#midsummer a banquet

[kamaluhkhan]

YOUR SWEETHEART PSYCHOPATHIC CRUSH !

pairing: levi ackerman x fem!reader word count: 5.7k chapter summary: while spending your summer at the ackerman's estate, you and levi become slightly obsessed with each other despite mikasa being very clear she doesn't want you to fuck her cousin. warnings: alcohol, smoking, slight enemies to lovers dynamic, kinda rough smut (18+!!), oral (f+m receiving), unprotected period sex, mentions of blood, yearning, religious imagery/references, morally ambiguous protagonist with unclear motivations, eat the rich vibes....essentially very saltburn inspired so...yeah author's note: been having levi brainrot all summer and this is the result hope y'all enjoy ♡

♪: the louvre by lorde

you weren’t in love with him. 

picture levi ackerman on a gilded summer day. shimmering, sweaty skin. designer sunglasses and overpriced flip flops. mouth red and sticky from the popsicle melting in his hand. sharp jawline. sharper tongue.

you understood why people loved him, of course — and so many did. 

he saw through them, and they wanted to be seen by him. 

picture levi ackerman at a busy pub on a friday night, the most expensive whiskey in front of him. one eyebrow quirked, silver piercing disappearing beneath his hairline. grey-blue eyes watching carefully. interested. suspicious.

he was dangerous;

picture levi ackerman on a hot, midsummer night. on his knees, canines sparkling in the moonlight. blood on his chin, between his fingers. he’s wearing pristine silk pyjamas that will soon become stained with grass and dirt and other unspeakable things. 

beautiful, of course;

picture levi ackerman in a marble bathtub, skin wet and soapy. defined muscles and intricate tendons that could have been carved from marble, too. smelling of citrus and bergamot.

and compassionate, somehow. 

picture levi ackerman handing someone a cigarette, heart beating fast after a heated argument. long, slender fingers and a silver crested ring. black stars etched across the skin of his hand, similar to his cousin’s. 

you loved him. 

picture levi ackerman across a bountiful breakfast table. he pries open a ripe fig, reaches over for some tea. as always, he holds his cup from the top. burgundy bruises in the shape of someone’s lips decorate his neck, disappear under the collar of his shirt. 

you loved him.

picture levi ackerman, preening as if for a portrait they’d hang in an art gallery. taking a slow drag of his cigarette, backlit by the sun shining in from grand windows, framing him like a halo. 

but, were you in love with him?

it’s a sticky, sultry summer — the summer mikasa first brings you to paradis. 

with each day that passes, slow and sweltering, june gradually melts away in the blistering heat, but july lingers. 

time passes differently when your life is filled with luxurious nothing. 

mikasa always had friends over, all of whom had their own summer houses nearby. you recognized them from school. work, actually — they were frequent customers at scout’s coffee.

there was historia reiss (oat vanilla latte), who was family friend to the ackermans and twice as rich; annie leonhart (double shot of espresso), who grew up next door; eren jager (black coffee) whom mikasa had gotten back together with at the end of year banquet; and, jean kirstein (cappuccino with extra foam), one of eren’s frat brothers who seemed to notice you more now that you were out of your emerald green uniform and instead squeezed into a very revealing bathing suit mikasa had given you to wear. 

she’d been doing that a lot since you arrived to paradis: giving you last year’s dress to wear at dinner, a blouse that didn’t fit her right, a skirt she wore once that she thought you would look so good in, trust her.

you’re sure it was a coincidence that jean only took interest in you now. 

“oy!” jean whistles your name from across the water. “enjoying the view?” 

you stop your task to look at him, but your eyes quickly wander.

you are, in fact, enjoying the view. on the other side of the pool, levi ackerman (no coffee, just earl grey tea) lounges on a pool chair. his pale skin shimmers under the afternoon sun. levi’s mouth is stained, red and sticky from the popsicle melting in his hand. 

levi, whom mikasa had already deemed off limits. he was family, she said, and you were her friend. it wouldn't be right, she said.

she might not be too thrilled to find out how much you wanted to run your tongue over levi’s lips and underneath his jawline, chase the sweet popsicle stains with the salty sweat on his skin.

“instead of painting mikasa’s nails, you should paint me like one of your french girls sometime,” jean continues, lifting his prada sunglasses just to wink at you. he then goes back to his conversation with eren, the two of them talking animatedly in the shallow end while sipping their beers.

oblivious or not to your staring, levi seems too busy devouring another gothic novel — last week was frankenstein by mary shelley. this week is oscar wilde’s the picture of dorian gray. he’s shirtless, wearing designer sunglasses, overpriced flip flops and board shorts. in his day-to-day summer outfit, an entirely new expanse of skin is on display: a sword tucked into his forearm; angel wings sprouting from his shoulders, almost golden under the sun’s rays; flowers and thorns blooming between his ribs; a snake slithering across his hip bone. 

mikasa clicks her tongue, a telltale sign that she’s impatient for you to get back to work, so you do.

“so, here’s the thing: eren told me than jean likes you,” mikasa says once you finish with her left hand and start on her right.

annie snorts. she’s one chair over, clad in a light blue bikini, suntanning with her eyes closed yet very much engaged with the gossip at hand. “you think? he’s been drooling over her since the start of summer. i’m surprised he hasn’t made a move yet.” 

“well, apparently, he’s been waiting for you to make the first move.”

you bite back a scoff. “why?”

“he likes to be chased, sometimes,” mikasa explains. “it’s a game to him.” 

“i don’t know. i’m not really looking to play any games,” you lie, thankful that she let you borrow one of her many pairs of vintage sunglasses as they hide how your eyes instinctively flick over to levi. 

“come on!” mikasa pouts. “jean would be, like, the hottest summer fling. he’s smart and sexy and definitely knows how to show someone a good time.” a sober mikasa would have never said that — eren would hate his girlfriend talking about another guy like that — but she reaches over to grab her second margarita, smudging the fresh polish on her thumb, and takes a long gulp before adding: “you should go for it. right, guys?”

“you should totally go for it!” historia encourages, leaning over the other side of annie to nod at you enthusiastically. “jean is such a catch.”

“heard he’s good in bed, too,” annie adds. “so, yeah. go for it.”

“right,” mikasa smiles, satisfied. “it’ll be good for you.”

it’ll be good for you. 

you didn’t even want to think about what mikasa meant by that, however well-intentioned. 

the truth is that you had arrived to the ackerman’s sprawling estate with a hand-me-down suitcase, one old swimsuit, and a bitterness buried in your throat. 

mikasa had invited you because she pitied you, the poor scholarship student working at the cafe she and the others frequented. all you had to do was comfort her after another argument with her flighty boyfriend eren jaeger, and suddenly the two of you were the best of friends. inseparable, even when spring finals bled into summer break.

friends is a generous word, really. she was your golden ticket, you were her charity case.

what’s that saying about the road to hell?

it’s paved with good intentions.

you wonder what that means for the road to paradise, then. 

“just promise me you’ll consider it? at least give it a chance? please?” mikasa looks at you with those naive, hopeless romantic eyes. she wants this for you, and you have to keep her happy if you want to stay in this paradise for a little longer. 

“okay,” you concede. “i’ll think about it.” 

when you glance across the pool once more, levi is gone. 

SPRING SEMESTER. 

amid the chaos of students rushing across campus, all you could focus on was useless clicking. 

click.

click.

nothing. not even a goddamn spark.

served you right, buying a lighter from the dollar store. 

“need a light?”

levi’s voice had a deep baritone, one that might have been calming if the two of you hadn’t spent the past hour bickering. he argued that caravaggio’s painting of judith beheading holofernes was more sophisticated than any other rendition; you challenged him, stating that artemisia gentileschi’s work was more powerful — cathartic, even — and therefore a better representation of the story.

erwin smith, the professor leading your art history seminar, urged the two of you to stay focused on the class material, but between you and levi — it always got personal. 

you couldn’t afford the textbook, so how could you know anything about art? 

his family bought his way into the university, so how could he know anything about anything? 

so on and so forth. razor-sharp insults and sarcasm that dripped from your tongues like honey, the other always eager to lap it up like a starving dog. 

if there was one thing you could count on from then on, it was levi providing a snarky comment or underhanded joke meant to remind you that you were only a guest in the aristocratic world mikasa pulled you into, and for you to defend yourself as best you could through equally cutting remarks.

it was like that ever since mikasa dragged you into the group earlier in the semester.

everyone was already a few drinks in at the pub when you walked in behind her. the most expensive whiskey was sitting in a crystal glass in front of levi. he quirked one eyebrow at you, silver piercing disappearing beneath his hairline. grey-blue eyes watching carefully — interested, suspicious — as mikasa introduced you.

it was exhausting. a little exhilarating, too, but not enough to keep you from sliding down to the ground, back against the cold limestone wall, knees pressed to your chest.

“not from you,” you told him. you expected him to leave you alone, grant you a minute to compose yourself.

instead, levi sat down next to you, legs stretched out because he knew the crowd would bend around him. you listened as he lit his own cigarette on the first try, handing it to you without taking a drag. 

long, slender fingers and a silver crested ackerman ring. black stars etched on the skin of his hand, similar to the ones mikasa has.

you couldn’t help but stare; levi ackerman had that effect on people. 

it was almost unfair how attractive he was. all he had to do was lounge against an old building, dark hair with a sharp undercut and eyebrow piercing glinting in the late afternoon sun, to give michaelangelo’s david a run for his money. 

you dug your nails into your palm to keep yourself from accepting his offer. there was always a price to kindness, especially with people like him. 

after a few moments, levi rolled his eyes. he brought the cigarette to his lips and inhaled deeply, just for show.

“it’s not poisoned or anything. i wouldn’t do that. not to you, at least.” 

you weren’t convinced, but smoke curled around his words. when it hit your nostrils, you had to give in.

“god,” you practically moaned as warmth filled your lungs; your heart rate eased as you finally got your vice. levi let out something of a choke. his cheeks became slightly flushed.

it must have been your imagination. levi ackerman did not get flustered.

he cleared his throat, your fingers brushing against each other when he accepted the cigarette you handed back to him.

“mika says i’ve projected certain….insecurities onto you.” 

mikasa had changed her major three times already, and the one she’d settled on then was psychology. her new pastime was psychoanalysing the people around her, depending on which chapter was being covered that week. 

“she says i should apologize for —”

“being a dick?”

“yeah, i guess.” 

it wasn’t an apology. he just looked at you with his signature, disinterested gaze. 

“okay.” you wouldn’t give him forgiveness, anyways. 

“can i ask you something, then? without you biting my head off?”

a pause.

“fine,” levi responded. 

“what insecurities?”

another pause. he twisted the ring on his finger, almost nervously. 

levi ackerman did not get nervous, but maybe he wasn’t used to letting his guard down. 

the silence stretched between you.

“let’s just say that i’m not as blue-blooded as i try to seem,” he finally said.

you turned your head to examine levi ackerman: ironed button-down rolled up to his elbows, showing off elaborate tattoos that must have cost a fortune. brown leather satchel engraved with his initials. shiny new rolex.

