitting for her.

Our second theme is related to the first, in some ways. Festivals are some of the most open and colourful ways to celebrate cultural heritage, and it would be great to see Kiara getting involved and celebrating different festivals!

Any content is welcome!! Just make sure your work centers Kiara, and presents a positive depiction of her. Fic, art, meta, headcanons, edits, icons, interactive media, even simple character appreciation posts!! We also accept WIPs, so if your piece isn't entirely complete by the end of the week, fret not - you can still send us the WIPs!

The themes are simply inspirations. If you bring a piece for one of the days later, it's entirely okay...just make sure you tag the posts with the day you meant it for! We will always be keeping a bonus week in case you couldn't complete the piece during the week itself, so our official deadline for pieces will be June 1st!

We'd also like all of you to know that KTAW 2024 will be open ALL YEAR ROUND. So if you're unable to finish a piece before June 1st, pls do send it whenever you're ready to (and tag us!), and it will definitely be up on our masterlist!!

Be sure to keep these rules in mind while making your posts:

1. Use the tags #kiaratheronappreciationweek and #KTAW in your posts. Make sure to tag the day as well (#KTAW Day 1, #KTAW Day 2, etc)

2. Tag @kiaratheronappreciationweek as well as hosts @sazanes and @lizzybeth1986 in your work, so we don't miss any of it!

Fan Community blogs are super important to our promotion of events, so we'd definitely love for you to check out some of these awesome blogs and their challenges:

@choicesficwriterscreations - Primarily fanfic and fanart (no AI allowed). Check out their rules and roster of events!

@choicesmonthlychallenge and @choicesmaychallenge24 - Any and all content welcome! This month's prompts are delightfully Greek mythology-themed!

@choicesholidays - Any and all content welcome, as long as it is centered around one of the holidays listed! Currently, they are hosting Spring Fling!

@choicesprompts - Any and all content welcome! Currently no events, but you could check out all the cool stuff they've been up to so far!

@choicescommunityevents - Any and all art welcome as long as it is on-theme! Currently hosting the AAPI Heritage Month!

Can't wait to see what you all have in store for us!!

Happy Kiara Theron Appreciation Week, everyone!!

[cassiopeiacorvus]

KTAW 2024 DAY 1

Culture/Festivals

Tagging: @kiaratheronappreciationweek, @sazanes, @lizzybeth1986

I decided to draw Kiara preparing for Castel's Flower Festival because she deserved better than mess that TRH gave her.

✨Have a bonus process video under the cut!✨

TW: flashing lights towards the end. The filters got a lil crazy there.

[masked-alien-lesbian]

KTAW Day #1: Culture

Holi: Festival of Colors, Love and Spring

"How do we wake her up?" Kiara faintly hears Raelyn muttering.

"Just gently nudge her arm, but hurry my love, this breakfast tray is quite heavy." Hana's voice sounds somewhere in the cloud of light sleep Kiara was drifting in. Then suddenly Kiara was being wildly shaken.

"Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey...well not really, but malpuas didn't rhyme so..." Raelyn-

"Gently, Rae, gently!" Hana admonishes Raelyn and then looks at Kiara who is sitting up disheveled and disoriented.

"Sorry Kiara, I think they're excited for our first color festival." Hana says apologetically.

"We brought you breakfast!" Raelyn sings as Hana sits the tray in Kiara's lap.

"Oh my...this is so sweet!" Kiara says touched by her best friends surprising her with breakfast in bed.

"Literally so sweet, I've had a stack of rainbow waffles and I'm about to bounce off the walls." Kiara laughs at Raelyn before beginning to nibble on her sweet breakfast.

"We'll let you eat in peace, Kiara, meet us downstairs when you're ready?" Hana says while swatting at Raelyn's hand who was trying to steal an idli (a savory rice cake) from Kiara's plate.

"I will." Kiara says smiling at the couple's antics and admiring the view outside of her window as they shut the door behind them.