“oh. could’ve fooled me.”

levi laughed, stiff and hollow. you could taste the bitterness from his lips when it was your turn with the cigarette, and instinctively licked your own. 

“you more than anyone should know: that’s kind of the point.” 

it was the way he said it that got you. his voice just above a whisper. protecting his secret — and, by proxy, yours. 

you gnawed the inside of your cheek, hard enough to taste copper. 

it never occurred to you that you might not have been the only outsider. 

there might have been reasons why levi remained on the edge of the group, a brooding mystery to most of them, why you were the only one levi bothered to argue with. there were reasons why he didn’t skip class or get blackout drunk on weekdays like the others, why he was always so pristine, so perfect, so composed. 

“look, i’m not a bad person. it’s just —”

“sometimes you have to bite,” you finished his sentence. “you’re angry at the world, and you know that the wrong person might take everything away if you step out of line and let that anger slip through.”

it was a coping mechanism; one wired within you, too, even if it sometimes manifested in different ways. you didn’t need a textbook to recognize that. 

“yeah.” 

you could tell he was trying his best to hide his reaction, but you knew — by the sudden glint in his eye, the slight relaxing of his jaw. 

levi ackerman did not let his guard down, but there you were, recognizing the hunger inside him as your own.

“well, i don’t care if you bite,” you promised. “just don’t be surprised if i bite back.” 

the corners of his lips curled into a smirk, matching your own.

“i’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”

you let the time pass, let ash fall from the smouldering cigarette you shared until it was down to the quick. the sun was hidden behind the lecture hall by then, and the quad was quiet. only you and levi remained.

“i should get to my next class,” levi informed, breaking the comfortable silence you had unexpectedly built. he got up swiftly, although he was likely already late. 

“see you around.” you caught a flash of silver where he was just sitting. you grabbed it, and held it up. “don’t forget your lighter.”

he flicked his eyes towards the object in your hand, and he frowned. 

“keep it.”

“i – i can’t.”

“it’s fine. just take it.”

“i don’t need your handouts, levi,” you snapped. you remembered the time he had teased you for wearing one of mikasa’s blouses, warning you that her handouts aren’t enough to make you pass as one of them.

levi winced, clearly remembering too. “consider it a gift for being — what did you call me before?”

“a dick.”

“right. anyways, you’d be doing me a favour,” levi continued. “i’ve been wanting to get rid of this one; got a better one waiting for me at home.”

you would’ve continued pushing back, but it was too late. levi was already walking away. 

levi looked back once and winked at you. you let the cool metal lighter burn through your skin.

apparently, trust fund kids suck at monopoly. especially after a few bottles of wine taken from their parents’ cellar.

they don’t really have a strategy, and those who did…well, it can’t beat yours.

you secure property left and right, make deals, and, yeah, screw people over until you’re the only one remaining with any candy-colored bills. by the end, you’re drunk off pinot noir and a high on the euphoria of winning this little, insignificant game. 

“no fair!” jean whines. “how’d you do that?”

“a magician never reveals her secret,” you hum. 

“what if i asked nicely?” 

you shake your head with a slight smile, leaning over to grab the last of the pretzels as a cover for getting jean’s hand off your thigh. he’d become bolder in the past few days in his flirtations; you, in all fairness, gave as well as you got — lingering eyes, purposeful touching, flirty banter. 

levi, sitting across from you, sips his drink calmly. 

“maybe you just underestimated her,” he suggests. 

“hell yeah, he did.” historia gives you an enthusiastic high five.

“i did not underestimate her.” jean rolls his eyes. “it’s just, i didn’t expect her to —”

“ — have a strategy that might outwit you, of all people?” levi mocks.

“put your teeth away, ackerman,” jean huffs. “i’m just saying — i’m a business major.”

“you did fail econ 200 twice, jean,” eren points out. 

“you’re lucky daddy kirstein payed off the professor so you didn’t have to take it a third time,” levi quips, earning a scowl from jean. 

“don’t get me started, you underground piece of — ” 

“okay, good game everyone!” mikasa interjects, so loud her words bounced off the walls. the ackerman’s ‘cozy’ den is just as grand as any other room, large with signature tiled floors and marble columns. she turns to you and jean, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “why don’t the two of you go get more snacks, and the rest of us will decide on a movie?”

as everyone else follows mikasa to the home theatre, the board game now forgotten, you and jean head to the kitchen.

“my dad didn’t pay the professor off, for the record,” jean says as you start refilling bowls. he leans against the counter, watching you. “he paid for a tutor. i mean, i had to pass the class, right? if i’m going to take over my dad’s real estate company. there’s nothing wrong with a little help.”

you smile like you mean it. 

“of course not.” 

and that seems to pacify jean, until he bluntly asks: 

“is something happening between you and levi?” 

you freeze. “why would you say that?”

jean walks around the large kitchen island, stopping in front of you. 

“he just seems…protective over you.”

“nothing’s happening,” you swallow the lump in your throat, unable to say more. “nothing’s happening between me and levi.” 

if you keep saying it, maybe it will become true. maybe the tension will evaporate, and the fire in the pit of your stomach will die out, and you will be able to give mikasa what she wants.

jean watches you through thick lashes, hands creeping over your hips. playing the part, you throw your arms around his neck, fingers threading through auburn hair.

“good. because this dress is incredible.”

it’s mikasa’s dress. gucci, spring collection from the year before.

“jean,” you whisper his name like you want him. 

jean kisses you then, and you kiss back. he slides his tongue in your mouth, slides a hand underneath the dress you wore. whispers again how incredible the dress was, how good you would look on your knees for him later.

you feel nothing. it’s fine.

you squeeze your eyes shut and, ignoring your guilty conscience, imagine a certain raven-haired boy in jean’s place. it works fine, allowing you to deepen the kiss, but then jean presses his thigh between your legs, and his stubble itches against your cheek.

fuck. you don’t want this. 

lightheaded, you rip away from jean’s grip and place a hand on the counter next to you to steady yourself. you swallow as much air as you can, but still feel terribly breathless.

“everything okay?”

of course, it’s levi. he came to inform the two of you that cruel intentions was decided on (a message from mikasa), and to tell you to hurry the fuck up with the snacks (a message from eren).

jean smirks as he walks past your raven-haired boy and winks at you before he leaves the room.

levi is the one who helps you bring everything to the home theatre. he doesn’t say another word to you all night.

the only time you can truly be at peace in paradis is late at night, looking out into the dark green nothing. 

it became a habit of yours, going out to smoke when you figured everyone was asleep. you’d formed an attachment to a particular stone bench next to a statue of some melancholy mythological woman (persephone, maybe?), and parked yourself there every night to look up at the stars. 

quiet. limitless. alone.

even then, there’s always someone watching.

“nice lighter.”

those are the first words levi has spoken to you in the past week that aren’t delivered like he’s getting his teeth pulled. 

“nice shirt, too.”

you look down, remembering that you’re not wearing the nightgown mikasa had given you when she saw your actual pyjamas: a pair of old boxers and an oversized marvin the martian t-shirt. 

that’s one thing you can’t bring yourself to give up in all this, apparently: the soft, worn cotton that feels like home. 

the other, unfortunately, takes a seat next to you. you should tell him to leave you alone, but you find yourself wanting him to stay.

he reaches out for the cigarette. you pass it to him like a moth to a flame, body betraying mind, knowing deep down that it might cause you to burn in the end. you watch as he inhales deeply, then tilts his head up as if sending the smoke as an offering to the full moon.

the quiet, formerly comforting, now makes your skin crawl. 

“so….what’d you get on the final?” that’s the best you can do in terms of small talk with levi ackerman. your heart stops, when you realize your mistake — 

the reality of what happened the last time you studied together.

levi, for his part, doesn’t bring that up. he hands the cigarette back to you.

“97. you?”

“98.”

levi whistles. “better go celebrate with your new boyfriend.”

“he’s not my — ” 

you bite your tongue. 

careful. 

you want to bite that smirk off his lips.

it’s been a while, but he’s trying to rile you up.

you wonder what levi saw in you that made him think this was how to understand you: by throwing a punch and seeing if you could match his fight. 

the truth is that jean isn’t anything to you. nothing had happened after that moment in the kitchen, and you wanted to keep it that way. you know that levi is perceptive enough to notice how you subtly distance yourself from jean, despite mikasa’s efforts and jean’s once again one-sided flirtations. 

(you have a clear image of levi at breakfast a few days ago, prying open a ripe fig and holding his cup of tea from the top, burgundy bruises in the shape of someone’s lips decorating his neck and disappearing under the collar of his shirt. historia had thrown a party next door, and you had the profound displeasure of watching levi make out with someone who wasn’t you. as soon as your eyes met his from across the room, levi removed himself from the person sucking on his collarbone. you weren’t sure it was a coincidence.)

“so kirstein isn’t your boyfriend?” 

“what does it matter to you?”

“are you just hooking up, then?”

“why do you care, levi?” you snap.

it was dark, and you felt levi shuffle closer to you. you turned your head away, refusing to acknowledge the weight of his gaze on your body. 

“i think you know why.” his voice nothing but a burning whisper in your ear.

levi, the clever brat, after giving you the cold shoulder, is not only trying to rile you up — he’s teasing you.

god, you were losing your mind, playing levi’s game, when he should have been losing yours.  

you felt a fresh kind of heat spread through your body.

“whatever.”

you rip the cigarette from levi’s fingers, careful to avoid skin touching skin, snuff it out, and make all the moves to leave.

“wait.” he commands, grabbing your wrist before you can get too far. “let’s start again. i know you heard me earlier tonight.” 

you clench your jaw, still standing. “i don’t know what you’re talking about.”

(your bedroom is the closest to his, with only a bathroom with thin walls separating the two. earlier, you swore he was pleasuring himself to the rhythm of your name, but when you entered the bathroom to check, all you found was water swirling down the bathtub drain.) 

“i saw you.”

“what do you want, levi?” his name like poison on your tongue, fire in your throat.

levi doesn’t say anything for a bit. 

crickets chirp in the distance. 

neither of you move. 

“i think about that night all the time.” levi swallows, hard. “that night in the library.”

(during finals season, late night at the library, when you were both frustrated and bone-tired and in need of release, levi fucked you in a secluded corner. two fingers in, knuckle deep. you returned the favour after reaching your high, kneeling down on the carpet to taste him. he was wiping away his own cum from the corner of your mouth just as someone walked over to examine the shelves for a book on the italian renaissance. it was careless, and dangerous, and neither of you spoke of it again.) 

mikasa made her expectations for you clear, and you need to please her, so you bit back your desire, swallowed whatever spark might have been between you and levi, and carried on as acquaintances because you couldn’t really afford to let it catch.

except, levi’s looking at you like he did then, hooded eyes, dark blue with desire. 

he lets go of your wrist and you already miss his touch. 

so, the reckless part of you stays, sits closer to him, tries not to melt when his silk pyjamas brush against your naked thigh. 

“i think about your mouth.” he brings a tentative hand to cup your cheek, thumb tracing your bottom lip. “those pretty little moans, the way you said my name….” 

you can’t help it; you brush your fingers in the junction between his neck and shoulder, and find his pulse strong, but steady. 

“levi,” you sigh, and he shudders.

“fuck, just like that.” 

you and levi are so close now, you aren’t sure the air you’re breathing is your own. 

“it kills me, that you’re only a room away —” 

“i think about your fingers,” you finally confess. you lick your lips, grazing levi’s thumb in the process. “i think about the way you taste, how full you made me feel.”

levi sucks in a sharp breath. by now, he’s snaked his other hand underneath your shirt, fingers tracing shapes onto your stomach.

“kirstein might murder me.”

you nod slowly. 

“mikasa might never speak to me again.”

“you’ve been driving me insane all year,” levi justifies. “all fucking year. when mika brought you to paradis, i thought we’d have all summer….”

he scrapes his nails against your ribcage, wandering further into dangerous territory.

“i guess we better make up for lost time, then.” you suggest. his hand stills, eyes locked on yours. “don’t you think, levi?”

levi answers by surging forward, and kissing you with such ferocity, he might as well be a man starved. teeth on teeth on tongue. you tangle your hands into his hair, pull on some strands just to see what he'd do. he groans, and retaliates by biting down on your bottom lip, hard enough that you taste the metallic tang of blood mixed with the remnants of minty toothpaste on his lips. you whimper and pull away slightly. he holds your face firmly between his two hands, so you can’t go too far.

"sorry." levi smirks, and you know he doesn't really mean it. 

you don’t care. you tug his hair some more and crash your mouth back to his, let your tongue trace every one of his teeth as if committing to memory.

you’re jolted back to reality when his hand dips beneath the waistband of your underwear. 

“shit. wait.” you push levi away and need a second to appreciate the state he’s in: raven hair a mess of your own making, pupils blown wide as he watches you with greedy impatience. 

“what is it?” he presses when you take a second too long to explain.

“oh. it’s just,” a nervous laugh bubbles from your chest. you’ve craved this, craved him for so long, and it seems cosmically unfair that something else prevents you from satisfying your hunger. “i’m on my period.”

levi blinks at you. “so?”

you’re flustered, having to spell this out for him. “well, i guess we can’t really have sex, then?” you pause, watching as levi tilts his head. “i can suck you off if you want —

“what i want is to taste you,” levi states. “it’s lucky for you, i’m a vampire.” 

you would have bet all your money that levi was just fucking with you, ready to leave you to tend to yourself for the night. 

it’s a bet you would have promptly lost, seeing as levi slides to his knees and lodges himself between your legs.

“if you’re not comfortable with it, i don’t have to.” 

your teeth catch your bottom lip, heart almost beating out of your chest.

you could back out now, suck it up and get on your knees for jean instead, gush to mikasa about it later and keep making her believe that you’re following her word like scripture. 

but — it’s just so sincere. sweet, almost, how levi tilts his head up at you, waiting for your command like you’re a deity he’s dedicated his life to, willing to do anything and everything to prove his devotion. 

the final transgression, the nail in the coffin: 

you reach down to brush your fingers underneath his jawline and tell him it’s okay — that you want him.

levi sinks his teeth into the flesh of your thigh, soothing his tongue over the sting before removing your shorts and underwear.

he has his way with you, bringing you over the edge not once, but twice with his sharp tongue and skilled fingers. you bite your bottom lip to prevent yourself from screaming, until it’s just too damn much and you have to push levi’s head away. 

levi looks up at you again, this time with a devilish grin, canines sparkling in the moonlight. crimson on his chin, between his fingers. once spotless silk pyjamas are probably stained with grass and dirt and whatever wetness he’s gathered from you. 

maybe you should be on your knees, too, repent for the sin of crossing a line that was very clearly drawn, but you don’t care. 

you’re hot and sticky and overstimulated, and fuck if you aren’t entirely blissed out. 

levi confesses that wants, needs, to be inside you, so he carries you to his bedroom. you claw at the angel wings engraved on levi’s shoulder blades as he thrusts into you and sucks at your pulse point, your collarbone and chest.

“knew you’d feel like bliss, all tight and wrapped around me,” levi exhales, moving up to press his sweaty forehead to yours. “i’d call you angel, but we both know our friends would sentence us to hell for this. worth it though, right, baby?”

“fuck, levi,” you moan at the nickname, which encourages him to go faster. one of his hands moves to grip the pillow beside your head; you take the opportunity to angle your chin and run your tongue over the tattooed sword on his forearm, tasting salt. “so fucking worth it.”

you reach your climax when levi starts rubbing harsh circles onto your clit. he lets you ride out your high before pulling out of you, stroking himself a few times, and painting your stomach with his release. 

lingering in a post-orgasm haze, you take a few moments to look around. levi’s room is pristine, save for the dirty clothes you practically tore from each other’s bodies and the now ruined sheets. you’re about to close your eyes, but levi taps your cheek. 

“hey. you okay?”

“yeah,” you yawn, tracing a finger across the roses decorating his chest. “sorry about the mess.”

levi shakes his head. “don’t worry about that. i’ll do laundry tomorrow,” he assures. “but let’s get you cleaned up now, beautiful.”

it was such a rush at the beginning, between you and levi. now, the result of your… whatever you want to call it — obsession, violence, passion — sees the two of you sharing a bath.  the air thick with steam and smelling of citrus and bergamot. levi ackerman in a marble bathtub, skin wet and soapy after washing away blood and dirt. defined muscles and intricate tendons that could have been carved from marble, too.

he falls asleep in your bed, and you fall asleep to the sound of his steady heartbeat.

in the morning, when you wake up, levi is sitting on your windowsill. backlit by the sun shining in, framing him with a halo, he takes a slow drag of his cigarette, preens for no one in particular as if for a portrait they’d hang in an art gallery. 

you’ve tried, multiple times, but could never quite capture his beauty. at least not with a regular hb pencil and flimsy sketchbook paper. you thought he deserved to be immortalised, all shadows and intense angles. maybe the louvre in paris or the uffizi in florence; displayed somewhere for all to admire, like renaissance portraits of italian nobles or ancient gods carved in stone, given sacrifices from starving peasants. 

levi represents everything you want to burn to a crisp.

and, yet.

levi notices you stirring.

he smiles at you (you’d sit in hell just for a glimpse of that rare, precious, levi ackerman smile) and murmurs a good morning, sweetheart (how is it possible that you can taste his words on your tongue, thick like honey and just as sweet?), all while looking at you like you were the work of art.

you feel something twist in your gut. 

you’re so, utterly fucked.

[obxone]

Class Differences

Edited-ish. ~700 words.

A Rafe blurb (featuring JJ) because I had the idea pop in my head and thought why not. Let me know if you want more.

A heavy sigh leaves your lips when you see Rafe lingering by the linen closet. You know what he is doing as you near him. Another distraction that you cannot afford today. The weight of the basket full of freshly laundered tablecloths slows you down a tad, and he shifts in annoyance.

“Don't you have better things to do?” You ask. Your temper is getting the best of you and you know it, but you also do not want to deal with the kook prince right now.

He smirks, lifting his head a little higher. “Of course I do.”

“Then go do it.”

Your eyes cut to him after you unlock and prop the door open. You fully expect him to manhandle his way into the cramped space with you once you step inside.

“Don’t even think about it, Cameron. You stay in the hall.”

He lifts his hands in innocence, a chuckle leaving him. You are correct in your expectation, his chuckle checking that box for you.

“Get on with it, I’ve got to get back to prepping for Midsummers.” You huff.

“Are you going?”

You snort, stacking each tablecloth neatly on the growing piles. Any additional batches would need a new pile from the looks of it. “No.”

He frowns. “Why not?”

A heavy sigh falls from your lips before you turn to him, arms crossing over your chest to both show your annoyance and protect yourself from the obvious class difference you know he is dancing around. Rafe could be cruel when it came to your pogue status and today you could be too easily tempted to lash out at him. Hurting the prince's feelings is never a good idea, especially now that Ward is being honored at the upcoming event. And getting fired right now would not help your situation.

“I’m a pogue, not a member.”

“You can be someone’s date.”

“Not likely,” you mutter, snatching the empty basket and stepping out.

He watches, his arms crossing over his chest now as he leans his shoulder against the wall. You ignore the pronounced look of his biceps and the obvious width of his shoulders, eyes focusing on your task instead. Before you can look away, those ocean blue eyes drag over you, and you become painfully aware of how mussed you are. The sweat and dust from digging through inventoried party supplies all afternoon clinging to your skin and clothes.

Jamming your foot between the door prop and the closet door, you kick it up so it can close. Once it does, you test the handle before turning to him.

“That all?”

“Come with me? As my date.”

“No, thank you.”

He rolls his eyes, a simple shake of his head. “Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to.” You start walking back towards the banquet hall, it is currently serving as a Midsummers inventory point. Two of your fellow co-workers are inside working and would fall over themselves in teasing taunts if they could hear Rafe right now. He falls in step with you. His strides shorten to match yours with ease.

“You think you don’t want to.”

You groan, pausing outside of the double doors. Palm resting against the door, you are ready to push it open and get yourself inside as soon as you put him firmly back into his kook box. “Let me tell you something. I know exactly what I want, and you’re not it.”

Once the door closes with a thud behind you, a sound of both relief and frustration leaves you.

“Everything okay?” JJ looks up from counting glassware. His eyebrows knit together, and a frown graces his mouth.

“Peachy.”

He stares at you, trying to gauge if you are being honest. Concern flooding his features even more when it is clear you are not. You are a terrible liar and he knows your tells like the back of his hand.

“Rafe was looking for you,” Cecile says, her tone chipper despite your disgusted face. You know she is trying to help turn the conversation elsewhere, but instead she points a shining beacon on your mood shift. “Said it was important.”

“He found me,” you supply.

JJ smirks, knowing what is causing your frustration. “He ask you out yet?”

Your head snaps to his, and he chuckles.

“Thought so.”

“You knew, and you didn’t warn me?!”

His head falls back in a laugh before he shrugs. “Didn’t see the point.”

You scoff, planting yourself on the chair next to him before you start polishing the silverware. “Next time you need a wing woman, count me out.”

[xienst]

MASTERPOST: enstars! summary project

THE ENTIRE ENSTARS! EVENT LORE SUMMARISED: for those who want to speedrun enstars! lore

here is a timeline of all the events in enstars!

this project will aim to summarise as many enstars! stories as possible so u can get the gist of the event stories without having to read through 100 eichi monologues

credits: timeline is copied from wiki

will be updated with links after every story summary!

[PRESENT DAY: year = !]

** events will be referred to by "<season> + <index>

春 SPRING: (C)

Shiny First Years

The Flag's Honor ✻ Crowned Flower Festival

Revival Festival☆Easter Night

Palace of the Ocean

Marching Band

Spring Storm! Dancing Petals, Sakura Festival!