An hour later, Kiara came down into the main living room at the small villa in Mathura, the Valtoria duchesses had rented for the weekend. The rest of the friend group had prior obligations and weren't able to attend but miraculously, Kiara was in-between social events and with a little pleading from Hana, Kiara joined the couple for their first Holi festival.

Kiara knew about Holi and what it stood for. A celebration of the end of winter and the beginning of spring, a celebration of love, and an occasion to reset and renew ruptured relationships and end conflicts. But knowing the indept cultural and historical aspects of the Hindu traditions, didn't mean Kiara had ever participated and looking at the couple in matching white and pink flower saree and kurta, Kiara felt awkward and out of place in her black dress.

Hana's saree and Raelyn's white kurta and trousers with pink rose jacket.

The couple turns at Kiara's arrival.

"I knew she'd be wearing something black!" Raelyn exclaims.

"Oh, je suis dèsolè, is this dress not appropriate?" Kiara asks looking down at her dress unsure.

"You rock black like a queen, Kiara, but you gotta wear light colors so the colors of the powders show up." Raelyn says.

"Don't worry, we got a gift for you." Hana says before opening a conveniently nearby closet and pulling out a dress in a garment bag.

Trying the beautiful silk ruffle saree on in the bathroom, she marvels at the colors before coming out to show it off.

Kiara's saree

"Whoa!" Raelyn-

"Ahh! I got the size right!" Hana claps.

"Hana...Raelyn...merci beaucoup...this is so beautiful, it's almost a shame that we're about to ruin it." Kiara says hugging Hana.

"Speaking of..." Raelyn says grinning mischievously at Kiara before gently dabbing bright green powder on her nose. The two stand staring at each other in a show down.

"Oh, this is war." Kiara says quietly, slowly smirking. The grin on Raelyn's face slips off when Hana hands Kiara a heaping bag of pink powder.

"Now, now hold on a minute!" They say backing out of the patio doors at the two grinning ladies that were both holding bags of powder, advancing on Raelyn.

"Rae darling? You really should be running." Hana says causing Raelyn to squeal and run. Hana and Kiara laugh as they chase their quarry.

@kiaratheronappreciationweek

@sazanes

@lizzybeth1986

[lizzybeth1986]

Batalla del Vino

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Kiara x Hana

Rating: PG

Summary: It's the Haro Wine Festival! Kiara and Hana spend a day in La Rioja, Spain, getting into a messy wine fight of epic proportions!

Word Count: 1, 505 words

Tagging @choicesficwriterscreations for FoTW, @kiaratheronappreciationweek and @sazanes for KTAW Day 1: Wine, and @choices-february2023 for February, Day 14.

Monthly Challenge Day 14: 14. Valentine's Day | Chocolates | I Honestly Love You (Olivia Newton John)

A/N: Kiara proposes to Hana 6 months after Liam and Esther's wedding. This trip takes place shortly after she proposes to Hana.

Céleste is Kiara's cousin from her maternal side. She is the eldest daughter of Joëlle's sister Jeanette, and is 2 years Kiara's senior. They are best friends.

The sun is shining bright on Spain this June morning - on the trees, on the pristine white stone of the San Felices de Bilibio Chapel, on the purple banner placed by the Síndico Regidor, on the highest rock of the city. Kiara smirks at the shadows on the dull tar road. By evening this path will be so drenched in wine you may just about see the reflection of the setting sun on it.

Hana grabs her hand with the freedom of a woman who doesn't care who sees. Kiara can see the glow of sunlight again, this time in the tiny rainbow splinters on the diamonds of Hana's engagement ring, as she brushes a stray strand away from her face.

She's wearing an old white t-shirt of Kiara's, one she'd thrown at Hana in horror when she'd found out that she wasn't exactly allowed to wear t-shirts or jeans until she'd come to Cordonia. Kiara makes a mental note of taking Hana shopping before they leave Spain.

Mon Dieu, how long has this woman been starved of casual fashion? Or casual anything?

In the distance, a rocket is fired, marking the beginnings of the battle that is to erupt here.

"This one's going to get ruined by the end of the day, won't it...?" Hana says ruefully, nervously picking at the edges of the shirt as the crowd begins to disperse from the chapel.

The last time Kiara wore this particular one, it hung a little looser. She'd lost weight back then and had rarely worn it since, so seeing its contours mould themselves more fully to Hana's curves...seeing fabric that once belonged to her cling even more lovingly to Hana's skin than to her own, sends a kind of secret thrill through her. It makes her want to leave the festival, grab Hana by the hand and -

Kiara stifles a shiver, lifting the two large plastic containers they'd brought just to distract her very fertile mind. "Of course it will! That's the whole point."

Hana touches the faded old wrap on Kiara's head lightly. "But I'm glad you put this on. Hair like yours is far too beautiful to get ruined by alcohol."

"Mmm," Kiara says, smiling slightly. "I learn from my mistakes."

The first time she'd come to La Rioja, it had been with Céleste, her cousin from Loire. Kiara was nineteen and never liked being told what to do. So when Céleste and Tatie Jeanette begged her to cover her hair before setting out to the festival, she'd "hmph"ed and pretended she wanted to get her curls drenched in wine.

"Tiens, tiens!" Céleste had said, leaning against the door of Kiara's hotel bedroom three days later. Crossing her arms and smirking as she struggled with her hairbrush, her older cousin looked quite a bit like the cat that got the cream. "Qu'est-ce que je t'avais dit?"

Kiara had raised her chin in defiance, ignoring the tangled mess that were her curls now. She was never one to back down, not even in front of her favourite cousin.

"Hmph," she'd said, her voice squeaking slightly from the strain of lying to Céleste, "I like it this way."

Céleste's yell of laughter could be heard all the way from the top floor.

The onslaught of alcohol starts small, as it usually does. With tiny squirts from brightly-coloured, toy guns, spraying dots and Rorschach blots over the white canvas of their shirts. With a hose that doesn't spare anyone in the crowd. With random droplets raining down on them from directions they can no longer keep track of. All until a stranger laughingly tips over a whole carton of box wine over Hana's head, and Hana - never one to be bested - unleashes a cloudburst of Castelserraillan's very best Nebbiolo Red over the culprit's shirt and shorts, her voice rising in a wild, delighted guffaw as she wipes the wine from her eyes.

"Well!" Hana says, turning to an equally winesoaked Kiara. "I believe that's a very good way of getting the world to sample our 1980 collection."

Kiara splashes some more wine on Hana and a passing stranger for emphasis. "Funny enough, Maman had said quite the same thing five years ago."

She'd expected Maman to be more disappointed about her use of produce from their lovingly-cultivated grapes, but somehow the only gripe she seemed to have was about the packaging.

"Plastic!!!" she'd hissed all along the roads to Haro. "Zut alors, we're parading around award-winning wine...in plastic!"

"Yes, Maman, because glass bottles are so safe to carry in such a huge crowd," Kiara replied with a snort. "Besides, you never heard Tatie Jeanette complaining, and you two practically grew up around vineyards!"

Maman rolled her eyes. Secretly, she was enjoying the experience - never ducking from the sprays of wine that came their way, and giving back as good as she got so that only half an hour into the festival they were almost out of wine to spill. But she was never going to admit that to her daughter in words - just in very pursed, privately amused smiles and a ravenous appetite for a lunch of snails and pork chops later.

"Well," Maman said, her chin high in the air, her voice comically airy, "no one here can complain we didn't bathe them in some quality wine, can they, doudou!"

Hana's hair whips around her face now in rats' tails as she laughs, every inch of her stained a bright mauve. Kiara fights the impulse to kiss her right then and there in front of everyone, including a group of older women gossiping in rapid Spanish. No one but her will know what it took Hana to get to this point. She'd heard enough - not from Hana. From Maxwell, from Esther, from Liam - about the jitters her wonderful bride would face everytime her friends tried to involve her in a food fight. How hesitant she'd been the first time they got her to try a Sloppy Joe. How she'd shifted from foot to foot when Maxwell had suggested a food fight at her lovingly-planned chocolate fondue party, the night of Madeleine's awful bachelorette. How even now she tries to eat barbequed pork delicately, with the tips of her fingers.