Gang

Sweets Patisserie

Pyjamas

Mail Delivery -> spring section 1 summary

Devil's Mansion

Spring Breeze＊Iconic Book Fair

Lift the Curtains! Yumenosaki Circus

Sacrifice◆Resurrection Sunday of the Undying

Falling Cherry Blossoms＊Wisteria Purple of May

Toy Box

Angel's Wings

Card Battler

Runway

Dream Coloured Prince -> spring section 2 summary

In the Rose Garden

Fresh Green Martial Arts

Yell✳︎Sprawling Happy Spring

Evening Banquet ♪ Band Ensemble

Performance! The Tragicomedy of Romeo and Juliet

Secret Labyrinth

At Your Service! UNDEAD Cafe

Leap! Principal of the Lake's Surface

Play Your Part! Cinderella's Grand Stage

Terror! Tamayori's Haunted Dollhouse

School Festival★The Scramble of a Startup Hero

Billiards -> spring section 3 summary

夏 SUMMER: (X)

Ukiyo Air Ride

Merc Storia

Hero Show

Biblio

The Rainy Season's Blossoms

Breakthrough! The Revolutionary Live Which Heralds the Dawn

Chinatown

Nuclear Ignition ☆ A Sparkling Quintuple-Color Supernova -> summer section 1 summary

Victoria

Amusement☆The Live Party of Cats and Rabbits

Gondola

Judge! Black and White Duel

Round Game

Devotion! Brocade of Driving Away the Rainy Season

Gunmen of the Wilderness

Bridal -> summer section 2 summary

Symphony＊Magnolia of Blessings

Seven-Colored＊Sunshower Festa

Saga＊Rushing Up Rainbow Stage

Pool Opening

Comic World

Shot☆Splash Pool!

Challenge! Tanabata Festival Wishes

Dance Performance! Thoughts That Bridge the Milky Way

Facing One Another! The Celestial Globe of the Night the Stars Meet

Dance Floor -> summer section 3 summary

Dogfight

Ghost Stories

The Seven Faces of the Shapeshifting Youkai

Little Kings

Frozen Ice

Summer of Clear Skies! Summer Camp

Concerto

Set Sail! Pirates at Sea Festival -> summer section 4 summary

Kiseki☆The Preliminary Match of the Summer Live

Radiant! Sunflower Live of Smiles

Scorching Hot! The Scenery of Southern Lands and Summer Vacation

Surfing Ocean

Stars★Glitter of the Prism

Summer Flowers

Late Summer Lesson -> summer section 5 summary

Luminescence＊Summer Night Festival

Yumenosaki Restaurant

Remember! A Midsummer Night's Dream

Best Shot

Holiday

Scorching Heat ☆ A Seaside Beach Match

Buddy -> summer section 6 summary

Farewell! Festival of Memories and Quarrels

Launch! The Night Sky of the Shooting Star Festival

Carmen of Passion

Lost Star＊Wavering Light, Pleiades Night

Deep Sea Mystery

Drop＊The Far Sea and the Aquarium

Summer Sky＊Galloping Cheval Live -> summer section 7 summary

Onibi

Burning Up! Yumenosaki Academy Sports Festival

Fight! Yumenosaki Academy Sports Festival 2

Competition! Yumenosaki Academy Sports Festival 3

Cinema Theater

1001 Nights -> summer section 8 summary

Blue Filament

Cooking

Brilliant Star Air Force

Police Man -> summer section 9 summary

秋 AUTUMN (Q)

Kung Fu

Night of the Full Moon ＊ Hopping Moonlight Luna

The Coloured Flower Cards

Special Training! Mismatched Pair Lessons

Doctor

Rebellion! The King's Horseback Ride

Kiseki★Blitzkrieg Autumn Live

Robin Hood -> autumn section 1 summary

Science

Fruits Parlour

Happening◆Music Festa of Reversals

Secret Acts! The Moonlight Scroll of the Elements

Festival＊Graceful Fleur De Lis

Toryumon

Rosicrucian Story

Showtime

Howl★The Rockin' Star of the Night Sky -> autumn section 2 summary

Afternoon

Boutique

Raising Curtains! Dark Night Halloween

React★Magical Halloween

Lots of Monsters☆Sweet Halloween

Cacophony◆Whirling Horror Night Halloween -> autumn section 3 summary

Enjoyment♪ Autumn School Trip

Invitation★Black Blood Banquet

The Golden Wind＊Wishing Live of Encouragement

Teddy Bear

Colourful Autumn

Meikyoushisui

Hot-Blooded Tough Guy

BADBOYS -> autumn section 4 summary

Scramble ＊ Toyland in a Dream

The Songbird’s Song＊Soirée in the Canary Hall

Underdoctor

Autumn Forest

Discovery! Steampunk Museum -> autumn section 5 summary

冬 winter (D)

The Wolf and Red Riding Hood

Greek Legends

Philosopher's Guidance

SnowboardDream of the Butterfly

Rail◆The Cat in the Snowy Winter and the Camellia Train -> winter section 1 summary

Nocturne

Snow Globe

Agents

Snowflake❄Street Performance Of The Falling Stars

Shine! A Sparkling Starry Night Festival!

Winter Santa -> winter section 2 summary

Brilliance★Knights' Starlight Festival

Noel＊The Angels' Starlight Festival

Carol＊White Snow and the Christmas Eve Starlight Festival

Radiant☆Hot Holiday Party

Throwing! A Snowy Silver-White Snowfight

Eccentric -> winter section 3 summary

Kiseki☆Winter Live Showdown

Winter's New Year Shrine Visit

First Dream Tales (Part One)

First Dream Tales (Part Two) -> winter section 4 summary

Zodiac (Part One)

Amusement Park Show

Zodiac (Part Two)

Daikagura! Celebratory New Years Live

Showdown! Magnificent Phantom Thief VS Detective Brigade

Transparency and Masks -> winter section 5 summary

Clash of Arms! Opera of Moonlight Romance

Dance on Ice

Depart☆Blue Skies Dream Travel

Opening★The Fortune Banquet Live

Saga＊Clashing Rebirth Live

Revival☆Dream Diner Live

Shoufuku＊The Ogres and Brothers' Setsubun Festival -> winter section 6 summary

Last Period

Jewel Candy

Poison À La Mode

Tea Party

The Four Beasts of Fistfighting

Salon de Thé -> winter section 7 summary

Sincerely! Bitter Chocolat Festival

Melty❤Sweetly Unraveling Chocolat Festival

Decorate♥Crimson Chocolat Festival

Marble ♥ Heartfelt Chocolat Festival

Home Party

Onigashima -> winter section 8 summary

Yumenosaki Youth Radio♪

Military

Cunning ◆ Wonder Game

Beauties of Nature

Flutter! Chick and Emperor's Triumphant Return -> winter section 9 summary

[NEXT YEAR: year = !+1]

!+1 spring i think? (context: third years in ! are graduating)

Beasts

Memorial◆Class Live We Make Together

Noble Game

Chuunibyou Trouble

Bouquet of Desire

Chorus★Operetta of Beginnings -> !! spring section 1 summary

Every Pitch With All One’s Heart! Youthful Play Ball

Clash! Recollect--A Festival of Giving Back

Baton Pass! Repayment Festival of Tears and Bonds

Moment＊The Repayment Festival of Moving Forward Toward the Future

Requiem＊Sword of Oaths and the Repayment Festival

Link♪The Symphony that Starts from Here -> !! spring section 2 summary

!+1 post-graduation stories

Photoshoot! Warm Athletics

Puppy Mischief Picnic

Bounce! Hearts and Flowers Bloom--Mall Live

Strawberry Picking -> post-graduation summary

[BACKSTORIES: read with caution *** recommended reading is from year = enstars!]

(year: !-12)

(1) Rainbow (2) Revival - 20

(year: !-several)

(3) Gang: Midnight Gangster

(year: !-2)

(4) Zodiac (5) Meteor Impact (6) Jingle Bells

(year: !-1)

(7) Reminiscence＊The Crossroads of Each One (8) Reminiscence＊Monochrome Checkmate (9) Reminiscence＊Spring Cherry Blossoms and a Night's Encounter (10) Reminiscence＊Ryusei Bonfire (11) Reminiscence ＊ End of the Marionette's Strings (12) Reminiscence＊Gathering of the Three Magicians

-> all backstories summary

AND... THAT'S IT! THATS THE ENTIRE ENSTARS! SUMMARISED

a few things to note:

main story not included -- because it should be read before everything

CN/TW exclusive not included

timeline is definitely shaky but overall flow of stories should still be okay

-project start date: 17 Oct 2022- -last updated: 22 Mar 2023-

[multificimagines]

Arcana Twilight Inktober prompts

Tagging @mumuscae and @bittersweetcanary because they expressed interest on the post where I asked! Hopefully this will be of use

These prompts are all based on things in-game—items, places, and events, but also just words that caught my eye as I replayed. Basically, I tried to take things that occurred in game and make a list of prompts vague enough that you can interpret them how you want. So don’t feel like you have to stick strictly to canon events, items, or lore, and don’t feel like you have to interpret the prompt literally. Draw or write whatever you want!

1. Tower

2. Mana

3. Wish

4. Star

5. Study

6. Crystal

7. Banquet

8. Infirmary

9. Monster

10. Constellation

11. Coffee

12. Mask

13. Diary

14. Stage

15. Promise

16. Void

17. Sweet

18. Sleep

19. Door

20. Cat

21. Anxiety

22. Childhood

23. Dark

24. Fall

25. Betrayal

26. Dance

27. Lab

28. Snow

29. Fate

30. Garden

31. Halloween (or free space!)

Additionally, if any of these prompts are too vague or just aren’t sparking any ideas, or maybe you want a reason to draw certain characters and these prompts aren’t doing it for you, you can replace any of them with these!

•Spica

•Alpheratz

•Arcturus

•Pollux

•Sirius

•Vega

•Summoner

•Castor

•Shining Spray

•Declaration of Blessing

•Psychedelic Night Sky

•Under the Horizon Sunlight

•Midsummer Ripples

•Creepy and Sweet

•Fili Pfeper

•Queen Tet

•Kamargo

•Tharaval

I don’t have a special tag for this—although I’m open to suggestions. But if you post something using these prompts, feel free to tag me so I can see!

[aspenrockymountainhigh]

“And so it was settled. Sam Gamgee married Rose Cotton in the spring of 1420 (which was also famous for its weddings), and they came and lived at Bag End. And if Sam thought himself lucky, Frodo knew that he was more lucky himself; for there was not a hobbit in the Shire that was looked after with such care. When the labours or repair had all been planned and set going he took to a quiet life, writing a good deal and going through all his notes. He resigned the office of Deputy Mayor at the Free Fair that Midsummer, and dear old Will Whitfoot had another seven years of presiding at Banquets.”