Every time she engaged in these activities, her face was a kaleidoscope of conflicting emotions - pleasure at the Dionysian decadence of it all, guilt at stepping so far out of who she was supposed to be. When Hana had picked so nervously at her (their?) shirt today, Kiara was almost afraid she'd regret this experience, regret coming to Spain with her.

To the world her beloved's giggles may sound jarring coming from the mouth of one so delicate - but to Kiara it is the first fierce burst of sunlight, spilling in rainbow splinters, emerging after several days of rain.

It is half-past-ten by the time the crowd wraps up the festivities, heading down glistening winesoaked tar roads towards the buses that will take them back to their hotels. They've got enough time to bathe, change and take a small siesta before they head out for lunch, a game of wine-pong and an afternoon of bullfights.

Kiara pulls Hana behind a tree before they reach the bus, swallowing Hana's gasp in a brief but still searing kiss. "I've been wanting to do that all morning," she whispers as she samples with her tongue every cheap wine Hana had unknowingly tasted these few hours. Their tongues and teeth clash as if gearing for battle. The very best kind of battle.

"Will there be enough time for...more than a shower and dressing up, do you think?" Hana laughs, a little breathless, their hips almost glued together. Kiara has no idea how her fiancée's eyes can both glow and darken at the same time, but in this moment they do.

She savours the taste of that kiss as she teasingly pretends to think. Like wine and mint and fulfillment. It must be the world's best flavour.

"Mm," she says, smiling wickedly, "but most times you like it when I make you wait, cherie!"

Hana throws her head back and laughs. Before Kiara lets her go, she peppers her jaw with a line of desperate kisses. "I can assure you, qīn’ài de, this isn't one of them!"

Hana's arms are wound around Kiara's waist as they head back to the bus, and Kiara's hand floats lightly over Hana's spine. They can barely take their eyes off of each other, and almost bump into three people along the way.

But no matter. As the two women walk down a wet shining road, all they know is that this wait for what the rest of the day has in store has in store for them will be absolutely worth it.

They can already tell. This wait will be particularly...delicious.

--

The Haro Wine Festival is celebrated every year from the 28th to 30th of June. It began historically with territorial disputes over the region of Haro at La Rioja, Spain, where purple banners would establish ownership of the region...but over the years and centuries it evolved into the fun wine battles we know of today. Learn more about the Haro Wine Festival here and you can see a video of it here.

Batalla del Vino - Spanish for "Battle of Wine", which is what the Haro Wine Festival is often called. It takes place on 29th June, St Peter's Day.

Síndico Regidor - In this context, the city mayor.

Tatie - Auntie

Tiens, Tiens - can mean different things, including "well, well" or "oh my!". Usually meant to denote surprise but in this context Céleste uses it sarcastically.

Qu'est-ce que je t'avais dit? - Didn't I tell you so?

Doudou - Endearment that can mean "stuffed toy" or "blankie".

Qīn’ài de - Mandarin Chinese for "darling" or "dearest". Gender-neutral endearment used both by unmarried and married couples.

A/N2: Since Hana and Kiara are newly engaged in this fic, I really did want to explore them as this giddy couple, while still exploring Kiara's family and Hana getting used to enjoying mess 😄

[kiaratheronappreciationweek]

(this incredible poster is the handiwork of our lovely host @sazanes!!)

Welcome to our third Kiara Theron Appreciation Week! That time of the year when we get together and celebrate this wonderful character (though to be honest, every day is a great day to celebrate Kiara).

This year, we will be holding this event around May 21st, which is World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development! Basically, a day specially meant to celebrate all cultures and diversities. And which estate is best known for its rich culture, art and literature? Castelserraillan, of course!