― The Return of the King

[thecatsandthecrone]

Wheel of the year: Lammas

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash  

☽🔮☾🕯🃏🌕🕸✨🍃🍄🧿🌙✩ 🪄📚

Also known as "Lammas" or "August eve", Lughnasadh is the first of the three harvest festivals observed in wiccan tradition (and in witchcraft). Lughnasad, often celebrated between the 1st to the 3rd of August in the northern hemisphere (1st February in the southern one) celebrates the impending leave of summer and the return of colder seasons, shorter days and of course, autumn.

Lammas comes right after Litha and right before Mabon.While the name "Lammas" comes from the anglosaxon words for "loaf mass", we aren't exactly sure of how, when or why this tradition originated. Some people believe it started from anglosaxon tradition, other suspect that while the name is anglosaxon the origin is celtic, and yet others think this tradition may have originated in early christianity. Regardless the origin, we know that the earliest tradition of this day was to bake a loaf of bread with the recent harvest, and to take it to the church to be blessed (and to thank the universe for the lovely bounty bestowed upon you). Likewise, it is also known that this particular sabbat was incorporated into wiccan faith later and reluctantly, perhaps due to its christian ties.

Lammas marks the beginning of the harvest that started in midsummer, and the harvest of the first fruits of the year.As it is to be expected, this festival has deep ties to agriculture and farming, to prosperity and to wealth. Back in the day, it was considered that collecting the harvest before Lammas was bad luck, as it would mean the previous' years harvest had ran out before its time. This festivity is closely linked to christian imagery, christian deities and saints due to its suspected origins. It is particularly tied to Christ (who is said to have transfigurated during this time) and to St. Peter in chains, said to have been released from prison in this day. The festivity is also tied to the celtic Lugh (the horned man), whose mother is said to have cleaned the fields of Ireland for agriculture, and died of exhaustion right after. Any other deities tied to the harvest, abundance, prosperity, fields or the hearth might be honored during this sabbat. This sabbat honours any imagery related to field and harvests, abundance and prosperity. As expected, the cornucopia is very present in this festival, usually filled with the first fruits of the havest: wheat, corn, grapes, apples, etc. Feminine or masculine imagery is also relevant (corn dollies, effigies) and so are the Sun, the water (particularly rivers and springs) and the soil. There are numerous traditions linked to this festival: the most evident one is baking and blessing, be it bread or cakes. Banquets and feasting are also common in most countries. Decorating your house or altar might be an option if you are a solitary practitioner, and in some countries they decorate the town square and throw a big party: another crucial theme of this festivity is sharing !

What kind of traditions you can participate in depends heavily on your country and if you are out of the broom closet or not. If you are in Germany, you might have Oktoberfest to look forward to, and some areas of northern France also celebrate "August day". Even if you are a solitary practitioner or in the broom closet, here are some ways to partake the joy that you can use to  honour this day. -Feast: The climax of every sabbat ! Feasting is a staple in every festival and Lammas is particularly suited to it because of its ties to abundance and the harvest. Meals that are particularly fitting would be bread or wheat cakes, corn, beer, grapes, apples, berries and fresh herbs. -Decorate: Joining the decoration efforts at your local festival or fair is just as valid as making some humble decorations for your house. Ribbons, corn dolls, cornucopias, scythes and baskets are lovely options. -Bake: Baking anything with seasonal ingredients such as cereals, fresh herbs, fruits or berries is an excellent option. You could even make decorative break that is scoured with designs such as leaves, suns or flowers. -Share: One of the most important parts of Lammas is sharing. This festivity celebrates prosperity and abundance, and sharing shows not only that you care but also that you have enough for yourself and to pass around !

-Honour your deities: No deity hates being honoured and remembered. Prayers and offerings are two excellent ways to show your gratefulness for the abundance that surrounds you. -Pilgrimages: Several traditions associate this festival to pilgrimages. In christian tradition it was commos to make a pilgrimage to a bakery for your loaf of bread, and then to a church to bless it. In celtic tradition, there was a tradition to go to a well, turn around it clockwise, and leaving offerings like coins. With your friend or on your own, take a little "pilgrimage" to a bakery, curch or well. -Decorate your altar: Like with any other festival, seasonally decorating your altar is a fantastic option. Fruits, bread, and decorations in gold, yellow, red and orange are the best options. Colours associated with Lammas: White, red, orange, yellow, gold, brown Crystals associated with Lammas: Agate, moonstone, sunstone, jasper, Food associated with Lammas: Bread, cakes, cereals, beer, corn, herbs, spices, berries and seasonal fruits

I hope you have enjoyed this post. If you would like me to continue making posts like this please support me so I can continue making them: you can support me by donating here https://ko-fi.com/bunnymatchamochi or by visiting my Etsy store here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LovenestAtelier?ref=profile_header Reblogs and likes also help ! Thank you so much for reading me !  

[dancwart]

Happy midsummer!

Now could you hold still for a moment?

And I'll show you to the Green Duke's banquet.

You're invited....

[lycheedr3ams]

Banished Love, part 1

Knight Engvall x fem!noble!reader

SFW, MDNI

This is written by me, so don't copy my work! Reblogs are appreciated. It's my first posted fanfic so plz be nice

“You better hurry!” your angry mother yells from behind your locked door. “Vulen will be here any minute for the banquet!”

You sigh and roll your eyes as one of your servants, Lyra, tightens your corset. “Yes, mother.”

“Engvall, ensure she makes it to the banquet on time! I’ll not have my daughter look like a fool in front of her betrothed!” you can hear your mother’s voice through the door.

“Yes, ma’am,” Engvall’s voice reaches you through the door. His voice always did send a shiver down your spine.

“You’re all ready, miss,” Lyra says once she ties your corset and tucks the laces away.

“Thanks, I guess,” you say, exasperated. She gives you a consoling look.

“I know you don’t like these banquets, my lady,” she says. “But you look beautiful.”

You turn slowly to the large mirror next to you, and despite the exquisite and expensive dress your parents bought especially for you, you can’t stand the sight of it. They insisted that you wear it whenever your betrothed visited so that you would always look your best. You wanted nothing more than to just rip it off and wear your daily clothes of a simple, soft tunic and tights.

Lyra opens the door for you, and you see Engvall standing at attention at your door. His back is pin straight, his body clad fully in armor, as he scans the hallway. He holds his halberd next to him with ease, despite it being just a little taller than him. 

You walk out of your room and down the hallways towards the banquet hall, and Engvall follows behind you. His armor clinks loudly as he walks, but that sound has always made you feel safe. Servants are bustling around you, giving a polite “my lady” whenever they pass you with trays of food and vases full of the finest flowers. They are preparing the finishing touches for the Midsummer banquet, and your parents insisted it must be the best banquet in the land. 

Your steps come to halt before the large, open wooden doors of the banquet hall. Engvall stops immediately behind you and stands guard. You sigh and clench your fist.

“It will be over before you know it, my lady,” Engvall assures you quietly. You look up at him with wide eyes before turning away. Tears begin to prick the edges of your sight, but you swallow them down and stand up straight as your father, Yric, walks by, with your elder brothers Wilden and Zelgius in tow.

“Tonight will be the most lavish banquet this land has seen,” your father says to you in a commanding tone. Your brothers stand silently behind him, but you can see the dissatisfaction in their eyes. “You aren’t to cause any issues, or deny any dances. Is that clear?” your father almost snarls at you, with a ringed finger pointed right in your face. 

The last banquet that was held, you refused to dance with your betrothed, and instead dragged Lyra to dance with you in jest. Vulen’s parents were too drunk to notice, and he himself was too infatuated with you to be upset. 

“Yes, father,” you say through gritted teeth and a forced smile.

Yric sighs, letting out the tension he was holding, and stands back. “Good. I expect you to be on your best behavior for Vulen. Follow your siblings’ examples, and everything will be just fine.”

You stare angrily at your brothers as they strut into the banquet hall behind your father.

You look up at Engvall angrily and meet his eyes through the thin visor in his helmet. His face was always unreadable, and his eyes hardly betrayed what he was feeling. But he knew your every mood, and somehow always managed to make you feel better - in private. If something was bothering you late at night, or while you were taking a walk through your garden and no one was around to hear, Engvall would quietly ask how you were feeling, and if there was anything he could do to help. But with all the servants about, and your family arriving and parents around every corner, Engvall remained as silent as a statue. You looked down at the carpeted stone floor before taking a deep breath and entering the banquet hall.

…

You, your two brothers, and younger sister Malarue sat at a long table between your parents, nobles Alessia and Yric. The table you sat at was adorned with all matters of meats, cheeses, fruits, and wine. Despite the famines plaguing the rest of the world, the nobles lived in an endlessly privileged bubble.

Other long tables are set up in the banquet hall, with a large space in the middle open for dancing and the orchestra. At the long tables on the sides sat your parents’ various family members, business partners, and friends, with no shortage of food at each table either. Candles are lit all around on the tables and in wall sconces. Kegs of wine flank the sides of the hall by the windows, with servants standing at attention to fill glasses. Your family’s knights stand at attention behind each family member they are sworn to protect, but always ready to protect and attack if necessary. 

Your betrothed, and your siblings’ betrothed, all have special places at a long table not far from where you sit. You can see Vulen ogling you, and you can barely resist the urge to gag.

“Welcome!” Your father announces as he stands up and holds his hands out. “Welcome to Castle Aysel’s Midsummer banquet! We hope you will enjoy all that our fine lands have to offer, and have an evening of rest and merriment!”

The crowd cheers and claps at your father’s words, and everyone begins to eat once he sits down and takes the first bite. Despite the abundance of food in front of you, the sight of Vulen’s lovesick face makes you lose your appetite. 

“Not feeling peckish?” Malarue asks innocently from beside you.

You shake your head to clear your thoughts and reluctantly take a bite of venison.

“My mind was somewhere else, dear sister,” you say once you’ve chewed all your food, as you were taught during etiquette class as a child. “I am very much enjoying the food.”

Malarue smiles at you before biting into her own venison.

“Vulen just seems head over heels for you,” Zelgius whispers with a smirk from your other side. 

You resist the urge to roll your eyes and instead take a long sip from your wine glass.

“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” you say. But when you glance back at Vulen, you see that he is still staring at you.

“Just make sure you wait until the wedding, all right?” Zelgius says with a sneer. “Don’t need you getting knocked up and being more of a blight on the family than you already are.”

You angrily turn to Zelgius and loudly drop your fork on the silver plate, but the music from the orchestra covers it up. Engvall tenses from behind you.

“Shut your mouth!” you whisper angrily as you lean closer to Zelgius. “You have no couth, brother. You should not even be talking about getting someone knocked up, when I know very well you have already been with Lenna!”

Zelgius’ smirk quickly turns to an angered frown the moment his betrothed’s name leaves your lips. “You bitch, you have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Your argument with your brother is interrupted by your mother’s commanding presence behind you two. She leans down with a smile in between your chairs, and whispers, “I don’t want to hear a single word out of you two to each other for the rest of the night. Am I clear?”

You both murmur, “yes, mother,” before quietly returning to your meals. 