Here are our themes for this year:

Day 1 - May 21st - Culture/Festivals

Day 2 - May 22nd - Character Appreciation/Throwback

Day 3 - May 23rd - Languages/Wine

Day 4 - May 24th - Diplomacy/Nature

Day 5 - May 25th - Family/Friendships/Romance

Any content is welcome - art, fanfic, edits, essays, moodboards, interactive media, headcanons...even short appreciation posts and screencaps! Our only requirement is that the content should be Kiara-focused and depict her positively.

Each day has a theme, and some will have two. For those days, you can choose whichever theme you prefer or you can even combine them! It isn't completely necessary to post the content exactly on the day it's meant for...just make sure you tag it with the day and theme even if you're submitting it on a later day.

We also will be accepting pieces after the event is over, and all year round until the next KTAW! So even if you have your post ready much later, please don't hesitate to tag us! 🤗

Blogs to Tag: @hanaleeappreciationweek, and hosts @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes

Tags to Use: #kiaratheronappreciationweek, #KTAW, #KTAW 2024

There are some incredible fan-community blogs that work tirelessly both to promote creative fandom works and make the experience fun for their writers! Do check them out!!

@choicesficwriterscreations, @choicesmonthlychallenge, @choicespride, @choicesflashfics, @choicesholidays, @choicesprompts, @wordwarriors, @choicescommunityevents

If you know any others who would like to be tagged, please let me know! Here are the amazing works sent in for 2023 and '22 if you'd like to get more inspired!

KTAW 2022 | KTAW 2023

Can't wait to see all our fellow Kiara fans next month!!

✅✅signal boosts are always appreciated!✅✅

[kiaratheronappreciationweek]

KTAW 2024: Masterlist

(this delightful poster is courtesy of our lovely host @sazanes!!)

KTAW 2022 | KTAW 2023

Day 1: Culture/Festivals

Culture

Fanfic

Holi: The Festival of Colours, Love and Spring by @masked-alien-lesbian

Laylat al-Henna by @lizzybeth1986

Festivals

Art

A Bouquet at the Flower Festival by @cassiopeiacorvus

Kiara as Rowan Thorn at the Five Kingdoms Festival by @sazanes

Day 2: Character Appreciation/Throwback

Character Appreciation

Art

Très Embarrassant 2.0 by @sazanes

Moodboard

Kiara by @masked-alien-lesbian

Edit

SpreadJoy Quote: Kiara Theron by @storyofmychoices

Video Edit

Character Appreciation by @a-cloud-for-dreams

Throwback

Fanfic

It Takes A Village by @lizzybeth1986

Midterms by @mand-delemonde

Ours by @mand-delemonde

Day 3: Languages/Wine

Languages

Art

Kiara's Passion for Languages by @sazanes

Fanfic

A Child of Babel by @lizzybeth1986

Wine

Fanfic

Wine Aren't You Mine? by @masked-alien-lesbian

Day 4: Diplomacy/Nature

Diplomacy

Fanfic

the art, the science by @exbex

Nature

Art

All Set for the Apple Blossom Festival! by @sazanes

Edit

Kiara the Fae Queen by @masked-alien-lesbian

Moodboard

Bellemere/Castelserraillan by @lizzybeth1986

Day 5: Family/Friendship/Romance

Family

Headcanon

Kiara in Relationships: Platonic, Romantic and Familial by @masked-alien-lesbian

Friendships

Fanfic

Too Little, But (Perhaps Not) Too Late by @lizzybeth1986 (Kiara & Penelope)

Romance

Art

"Every day with you is a priceless gift" by @sazanes (Kiara x Hana)

--

Note: If you still have a piece/idea for a piece that you weren't able to post during the week - fret not!! This masterlist will be open for entries all year! Don't forget to tag this blog or its hosts when you post any content you want to send for KTAW!!

Here are the themes if you want to reference them.

Until next year - thank you so much to all our contributors! To our readers, all the pieces sent here are incredible and we hope you get as much pleasure looking through these amazing works as we did!!

See you all in 2025!