The rest of the meal is uneventful, and you sit back as the servants clear away everyone’s plates and make ready the dancing area. By now, everyone is mingling with a glass in hand, and most are stumbling with how strong the wine is. 

“You know where to put this, Lyra,” you whisper to your servant as you look down at your full plate of venison, grapes, and cheese.

Lyra nods slightly, not wanting to arouse suspicion, and quickly escorts your plate to a back room. You get out of your seat and turn to look at Engvall, when Vulen suddenly appears and reaches for your hand.

“You look absolutely ravishing tonight,” Vulen says as he leans down to kiss your hand. If it were not for all the visitors in the hall, you would’ve retracted your hand faster than a snake.

“You do as well,” you say through a fake smile. 

“Would you care to dance with me?” Vulen asks. But before you can answer, his other hand is already planted gently on your waist. Your gut wrenches with the urge to vomit. You don’t know it, but Engvall is tense behind you.

“Yes,” you say with another fake smile. Vulen leads you out to the dancing area, where only your family and siblings’ betrothed are allowed to have the first dance. You bow to Vulen with clenched muscles before following his lead in the dance. All eyes are on you and your siblings as you carefully dance with your betrothed, and you count down the seconds of the song in your head to distract you from the sickening, adoring gaze of Vulen. 

“You seem tense,” Vulen whispers to you with both hands on your waist. “Is there anything I can do to put you at ease?”

Despite his well-sounding words, you recognize that tone in his voice, the slight mischievous lilt behind his words. It was the same tone he used the last time you saw each other when he tried to lure you into an empty carriage behind his castle. 

“I am very well,” you say with a shake of your head. “I think you are imagining it.”

“Am I?” Vulen says teasingly. “Well, if you should find yourself in need of relaxation, you know where to find me.” 

The dance finally ends, and it takes all your willpower to resist running away from Vulen the second his hand leaves yours. You bow politely to him and return to your seat, while the dance floor becomes crowded with the other guests behind you. 

“You did lovely,” your mother says before you can sit back down. “And Vulen seems to enjoy making conversation with you.” She smiles at you.

“Yes,” is all you can force yourself to say, still fighting the nausea. “Thank you, mother.”

You see your father nod at you from the wine kegs across the room, surrounded by friends and business partners trying to get on his good side before winter. 

“Maybe you won’t be an embarrassment after all,” Wilden comments as he walks past you, arm-in-arm with his betrothed. 

You scowl behind his back before sitting down at your seat and having some cheesecake that had just been served. 

…

“Absolutely wonderful!” Your mother said to you and your siblings once all the guests had left. “You all are doing very well with your betrotheds.”

Zelgius and Wilden stand proud, as men often do. Malarue smiles with a pure child-like innocence, and you wish you could tear her away from the conniving schemes of your parents. You smile and nod.

“We have been talking more with Vulen’s parents,” your father says from beside your mother. “They are very pleased, but still wish for you and Vulen to spend more time together before the engagement. If things continue to go well, the marriage will be certain.”

Your older brothers seem to sneer at you despite having straight faces, and your parents smile at you. You nod and return a tight smile.

“But I will not have you and Zelgius arguing again. Such behavior is unfitting of nobles of our status,” your mother warns with a grave voice. Your father nods beside her. 

You and Zelgius nod quietly.

“You are all dismissed,” your father says as he puts his arm around Alessia. “Your mother and I will be leaving shortly to attend Lord Elyon’s Midsummer orchestra at his vineyard. Zelgius and Wilden, you will be coming with us. Malarue and your sister,” he turns to you, “will be staying here.”

You nod, happy to have most of the castle to yourself, but your little sister protests.

“Now, now, Malarue,” your father soothes. “Your time will come to attend the orchestra. But we need someone to watch over the castle, don’t we?”

Your sister smiles. “I’ll keep watch!” she salutes.

Your parents laugh before heading to their quarters to get ready for the orchestra. Malarue’s knight, Oleg, follows behind her as she wanders throughout the castle, and your brothers take off to their respective quarters. Without turning back to Engvall, you march to your room and don’t even bother shutting the door before untying the strings of your corset.

Engvall quickly shuts the door behind you, but it opens shortly after as Lyra runs in.

“My lady, allow me!” she says as she fusses with your clothing.

“This thing is too restrictive,” you grumble. 

Finally, your banquet attire is removed, and Lyra helps you into your nighttime tunic and pants.

“I’ve left what you asked for in the usual spot,” Lyra says quietly as she opens your door for you.

“Thank you, Lyra,” you say. You step into the hallway, and finally have a moment to turn to Engvall. He returns your gaze wordlessly before following you to the kitchen, which is on the other end of the castle.

The moonlight glistens through the stained glass corridors of the castle, and all is finally quiet. You quickly turn on your heel in the middle of the hallway and meet Engvall’s eyes once again.

“That was torture,” you say quietly.

“I am very sorry, my lady,” Engvall says, and he does sound truly sorry. “Is there anything I can do to make your evening better?”

There’s the Engvall you missed.

“Yes,” you say with a sweet smile. “Come on.”

Engvall follows you to a back room in the kitchen that is used to store various herbs and other dry ingredients. You wander through the endless wooden crates stacked to the ceiling, before sitting at the makeshift table and chairs you set up a long time ago. There are two small wooden boxes on either side of a larger wooden crate, and on top of the table sits a silver plate covered with a white cloth.

Engvall follows you to the “secret corner” as you call it, and watches as you uncover the plate and hold it out to him.

“Oh, it’s not warm anymore,” you say as you place your hand just above the venison. “I can warm it up, if you like.”

Engvall gazes down at you through his visor. “My lady, there is no need for you to do this for me. You must not inconvenience yourself for me.” 

You sigh, but smile and look down at the venison. “But I like doing this for you, Engvall. And you can’t say you don’t like it either,” you tease as you look up at him again.

He doesn’t respond, but there seems to be a slight twinkle in his eyes that wasn’t there before. This wasn’t the first time you’d sneaked him the best food only available to you and your family. At a banquet once years ago, you noticed Engvall looking hungrily at the endless rows of food on the tables while he stood guard. Towards the end of the banquet, you instructed Lyra to leave a plate of food in the back of the dry store cellar. She didn’t question, but she knew who it was for. Once you led Engvall back there after the festivities, he was incredibly confused as you arranged the crates into a table and chairs and told him to eat. He resisted the first few times, insisting that you doing such a thing for your knight was highly unnecessary and that he wasn’t deserving. But one night, you sat on a crate and refused to move until he ate. Since then, he has been giving into your secret dinners for him, not without some resistance. And he never eats them in front of you. 

“If it is what you want, my lady, then I will eat,” Engvall says dutifully. “Please do not disturb yourself with heating the food.” 

“No, not this time,” you say as you shake your head. “It won’t take long. I’ll just start a small fire, and it’ll be warm in no time.” You leave the storage room and reach for a box of matches by a spare cooking fire in the main kitchen. 

“No, my lady,” Engvall says as he picks up the matches before you can reach them. 

“Engvall!” you scold as you reach up for the matches. But he sets the matches on a high cabinet that you have no hope of reaching. You place your hands on your hips.

“Give me the matches, Engvall,” you say in a more commanding voice.

“I will, my lady, only when you promise me that you won’t be using it to heat food for me,” he says simply. 

“I can’t promise that,” you say indignantly. You stand on your toes and try to reach the top of the cabinet, but you are nowhere near the top. Engvall stands motionless beside you, and his eyes don’t leave your form. You sigh in defeat and stretch your muscles.

“Engvall, please,” you say more desperately this time. You look up at him with wide eyes. “Let me do this for you.”

There is a long moment of silence, and you almost begin to wonder if he didn’t hear you. Finally, he speaks.

“No, my lady,” Engvall says. Ever the dutiful knight. “You sneaking food away for me is already too much. I cannot allow you to be so concerned with me. It is getting late. Aren’t you tired?”

You can’t help the tears that threaten to fall at his words. But you blink them away, and set the plate of food down on the kitchen table. 

“Fine,” you say, defeated and quiet. You cover the plate again with the cloth and walk silently back to your room, with Engvall in tow. 

“Goodnight, my lady,” Engvall says before you shut your door. “Please get some rest. I will see you in the morning.”

You murmur a quiet goodnight before shutting your door. But when you lie down on your bed, sleep does not come over you. You are still awake when Engvall’s one-hour nighttime watch over your room is over, and you can hear his armor clinking as he leaves the hallway and goes to his own quarters. 

[magiamemoriareview]

The Unfinished Diary

Obtainability: This is a personal memoria for Kazumi Subaru. It is obtainable through completing the third episode of her Magical Girl Story and through the Support Gacha.

Single Effect: Attack Up [15%] & MP Gain Up [7.5%]

MLB Effect: Attack Up [20%] & MP Gain Up [10%]

Effect Definitions:

Attack Up increases the equipped character’s base stats, meaning that its effects are calculated before buffs/debuffs are considered. The effect caps at 100%.

MP Gain Up will increase the MP gained from all sources, including Accele Discs, Charge Discs, damage taken by the equipped character, and when they activate an ability that gives them MP Restore or Regenerate MP.

TLDR: A decent personal memoria that helps with Kazumi Subaru’s kit. It’s not the best memoria you can equip on her but it will serve you well if you don’t have access to better memos or if you want to spread those better memoria out onto different units in the team.

Review: Before talking about the personal memoria, let’s talk about Kazumi Subaru. As a unit she is a solid attacker with a debuff/support edge. Her Spirit Enhancement active lets her debuff the enemy with both Attack Down and Defense Down and her magia/doppel further lets her debuff the enemy. She has a disc set of AACBB, meaning that she has the discs necessary to gain MP for magia but she can still contribute to blast combos if necessary, and she has a passive Spirit Enhancement node that grants her at least 9mp per turn. Couple that with passive Skill Quicken and you have a unit who can both support her team and debuff her enemies, making her a type of Attack-Support.

With that in mind, you’ll want her to be dealing out attacks while throwing out Magia. And for that, you’ll need decent MP Gain-- and this is where her personal memoria comes into play.

“The Unfinished Diary” is a personal memoria that gives decent MP Gain Up without sacrificing an offensive buff. Attack Up at 20% is pretty great and in-line with most four-star memoria. The MP Gain at 10% is a little low but still good, especially if you couple this memoria with another source of MP Gain Up. The real issue with this memoria would be its low passive stats-- while the 20% Attack Up is good, the 1150 ATK is pretty low. It’s in-line with other personals, don’t get me wrong, but there is a downside to using this memoria.

Notably, “The Unfinished Diary” is the personal memoria version of many limited memoria in the game. For example:

(Limited 4*) “The World my Big Sister Can See” MP Gain Up [12.5%] & Magia Damage Up [17.5%] & Flame Attribute Attack Up [15%]  

(Limited Gacha 4*) “Fairy Tale Entrusted with a Prayer” MP Gain Up [12.5%] & Attack Up [25%]

(Limited Gacha 4*) “Inside the Heart Even When Cold” MP Gain Up [12.5%] & Defense Up [45%]

(Limited Gacha 4*) “The Lively Roar of the Sea” MP Gain Up [12.5%] & Damage Cut [30%]

(Limited Gacha 4*) “Tonight We Shall Have a Banquet” MP Gain Up [12.5%] & Damage Increase [20%]

(Limited Gacha 4*) “Iroha of the Midsummer Beach” MP Gain Up [12.5%] & Attack Up [20%]

(Limited Welfare 3*) “Is It Such a Dramatic Taste” MP Gain Up [12.5%] & MP Up When Attacked By Weak Element [3 MP]

(3*) “It's Not Like I Was Waiting” MP Gain Up [12.5%]

(Limited Gacha 4*) “The Rena I Hate” MP Gain Up [10%] &  Attack Up [20%] & Accele MP Gain Up [17.5%]

(Limited Gacha 4*) “You Can Wear Any Outfit You Want” MP Gain Up [10%] & Accele MP Gain Up [17.5%] & Defense Up [30%]

(Limited Gacha 4*) “Beyond the Waves” MP Gain Up [10%] & Damage Cut [25%] & Defense Up [30%]

(4*) “Deep in Thought” MP Gain Up [10%] & Accele MP Gain Up [15%] & Damage Up [15%]

If you have any of the above memoria, particularly if they are max-awakened, you are much better off using them than this personal memoria.

However, the benefit of a memoria like “The Unfinished Diary” is that it can save one of those above memoria for a different unit. Equipping Kazumi Subaru her personal means you could use “Iroha of the Midsummer Beach” on a different character instead, so that you can spread out the MP Gain Up. 

So overall? A decent personal. It helps with Kazumi Subaru’s kit but it’s not the most necessary either.

If you plan on using this memoria, you will want it to be max-awakened.

[mozelledeliond]

Midsummer Fires

Most of Midsummer had passed by with little regard from Mozelle—no one to celebrate with, the old brass of faith mired down to rot and scattered tacks and those lacking of faith treating it only as novelty.

All the same, the scent of smoke was omnipresent.

It was exhausting. The heat was exhausting. Stormwind or the Dragon Isles, exhausting.

Fragrant herbs were tied up in a bundle — cinderbloom, firebloom, dragon's teeth, their petals and blades dabbed with mageroyal oil — and packed alongside a paper pouch of incense sticks.

There would be no extended pilgrimages for her this year, but the local bonfires would have some ounce of appreciation proffered.

——————————————————————————————————

Sunlight bore down harshly, seeking to rival the festival's flames. Dark-lensed glasses did only a token amount to cut through the blinding brightness, and the heat had her sodden with sweat.

But the celebrants were cheerful, basking in the banquet of fire-related activities — burning ribbons and juggled torches, flaming flowers and elderberry sweets.

Scorchlings skittered about the flames. Small enough to be deemed harmless, cute, even innocent by those less canny; weak enough for the few experts in attendance to keep in line if they thought to err and bring flames where they did not belong.

Mozelle had always thought them quite charming little ambassadors.

She settled down as near the bonfire as she could tolerate and rested the scorchlings' offerings in a half-curled hand, murred beckonings to them in rusty kalimag that barely crawled above the crackle of flame; and come they did, like dogs to the shaking of a treat bag.

Incense and herbs were burnt to smithereens in seconds, devoured by the tiny living flames — and as swiftly as they'd come, they left.

They had important little lives to lead.

[brookston]

Holidays 6.19

Holidays

Artigas Day (Uruguay)

Baseball Day

Beggar's Banquets (Brazil)

Butterfly Day

Constitution Day (Seychelles)

Day of the Independent Hungary

Día del Nunca Más (a.k.a. Never Again Day; Argentina)

Emancipation Day (Texas)

Feast of Forest (Palawan)

Festival of the Coming Ice Age

Garfield the Cat Day

International Box Day

International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict (UN)

International Fathers Mental Health Day

Juneteenth (US)

Labour Day (Trinidad and Tobago)

Laguna Day (Philippines)

Mass Market Paperback Book Day

Midsummer’s Eve (a.k.a. Midsommarafton; Aland, Finland, Sweden)

Midsummer’s Eve [Day before Summer Solstice]

National Ding Free Day (Canada)

National FreeBSD Day

National Heroes’ Day (Bermuda)

National Pets in Film Day

National Reading Day (India)

National Watch Day

Never Again Day (Uruguay)

New Church Day (Swedenborgian)

Pediatric Headache Awareness Day

Red Soda Celebration

Rye Day (French Republic)

Spooky Stories Appreciation Night

Surigao del Norte Day (Philippines)

Surigao del Sur Day (Philippines)

Svalbard Global Seed Vault Day

"War Is Hell" Day

World Albatross Day

World Sauntering Day

World Sickle Cell Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Eat An Oreo Day

National Dine Out Day

National Martini Day (a.k.a. Dry Martini Day)

Real Food Day

3rd Monday in June

National Tour Guides Day [3rd Monday]

Organic Act Day (US Virgin Islands) [3rd Monday]

Ride to Work Day (Motorcycles) [3rd Monday]

Rusalka’s Week begins (Honoring Divinity of Rivers; Asatru/Slavic Pagan) [3rd Monday]

Take Your Cat to Work Day [Monday of 3rd Full Week]

Independence Days

Mondero (Declared; 2010) [unrecognized]

Thebes (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Asatru Alliance Founding Day (Asatru)

Boniface of Querfurt (Christian; Saint)

Cornelius Krieghoff (Artology)

Deodatus (a.k.a. Didier or Die) of Nevers (or of Jointures) (Christian; Saint)

Feralia: Day of Purification (Pagan)

Festival for Minerva (Ancient Rome)

Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes (Artology)

Gervasius and Protasius (Catholic Church; Martyrs)

Hildegrim of Châlons (Christian; Saint)

Jude (Christian; Saint)

Juliana Falconieri (Christian; Saint)

Martini Day (Pastafarian)

Pelayo (Positivist; Saint)

Princess Gwendolynda (Muppetism)

Robert Heinlein Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Romuald (Christian; Saint)

Ursicinus of Ravenna (Christian; Saint)

Zosimus (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 28 of 60)

Premieres

American Gods, by Neil Gaiman (Novel; 2001)

Batman Returns (Film; 1992)

The Brave Little Toaster (Animated Film; 1987)

Bukowski (Film; 2013)

The Cannonball Run (Film; 1981)

Dancing in the Street, recorded by Martha and the Vandellas (Song; 1964)

Devil May Hare (WB LT Cartoon; 1954)

Dream for an Insomniac (Film; 1998)

The Enigma Variations, by Edward Elgar (Orchestral Piece; 1899) 

For Your Eyes Only, by Sheena Easton (Song; 1981)

Garfield (Comic Strip; 1978)

The Gospel According to the Son, by Norman Mailer (Novel; 1997)

Hatari! (Film; 1962)

How to Save Your Own Life, by Erica Jong (Novel; 1977)

The Idler Wheel…, by Fiona Apple (Album; 2012)

I’m a Honky Tonk Girl, recorded by Loretta Lynn (Song; 1960)

Inside Out (Animated Pixar Film; 2015)

Jason and the Argonauts (Film; 1963)

The Last of Us Part II (Video Game; 2020)

Mulan (Animated Disney Film; 1998)

The Music Man (Film; 1962)

Porky’s Building (WB LT Cartoon; 1937)

The Proposal (Film; 2009)

Purple Haze, by Jimi Hendrix (US Song; 1967)

Ramblin’ Rose, recorded by Nat King Cole (Song; 1962)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (UK Musical Play; 1973)

Rough and Rowdy Ways, by Bob Dylan (Album; 2020)

Roxanne (Film; 1987)

Streamlined Greta Green (WB MM Cartoon; 1937)

Superman II (Film; 1981)

Tim McGraw, by Taylor Swift (Song; 2006)

X-Files: Fight the Future (Film; 1998)

Today’s Name Days

Juliana, Romuald (Austria)

Božidar, Julijana, Romuald (Croatia)

Leoš (Czech Republic)

Gervasius (Denmark)

Sigrid, Siiri, Siivi (Estonia)

Siiri (Finland)

Gervais, Romuald (France)

Juliana, Romuald (Germany)

Paisios, Zosimos (Greece)

Gyárfás (Hungary)

Gervasio, Protasio, Romualdo (Italy)

Nils, Vaironis, Viktors (Latvia)

Dovilas, Dovilė, Ramunė (Lithuania)

Elling, Erling (Norway)

Borzysław, Gerwazy, Julianna, Odo, Protazy, Sylweriusz (Poland)

Iuda (România)

Alfréd (Slovakia)

Aurora, Gervasio, Romualdo (Spain)

Germund, Görel (Sweden)

Carisa, Carissa, Jarvis, Jervis, Karissa, Ralna (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 170 of 2024; 195 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of week 25 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Duir (Oak) [Day 8 of 28]

Chinese: Month 5 (Wu-Wu), Day 2 (Wu-Shen)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 30 Sivan 5783

Islamic: 30 Dhu al-Qada 1444

J Cal: 20 Sol; Sixday [20 of 30]

Julian: 6 June 2023

Moon: 3%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 2 Charlemagne (7th Month) [Pelayo]

Runic Half Month: Dag (Day) [Day 10 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 91 of 92)

Zodiac: Gemini (Day 29 of 32)

[queenofcandynsoda]

Sol Fertilis Holidays: January to June

January

1st- New Years Day: The celebration of the Gregorian New Year. 

17th- National Alpha Day/Day of White Chrysanthemums: It is the day of celebrating Alphas. Their families and staff would give them white chrysanthemums. Their Omega spouses would stay with them at the Living Room as their cooks prepare a four course dinner.

February 

1st- Fertility Fest/Day of Lilies and Snowdrops: It is the day where people celebrate the upcoming spring with feasting and bonfire dances. Couples would bring their young pups to the church to be bathe in spring water to symbolized cleansing. It is also a day of spring cleaning where people deep clean their homes for the spring or have their staff do it. 

14th- Lover’s Day/Valentine’s Day/Day of Red Roses: It is the day where couples come together to give gifts, have dinner, and attend mass. Pleasure Gardens are closed at this time.

March

8th- International Women’s Day: It commemorates the history and achievement of women in Sol Fertilis.

17th- Victory Day: It is the celebration of Sol Fertilis’ victory in World War III. It is celebrated with a military parade in Olympia, banquets, and parties in either parks or Pleasure Venues.

Spring Equinox- Fest of Beer/Day of Planting: It is the first day of spring. Families would plant flowers and farmers would prepare their crops. An alewife would be giving beer to the other ranks and making sure that an Alpha’s brewery is in good condition and serving the household. In church, Gamma Plus Lar would sacrifice a cow to mark the end of the Vesta Luna half of the year.

April

3rd- Party Foundation Day: It is the anniversary of the creation of the Progressive Natalist Party, which is the combination of the conservative Unified Amendment Party and the liberal Independent Labor Movement. The Progressive Natalist Party, also known as PNP, is the party that led to the creation of Sol Fertilis in the Western Region before expanding its influence to the rest of the world.

17th-National Gamma Day/Day of Purple Jasmines: It is the day of celebrating Gammas. They are given gifts and jasmines by their spouses and employers. For some Gammas, this is the day that they would meet their future spouse via National Matchmaking Service.

May

1st- May Day/Labor Day: It is a celebration of Sol Fertilis workers and the blessing of Bona Flora, one of Mars Soul’s many children. Omega pups would play with the Maypole, collecting flowers, weaving flower garlands, and crowning the May Queen, or May King. The Omega pups would wear pink or vermilion clothes with floral designs. For the Labor Day, all of the Beta Neutral, Minus, and Gamma Minus workers would get a day off with a large bonus. They would celebrate in beer gardens, cider houses, and nightclubs.

Second Sunday- Mother’s Day/Day of Pink Carnations: It is to commemorate mothers.

26th- Constitution Day/National Foundation Day/Sol Fertilis Day: It commemorates the creation of the Sol Fertilis constitution and the expansion of its influence once the world sees how successful its birthrate is.

June

6th-Military Foundation Day/Day of Poppies: It is the anniversary of the creation of the Sol Fertilis Military. It is celebrated with a military parade.

Summer Solstice- Festival of Midsummer/Mars Sol Day: It is the first day of summer. It is celebrated with games, parks, picnics, amusement parks, parties, and fireworks. In a church, a local priest would call in a Gamma Plus Lar to dance on the ground. The priest, who is an Alpha, brings in their Omega spouse and dance with them. This is to represent the high sexual energy that Mars Sol has for his wife, Venus Bellona.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 6.19

Holidays

Arbor Day (Paraguay)

Artigas Day (Uruguay)

Baseball Day

Beggar's Banquets (Brazil)

Butterfly Day

Constitution Day (Seychelles)

Día del Nunca Más (a.k.a. Never Again Day; Argentina)

Emancipation Day (Texas)

Farmer’s Day (Ukraine)

Feast of Forest (Palawan)

Festival of the Coming Ice Age

Garfield the Cat Day

International Box Day

International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict (UN)

International Fathers Mental Health Day

Jose Rizal Day (Luna, Philippines)

Juneteenth (US)

Labour Day (Trinidad and Tobago)

Laguna Day (Philippines)

Mass Market Paperback Book Day

Midsummer’s Eve (a.k.a. Midsommarafton; Aland, Finland, Sweden)

Midsummer’s Eve [Day before Summer Solstice]

National Ding Free Day (Canada)

National FreeBSD Day

National Heroes’ Day (Bermuda)

National Parks Free Entrance Day

National Pets in Film Day

National Reading Day (India)

National Thank a Teacher Day (UK)

National Tuccelli Day (ASL)

National Watch Day

Never Again Day (Uruguay)

New Church Day (Swedenborgian)

Pediatric Headache Awareness Day

Red Soda Celebration

Rye Day (French Republic)

619 Day

Spooky Stories Appreciation Night

Surigao del Norte Day (Philippines)

Surigao del Sur Day (Philippines)

Svalbard Global Seed Vault Day

"War Is Hell" Day

World Albatross Day

World Sauntering Day

World Sickle Cell Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Eat An Oreo Day

National Dine Out Day

National Martini Day (a.k.a. Dry Martini Day)

Real Food Day

Independence & Related Days

Day of the Independent Hungary (Hungary)

Mondero (Declared; 2010) [unrecognized]

Surigao del Norte Province Day (Philippines)

Surigao del Sur Province Day (Philippines)

Thebes (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

3rd Wednesday in June

Ageless Motion Day (Alberta, Canada) [3rd Wednesday]

National Healthcare Estates & Facilities Day (UK) [3rd Wednesday]

Festivals Beginning June 19, 2024

Beijing International Book Fair (Beijing, China) [thru 6.23]

Copenhell Festival (Copenhagen, Denmark) [thru 6.22]

Homestead Days (Beatrice, Nebraska) [thru 6.23]

Raindance Film Festival (London, United Kingdom) [thru 6.28]

Rock Imperium (Cartagena, Spain) [thru 6.22]

Feast Days

Asatru Alliance Founding Day (Asatru)

Boniface of Querfurt (Christian; Saint)

Cornelius Krieghoff (Artology)

Day of All Heras (Ancient Rome)

Deodatus (a.k.a. Didier or Die) of Nevers (or of Jointures) (Christian; Saint)

East of the Holy Ghost begins (Brazil)

Feralia: Day of Purification (Pagan)

Festival for Minerva (Ancient Rome)

Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes (Artology)

Gervasius and Protasius (Catholic Church; Martyrs)

Hildegrim of Châlons (Christian; Saint)

José Sanchis Grau (Artology)

Jude (Christian; Saint)

Juliana Falconieri (Christian; Saint)

Maginel Wright Enright (Artology)

Martini Day (Pastafarian)

Ollamh (Celtic Book of Days)

Pelayo (Positivist; Saint)

Princess Gwendolynda (Muppetism)

Robert Heinlein Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Romuald (Christian; Saint)

Salmon Rushdie (Writerism)

Tiger-Get-By’s Second Birthday (Shamanism)

Ursicinus of Ravenna (Christian; Saint)

Zosimus (Christian; Saint)

Islamic Lunar Holidays

Eid al-Adha, Day 4 [Muslim Feast of Sacrifice] (a.k.a. ... 

Al Adha (Egypt)

Eid al Adha (Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia)

Eid ul-Ad’haa (Maldives)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 28 of 60)

Premieres

American Gods, by Neil Gaiman (Novel; 2001)

Batman Returns (Film; 1992)

The Brave Little Toaster (Animated Film; 1987)

Bukowski (Film; 2013)

Canned Dog Feud (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1965)

The Cannonball Run (Film; 1981)

Dancing in the Street, recorded by Martha and the Vandellas (Song; 1964)

Devil May Hare (WB LT Cartoon; 1954)

Down to Earth, by Patricia Wrightson (Novel; 1965)

Dream for an Insomniac (Film; 1998)

The Enigma Variations, by Edward Elgar (Orchestral Piece; 1899) 

Fish Fry (Andy Panda Cartoon; 1944)

For Your Eyes Only, by Sheena Easton (Song; 1981)

Garfield (Comic Strip; 1978)

The Gospel According to the Son, by Norman Mailer (Novel; 1997)

Ham and Eggs (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1933)

Hatari! (Film; 1962)

Here Comes the Surfs (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Special; 1981)

Horton Hatches the Egg, by Dr. Seuss (Children’s Book; 1940)

How to Save Your Own Life, by Erica Jong (Novel; 1977)

The Idler Wheel…, by Fiona Apple (Album; 2012)

I’m a Honky Tonk Girl, recorded by Loretta Lynn (Song; 1960)

Inside Out (Animated Pixar Film; 2015)

Jason and the Argonauts (Film; 1963)

The Last of Us Part II (Video Game; 2020)

Mulan (Animated Disney Film; 1998)

Mumbo Jumbo, by Ishmael Reed (Novel; 1972)

The Music Man (Film; 1962)

No Longer Human, by Osamu Dazai (Novel; 1948)

Porky’s Building (WB LT Cartoon; 1937)

The Proposal (Film; 2009)

Purple Haze, by Jimi Hendrix (US Song; 1967)

Ramblin’ Rose, recorded by Nat King Cole (Song; 1962)

Robin Hoodwinked (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1967)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (UK Musical Play; 1973)

Rough and Rowdy Ways, by Bob Dylan (Album; 2020)

Roxanne (Film; 1987)

Sleepy-Time Squirrel, featuring Barney Bear (MGM Cartoon; 1954)

Streamlined Greta Green (WB MM Cartoon; 1937)

Superman II (Film; 1981)

Time Enough for Love, by Robert A. Heinlein (Novel; 1973)

Tim McGraw, by Taylor Swift (Song; 2006)

A Waif’s Welcome (Rainbow Parade Cartoon; 1936)

Who Killed Who? (Tex Avery MGM Cartoon; 1943)

X-Files: Fight the Future (Film; 1998)

Today’s Name Days

Juliana, Romuald (Austria)

Božidar, Julijana, Romuald (Croatia)

Leoš (Czech Republic)

Gervasius (Denmark)

Sigrid, Siiri, Siivi (Estonia)

Siiri (Finland)

Gervais, Romuald (France)

Juliana, Romuald (Germany)

Paisios, Zosimos (Greece)

Gyárfás (Hungary)

Gervasio, Protasio, Romualdo (Italy)

Nils, Vaironis, Viktors (Latvia)

Dovilas, Dovilė, Ramunė (Lithuania)

Elling, Erling (Norway)

Borzysław, Gerwazy, Julianna, Odo, Protazy, Sylweriusz (Poland)

Iuda (România)

Alfréd (Slovakia)

Aurora, Gervasio, Romualdo (Spain)

Germund, Görel (Sweden)

Carisa, Carissa, Jarvis, Jervis, Karissa, Ralna (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 171 of 2024; 195 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of week 25 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Duir (Oak) [Day 11 of 28]

Chinese: Month 5 (Geng-Wu), Day 14 (Jia-Yin)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 13 Sivan 5784

Islamic: 12 Dhu al-Hijjah 1445

J Cal: 21 Blue; Sevenday [21 of 30]

Julian: 6 June 2024

Moon: 94%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 2 Charlemagne (7th Month) [Pelayo]

Runic Half Month: Dag (Day) [Day 11 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 93 of 93)

Week: 3rd Full Week of June)

Zodiac: Gemini (Day 30 of 31)

[tuliotulo211216]

TREAT GUEST IN MIDSUMMER BANR RECEIVE BONUS UP TO ₹8888!!!

At the Midsummer banquet, pampering guests can yield a bonus of up to ₹8888, transforming hospitality into a lucrative delight.

Visit Our Website: ahc5.net Visit Our Websites: dtgames.vip Download APP: padamsee.online Telegram Contac: t.me/DTMENTORofficial facebook page: dtgamesindia

[tuliotulila]

TREAT GUEST IN MIDSUMMER BANR RECEIVE BONUS UP TO ₹8888!!!

Hosting a Midsummer banquet with generous treatment for guests can lead to a bonus windfall of up to ₹8888, ensuring a memorable celebration for all involved.

Visit Our Website: ahc5.net Visit Our Websites: dtgames.vip Download APP: padamsee.online Telegram Contac: t.me/DTMENTORofficial facebook page: dtgamesindia

[maloupets]

TREAT GUEST IN MIDSUMMER BANR RECEIVE BONUS UP TO ₹8888!!!

By indulging guests at the Midsummer banquet, hosts can unlock bonuses reaching up to ₹8888, enhancing both festivities and fortunes alike.

Visit Our Website: ahc5.net Visit Our Websites: dtgames.vip Download APP: padamsee.online Telegram Contac: t.me/DTMENTORofficial facebook page: dtgamesindia